dream BIG: week nine

I bring you some quotes from Taking Flight by Kelley Ray Roberts

" Fears are pesky and persuasive little buggers. If we're not careful, they help themselves to the creative landscape of our hearts, planting roots and spreading their tangled web of weeds all over our creative dreams."

"When we delay our creative yearnings, we, in essence, live in a world of procrastinating our creative truth because we are afraid of it. We, maybe without even knowing it, continue to allow our fears and doubts to swallow our creative spirit"

"We must embrace that the idea that our creative dreams can begin from the very place we stand today, not "after this" or "after that" or when everything else in our lives line up perfectly."

What small step can you take today?

Read more...

The BEAUTY in opposites

We received notice this week that a ONE MONTH old in our church has cancer. Those are the days I shake my head and wonder WHY???? I pray for the family that HAS TO be experiencing shock and devastation. As we set up teams to visit I pray for a miracle but I am also reminded of something I wrote awhile ago. Thought I would share...

The colors of purple, red, and yellow engulf you. Playful children’s artwork covers the walls. Silver balloons and toys are a regular sight you see. The sounds of children’s voices fill the air. There are waterfalls, trains, and even an indoor playground to entertain each child who wanders in. Where am I?

You might guess an amusement park or a child’s birthday party.

But, let me share with you the other sights and sounds going on around me.

Pacing parents in the hallway, the subtle weeping of a mother as she listens to the doctor give her “the news”, a heartbreaking cry of pain from a child’s lungs, child after child sitting in room after room with various tubes coming from their arms and chest, the sad eyes of parents and children meet your own and you know they are wondering “what is about to happen next?”

Where am I?

Where do these two worlds of sadness and joy meet?
Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

I wait with one of our families to hear the news that will either bring a smile to our face or tears to our eyes.

As I focus in on what is happening all around me I realize how much the world we live in today is like this moment of time I am experiencing.  

We live in a world filled with opposites.

death and birth.

divorce and marriage.

illness and cure.

bankruptcy and millionaires.

war and peace.

I ask the mom I am waiting with how she does it? How does she cope?

What she tells me isn’t unique or something she made up. She tells me that what gets her through each day is “TRUST!”

Trust! Trusting that God is in-charge and knows exactly what is going on. Trusting that, even through we don’t understand, God is bigger and more creative than we could ever be. Trusting that this place we call earth is just our small playground for the excitement that is to come in the big amusement park called heaven. Trust is the key!

Solomon shared some simple yet wise words of wisdom with us in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 that can provide us with the power of God at all times.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

This would be a great verse to memorize. For some fun memorization tricks of the trade check out this post from Ginger Ciminello.  

Read more...

dream BIG. week two

I continued my dream BIG adventure by reading TWO whole pages of Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. It is NOT that I don't want to read more it is simply because it takes so much to even process the two pages I have read. Here is a glimpse into the stands outs for me in those two pages. 


Quote pg. 12
The whispers of our dreams often get suffocated by the constraints and pressures of our everyday lives. 
Wow! The word parenthood could sum up the above quote. 
In my vocation I get Mondays as my day off. My Mondays pre-motherhood were dreamy. Sleep in, hot tea, journal, and read. Catch a movie that I wanted to see or take myself on an Artist Date (Artist Way.Julia Cameron), throw an errand or two in and you have a glorious day. 
Now my Monday picture is to wake up a tad groggy, feed kids, change diapers, do dishes, put away laundry, MAYBE take a shower, MAYBE eat, pick up toys, feed kids, change diapers, do dishes, repeat!
That can sound bleak and some days it feels like everyday life is suffocating me. But, my Mondays also include playing, dancing, laughing, painting or coloring, playing outside, sliding down slides and LOVING my kids. The point is that it is my PERSPECTIVE that takes it from suffocating to dream giving. 


Quote pg. 12
Inner yearnings are our living dreams
Yearnings? What are those exactly? Things that tap on you, bring you a smile, make you think and think and think. Things that you find your mind dreaming about and wishing for. 
Only you can say what your inner yearning are! 
Anyone who knows me well can easily tell you that mine have always been to write, create, dream, and coach others. 
Thankfully I get to do a certain amount of that through my vocation but there are ways that I can push myself farther. It is my job to push the yearning into a living and breathing dream. 


Quote pg. 12 
Even the most intuitive and self aware artist can benefit from testing the limits of her/his creativity and pushing boundaries of her/his comfort zone. 
I think the natural response to this quote would be HOW? How do I push my boundaries? My answer to that has been: read.retreat.conference.try! 
read.retreat.conference.try!  
READ, READ, READ, LEARN, LEARN, LEARN!
My choice favs:
Artist Way by Julia Cameron
Dangerous Wonder by Mike Yaconelli 
Let your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
RETREAT
Pre-motherhood I took myself on two personal retreats a year. Once you start looking you will be surprised how many local possibilities there are. Book a room at a bed and breakfast, check churches for woman's retreat or google retreat centers in your areas. I suggest going with a goal, even if that goal is relaxing! But, know what your mission is so that you can walk away from your time feeling accomplished. 
Right here right now I promise to begin this again once Avery is 1 1/2. Keep me accountable?
CONFERENCES
Conferences are always boundary pushers for me. While expensive sometimes it is worth the investment or sign up to "work-it" and listen in for free. But, again a lot of local churches or organizations will offer opportunities at little or no cost. Google is a beautiful tool!
TRY
Last but not least in the end you simply have to be willing to TRY doing something new. It may push you forward or it may push you to the ground but at least you will have tried. 


Quote pg. 13
Our whispers also tend to reveal themselves in subtle ways to people who we feel closest to. 
This can be powerful. When a friend or friends speak into you life and encourage you in your dreams you can feel excitement. This is also a place to put your radar flags up and make sure what they are speaking into your life is what God wants for you. 
Case in point. Over the last year I became ridiculously obsessive about party planning. I love looking at blogs, dreaming up ideas for my own kids and friends. I LOVE IT! Friends have been encouraging, they ask for ideas, and help. A few have gone as so far as to ask why I don't turn it into something more? And while the idea sounds fun I know what God has asked of me and it is not to be the next AZ party guru. 
On the flip side when God gave me the vision for Cravings close to 2 years ago I kept it close to my heart till I was ready to be brave and own it as something I was going to bring to reality. Once I was ready to share I was open to friends thoughts, feedback and help. When I went into the solicitation phase of the product I had prepared myself for a long haul to finding the RIGHT company to pick it up. Ready for discouragement I was overwhelmed when I was immediately meet with willingness. It only took me 8 weeks to find the right fit but I credit that to being a God given vision and being open to Christian friends giving me input and direction.
The point here is that we shouldn't let a friend lead a vision. Make sure it comes from God first and then let your friends pour into that vision.  


Quote pg 13
The next time you catch yourself beginning a sentence with "One day, maybe I can...or if I had more time, I would..." take notice. 
My "if I had more time" list is: I would...simplify, organize, read more, and write more. 
My "one day" list is: One day...I will be a published author. I will be a full time mom and wife. 
My "maybe I can" list is: Maybe I can...make an impact on mom's who desire to know God more, impact young woman who struggle with body image, help churches around the world have quality children's curriculum. 
The best thing I know how to do when there is a to-do list in front of me is to create an action plan. Guess I know what my personal 6x6(Axiom Bill Hybels)looks like. 
Question for the week:
What is ONE new thing you can try this week? Don't question it, over think it, or worry about it. Just try it. 

Read more...