Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
(Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message)
"Living deep in God's "good" ness, I will seek to travel with others toward peace and deep joy while diligently tending to my own garden." (Juniper Gillian)
This week as I have been contemplating potential, exciting things have been expressing themselves in my soul. I cannot explain how the good news grows from a seedling of faith into a full blooming flower of joy. I have been on a journey with Jesus as my central love, sometimes ardent, sometimes wavering for more than four decades now. He never ceases to surprise me with joy and hope and peace and things sprouting and flourishing in my soul that I don't even remember being planted there.
Over the last twelve years, I have been dreaming about what I want to be when I "grow up." When our boys were in high school, my husband and I spent three days with a couple to look at our lives, to see where we had been and where we were going. Here is the statement, which I wrote about my personal significance in the summer of 2005:
Personal Significance is…
Minimum
of a two year college degree
Written
and published at least one book
Created
and maintained a website for spiritual encouragement
In many ways, God has exceeded the desires of my heart. In December 2011, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in English and we self-published a book of devotions, titled Defining Moments: Overflowing with Living Words. And since 2008, I have maintained this blog, Nourishment for the Soul: A Place to Feed on Words.
This journey has proved to me the value of writing down our dreams, capturing them in a visual medium and sharing them with others. Through learning to lean close into God's goodness everyday, He is leading me in ways I never thought possible.
And now, He is opening doors for me to experience more impossibilities. By the end of the summer, I plan to have a website that hosts the blog, promotes creative soul workshops and potentially the unveiling of spiritual adventures. Please pray for me as I branch out and take steps of faith to bring this possibility into actuality.
For now, I'm going to keep the name of this enterprise a surprise to unveil with the website. So stay tuned!
(Many others besides, Don and Sherie Zimmer, who we met with in 2005, have been influential in this dream becoming a reality including my husband, who defies enough superlatives to ever express my true heart towards him, our two sons who have grown up into renaissance men, my mom, who gave me life and confidence, my sisters, Juniper Gillian, Michelle and Dani, who love me and cheer me on, my Magnificent Friends (you know who you are), my journaling friends and mentors, Lynn D. Morrissey and Mary Ann Kuechler, my writing friends and journaling friends (hugs) and my friend and life coach, Tracy Flori! And now I feel like I'm at the Oscars and I just know I've forgotten to thank someone...I am thankful for all the friends and teachers over the years who formed who I am today. Dreams take a lot of work and support and I so appreciate God bringing each one of you into my life.)
May God enable each of us to express our possibilities (and impossibilities) in order to create space for His goodness to flourish as we each, "Live out our God-created identities, living generously and graciously toward one another, as God lives toward us!" (Matthew 5:48 The Message)
When's the last time you recalled the good news alongside the goodness of God?
Linking up with...
Kel, I love your use of the Message Bible and also Miss Gillian's quote (now that I have dream-traveled with her, it means a lot to see her words here). And my goodness! For you to list me in this illustrious group of encouragers is incredibly humbling and encouraging. THank you beyond words. You and your inpsiration mean so much to me! Thank you! I join you in applauding and cheering for your dreaming and also in dreaming right along with you. As I said in a personal email to you, God has given us similar dreams, and this is a great source of affirmation to me. I know we are on the right dream-track so to speak, and I love traveling it w/ you. I, too, have been praying about going more public with the dreams He has placed in my heart, because in the end, dreams are to be shared. And because I feel He has led me to pray for a global journaling revolution, it stands to reason that it needs to be shared with the world via the Net! I pray that He will unfold those steps to me, just as He is for you. I love that we can pray for each other. So keep blazing that Dream-Trail! I am very, very proud of you!
ReplyDeleteLove
Lynni
Oh, and I almost forgot: I absolutely think it is critical to write down our dreams (meaning aspirations). I did this in the 1990s, and it serves as a way to focus and underscore what God is birthing in your heart. When they come to be, you truly understand without doubt that He gave you these dreams and by His power brought them about. On my list, written on April 23, 1993, was becoming a Christian speaker, which I am, writing a book (and I have 3 books, among which is my passion book on journaling, Love Letters to God), leading jouranling workshops, which I do (and now with a journal facilitator credential), and Kel, you will NOT believe this! And I didn't even realize till just going back to my old Bible where I had written it down, to lead a workshop called Spiritual CPR (and that was the name of one of my journaling classes that you attended!!!) I hadn't even thought more about it!, salvation of my husband and brother, my father, and our daughter Sheridan and they all are saved (Daddy is in heaven), and to be in some way involved in the pro-life movement. Doors finally opened there in the sense that God freed me to write about my abortion in Love Letters to God, and now our daughter knows (which frees me further), and she has been totally loving and understanding. Whew! Writing does not manifest dreams, as New Agers teach. Rather, writing helps us crystalize in our own minds what God is telling us, and to have His tangible dreams toward which to work and direct our lives. It's not the writing, but committing in writing what He shows us. I am soooo excited for how He works, and praise Him again and again for this gift of writing, and for dreamers like you who choose to say YES!
Lynni- God has brought so many of your dreams to fruition...and to think He gave you the idea of Spiritual CPR so many years ago...I really hope you offer that class again...I am glad to be on the Dream-Trail with you...and believe God has many great adventures abead for us...keep writing and dreaming, ny friend.
DeleteKel - I so agree about keeping a journal of our dreams, even our prayer requests, so that we can go back and see what God has done. Just today, I was leafing through mine and thought "What a mighty thing God has done."
ReplyDeleteJen- It is so awesome to see how God works and the written record affims and strengthens my faith and reminds me to hang on when it seems like the desire for change or the impossible dream takes so long to get here...What a Mighty God who loves us and delights in us! Thanks Jen for stopping by :)
DeleteYour website idea sounds great, Kel... Also something that God is leading you in, I can tell. Blessings to all you are dreaming in Him, and may He use your heart mightily in all your ventures in writing and following Him!
ReplyDeletePam-Thank you for seeing God's leading in this...I am very excited to begin sharing with others all the wonderful creative ways God loves us and wants us to fulfill our purposes and explore our creative selves...He is opening doors I never would have imagined! I will share as things fall in place.
Delete