Dream On!

 We all have dreams in our life.  We dream about getting our driver's license, going on our first date, graduating high school/college, getting married to the prettiest/richest woman/man, having lots of kids, dogs, cats, birds, etc.  There are dreams planted in us.  We were built for a purpose. (Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you... Before you were born, I set you apart." )

When you ask a little kid  "What do you want to be when you grow up?", you always get fascinating answers.  But ask some adults that same question and you'll usually be bored with their answer.  Most likely they won't seem quite as excited as a five year old.  Or they may not even have an answer. Somewhere between the years, the vision has been lost.  But why?

Do we forget about them in our quest to earn a paycheck? In our money driven culture, I'm afraid too many people have let the pursuit of money ruin their pursuit of happyness.

Or do we just allow our dreams to fade away and write them off as being "impossible"? Do we believe that we aren't capable of accomplishing our dream?  Part of that is truth -- we cannot accomplish things on our own.  We need God to help us in accomplishing the dream.  But we have to ask for it. 

There is a story about a man who died and went to heaven.  St. Peter met him at the gate and told him that he would take him to the place God had prepared for him.  They passed street after street of big, beautiful mansions.  The man got really excited, but they just kept walking.  Finally, they stopped in front of a small, but livable house and St. Peter told him that this was his home.  It wasn't a mansion, but the man was happy to just be in heaven. 

However, as the man opened the door, he saw stacks and stacks of unopened boxes in his house.  The man asked "What are these boxes for?".  St. Peter replied "These are the gifts that God had for you while you were on Earth, but you never asked for them, so He never sent them"

Ouch. What gifts are waiting for you that you just haven't asked for?  God has boxes filled with powers to conquer what you thought was impossible.  So the task being impossible is no excuse. 

Really, do you have an excuse?  You can either spend your time making excuses or spend your time making a WAY.  There is a quote that I love "The only thing that's keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself about why you can't have it"

So get out there and "Dream On" because you are never to old (or too young) to have big dreams.

Glimmers of Heaven

Usually around the holidays people get all reminiscent and think about those who aren't here on Earth anymore.  But me?  I have these random days throughout the year for no rhyme or reason.

I was blessed to be able to meet three of my four grandparents.  And I am blessed that I still have one here to enjoy and cherish! 

My dad's mom died 3 years before I was born.  I often wonder what he would've been like, but since I never got to meet him, so I guess I don't really "miss" him.  But I wish I could....

I got to spend 12 years with my mom's mom before she left this world.  But 14 years later, I still think about her an incredible amount and wonder what it would be like to have her around.  She taught me to be a book worm.  We took countless trips on the weekends to the library.  She taught me how to enjoy German food.  She taught me how to cook endless things.  She taught me how to work.  I never went to take your daughter to work day with my parents.  Grandma took me to work and it was so much better. (Isn't everything better with grandparents?!)  She shared her love of hot air balloons, dolphins and lighthouses with me. 

Then there was my dad's dad - Grandad. He taught me how to do word searches and to watch Braves baseball.  He also proved that you can eat a mammoth bowl of chocolate ice cream and still live to be 87.   He was a man of great faith and I strive to know the Bible and live like he did.  He was a man of few words, but I sure do miss him just being around!  When I go visit Meme, I miss the house being 81,594 degrees because Grandad didn't want the fire to go out.  I miss him sitting at the end of the table at his place.  In fact, everyone hesitates to sit there still because it's Grandad's seat.  I miss watching him walk to and from the barn two or three times a day in his worn path.   

So yes, I miss them. But you know what? God gives me reassurance that they are happy. And it looks like this:

A rainbow cloud.  I don't know the technical name, but to me, it is my glimmer of heaven. These little clouds, they are openings in heaven where Grandma and Grandad can pour out their love on me and let me know they are happy :)  And that makes me happy. 

Cherish your moments with your loved ones.  No one can confidently say that they will be here tomorrow.  The only thing we can be confident of is that there is a heaven......  and there is a way to get there!  I hope you know the way!

John 14:1-6
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.