Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Salty.

This was my photo of the day on my 365 blog and I liked it so much, I'm posting it here.  I'm just crazy like that!
I was trying to find something to take a photo of tonight.  I was looking through the kitchen and saw the salt - PERFECT!  As Christ followers, we are supposed to be the salt of the earth.  {Salt makes people thirsty} Are you living your life so that others are thirsty for what YOU have?

 Yeah, yeah, they're the same picture, but I couldn't decide if I liked texture or no texture the best.  Again, I'm just crazy like that. 
 I hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!!!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Words of wisdom.

Well, at least that's what I like to call them.

Monday night I went to bed and felt like I was asleep forever, but woke up 30 minutes later.  Doesn't that drive you crazy when that happens?  What drives me even more crazy is the fact that I could not fall back asleep.  I was fidgety and squirmy.....so much so that I woke up my prince sleeping next to me.  I decided to get a drink of water, hop back in bed and play a game of Tetris (I'm known in my family as the Tetris QUEEN - 249 lines is my high score!).  1 1/2 hours and a few games later, I was finally tired enough to fall asleep.

During my Tetris time, I was saying extra prayers, asking for extra guidance and wisdom for me and Mike, praying about our future....you know, the magnified kind of stuff that you think of when you can't sleep.  All of the sudden, some words popped into my mind.  Once, twice, three times, four, five, six, seven, eight.......I lost count.  I couldn't keep up with the amount of times this ran through my head.

PROTECT YOUR DREAMS.


Like an umbrella protects us from the rain, we should be protecting our dreams.  We should be keeping them safe from the elements that sprinkle on us each day.  It is so important to protect those dreams inside of us.

I was talking to a close friend the other day and I confided in this person that they were the ONLY person I was telling because I basically wanted to keep it "safe" right now.  They agreed that they were doing the same thing with what they were telling me because there are so many people that would enjoy seeing these dreams shattered.

Then I got to thinking.  There are so many people in this life that do not want to see you do better than them.  They want to keep you down.  They want you to doubt yourself.  They want you to think your dreams are insane.  They want you to fear the future.  They want you to stay in that rut.  They don't want to see you truly happy.  They want you to think your dreams aren't possible.  They want you to be insecure.  They want you to think that your dreams are TOO far out of reach.  They're "just being realistic".  They try to destroy that dream that is inside of you.  To these type of people, it would be pure joy if your dreams crumbled around your feet.

Those are the kind of people you need to protect your dreams from.  It's hard sometimes, though.  You just get SO EXCITED about the future and about dreams that are right on your fingertips and you want to shout it to the world!!!  From personal experience, I know this all too well.

I have learned some things about dreams.  Write your dreams down.  Put them on a vision board.  Share your dreams with one or two people who you consider to be a positive influence in your life. Someone who is going to cheer you on.  Someone who is going to tell you - keep going.  Someone who is going to tell you - you can do it!  Someone who is going to tell you - believe in miracles.  Someone who is going to support your dreams no matter how crazy and insane they may seem!!!  Someone who will help you cultivate those dreams.  Someone who will keep your dreams protected.  Someone who believes in your dreams more than you do.  You know who those people are in your life.....they are valuable and priceless! 
                                                     
GUARD YOUR HEART.


It's SO important to guard your heart also.  We should guard our hearts more than we protect our dreams.  Give and receive love into those hearts.  Be selective with what and WHO you let into your heart.  Keep bitterness OUT of those beautiful hearts.  Keep envy out of those hearts.  Keep jealousy out of those hearts.  Keep anger out of those hearts.  Keep judgment out of those hearts.  There are so many unbelievable truths packed into Proverbs 2 and 4!  Proverbs 4: 23 says - "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."  Did you read that?!!  It says to guard your heart "above ALL that you guard"!!!!  Our hearts are fragile and precious and so beautiful.

The phenomenal part to this story is this - I subscribe to Brave Girls Club daily truths.  Tuesday evening after I made the props for this blog, and before I went to bed, I checked my emails, and this beautiful truth was waiting for me in my inbox!!!  I couldn't stop crying.  It was a confirmation to me.  It could not have come at a more perfect time!  That daily truth was meant for me Tuesday!!!!!!  

I just want to encourage you to protect your dreams and guard your hearts.  You have one heart and bunches of dreams - do everything you can to protect them.  When the right time comes along, you will know in your heart that you can share them with the world!!!!!!  Dream HUMONGOUS dreams!  Believe in miracles!!!!  You. CAN. do. it.