We Dream

We sit quietly in the shadows
Those private places
Where our thoughts run free
Where our emotions are allowed
We Dream

We look into the light
We see the possibilities
Full of hope and full of life
We search for courage and strength
We Dream

We are dreamers
But locked in our corners
Held back by our weakness
Searching for confidence
We Dream

We look at the obstacles
We see the boundaries
We gaze at the mountains ahead
We want to reach out
We Dream

We know the challenges we face
But we hear that voice inside
We must stand up and walk
We must act now
We Must Dream Out Loud

The time has come
To fulfill our destiny
To change our course
To make a stand
To Dream Out Loud

Taking A Break

I'm taking some time off of here to reconnect to the lighter side of life. Looking to lift a bit of the weight and snatch a little joy. I'll catch up with you soon........

How Easily We Forget

Life is a blessing, a gift from God, a unique journey, one that only we can experience for ourselves. It can last for years or it can be taken in a moment, much too early. It's a journey that seems to start way too slow. We try to speed up that life so we can be......grown up. So we can  be an adult, doing the things we so long to do. Then when we become that adult, we want things to slow down. Life seems to be passing by way too fast.

For some of us, it's really....really hard to grasp how precious each and every day is. We constantly look forward to events in the future. Events that we just can't wait to experience. We'll go for days looking ahead, letting time slip by..... unnoticed.

Some of us are made aware of the limits of time and space when we hit an abrupt turn in the direction of our lives. Sometimes it's from the dreaded news of an illness, or cancer, or a devastating accident. It's in those moments, we become aware of the value of life. For some of us time screeches to a halt. For others, it's the motivation to take one day at a time and savor each moment, to really recognize the awesomeness of life. But as we overcome the obstacle and our health improves, we seem to forget what we've learned about living.

This comes from one who has experienced both. My twist in the road came eighteen years ago with the diagnoses of cancer. Surprisingly there was not a feeling of fear, even though I was given six months to a year. But the importance of living each moment and enjoying each breath was magnified ten fold. I learned to take each day and recognize it as a gift from God.

As the chemo, radiation and medication improved my health beyond all expectation, I caught myself slipping back into that old mindset. I started letting circumstances and trials consume me and diminish my ability to enjoy and savor life. It surprised me How Easily I Forgot.

So I look to remember, striving to regain that lifestyle of living life. You would think it wouldn't be that difficult, but at times it is. The world and all it's woes can zap the life out of us. We constantly look for the silver bullet that will get us back on track. Sometimes we try so hard to live, we forget how to live.

One answer I've found is to learn how to give. Buy giving of ourselves, our love, our time and talents, we learn to become a part of the world around us. We become a participant, not just a bystander.

One answer is in finding the Joy of the Lord as our Strength. By walking in his ways, we find a new purpose in life. We see so many who don't take that walk, live their lives just existing, finding little happiness and joy, watching the days go by with no reason or rhyme.

One answer is to realize that this too shall pass. We learn that things have a way of working out at times. We learn that when we are weak, He is Strong.

We find when we forget to live, we have to stop and take a breath, to put things back in perspective, and remember how important and happy life can be if we'll learn to let it.

None of us have all the answers. We have to find what works for us. But in giving and sharing, by walking in faith and seizing each moment, we can find what we've lost....and found....and lost again. If we open our eyes and our hearts and become a participant in the world we live in, we can renew the purpose, and spirit and life that we seek. We can live, however long or however short and know that life had meaning. That we lived with grace. That the door of opportunities and adventures and life were always open for us to walk through. And if we forget, we can lift our eyes up to heaven.....and learn again.


and the Journey Continues......

Blogging

Blogging is something I never expected to be doing. With so many bloggers out there, sharing their family activities, their interest, their faith, and their own uniqueness, I never thought I would be one of them.

My blogging started as a form of therapy. It was my way of putting my struggles, as well as my triumphs into words, to understand them better. By verbalizing my thoughts, I was able to get a more concrete picture of my experiences and a better understanding of what was and is happening in my life and learning from that process. 

I'm not the best wordsmith, when it comes to writing. I'm not one who has an answer for the tough questions or even the easy ones at times. I'm not the Dear Abby when it comes to advice. I don't get things right, most of the time. I'm just me.

By blogging, I can see who I am and learn from that knowledge. I can get a view from the top of what life has thrown my way and the road I've traveled. I can hopefully learn from my mistakes and face the challenges ahead with a bit more wisdom and experience. I can draw my strength from past failures and victories. When I make the wrong turn, I can pick myself up and start the process again. When I fail, I can realize that I'm only human and that's OK.

My writing can be taken with a grain of salt. Others may not agree with me and may think I'm too critical, too preachy, or not too bright at times. Sometimes I may come across as too negative or too open about things. I'm just me.

So as I learn, I hope others can learn. As I grow, I hope others can grow. When I fall, I hope it helps others to understand something about their own lives and find solutions to work through their own rough times. I hope I can be a small spark of hope and understanding. 

I hope someone will find some encouragement as I continue this Journey Of Life.......

Arrogance

Driving down the road this week, I caught myself angry and frustrated at the drivers around me. They were shooting in and out and yep, going the speed limit. My impatience and frustration began to grow and my anger was heating up.

I've been working on having more patience when I drive, but it's been a slow process. When I feel the anger stirring, I take a few deep breaths and slow down some. But today, it finally hit me.

My frustration wasn't coming from those around me, it was coming from my own arrogance. Yep, when I'm driving, I expect everyone to get out of my way because I'm on a mission. This is my trip, my road and you need to move it..

Wow, what an epiphany. We all get frustrated at drivers that don't use their signals, or talk or text and drive. But I finally realized that this was something deeper........My Arrogance.

We've all met people who come across as arrogant. They seem to put themselves upon a mighty pedestal, high above the rest of us. In the music industry, they are called the Egos. Too many times we see artist call themselves stars or divas, forgetting that their talents are a gift and a blessing, forgetting what it's like to be humble. Sometimes we see preachers of large congregations begin to put their name on everything above the church, boasting their reflection on how they got this church where it is today, forgetting their humble service to God. Sometimes we see those who are wealthy, thinking they are in a higher class, forgetting that money is only money, and the Lord gives and He takes away.

But arrogance doesn't only apply to those who have their heads in the clouds. Those of us who find ourselves inpatient, standing in line at the check out counter, driving in traffic, or eating at a restaurant, expecting to have things done now, can be guilty as well. We start letting in the notion that the world revolves around us. Before we know it, arrogance begins to show it's ugly head.

We've been taught that patience is a virtue and that if we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, He will lift us up, but too many times we lift ourselves up instead.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have a good and positive outlook on life and our self worth. I'm saying we have to keep it in balance. Balance seems to be one of the key elements of life and one of the hardest things to accomplish.

So for me and my epiphany, I now have a better understanding of those times when the anger and frustration creeps up on me. I need to take a moment to look around, to see that the rush of the situation isn't as urgent as I think it is. I need to be aware of the ones around me and realize in every situation, there is a lesson learned. I need to let go of my Arrogance......and humble myself.....and turn that moment of anger into joy.


and the Journey Continues......