It’s January 1, 2012, the beginning of a new year . . . the time that millions of people begin working on new resolutions for their lives. It’s also the one year and one day anniversary of when The Dreamer Speaks began. My goal on December 31, 2010 was to blog every day. That worked for a few months, but then life just got the best of me. I tried to keep up and publish a few random posts here and there, but I eventually stopped. I could say that the reason I stopped blogging was because I got so Read More
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How to be more like Superman
I’m a misfit and always have been. I’ve always had a thing for communicating via t-shirt messages. During high school, I often wore shirts or buttons with messages like “I’m not from this planet” or “Why be normal?” In my senior year, I (along with a male student) was voted “most unique.” I knew back then like I know today that “unique” is often a nice way of saying “weird.” But that’s okay. Like I said, I’m a misfit and always have been. By the way, Merriam-Webster’s (online) Learner’s Dictionary defines misfit as:” a person who is different from other Read More
Meet the Caroline Wambui Mungai Foundation
Television shows like “Secret Millionaire” and “Undercover Boss” have reminded us of the biblical charge to treat people well because we could be entertaining angels. All of these things remind us that you just never know who you are interacting with. Three years ago, when I started working with Catherine Wanjira Mungai, I had absolutely no idea that 1.) we would become such great “sister-friends” or 2.) that she was a business/ministry force to be reckoned with. It turned out that Catherine’s family operates a foundation that provides housing and education for vulnerable children in Kenya. As I’ve gotten to know Read More
Meet One Heartland
I was introduced to One Heartland (then Camp Heartland) through a workplace volunteer program. Once a year, we would pile into a coach bus and travel to Milwaukee on a Saturday morning. Once we arrived, we staged a day-long carnival for the camp participants. During one of those visits, a camp counselor (shoutout to “Even Steven!”) suggested that I apply for a summer staff position. I took him up on the offer, and history was made. My summer at Camp Heartland was impactful for a number of reasons. I have a chronic medical condition that required daily pills, so I Read More
Nilwona: A True Story
I am in a season of transition, and it has resulted in quite a bit of personal reflection and inventory. At various times in the past few months, I have been given opportunities to share bits and pieces of my story with others. It never fails, people are amazed at the things I share. There are many pieces of my life that I have been quite transparent in communicating. However, there are other parts that I’ve shared in a more opaque way. (Thanks, Rev. Carey, for that nugget of wisdom!) Over the past couple of weeks (and more specifically, the Read More
Meet Spark Ventures
I didn’t get my first passport until I was 31. A few years later, I’ve collected a small handful of stamps; this is partly due to Spark Ventures. I learned about Spark during the application process for a short term missions trip to Zambia. Since then, I’ve served on two of Spark’s Transformation Trips (in conjunction with North Park University’s Global Partnerships Program). While I’m in the States, I continue to support the work of Spark and Hope Ministries by volunteering my time, talents and money. I made a special $50 “Lent” donation to Spark () that will benefit their Read More
Blogging for the greater good (or What I’m Doing For Lent)
This year, I wanted to do something different for Lent, something more impactful and meaningful. I decided to put my money where my mouth is…literally. There are seven weeks in the Lenten season (including the week of Ash Wednesday), this equals a total of 46 days. I decided to pick a different charity for each week and donate $50 (46 rounded up). Every Friday, I will post information about the organization for the week, including an interview with a representative (founder, CEO, staff member, etc.). Though $50 is not much, I’m hoping to do two things: 1.) lead by example and Read More
It’s a shame…
Today was election day in Chicago. According to the Chicago Tribune’s latest report, voter turnout was about 40-45%. This, the article states, is not quite the 50% we were aiming for, but is better than the usual 33% (for municipal elections). It’s a sad day when people are excited about the possibility of a 50% voter turnout. I know that voting for aldermen and water reclamation people may not be as glamorous as the President of the United States or even Governor or Congressman…but really? Having grown up in Chicago and witnessed the machine politics of the 80s, I can Read More
You got to know…
…when to fold ’em. The ol’ Gambler strikes again. I have had quite a heavy load on my plate these past few weeks, and some days it’s a struggle to get in a blog post. It’s already past my bedtime, yet I was trying to think of something meaningful to post. Then the lyrics from “The Gambler” popped into my head. When Wisdom knocks, I have to answer. And tonight, Wisdom said, “Time to fold ’em and call it a night.” So my word for the day is “self-care.” Try it, you won’t regret it!
Twelve stones
Years ago, a coworker borrowed a nickel from me for the vending machine. He returned the nickel a few days later, making a joke about God giving back to us when we give. Though he was only joking, it was a powerful message that I needed at the time. So I taped that nickel to my wall as a reminder. The plastic ID holder in my wallet finally gave up the ghost this evening. Going through the contents was like a brief journey to my past. During that journey, I came across a card I’d put in a specific spot Read More