When my oldest niece was two years old, her parents took her to an amusement park for kids. They were on a “teacup” sort of ride, and things started off fine. But as the ride began to pick up speed, my niece had a change of heart. She says, “Wait . . .” Then she repeats it multiple times, with an increasing sense of urgency. (I would be lying if I said that I didn’t laugh hysterically when I saw the video footage my brother recorded!) This image came to mind recently as I reflected on what has been happening Read More
Tag: dreams
Be.
As 2015 was coming to a close, I kept seeing friends on social media talking about their word for 2016. This was a new thing to me, so I made a mental note to think about finding my own word. Before I knew it, 2016 had arrived, and I still didn’t have a word. So one day, I paused to consider if there was a particular word God was putting on my heart. “Be” came to mind. And I remember thinking that was an odd word. Be what?? A few days later, I tried again. Still, all I got was Read More
The Dreamer’s Toolbox
For years, I’ve been drawn to the story of Joseph (told in Genesis 37, 39-46) because he was a Dreamer. I was recently re-reading his story in preparation for writing a theological reflection, and was reminded of some important points. So I’d like to share with you four things that should be in every Dreamer’s toolbox: Endurance. Even in the lowest points of his life, Joseph ended up in positions of leadership. Little did he know, this was preparing him for something greater. Instead of being upset that we aren’t where we think we should be in life, we should Read More
Starting over
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
Dealing with disappointment…
Warning: This post is purposely not “polished.” It’s a peek into my brain as I process through this situation…I chose this way because I hope that my transparency and willingness to be “raw” will help someone else who may be dealing with disappointment. So, here’s another peek into the way my mind operates. Fasten your seat belts, and please keep your arms inside the ride at all times… One evening, in the mid-nineties, while at my college’s gospel choir rehearsal, I had a thought…a little inkling of a thought that maybe one day I might be some sort of missionary. Read More
Never stop dreaming
Yesterday, I saw a video spread across the internet like wildfire, but it wasn’t until late last night that I finally decided to click “play.” By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden radio voice. In the original video (taken by a newspaper reporter from the Columbus Dispatch), we see Williams on the side of the road, holding a sign that says he has a “God given gift of voice” and that he is an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. During the video, he’s given a chance to wow the Read More