Dream With Me

Dream With Me

 

Have you stopped dreaming? 

When was the last time you sat down and really allowed yourself to dream BIG dreams … like the “almost impossible” kind?

 Has it been a while?  Can you even remember when the last time was that you sat with your eyes closed and imagined a different kind of future for you … your children … your family?

I know what you’re thinking …

“When in the world do I have TIME to sit and dream??”  

“The biggest dreams I’ve dreamt relate to getting a full night’s sleep or going to the bathroom by myself!”

I would agree that life takes over sometimes, and the opportunities we have to imagine and dream and feel inspired are often overtaken by laundry and bills and to do lists.

I think the trouble is that we see dreaming as a luxury.  We see it as something we COULD do if we had enough TIME!  However, the time never comes, and the dreams become buried under the reality of our reality.

Here is my thought on the matter, though…

 I think dreaming is our lifeline.

It’s our secret code that unlocks our destiny.  It’s the bobby pin that allows us access to a whole new world of possibility that we forgot existed!  Now, we remember being dreamers when we were children.  It was easy then.  All it took was a stick and a sheet, and maybe our best friend, and we were in a whole new realm!

Don’t let being “grown up” steal the dreamer in you. 

The best part is that the ultimate dreamer … God … is in you, too. 

He LOVES to dream with you.  Will you sit with Him long enough to let him show you the dreams He has for you?  Will you allow him to take over your imagination, and show you what HE sees?

Oh, if we only allowed him access.  If we allowed Him to open the curtains to see the Narnia that He designed specifically for us … it would take our breath away.

 

Let Him take your breath away today.

Let Him show you the dreams He has for you.

It will blow your mind!

It’s more than you could imagine all by yourself.

It’s more than “average” and “regular” and “ordinary.”

As I’ve spent time with Him lately, I’ve come to realize that He has much bigger plans for me and my life than I do.  When he shows me His ideas, my reaction is …

“Are you sure, God?

Do you really mean it?

Is that possible … for me?”

His response is “Yes … Yes … and Yes.”

 Let Him show you today.  It might cause you to feel a little bit of fear or skepticism … but it’s real.

It’s possible.  Believe it.

With Love,

Jeanna :)

Images:

Dream Big –  http://suziecheel.com

Dream Painting – http://www.gofundme.com/4wdin0

 Dream Clips – http://panktimehta.blogspot.com/2013/08/big-dreams.html

Refill Please!!

Refill Please!

 Do you feel like you’re running on empty?

Are you completely drained at the end of most days?

Maybe you even feel drained as you START your day!  If that’s the case, you have your WARNING sign! :)

We’ve heard it before, but let’s consider this analogy…

Your life is a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, a can of your favorite beverage.  You enjoy those moments when you get to take a sip or sometimes gulp after gulp.  Every once in a while, you even share your favorite beverage with others.

After time has passed, your cup is empty, your glass is wineless, and you’ve reached the bottom of the can.  What do you do at that point?

Well, if you are at a restaurant, you ask for a refill!  If you are at home, you walk to the kitchen counter or refrigerator and pour yourself another glass!

What do we do in life when that happens?  

Are we as quick to realize when we are empty?  Do we have the wherewithal to recognize our depleted state as readily as when we see the bottom of the coffee mug?

“Yes, I need a refill.”  

Those words slip fluidly off our tongue when the server at the restaurant asks if there’s anything we need.  No hesitation.  No guilt.  We are not worried about what others think of our request.  We don’t analyze our need and feel “less than” for asking.

You’re on empty today.  Your cup is dry.

For you, it may have been dry for quite some time now.

The truth is, you CANNOT pour out if you’re on empty.

That is a fact!  Just ask anyone who has found themselves on the side of the road trying to catch a ride to the gas station.  It’s NOT a pleasant experience!  They KNOW there’s no way to operate when they’ve reached “E.”

Your family needs you to be filled.  Your friends and others around you need you to be full.  Why? Because you have amazing things to share with them.  Your ability to love, and give, and share life with others is completely dependant on your tank.  If it’s filled, you can pour out without any trouble at all.

However, when you need to give encouraging words or when someone around you needs prayer or help with their struggles, it’s MUCH easier when you have something to give!

“You’re right.  I’m on empty.” you say.  “How do I fix it?”

You do what everyone does when they recognize their emptiness.

You ask for a refill. :)

Who are you asking, though?

You’re asking the ONLY one who can actually fill you.  You’re seeking the One who knows exactly how much fuel you need for EVERY day you’re here on this earth.

Your dad.  Your father.  Your source.

He desperately wants to fill you up.  He has seen you trying to pour out for SO LONG, and has been trying to get your attention!  He has seen you struggling to love those who need to be loved and care for those around you.  Your spouse, your children, your friends …

You give, and give, and give, but you forget the most KEY ELEMENT in the whole process!  

The FILL UP!

Here’s the secret.  It’s a DAILY need.  

You need Him to fill you DAILY!

Otherwise, you will find yourself back on the couch at night or lying in bed feeling as if the world has sucked every ounce of energy out of you … again.   Don’t live like that!

He wants you to live life to the FULLEST!  

That’s the key word!  FULL!  

There’s no way to live life to the fullest if you’re empty.  It’s a contradiction of terms.  It’s an oxymoron.

Don’t live an “oxymoron” life. :)  

He has a FULL life planned for you if you allow him to be your “filler.”  So, the remedy … sit with him each day.  Whether you are a morning person or a night owl, find the time of day when you hear Him best.  Discover the moments where you can physically feel him pouring life back into you.  He wants to do it.  You NEED Him to do it.  Let Him wrap His loving arms around you and fill you.

Believe me.  Your family members, friends, co workers … those you meet on the street or those you run into at the grocery store … they’ll notice.  You’ll notice.  There’s a HUGE difference between EMPTY and FULL.

Let Him fill you up today.

With Love,

Jeanna :)

 

Images:

Coffee: http://wanderer-onestep.blogspot.com/2010/05/going-coffee-crazy-today.html

Coke:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/steezandcrackers/878584444/

 

 

Bedtime Brilliance

Bedtime Brilliance

At what time of day do you get your most brilliant ideas?  

For me, it never fails that as I lay my head down to sleep, a million and one ideas pop into my head.  Ideas about projects I should work on, people I should connect with, new challenges I should attempt …  They ALL come rushing to the forefront of my mind the moment I am seeking peace and quiet and rest.

Why is that?

I’ve heard a few theories on this topic.  One is that as you lay down in bed, you get better circulation to your brain, which allows you to think more clearly and your creativity begins to flow.  One individual suggested that if you needed to come up with a new project, idea, invention, or solution, you should actually lie down on the floor (or couch if you want to be comfortable), and you will find you have more ideas than you had before.

It really is an interesting concept!

A second theory I came across, when venting to a friend about lack of sleep due to my creativity crisis, is that when laying in bed, your brain shifts into a different mode.  In this relaxed state, more of your subconscious thoughts rise to the surface.  All those intentional thoughts that were clouding your mind have been packed up in your “Deal With Tomorrow” suitcase, and your subconscious creativity comes out to play.

It’s actually quite amusing, I think!  Well, that is, until you are staring at the clock and wondering when Miss Creative will leave you alone long enough for you to drift off into dream land.

Here’s my theory, though.

I think the first two theories are quite valid.  I’m sure they’re both true in some way.  My theory, however, is that when we finally crawl our tired bodies into our warm and cozy bed at night, God finally gets a chance to chat with us once again.

Maybe we sat with Him in the morning and heard His thoughts on the day.  Maybe we threw a “Thank you, Lord!” or “Please help me, Jesus!” into the atmosphere a few times throughout our hectic afternoon.  But when we finally have decided that the day we are in has come to a close and we are ready to shift into delightful dreaming, God whispers to us, “Psst … my precious daughter … I just want to tell you how much I love you before this day is done.”  “Hey … my amazing son … I just want to let you know how proud I am of you today!”

Then, He slips in a few of HIS ideas into our minds, and THAT is when those beautiful moments of brilliance take place!

They are HIS ideas.  They are HIS creations and revelations that He’s been trying to get us to see all day long!  However, the busy nature of our lives tends to choke out His voice.

So, today … tonight … make sure you have a pen ready.  He has so much He wants to pour into you.  Don’t wait until bedtime to hear Him speak.  Don’t miss the sheer genius He is pouring into you and drawing out of you all day long.  Those thoughts and ideas He’s whispering to you can change your life!  They can point you in a new direction or help you through a crisis.  They can revitalize your business or rejuvenate your relationships!

Don’t miss His whispers.  Hear Him today.  He’s got some AMAZING things to share with you!

With Love,

Jeanna

Image:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en

Maxi Miracles

Maxi Miracles

Are you believing God right now for something huge to happen in your life?  Have you been seeking Him, asking, and even pleading with him for certain prayers to be answered?

Maybe you’re praying for someone in your family to be cured from cancer, or to see a friend saved or delivered from her current circumstances.  Maybe you need a huge financial miracle or are seeking God to save your marriage.  Whatever it is, whatever that “Maxi Miracle” is that you’ve been seeking Him for, I just want you to know that He hears you.  He hears your cries.  He knows your thoughts.  He sees you where you are and has kept track of every tear that has fallen.  Those sleepless nights filled with worry are not something He ignores.

Now, you may be thinking …

“Well, if He is so good at knowing how much pain I’m in, and He hears my every prayer … why hasn’t he fixed it?  Why am I still in this mess?  My heart is hurting, and He has the remedy.  Why hasn’t he stepped in to stop my pain?”

I would say those are very valid questions.  I asked them myself many times.  I know this probably isn’t the answer you’re looking for, but I’d say the way to make it through the trial and the season of pain is to ask different questions.

What are You teaching me today?

How are my circumstances molding me into the person You’ve designed me to be?

What am I NOT seeing?

I am not trying to minimize the trials and tribulations we experience.  They are painful.  That is a fact.  However, sometimes the pain blinds us to the miracles that are happening EVERY DAY!

Oftentimes, we are so busy waiting for our MAXI MIRACLES that we completely ignore the MINI MIRACLES that surround us.

Believe me, God wants the best for you.  However, sometimes His “best” requires us to go through the fire.  It’s preparation.  I know it isn’t pleasant.  I know it isn’t all roses.  I’ve gone through many days where I thought God had put the mute button on my prayer requests and forgot I existed.

The thing is, He never forgets you exist.  

You’re on His mind ALL the time!  

So, today, as you are seeking God for your Maxi Miracles, don’t forget to look around you for all of the Mini Miracles He is giving you.  Don’t be blinded by your own prayers.  Don’t allow your painful circumstances to rob you of the joy each day can bring, even when your deepest desires are still just that.

He made today just for you.  He designed this day so that you could experience it with Him, step by step.  Take His hand and walk with Him today.  He knows your pain and sees your circumstances.  He’s working them out as you walk with Him.

Allow Him to do what He does best.  He knows your end from your beginning, and even when it doesn’t make ANY kind of sense, remember that it’s all working for your good, and your future is magnificent.

Your TODAY is your miracle.  

Whether you consider it to be Maxi or Mini … don’t miss it!

Images:

Johnson, Ginger. “Miracles Happen.” Photo. SurvivorSpark.com 13 March 2014.

<http://survivorspark.com/make-your-own-miracles-part-2/&gt;

Greenburg, Mike. “Life is a Series of Miracles.” Photo. EverydayMiracles.net 13 March 2014.

<http://everyday-miracles.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/everyday_miracles.jpg&gt;

“Don’t Wait for Miracles.” Photo. MotivationBlog.org 13 March 2014.

<http://www.motivationblog.org/dont-wait-for-miracles-albert-einstein-quote/#&gt;