Dreaming Out Loud

What's the dream in your heart? 

Do you want to see Abortion ended? 

Help people get off drugs? 

Maybe write a book? 

Care for the widows and orphans? 

Help discover a cure for cancer? 

Impact Hollywood with your talent?

Everyone has a dream. You may not know it yet or are just discovering the dream. Maybe you know what it is but have lost it due to circumstances or past failure. 

If you were living to see that dream fulfilled, how would that change your family? Your community? your world? 

If everyday you woke up ready to step closer to that dream- how would that day look? 

What's the dream in your heart?

Don't Stop!

Im training for a 10k and went on a run with Matt the other day. I tend to avoid runs with Matt because 1. He runs longer and harder than me and 2. I hate losing! 

So I decided I needed to be challenged and that I was going to keep up and finish. It was a little over 3 miles with lots of hills. Of course right off the bat he is ahead of me (he has longer legs- okay!) I am trying to set a steady pace and don't want to poop out too early. At one point I pushed ahead and was about 10 steps in front of him until... we reached a hill. One thing I knew for sure- I wasn't stopping but that hill killed me! 

By the time I reached the top I was done. I wanted to stop. I had nothing to prove. My feet hurt. I was going to vomit. 

And Matt was ready for more. He asked, "Do you want to take a short cut to end early?" hum.... NO! I told myself I would finish and I was going to. We had one last hill and it was worse than the first. I was determined to get up it and not stop running. I just kept telling myself, "Just don't stop running, don't stop moving forward, keep going". 

And thats what I did- I made it home and I didn't stop. I didn't take a short cut. I was behind Matt but I finished! 

This gave a new meaning to Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore , since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "

Life is so much like a run. We can start off good with the best goals in mind but we soon hit hills that leave us winded and wanting to stop or take a short cut. We must keep moving! Don't stop. Keep pressing on toward that goal. As we fix our eyes on Jesus who in that very moment is perfecting our faith, He is working in us not only to finish the race but finish well. Every hill or opposition is in our favor. Training us to run longer and harder this life that is mapped out for us. Lets not take the short cut or we miss out on the adventure of the run.

Watching

I am sitting in the Los Angeles airport waiting for a flight to the Snowing North West.  Traveling during the holidays can be a total mess. As I sit here I am watching people

I’m a people watcher. I like to eavesdrop on others conversations. Matt hates this about me because at restaurants I am completely distracted.  So as I sit here Im having a great time-watching. Matt’s ipod is in so he doesn’t care...

I sat right next to a boy who looks like he is going through chemo. He can’t be more than 16. I immediately feel sorry for him and wonder if I should strike up a conversation. What would I say? “Hey, you look sick…um yeah….”. As I glance at him (acting like I am just looking around) I notice that he doesn’t see himself as sick. He is a typical teenage boy on his phone texting and listening to music. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself and doesn’t want sympathy from some stranger. He certainly doesn’t act like his life is over or that he could possibly die. Ever notice how some people let their circumstances dictate who they are? They walk around with heaviness on them that is so obvious to the outside world and oblivious to them. When you are “in it” you usually don’t notice you are this way. So it always amazes me when people are in serious heavy crap- like an illness or recent death-and they don’t let it have them. I guess that’s why I get so sick of my own voice when I complain about my life and my “struggles”. I so easily let my circumstances dictate how I am going to feel and live. My mom hurt me so therefore I have the right to hurt her back or walk around life with a bitter face? Wait a minute… What if someone is watching me right now? What do they see? A girl who is happy just being me? A girl who is satisfied and content? Crap. Crap. I hope no one is looking cause I’m not sure I even like what I see.

 He’s now completely annoyed and arguing with his mom about something…yeah, he is just a teenage boy.