Dreams Find More Life in the Hard Times and the Work



Lamentations 3:27-  

"It’s a good thing while you’re still young 
to tough it out through the hard times." 
(Message bible)







Lamentations 3 has been keeping me highly encouraged during this season of my dreams. The season where euphoria has lifted. The season where I take it all at full face...the studying, researching, refreshing what I’ve learned by continually educating myself, and keeping the “why and who” of my dreams at the forefront. 
Note: I didn’t start out that way. I would get distracted by the negativity and forget all the true blessings of people, answers, open doors. Just one negative thing and I was a basket case.
Here's what I’m putting into my every day practice and I invite you share your daily practices in the comments:
1) I do what Lamentations 3:28 says - When life gets heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. 

And then I wait... for Him, His hope, His direction.

2) I get encouragement - I can never do it alone.
    • I know God loves me for who I am. What I do is a reflection of His love for me. 
    • I connect with my cheerleaders. I just sent an update to a few of my mentors. Their comments are priceless. I save it and read it over and over when I need to.

3) I remember the joy I felt when the dream(s) first entered my heart and became mine. I can hear and see the encouraging life-words of those who got excited with me at that first moments.

4) I give thanks - God has been incredibly faithful in my life. It’s not easy to live gratefully. But, the lifestyle of gratitude is simple. I simply choose to. I love sending thank you’s any way I can - facebook, twitter, blogs, email, cards, and letters. 
5) I let my family keep me grounded - It’s so easy to get caught up in it all. The every day with my family and Shadow keeps me in check. I mean, walking the dog and picking up poop should keep me grounded enough! So, the gifts of cleaning, organizing, cooking, laundry, become fulfilling in ways I never thought would. The pluses are hugs and kisses, ooh’s and ah’s, and “that was ono (delicious)”.
6) Making my work area an altar - whether I’m writing, studying, photographing, working on music. Wherever, I am I ask God to be with me...

”Lord, I place it all at your feet. Here are my words, my days work, my plans. Use them to benefit the lives you bring into mine. Use them to teach me more about who You are, who I am, and the life I’m called to live. Bless the work of my hands, the words of my mouth, pen, keyboard, and story through my camera and guitar. Not to me, but to Your Name, Jesus be the glory. Graciously, Amen.”
7) Praying for other’s dreams - You share your dreams, hopes, prayers request and family with me, and I remember to pray. Even, when you don’t say or write a word, I pray because you are amazing, wonderfully unique, beautifully skilled and talented. You may not see it now. I didn’t either. 
You have all it takes. 
Just be you. 
Do what you can where you are with what you’ve got and it will multiply. 
The lives you will touch for good will blow you away 
and 
fuel you for even more adventure on your journey.
The friends you'll meet along the way can't be matched.




Read more about Dreams and find encouragement here:


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3 comments:

Cheryl Allen Salinas said...

Beautiful and inspiring!

Katie said...

I love the ways you seek encouragement and how you keep going in your dreams! Thank you for the encouragement.

Unknown said...

Thank You Ladies. You've inspired and encouraged me to keep positively motivated. God is amazing! His love, even more so.