Right Where You Are

An amazing video of words was recently shared in my photography class. 

It is so timely for me. 

How do you create? 

It may be through writing, photography, art, music, dancing, teaching, or helping. 

You may create in more than one way. 

It's your way of telling the story inside you. 

You can't help, but create in that beautiful way. You just know you have to share it. 

Sometimes we get stuck. 

This is for you right where you are. 

I need what you create. 

So many in the world need to be touched and filled by 

what you are and will be creating.

I pray this encourages you in all the ways you need be. 

May you find strength in your inner man

to

keep living the dreams God has placed in your heart ... one step at a time.

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Refreshing Day 29 ~ God dreams and the Present

Dreams are so forward moving. They sort of whisk you into the future as you ponder all that will become. Ah, dreams. They also require quality investment of your time and energy. 

What about the present?

Okay, time to pause. Feet grounded. The future hasn't happened yet. What about where we're at right now? Spouses, kids, grandkids, dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, jobs...

God dreams live in the present. They are actively creating, growing, and getting ready to bloom here. They are full of passion and wonderful expectation now. Oh the faith it takes to believe and keep at it as you do the daily tasks.

How do we live passionately in the present while we work on at wait for our God dreams to become?

We appreciate being in the right now. We unwrap the joy in each moment. Really see the ones God has placed in our lives, and we express gratitude and love to them today. 

We let the Holy Spirit lead us in the everyday. That's true success. The God dreams ahead will be even sweeter as we remember that His dreams in our today. 

Trust that God ensures our future. 

Soul Refreshment:

Psalm 27:14 ~

 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness 
      in the exuberant earth. 
   Stay with God! 
      Take heart. Don't quit. 
   I'll say it again: Stay with God.

1 Corinthians 7:29 ~

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. 
     There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. 
     Even inordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on.

I'd love to hear what you have on your mind?

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

Refreshing Day 26 ~ Uncomfortable Motivation

"People who walk with a leading from the Lord have a sense of purpose, which clearly marks the boundaries of their lives and makes their choices easy." ~ Stormie Omartian, Just Enough Light For the Step I'm on

Taking risks:

Last week, I stepped out in faith and took the first steps toward living my dreams. After a year of praying and talking with David I made that life-changing phone call. I did it! 

Fear was at its loudest. It was like being at a concert smack dab in front near that speaker. But, I knew my purpose. I hadn't been more sure of anything than what took place over those 4 days last week.

Blooming:

God, in his compassion of my fears timed the planting of each detail in my heart. He slowly harrows at my rough surface of inadequacy. Gently, He smooths it. He ploughs deep into the the scars left by my critics. He removes the weeds of doubt. Just enough weeding to allow seeds of His Truth to begin growing. Truth that reveals which dreams are mine and which dreams are His gifts to me. I realize my dreams were just toys and trinkets compared to the treasures He has in store.

• Assurance of who I am in His eyes
• Confidence that what He says about me is truth
• Compassion to move from inward living to welcoming others in
• Mindfulness of the present and all His gifts to unwrap daily
• My distracting dreams uprooted, and His invigorating dreams blossoming

Motivating fear:

She told me that my fear would grow louder now that I've stepped forward. She also assured me that meant I was going the right direction. It's uncomfortable, and yet motivating. 

In the past fear would've wilted me. Since I made that call, her counsel has refreshed me. The fear is now encouraging me to move ahead as He lights the next step.

My everyday:

God's dream actually unfolding excites me to no end. My everyday ins and outs keep me grounded. That's the biggest gift in all of this. The mundane chores seem more enjoyable. He had already planted that last year, but this week I love doing it even more. 

I'm praying for your dreams. I pray that God would align your dreams with His. His dreams for you are so satisfying and fulfilling. His dreams for you are amazing. His dreams for you heal and restore.

I'm cheering for you to find the gift of His true dreams.

Can you let Him uproot your dreams and plant His instead?

Will you let those uncomfortable fears motivate you?

Soul Refreshment:

Psalm 119:33-40 ~ 

Divert my eyes away from toys and trinkets,

  invigorate me on the pilgrim way.

Affirm your promises to me -

  promises made to all who fear you.

Deflect the harsh words of my critics -

  but what you say is always good.

Earlier Days of Refreshing

are here

Other 31 Dayers
and their wonderful topics here.

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: