Chatting with a dreamer.....

The other day I had tea with a fellow dreamer.

She’s living out her dream.  As she shared stories of her journey so far -- there was fresh excitement in her voice and new joy in her eyes.  She’s worked hard, sacrificed and juggled multiple roles to reach this point in her dream. 

We cried – dreams really do come true.

Part of her dream involves rescuing the oppressed and exploited.  She is a warrior who has joined the ranks of other brave freedom fighters on a mission to combat horrific injustices.  This strong army is committed to fan the flame of hope in the hearts of the hopeless, forgotten, and cast aside throughout the farthest reaches of our world.

I’m living out my dream too – but like my fellow dreamer, I’m learning that endurance, discipline and balance are all part of keeping the pace on this journey.  

I need endurance to keep going when the road to my dream leads uphill.  I find that the slightest rejection, tremor of fear or rising insecurity can slow me down.   It happens to all of us, doesn’t it?  We think our dreams are too lofty, too expensive or too time consuming and push them off into a remote corner of our heart.  Don’t give up on your dream!  Try spending time with other dreamers who will cheer you on – its amazing how quickly our strength is renewed with just a few words of encouragement. 

I need discipline to continue pursuing my dream.  Discipline involves training and having a regular pattern of ongoing behavior.   Some dream journeys will require that we set aside a specific time each day, each week or each month working on our dream.  Try developing a plan and setting a regular schedule that will take you farther down the road of your dream journey. 

I need balance so that I’m not thrown off course.  For me, balance is my greatest challenge amidst this particular season of life.  As a wife and mother, four other lives depend upon me for certain needs – and believe me – there are many needs to be met!  Many of you have jobs and family obligations that require a significant amount of your time too.  So – maintaining balance amidst life’s priorities will enable us to devote time to our dream while fulfilling our responsibilities.  We may have to enlist the help of those closest to us – sharing our dream with them and asking for extra understanding and support during a busy season.  Having those you love involved in your dream journey can be extra-rewarding – they share in the joy of a dream fulfilled!

What about you?  Is there something you’ve dreamed of doing but don’t know where to begin?  Or – perhaps your dream seems so out-of-reach that you have long since shrugged it off as silly or unattainable.  You may be surprised at how easy it is to take that first step towards realizing your dream.  Putting your dream on paper is a good place to begin – and while you’re thinking about it….consider sharing your dream with someone who has achieved theirs.  Chances are they have some journey stories that will encourage and inspire you.  

“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other” – Douglas H. Everett

If you have a dream that you would like to share – I would love to read it.  Take that first step of writing it down and email it to me at carolmandersen@gmail.com

God gives back

Recent tornadoes have claimed precious lives, uprooted homes and businesses, and brought horrific devastation.  If you've read the newspapers lately like me, you've seen the photos and read some heart-wrenching stories of destruction and loss.  Within a few short minutes lives were forever changed by the unstoppable and uncontrollable natural disaster.

Long ago, the Israelites experienced similar devastation -- the kind that destroys everything in its path.  The Old Testament prophet Joel tells of the locust plaques which devastated the land of Judah unlike anything else before.  Early on, Joel gives details of the locust plagues, "after the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left!  After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!" 1:4, NLT.  The famine that followed caused significant hardship.

I've never seen a locust swarm in real life but I've read that they hover over the earth blocking out the sun's light, creating an eerie darkness over the land.  Here are a few facts:

• a single locust will consume their own weight in fresh food in the course of one day
• a ton of locusts (a fraction of the average swarm) will eat as much in one day as 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people 
• locust swarms can include billions of locusts and cover hundreds of square miles
• swarms can travel long distances, as much as 60 miles in one day 

Even more devastating is that as the swarms invade an area to feast, they lay eggs in the ground.  Two weeks later the larvae emerge to crawl and consume anything that remains.  Nice....double whammy!

Why this fascination with locusts?

Well - it began more than 10 years ago while searching for hope after a season of loss in my own life.  The untimely death of my younger brother led me to a place of sorrow unlike any other I had experienced.  Amidst this season was also a family move to a different community and working through feelings of regret due to completely unrelated circumstances.   I found myself far from familiar friends -- grieving amidst new surroundings and unfamiliar routines.

Everyone works through the grieving process differently.  For me - it became a time of isolation and deep reflection on my faith and future.  A host of feelings emerged too -- I experienced sadness but also anger and at times, even guilt.  I found myself working through strong emotions, reliving moments in the past and even second guessing decisions.  Questions also emerged such as, Why him?  Why didn't he live a while longer?  Did I do all I could?  Did I say all that needed to be said?  Where was God?  What's next?

Along with the move to a different town came joining a church where I was introduced to more contemporary styles of worship music.  One day while listening to a popular worship artist I heard these words:

A refuge for the poor, a shelter in the storm, this is our God

He will wipe away your tears and return your wasted years, this is our God*

When I heard those words for the first time, the concept of God wiping my tears AND returning wasted years stunned me -- Does God do that?  If this was indeed a promise -- then I wanted it to ring true in my own life.  I desperately needed to know that God was concerned for my sorrow.  And wasted years?   Wow - I had quite a few of them.  Perhaps you do too.

I needed proof as well as a deeper theological explanation of this promise.   It's found in the book of Joel -- a biblical truth that God is able to return and restore the years the locust have eaten.  Following the locust's devastation, Joel urges his readers to turn to God.  Joel foretells of a future hope, writing, The LORD says, "I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts." (2:25 NLT).

This promise for restoring loss became a lifeline for me. Who hasn't looked back on a particular event or season of life and said, I'd really like a do-over.  God promises something better than a do-over.  As we turn to Him, He repays, restores and gives back to make up for what was lost.  

It seemed as if God was whispering this promise in my ear.  I began to realize that there was nothing in my life beyond God's ability to repair.  He is even able (and willing) to breath new life into my future.  Although the road to restoration may not be easy, it exists and is available to anyone by way of God's promises and the hope He offers through knowing Jesus.

Author and speaker Carol Kent is familiar with loss.  In 1999 her son was arrested and eventually sentenced to life in prison without any possibility of parole.  After years of failed appeals and the loss of relationship with her granddaughters, she has not despaired.  Her book, A New Kind of Normal, is a personal walk through her own heartache and brokenness.  She includes stories of other women whose lives were shattered by circumstances and who survived by grasping the promises of God.  For Kent, this choice has birthed new life and renewed her courage to find hope amidst any circumstance.

I'm learning that God often uses those parts of our souls that have been stripped and left bare -- places of ruined dreams, loss, guilt and yes, even shame.  When we allow Him, He builds anew, showers the soil of our lives with His hope and peace -- causing new growth to emerge.   I've not only experienced this personally but have seen God restore and rebuild countless other's lives -- on grand scales, affecting communities and even nations.  History proves this.

Are you finding yourself in the midst of a "locust swarm", or are you dealing with the aftermath, stranded amongst the dry ruins of your own soul?  If so, bring your parched and ruined places to God.  He promises to give back what was lost -- in His way, in His time, to an extent greater than we can even ask or imagine.

This is our God.


* song by Chris Tomlin

better days....

Better days are coming, aren't they?  Many of us hope so.  Some talk about it, some write about it (like I'm doing right now) and others sing about it.  Johnny Rehzeznik, lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls penned the lyrics to the 2005 hit, Better Days, as a way to express his feelings of unfairness within our nation's political and social landscape.  His own experience with dark days led him to write more positive, hopeful lyrics.  The song goes like this -

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

This song became a theme for the CNN Hurricane Katrina Relief Campaign -- words of hope to those devastated by this horrific natural disaster.

Perhaps you haven't lived through an actual hurricane but your life circumstances have done just as much damage to your heart (and hope for the future) as gale force winds and torrential waves.   I've been there -- looking to God for answers following heartbreak over situations both within and beyond my control...not a pleasant place to be.

I've been reading through the book of Psalms in the Bible and now am amidst the 15 psalms scholars refer to as the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134).  It is believed that these writings were actual songs sung by pilgrims on their way to celebrate the Jewish festivals in the city of Jerusalem.

I don't have memories of being in my parents car singing, "over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go," but I can remember the excitement and anticipation of a trip to a family party or special occasion.  We have had many gatherings filled with laughter, delicious food and good times.  So that is what I think of as I put myself in the experience of a religious pilgrim making their way over rough roads to a highly anticipated special event. Sing along with me.....

Psalm 126:
When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!

Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
 but they sing as they return with the harvest.
New Living Translation

The pilgrims sang this particular "song" to remind them of the good times in the past and to establish a hope for the future -- trusting God for better days to come.  God had rescued them from a seventy year Babylonian captivity and then provided for their return to their native home.  This song tells us that their rescue was so miraculous other nations acknowledged it as an act of God.

For the Jews, this rescue was followed by years of difficulty.  They had to restore their society and rebuild their temple -- one can imagine the challenges involved once arriving back to a city following decades of absence.  There would be a lot of work to restore that which time had taken.

As I've read and thought about this Psalm, I've been reminded of my own past "good times" -- those times when I know God has rescued or delivered me -- even times when others have commented, "wow, God surely has been good to you!"  Have any of those yourself?

Some of my good times have been followed by hard work and even seasons of discouragement.  Just as with the returning exiles,  I've experienced challenges while "rebuilding" - there has been some emotional & spiritual work to get where God has brought me today. 

The second half of this song is a prayer to God for restoration.  Just as streams of water bring new life to a parched desert, the Psalmist believes God can be counted upon to restore fortunes and that tears and weeping will produce joy.  It is important to notice the action involved-- the planting of tears and weeping is what turns into the harvest of joy and singing. 

So - I'm learning to remember the good things God has done in my past and that, even though there may be hard labor involved before a harvest, I can look forward to my future with hope.  I know God can refresh my own dry seasons and that even my own sorrow can be fruitful.

Better days are ahead my friend.......

this is worth sharing!!

If you want to skip the singing & intro - move to minute 23 & start there - that's when Mark Driscoll begins talking

I have a dream....

Most of us are familiar with these four words spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. on that hot August day more than 40 years ago.  He spoke with great passion for his dream -- for freedom, for unity, for justice and for brotherhood.  He dreamed of changing the world -- for him, for his children and for all of mankind. 

Recently I came across the quote, "Everything great on this earth was achieved because someone had a dream and dared to pursue it".   This reminded me of Martin Luther King Jr.  -- He dared to pursue his dream and history is forever changed because of it.

Do you have a dream?  If we are at all alike, (which by the way, we are) you do have one.  In fact, I'll bet you have quite a few.  As a young girl, I had dreams about who and what I would become, about where I would live and places I would visit.  My dreams were birthed in hope for my future -- there seemed to be no limit to the opportunities ahead.  Perhaps there was a time when you felt the same. 

However, the passage of time as well as life experiences change things, don't they?   I know that my dreams have changed quite a bit since I was young.  Now they are more for my children and marriage as well as for the work God has given me.  Maybe your dreams have changed too.

Sometimes our dreams are birthed in pain -- we dream of being safe, of being loved, of escaping a difficult life situation, or of overcoming an addiction.  Whatever your dreams may be, its important to nurture them.  They exist for a purpose -- dreams are often what keeps us holding on when the going gets tough and may help us achieve the impossible. 

Not everyone is living out their dreams however.  Many experience life challenges, set backs and disappointments that rob them of energy towards pursuing their dream.  Their dreams get lost in the details of surviving everyday life. 

I've asked women about their dreams and am inspired by their answers.  One dear woman in her 50s told me she wanted to learn how to read but believed the time to do so had passed.  Another young, homeless mother of 5 told me her dream was to one day solve crimes and rescue exploited children.   Others have told me they dream of mastering the art of photography, pursuing artistic talents, publishing poetry and even pushing through fear to dip their feet in the ocean. 

We are dreamers by design - dreams are an exciting part of who we are -- they give us hope.  Our dreams may show us who God created us to become.  It is important to nurture and pursue them. 

The Dream Giver is a modern day parable of a dreamer called Ordinary who lives in a land called Familiar where he does ordinary things.  The author, Bruce Wilkinson, takes readers on a journey with Ordinary in pursuit of his dream.  This book has been compared to John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress, and has been written as a conversational story that draws one into Ordinary's experiences throughout his Dream Journey.

We first meet Ordinary working at his Usual job, doing the same thing day after day.  Until one day he begins to feel a nagging that something big is missing from his every-day life.  Ordinary leaves the land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream.  Once he moves beyond his Comfort Zone, he encounters (and conquers) Bullies in the BorderLand, survives a walk in the WasteLand, and pushes through the Valley of Giants -- all before he finally reaches the Land of Promise where he lives out his Big Dream.

As I read the tale of Ordinary, I found myself identifying with the challenges he encountered during the pursuit of his Big Dream.  I can easily related to the fear of leaving Familiar, the emotional battles with the Bullies, the impatience in the WasteLand, and the desire to quit when encountering Giants.  But.... thankfully I can also identify with Ordinary's sheer joy of reaching the Land of Promise and the great satisfaction upon realizing his Big Dream come true.

What I found most inspiring about this story is Ordinary's relationship with the Dream Giver.  Its important for us to realize that God, the Dream Giver, has created each of us with a unique set of gifts and talents.  And... that He has designed us with the wonderful ability to dream, to have vision and hope for the future.   God's desire is for us to have a fulfilling life -- one of great value and purpose. 

We can often get sidetracked from God's call on our life -- otherwise known as the Big Dream -- during difficult seasons, by distractions, heartaches, and unforeseen circumstances.  In The Dream Giver, Wilkinson provides some practical truths, illustrations and real-life examples of issues one encounters when pursuing her Big Dream.  His words are inspiring and encouraging and have given me renewed desire to pursue my dreams!

Wilkinson says, "A God-given Dream brings you together with what God wants to do in His world through you.  You are meant to be a river of blessing, not a puddle drying in the sun"

I'm learning to trust God during times when the circumstances may not be making sense, to recognize that God is always at work on my behalf, and to experience joy and peace as I continue on the road towards realizing my dreams.  God has a plan for me and He has one for you.  May we be that river of blessing that refreshes not only our own souls but also the souls of others who are on their own Dream Journey!

Dream on my friends......