I have a dream!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in its entirety.  I had never done that before.  Dr. King had a gigantic dream and the faith to believe that it was possible.  He made the ultimate sacrifice to see his dream come to pass.  And it did happen because one man had a big dream...a dream that seemed impossible.
I've been thinking about my own dreams today as I cleaned the house.  When I was in my twenties, I dreamed of being a wife, a mother, a teacher, and a world changer.  Here I am, living the dream and I am thankful!  My guys make it fun and fulfilling to be a wife and mother.  My Liberty family makes my "job" as a teacher my opportunity to be a world changer...one person at a time!  I have to say that my life is so much better than I ever imagined it being! 
There was a time, three years ago, when I felt like I was just barely getting by.  I was in survival mode.  No energy for dreaming, I was just trying to get up in the morning and be a decent person.  I thank God every day that colon cancer interrupted my life!  Not only do I feel better physically, but that was a spiritual and emotional turning point for me too.  Sometimes we need those bumps in the road to remind us what is important...like having a dream! 
I've always been a dreamer, but sometimes I am just too stinkin' practical and realistic to believe that anything is possible.  Do I still have dreams?  Absolutely!  I have a dream to write a book someday.  I have a dream to accompany myself when I sing with guitar and piano.  I still have a dream to be a world changer.  I have a dream to see our son grow up to be a world changer in his own way.  And those are just a few of my dreams, but I believe they are all possible if I will keep my eyes on God and follow Him.  I heard a pastor say once, "If your dreams aren't keeping you awake at night, they are too small!"  I challenge you and me to have big dreams and to do what we can to make them happen!

To love and to be loved is the greatest gift

I am a relationship person.  Everything I do is about relationships...at home, at school, at church, and even facebook.  I am an extrovert who is energized by knowing and loving people, but even I get "empty" sometimes.  I forget to get filled up in my relationship with God.  I heard someone say this week, "God is the only one who can give to us perfectly because He already has everything and He has no needs of His own."  God is the only person who can truly love us unconditionally and fulfill us with everything that we need.  Once we are filled up with Him, His love can overflow our lives and impact the lives around us.  The Bible says we should love the Lord our God and love our neighbors as ourselves, but I certainly can't do that without first receiving His love.
Twenty years ago, Gary Chapman wrote a book called The Five Love Languages.  If you are a relationship person (and even if you aren't), you should read it!  I've had so many conversations in the last two weeks that have made me think about "love languages" and how I can communicate my love, and more importantly God's love, to the people in my life.  This book was written about marriages, but I think it can also apply to my son, my friends, my students, and really anyone else that I spend time around.  Dr. Chapman defines five ways that people give and receive love: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.  I am the most blessed by words of affirmation and quality time and those are the "languages" that I speak the most fluently...the ones that I give easily...but that doesn't mean that I am unable to give to people who have other love languages.  It means I need to intentionally use the other love languages with the people in my life who speak them, and I need to practice them so that I can give the gift of love to my family, my friends, and my students in the way that means the most to them.  To love and to be loved is truly the greatest gift!

His grace is enough

This morning I heard myself singing those words at church..."Your grace is enough for me!"  Unfortunately, I choose to live many days like God's grace isn't enough for me.  Last week at this time, I was so discouraged.  I believed the lies that were being whispered in my ear by an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  I was thinking, "No one needs you, no one would miss you if you weren't here, your relationships only matter to you!"  We all have times that we fall prey to the falsehoods.  I am determined to believe the truth that I know in my head and in my heart.  God loves me and wants me!  My boys love me and need me!  My life matters at home, at church, and at school!
So why couldn't I just grab ahold of the truth and get over my discouragement?  I happen to be a person who thrives on words of encouragement and wilts without them.  That's how I gauge whether my life is making an impact, but I often rely too heavily on the words that are spoken by those who are close to my heart to strengthen me. (I am so thankful that my husband seems to know exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it!)  Since those words of affirmation are so important to me, I also try to be a speaker of encouragement to others.  I need to listen carefully to the words of grace and love that are spoken to my heart by God so that I can pass them on!  There is my goal...the words I want to live by...His grace and love are enough for me...and I want them to impact the lives around me!