Dreamer
Blog reader, you are critical to encouraging me to dare to dream. From my teen years I have had the yearning to be a writer. In my thirties I pursued this dream. God graciously blessed me and my co-author Annette Buchanan with the self published book, The 12 Months of Christmas. Back in the early 80's pc's were crude. Writing took intense work. The book sold out quickly. After 3 printings we sold 30,000+ books from our homes. Life was filled with speaking engagements and interviews with reporters.
Writing volume 2 was necessary to keep the momentum going. Then life became very hectic for both of us. The needs of our families was too great to consider investing our time in another book while keeping up with the intial book. Annette and I are only children and our aging parents along with young children, our husbands, and homes demanded most of our time.
I wrote in my journal throughout all those years. Now I am believing this new world of widowhood gives me time to dare to dream of writing again.
Many people feel they have to abandon their dreams because life gets in the way. Women in our culture seem to fall into that category most often. Today I read a great post of a woman dreaming of the stage. She finally worked out a way to pursue her dream and be the wife and mother she knows is critical to her destiny. If you are touched by this excert, please use this link to read the rest of the article by Carla Barnhill. http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2008/06/stepping_into_a_new_stage.html
Blog reader, you are critical to encouraging me to dare to dream. From my teen years I have had the yearning to be a writer. In my thirties I pursued this dream. God graciously blessed me and my co-author Annette Buchanan with the self published book, The 12 Months of Christmas. Back in the early 80's pc's were crude. Writing took intense work. The book sold out quickly. After 3 printings we sold 30,000+ books from our homes. Life was filled with speaking engagements and interviews with reporters.
Writing volume 2 was necessary to keep the momentum going. Then life became very hectic for both of us. The needs of our families was too great to consider investing our time in another book while keeping up with the intial book. Annette and I are only children and our aging parents along with young children, our husbands, and homes demanded most of our time.
I wrote in my journal throughout all those years. Now I am believing this new world of widowhood gives me time to dare to dream of writing again.
Many people feel they have to abandon their dreams because life gets in the way. Women in our culture seem to fall into that category most often. Today I read a great post of a woman dreaming of the stage. She finally worked out a way to pursue her dream and be the wife and mother she knows is critical to her destiny. If you are touched by this excert, please use this link to read the rest of the article by Carla Barnhill. http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2008/06/stepping_into_a_new_stage.html
I Found Myself Again
Throughout those intervening years, I excused putting my dreams and passions aside in the name of serving others. But I did myself a disservice. Life isn’t an all-or-nothing operation. I’m wrong to think my loved ones can survive only if I let them suck all the life out of me. Yet this belief is the common curse of women. We assume the only way to be good friends, good daughters, good mothers, good wives, good bosses, good coworkers, good anything is to put aside every one of our interests and devote ourselves to others. We think having our own dreams and hopes and plans is selfish.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work" (1 Corinthians 12:4–6).I no longer believe I’m "selfish" to honor my God-given dreams and gifts. In fact, I might be more selfish to think I’m so vital to the lives and well being of others that they won’t be able to cope if I’m not there to show them how. I don’t "serve" those people at all when I give up for their sakes everything that matters to me."
Women and men: Dare to dream. This morning a brillant young man let me know he reads my blog daily. This problem of putting off our dreams and visions until everything lines up is a problem for all of us.
What dreams and passions have you put aside in the name of serving others?
Throughout those intervening years, I excused putting my dreams and passions aside in the name of serving others. But I did myself a disservice. Life isn’t an all-or-nothing operation. I’m wrong to think my loved ones can survive only if I let them suck all the life out of me. Yet this belief is the common curse of women. We assume the only way to be good friends, good daughters, good mothers, good wives, good bosses, good coworkers, good anything is to put aside every one of our interests and devote ourselves to others. We think having our own dreams and hopes and plans is selfish.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work" (1 Corinthians 12:4–6).I no longer believe I’m "selfish" to honor my God-given dreams and gifts. In fact, I might be more selfish to think I’m so vital to the lives and well being of others that they won’t be able to cope if I’m not there to show them how. I don’t "serve" those people at all when I give up for their sakes everything that matters to me."
Women and men: Dare to dream. This morning a brillant young man let me know he reads my blog daily. This problem of putting off our dreams and visions until everything lines up is a problem for all of us.
What dreams and passions have you put aside in the name of serving others?
How could reconnecting with yourself actually honor God and benefit others?
