Dreams

I feel like a new woman! We went out last night and it was simply heaven - just me, my love, and our "baby Keller" (as he's called around here). Jeff and Emily kindly watched the girls for us so we could have some time together. While they shopped at Lowes for their new house, (So excited for you guys!!!) we drove to Tulsa, ate at The Cheesecake Factory, and moseyed around the mall for a while. I drank up J. Crew and dreamed of being their display designer, designing and creating their accessories, and taking home every single item in that store home with me. Maybe that's not very healthy, but I did it. I found a soft, frilly, feminine dress I wanted to take home with me for $21 and a lovely navy blue sweater with buttons that was all me for $12, but I refrained because I bought some much-needed pants last week. Life is not about clothes or fabric or textures or design or flower accessories, but I sure do love them. =)

Sometimes it's nice to dream, however unrealistic your dreams may be. I used to dream a lot as a girl. I was totally into Anne of Green Gables and all of her fanciful dreams. I wanted to change my name. I wanted black hair like my Aunt Lisa or red hair like Anne. I wanted to travel. I wanted to go to the mission field. I wanted to have freckles (I still desperately want them.) I wanted to go to college. I wanted to meet the man of my dreams. I wanted to be tall. I wanted to have a cottage by the sea. I wanted to have a nice nose. I wanted to have lots of sweet babies. I wanted to own horses and go riding on the beach that I would live on. I wanted to have smaller feet. I wanted to have gardens and a well manicured lawn. On an on I would dream about my idealized life and I had a pretty picture all figured out of what it would look and be like.

I still love to dream. Sometimes I dream about the things I want; sometimes I dream for my kids; sometimes I dream of going on vacation (just me and my love); sometimes I dream about what I want out of life; sometimes I dream about heaven. Dreaming is not a bad thing, but it walks a dangerously close line to covetousness, envy, and discontentment. Satan's pretty good at disguising stuff like that and making innocent words and deeds look as if they are truth. Dreaming is another annoying balancing act. I don't know about you, but I feel I'm constantly walking the tight rope trying to keep balance in my life and my families'. You see, with no dreams we flounder and wallow and waste a lot of the precious years God gives us on this earth. But following only our dreams, leaves no room for the work of the Spirit and His power to change us and our dreams.

I am a dreamer. I love progress. I love forward motion. I love turning dreams into reality. So you can see which side of the tight rope I'm usually on. Uncharacteristically, I've failed to dream lately and bring my dreams to the Lord. I've failed to realize that sometimes God gives us our dreams for a reason. He gives us talents and desires that, channeled through Him, can make our life so effective for Him and the kingdom. Lord, give me wisdom to chase the dreams that will bring You glory. Give me discernment to choose the dreams that will bring You pleasure. Give me contentment to rest in the dreams that you choose to bring to fruition. Give me the flexibility to follow the course you map out.

May I be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove, discerning what is a lie from the devil and what is a prompting from the Holy Spirit. May I dare to dream, but have the humility to submit.

Jeremiah 29:11 -- "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Proverbs 3:7 -- "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."


Proverbs 16:9 -- "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."

And sometimes...dreams do come true.