“Summer Thoughts” is brought to you by Katharine. Just click on the button and you can read all about it. We are blogging through the Alphabet during the first 26 days of July.
I am attempting to line up twenty-six Bible verses (A ~ Z) and also write about one thing I love about summer, that also starts with the same letter of the alphabet. I admit it’s a little strange, but a great challenge! (Besides, I take a little poetic leeway.)
~ D ~
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:14
Dreams
Edgar Allan Poe once penned,
“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
The “lazy, hazy days of summer” provide an excellent time to dream!
By choice, we stopped watching TV a number of years ago……whoa, hold it! ~
Yes, we have a satellite dish (one time fee). It receives international news stations, alternative talk radio and a few Christian networks. We can listen to the news, in several languages ~ none of which I understand, but this is where I connect with GLC,
Which I love!
(you can watch online)
The boys use the main TV to watch movies (we have a lot) and play video games.
So, we are not TV’less! We just choose to spend our time differently ~ reading, visiting with one another, writing, doing craft projects, visiting with neighbors….and dreaming!
Summertime, with its longer hours of daylight, offers us the luxury of extra hours during the evening to sit in the garden and dream, sometimes together, sometimes alone ~ and sometimes our dreams are unique.
I had an aunt, who was fond of saying,
“Where would poor people be without their dreams?”
It’s true isn’t it? It doesn’t cost us anything to dream! But, now that I am older, I believe what does cost, is when we fail to move forward once a dream has been given.
Benjamin Mays once said,
“It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream.”
Our dreams are apart of us and they are a part of the person we should aspire to be.
I once had a day dream that has stayed with me over the years. I’ve never shared it with anyone. Why? Because it seemed so out of reach. And this is what I really want to address. Because I am older (and made more than my share of mistakes), I want to share one thing with those of you who are younger.
Phrases like ~
…….. “one day, when I have enough,” “when the house is,” “when I loose the weight,” “when the baby is in school”….etc. are dream and time stealers! They are lies the enemy uses to convince us we can’t achieve the dreams God gives us.
Again,
I am older and you who are younger need to realize the value of time….one day, when I have enough, when the house is, when I loose the weight, when the baby is in school….etc. are dream and time stealers! They are lies the enemy uses to prevent us from reaching for and achieving the dreams God has given us.
It comes down to a matter of trust.
If God gives you a dream, embrace the dream and trust God to help you fulfill that dream.
I could tell you some of my unfulfilled dreams,
but what matters today are your dreams that have ye to be fulfilled.
Remember, with God’s help you can do anything! Any dream you have had, is waiting on YOU!
My Gratitude Journal ~
One thousand gifts, for which I am thankful ~ #76 through #100 (moving toward 1000)
dreams and dairy goats
time to dream
a soul mate to dream with
freedom
liberty
the fact I don’t take the above lightly
fresh peaches
kids with purple stained hands from eating blackberries
the squirrels that entertain me outside my kitchen window
life
the first cup of coffee in the morning
fried potatoes cooked on a campfire
grown children
children not so grown
healing
waking up to the sound of rain
firework displays
strawberry shortcake
the smell of fresh mowed hay
a husband who doesn’t give up easily
seeds and how the tiniest of seeds can grow into a beautiful plant
*sunflowers
love
bare feet on warm sand
shade trees
*I have a friend whose son is on his third tour of duty in the Middle East. His name is Brian and Brian planted and now has a sunflower blooming in Afghanistan. To me, that says something about who Brian is, in away that is deeper than even I understand. Please pray for his safety.
May your Fourth of July be a time of fun and safety!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Happy 4th Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteI was just going to look for a new Bible verse for our kitchen chalkboard - I'm gonna use the one you posted.
Seek peace. Ahhhhhhh, YES!
I love this whole post! Especially the encouragement to follow dreams! :) I love you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThis is probably a major social faux pas but ... are you guys busy (more than normal) the weekend of July 23rd? We are thinking about taking a 3 day weekend and going someplace ... not too far. I would LOVE to meet you live and in person! :) Let me know.
What a lovely and encouraging post. I enjoyed every word and will be back again. By the way, I popped over from Beth Z's and she is right about what a treasure you and your blog are. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm zipping over from Beth's blog. I couldn't agree more with her "Pay It Forward" choice. You are a gem. Thanks for all you do to support and encourage all of us!
ReplyDeleteBlessings...