What's in a Dream?

If you have been reading my blog any length of time, you might have seen me mention my hopes and dreams a few times. It mostly involves card making... and maybe making some money off my cardmaking hobby.  I don't spend as much time in my craft room as I would like. I have no discipline, no schedule, no motivation for being there daily. But I wonder, what I could do with it if I did...

(I just re-read that last paragraph and almost died... It is NOT about making money, although that's what it sounds like. I love to craft and create and it fills my soul when I do. I know how much a hand-written note can mean and want to encourage others to send them more. I would love to supplement our home's income to help with the kids' schooling {they are presently in a private school, but it's not cheap with 4 kids} and I would also like to continue to donate my cards to ministries, charity auctions, fundraisers, etc. ) ... does that make sense?

My dreams are "evolving." Up until last March and the Write it, Girl series, I didn't even know I could be a writer... or that I wanted to be a writer. And then suddenly I wrote a few pieces and I got some praise and encouragement in comments on the blog and also from people close to me (Namely my dad and my husband... funny how that works) and I took the plunge and took a writing class fall 2012... and I LOVED IT!! Now I'm signed up for TWO classes this semester to work toward my Communications/Writing degree.

In truth, I'm not even sure anymore what my God-sized Dream is. But I want to pursue it this year and really look for what God desires for me. Is it writing? Is it cardmaking? Is it blogging? Is it a combination of 2 or 3 of those things?  I want to "do-it-all" but I also can't ignore my husband, my house, my kids, my local church in order to make these dreams come true.

In all honesty, I STRUGGLE with my dreams. Are they God's dreams for me? or are they distractions? How do they fit into the urgent (raising 4 kids to turn out half decent before they are 18 and out of my house)?

Some quotes from a recent post by Holley Gerth that I really want to remember over the next 6 months, so I'm sharing them here...

God-sized Dream = a desire in your heart for more of what God has for you.You see, God-sized dreams aren’t about being perfect. Or getting what we want. Or things working out the way we plan.

But I can also tell you, on your God-sized dreams journey…

You will become more courageous.

You will have victories you never through possible.

And you will be filled up with what you really need, which is less of you and more of Jesus in your life.

So I wonder, what DOES God have for me in all of this? How does writing and creating and card-making fit into parenting, and "wife-ing," and homemaking? And being more courageous... and having victories... and more of Jesus!!?  I want that, so I will keep dreaming!

I will be sharing a LOT from Holley Gerth on here over the next few months, after all she's helping me dream and encouraging me in my dreams... but there is so much goodness on her site and you can benefit from it too! So go subscribe to her encouraging posts!!

Last week's task for our dreaming journey was to make a Mad Libs mission statement based on our strengths and skills (which you can read more about in Holley's book You're Already Amazing).  I struggle most with the "who" these days! God has given me four young children that need me to serve them, but I also have a strong desire to connect with other women... So I did two.

I believe God has created and called me to serve and support my family through encouraging, serving, cooking, and listening. (Not that these are my strongest skills, but the ones I need to grow for the sake of my family)

I also believe God has created and called me to encourage and support other women through writing my stories, creating handmade cards, and connecting through both cards and stories.

There, I said it...  
Now, What has God created you to do?
What are your dreams?

Share it here in the comments and with Holley on her blog!