Are you a dreamer?

Happy day, my Blog Framily!!!  I am writing this on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2016, which is 50 days after Easter each year.  The significance of Pentecost is that it is the birthday of the Christian church, as it is when the Holy Spirit descended into the apostles and and other followers of Christ, as described in Acts 2:1-31.  At my childhood church, Ambassadors For Christ Church of God in Christ (AFC), we would have a huge celebration for Pentecost each year, complete with a feast and choir concert, as it is indeed a time for celebration.  I actually didn't really understand Pentecost until I was an adult (although I knew the passage of scripture in Acts 2 very well); I guess a lot of things you hear as a child and while you're growing up don't make sense to you until you grow up and grow in knowledge and understanding.  

Anyhoo, what made today special for me was that my mini-me, the Tween, who is on the Junior Instruments of Praise (JIOP- liturgical dance ministry), danced today to "Order My Steps."  If you aren't familiar with the song, which is a beautiful song, by the way, you can listen here:

The girls have worked very hard and diligently and were rewarded today with an outstanding dance that ministered to the congregation.  I am extra proud of my girl (although she didn't get the solo this time), she has really drawn upon all of her early dance training (ballet, jazz and tap), as well as integrating new styles (hip hop and stepping).  She even chose to give up the choir for dance (which is huge, if you know how much the Tween loves to sing!).  So I am very proud of her and all of the young ladies on the JIOP - Congratulations and Kudos to their ministry leader, Amber Whitted, who works so hard with them each week!

So I've hinted for the past few weeks that I have some new trails I'm blazing; I'm not ready to fully disclose yet, but I've been led to do some regrouping, rebranding, and some stretching.  In it all, I've been rejuvenated!  Let me explain.  

First, let me ask you a question:  Are you a dreamer?  

I'm a planner; a list maker extraordinaire; an intricate mix of creative spirit with Type A tendencies.  That makes for an interesting life, ya know?  Anyhoo, way back when I was in high school, I made a life plan up to age 25; then at 25 I made a life plan up to age 40 (I said I was a planner, go with it).  I didn't accomplish everything on those "life plans," but they were my dreams and provided me with a roadmap of sorts to try and accomplish them.  And I can truly say that I did see some of those dreams come true - which is an amazing feeling! Since age 40, I have been plan-less to a degree. Not that I haven't had any plans at all; each year I make a yearly intentional plan (which I'm sure I mentioned before), but no 5, 10 or 15 year plan.  So for as much as I've been able to check things off my annual plan, I had let go of having dreams.  If I'm being honest, a big part of the reason for that is that because of the level of disappointments and hurts I've experienced, I was afraid to dream anymore. Guess what?  Once you stop dreaming, you stop living... (just sitting that right here).

Well, during this whole life-changing process that I've been in for the past almost 3 years, I've had a lot of quiet time and self-reflection and all of that!  And through it all, whispering in my mind and my spirit is this message:  "it's ok to dream again."  That may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me, who has always lived a dreamer's life and hasn't for the past 5 years, that's huge.  During the move last fall, I came across one of my notebooks from 2005 where I had jotted down some ideas for things I would like to accomplish in the future.  At that time, I didn't have the proper support system to reach for those dreams, so I put them aside.  Hadn't really thought of them since.  But in the move, I came across the notebook and I didn't throw it away, but set it aside.  Since then, those things have been weighing heavily in my spirit, pushing me to pick them up again, and a little over a month ago, I said "ok."  And when I did that, things began falling into place to the degree that I know that is God directing my path.  Indeed, I pray each day for God to clear the path and remove any obstacles set forth by man to thwart the vision; to open doors that no man can shut; and to keep us squarely on task as we move forward.  And it's been going well.  So well in fact, that it was making me nervous, and the "what ifs" began.  

When I got to church this morning, guess what the sermon was about?  The title was "Your Dreams Can Come True."  (I keep telling y'all that God speaks to me...).  And for all my dreamers out there, even those who have been afraid to dream again, this post is to encourage you.

The Bible was full of dreamers; the first dreamer noted in the Bible was Jacob (Genesis 28:10-15) - and the lesson from that passage of scripture is that even during those times that you are doing the least thinking about God, He can be thinking the most about you... 
The next dreamer noted is Laban, Jacob's father-in-law (Genesis 31:29) - who got told in a dream to leave Jacob alone, basically.  Moving into the New Testament, there was Pilates' wife, who told him to leave that innocent man (Jesus) alone, because she had been troubled by dreams all night concerning him (Matthew 27:19).  Probably the most famous biblical dreamer was Joseph (which I know I've written about before); the passage of scripture noted today was Genesis 37:5-8.  The lesson to be learned from Joseph's life is that dreams from God must be nourished and nursed during hard times...

So my fellow dreamers, it's ok to dream again.  No matter what has happened, no matter how your dreams may have been thwarted up until now, no matter how many haters and evildoers have tried to stop you.  Regroup, restructure and rejuvenate, but don't stop dreaming!  As Thomas Jefferson said, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."  Pastor Singleton said today, "you can't have a dream and not have someone try to shoot it down because they have no dreams of their own, so they try to bring you down to their level."  Even in suffering, don't give up on what has been put in your spirit. Directly from the sermon today and what struck me the hardest:  God knows how to get you where He wants you to be, even if wicked people are part of the path (and they will be held accountable for their actions).  Don't believe it? Go read the story of Joseph in Genesis; I also wrote about it before, you can read it here.  Believing in the dreams that have been quietly whispered into your spirit or in your dreams (day or night) and going for them takes faith.  As my friend and soror said today, sometimes it's a "faith crawl" instead of a faith walk, but keep moving.  

So my friends, I ask you again - are you a dreamer???  I can now answer that question affirmatively again:  Yes, I am a dreamer!  I have BIG dreams, so watch out world!!!  I found a fitting graphic for where I stand today:

So what say ye, Blog Framily - any other dreamers out there???  Holla @ Darvi, and let's talk about it!  Have an awesome week and pray for me as I pray for you.  Be Blessed. xoxoxo

Expect the Great (Trust - Part I)

Hello, blogland!  So I had written a really great post, full of Darvisms and my computer blinked and I lost it.  I have been working on it for over an hour; it didn't even save part of the draft... so I'm a bit bummed; I'm not sure I can recreate it. *sigh* 
But here goes:

I hope that 2016 has been kind to everyone thus far. It is off to a great start in my world (save this bogus computer issue a few minutes ago); nothing tangible has changed, but I'm feeling magnificent and excited about the new and great things in front of me for 2016! (Again, save for this bogus computer issue... windows 10, we are not friends right now! And while I'm at it, Blogger either; you are autosaving this post, but saved NOTHING from the one I lost... just saying).

The kiddos are back in school and I've started another contract project.  Today is the Tween's birthday; she's 12 now!  Which reminds me that I have to do some awesome mommy stuff for her later today...  Life is good!  I got a new planner system (motivated by one of my gifts from my 2015 Secret Sistah) and I spent Saturday setting it up in the pretty new binder that I purchased for it (I love office and organizing products).  Wanna see?  Here you go (it is a project life, Becky Higgins planner):

Isn't it cute????  I'm a sucker for a new planner, even if I already have one, go figure!  And notebooks.  I love notebooks...  But I digress.

I'm sure everyone is still basking in the glow of a new year and all of the new expectations, hopes and dreams that come with it.  This is the time of year when most people, myself included, sit down and try to plot a course for the year of goals that they would want to see accomplished, both big and small.  I like to set out my goals in written form, in what I used to call my "Plan 180," but I think that name will change this year.  My "plan" encompasses each and every aspect of my life and I commit to accomplish certain things each year.  This year I will take the additional step of selecting one goal from each category to share with my Journey Sister, who will be my cheerleader and drill sergeant as I strive to accomplish them this year.  Whatever you call them, resolutions, intentions, plans, goals, dreams, I highly encourage you to write them down for a visual reminder throughout the year and also so that you can check them off as you reach them.

Are you a dreamer?  I am.  I have too many dreams to count; they scare me sometimes, because I feel that I don't have enough time to even attempt to flesh them all out, let alone try and accomplish them.  Some have been in my head for many years, others are new. The thing is though, that they don't go away.  Even if I put them out of my mind for awhile, eventually, they come back.  

At watch night service, on the dawn of the new year, Pastor Singleton spoke about Joseph, the great dreamer.  The scripture text was Genesis 50:22-26, Exodus 13:19.  For those of you unfamiliar with Joseph's story, here it is in a nutshell (you can also read it in beginning with Genesis 37):  Joseph was the youngest son of Jacob and his favorite.  Because Joseph was his favorite, Jacob made him a coat of many colors.  His brothers hated him (haters!).  At the age of 17, Joseph had several dreams that he shared with his haters, in which he dreamed that he would reign over them and they would bow down to him.  The haters didn't like that at all.  One day his haters plotted to kill him. His brother Reuben was the only one who had compassion and urged the others not to kill him but to throw him alive into a pit instead (and he planned to go back and rescue him later).  The haters/his brothers, ended up selling Joseph to some merchants who were traveling to Egypt. When he got to Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar and because the Lord was with him, he prospered and was promoted.  A misunderstanding with Potiphar's wife landed him in jail (she wanted him and he refused so she lied on him); Joseph again prospered and was promoted while in jail. Joseph had the gift of dream interpretation and he interpreted dreams while in prison.  News of his gift got to Pharaoh, who summoned Joseph to interpret a dream, and eventually promoted Joseph over everything in the land.  As time passed, a famine struck the land and the only food was in Egypt.  Joseph's haters, I mean brothers, were placed in the position of having to come to Egypt to try and buy food.  At the end of the day, just as was predicted in the dream Joseph had many years ago, Joseph reigned over his brothers and they had to bow down to him (they didn't recognize him, although he recognized them and he never took money from them but gave them more than they asked for and returned their money to them).  Joseph eventually reconciled with his family and all was well (see Genesis 50:19-21).  

What can we learn from Joseph's story?  I'm glad you asked (straight from Pastor Singleton's message):

1) Whenever you have a dream, there will always be someone to throw dirt on it and try to extinguish it (ie, haters);

2) Dreamers go through hard times, hurt and humiliation (see Genesis 37: 5-8);

3) Joseph was elevated so that he could bless others; his story shows that faith cannot be destroyed by circumstances; 

4) Joseph never let his success make him lose sight of his greater expectations;

5) At the end of his life, he made his family promise not to leave his bones in Egypt (the land of his death), but instead to take them to the promised land (the land of his promise);

6) We must not only keep the faith, but we also have the responsibility to pass on the faith to others; and

7) What God has promised must come to pass; keep the faith and keep passing it on!

What does all of this mean???  Time for the Darvisms now:   For you (and myself, I am definitely talking to myself today), don't be afraid to dream big.  If God has given you a big dream or several big dreams and nothing around you looks as if any of it is possible, think again.  Keep your faith intact, no matter what it looks like.  Scripture says, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:14.  Keep moving!  Don't dim or lower your expectations because of what it may look like around you.  God took a truly negative circumstance for Joseph by his haters and turned it around for the future good of not only Joseph, but for his entire family.  And through it all, Joseph had compassion for his brothers, even after what they did to him and he used his success and position to bless them.  I challenge you to expect the great from your 2016 plans, intentions, goals and dreams, as God has given them to you, and keep pressing forward!  Here's a song to motivate you, Expect the Great by Jonathan Nelson, you can listen to it here.  (One day I will figure out how to embed the video in the post...)

So as I rush to finish my 2016 plan, I will be praying over all that I have written and asking God to bless the dreams He has put inside of me.  I fully expect the great and plan to have a praise party as I celebrate each and every blessing this year!  What about you - do you expect the great in 2016???  You know the drill - Holla @ Darvi and let's talk about it!  If you share something, I will add it to my prayer log to touch and agree with you on your great this year!  As always, be blessed!

xoxoxoxo