A dream is a wish your heart makes!

Today’s post is about “doing it yourself,” but not in the sense that I normally write about. And it’s actually, somewhat of a challenge! We are sitting at the airport to come home. I am a people watcher by nature: so I’m sitting and pondering about where everyone is going.  There are flights leaving Dallas that are lay over flights to Europe, Mexico, Chicago. But what brings their hearts to those cities? Is it to take a dream trip? Maybe a family vacation? There’s a person behind me flying home for the funeral of their grandparent. It’s not so much about where people are going that interests me… But why. Watching these people go in their different directions makes me think about why we’ve been to the airport or what a trip to the airport in the future would mean for us… It’s DREAMS! I have dreams of a family vacation to Denver. I’d like to think  I’d fly to teach at a nursing conference at CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philly), maybe to see Sam perform at Madison Square Garden one day. Maybe I’d fly to do a book signing for a book I’d write someday! Haha! 😉 Maybe we’d fly to visit Griffin in college somewhere across the U.S.

But really, what dreams lie in your heart for yourself and your family?

I briefly mentioned in an early post that I had hard time finding balance as a mom, wife, and just as a woman, period. But a deeper explanation of that is that I lost myself somewhere along the way. Between marriage, childbirth, house, job, even just the day-to-day schedules of life: wake up, breakfast, kids, laundry, dinner, maybe errands… I just lost track of what burned in my heart. What passions did I have? If money and time were no factor, what would I do? Would I travel? Buy a boat? Start a repurposing business?

As kids, we have huge dreams and plans of being a fire fighter, teacher, mom, dad, rockstar, pro athlete. At what point did we lose that ability to dream and lose what made life so passionate and fun? And why does it have to stay lost? If you’re breathing, there’s always a second chance to live and dream… And pursue those dreams. I am a mom and a wife. But that’s not ALL I wanted for myself. And what we have now is not all that I want for my family. Am I thankful for what we have? ABSOLUTELY! I wouldn’t trade our blessed life for anything in the world! But that doesn’t mean   that God wants us to stop believing in what He can make possible. God wants to gives us the desires of our heart. “Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.” “Seek Me with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and I will pour out My heavenly blessings.” And the desires of our heart include our passions, our desires, our dreams.

My absolute hope as a mom, is that I teach my child to NEVER stop fighting for the desires of his heart. What will Griffin think when he spent his entire childhood hearing his dad and I tell him: “You can do anything you want to do!” “Your dreams matter.” “You have the ability to succeed at anything you put your mind to.” And then after he enters adulthood we take that back and say: “Well that was true until you graduate college and maybe have a family… Then what you wanted really doesn’t matter and all those dreams you had, you can throw in the trash and forget!” Let me just say, that no matter how old my child is, at any moment in his lifetime, his dreams WILL MATTER! They matter to me and they matter to God. After all, God created Him with those dreams and with a purpose for his life that will glorify the Father beyond what any limitations a person or circumstance can place on him. How do our children learn from us most easily? By example, of course. And what example am I setting for him to follow if I lose sight of who I want to become or all that I dream to accomplish.

So again, this is a “DIY” challenge… I challenge you to do it yourself… Dream. Imagine. Inspire Yourself. Do you want to own your home? Do you want a new car? To be a belly dancer, or a traveling bohemian?! A chef? Do you want to learn how to knit or be a vet? It doesn’t take money or traveling the world to be an accomplishment or success that matters to you. It just has to be apart of your soul. It has to stir in you and make you feel alive! What reason will you be going to the airport? What opportunities do you want for yourself? Your children? No matter how old or young, education, economic status, children or no children. Write it down. Say it outloud, no matter how silly you think it sounds. And give yourself courage to go after it. In the words of Walt Disney “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” And if your heart longs for it, God longs to make it happen for you! YOUR DREAMS AND PASSIONS MATTER AND ARE WORTH PURSUING!