Follow Your Dreams - Blog

Years ago I heard God telling me what I needed to be doing. He was guiding me in a very specific direction to be a Special Education Teacher.  When I divorced my first husband I was working as a Special Ed Teacher's Aide, and I loved it. It was during a very challenging time in my life and even more challenging for our country as this was during 9/11. Due to those challenges, our children needed compassionate and capable adults to turn to and lean on. I hope that I was one of those adults who guided and supported the children in my classroom. I believe I was, since all these years later, I still hear from many of them, and continue to feel honored to have them in my life. As that school year drew to an end I was making plans to seek higher education for myself, including visiting area universities within the state. I was drawn to one particular university, even feeling that God was leading me there, but circumstances and my own doubts and fears had me turning from that ...

Do you walk barefoot in the grass? When was the last time you did this? In the springtime, I can't wait for that moment when the grass starts to turn that beautiful shade of fresh grass green and the temperature starts to rise.  I find that soft area of fresh new grass, take off my shoes, wiggle my toes, and just feel.   I walk barefoot around my house most of the time, but that moment when I can do it outside for the first time in spring is one of my favorite moments each year.  It centers me and in many ways it grounds me, bringing me a sense of renewal and refreshing, a sense of  completion and oneness with the season.  I love feeling God's great earth under my feet, feeling the energy.   That first time, the grass is almost certainly cool under my feet, and if possible I'll then make my way to the sidewalk and continue walking barefoot there for a time, where the sun has warmed the concrete (such a wonderful contrast from cool gras...

With the coming of spring each year we often find ourselves considering the reawakening and renewing of life.  Trees start to bloom and leaf out as well as all the new flowers that are coming forth to share their life with the world around them.   We ourselves often will find that we go through seasons within our lives, and often those seasons can match at the same time as they are happening in nature.  Through the fall I was struggling with the issues surrounding my website and feeling lost and frustrated.  Then as winter was upon us I dealt with feeling buried and overwhelmed as I tried to find me way through the battles of technology (believe me when I say, I think technology is a necessary evil).  Now with the brightness and renewing of spring I am determined to grow and start blooming all over again.     God allowed me to experience levels of frustration and feeling lost so that I would turn and seek Him in those moments...

Are you aware what your gifts and talents are?  Are you actively using them and in using them are you seeing how they grow? I remember hearing sermons about gifts and talents and how God gives us all gifts and talents.  How if we use them they grow and become greater but if we don't use them they can become weak or completely disappear.  Then I'd wonder what are my gifts and talents?  I can't play a musical instrument, I can sing but not with a voice that will ever be famous (childhood dream was to be a professional singer), and I certainly can't draw or paint or sculpt art.  I can do many things well, which is a gift of being well-rounded and active in life. These interests are things I enjoy, and while I'm not exactly talented or gift at doing them I still find enjoyment in doing and pursuing them.  Then there are those activities that maybe I can't do them exactly well, but I can do them just enough to have a lot of fun (golf comes to mind).   ...