Shaking off the Gray (Renewing My Dreams)

Along the way I’ve discovered that dreams are renewable.

A few years ago I found myself living an empty, stagnant life. I was existing in a quiet corner filled with lifeless silence. Dull, gray walls fixed vacant eyes on me, mocking me, shouting, “This is it! This is all there is! This is your life!” As their relentless taunts echoed endlessly in my empty soul, I saw my life stretched out before me in an endless procession of pointless, purposeless sameness.

Thankfully, God never leaves us adrift.

Finally, in a moment of quiet reflection, I heard His still, small voice whisper, “There is more, Trena—much more. I have great plans for you. I am holding all your dreams; come and claim them.”

At last I recognized this dismal prison was of my own making. But God is the ultimate dreamer. He is the renewer of dreams. He shook the dust off  my old dreams and planted new dreams in my heart—dreams bigger than I dared to dream. Now He’s making them my reality.

When I cried out from my self-made wilderness, He heard my soul’s silent sighs and ushered me from my spiritual wasteland, leading me into the fullness of His joy. There He continues to unveil this great adventure He’s crafting just me for.

So join me as I turn my will over to God, reclaim my dreams, embrace new dreams, shake off the gray, and emerge into the sunlight of His Glory. Join me in claiming the life He promised—a truly joyful journey.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): God’s dreams for me are eternal.

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Question to Ponder: Have you lost sight of your dreams?

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Quick Quote: Sometimes I hear God’s voice but act before I hear His will. ~Randy R. Reed

Waiting on God (Hindsight’s 20/20)

Along the way I’ve found waiting to be one of my biggest challenges. Waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for my husband to get ready, waiting for the weekend, waiting for God to reveal His plan for me—waiting…

To be perfectly honest, there are two things that make me a little crazy: 1) looking for things 2) waiting.

While I still struggle with the waiting, recently I have discovered that God’s timing is always perfect. Waiting on God has become something of a habit of late. I distinctly feel God’s leading—destination unknown. Thankfully, He has left signposts along the way assuring me that I am still on His perfect path as He gently guides me through this maze called life.

I can look in the rearview mirror and see the results of His guiding hand at each turn in my road. Looking back gives me the faith to go forward. Just as God continually reminded the Israelites of how he led them out of Egypt, He continues to remind me about His guidance in my life—building my faith one turn at a time. I pray that, unlike the Israelites, I will continue to wait patiently on God, allowing his perfect guidance to direct my life; only then can I truly succeed.

So join me as I wait patiently on God’s perfect timing to ensure that my journey continues to be filled with His exquisite joy.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): Sometimes the best answer to a prayer is the silence of God asking us to wait.

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Pot Epiphany: Waiting builds character.

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Bible Blessings: If God says, “Wait,” I’ll wait; after all, everything I have comes from Him. ~Psalm 62:1 (Randy Reed Paraphrased Version)

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Quick Quotes: We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. ~Joseph Campbell

Seeking Perspective (A God’s-eye View)

Along the way I’ve discovered that occasionally I need to reprogram my thinking in order to prepare my heart to forgive. I begin each reprogramming session with prayer, earnestly asking God for a large serving of discernment and a double portion of grace.

Analyzing people’s actions and exploring possible motives for their behavior mentally assists me in the reprogramming process; then assigning the best possible motive to their actions allows my future interactions to be fueled by love. While this may not reflect their actual motivations, this process allows me to work through my anger, preparing my heart to forgive.

For me it comes down to how I view people. I can choose to view them through the dark glasses of hate and anger or I can choose to view them through the rose-colored glasses of compassion and love—I choose love.

Some call me an eternal optimist, and I embrace that. My greatest desire is to live in eternity where love and kindness flow like a fine, full-bodied wine—its sweet bouquet leaving me heady and exhilarated.

So join me as I prayerfully ask God to not only prepare my heart to forgive others, but also to see them through His eyes, because only then can I truly embrace this joyful journey.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): While we can’t control what others do, we can control how we interpret their actions.

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Quick Quote: I cultivated so many "people who are against me" in the garden of my mind. Love became a weed. Thank God I have re-cultivated my minds garden. There is no greater peace than that. ~Sam Mugi

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Question to Ponder: When’s the last time you ask for forgiveness?

The Freedom of Forgiveness (Releasing the Prisoner)

Along the way I’ve discovered there are times when I must forgive before being asked—even if it’s a silent “I forgive you” whispered into the night.

For me, forgiveness was the key to releasing my heavy chains of pain and guilt. It wasn’t until God gave me the strength to forgive that the healing could truly begin.

I picked up a pen and began to write. I allowed all my pain and frustration to freely flow onto the pages. The torrent of words shouted my pain. I poured my hurt onto stark, indifferent pages. The lines of black letters marched across the page forming a battalion of hurt, a garrison of anger, an army of accusations.

I raised my pen for years until my voice was hoarse from shouting.

But when I finally stopped shouting long enough to hear God’s still small voice, I picked up my pen and began to write different words—words of peace instead of words of conflict, words of forgiveness instead of words of combat, words of love instead of words of war.

I released the pain, the anger, the frustration, the hate, and said “I forgive you.” The power of those three words set me free.

Instead of having a heart filled with pain, my heart was filled with love. I was finally able to see the truth instead of the ugly lies I had repeated to myself all those wasted years. I recognized the truth about myself, the truth about my family—the truth about my God.

The lies that I’d whispered to myself, screamed at my parents, and cried onto paper lost their power. They lay limp and lifeless on the page—no longer able to raise the battle cry. I buried their lifeless corpses and embraced a larger truth—Love.

So join me as I allow the voice of Holy Spirit to change the words in my life, thus transforming my journey of sorrow into a journey of joy.

Naked and Vulnerable (Thoughts from the Pot): The ideas I repeat to the woman in the mirror, or yell at her husband, will become my reality.

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Quick Quote: Why harbor hatred when forgiveness is free? ~Randy R. Reed

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Quick Quotes: Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time. ~Sara Paddison

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Bible Blessings: Hatred is a vicious circle of violence, but love is always quick to forgive and forget. ~Proverbs 10:12 (Randy Reed Paraphrased Version)

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Quick Quote: Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese

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Question to Ponder: What’s stopping you from offering true, genuine forgiveness?