What Dreams May Come

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. It was a pretty famous dream. Most of our dreams don't achieve that kind of notoriety. Sadly, many of us can't even articulate our dreams anymore.

When we were little, dreams were big. Sure, it was dreaming of getting the latest Barbie (or Hot Wheels), dreaming of summer, dreaming of junior high, then high school, dreaming of our first love, our first kiss, our dream jobs, planning our weddings after watching Maria walk down the aisle and wed the Captain, wondering whether we would live in a mansion, apartment, shack, or house. We dreamed. We dreamed with abandon. Then we grew up.

Dreams turned into goals, planners, to-do lists, and keeping up with life. Soon we were no longer dreaming about what may be, but frantically trying to achieve those goals we set and reach the expectations set upon us. Somewhere, dreaming took a back seat and achieving took over. Love may have come and gone, or have yet to come and worn us down to believing we could live without it. Wedding planning turned to career planning. We began to embrace the practical, the achievable, the here and now that would lead to the next thing tomorrow. Life handed us some hard knocks and we forgot how to look it in the face with childlike awe and limitless wonder.

Weariness threatened to take over, but then we heard that still, quiet voice in our heads - "there is more," it said. "There is the life you dreamed of when you were guided by your heart and the desires planted there."

Something happens when we take on adulthood according to the world's terms. We lose that element of faith that as children was wholly unspoiled for many of us. We lose that belief that anything is possible, that we can save the world, we can reach the stars, we can be an astronaut or rock star or prima ballerina or doctor or medical researcher who finds the cure for cancer or any number of those childhood dreams. We get consumed by the to-dos and forget to be. We forget we are Spirit powered and get tied up by our own chains and failings. 

We see cancer. We see war. We see failure. We see greed and poverty. We see hunger and homelessness. We see cheating, stealing, and deceit to get ahead. We see the hurt of tainted love and abuse. We see brokenness...a world full of brokenness, and more glaringly, our very own kind of broken life.

God reminds us to break free of those chains. He reminds us that with Him, all things are possible. He promises us that He has great BIG plans for us. We forget, as we are wont to do, but He remembers, and His Spirit whispers to us - "there is more."

Never is this truer than after marriage and having my own children. I watch my family dream. I dream for them. I want the world to be limitless and full of every good possibility for them. If I have forgotten how to dream, they remind me. My own dreams blossom and take on new life. My dreams become their dreams - I see the world through my children's innocent and joyful eyes. As I dream for them, I learn what it is to dream again for myself. I begin to listen to that still, small voice that tells me "I am still here, and I have more. Do not be afraid."

So I begin to try new things, to follow my heart and take a few risks. I may do it with teeth clenched and eyes closed, still fearful of falling flat on my arse, because...well...we've all been there, right? The important thing, though, is that I try and I follow that voice that leads me. I find that desire that God has planted in my heart. I notice what gives me life and do it more often.

You know what? It is scary, but it is exhilarating. Truly, the best part of taking off those chains and learning to fly again is watching my biggest fans follow suit. They dream big when I dream big.

As I sit atop my mountaintop year and look ahead to 40, my dreams have certainly changed over the years. In so many ways, I am living my dream. I have found my forever love, walked down that aisle like Maria, started a family and am building a home with them. I haven't become a prominent doctor or found the cure for cancer or AIDS (mostly because chemistry broke my heart and my GPA). I'm not famous, and thankfully not infamous either. It took me a long time to discover that the secret wasn't so much doing big things, but dreaming with wide horizons.

I've got big dreams for 40 and onward. I'd love to have my own studio. I'd love to be home with my children more. I'd love to have this house truly turned into a welcoming place where we can open our home to those who need us more. More importantly, I want to be a wife, mother, and friend who helps others discover their dreams.

The beauty of dreaming with our eyes open is that we don't do it alone. We can lift one another up, push one another on. So here, from on top of my mountain, I say to you, dream big, hope big, love big, live big. Take that class. Right that wrong. Encourage that friend, child, spouse, parent. Throw caution to the wind and trust that you might just fly. Tap into that Spirit power and in the words of Mother Superior,

Climb every mountain,

Ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow,

'Till you find your dream.

NOTE: If you are looking to set out on a new path and aren't sure how to make it work, there are so many avenues like Kabbage.com that provide small business loans, and help people achieve their dreams and goals. Dream big, my friends, and know you're not going the road alone!

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Easter Isn't Over: C is for Charism & Courage

We are on our way to Pentecost, when we celebrate the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Each of us was given a full dose of the Holy Spirit at our baptism. At confirmation, we believe that dose of the Holy Spirit is stirred up as we reach adulthood to give us fuller knowledge of the special supernatural gifts God has granted us. Then there is baptism in the Spirit, which we believe is a further unlocking and stirring up of that Spirit that is already within us, further unlocking the graces given to us at our Baptism.

Long story short (and to quote a dear friend) - we have superpowers. Our children have superpowers, too. I don't mean exceptional natural talents. I mean abilities that are powered by supernatural means (aka the Holy Spirit). 

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-12

For the purpose of forming disciples and creating apostles, the Catherine of Siena Institute has done some incredible work in developing tools to help people identify and hone their superpowers. Their premise is that you don't live and work out of your charisms if you don't know them, and you don't know for sure what they are if you don't use them and see what happens. There is an inherent risk of failure, yes. Many of us fear looking foolish by exercising our gifts for the common good, forgetting that if it is indeed our charism, the strength to exercise it doesn't come from us. If it is not our charism, we need to be humble enough to accept failure and move on. 

Though we tend to manifest a similar set of charisms through our life, there are also times the Holy Spirit will grant us use of certain superpowers for special purposes. We can also always pray for new charisms, such as healing, prophecy, etc. In this season of Easter, wouldn't it be glorious if the people of God were able to give witness to the resurrection of Christ through signs and wonders? Jesus wasn't the only one to raise people from the dead - there have been saints who have been able do harness the power of the Holy Spirit to do so as well. Talk about a superpower! (Apparently there is a book about 100 saints who raised the dead - not a bad read for the Easter season. Thanks to Sherry Weddell for that tip!)

To perform these miracles, signs and wonders, or even to act out of our other charisms for the greater good, takes courage. We have to tap into a holy boldness with utter trust that the Lord has got our back. He promised that faith even the size of a teeny tiny mustard seed would allow us to move mountains. How small my faith must be that I can't even move a small pebble. 

This Easter I continue to work on praying for a honing of my spiritual gifts. After our experience in Ann Arbor, I know I need to ask and trust with boldness for the gifts which will allow others to experience the risen Christ in awe. I need to work on acquiring courage to step out in faith and use the gifts. [Who knows, Sherry, I may even make the time to finish up my interview from the Called & Gifted workshop to get more direction about where and how the Lord may want to use me. It's only been a handful or two of months, right? I'm guessing procrastination is not an actual superpower or I'd be set.]

The more I am able to hone my own gifts and live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the better I will be able to recognize what may be charisms in my own children and instill in them the courage to live out of them. A deeply profound moment for me was listening to a colleague talk about how she helped her daughter pick her classes in high school. Coming from an all-honors, straight A expecting household, I was surprised when she said she advised her daughter not to take honors math because that just wasn't her gift. Instead, she had her double up on her humanities, which aligned with both her talents and her gifts. Floored. I'd never heard of such a thing. Since then, I have been determined to do the same for my children. What a gift it would be to help them learn to live in and call on the power of the Holy Spirit from a young age! What better purpose for their lives than to figure out how God wants to use them at any given time?

Do you know what your superpowers are? Your children's? How do you use them?

Easter Isn't Over: B is for Blessings & Beatitudes

I've shared before that I can be a bit of a "the glass is dirty" kind of person. In this Easter season, the challenge for me is to live as a woman of the beatitudes, counting my blessings in all circumstances and helping my family do the same. Often, I get discouraged if things turn out differently than I expect, even when it isn't categorically a bad thing. To live in the beatitudes is to see the blessing in each circumstance, to see God's work at hand.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; 

and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, 

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you 

and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, 

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:1-12

In our poverty, we get a glimpse of heaven. If we do not have need of anything, if we are not poor in any way, we have no need of heaven or of God and do not long for him. In our grief, in our sorrow, in our troubles, God is with us. Being faithful doesn't mean we do not mourn or experience sorrow. It just means that we look to God for his peace and comfort instead of wallowing in our sadness. In all things good and bad, God is with us and worthy of our praise. Our joy, not to be confused with a false appearance of happiness, rests in Him. As one of our favorite songs goes:

Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where your streams of abundance flow, blessed be your name.

Blessed be your name, when I'm found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name...

This Easter I need to do a better job of resting in the blessings of the Lord, in abundance and in the desert place. That he provides for us in great abundance is reason for great joy. That the desert places make us thirst more deeply for Him is a blessing in itself. I want our children to live out of a spirit of gratitude for everything, even hardship. I want them to be adept at recognizing the blessings that pour down upon them even in the valley. I want them to be able to praise God through the storm so the can be beacons of light set upon a hill for the whole world to see. I want them to radiate Christ, who was at his most radiant in the midst of the cruelest suffering. If I want this for them, I need them to see it in me.

Perhaps I will go back to having a blessings book to help me reflect on the blessings of each day. Perhaps we will make it a family book or better yet, a family board so it remains visible as a constant reminder that we are blessed beyond belief. Do you have any practices or traditions that help you to live out of your blessings either as a woman, mom, or family? I'd love to hear them!

Easter Isn't Over: A is for Alleluia (and Acts of the Apostles)

"We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song." So Blessed Pope John Paul II reminded us on many an occasion. Why? Evidently we forget. A lot.

What does it mean, though? According to New Advent's entry, a brief definition of "alleluia" is as follows: "it may be literally rendered, "All hail to Him Who is!"--taking "All Hail" as equivalent to "Glory in the Highest," and taking "Who is" in the sense in which God said to Moses: "Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel; WHO IS hath sent me to you." Basically - praise the name of the Lord!

Throughout Lent, Catholics refrain from using the word altogether. Lisa Schmidt has has a great, short synopsis of the why behind this practice at her blog, The Practicing Catholic. Her blog was the inspiration for my own journey through the alphabet this Easter season. 

Why is Blessed Pope John Paul's statement is significant? First, we are an Easter people - what does this mean for us as Christians? Quite basically, it means we are a people of the resurrection. Yes, Christ was crucified, but we live with the lens of new life and eternal life. This world and the things of it are not the final word or what hold the greatest glory. Jesus breaks open the gates of heaven to let us in, and that is our identity. We share an inheritance with the saints! We are a people of joy and life, not doom and gloom.

Secondly, alleluia is our song - what do we sing with our lives? Are our lives glorifying the Most High, or are we stuck in the ways of the world? On more than one occasion this week I've seen the quote from St. Irenaeus that reads, "The glory of God is man fully alive." What does this mean for us? What does it mean to sing alleluia with our lives? I think to fully understand this we must visit the Acts of the Apostles. The Easter story didn't,end with Christ's resurrection. It continued on with the story of the first apostles, and their journey in carrying out the mission Jesus left for them. It begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and follows their stories of conversion, healing, miracles and persecution. This time after Easter is a continued season of miracles!

For us to be fully alive, to sing glory to the Most High, we must live out joyfully our purpose - to love God and bring others to union with him. We must claim the unique blend of talents and gifts he has given us and use them for his purpose, not ours. We cannot be afraid to share the good news of redemption and eternal life, of resurrection and of hope. We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song - this must be our battle cry! Jesus is risen, truly he is risen! This must be our message, especially in a world that is rapidly forgetting. Steve Ray posted an article on his blog stating that 16% of people (I presume Christians) do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. St. Paul tells us that if the resurrection is untrue and never happened, we are great fools indeed. I do not believe we are fools, but sadly more and more people are being fooled by the evil one.

Just like the first apostles, we have to carry the banner of the cross and resurrection into the world. That is our challenge in this Easter season and beyond. Sing alleluia, my Easter people, sing to the rafters...

I'll close with the words of Pope Francis from his first Easter Wednesday audience:

"Let us be enlightened by the Resurrection of Christ, let us be transformed by His power, so that through us the signs of death give way to signs of life in the world! I see that there are many young people in the Square! Young boys and girls, to you I say bring forth this certainty to the world: the Lord is Alive and walks beside us on our life’s journey! Bring forth this hope, be anchored in this hope, the hope that comes from heaven! Be anchored and bring forth the hope! You witnesses of Christ bring forth hope to this world that is aged by wars and sin!"

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

I was reading a friend's status on Facebook yesterday, which read something like he and a coworker were talking about their weekends, and it came up that the coworker enjoyed celebrating Easter with his family. My friend expressed his disappointment that Easter to that coworker was just an egg hunt and good meal. No Jesus risen. 

That got me thinking this morning, and really throughout the day. I want to sit with Li'l G and do some Easter crafts, and I have been tremendously looking forward to an Easter egg hunt in our backyard the day before. What am I doing, though, that connects for her, inseparably, the feast of Easter and the resurrection of Christ. Sure, I could call the Easter eggs Resurrection Eggs. Yes, we could build our own Calvary out of Popsicle sticks. What traditions, though, could we begin to establish in our own family that will etch on her heart the true miracle and joy of Easter? 

Certainly without Good Friday there is no Easter, and we will impress that upon her at an older age. For now I want her to be filled with wonder, not at the candy, but at the sacrifice Jesus makes for us and the utter miraculous and inexplicable joy when the tomb is found empty. I realize it will take years for her to fully grasp that concept. If we are honest, I'm not sure any of us have fully come to understand its meaning and implication in our lives. Right now, what I want to do is be thoughtful about what traditions we begin to establish and what nugget of Truth with a capital "T" these traditions will convey. 

As I've started looking into the tradition of the Easter Egg, I'm not sure what I think. I understand the origin, but as we neither stain the eggs red to symbolize the shedding of Christ's blood and then the new life that comes (the egg), or fast from eggs and dairy during Lent in our culture, I'm not sure there is as much symbolism as there is craft and candy. We could always revive that old tradition and stick with red while indulging my artsy side. That is certainly a thought. Maybe we will have an egg hunt with empty eggs to symbolize the empty tomb (won't my kids love me?). Or maybe we will fill those plastic eggs with Scripture and a puzzle on where to find the candy that is related to the great message of joy and redemption of the resurrection. My brain is still spinning around this one.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Traditions you have that you want to share?? I'm listening!! 

And yes, I still have the bunny ears....