Cultivating Your Dreams When It Seems There’s No Time

“I think we should do a calendar together. I’ll paint a watercolor for each month, and you could write a few lines of inspiration to go along with the painting.”

I’m seated alone, about a year after my sister uttered these thoughts on one of our phone dates, working on that very calendar. A dream is about to become a reality in October when the calendar releases. I can’t wait for you to see it!

Here’s the truth–with five kids, and a husband with a demanding job, I wasn’t sure where I would find the time to create. Maybe you’re like me and think I can barely survive the day to day, how on earth am I going to cultivate a dream? I’ll wait till the kids are older and out of the house or maybe when work slows down.

There’s No Perfect Time

Friend, I’m here to tell you there is no perfect time to cultivate dreams. We will never miraculously have more time on our hands. If God is downloading a blueprint for a new creative adventure, now is the time. I’m here to encourage you to seize your marching order and step out in faith.

I’m learning: maintaining my sanity depends on cultivating my God-given dreams. I feel like I’m drowning in it all when I don’t carve out time to invest in those dreams that keep rattling around in my head. You can be a better wife and mother when you provide an outlet for your dreams to become a reality.

Along the journey of creating I’ve discovered a few things on how to cultivate dreams while maintaining a family. Before I begin sharing a few tips I feel led to say one thing:

Age is Not an Excuse

Don’t disqualify yourself just because you think you’re too old. Age is only a number when we depend on Him.

Several weeks ago, I sat watching America’s Got Talent, in awe of a seventy-four-four-year-old woman. She was dancing her heart out, making it look effortless as her partner flung her around as if she was weightless. Her fancy footwork and the way she moved her body as no seventy-year-old woman should, brought the audience to their feet with a standing ovation and then ended the dance with a split. When asked how long she had been dancing, she merely replied since she was sixty-five years old. She went on to say that she always had a dream of learning to ballroom dance and why not learn now for their 50^thanniversary party. Wow!!

All I have to say is seize the moment, don’t let age dictate the now. Need I remind you of what God says, “Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power (grace) that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

(Artwork by Michele Coco featured in 2019 Becoming Calendar)

Start Somewhere

I can’t remember when I first felt called to write. I just recall a mentor in Virginia seeing giftings I never saw in myself. She took time out of her busy schedule to invest in a tired-worn-out mama of three. She called out things that weren’t as if they were and gifts and talents began to emerge. It was her voice of encouragement that pushed me to start somewhere.

Writing began in the cracks of time. Early in the morning before anyone arose. Thirty-minutes during nap time. Even squeezing a sentence or two in as I turned over the laundry. Now I dedicate Tuesday as my writing day. It’s taken a long time for me to carve out an entire day and still, at times, feels silly to dedicate a whole school day to writing. Why? Because it feels irresponsible when I don’t get paid, and I’m not a New York best time author…yet.

We have to choose to start somewhere, and we don’t dare despise small beginnings.

 Be brave. Be bold. Start somewhere.

My sister, two years ago, started taking a watercolor class on Friday mornings for a few hours, and now she is launching her boutique. She had to choose to start somewhere.

Carve out the time. Create the website. Take the class. Buy the supplies Look into the possibilities. Take the leap of faith; there’s endless possibilist. Maybe like me, you feel hesitant to commit time and money to something, because you’re afraid it may not work out you thought. I ask you this question: What if it does? What if it opens an avenue for new relationships and joy like you’ve never experienced. To me…that alone is worth it. My sister and I have grown closer and enjoyed working on the calendar together, and that alone makes it worth it.

 Choose to start somewhere because you have a gift you should share with the world.

Get Out of Your Head

 This calendar has been a struggle for me. I believe in it. I love it. I feared no one else would. And this fear paralyzed me from moving forward. Of course, I knew that God was faithful and for me, yet I couldn’t get past the lies holding me back from moving forward. “You’re not good enough.” “Who do you think you are?” “No one wants to read your thoughts.”

Lies

What lies hold you back? You know how it goes, “Why bother you’ll never be as good as so and so.” These very lies keep us from cultivating those God-given dreams. Here’s a not so secret, secret: The enemy wins when we give into these lies and not move forward with the plans God has spoken over us. We can’t blame God for our unfulfilled dreams, only ourselves for believing such foolish lies.

I speak from experience, remember I’m the woman who’s let lies live loud in my head to the point of feeling like a broken failure. Maybe the only way to break free from the lies is to get out of our heads and get into the Truth?

I got serious about it one day and started posting Post-it notes all over the house, reminding myself of what He says about me. Something began to shift, and I began to believe down in my marrow I was fully seen and loved. This allowed me to write from a place of love than approval. I no longer needed anyone else’s approval because I knew how God felt about me.

(Artwork by Michele Coco featured in 2019 Becoming Calendar)

When we’re knocking in our boots, as we move forward in the leading of the Spirit to uncharted waters, afraid of what’s to come, let’s remember who we are and who we belong to, and take a step of faith toward our God-given dreams. Hang onto the words in Isaiah, “I have chosen you. So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed. I will strengthen you and help you” Isaiah 41:9-10.

Getting out of our own head, allows God to use you in unexpected ways.

Be encouraged. God is doing a new exciting thing!

I’m so over-joyed about this calendar…want to be the first to pre-order 2019 Becoming Devotional Calendar? Leave your email below and I’ll keep you posted. You’llreceiveecieve a free digital print along with bi-weekly words of encouragement.