Dreams

Dreams.

They are crazy things.

Often times they are difficult things.

Day dreams, night dreams, life dreams.

Sometimes dreams come crashing down.

Sometimes they are ripped away.

Sometimes it hurts so bad.

Sometimes I cry so hard I can't breathe.

Sometimes I want to scream at God.

Sometimes I yell at God.  I know He can handle it.

And He loves me no matter how human I am.

He's got the best "dreams" for my life.

Better than I can imagine.

Even if they hurt like heck sometimes.

He doesn't promise an easy life.

He does promise He'll be there every painful step of the way.

His love is deeper and wider than any gut wrenching trial.

The little day brighteners He sends are priceless.

A few moments in His Word changes my perspective.

A few reminders of His faithfulness gives me new motivation.

A few recollections of what He's done in my life gives me hope.

He gives me the guts to dare to continue to dream.

He gives me the ability and gift to be crazy and have fun during even the darkest times.

He's teaching me to change what I look for and notice.

To look for the good things.

To be thankful for all the little things.

To trust Him with the big things.

The things so important to me I don't want to let go of them.

To have enough faith to allow Him to change my dreams.

To praise Him when the the going gets tough.

To continue to dream and trust Him with those dreams.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11

Friends

A friend loves at all times...  (Prov. 17:17)

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. (John 15:13)

I have pretty much the best of the best friends in the world.  Yes folks, the WORLD.

Lyd & Nomi before our zig zag canoe trip this summer

Last night I got to hang out with my friend Lydia.  (Yes, she never blogs. Leave her a comment for me, would ya? Maybe she'll write something than.)  We talked "business" (she's a graphic designer and is designing my doula business logo-woot!), ate French toast & sausage for supper, swapped all kinds of stuff on our Macbook Pro's, watched "The Village", talked a whole big bunch, and laughed a ton.  

There's something about girl time.  It gives one new energy and cheeryness.  Here's to a lovely fall weekend!

Children, Cuteness, Christmas

I love children.  A lot. A LOT lot.  Ask anyone who knows and they'll be able to tell you that.  I think I was born with some child magneticism inside of me. (I don't think that's even a word but whatever.)  

Cute boy and a John Deere tractor
(Oh. And me.)

Last weekend I got to spend three whole days with my cousin and her beyond lovable kiddos.  It was amazing.  "Bubby" is fourteen months old and such a bundle of fun and BOY-ness.  I can't get enough of his smiles, car noises, and "hey!"'s.  I had to get in my car and drive back to Wisconsin last Monday and it about broke my heart.  He's growing so fast.

Yesterday I ate lunch with a two-year-old.  So fun!  This weekend I get to spend three days with one of my besties and her one-year-old.  I'm feeling a wee bit blessed!  (And the the cuteness factor is quite high around me lately.)

I'm so glad God created us women to bring children into this world.  I'm so grateful for the miracle of pregnancy, and birth, and babies.  I was thinking earlier today about what things would be like if He just kept making new people from dust like when He created Adam.  I'm so glad that wasn't His plan.  I wouldn't be a doula otherwise. ;)

Speaking of children and cuteness and doula-ness, is not this the cutest idea EVER? I am officially one hundred percent in love with the amazingness on Pinterest.  (I am also, for the record, in love with attaching "ness" and "ism" and "ly" onto the ends of words.  I'm thinking you may have noticed but just thought I'd state it plainly for those that may be a little slow.)

And now about Christmas.  Don't shoot me.  I know it's only October seventeen.  Trust me, I'm the kind of person that doesn't really do anything "Christmas" until the first of December.  I much prefer to enjoy fall and Thanksgiving without Christmas "distractions".  But I had to share this NOW.  Please watch it.  I won't elaborate on what I think and feel after watching it twice.  I'll let it speak for itself.

(There is a new and revised video but I could not for the life of me figure out how to put a vimeo video on here so I had to use this You Tube one from 2008.  I (obviously) don't know diddly-squat about the technical aspects of blogging.)

a Michael Buble kind of day

It's cold and rainy and fall-ish here in Wisconsin.  It's the kind of day that makes me want to stay in comfies, wrap up in a cozy blanket, sip hot chocolate, and alternate between reading books and watching movies.  

But I had to get up and do my makeup and go to work.  And I have a million errands to run after work.  And I have a bedroom to empty so I can paint it over the weekend.  So I threw on my favorite comfy jeans and favorite comfy shirt and one of my many favorite comfy sweatshirts and hit the road.  Driving threw light drizzly rain is actually rather fun.  

So far it's been a super quiet and relaxing day here at work.  The woman I care for is in good spirits and the things she needs me to do today are limited.  I have time to sit and write and listen to Michael Buble while I hear the rain through the open windows.  For some reason the rainy dreariness seems like a perfect time to listen to "Feeling Good", "Everything", and "Home".  I believe I may have decided on my favorite rainy day music. 

Overall I'm feeling blessed on this rainy-fall-Wisconsin-October day.  Life's storms are a bit heavy lately (as I'm sure you guessed if you read this post) but the good and perfect gifts from above still appear everyday.  Today I'm thankful for the falling rain and falling leaves that remind me of the gifts and love falling from heaven.