"Maybe we accept the dream has become a nightmare. We tell ourselves that reality is better. We convince ourselves it's better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we're lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all."

Grey's Anatomy

(Please do not use photo without permission!)

It's just emotions taking me over

I apologize for the corny Bee Gee's blog post title.

Or maybe you prefer Destiny's Child.

I couldn't resist :)

Life has been pretty crazy these past few months.

I've been through a lot of fairly drastic changes and have spent a lot of time rethinking what I want from my future.

I've had a lot of opportunities to get down on myself, to be upset or depressed, to let loneliness or self-pity take over, or to just want to completely give up.

Instead, I've put all of my energy in to focusing on seeing the good in all of this change and unpredictability. By focusing on the positive and having faith in the Lord, everything has changed.

I'm so excited for everything to come, but more importantly I'm content with where I'm at right now. I've realized that I can't keep looking forward to where I'll be in the future, otherwise I'll spend my entire life just waiting for the next big thing rather than enjoying the ride.

We have our agency and we have the power to change our outlook on life.

I'll tell you from firsthand experience that it isn't easy, but with honest effort and desire, it is possible.

I saw this quote this morning and I can't believe how true it is.

Feelings will come.

  Sometimes they creep up on us or sometimes they hit us like a ton of bricks.

But we have the power to embrace them or control them.

We don't have to feel lonely, hopeless, depressed, self-pitying, or any other negative emotion which the adversary would love for us to embrace and ruminate about.  

This goes for everyone in every stage of life. It may be negative emotions about a spouse, negative emotions about ourselves, our children, our jobs, our education, or absolutely anything.

If you can stop those negative feelings in their tracks and channel them in to positive and uplifting ones, it makes such a huge difference and will spill over into every aspect of your life.

I've learned the valuable lesson that if we are willing to put up the fight, then we really are in control of our happiness and our destiny.

Picture Perfect Dream

I fell asleep while doing homework and listening to Christmas music.

Next thing I know, I'm having quite possibly the most picture-perfect dream I've ever had.

Picture this:

I was in my living room with my husband, decorating our Christmas tree, drinking Egg Nog, and listening to Ella Fitzgerald's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Someone came to the door, and as I opened it, our little golden retriever puppy ran out the door and started to prance around in the snow.

Cutest. Dream. Ever.

I hope that's one dream that really does come true :)

 

Bucket List

Yesterday I started a bucket list.

Here's an inside look at a few of the less personal ones...

and I promise I have more meaningful ones on there too :)

1. Watch cars on the Autobahn without ever getting on it myself

 3. Live in one house for more than five years

9. Write an entire song, music and lyrics

10. Spend Fourth of July in Washington D.C

 13. Cut my hair short, chin length short

16. Run a quarter marathon

19. Paint something to hang in my house

This should be interesting :)

What Dreams May Come

Hold fast to dreams

for if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly

Hold fast to dreams

for when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow

-Langston Hughes

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I dream that I can be a stay at home mom, playing with my kids, cooking, cleaning, baking for the neighbors, doing crafty things that make all of my friends jealous.

I dream that I can be a working woman, getting up early in the morning and exercising before putting on my pencil skirt and heels and driving to my office in the city.

I dream that I can go on a mission - somewhere foreign - and teach, convert, and baptize.

I dream that I can go to grad school or law school or dental school or med school.

I dream that I can travel the world - a new adventure every break from school I get - to India, Greece, Italy, Bali, Argentina, France, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and on and on.

But most of all...

I dream that I can be happy, successful, content and in love with wherever life leads me.

I dream that I will do the best that I can do in whatever I end up doing.

I dream that I can have trust and faith in the plan that there is for my life and that I can be patient with the things over which I have no control.

I dream that I can spend my days honestly happy and able to focus on the things that truly matter.

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"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. 

Circumstances and situations do color life but you have been given the mind to choose what the color shall be."

John Homer Miller

Santorini Is Calling

I will travel to Greece one day.

And ride on one of these...

I'll definitely enjoy some Greek cuisine here...

Hey, a girl can dream.