One of my favorite parts of Relevant was meeting many women who have impacted me from the blogging world. Seeing them face to face showed me that this URL community works. I believe that is because God is not bound by addresses or computer screens. He is limitless, and He connects hearts no matter where they live!
I was thrilled to hug the neck of my friend Terilynne Underwood. She is a pastors wife, MODsquad mom, writer, blogger and has the gift of encouragement. If you were at the conference, you might have noticed that we stood in the lobby of the hotel and talked for 1 hour straight Saturday afternoon. If we had some Starbucks and comfy chairs it would have been at least twice that long. I love her heart, her knowledge of God’s Word and her desire to minister to women. Oh, and she has the cutest new blog home! Be sure to check it out after you read this amazing post!
Live the God-Dream
Deep inside, beneath the years of rebellion, beneath the layers of pride, beneath the scars of sin, the heaviness of the God-Dream still simmered. Barely acknowledged and nearly forgotten, the God-Dream called out … quietly at first. Pen to paper … inconsistent, incoherent. Prayers and poems scattered in notebooks and journals with months, even years, between entries.
Gradually, the God-Dream moved from a slow simmering to a lively bubbling and the words flowed more freely. Day after day, the activities and insights, thoughts and ponderings, were carefully recorded, meticulously dated. The written words of one gave way to the Written Word of The One … as the God-Dream boiled.
The words poured out and over, steamy with the heat of passion for the One who was Word. Filling page after page of Word seared to flesh … the God-Dream moved from pen and paper to keyboard and screen. The words of a grace-needer poured out, timidly and cautiously.
The God-Dream is powerful … and with every click and post, the God-Dream grew. And still grows.
My God-Dream is writing and teaching, encouraging and equipping … and I am thankful for this cyber-world that allows me to reach into the homes and hearts of women. My God-Dream grows each day into something more … not more of me, more of Him. More ways to reveal His grace. More ways to share His love. More passion for His Word. More love for His people.
And so I write, no longer merely in private journals … now I write, almost daily, to share. I share my heart, my failures, my struggles, my faith. Using stories about moldy shower curtain liners and contemplating submission in the context of being simply being polite, the Lord has given me a passion to encourage lives where the sacred and the secular collide. Lives where cleaning our houses is holy work and serving others is valued as serving Him. The God-Dream has led to book proposals and new websites … but most of all the God-Dream has pushed me headfirst into the God of the Dream.
Daily I write … on paper, on screen, in note cards, in journals, through email, through tweets … I write for the God-Dream is alive. I live the God-Dream, the one He has given me. And my prayer is that you are living the God-Dream as well. The one He has given you.
Oh my sweet friends! I don’t know about you, but this truly draws me to the dream giver! And it makes me realize that He has great plans for us if we will join Him in that work! Terilynne, thanks for inspiring us to take steps of faith and that He is always there to lead us when we do!
Now, I’m sure you want to know where to find Terilynne on a regular basis. Try these lovely places where she works out her gifts to God’s glory and for your encouragement:
Oh you girls…such beauty inside and out.
TeriLynne, you live and breathe His God dream for you authentically, skillfully, beautifully! Love, love, love this post.
You, Kristen, bless me … I’m so thankful to know you and have you in my life!! Thank you for your kind words.
Stacey and Teri Lynne – You both are such amazing examples of passionately and obediently following your God-Dreams. Thank y’all for letting us hang out on the porch today. I can’t imagine where I’d rather be this Friday morning!
Kristin you are so sweet! Wishing we could all just sit in those white rockers with our mug of coffee and talk the day away!
I second the wishing we really were all in those rockers today!
Awesome. Thanks so much for sharing your dreams and journey with us. I can definitely relate to there being months, even years b/w journal entries. But for the past year and a half, it has been much more consistent! 🙂
Christen, yay! We’re on the journey together … and what an amazing Leader we have to follow! Praise Him for His unending faithfulness!!
Two amazing and beautiful women!! HUGS to you both!
xoxo my friend!
Thanks for stopping by today! I can’t believe we were all together just 2 weeks ago! How long till #relevant11 ?
Yes. I just hash tagged on a comment! 🙂
I love this! Following that God-dream. And for me, He has revealed when that dream was a tiny seed even in my childhood, to be neglected through years of rebellion but one day watered and flourishing by His great grace. The God-dream. Thanks!!!
Thank you, Lara! I am so thankful for Dream-Creator who never gives up on us!!
Love the idea of a God-dream. Maybe that really is what I have and what I am trying to develop each day. But it needs honing and direction by the Master as I’m trying now to do both writing and working as a special ed TA. I need to spend more time at His feet to reflect His thoughts.
Thank you for this wonderful post. And Teri, I love your new blog home!
Blessings,
Janis
Thank you very much! I really believe that finding our God-Dream and allowing Him to work it out in us is one of the greatest joys we have in life on earth. I’ll look forward to hearing how your God-Dream unfolds!
Love your heart TL, and how what your live & learn spills over to us through your writing!