THE DREAMS OF A TEENAGER

I was very shy as a young person and you might say that I often escaped into stories that I had created.  It wasn't until Junior High that I began to put some of them to page with the help of a wonderful Creative Writing Teacher named Mrs. Perry.  It wasn't until I was 16 that I would begin a journey to creating my mermaid story.  I was encouraged by my English/Yearbook Teacher Mrs. Rose to go to the Yearbook Conference at the University of Hawaii that summer between my Sophomore and Junior year of High School.  I fell in love with the Hawaiian Islands and the people and their culture.  I went on to write my story at the age of 17.

After that, as many of you can relate, my life took a turn and although I would go on to write short stories and many poems, I always knew that my mermaid story was meant to be something more.  There were often days that I would feel a longing to begin rewriting my story and it was as though the Lord would tell me, "Not yet."  I guess that I knew it would take so much of me to write it and my four daughters needed me.  As my girls grew and each began to spread their wings and leave my nest, the longing would only intensify.  Again the Lord would tell me, "Not yet."  

Once my baby entered College, I began to feel a flood building up within me and finally I felt that it was time to write again.  You can imagine my shock when I was diagnosed with cancer and thought that I would never be able to pour out the stories that I had suppressed for so long.  Then the Lord spoke, "Now."  Even though it was a painful journey, my stories helped me to escape my reality; once again I was Lana exploring her underwater world.  Now I was able to put it to page so that not only my grandchildren would be able to share in the adventure, but anyone else that cared to read it as well.

I never discount the dreams of a young person; God has put them there and in time they will surface.  I love Max Lucado's CURE FOR THE COMMON LIFE.  Two of my favorite quotes are:

Look at Joseph.  At the age of seventeen, he interpreted dreams and envisioned himself as a leader (Genesis 37:5-10).  As an adult he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and led the nation of Egypt (Genesis 40-41). 

Young shepherd-boy David displayed two strengths: fighting and music.  He killed a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37) and played the harp with skill (16:18).  what two activities dominated his adult years?  Fighting and music.  He killed tens of thousands in battle (1 Samuel 29:5), and do we not still sing his songs?

Thank You Father of Dreams that You allow them to take root and grow and blossom.  : )

TRYING TIMES

It seems to me that its the trying times that test our metal.  I tell my husband that its in these times that we find out who we really are.  We've been hit by the bad economy as well as anyone and my husband and I have endured some pretty rough times of illness over the last few years.  

Now our Church is going through its own kind of testing time; our Pastor fell ill on January 23rd and was rushed to the hospital.  We found out that he has pancreatitis and will be in the hospital for some time.  To say that this has put us all out of balance would be a gross understatement; it has literally rocked our world!  But, something else is occurring; I see love rising up as I've never seen it before.  This love seems to have no bounds.  Its the love for our Pastor and his family and even extended family.  Its the love that each one of us has for the other; a love for our Church as a whole family.  I've seen prayers that are quite literally coming from all over the world on behalf of our Pastor.

Yes, these are trying times.  God never promised that we wouldn't go through rough times, but He did promise that He'd be right there beside us walking through them with us.   : )