Inspiring Dreams
I had 3 dreams since I was 11 years old:
Dream #1: Become a secretary
Dream #2: Get married
Dream #3: Have children
These were my deepest desires. Teachers, guidance counselors, and even friends tried to persuade me into doing something more with my life. I had the grades and personality to be successful; how could I be willing to sacrifice all of that to "just" be a mom. But, they were MY DREAMS! How can one of my dreams be "wrong"? In my opinion, being a wife and mother is the ultimate high calling.
So, at the age of 19 I could successfully cross off Dream #1 when I was hired as receptionist for QCCI. It not only was my dream #1, it was a DREAM JOB. Awesome company, fun co-workers, and I feel honored to have worked there for 3 years!
Dream #2 was checked off my list at the age of 20. I married the man of my dreams, who also happened to be a life-long childhood friend. In fact, our wedding video that we showed at our reception included a clip of us at Strasburg Railroad when we were pre-schoolers.
Dream #3 became a reality at the age of 22. God surprised and blessed us with a beautiful and healthy baby girl. And since then, we've added two handsome little boys, who complete our family of five.
It struck me several months ago that I completed my list of dreams and I'm not even 30 yet! So, I did some soul-searching, praying and asking God what He has in store for the next decade. Obviously my job as wife and mother will continue for the rest of my life, but I wanted to seek God on more dreams I could add to my list.
I've often envied the job of doctors, surgeons, nurses and EMT's. I mean, how awesome would it be to return from a day's work and be able to tell my spouse, "I saved __ lives today!" How fulfilling it would be to make such huge differences in people's lives. But, such a job would also be extremely painful in the circumstances where you've done all you can and a life is lost. I know without a doubt I would not be able to do what our dear health professionals do.
But, God continued to work in my heart and take me back to an opportunity I had in grade school to volunteer at Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services with our JGA group sorting baby clothes and cleaning the Ephrata branch. God began to give me a passion for those young mothers with unplanned pregnancies, dealing with guilt and uncertainty of their future. How fulfilling a job as a volunteer counselor could be! Listening, encouraging, and praying those unborn babies into life. Showing those mothers that choosing life for their baby is better than abortion. This would be a direct link for my love of counseling, my love for adoption, my love for motherhood, and my passion for saving lives. And not just physical lives would be saved; I dream of leading these young mothers with no hope, to hope in JESUS.
So, Dream #4 is added to my list: Volunteer or work at SVPS. Timing...not sure when, but my heart and hands are ready to spring into action whenever the Lord leads.
Recently, I've also been inspired by so many of my friends taking up running. I've never enjoyed running, even back in my most athletic years when I played field hockey. Then a friend invited me to join her in a 5K benefit run for...guess who...SVPS!! God was linking a passion He put in my heart with yet another dream I wanted to accomplish. So, I've got 5 more weeks to train before I accomplish my Dream #5: Run a 5K! It is one way I can help to save lives right now. So, if you'd like to sponsor me in the run, I would be honored to pass on your donations to a wonderful organization that is saving one life at a time from abortion!
In the March bulletin of Focus on the Family, Wess Stafford wrote a moving article that took place in his own life. He writes of when his daughter was 4 and supposed to be getting ready for bed. One evening, when he was physically and emotionally exhausted, she danced into the room dressed as a ballerina. She jumped onto the coffee table and struck a pose. Wess almost replied with, "Very funny. Now go get your pajamas on." But instead, he was prompted to grab a lamp for a spotlight, a magazine for a megaphone, and announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the beautiful, the talented, Jenny Stafford!" After her dance, he jumped to his feet in wild applause. Jenny went on to earn her master's degree from the Tisch School of the Arts, and today works for the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Wess realizes that he nearly missed that opportunity to inspire that dream in his young daughter. It doesn't take much effort to make an imprint!
So, what are your deep, secret dreams? What are the goals for your future that you hold close to your heart? I challenge us all to look at each other and ask ourselves, "What is being built in this person's life?" "Is there anything I can do to advance their dream?" Let's encourage one another in our dreams and aspirations. Encouragement goes so much further than discouragement. You never know when you're making a lasting imprint on someone's life, so let's fill our mouths with words of life!
Dream #1: Become a secretary
Dream #2: Get married
Dream #3: Have children
These were my deepest desires. Teachers, guidance counselors, and even friends tried to persuade me into doing something more with my life. I had the grades and personality to be successful; how could I be willing to sacrifice all of that to "just" be a mom. But, they were MY DREAMS! How can one of my dreams be "wrong"? In my opinion, being a wife and mother is the ultimate high calling.
So, at the age of 19 I could successfully cross off Dream #1 when I was hired as receptionist for QCCI. It not only was my dream #1, it was a DREAM JOB. Awesome company, fun co-workers, and I feel honored to have worked there for 3 years!
Dream #2 was checked off my list at the age of 20. I married the man of my dreams, who also happened to be a life-long childhood friend. In fact, our wedding video that we showed at our reception included a clip of us at Strasburg Railroad when we were pre-schoolers.
Dream #3 became a reality at the age of 22. God surprised and blessed us with a beautiful and healthy baby girl. And since then, we've added two handsome little boys, who complete our family of five.
It struck me several months ago that I completed my list of dreams and I'm not even 30 yet! So, I did some soul-searching, praying and asking God what He has in store for the next decade. Obviously my job as wife and mother will continue for the rest of my life, but I wanted to seek God on more dreams I could add to my list.
I've often envied the job of doctors, surgeons, nurses and EMT's. I mean, how awesome would it be to return from a day's work and be able to tell my spouse, "I saved __ lives today!" How fulfilling it would be to make such huge differences in people's lives. But, such a job would also be extremely painful in the circumstances where you've done all you can and a life is lost. I know without a doubt I would not be able to do what our dear health professionals do.
But, God continued to work in my heart and take me back to an opportunity I had in grade school to volunteer at Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services with our JGA group sorting baby clothes and cleaning the Ephrata branch. God began to give me a passion for those young mothers with unplanned pregnancies, dealing with guilt and uncertainty of their future. How fulfilling a job as a volunteer counselor could be! Listening, encouraging, and praying those unborn babies into life. Showing those mothers that choosing life for their baby is better than abortion. This would be a direct link for my love of counseling, my love for adoption, my love for motherhood, and my passion for saving lives. And not just physical lives would be saved; I dream of leading these young mothers with no hope, to hope in JESUS.
So, Dream #4 is added to my list: Volunteer or work at SVPS. Timing...not sure when, but my heart and hands are ready to spring into action whenever the Lord leads.
Recently, I've also been inspired by so many of my friends taking up running. I've never enjoyed running, even back in my most athletic years when I played field hockey. Then a friend invited me to join her in a 5K benefit run for...guess who...SVPS!! God was linking a passion He put in my heart with yet another dream I wanted to accomplish. So, I've got 5 more weeks to train before I accomplish my Dream #5: Run a 5K! It is one way I can help to save lives right now. So, if you'd like to sponsor me in the run, I would be honored to pass on your donations to a wonderful organization that is saving one life at a time from abortion!
In the March bulletin of Focus on the Family, Wess Stafford wrote a moving article that took place in his own life. He writes of when his daughter was 4 and supposed to be getting ready for bed. One evening, when he was physically and emotionally exhausted, she danced into the room dressed as a ballerina. She jumped onto the coffee table and struck a pose. Wess almost replied with, "Very funny. Now go get your pajamas on." But instead, he was prompted to grab a lamp for a spotlight, a magazine for a megaphone, and announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the beautiful, the talented, Jenny Stafford!" After her dance, he jumped to his feet in wild applause. Jenny went on to earn her master's degree from the Tisch School of the Arts, and today works for the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Wess realizes that he nearly missed that opportunity to inspire that dream in his young daughter. It doesn't take much effort to make an imprint!
So, what are your deep, secret dreams? What are the goals for your future that you hold close to your heart? I challenge us all to look at each other and ask ourselves, "What is being built in this person's life?" "Is there anything I can do to advance their dream?" Let's encourage one another in our dreams and aspirations. Encouragement goes so much further than discouragement. You never know when you're making a lasting imprint on someone's life, so let's fill our mouths with words of life!
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