keep on dreaming, beautiful dreamer

Up, up, up we went. Above the sandy beach, above the waves lapping rhythmically onto shoreline. Over the wooden boardwalk, the hot dog vendor stands, the musicians performing for change thrown into a hat. Up in the sky we soared, above it all - above frayed palm tree leaves, alongside flying sea birds. Riding the Ferris wheel at the pier, my sister and I drank in the fresh ocean breeze blowing our hair. And as we ascended and descended, laughing and screaming at intervals, feeling like our little bucket in the sky might spontaneously flip over, sending us plummeting into the splashing water below - it did not. And soon, we settled into our seats and peacefully took it all in. The blueness of the sky, the sandy gold beach below, the faint sounds of the boardwalk life, that beautiful ocean outstreched endlessly toward the sunny skyline. Wide open spaces. Sometimes a girl needs 'em.

Riding in circles on it's colorful spindles and buckets, the Ferris wheel reminded me of something.... something I often forget: a little something called hope. You see, I am so often caught up in the "boardwalk" life below. I get lost in the shuffle, my thoughts drowned out by the city noise and blaring music, my dreams crushed by the smash of people and the push of the crowd. But up there - up near heaven - almost touching that blissfully blue sky? You're free. Free like the birds. To fly and sing... and dream. My littler ride on the Ferris wheel that beach day out with my precious family reminded me to dream. To not forget my dreams. To not let them get lost in the crowd, the craziness, and the confusion life throws at me.

that's us!

Sea air tickled my smiling cheeks as I thought about my dreams. Those big, crazy ones I'm chasing at all costs. The ones people don't understand. The one's God put in my heart long ago. And up there in the afternoon sky, I resolved to keep pursuing. To keep hoping. And to keep on dreaming.

What are you dreams, darling? The big, insane, unbelievable one you scratched down in your old diary at age 15 and "forgot" about? The one you haven't told a soul...the one God knows. The one you're scared to death to run after. The one you're too afraid to pursue, because - what if it doesn't come true? But friend....what if it does?

I remember the pastor who planted the church I grew up in. I never got to meet him because he died of cancer before my family started attending his church. But as a little girl, I heard much about him and one day, I found one of his sermon tapes in an old church storage room. Later that night, I put it into my little tape player (yeah it was a long time ago) and I heard him say this: "What are you dreams??? Keep your dreams, man."

Those short words impacted my life as a kid. And now, I ask you - what are your dreams? Keep your dreams. Chase those dreams. Sacrifice for those dreams. Risk for those dreams. It's worth it, love.