Dream Big

It's 3am and my son just went back to sleep (he has a bad cold). I needed to cool down (not really emotionally but physically, it's hot as heck in here) so I got on to do a little blog hopping. On one of the blogs I looked at they were giving away a sign that says "Dream Big."

This is a phrase I have seen thrown around on motivational signs and posters all my life, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's a lovely sentiment. Catchy.

I think that until recently, however, I had a rather problematic misconception about what those words actually meant. I spent a lot of time thinking that in order to be "Big" my dreams needed to be conspicuous. You know? *Flashy*. They needed to be dreams of Academy Awards and Grammys and Miss America and Broadway and New York Times Bestsellers. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was that originally gave me this idea; it's been floating around in my brain for as long as I can remember.

Now let me be clear, for any of you out there that actually want the things I just listed, I am NOT knocking them as dreams in and of themselves. If that's what you want, you go for it and feel free to mention me in your acceptance speech. But my dreams are actually a little different than that and thinking they weren't good enough is the problem I'm learning to fix.

I enjoy acting and singing so I just assumed I should be shooting for the oscars, but somehow I find I get all the excitement I need out of singing the occasional solo in a church program. I still think that seeing my name on a New York Times Bestseller list would rock my socks off (the money wouldn't hurt either) but a couple days ago I got something like 150 pageviews in 24 hours on this blog and I felt about as fulfilled and happy as could be.

So do you want to know what some of my big dreams are?

Alexander learning to call me Mommy.

Raising kids who know that I love them. Who know that their father loves them. Who know that God loves them. 

Learning to bake cookies without a recipe (and without trashing the kitchen in the process).

Serving on a mission (or two) with Kevin one day.

Learning to keep my house clean.

I don't think that anyone here would claim that these are easy things to make happen (except maybe the baking thing for some of you who need to come over and share with me).

There are others and for me everyone of them is way "bigger" than winning any number of contests. You might not think that my laundry is important enough to equal winning a nobel peace prize but I would have to disagree. I've learned that the universe really does revolve around me. It revolves around every single one of God's children individually. Everything in the universe is working for the best for each one of us and there is power in every decision we make.

So there are my dreams. What are yours?