dream home, be mine

As dream homes go, I have to say that this one is a winner. It meets lots of my criteria: openness, lots of natural light, great views, not hemmed in by neighboring homes twenty feet away, and, well, who can beat a location like Stowe, Vermont! Stowe is awesome!

When I get reminded by the HGTV newsletter I enter the dream home giveaway sweepstakes twice a day, but since I DO forget on the days that I don't get the newsletter, I'm taking the prayer route for additional help. I want this house. And guess what. You can come visit whenever you want! Both Ken and I would love a space where people could come on retreat, and there's space for that. And we'll feed you! Both of us like to cook, so what could be better?

You don't have to come in the winter (though if you want to ski, I recommend it). Vermont is beautiful any time of year, and there's plenty to do if you want to play tourist. Or sit on the deck and read. Or walk and meditate. Or sit and meditate. Or cook. Or do whatever! I can so picture living in this house. So I'm dreaming, and hoping, and entering sweepstakes, and praying. You are more than welcome to join me.

friday five: dreams

At RevGals Sophia writes: With the beginning of a new calendar year many of us are engaging with dreams of another kind: planning, brainstorming, setting intentions or resolutions, etc… So let's take a few minutes on this (where I am at least) lovely snow-blanketed Friday morning and share about the many different dreams and visions in our lives.

1. Do you tend to daydream?
I wouldn’t call myself a daydreamer, but a possibility-generator (true for my Meyers-Briggs type!). I get ideas and inspiration for things that could be, and sometimes I even act on bringing those possibilities to fruition.

2. Do you usually remember your night dreams? Do you find them symbolic and meaningful or just quirky?
I remember my dreams fairly regularly (like last night, there were these weird snakes…), and if there is something in them that strikes me as significant I am generally able to recall enough of the dream to mull it over for a bit before losing it. My dreams fall into both camps: symbolic and quirky!

3. Have you ever had a life changing dream which you'll never forget?
I wouldn’t say that I’ve ever had a life-changing dream as much as dreams that offered epiphanies that led to changes within my life. Some of them I would describe as opening the eyes of my heart or mind. During one period in my life when I worked for a demon rector, dreams alerted me to the manipulative and cunning side of his personality. That understanding of him led me to a healthier perspective of myself in relation to the church in which I worked. Ultimately it gave me the strength to leave that position for my own well-being before having a call elsewhere.

4. Share a long term dream for one or more aspects of your life and work.
Sigh. I have concluded that I don’t really have dreams for my life. As noted above in #1 I delve more into possibilities than dreams. This might be because I tend to be my own worst enemy when it comes to achieving dreams (or goals). It’s not sabotage so much as a lack of certain skills. Or so I think. I could be very wrong.

5. Share a dream for 2010....How can we support you in prayer on both the short and long term dreams?
More a hope than a dream: our son is getting married in April, and he and his fiancée are struggling to pay for the wedding. It is my hope that we will, somehow, be able to help them financially to ease some of that burden. We have our own financial struggles that make this a challenge, but there are some things I could do to bring in some additional income. I'd also love to lose a bunch of weight by the time that event rolls around! ... Prayer support to help me tackle the fears getting in the way of me doing what I can do to generate more income would be helpful.

Bonus: I wrote this while coming to terms with the end of a relationship long ago.

Reflections on the Memory of a Dream

You were there
like a figure in the mist.
More than a shadow,
the shape was yours.
I felt your presence,
your breath.
I knew it was you.
On the edge of a dream you greeted me,
the warmth of your hand was my
anchor in the mystery that
never unfolded,
but enfolded the harmony of that moment.
Side by side
your shoulder leaned against mine.
"You know, don't you," you said.
"Yes," I said,
"I know."
We watched as a dove soared by,
sweeping to cut an arc
into the mist with its wing.
It disappeared from view,
leaving a flutter of vapor in the funnel
of its wake.
Even in absence there are signs of life.
Your turn to face me,
and I place my fingers against yours,
the pressure of your hands
a gentle tug against my heart.
I watch your fingers fold around mine
and you kiss my hands.
Slowly I step back, the space between us
widening even as the warmth lifts my soul.
I raise my arms and follow the dove into the mist.
You are there. Always there.