Dreams

My dreams are so weird sometimes. Sometimes they are a hodge-podge of different puzzle pieces from my day pasted together with silly putty, but other times, I KNOW they are some tidbit of information from God to me, if I'll just listen.
This morning at 4:55 I awoke from a dream I knew was interesting and odd, but totally a spiritual dream. It was an end of the world type dream, except it was an un-frightening one. It wasn't the type where you are running and helping, etc. It was in a house-setting,and there were a random variety of people from different seasons of my life. People were being lifted up and away, and my mom, Chris, and I stayed, with a bunch of others. At one point I looked out the window and saw that the trees were "clapping their hands" and I got really excited about that. Then the house lifted up on wings and flew into the sky towards heaven, and I said,"I finally get to see my Jesus." Right when the dream ended, I bolted awake, in a state of excitement for some reason. I attempted to share my feelings with my husband, who groggily said, "humphhh, that's great honey.."
I like dreams. Sometimes they make me feel like a opened one of those windows like in Beetlejuice, and there are strange creatures floating about on the nightscape, all creepy and otherworldly. Sometimes they are like a movie you are the star of, whether it's an adventure, a romance, a battle scene. But my favorites are when I know God has somehow picked up a sort of telephone and given me a direct message to encourage or boost me in my faith. I love that.

Being Led

Today Chris and I left the house in a blustering big hurry in order to get to a certain church on time. We left at around 9:55am, and the new church service starts at 10. We drove in the right direction, thinking we'd be only about 5 minutes late, and then we suddenly had second thoughts. We turned around and drove in the direction of another church we kinda wanted to try out, and the sign said IT started at 10 too, so we changed our minds again, and drove in the direction of the church we've been sampling for a few months now, and it felt so RIGHT. It was weird, we both felt it so clearly, that we were supposed to be there today, now. It was a relief, and the service was definitely the one we needed to be in. It was about the Holy Spirit, and Casey Parnell and Mike Summers led worship, and their hearts are both so precious towards the Lord that we were able to enter in to the presence of God, etc.
It was so good to know that even if we are heading in the opposite direction of where we're supposed to be going, God's heart is so concerned with His placement of us, that He'll turn us around and set our feet on the perfect path of His plan. Just one more reason I am in love with Jesus!
Just had to share that. I am joyful today.

The Weepies

Music

Chris and I have both always had a huge passion for music. We were both raised on a lot of different genres of musical talents, but Chris prefers old folk, country folk, Indie styles, mellow music, and classic rock. I enjoy almost every genre except country. I don't mind old country like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, but I despise the new country rock. I think it is annoying. My favorite artists include Beck, Iron & Wine, Coldplay, Bob Marley (his really old reggae is sooo amazing), and too many to name really. I used to be really drawn to darker music styles like Portishead, Moby, Bjork, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Fiona Apple, but it's hard for me to listen to now because I see the moods that music can put me into. It's quite the phenomenon how quickly and solidly music can transport you into different frames of mind.
When I listen to uplifting worship music like Hillsongs, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Kim Walker, John Mark McMullan, or Delirious, I become encompassed with feeling. My soul expands and my heart opens, and I am in a place where I can hear the Lord speaking to me pretty clearly. It just makes me more at peace, and happier. When I listen to The Weepies, Sufjan Stevens, Iron and Wine, or Coldplay, I am in touch with either my melancholy self, or the part of me that enjoys wordplay and depth of song, even if my soul is not necessarily always glorifying God. I enjoy music, and all types. I love to listen to Classical or Opera if I am painting or writing because it is a good backdrop for creative juices to flow.
If I am angry, for instance, I used to listen to Rage Against the Machine or Fiona Apple, but now I know, if I am angry, that's just going to make me MORE angry and despairing. I will put on something peaceful like one of the Bobs (Bob Dylan or Bob Marley) or worship music or Neil Young.
Chris and I love music, we love our different varying tastes in music because that just means we have more options in the house and car to choose from:)
Music is good.

Willie- Chris' first favorite musician

Bob Dylan....my husband's 2nd favorite musician

Book Corner

I thought I would dedicate this post to books I have recently read and enjoyed in the last few months.
First off, I have always been a big reader. It is one of my most favorite pastimes. I remember being very small and already a great lover of books. I would spend hours laying on my bed or sitting in a tree reading the Nancy Drew books, Ramona Cleary books, The Secret Garden, Deenie, and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I think one of my favorites back then was Just As Long As were Together by Judy Blume, and another, Ten Kids, No Pets by Ann M. Martin. The names of the ten children in that book inspired me to want to name my children interesting, rare names. I read those two books over and over and over again until I had them almost memorized.
I am almost 100% convinced that part of the reason my eyesight is so terrible today is because I would stay up until midnight reading by moonlight in my room as a child, or as I got older, I was the classic kid reading with a flashlight underneath my quilt until the wee hours of the morning! It was an obsession. I got lost in the stories, they transfixed me, swept me away into a different world where I was the character and lived another life.
I loved mysteries most when I was younger, I think. I read every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on, and those books where you can choose different endings appealed to me too. As I got a little older, I loved the V.C. Andrews books mainly because I knew I shouldn't be reading them, and then that turned into an entire misuse of my reading habits......but I'll talk about that another time.
Well, to begin, the latest books I've read include The Giver by Lois Lowry, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, and right now I am working through The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I attempted to read Bridget Jones' Diary, but had to return it to the library before I could get interested (not to mention the language was coarse). I have The Haunting of Hill House, also by Shirley Jackson, and plan to read it, but I am not sure why.
To Kill a Mockingbird was more interesting the first time around, when we read it as a 7th grade class in voices, but still I am glad I reread it recently.
I am spacing on the other books I have read in the last few months because my kids are fighting, as usual, which is why I stay up until midnight reading most nights, I simply cannot get through more than a page at a time with these kids yelling and pulling at me! So, my reading time is at night, with my crystal lamp half-shrouded by a silk scarf so my husband (who arises at 4 in the AM to slave away) can get some shut eye without my late night reading escapades diverting his efforts of rest.
Thanks for reading this lame post...it was meant to turn into a sort of review of books, but I am not able to do that at the moment due to scurrying small-folk:)
Good Day!