the bliss of day dreaming without the reality of the $

I remember as a little girl day dreaming of the day when I would get married and how it would be picture perfect. Every little detail would be in place. Everything would be elegant and exquisite. And after the wedding we'd go on a romantic honeymoon for a bazillion years and stay in the most fabulous, expensive room. And when we came home from our bazillion year honeymoon we'd be completely settled in our beautiful home with gorgeous furnishings in a nice little, well developed community. Little did I know that my $2 allowance would not be quite enough to make these dreams reality.

Now that I'm twentysomething and planning a wedding as well as look for a place of residence once I'm no longer a Dempsey and able to live in my parents home with meals ready and waiting for me when I arrive home from work, I'm realizing that nickels and dimes add up and it always seems that I never have quite enough.

Oh, how much I would like to be 8 years old again just day dreaming of today, rather then living it.

Thought, I must admit, I am more well off then I let on. I do have a very stable job, as does my incredibly handsome fiance (haha and being "incredibly handsome" helps that much more in being "well off."), and we are continually finding ourselves hugely blessed. Still I must keep in mind that we are only twentysomething, and the gorgeous houses that we have grown up in, filled with gorgeous things, took years for our parents to acquire.

One day I will arrive (God willing) and although I'm fairly positive my financial worries will never completely disappear, maybe one day the daydreaming (at least of the house) will in fact be a reality.

the easiest way.

Part of my job is to make leaders schedules for all of the pre-school programs at my church.

I love it!
I get to meet the greatest people ever who have the same heart for children as I do! It's just a honor to work with men and women who desire to see children come into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

I hate it!
Sometimes I feel like I've exhausted all me resources. There's conferences and special events on top of weekends and sometimes its SO hard to get people involved.

BUT it's amazing when I FINALLY (and more often then not it takes way too long for me to) just leave it in God's hands, instead of phoning and phoning and phoning (YET AGAIN...the SAME PEOPLE) to see if they'd like to help...how quickly people that I would have never thought to ask come to ME to ask me if they can help. (Make sense...probably not).

God is truly amazing.
And He always blows me away when I let Him take total control.
I love Him.
And I love that I can trust Him.

family = community

So there's been discussion on the importance of community quite a bit lately. Whether it's been around the table at dinner concerning community within the volleyball team, or at school, or college, or church. There's also been numerous blogs wrote and read on the importance of building community. And recently there's been huge emphasis at my workplace put on community. And basically it all boils down to family (in my opinion at least).

At work we've gone through quite a few changes over the past few months. The boat as been rocked a bit. But through it all, it's basically made all the employees a tighter family, which in turn has built community. But not only at work...we're seeing it expand to church, and ultimately the nation through different ways we have influence. And it's this community that gives us the support and strength to get through the challenges. And it's this strong sense of family and community which increases our influence and impact on those around us.

I answered phones last week in a prayer center and you would not believe that amount of calls we received asking for prayer for family. For reconciliation, for strengthened relationships.

This week this group called Mom2Mom started up. It's all about building community to encourage and equip moms to do a great job!

Basically it's all boiling down to building community. Authentic relationships. Strengthening family.

I'd say its the mandate for Christians. To create a safe place, a community, where ANYONE can come and feel apart of the family.

In my mind family = community.

Let me tell you, something is definitely happening bigger then I could ever imagine, and it's beginning with the family, with community, with people building strong, real relationships.

I love it. And I want to be apart of this movement towards community.

What is normal and will I ever get there?

Is there really such thing as normal? What is it?

At the moment it feels like my life is upside down.

Wait a minute I've had this feeling ever since January.

Maybe what I'm in the midst of right now is in fact normal. Maybe this is actually the way things are supposed to be. Am I supposed to be used to disappointment and grief and conflict and being tired!?!

It feels like traumatic event, after traumatic event keeps happening in my life; that there is no smooth sailing. Yet, I know that it could always be worse.

And at the same time...there are those moments of complete joy when the sun seems to poke through the rain clouds.

The crazy thing is that I'm one to be optimistic, who sees the cup as half full. And it is half full...right?

I'm getting used to this craziness. But not too used to it, b/c I doubt that the surprizes thrown at me will ever be comfortable.

The greatest part of it all as that through whatever happens God continually shows His faithfulness. And although my life hasn't been as traumatic as Paul's I feel as though his words in 2 Corinthians can be said of my life now too:
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the most gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

So, I suppose life is actually really good
and possibly
even

normal.

I'm pretty sure that...

it all comes down to where your focus is.

In 2 Samuel 11 it talks about David and Bathsheba. The first verse of this chapter says: "In the spring, the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem." (NIV)

Now sure, David is the king, and typically kings can do whatever they like, BUT it was spring "the time when kings go off to war."

I'm just speculating here, but I think that this was the point where David lost focus. This is where he took his eyes off of what God had called him to do and decided to be more concerned with what was most comfortable and enjoyable for himself. And this is where he screwed up massively and basically David's rule is all downhill from here.

It's funny though, in my personal life, when I take my eyes off of what God has called me to do and begin focusing on myself, that's when everything goes downhill.

Matthew 6:33 says: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." [sidenote: this is in red letters = spoken by Jesus = absolute truth]

Therefore I've come to the conclusion that as long as I'm focused on my King and what I believe He's asking me to do I'll be alright.

It's all about your focus.

What are you focused on?