Kyrie Eleison

"Deliver me, Jesus—from the desire to be praised, honored, glorified, preferred, consulted, or approved. Deliver me, Jesus, from the fear of being humiliated, criticized, forgotten, ridiculed, maltreated, and from the fear of what others will think.

"O Jesus, give me the grace to desire that others would be loved
and esteemed ahead of me, that in the eyes of the world they would increase while I decrease, and praised while I pass by unnoticed,
that others would be preferred in all situations, that others would become more than myself—in order that I would be as holy as You want me to be."

—Charles de Foucauld

Thinking Big Thoughts

My family dreams. We have a rule that was instated out of necessity several years ago named the "After 8:30 Rule." This rule declares that all great thoughts must be discussed before 8:30 in the evening, or saved for the next day.

While editing pictures, I came across a series of images from last year, documenting a bit of life in my fabulous family. In our previous house, the refrigerator boasted a perfectly-sized white board, which was always covered with dry-erase scrawlings and scribbles.

I love the fact that the white board reflects such an eclectic collection of ideas and "to dos"—the next book idea, a sermon outline, curtain patterns, a shopping list, a money maker idea, a history lesson, yet another book idea and another big dream…

We don't have a big enough white board at our house in Bonham yet, but the dreams are still coming. Right along with grocery lists and phone messages and when exactly the next orthodontist appointment is, anyway. God has been restoring our souls to the point of dreaming again.

So what about you? What big dreams has God planted in your heart and given you a passion to perform for His glory? Keep dreaming! I, for one, will be joining you. As long as it's after 8:30.