While visions of "Kodachrome" danced in her head...

Sally from RevGals writes: "My house has been full of young people all week, young people who have just left school, young people with an eye on the future. Their laughter energy, and hope are infectious, so with that in mind- this Friday 5 is about hopes, visions and dreams..."

1. Think back to the time you left High School, what were your hopes visions and dreams for your life/ for the world?

OK - I confess - the first thing that came to mind was Paul Simon's song Kodachrome! Because I really did NOT think "in color" then, I thought in "black and white." Everything was much clearer and cleaner, and there was no concept of thinking and evaluating life carefully and critically... (no"grayscale of the mind" and no internet and definitely no blogs! But I did write pages and pages in a journal that no one ever EVER read!!!)

Having said all that... Truthfully? I just wanted to have fun, go to college and eventually get married. Never EVER dreamed I would be a pastor... I didn't know any women pastors. I didn't think women could "DO" that. (Remember, this was 30+ years ago...)

2. Have those hopes visions and dreams changed a lot, or are some of them still alive and kicking? (share one if you can)

Well, I made it through college; squeezed 4 years into 5. I had a degree "plan" but I don't think my heart was in it, even though I graduated with honors. I started teaching music and HATED it. There were few, if any, music education positions available at the time, and none of them were well-funded. And to be a music teacher in a sports-crazed hicktown in the middle of nowhere? And I thought I could build a kickbutt, classy and fantastic music program there? Yeah. Right. I lasted two years...

In the years since then...
I've been a music therapist, worked in health care in various settings (psychiatric, hospital, alzheimers, nursing homes), worked in health care administration, even worked at night as a medical transcriptionist... and eventually found my way back to God.

I then had a new dream - one of being a pastor... So, I started seminary classes and stopped going when I was told that "God does not call women to be pastors." (...and believed them??? geesh!) I've loved, served and cared for people in various denominational flavors of the Protestant world. Gotten married, have two wonderful kids. And always continued to love God and let my music flow for Him...

When I really started listening to God a few years back, I finally got that kick-in-the-pants I needed to go back to seminary after 25 years of thinking "oh, I must not REALLY have heard God..."

So yeah - the dream comes back... and here I am in seminary again. And loving it. (Well, not the papers part, but hey - I am human...)

3. Hebrews 11:1 " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. " Comforting, challenging or frustrating?

Complete comfort. Thank God that my plans and dreams are not big enough... that God's are better, more amazing and worth living for...

4. If resources were unlimited, and you had free reign to pursue a vision what would it be?

Ah... I dreamed a little already last week...

5. Finally with summer upon us- and not to make this too heavy- share your dream holiday....where, when and who with...

The beach, baby... always the beach... with my family, my friends... anyone who wants to come and sit at God's Feet with your toes in the surf...

SIGH...


But NOooooooooooo... first I must go parse Greek!

Deb