Dreams Fulfilled
Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to become a wife and mother and have a large family. I loved the idea of a house filled with lots of children and tons of fun activities.
For most of my childhood I grew up in a single parent home along with my younger sister. Even though our home was filled with love and laughter and my mom did the best she could raising us, I longed for the stability of a two parent family unit.
My mom was my first hero. I looked up to her because she worked so hard to take care of us, struggled so much but still fully relied on and trusted the Lord.
When I was in sixth grade, my mom remarried and my family moved into a 3 bedroom house on a street called Wild Oak. It was awesome! I finally had my own room and more than that, the stability I desired for a long time.
It was then and there when I decided what I wanted to be when I grew up.
One day I was upstairs thinking about life. I asked myself questions like... What am I good at? What am I passionate about? What would I like to get paid for and do for a living?
Purpose Revealed
I'm not sure what prompted my young self to be so introspective. Perhaps our new journey as family of 4 inspired me. Or maybe seeing my mom struggle so much throughout the years made me want to learn how to overcome pitfalls at any early age. Whatever it was at that time, my answers soon became clear.
I came to be conclusion that performing and singing would be my career. I purposed in my heart to become professional recording artist.
You see I loved watching singers perform on TV. I was always inspired by various music award shows and really liked watching music videos.
In high school I also discovered I loved being on stage and the thrill of performing in front of a crowd. I was involved in school choirs and theater classes.
As the years went on I also learned how much I loved singing worship songs and writing. I was fortunate enough to be a part of several church worship teams throughout the years and immerse in ministry training.
In college I took vocal lessons and also had the honor of traveling with a performing arts ministry team called Kaleidoscope. That's where I met my future husband Dustin.
Fast forward 20+ years later... By the grace of God I have really realized two of my childhood dreams!
Honestly, though my dreams did not take shape exactly how I thought they would, the Lord knew exactly what I needed to go through to get to where I am today.
Now I've been married 14 years and a homeschooling mom of five. This month I'm releasing my debut CD entitled Always Hope.
It's been a long road but I'm grateful I have plenty more miles to cover, Lord willing. It's possible I could've given up on my dreams early on, but I'm glad I didn't. I'm grateful for all the support I've had along the way from family and friends.
These are the biggest learning lessons for me when it comes to pursuing dreams...
Hopes and dreams are only fully realized when you:
- Keep going.
- Never give up.
- Remember what God told you as a child.
- Learn to trust The Lord through the process.
- Understand that all the people you've met along the way are the true stars in your journey.