Soul Dreamer Journey
Visit the Main Dream in Soul Blog.
There was a span of time where I was experiencing aloneness, after most of my friends had graduated and moved away. In the quietness of that time I first felt frustrated and lost, wondering why there seemed to be no I could relate to. After seeking God I found that it was in these times when we are not being bombarded by the noisiness of the world that God speaks, really speaks to us and draws us into our destiny.
Prolonged total isolation is never a good idea, when you find there is no one in your close circle, find a way to serve others and reach out to someone who may also need a friend – we were made for fellowship and that’s where we grow and thrive. However, don’t be afraid to take time to get away from the bustle and distractions of life to embrace those times of fellowship with your Creator, He’s waiting to get your undivided attention…
– Julene
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou – Nothing that appears beautiful and successful was made over night…
You may not look the part, people may look and pass over you, and your past may “disqualify” you, but don’t disqualify yourself…
Recently I had an amazing time at Women of Faith’s ONE DAY event and wanted to share my experience and how it encouraged my heart…
The auditorium was a sea of excited and expectant expressions waiting to see what effect a single day could have on their lives. Soon the room was filled with waves of laughter and streams of tears – sometimes all at once – as Women of Faith’s ONE DAY event in Dallas made an impact.
Hundreds of women shared a bond and a deep sense of God’s love and dreams for their lives as speakers Christine Caine, Andy Andrews and Angie Smith, poured out their stories and faith-filled wisdom into open hearts.
This was the first year for ONE DAY events, created in response to women who couldn’t attend the two day Women of Faith Events. ONE DAY had a more intimate atmosphere that allowed the speakers to go deeper and the attendees to get more up close and personal and feel like they are part of a sisterhood that shares their faith and feelings about life.
I’ve been inspired by the ministry of Women of Faith for several years now, but never had chance to attend their live events, (other than last year’s event for teen girls, the Revolve Tour “Dream On” which was a fun and moving experience).
I was excited to go to ONE DAY, and what made it more personal for me was that it was held at Southern Methodist University where I went to college, in the very same auditorium I graduated in. Three years ago I sat in those seats and walked across that stage in apprehension, wondering what calling God had placed on my life, and on Saturday the encouragement from the ONE DAY speakers had an impact on me in ways I couldn’t imagine.
The theme of the event was “In ONE DAY God can change everything,” with Psalm 118:6 as the leading verse:
Each speaker had a unique style and broke the ice with humor before delving into more serious and somber parts of their stories, to inspire us to see God’s divine plan in our own lives. I loved their transparency of sharing the not-so-pretty parts of their backgrounds that can help others going through similar situations. Here are a few highlights of what they shared…
Look around you – everywhere we go we’ll come across people, so many that we’ll just walk by and pass over. There’s a dream and purpose in every one of their hearts, and one of the essential aspects of seeing your own dream come to fruition is caring for others and nurturing their purpose as well.
Treat everyone you meet with love and respect – everyone was born with equal worth and is “somebody” regardless of any apparent talents, status or success.
It’s one thing to be drawn to someone because of the flourishing destiny you see on his life – it’s another thing to see the seedling of potential in someone and to help him draw the destiny from his heart.
Be an early adopter and nurturer of someone else’s purpose, you’ll reap what you sow…
– Julene
Watch the video above for a poem I wrote recently to encourage anyone who may be weary in following their dreams. Those dreams were planted in your heart for a reason – don’t give up on your purpose…you’ll reap a harvest in due season.
This poem was inspired by my own journey throughout the years of experiencing visions yet sometimes getting discouraged when the dreams don’t always grow the way I imagined. Recently though I was inspired by the wisdom of mentors who encouraged me to nurture the deepest visions in my heart.
During a session of the Inner Circle Mentoring Mastermind (an enriching program I’ve experienced since 2011) with an amazing Reinvention Strategist Marshawn Evans she talked about the importance of dreams and said something that pulled on my heart strings:
When she said that something inside of me was sparked and I realized that without knowing it I had disqualified myself from certain dreams because they seemed too lofty and impractical, but these are exactly the type of dreams that God wants to fulfill in our lives.
She went on to talk about how dreams are designed too big so you can grow into them, and that you need faith and God in order to see them come to reality. In Marshawn Evans’ Reinvent ME LIVE series that began in January she continued to talk about how important it is to take action on your dreams, find mentors and move into a larger garden when you have outgrown the place you have been. Soon after that revitalizing session (which I would recommend to anyone who is looking to fulfill a dream) I was inspired to share what I learned and bring some of my own deeply buried dreams to life, and it came into form as this poem.
I have so much expectancy for 2012, and recently one of my dreams which I had abandoned years ago is beginning to come into fruition. Since I was a little girl I had always wanted to sing to inspire others through music and creative performances, but had always let fear and shyness eclipse that dream. I’m excited to say that after months of auditioning with an established music company, I was recently offered an Artist Development Agreement to create an inspirational music platform (which I will announce more in detail on the site later). It wasn’t easy leading up to this point but this example is proof to me that those deep, decaying dreams in your heart can indeed come to life if you put in the work to revive and sustain them.
– Julene Fleurmond, dreamfleur.com
Author, speaker and ministry leader Tony Snipes helps today’s gifted artisans answer questions about their purpose and creative calling through his initiatives Art Lessons From God and Kreative Kingdom.
Most everyone has asked these questions:
Artists in particular, from painters to musicians, may ask these questions regarding their gifts:
Tony Snipes, a gifted artist himself and founder of Kreative Kingdom, Inc. a non-profit faith-based art initiative, began asking these questions and created a resource to help other artists discover their creative purpose.
Tony’s project, Art Lessons from God delves into these questions of gifting and calling. The blog, workshops, books and other resources were created with the goal of helping artists and designers discover God’s purpose and plan for their artistic talent. Watch Tony introduce the site below:
Though the site is targeted toward visual artists it has much insight that could inspire artists of any type from writers and performers to musicians and filmmakers. Many of the topics explored can apply to a variety of arts, like “Anointed versus Talented: What’s the Difference?” to “Discovering a “God” idea vs a “Good” idea.”
Often in our society we acknowledge the “how” regarding talents of individuals but may not always consider the deeper questions involved with “why”. In this interview Tony Snipes discusses his background in the visual arts and gives advice to other artists in figuring out their “why” and God’s purpose for them:
Tony Snipes: Well prior to going into graphic design and illustration I have been drawing and painting all of my life but especially kind of training myself to draw and sketch from my comic books as a kid. So I did a lot of drawing back then, and am professionally trained as a graphic designer – graphic design and illustration…that’s pretty much my professional background with art…
Visit my website Dream in Soul (www.dreaminsoul.com) for more updates and inspiration, and check out the latest posts from the site below: