The Dare Dreamer Movement by Julene Fleurmond

Creativity That Lifts the Spirit – Visit Dreamfleur’s site Dream in Soul for more soul inspiration: http://dreaminsoul.com/blog.

Have you ever uncovered a dream you’ve had since you were a kid and realized it was still alive? Often the passions you had, what you’re afraid to do and the pain you endured are purpose pointers of how God wants you to bring hope to others… weed out fear and dare to unbury and nurture those dormant dreams today…

“On the Outside” is the first song I attempted to write as a teen girl more than 12 years ago about struggling with years of loneliness, shyness, insecurity and the fear of being myself. I was too afraid to pursue my dream of singing for fear of not measuring up and being rejected. This year I’m going to finish this song for the girl I was and other girls like me to tell them that they have great purpose and about what set me free. Here’s a raw songwriting sneak peek…

“You’re in the delivery room not the tomb.” I was looking through an old journal today and came across this phrase that I wrote down back in 2011 after watching in interview on TV. It was the first time I heard Pastor Touré Roberts from One Church International speak and what he said struck my heart with a match of hope and a spark of God’s light in a dark period of my life then, and it encouraged me again today when I read it.

Ever since I saw this interview I’ve been continually ministered to from afar by the messages out of One Church International in LA, a church that I was drawn to because of the focus on enriching those in the fields of arts and entertainment, and that a few of my friends attend in Los Angeles. (Click here to read the feature I did on One Church and more of their powerful messages on my other site Dream in Soul).

I searched online today and found the interview that I watched that day and wanted to share it with you because I feel like someone else needs to hear it. If you’re going through an uncomfortable even awkward time of transition know that your story is not over. As Pastor Touré says in the interview below, it gets hardest and the most painful right before you give birth:

“The moments right before the breakthrough, the moments right before the birthing takes place are the most difficult moments… if you would hold on, if you would stay focused and continue to believe in God [He] is going to give you that strength to give that last final push and that baby’s going to be birthed.”

Keep pushing the dream that’s in your womb and you will see the promise that only could have been conceived by One greater than you.

“‘Shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery?’ says the Lord. ‘Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?’ says your God” Isaiah 66:9

Watch the Interview with Pastor Touré Roberts from 1:04:00 to about 1:20:00 (The rest of the video is impact-full as well, as one of the other speakers Pastor Obed Martinez also speaks on the wilderness process and how it is vital to discovering the character of God – it’s power-packed stuff!)

Below is one of the latest messages from One Church International (click here for the message archives) that spoke to my heart, a powerful word about resolving the unresolved things in your life that may be delaying the birth of your promise:

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.” – Maya Angelou

Imagine being stuck in a constricting cage – then realizing that you have placed those bars of boundary around yourself. People pleasing & fear of how others perceive me are two snares I have found release from in this season (sometimes in painful and uncomfortable ways) – but it’s amazing how much freedom there is in seeking to please One…

My struggle with anxiety and insecurity started when I was a shy little girl caged in fear that grew as I did. Not knowing where my identity truly originates from I tried to place it anywhere or in anyone elses’ affirmation other than the one that matters most.

Being bound to the opinions and expectations of others is like a disease that squeezes the life out of your heart and keeps you from being free – the real you that God created. …Rejection and isolation hurt but sometimes He uses just that to break the chains of anxiety and imprisonment that held you, and shakes the places where you placed your identity so you can have a firm foundation in Him.

Approval addiction may go undetected when we long to belong & be accepted, but the condition’s only cure is affirmation from the Creator of the Universe. There is no greater way of being known and loved then having true ‪‎validation from above‬. Look to Him to know who you truly are…

“God plants dreams in your heart and in your soul for a reason…” – t.Jay

Growing up, t.Jay (TJ Pompeo) had a devastating experience that could’ve permanently skewed his spiritual vision. Thankfully, through a myriad of circumstances he realized that the only way to truly see clearly was to keep his eyes focused on the Cross and to give his life and dreams to the One who set him free…

Editor’s Music Pick: Below take a listen to t.Jay’s song “Tomorrow” (ft. Corbett) about waiting on God’s timing for your life and dreams. It’s one of my personal faves from t.Jay’s album The Pre View that you can download here for free.

At age 15, t.Jay embraced his passion for music and started stepping into the rhythm and purpose God placed in his heart by producing and writing songs. As he matured and honed his craft doors started to open for him to share his music on a wider scale. During the summer of 2011, he was discipled by Cross Movement Records group Level 3:16 and embarked on a tour around the nation. Since then, t.Jay has traveled the world, touring in England, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Uruguay, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and many more, and he’s had the privilege of sharing stages with many incredible artists like Da T.R.U.T.H. (check out a video of them performing together below).

t.Jay joins in on Da T.R.U.T.H’s song “Hunger Games” at the Impact12 Conference:

I first came across t.Jay’s music through the Impact Movement (an amazing organization we’ve been supporting for the past few years on Dream in Soul) and we’ve previously posted t.Jay’s song with Level 3:16, LOVE. The fresh vibe he brings (he describes as a mixture of hip hop pop, soul and R&B that can’t be put in a box) and sound messages in his music will impact people of all ages. In this candid interview t.Jay tells us about his journey, overcoming a tough experience in his childhood and how he’s learned to trust God with his life and dreams. Here’s just a preview into what makes his heart – and music – beat…

Dream in Soul: We know you do music, but music isn’t who you are- so let’s start off with who is t.Jay? How would you introduce yourself to us, where are you from, what moves you, etc.?

t.Jay: Right, so like you said, “t.Jay” is my artist name and that’s what fans know me by. Everybody who’s known me for a while just calls me TEEJ. TJ is my real name, and it IS short for something, but you’ll only know what the “T” stands for if you’re friends with me on Facebook. =D I’m 22 years young. I’ve got roots in Long Island, NY, but I was raised in the small city of Harrisonburg, VA. I’m all about family, and the one that I have is absolutely amazing. They’ve all been so key in getting me to where I am as a young man and as an artist. I’m also big on family because I’m very Italian. It’s just who we are. One big happy (and loud) family. Along with my family, my friends and my mentors are equally as incredible. They’ve without a doubt been my motivation through life, music and all. They encourage me consistently, and I’m so grateful for them. What else??? Hmmm. I love cheese sticks, having slap-boxing fights with my friends, and collecting rainbow colored gumballs (JUST kidding… Kind of). My favorite show is the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Denzel is by far my favorite actor. One of my goals in life is to visit all 7 continents. Oh, and I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. Sorry fellas.

Dream in Soul: Can you give some background about your story and how you came to know Christ, how you got started in making music then transitioned to dedicating it to God? Did you start out writing music & producing on your own or were there people instrumental in mentoring you? (Can you also share the significance of the way you write your artist name?).

That’s a long one, but I’ll try to not write a novel. As far as my artist name goes, like you said, there is a story behind the way I’ve decided to spell it. When you think of a capitalized letter, it typically symbolizes something of importance, or something that has significance. Someone’s name, celebrities, the name of a city or state, a type of car, a notable product brand, etc. I decided to make the “t” in my artist name lowercase and the “J” uppercase because I wanted it to symbolize that I have no significance without Jesus. TJ is nothing without Jesus. The “J” in my artist name represents Jesus Christ in me. It’s the only letter capitalized in my artist name because of what I stated above… His name is and always will be more significant than ANY other name to ever exist. My own obviously included. To put it simply… I suck without Jesus.

My story has a very common beginning though. I grew up in church, but never fully understood the concept of actually “walking with” or “following” Christ until I was 18. My life prior to 18 was full of bitterness and anger towards God, mainly due to things that occurred in my upbringing as a little boy.

When I was 8 years old, I was sexually molested by someone who I knew very well. It was absolutely devastating… That event would prove to shape who I would be for the next 10 years of my life. From the ages of 8-13, every single day was a Christian version of Halloween for me. I would wear the mask of Christianity on the exterior to appear like a “good kid,” but on the interior I was angry and I could have cared less about God or Jesus. When I was 14, I decided that I was sick of wearing the mask.. I wanted to live “my” life the way I wanted to live it and ultimately do what I wanted to do. This is also the age where I started experimenting with the typical peer pressures: Party scene, alcohol, drugs, chasing girls, etc. At this time, I also noticed that I really enjoyed the musical genres of Hip-Hop and R&B. All of my family was/is musically inclined (my dad, all three of my older siblings, and all six of my older cousins). They all played a significant role in getting me started with writing music…

There could be that one decision that changes our life and makes us realize the importance of trusting our Father’s Dream for us…

Here’s a special Dream in Soul Creative Project, part of the I Am Second Spoken Word Challenge – maybe you can relate to my story of finding my true Identity, watch the video below: