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.

Kim Burrell is a truly amazing Gospel singer whose music transcends genres. Her widespread influence resounds throughout the music industry, even outside of the gospel arena. According to a biography online:

“Burrell was featured in a half-hour MTV special “From The Church To The Charts” in conjunction with the gospel themed motion picture Fighting Temptations. Among those who count Burrell as an influence are such contemporaries as Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé Knowles, Faith Evans, Mariah Carey and more.There are many instances of established artists who laud Burrell:

• Chaka Khan deemed Kim Burrell “one of the most interesting voices I’ve heard in a long while.”
• After expressing an interest in gospel music, pop singer Nelly Furtado purchased Burrell’s Everlasting Life on recommendation from Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams.
• In a recent interview on XM Satellite Radio, Harry Connick, Jr. said of Burrell, “if she’s not the greatest musical mind I’ve ever been around, she’s certainly up at the top of the list.” Burrell appears on Connick, Jr.’s most recent album

I saw an interview with Kim Burrell on TBN a few months ago. (Her interview is three-fourths of the way into the video.) In the interview she talks about totally and uncompromisingly devoting her talent to God.

One of the things she said that inspired me was that God could have used anyone to minister His word to the world and that if she didn’t keep her heart close to God He would find someone else to do the job. She said candidly that it was His grace and anointing that made her successful today. The message I got from this is that it is not about us or how great our gifts are, but about bring glory to God, what God can do through us and why He gave us our gifts.

I read something similar on Tyler Perry’s website some time ago. In a message he wrote this March he said:

“Sometimes I feel so unworthy because God could have chosen anyone to do what He’s doing for me, but to know that He trusts me with it is a huge blessing. And to see that the people in the Bible that God used were flawed and ordinary people, except for Jesus–we all know that He was perfect. To see that and learn it helped me to become so much stronger

Watch the interviews below with Kim Burrell to get a closer glimpse at her beautiful spirit and touched by her captivating voice.

Today being Easter Sunday, I wanted to share this video that I came across. The song is “Above All, ” by Michael W. Smith, the video clips are from “The Passion of the Christ.” Click here to view.

“Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall and thought of me, above all.”
– Michael W. Smith (“Above All”)

Above is a photo I took of my family’s Nativity Scene. In all of the stress, hustle and bustle of shopping and planning, it’s so easy for me to forget whose birthday it really is. How peacefully and beautifully the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten came into the world. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all of the best in the New Year! God bless!

Here’s a story that shows how God can reveal His purposes in the unlikeliest of places…

When I was little, writing was my favorite thing in the world to do. From little illustrated poems and storybooks I made for my family and friends as gifts to the little magazine I started and sold in elementary school, I’ve always loved to write. It seems recently though that other things have been taking over my life. I’ve felt so drained and confused lately as to if these other interests were what I should be pursuing fully, and if there was something missing.

I got an email a few weeks ago from a teacher I met in the first grade, Mrs. O’Connor (actually she was my brother’s 5th grade teacher at the time). She’s such a wonderful woman, and always encouraged me to write, and even encouraged me to try to get my stories published, even though I was only about six years old. I wrote so many stories and poems for her, and she nurtured my dream of expressing myself in the written word. She eventually became a family friend and even took my brother and I to see a movie for the first time in our little lives (I remember it was Aladdin) and swimming for the very first time (I was a really sheltered child). Wow, she was really a blessing to us, as my family was having difficulties at the time. We lost contact with her about a year or two after we first met, because my family moved to another state. That was 15 years ago.

Last year, an old card had sparked this teacher in my memory and I thought it would be great if I could find her contact information so I could write to to her and see how she was. I never could find her address.

That same teacher was cleaning out her basement a few weeks ago and found one of the stories I wrote for her. She decided to try “Googling” my name and found some websites I had designed and websites I’d been mentioned in, and eventually found my company’s website. She sent me an email, and I nearly cried when I saw that it was her contacting me. It was amazing and we were both so excited to be able to “reunite” online. We exchanged photos, addresses, and stories; it seemed like such a miracle that she found me after 15 years.

Just a few days ago I got a package in the mail, and was from my teacher, Mrs. O’Connor. When I opened it I found the little book I wrote way back when I was six, and stopped to look at the cover: scrawled on the faded construction paper were the words “The Christmas Story, A Ryme.” As I stood there and read the poem that my little hand had penned, a feeling came over me. It was like a gentle nudge saying – here is what you’re missing, your love for writing and sharing.

After I took the book from the envelope I took out the card in which my teacher had written an encouraging message to me, as she always had done. On the cover of the card (below) was also an appropriate message: “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.”

God is so awesome, and works in strange ways. I will leave you with a snippet of the poem that 15 years ago was paraphrased from the Bible to remember the miracle of Jesus’ birth:

“There was a woman named Mary
Who on a night so dark and dreary
Received a message from God,
She received it in a dream and saw
A light shining in her eyes
Coming from the midnight skies
Then appeared what seemed like a ghost
Who was sent by God, a heavenly host
“Fear not!” soothed softly the angel
“I have good news of great joy to tell
You who in God have found favor
Will have a son and soon give labor
And with God’s love your heart be full
For with God, nothing is impossible.”

__________________________________
Thank you Mrs. O’Connor for sowing in me seeds of courage that have allowed me to bloom, and wings that have allowed me to soar torwards my dreams…

I love magazines and I’m so inspired by young people who start their own publications to share their vision. I can’t wait until the national distribution and release of IMAGE Magazine this January. IMAGE is an acronym that stands for Igniting the Millennium with A Generation Explosion. It was founded by Fatima Hall, who has published over 100 articles and columns for publications like The Miami Times, The Miami Herald, The New Times, and The Gospel Truth Publications.


IMAGE is a bold and colorful magazine for young people promoting spiritual enrichment while “redefining urban culture.” That is what sets it apart from so many other urban publications out there. In it you’ll also find the latest trends in music, fashion, and entertainment. Their covers have featured some of my favorite artists such as Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary and Canton Jones. Not only is the magazine inspiring, it also has funky, crisp creative layouts that make it visually stunning. You can find out more about the national release and how you can subscribe to Image here.