More God-Sized Dreaming

I think it took me so long to post about Whatever Camp Create because a part of me felt like maybe I didn't belong there.  The other women have amazing dreams and talents and I felt as if my dreams and talents were not on par with theirs.  I didn't have the words to describe it for a long time.  

Friends and family would ask me about it and I would say "it was fun", which it totally was.  

"It was life-changing", again it was but I wasn't exactly sure how life-changing it was yet.  

"It was amazing". Again completely true but I couldn't describe it beyond that.  I didn't know how to explain how leaving was incredibly hard because I wanted to stay in the safe confines of the Craft House where my dream was still just a dream and not something I had to breathe life into and make happen.  I didn't know how to tell them that on my 9 hour drive home, I prayed about my dream, my new friend's dreams and things that I had been avoiding praying about because reality is hard. How I blasted worship music really loud because I am rarely in my car alone and I could totally do it.  I didn't even really know how to tell them what my God-Sized Dream was.  

So I didn't.  

I came home, hugged and kissed my boys, and returned to life as it was before.  

I had purchased a copy of Holley's Book You are Made for a God-Sized Dream before I went to Camp Create.  We also received a copy of it while we were there.  I had decided that I was going to come home and send it a sweet friend with a note telling her to sign it and pass it along to the next person who she thought would benefit from it.

I sent it off to a friend who like me, was a stay at home mama and now her kids were in school full time and she was trying to decide what to do next while still staying in her mama first role.  She likes writing and has toyed with the idea of writing a book, so I thought maybe this would give her the courage and support to follow that dream.

We got together for coffee one morning shortly after she had started reading the book and she told me all about her God-Sized Dream.  And it was completely different than what I had pictured!

She was heading up a program at her children's elementary school to provide backpacks of food for kids who need it over weekends and school breaks.  It was so amazing to sit and listen to her tell me all about the people God had placed in her path to help with this project.  The help, the financial support, and the communities support.  Every detail was taken care of.  It gave me goosebumps to hear her story.  

In that moment, I decided that was the reason I was at Camp Create.  Not just to realize the path God has for me in this next season of life, but to walk beside and support new and old friends in their journeys as well. 

God is already there!

God-Sized Dreaming

Back in September I was blessed to attend a little major event called Whatever Camp Create.  It came at a time in my life when I was trying to decide my next steps.  I have been a stay at mama for nearly 11 years and next Fall my baby will head off to kindergarten, so that means it is time for me to decide what I want to do when I grow up.  I know that I didn't want to head back to teaching or hang out in an office all day.  I felt like God was calling me to use some of my creativity and love of vintage things to be my jumping off point.  

So I packed up and headed to Kansas.  Once again it didn't disappoint.  I was star struck because I am a dork.  Meg and Kimberlee, Stephanie Ackerman, Shannan Martin, Michelle Allen, and Holley Gerth were the hosts/encouragers/helpers for the week.  They are all so talented and taught us so much.

Holley did sessions with us based on her book You're Made for a God-Sized Dream.

We worked through the book and all the brave souls in the room went around and shared their own God-Sized Dreams.  There were tears and laughter and lots of bonding that happened.  I will never forget these 16 women ever.  I pray for them, encourage them, and support them in their dreams.  They are truly girls God placed in my life for such a time as this.  I would never had met them any other way and one lives 20 minutes from me (Hi Beth!).  His timing is perfect.

My God-Sized Dream is to eventually own a house to use as a crafting retreat.  But since that will happen in God's timing and not my own. Dine and Create was born out of the wait.  I welcome women into my house one night a month and my neighbor provides a delicious meal and I provide a craft.  The goal is for busy women to have a night to relax and enjoy a meal they didn't prepare, eat off dishes they don't have to wash, fellowship with other women, complete a project uninterrupted, and leave feeling fulfilled and inspired. 

We had two Dine and Create nights last year and they were success. We received lots of positive comments and felt like this was something that we needed to continue to do.  We are really looking forward to kicking of 2015 with our first one next week.  I am excited to see where God will take us this year and the people he will introduce into our lives.  

If you are local (Twin Cities, MN) and are interested in attending or learning more, please feel free to contact me.  I would love to share more!

Here are a few pictures from my time in Kansas.  Of course, Meg's blog has more (and better) ones.  I just so busy being star struck to take many!!

Michelle's amazing handiwork on the chalkboard

Bonding around the campfire Braverman Style

Kansas sunflower fields do not disappoint.  

The craft that pushed me out of my crafting comfort zone. 

First we carved the stamp, then we stamped on fabric and made

these cute ornaments.