dreams — Blog — Finding Something REAL

Becoming A Mommy

You know how some people are just born with the gift of nurturing and loving little kids?

I remember that trait in my first, real, best friend, Amy. Even at five or six years old, she seemed to gravitate towards the babies in the church nursery every Sunday.

But me? I didn’t like the nursery. It always smelled weird. Like a musty combination of dirty diapers, saltine crackers and juice. And the babies and toddlers? They were okay. But most of them smelled too. And they were usually sticky, smelly, or crying. No thank you.

Janell WoodMay 15, 2019parenthood, dreams, reality, anxiety, love, surrenderComment

Dreams Coming True

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

I’m feeling overwhelmed this morning. But it’s not what you might think.

Normally, when I feel overwhelmed it’s because I’ve lost some perspective. I have a to-do list a mile long and an overwhelming sense of angst over all that I must accomplish.

Janell WoodMarch 6, 2019dreams, surrender, letting go, jesus, waitingComment

How to have a Valentines Day Full of Love (5 Don'ts & 5 Do's)

Oh boy.

Here we go.

It’s Valentines Day…

I know Valentines Day is supposed to be about love but… Sometimes it becomes more about dashed dreams and comparison. And it’s true what they say: Comparison is the thief of joy.

Janell WoodFebruary 14, 2019dreams, love, disappointment, comparison, reality, gratitude, joyComment

Life Goals: Loving Well & Talking about My Favorite Person

Do you ever just want your life to have significance or purpose?

Me too.

I have heard the desire for meaning is a universal human desire and we all crave it.

Yesterday afternoon, the front door unexpectedly opened and in walked our…

Janell WoodFebruary 7, 2019surrender, love god, love people, anxiety, purpose, signficance, flying, meaningful life, dreamsComment

A Million Dreams of the World He’s Gonna Make

Have you ever deeply longed for something? The dictionary suggests some synonyms for longing: “thirst, hunger, ache…”

We can romanticize those words all we want. But being thirsty, hungry, or having a perpetual ache are rarely fun experiences.

And what are we hungry or thirsty or aching for?

Janell WoodJanuary 9, 2019dreams, new york, joy, surrender, god, glorify godComment

Thoughts on How to Live an Extraordinary Life

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

~James 4:10

I was nineteen. My friend and I were hanging out in my dorm room…

Janell WoodDecember 13, 2018platform, humility, extraordinary, ordinary, dreams, college, love god, insecurity, enoughComment

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Poison That Destroys It AND A Powerful Antidote)

“The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are theoretically my favorite weeks of the year.

I replay images in my head of Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas,” evenings strolling in the crunchy snow with steaming hot chocolates and my handsome man, candlelit churches filled with the off-key joy-filled voices of precious rosy-cheeked children, the mouth-watering goodness of peppermint mochas and powdered sugar snowball cookies…

Aww… I love all the things.”

Janell WoodNovember 28, 2018Christmas, dreams, comparison, reality, gratitude, joyfull, true storyComment

Five Strategies for Getting Over Your Hallmark Movie Expectations This Thanksgiving (AKA How to Avoid Having a Total Meltdown)

Maybe you belong to one of those precious families whose family Thanksgiving dinners have the quiet picturesque feel of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Or maybe, like me, your November holidays tend to have more in common with a Dr. Phil special.

Janell WoodNovember 21, 2018thanksgiving, holidays, family, forgiveness, grace, encouragement, gratitude, hallmark, dreams, reality, expectations, strategies, meltdownComment

Freight Trains & Thorny Expectations

I am writing a book.

I told myself I would have a rough draft ready by December 15th.

It’s a self-imposed ending point. It’s totally subjective. It has nothing to do with any external deadline or outside pressure.

Janell WoodOctober 16, 2018dreams, journey, walking, practical advice, note to self, book, truth, jesus Comments

Getting Up & Stepping Out

This past weekend, I went to Cannon Beach. I love being there. There’s something special about the fresh ocean air, the rhythm of the waves hitting the sand, the seagulls talking to one another, the pillar of Haystack Rock and the stillness of the morning…

Janell WoodOctober 10, 2018welcome, cannon beach, faith, dreams, insecurity, race, ocean, light, trust, obey Comments

A Dream & Reality Collision

“I paid $20 to go volunteer in Caleb’s classroom today. I sit with a glue stick and construction paper and wonder how this happened to my life.” - Thoughts after paying a babysitter for a couple hours in my son’s Kindergarten classroom.

Janell WoodOctober 5, 2018dreams, reality, love god, trustComment

A Change of Heart AKA On Letting Go of Some Dreams for Better Ones

When Brian and I first got married, we made a list of things we would do after we had a family. We dreamed about the home we would create, the values we would instill in our children, about travels and memories we would make. We wrote them all down and put that piece of paper away. But every now and then, when I’m cleaning or daydreaming, I’ll come across that piece of paper and compare the life I’m living with what’s on the list.

Janell WoodSeptember 14, 2018dreams, brian, wedding, photography, glorify godComment