Hope.

This little guy speaks to me.  It's like the world around me shouts that there is NO HOPE.  NO JOY.  NO PEACE.  But....my heart, my mind, my soul keeps on thinking, "maybe, just maybe there is hope of greatness.  of excellence.  of beauty.  of wholeness.  of healing. just maybe."  I am certainly not naive.  I understand how difficult a path can be.  How difficult this path IS.  I know how it feels to be downtrodden.  Unheard.  Misunderstood.  Hurt.  Confused.  Troubled.  BUT the thing is that I also know what it feels like to be HEARD, LOVED, CHERISHED, BELIEVED IN, HOPED FOR, NOURISHED, SHELTERED.  And I believe that I can live my life in a way that I DWELL there.  I want to DWELL in HOPE.  I don't want it to be my occasional stopping place.  I want it to be my home base.  Without being naive.  I want to CHOOSE how my life looks.  What I focus on.  Who I spend time with.  What I do to support myself.  I want to HOPE for the amazing.  Like......writing. creating furniture.  making my artist friend known.  I want to support myself not by working out of fear but rather by living out my purpose, my passion, my heart, my soul.  No.  I'm not naive.  I will do what it takes to get to the place that I can do that.  Hard work.  I know that.  Very well.  Too well.  Painfully well.  But I am starting.  I am keeping my dreams before me.  And I am believing fully in the ONE who made me to complete me....including my hopes, dreams, and passions  Because....He didn't give them to me as a trick.  He gave them to me to set me on a path.  The path might open up to a NEW path.  And that's ok.  But....I've been on the highway too long.  Trying to keep up with all of the other "cars".  I need to slow down, find my little road and take the time to enjoy it.
grace to you.