Completely Random

• I am so incredibly thankful for West Pines Community Church. I have never felt as challenged, as encouraged, or as healthy as I feel at WPCC. I have made some amazing friendships and have been able to get involved and serve in ways that complement my gifts and passions without feeling like I am under a microscope or not doing it the "right" way. I love their commitment to keeping the main thing the main thing and their unwavering belief that our job is to be obedient; God's job is to foster growth and results.
• I am horrified and saddened by the new Britney Spears' song, "If You Seek Amy." I wonder if she just sits around thinking of new ways to be shocking and disgusting - she's a mom of 2 young boys - it makes me sad that she is so wrapped up in herself and keeping her image "trendy" and shocking. It must be exhausting to keep that up all of the time.
• Speaking of music (if you can classify Britney Spears as music), I have found that people either LOVE or HATE the new Black Eyed Peas song. There's no in between.
  
• It is summer in South Florida which means that pretty soon we will be able to tell that it is 3 PM without looking at a clock. When the thunder and lightning are simultaneous and you can't see past the hood of your car because of the sheet of rain in front of you, it's 3 PM. (As long as I am not driving in it, I love it!!!!)
• My niece, Jordan, is the coolest girl in the whole world. She is graduating from K5 in 2 weeks and yes, I will definitely cry at her graduation.
• I have recently been asked to lead the Care Ministry Team at WPCC and I could not be more excited!! I have so many ideas for our 1st meeting on May 31st, some of which involve the church's upcoming missions trip to Guatemala...more to come later!!
• I am planning some BIG surprises for my hubby...more to come on that later, too!!!
• I love re-connecting with long lost friends on Facebook, but it seems like everything I know about my long lost friends AND even my close friends is stuff that I have found out on Facebook and not from actually speaking to any of my people. It's kinda sad and really has challenged me to spend less time on Facebook and more time WITH my friends and family.
• I just finished reading "Unlikely Angel" by Ashley Smith - the girl who was held hostage in her apartment just outside of Atlanta by an escaped prisoner and used "The Purpose Driven Life" to minister to him. Yes, I'm a little late - it happened a LONG time ago - but what an amazing story!! Check it out!!!
• Colossians 2:18-19 (MSG); "Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as He nourishes us."

Nightmare!!

I have very vivid and realistic dreams - so real that many times I will think that what happened in my dream is actually real and will go through an entire day believing what I dreamed to be true. I have also been known to talk, laugh, and even walk in my sleep. I once woke up at the top of the stairs in my townhouse - have no idea what I was doing or where I was going - I'm just glad I woke up when I did!!

Most of the time, I can explain why I had a dream about something - something that was said during the day or something that I saw - it's usually very logical. I have recurring dreams about being back at my old job (and wondering the ENTIRE time what in the world I am doing back there and trying so hard to get out and get away from the people there!), being back in college (usually something like I have a final for a class I forgot I signed up for), and having all of my teeth fall out (yeah, I have no idea where this one comes from).

As real and as "explain-able" as most of my dreams are, my nightmares are even more realistic, but usually not logical or rational. Most of the time, I wake up right before the really bad thing happens and I am able to go right back to sleep without any trouble. Unfortunately, the nightmare I had last night did not fall into this category...

I was dreaming that I was at a water park with some former students from student ministry (don't ask me why), and in my dream, I woke up and was in my room - so I thought I was really awake and had stopped dreaming. When I opened my eyes, there was a man standing over my bed (I am getting the creeps just typing this) and he was bent over and looking right into my face. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and threw myself over on John's side of the bed. By this time, I actually DID wake up, but didn't really have any distinction between waking up in the dream and waking up in real life. I was lying extremely close to John and couldn't move the lower part of my body. Poor John got up and was visibly shaken - apparently, everything EXCEPT for the man in my dream had been true and I scared the crap out of my poor husband (who not only had to get up at 5 AM to go and fly, but also sleeps with his gun close to the bed).

It took both of us a couple of hours to calm down enough to go back to sleep, and by the time we did, it was time to get up and go to the airport. Before we left, I asked John to check all of the rooms and closets just to be sure that it was a dream - and being the amazing hubby he is, he did just that!

I hate being scared (especially since I am alone so often) and I hate the feeling of something unknown having the power to control me and my emotions - and more importantly, having control over my sleep!!

So, are your dreams realistic or crazy?? Have you ever had an experience like mine??