Dream a Little Dream, Pray a Big Prayer

I'm an orderly sort of person; you know this. I like to make my way through calendar events with much precision and not jump ahead too much.

But this week, I found myself itching to think ahead to 2017. I think it's because with the exception of a couple of gift cards, our shopping has been done for a while, all the gifts are wrapped and waiting to be delivered, the cards have been mailed, and baking day isn't scheduled until later this week. I was sort of stuck in that middle place of getting to enjoy the beauty of the season while awaiting the official arrival of get-togethers.

So what's a girl to do, except plan for a year to come? So while the Christmas princesses searched for princes on the movie marathons on-screen, I sat down with my beloved {custom...did I mention I make it myself?} day planner and got busy on next year.

I made cover pages and meal planning pages, prayer request pages and Scripture writing plans. I arranged the weekly schedule pages for the month of January and started filling in {color-coded, of course} the plans we've already begun to make for a year we haven't begun to see.

It. Was. The. Happiest. Place. To. Be.

Planners and colored pens and dreams are among the finest ways to spend a day, I think.

I've also been reading a book on prayer this week, and the author keeps asking me what I'm too afraid to pray for. At first I scoffed. Too afraid to pray? HA! It's God! He's seen me at my absolute worst. I'm not afraid to pray for anything. The worst He can say is no. I know that. I've experienced that. Why in the world would I be afraid to pray for anything?

But in the interest of respect to the author who worked hard on her book, I paused to consider what I might be afraid to pray for.

Turns out, she has a point.

Turns out I'm not afraid to pray for anything when it comes to the needs of my day or the burdens of my friends and family. I'll ask for anything and everything for those I love.

But when it comes to putting prayers to these baby dreams that flutter in my heart? No thank you. I'll just keep them tiny and fluttering. Because to utter them is to risk losing them. Or to risk getting them. And sometimes I'm not sure which one is more scary.

Looking ahead to next year is more than filling in blanks of Ryan's work schedule or when we're hosting Tuesdays at the Table and who we might invite. Looking ahead to next year is daring to dream about the kind of ministry God might have for us and how that might change our lives. Looking ahead to next year is daring to admit out loud in even a whispered prayer, that I actually do have dreams for things I'd love to see happen, and waiting to see how {or if} they align with God's dreams for me, for us.

Looking ahead to next year means praying for the courage to try new things, risking what matters to the soul, and trusting God with the outcome.

A lot can happen in one year. I think I've seen that every single year for the last six years. Sometimes your December life looks nothing like your previous January life. {For better or worse, but when God is at work, somehow even the worse is used for better.}

So I know your next few days will be filled with madness of last minute rush, parties, exchanges, hurry, and more. But as the celebrations begin to dwindle and you reassemble your house and schedule to a bit of normalcy, dream a little dream. Dream of what could be if you'd dare to have the courage to allow it. And pray BIG prayers. Prayers unfettered by fear. See what God does with them.

And for Pete's sake, get yourself a planner. Or make one. And then get to filling it out. May it bring much joy to your soul as it does to mine.

Linking up with Tamar!

Dear 2016

** Originally I planned to share this blog post next week, as a 2016 wrap up, but who am I kidding? I'll have 239482983749238740 Christmas celebrations to share with you next week! So let's just move this little bit of reminiscent fun up to today and unwrap gifts together next week, mmmmmkay? ** 

Dear 2016:

Well, you were just a year of dreams coming true, weren't you?

We welcomed you with much celebration, in the home of friends that we had no idea would move far away from us within a year's time:

And less than one month had passed before we walked through a house - "just for funsies" - and ended up falling madly and hopelessly in love with that little house and the hope of what could be if it - gulp - could be ours! The journey that followed was a hang-onto-your-hat rush of faith building that we are grateful for in so many ways.

And while all that was happening, you kept rushing on, 2016. We spent time together, enjoying things like surprise dates:

...and hosting friends in our home - all the while knowing our time in that home was probably about to come to an end:

The faith journey kicked into high gear, with much sorting and purging and packing and stacking and planning:

And before we knew what was happening, 2016,you brought along a HUGE dream. come. true.

A new home - all ours. And even though it was "move in ready," you know we're the Shaffers, and we can't go without a couple of projects:

And so the renovations and the moving went, eating up far more weeks out of the year than we planned, and accomplished only because of the village of friends who pitched in to help. But even all the work was a dream come true, because we were taking a house and making it our very own.

And 2016, you brought another huge dream come true/answer to prayer, too:

We are so thrilled for the new owner and the legacy our first home is already carrying on. Moving out was hard, but easy at the same time, because we knew this place would be so loved.

2016, you brought the joy of settling into our new home and making it ours, and rarely a day passes {TRULY!!} that we don't express out loud our love for our home and the opportunities we have in this new place.

You also brought the opportunity to leave home a few times and see new places and enjoy some much needed rest and friend/family time!

You brought along the chance for us to minister in our own ways, together and separately {and OH how much we love the together part}.

2016, in you we realized the dream of hosting friends and fun in our home!

And you brought the joy of celebrating newness and milestones all over:

Oh 2016, you still have a little over a week left, and we intend to fully embrace every last minute of you, but we are grateful for all we've lived in you so far. Cannot wait to see what adventures await in 2017!!