Dreams and Never Giving Up.

I had a dream the other night, November 9th to be exact.  It was beautiful and scary and inspirational all at once.  In my dream, I was watching a horrific storm from my window, the sky was dark and haunting, with chilling lightning strikes and rolling, angry thunder filling the atmosphere.  I couldn't take my eyes off of the storm, I was in awe.  I nudged my oldest sister and attempted to convince her to admire the beauty of what was occurring.  She was not interested, but I was captivated.  So much so, that I dared to walk outside into the eye of the storm.  There was so much water, everywhere, it was dark, the ground was no longer visible, flooding water up to my knees, yet somehow I couldn't resist the pull of the storm.  The thunder boomed around me, vibrating the unstable, wet earth under my feet, then as if I expected it, the last visible portion of a grassy hill in the distance erupted into the water and the whole earth was washed over and taken by the storm. 

I was not afraid.  I expected the storm to take over, full force all around me.  I was not afraid, I was in awe of the power and strength and pull of the atmosphere. 

Suddenly, the next instant, I was sitting on a beautiful beach, the sun warm and shining over me.  I felt at peace, tranquil, and so full of joy and happiness.  It was so perfect and beautiful and surreal.  I was alone, hair and clothes wet, but so full of peace.

After having this dream, it affected me so much so that I consulted my mother and sister.  I also shared this with my sister-in-law.  Everyone as well as I, agreed on the symbolism in my dream. 

Right now, I am facing a storm, head on.  I am not afraid of it, I am pulled towards it.  The struggles, the uncertaintly, the instability of what I am up against.  Yet I continue on.  I feel frightened at times, yet I also feel a peace, knowing that I was directed onto this path by God Almighty, who can move heaven and earth and all things in between.  The storm is so scary, yet I cast my cares to Him so that I can focus on this mission and path that He is leading me.  I know in my heart of hearts, that once this storm is over, well, it will be sunshine and joy.  For how long? I don't know.  But I aim to pass this test of faith with His strength carrying me through this difficult journey. 

I will never give up, I'm waiting for the sun to shine on me again.  I wait patiently, peacefully, knowingly.  It will come.

The need for purpose and meaning in life.

A dear friend of mine who is also a baker made a comment on facebook that brought some inspiration to me today.  She mentioned in her post how thankful she is to have meaning and purpose in her life. 

As a former pediatric nurse, I have always longed to help and nurture others.  My passion was to help the sick and less fortunate, and the greatest reward I earned in my career was seeing those children recover and regain strength.  Unfortunately, there were also times when I questioned how such tragedy could exist in those that are so innocent.  The senseless sufferring and loss of those that were so beautiful yet weakened by illness or injury, but so very loved.  It broke my heart, many, many times.  As a matter of fact, the reason I am no longer a nurse is because I didn't believe my heart could take any more of it.  It is such an emotionally exhaustive career, not just for nurses, but for all of those that work in the health care field.  I admire and praise those that have the strength to continue on in the field.  Their work is so under-appreciated, so if you have the opportunity, hug a nurse, or a doctor, or a medical assistant, or just a simple smile or a "thanks for what you do" to lift their spirits and help them to continue on. 

My move to the bakery scene here in Wichita, I believe was also inspired by my need to help and uplift others.  I love the fact that I can also touch lives in a positive way through my baking.  Whenever I bake a birthday cake, wedding cake, pastries, anything really, it brings me such joy.  I love the fact that I can be a part of such significant life events, such as marriage, anniversaries, first birthdays, 50th birthdays, and more.  I am so grateful for the talent God has blessed me with.  Trust me, I take no credit for my baking abilities, it is all God!  When a customer told me that my croissants made her cry because they are so good, or when a young mom told me that my dark chocolate espresso cupcake was better than se*(you know what word I mean;-)  I felt truly honored.  I baked a peach cobbler for a young lady for her husband's birthday and he emailed me telling me in such expressive words how amazing it was.  All of these build up to my firm belief that there is a great purpose and meaning to being a baker, and I cherish every second of it.

Until next time,
Angie