Lately, I've run smack into all the reasons why most people don't
pursue dreams or stop short of reaching them.  I keep slamming into the
wall of my insecurities, inabilities, and inexperience.

I'm staring at the ugly underbelly of my dream.

When you launch into your dream - you experience miraculous things
(see other posts) - but you also will experience things which really
stretch you.  Here's how I'm being stretched:

• I am facing my worst fears.
• I realize God still has a lot more breaking down of the "self" in me.
• I feel the pain of the large gap between what I can accomplish with human strength and what needs to be accomplished.
• My expectations of what living the dream are different than what I dreamed.

We've been lost several times, lost keys, locked keys in cars, had a
major section of bumper fall off a car, experienced equipment failure
and then back-up equipment failure, made a litany of logistical errors,
and realized that we really need 28 hours in the day.

I've seen the underbelly of this dream, but I've also been in the
crow's nest and gazed upon the possibilities and the potential of what
could be.  It seems as though God knows just how much crow's
nest experiences I need in order to keep persisting through the ugly
underbelly realities.

Here is the hope to cling to when staring at the ugly underbelly:

• You will learn how to do the practical aspects of bringing the dream to life.
• You will get better at doing what you don't do well.
• Your faith will grow as your trust God in the uncomfortable and difficult places.
• The crow's nest views are worth every difficulty you may face.
• God enjoys filling in the gaps and loves when His children join in His dream.
• God will redeem the sweat, tears, and blood being poured into the dream in beautiful ways.

"But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more."  Psalm 74:14