About Katharine Barrett

Katharine Barrett is a writer, an author, an occasional speaker and a dreamer. She is on a journey with the God of the universe, discovering who she was created to be and what it means to walk living loved in everyday grace. Katharine makes her home in Ontario, Canada where she shares life and laughter with her husband and four children. She blogs at Katherine's Thoughts, always listening for His heart and never without a cup of good coffee in a great mug!

Step By Step To The Realization Of A Dream

July 31, 2017 By Katharine Barrett 6 Comments

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The beauty of technology is that it allows you to virtually be in a place you can’t physically get to. The other morning I sat in my living room and watched a wedding video sent from a friend across the ocean. It was beautiful, lots of lace and tulle! Most noteworthy was the flower girl, taking step by measured step, to prepare a pink petal path for the bride.

One look at that sweet face and you knew she was more than nervous. Her hands were clenched around the handle of a white straw basket filled with soft, pink rose petals. It almost looked like she was holding her breath, concentrating on the task. She kept her eyes on the groom who smiled encouragingly and she set off one step at a time. The congregation was smiling and silently cheering this little forerunner of the bride.

She measured her steps and at each pause she tossed a few of the petals onto the aisle clothe, creating a lovely pink path for the brides walk. Halfway down you could see her begin to relax a little bit. Glancing sideways she saw her dad giving her a big thumb’s up and her face broke into a smile. A few more metered steps and she was standing at the front visibly relieved, yet beaming ecstatically. She did it!

I turned off my computer and shed a few tears for the beauty of it all. And I couldn’t help but think the little flower girl’s journey is a wonderful picture of the road we often take to realizing a dream! I learned some things from that little wedding video, things God has been reminding me this week.

Breathe

The problem with breath-holding is it can be paralyzing. Eventually we pass out and miss the grand adventure ahead of us! It’s almost always fear that causes that sharp intake of breathe. The God of the universe reminds us His perfect love leaves no room for fear. Breath in the grace and mercy of the one who birthed your dream in the beginning, and breathe out praise and thanks for all He is going to do.

When fear makes us breathless, love helps us trust the One who says Fear Not!

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One step at a time.

Sometimes, it seems like God’s timing has stopped all the clocks. Overwhelm steps in and makes us want to run ahead! But one measured step at a time means eventually, we’re there. The thing about a journey to a dream is we never walk on our own. The God of the universe walks with us and His timing is perfect. When we keep looking to him, there is always love and encouragement.

Let go.

Carrying the full weight of a dream means there maybe things we’re carrying that need letting go. Petals of comparison, fear, envy, self-doubt, or self-pity can make for a heavy basket. Asking God to help you release them will leave room for His love, strength and comfort. In addition, those things you’re letting go of may help create a path of experience, inspiration and hope for other dreamers behind you!

Look around.

Finally, look around. This dream we have, the one that goes deep and refuses to leave, it can be consuming. Journeying towards it can mean we focus all our attention on putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, that focus can be isolating and often lets in lies that can halt a dream. The ones that say “I’m not good enough” or “Maybe this isn’t what I should be doing.” When we lift up our head, we see others around us, smiling and cheering us on. Dreams need community. Find the one, two or twenty that you trust with your heart and talk with them. Let them walk with you. They can help sift through the truth and lies, confirming what God has placed in your heart. Look around and you might just see a friend with a thumbs-up!

One day, there’ll be an end-of-the-aisle. The realization of a dream. You’ll probably shed a tear or two for the relief and beauty of it all, but most of all you’ll know the voice of our good God who says “You did it!”

Shared By: Katharine Barrett

An InLinkz Link-up

When Your Dream Needs A Community

March 15, 2017 By Katharine Barrett 5 Comments

It was back in the days before I had time to myself. Back when bottles, diapers, preschoolers and four kids in seven years took up all the free time, and then some. Our friends affectionately called them “the blurry years.” Late nights, early mornings and busy, lots of busy. Days of dishes and laundry. A uniform comprised of clothing that wouldn’t hold tight to spit up, finger paint and dirt. If you had looked in on our slightly chaotic world I would have been the first to tell you, this was my dream.Well, one of them at least.

I never did find a way to enjoy waking up in the middle of the night, but I loved sticky fingers, wet kisses and rocking to the rhythm of sweet baby breaths. Baby socks, stroller walks and teaching ABC’s, all of it was a dream come true for me. A gift. Along with the best husband on the planet, the six of us were a community. Our church had closed, and we were drifting in a lifeboat wondering if we would find somewhere to dock. Sometimes there were neighbors, family and friends, but mostly just us. We were living out our dream. Encouraging, crying, laughing, praying and lending a hand.

Because sometimes our dreams only need a community of a few who will stand with us.

Often in those years, sometimes late at night, the best husband would remind me of the other dream. The one that was bigger than I was. The one I was pretty sure would never come true. It’s the kind of dream that sits in your spirit and refuses to be silenced. You know the kind? It’s the beautiful dream that follows along while we’re busy doing life. In the space between our arguments of “can’t” and “not enough” the God of the universe whispers

“Yes you can, I am enough”

But, this dream was going to need all the help it could get. Besides the steady voice of my husband and the patient voice of the God who gifted the dream in the first place, it was quiet. Crickets. With only two voices in my corner and a whole lot of self-doubt, I was having trouble believing I could be a writer.

Because sometimes our dreams need a community of cheerleaders who will stand, pray and fight for us.

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I remember the day we set foot in that new church. Holding our little ones hands, we took a deep breath. Our small community was about to expand. The God of the universe was whispering “yes.” He was gifting us with a safe place to raise our children, a group of people who would become our friends. A company of people who would journey with us. He was asking us to dock our boat somewhere new and we trusted Him with our hesitations, hopes, and dreams. Because sometimes our dreams need a community of cheerleaders, who will stand with us, pray with us and fight for us.

There were cheerleaders in that place that are still part of my community. They stood with us, fought for us, loved us, and encouraged us to be who we were created to be. They offered hope, opportunity and editing! And I began to really write.

Because always, our dreams need a community big or small that can encourage, speak into our lives and teach us to do the same for others. The size and shape of the company around us has changed with the course of life and the call of our good God. Community looks different in various stages of life and that’s a good thing! In each one we listen, learn and continue to dream.

Because always, our dreams need a community big or small to encourage, & speak into our lives.

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I have more time to myself these days. It’s still often chaotic, and crazy. But if by chance you looked in on our world and my little yellow writing room, I’d be the first to tell you this is my dream come true. A gift from our good, creative God who says

“Yes you can, I am enough”

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Thess.5:11

Shared by: Katharine Barrett