xoxo, a daydreamer

Dreaming while I’m asleep, I almost never do. Ok, well, scientifically, I do dream, but I don’t ever remember my dreams. I wake up and *poof* it’s like they never happened at all.

Daydreaming, however, I do. And most of those daydreams are about my hopes and goals for the future. I started my first “dream journal” in 11th grade when I turned 16 years old. My first entry in it is about dancing. It was a cute Target find. Here’s what the cover looks like:

And its contents are quite dramatic. I noted everything from dreams that made me squeal with excitement to dreams that felt like rocks in the pit of my stomach–too suffocated by pessimism, to shine as bright as they’re meant to. 

When I filled the last page of this journal in January 2025, I flipped back through its contents to see how much variety there was in my dreams from the past seven years. And well, folks, not a lot. 😂 A good mmmm I’d say 75% of those journal entries are about my dream of falling in love and marrying a man of God. Of the rest, about 20% are dance-related dreams, and that last 5% is a mix of dreams about my desire to travel, live in Hawaii, and a few others. 

Which made me realize, my dreams haven’t changed too much since I was little. My two biggest dreams are to fall in love with a man of God and have a career as a professional dancer. And while I’ve made significant progress on the latter, there hasn’t been even 1% of progress on the former. 

I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed for these dreams. I’ve gone through seasons when the thought of witnessing these dreams turn to reality was on my mind hourly. I’ve obsessed over them, shoved them down, held them tight, and let them go. I’ve spent years searching for the in between–a place where my hope and contentment can exist at the same time. 

I have other dreams, yes, but they don’t hold the same weight as these two. There seems to be a difference between dreams that feel rooted in who God created me to be and dreams that are more like wishful desires, just things I’d really like to do. 

But regardless of the type of dream, whether it feels like our God-given calling or a bucket list wish, they are important parts of who we are. Dreaming is the expression of our personalities, the outward portrayal of our heart's design. I think in a lot of ways, our heart’s health can be measured by our ability to dream. Guarded hearts that fear the future struggle to see the joy in hoping for something unseen. 

Which, granted, makes sense. Like a lot of things in our lives, dreaming has its risks. Sometimes we set ourselves up to be disappointed or let down. And the reality of a dream dying hurts quite a lot. But I firmly believe the risk is always worth it. Because there is absolutely nothing like the feeling of living out a dream.  The indescribable joy is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced.

Dreams keep us going. They give us purpose and allow God to be glorified through our skills, gifts, and abilities. 

I want to acknowledge that some of us might have a hard time with dreams. If you struggle with dreaming, I’d encourage you to reflect. If you don’t like journaling, that’s ok. Just sit with your thoughts for a few minutes or talk it aloud. 

Is it the fear of failure? 

Is it the uncertainty of success?

What holds you back?

How can you tear the walls around your heart down?

Try your very best to list out ten–yes, ten–dreams. It doesn’t matter how small or how big. List ten things you really want to do that would fill your heart with joy. 

It’s ok if it’s a struggle. The first time I tried writing out ten dreams, I got stuck on three and then on eight. But I sat there and waited until more came to mind. Some were fairly short-term, and others I knew I’d have to wait on for a long time. 

Sometimes, if we are unfamiliar with the practice of letting our dreams float to the surface, it just takes time. Don’t judge your dreams. They aren’t silly. They aren’t impractical. They are the special parts that make you, you. And if you want to pursue them, that’s all that counts.

On that note, I want to leave you with a journal entry I wrote about a year and a half ago about dreams. 

Dreams. 

They have taken on such a new meaning in my life. 

They aren’t just whispers up to the stars or wishes locked in my heart. 

They aren’t out of reach or too big to obtain. 

I don’t even think about their size or practicality anymore.

My dreams.

They are the ideas, the concepts of things I’d like to do, that light me up inside. 

They are the things I can’t talk about without a smile or think about without a shiver going through my body. 

They are balls of light that illuminate joy. 

And best of all, they are from God.

They are little gifts He wraps up in the shape of our hearts.

He nurtures them and grows them, fades them and shapes them. 

I love that they exist to bring God glory. 

I love that they aren’t mine.

Thank you for dreams, Lord. The things that make us soar through life. 

What a blessing it is to dream. 

Keep dreaming. Trust that if there’s a dream on your heart you’ve surrendered to God, it’s meant to be there. No matter how long it takes, it serves a purpose. Your dreams are beautiful.

You are loved by God, wonderfully made, and beautifully you. Don’t let someone else’s voice speak louder than what’s true.

Until next time…

hugs,

Kylie