Our Lady's Lamp

((Contains Spoilers for The Greatest Showman)) As I wrote in my last post , a Dream has the power to shake the world, change lives, and bring about radical change in individuals and society. But the first time I saw the movie, the thought I came away with wasn't the power of the Dream. It was a bit more depressing, but equally profound for me: "It's the story of a Dreamer who forgot why he was dreaming and had to find his way back." The Dream Can Be A Drug If you are a Dreamer or have ever loved a Dreamer, you know the fierce pain that comes with the ever-present Dream. As a child, Barnum had "A million dreams," and he held to those dreams through the struggle of his father's death, being homeless on the streets, and even while working the railroad so he could be presentable to Charity. Building a world for them was his Dream, and he was willing to fight for it tooth and nail. Not being able to realize your Dream is painful. Hunting for how to...

"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore, taking your breath, stealing your mind...." While many people complained about the inaccuracy of The Greatest Showman, I was blown away by the deep, beautiful truths hidden in this achingly beautiful movie. I have seen it five times in theaters so far, and each time, I have taken something new away from it.  And each time I see it, I'm again reminded of - and humbled by - the power of a Dream and the liberation a Dreamer gives the world. I'm reminded, in fact, of the Beauty of the Christ, of that desire of Christ's heart: "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)   Dreams Can Change the World - of Individuals and Groups "Every night I lie in bed The brightest colors fill my head. A million dr...

I'm a dreamer. I'm pretty sure I always have been, and that hasn't always been easy for me. It means I dreamed up crazy things I wanted to do with my life, didn't always hold to the proper ideals for a young Christian woman, and I utterly despise practicality when it imposes itself upon my life. And I had many, many people when I was growing up speak caution to me. Most of them were well meaning, I'm sure. But unbeknownst to them, their words of caution crippled me. They made me start to doubt myself. I allowed their words of caution to clip my wings. So, when I would have a crazy idea, I'd slap it down and chastise myself for not being practical. "Don't you know you can't do that?" "You cannot travel the world and be a responsible adult." "Do you really want to waste your time on school when you really just want a family?" "You know, if you'd just settle, you'd be married by now." "You'll ...