A deeply meaningful Listening Retreat with the Goldenwood team in May this year preceded my becoming part of the Dream Forum. At the retreat, I learned of the sublime power of listening to God with intentionality in a community. I returned from the retreat renewed with the “spiritual garden” of my soul, richly nourished in a time of profound workplace anxiety. I became committed to enjoying grace in my work… Read More »Waiting for the Ripening
I don’t remember when this dream took root in my heart. Neither do I remember its first inception. But it has stayed with me and taken on different colors and contours. This audacious idea to bring together the body of Christ to possibly “solve” homelessness and eradicate poverty. It embarrassed me to share the idea. It felt so naïve and idealistic. And as I learned in film school, they will… Read More »Dreaming with God
I’ve had some form of this dream for over 10 years and it has morphed in so many ways since then. Being an introvert and Enneagram 5, I am driven most by my need to feel competent, which means I lean on my own understanding and ability. And so when God showed me this dream, I naturally leaned into trying to take the matter into my own hands, solving the problem… Read More »Learning to Follow
At the beginning of 2023, I finally decided to do what others had been encouraging me to do for years: Start my own thing. I registered a web domain, applied for an L3C with the Illinois Secretary of State, and began telling family and friends about my plans to start a mediation and restorative justice practice to address sexual harm. And, suddenly, after five years of thinking, planning, learning, and–to… Read More »A Freight Train Fueled by Uncertainty
Women experience collective trauma when they live and operate in systems–parenting, corporate, legal–that were not built by them. There is a journey each woman must take through frustration and pain to forgiveness, healing, agency and re-capturing creativity. Much of the latter part of the journey takes place in a community of witness and recognition, and there is usually no better person to walk them through this journey than someone who… Read More »An Invitation Into Adventure
Dream Forum! What a gift it was for me! God in His sovereignty brought it into my life when I needed it most, when I was looking for ways to be true to my gifts and abilities that He gave me, when I needed a creative outlet to go through a very difficult time in my life. God showed up in a quiet way and told me, “I got you!”… Read More »Freed, Surprised, Empowered
My co-founder and I met by God’s divine providence less than a year ago. Since our meeting, it has been a continuous journey requiring us to lean on Him. Since joining Goldenwood’s Dream Forum, the last five months have been a pivotal time of our journey with God and with this dream. We were so grateful to be selected to participate in the Dream Forum right when we were starting… Read More »Leaning Into God
The Dream Forum found me at a place when I was afraid to dream. Afraid to dream about something small and would not dare to dream about a big and brave thing. Dreams were substances from another world, another life. In my house they lay in the closet waiting for better times, for a world where dreams have a place to bloom. As the war broke out, my dreams were… Read More »Afraid to Dream
I set out to start a leadership community after my experience leading through a difficult season. During that time I longed for a safe-space that could, in the words of author Kobe Campell “offer the tenderness the world and even those in our community refuse to give.” I knew that a community for black women would be received with mixed reviews. However, the support system I developed as a leader… Read More »The Paradox of Leadership
As I reflect on this season of exploring my dream through Goldenwood’s Dream Pod cohort I am most grateful for the introduction of new rhythms that are now becoming part of my practice. David Kim’s teaching, some of which has included combining sacred teachings from both Jesus and Rick Rubin (!), have been illuminating considering the creative work I’m pursuing trying to grow the Justice Film Festival. I am learning… Read More »The Practice of Dreams