Sometimes receiving a dream from God is like being told you’re to have a miraculous conception. When it’s the kind of dream that is so lofty it scares you a little and the idea that you are ‘favoured’ to carry it ‘greatly troubles’ you and the main question forming in your head and onto your lips is, ‘How will this be?” But the dream is so vivid and compelling it’s… Read More »A Miraculous Conception
When I embarked on my journey with the Dream Forum I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I did know that this would be a community of earnest seekers. And in some ways it was a tent pole in the ground for me to not lose sight of my dream in the midst of other demands from life. What I’ve learned through this process was at first subtle – but… Read More »The Real Surprise
Upon completion, the Dream Forum will have launched with a listening retreat, included monthly listening sessions with companions, and offered two separate 2 week “intrusive prayer” listening journeys. It’s safe to say a pillar of the Goldenwood Dream Forum is inviting its participants to a posture of listening. The intrusion of tuning my heart, mind, soul and spirit to God in work context stretched an under-worked muscle, resulting in creativity… Read More »Listening for Good
I entered the Dream Forum with no expectations other than a desire to hear God’s voice more clearly. I longed for clarity about my purpose as a storyteller, and I received more than I could have anticipated. God illuminated and refined my dream: to build a film ecosystem in Athens, Georgia, that produces and shares divinely inspired stories with the world. The listening prayer exercises became transformative moments for me.… Read More »Peaks and Valleys
I’m a regular listener to Ezra Klein’s podcast, but when Mako Fujimura emailed this episode to Amilee and me the day it came out, I knew it would be good. LISTEN TO: Your Mind is Being Fracked // Read Transcript Klein’s interview with D. Graham Burnett, a historian of science at Princeton University, offers a window into the deeper aspects of human consciousness and this thing we call “attention.”… Read More »Prayer as Attentiveness
As another year comes to a close and a new one begins, it’s a natural time to reflect on our spiritual journeys and set intentions for growth in the year ahead. In the last few years, I’ve felt a growing inclination to rely more on discerning God’s voice over a dependence on the wisdom of others. I’ve discovered that listening for God’s voice makes all the difference, cultivating an intimate… Read More »The Allure of Counterfeit Spirituality
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