In which I stick my neck out {again}

What does a dream look like?

What does a dream cost?

What does a dream require?

 

(I’m giving you a second to pause and reread those questions.)

It started simple enough. An email from my friend Danielle in which she shared about her dream to build a community for women living overseas.

More than a blog or a website, the vision is an on-line watering hole—you know, a place to come when you need refreshment, a place where you’ve been out working in the fields and just need a moment to catch your breath, a place to let your guard down, a place to swap jokes or books or prayers, a place to known and be known.

Was I interested to hear more? To be involved? To dream with her?

This was in December and I knew that I’d resigned, but it hadn’t become public knowledge yet. I told her I’d resigned, other than that small tidbit, I. WAS. SO BEHIND. THIS.

Seeing as the vision wasn’t tied to one organization or place or calling, it really did turn out to be a small tidbit.

And since then three of us have been working on the launch (and truth be told, Danielle has done the lion’s share). Busy finding a name for our watering hole and a list of contributors and colors and all that goes into building something that is BIG.

Danielle shares in ways that are so beautiful I return to it again and again.

Ready for the name? and the look?

Velvet Ashes. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. We’ll share more later (there is just so much to say!), but here’s a hint. Think botany.

So, what does a dream cost? Again, Danielle is ahead of the curve and has written a description of why we need $6,600 in the next three weeks. 

You can give by going to our super spiffy site: http://fundly.com/velvet-ashes-launch-fund

Or just click on the “Please Donate” button on the side menu –>(if you’re looking at this online)

Let me be the first to stand up and say WE WANT AND NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP and it costs and that’s OK. (And we have the added bonus of Contemplate Design being generous beyond words, to boot). Remember when I redid The Messy Middle and the helpful comments I gave my blog designer? Or, let’s go back to that dark, dark period when I was a modern day leper and people ran running and screaming from me. Being hacked IS NOT FUN. Lesson learned. When you are in the deep end, like we are, and not wanting to belly flop, like we don’t, you WANT THE PROFESSIONALS.

{Sorry for all of the CAPS, but the feelings on this one run deep, my friends. If we were in person you’d see me become more animated and almost embarrassing myself with my enthusiasm. Caps are all I’ve got here. I’m excited and money has a way of bringing the crazy out in people — let’s channel it towards crazy excited :) }

OK, so now we know what a dream costs. What does it require?

Me to be brave and risk sharing with you on behalf of Danielle, Patty, other contributors and myself. It also begs me to come clean with you.

I not that really into womens things like blogs or retreats or bible studies. I’m into human things that apply to humans and don’t require me to roll my eyes. Require or result in. Same same.

So this, this requires me to stick my neck out and say, “Even if you roll your eyes, this is what I’m doing.” Too often these “women things” are really mommy things or young single women things and those of us, um, of a certain age, fade into the background.

By now you know I’m for moms, I’m for young single women, I’m slowing becoming for Peyton Manning. But I’m also for single women who aren’t going to be moms because the clock has stopped ticking. I’m for women who have lived deep and wide and loud and could pack a suitcase in the dark, they’ve done it so many times. I want a space for us too and I’m willing to hold the door open.

And we need your help. Dreams don’t come cheap, but they are worth the investment. Would you be willing to give to Velvet Ashes?

Anne Lamott wrote in Bird by Bird: “[Life’s] like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”

Will you sing with us?

p.s. A Messy Middle Newsletter will go out next week. If you’re interested it’s easy to sign up for AND receive a free copy of “Signs of Eden Regained.” It won’t show up here on the blog and wanted to give you warning since it will have an except from a hope-to-be-published book AND a video that will show up no where else but in the newsletter :)