Disney Plus has me feeling some kind of way while we scroll through the options, excited for our kids to experience all the movies that made our childhood unique. Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella - all the beloved classics. Whilst looking at some of the shows Disney Plus has to offer, I’ve been time-vaulted back to 13-year old frizzy Lizzy; lover of The Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana, and Lizzie McGuire. Admittedly, I've been geeking out just seeing these shows available to watch again. The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana were two of my favorites because I wanted to be a singer. I thought for sure it was my destiny. I pretended to make music videos by blow drying my hair like it was a special effect and sang into my hairbrush microphone like there was no tomorrow. I always brought my CD player into the bathroom when I took showers and sang like I was performing at my own concert - my poor family.

I dreamed of writing songs that touched people’s hearts. I dreamed of signing autographs with a heart over the "i" in my name and chose designs for my future CD cover. I wouldn’t mind the limousines and fancy schmancy clothes either. I had one of my siblings take "musician" photos of me with my guitar.

I dug one up to share ... FYI - I played the same 3 chords ALL the time.

While I no longer dream of seeing my name in lights on a stage, I do have new dreams. While I was reminiscing on 13 year old me this week, I was reminded:

Don't say it isn't possible.

13 year old me took voice lessons, recorded a demo, took a stab at writing songs. 13 year old me had big, BIG plans. 13 year old me took steps to seeing my dreams come to fruition. Did I continue with it? Unfortunately not. But maybe that’s where we go wrong. We dream. We do a little planning. Then we get in our own heads and stop believing in the dreams and callings God has placed on our hearts.

Sometimes dreaming is more about faith than imagination.

When I looked up the definition of the word dream, it said a "cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal."

We must be willing to take the steps to get there. We must hold it close to our heart, but act upon it. We must be willing to put ourselves out there. We must be willing to get a little banged up and bruised along the way. We must be willing to fall 5,000 times, but stand up 5,001 times.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and miss the belting and pitchy 13 year old who was ready to take on the world. She had her entire future ahead of her - and she believed that.

Guess what? She’s still in there. Maybe her hairbrush microphone is a little rusty, but she’s in there somewhere. So is yours.

Maybe you weren't a Cheetah Girls or Hannah Montana fan. Maybe you didn't pretend to make music videos or lip sync in the steam-covered bathroom mirror every morning. But, you had big, BIG dreams.

Maybe your dream was to be an artist, a chef, or a professional athlete.

Perhaps your dream was to be a writer, a firefighter, or an inventor.

Maybe your dreams are different now - that's to be expected.

Dreams change and evolve, as do we.

Perhaps your new dream is to be a full-time mommy - tending to piled high laundry and taking care of your home and mini versions of you.

Maybe your new dream is to be a nurse, missionary, author, or police officer.

Don't let the negative voices tell you that it's too late or that it's not possible. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

This week, I was reminded that maybe we all need a dose of 13 year old us again - one that doesn't feel like it's too late to fall 5,000 times and stand up 5,001.

We need to be reminded of what faith looks like. It's time we all dust off our hairbrush microphone and sing a song of hope and faith. It's time we journey into the unknown and know that if we fall or fail, God will not walk away - He will grab our hand and lovingly help us up. He will embrace us with arms wide open and give us the strength we need to journey on, even when we feel bogged down or trampled on by the world. He will re-ignite the flame that once burned inside of us and give us a rekindled appreciation for the difficult times. In the wake of difficult and challenging times, we are soon led to the beautiful unfolding of a new chapter.

**This post was first published on my blog: https://lizzychristian.com/f/d...