Dreams

I think I should stop reading the news before I go to bed. I had 2 consecutive nightmares last night. In the first one, I was pulled over by the police for driving in the wrong lane. I asked them to prove I was guilty but they couldn’t. Then they asked for a bribe to go free. They weren’t asking for much but this was a matter of principles. I threatened to call my lawyer. And that’s when the real nightmare started because I was in this never ending loop of dialing my lawyer’s number over and over again — and the more I couldn’t remember the number, the more they increased the bribe. I woke up out of frustration.

In the second dream, Hamas attacked the campground where I was having a retreat. Brandishing their swords, the terrorists chased after me and I narrowly escaped with my family on a boat.

Why do we dream? Scientists have been pondering this question for years. Sometimes dreams are warning signs of future events. I’ve solved real world problems in my sleep. I’ve written songs that originated from dreams.

Does God use dreams to talk to us? Are dreams in a level between earth and heaven? What did Jesus dream about? Did he even need to dream? He certainly seemed to already figure everything out. In heaven I don’t think we need to dream anymore because we will always be in the present — no need to sleep.

I’ve learned that full movie-length dreams — complete with emotions of joy and sorrow — can unfold in just a few minutes. I’ve laughed and cried buckets from some of my dreams. I learned that people who have passed away (like my parents) often come to visit me in my dreams; indeed, the backdrop of many of my dreams are back in my childhood home. Of course some dreams are just plain silly.

Why do you think God made us dream? I know animals dream — I’ve seen dogs running and barking in their dreams. I’ve learned that dreams expose my strengths and my weaknesses. In my first dream, I was tempted to give up on my principles just because “everybody else was doing it.” The second dream showed my fear of an all out war and I realize I don’t have a contingency plan for such an event. Do you?

FINAL THOUGHT

Remember Buddy, the agnostic? Something kept telling me I should check up on him all Monday. I left a few messages for him to call me back. I even texted him late Monday night. Then Tuesday morning his sister apologized because Bobby’s health deteriorated and was unable to respond in the ER. I looked at the clock and I had a zoom meeting in about 30 minutes. But something … someone (I believe it was the Holy Spirit) told me to talk to Buddy right away. So we did a FaceTime.

Buddy had lost weight since last week and he had a very worried look in his face. With little hesitation, I asked him: “Do you want to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior?” And he said he was ready. So I led Him with a simple prayer. His face lit up. He was an agnostic no longer. His sister couldn’t contain her joy. I imagined a host of angels cheering in the background. It was a beautiful morning. (Buddy, I know you’re reading this. What happened was NOT A DREAM! You really prayed the sinner’s prayer. Behold! You are a new creation! How does it feel to be part of the family?)

But then later in the morning, one of my clients cancelled a project because her priorities had changed. She shared that her doctors found an irregular heartbeat. We’ve had discussions about my faith and she sternly told me NOT to ever talk religion to her again. That morning I asked if I could pray for her and she said it was okay and she even thanked me afterwards. Please pray for her and her husband who both have cancer.

More bad news came in the afternoon when a friend shared that she lost her 7 month old unborn child. Felicity was supposed to be born next month. She shared a video of her husband carrying a little coffin towards the burial ground. I prayed and I ask you pray for her too.

It’s an emotional roller coaster world. Maybe this is why we dream. Maybe dreams help us bypass decades of emotions and learning. It’s part of being human.

Here’s an interesting article about dreams.

TGIF people!

Raoul

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” – James 1: 17

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Pat of Washington, D.C.

Video of the Week

Thanks to Vijie of Taiwan for this video of Maria Conceicao, the “Toughest Woman Alive.”

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Richard of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Terry of Santa Monica, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre. CA

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

SUBSCRIBE

The post Roll Call appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Dreamers

It’s been my childhood dream to work for a creative company like Disney. I would spend hours tracing cartoons and memorizing strokes … marveling at the animation, the brochures, the books, the soundtrack of the things that came out of the Imagineering headquarters in Burbank. I was willing to work for free just to be an animator … but somehow I never got the breaks … I never found a mentor. The only one who taught me about work was my Dad who only had an ounce of art appreciation in his blood. So I became a boring entrepreneur like my Dad. I was so discouraged that I wrote a song in my 30s (before I became born again) when I realized I would never be a world renown animator. Here’s just an excerpt of the thoughts of a crushed spirit:

The Real World

Verse 1
Once I had dreams of becoming a king.
Of being the master, being the best in everything.
But now I know. It’s just not so.
Whoever heard … a kingdom full of kings and queens?

Chorus
Each day we learn to live through life’s joy and disappointment.
Each day we have to sacrifice old values for some new ones.
We think that we have grown but reality has shown
there’s more to life than we’ve come to know.

But you know artists. We always have one eye looking at great paintings, one ear listening to musical arrangements, and a big mouth that shares all of our insights to a world that does not understand … or so I thought. Little did I realize, my youngest daughter was picking up my words that fell off deaf ears. When we watched a movie, I’d point out what made the movie interesting. She and I shared this artistic dimension.

A few days ago my family toured the Riot Games Campus in West Los Angeles. You can read all about it in an article I just posted here in TravelingBoy.com. It was really fun. I wish you guys could go there too but it’s one of those places where access is only granted to those who are connected to the organization. My daughter, the artist, works there.

Through her, my dreams have come true. I may have planted the artistic seed but she watered it with her blood, sweat and tears. She braved through the starving artist route that I was too proud to take. Her accomplishments are deservedly her own. I’m so proud and happy for her. Praise God for making my dream her dream and making both our dreams come true.

How about you? Where are you in your life journey? We all have hills and mountains to climb, don’t we? Wherever you are in your life adventure, is God in the picture? Hmmm …

“We are God’s masterpiece [quite perfect in His sight] created anew [born again] in Christ Jesus so the good [the abundantly good life path] that He planned for us a long long time ago [even before we were born], should be our way of life.” — Ephesians 2:10

Blessings to you my TGIF friends!

Raoul

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Original art by Raoul Pascual.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena. CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre. CA

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post A Frog Goes to a Department Store appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I Love Lucid

I’m no dream expert but I watched a video (Thoughty2) that explained what lucid dreams are about. The host said that you can actually tap a high potential of your mind when you reach that sleep stage. It’s the place where a fountain of ideas come from. It’s where the outliers in your thought patterns solve problems you could not otherwise accomplish in your waking moments. I hope that what I share today will make you aware of your hidden super power.

Most of the time, we don’t know we are dreaming. But there are golden opportunities when we do know. This explains why I’ve solved programming problems, composed songs, designed logos, remembered people and places when I was half awake. Ever since I watched that video I have been consciously looking out for that “lucid moment” (where I am conscious I am in a dream) and I try and solve problems or brainstorm with myself. Of course the biggest problem is remembering what transpired when I wake up. I do try to jot down these ideas in a little notebook.

Not all dreams are serious. I had a most enjoyable dream last night. I watched some clever and humorous animations just before I went to bed and that set the stage of my dream. I don’t remember a lot but the last dream sequence showed the importance of accents in a dramatic movie. In my dream, I was approaching God’s throne MGM style. There was a glorious choir of angels in the background. The clouds parted and this blinding light flashed in front of me. Then I heard a thundering voice with a strong Italian accent:
“Bow down!  I ema yo-ra Gaaad!”

That just killed the moment. And I couldn’t stop laughing. Why an Italian accent? I don’t know. It was my lucid mind who wrote the script. Isn’t it fascinating how our brains can keep the rest of our body in suspense?

Don’t miss your opportunity. Remember, Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream and he saved humanity. Martin Luther King Jr had a dream and changed American culture. What’s your lucid dream? Instead of molehills, why not climb the mountaintop?

TGIF people!

Raoul

“Don’t put limits on yourself. Not every dream will come true, and not every dream is from God. But when your dreams connect with God’s plans, you’ll find open doors that you never thought you’d see.” – Max Lucado

“We are God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus, so the good that He planned for us a long time ago may become our way of life.” — Ephesians 2:10

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Chuck of Whittier, CA for sharing this pun.

Video: Sophisticated Dancing Boy

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C. for this confident little fella.
He’s gonna break a lot of hearts when he grows older.

Video: VW Korea’s Flying Car

Thanks to Naomi of N Hollywood, CA for this sci-fi technology that blew my mind.
What’s really amazing is it’s already into production.
This is gonna give Tesla a run for its money.

The Latest In Personal Transportation. Can you imagine a million of these on the road? This is real. Prototypes have been delivered to several Asian countries. It’s made by VW in Korea. It will be in Europe and Asia by the end of 2022. In addition, it doesn’t use magnets….It uses ducted air jets.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

Thanks to Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA
Not a joke but it makes you wonder what our pets are thinking.

Another one from Debbie

Last one from Debbie

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Last one from Tom of Pasadena, CA

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