Dream In Soul

Above, Amena Brown, a poet, speaker and journalist, presents a passionate spoken story of the Master’s work in our lives, in a video from BluefishTV.

I love Amena’s spoken word work, and how she brings a fresh expression to how we are used to being inspired in the church. I’m also encouraged by the words she shares with other creatives through her articles; here’s a piece from “The Artist’s Dance” which appeared in the free collaborative e-book Creative Matters:

“The artistic journey is like this for many of us. We wrote, painted, danced, sang, played, until we were spent. Then, responsibility got the best of us. We “grew up” became “responsible.” Too busy for dancing.

Your desire to artistically dance will not go away. The Creator of creativity put it there. The question is will you come back to the dance floor. Will you endure the process of your feet clumsily rediscovering what to do? – Amena Brown (Click here for the full article)

Here’s an awesome example of artists melding their mediums – watch a clip of Amena at Gungor’s recent “Ghosts Upon the Earth” album release concert performing a piece, “This is Not the End” that introduces a song from the album by the same title:

More About Amena Brown

As a poet, speaker, journalist, and event host Amena Brown’s words excite, ignite and inspire. Whether in front of audiences as intimate as 50 or as sprawling as 20,000, she has something to say that matters.

As a part of a generation that is searching for the real and the genuine in an age of constant carbon copy, Amena is both regal and dramatic in her creative interpretation on the stage, and in her candid and expressive conversation one on one. This nonconformist lends her voice to finding inspiration, truth, and purpose and encourages those she encounters to do the same.

The author of a chapbook and two spoken word CDs, Amena has performed and spoken at events all over the country such as The RightNow Conference, Thirsty Conference, National Youth Workers Convention, Catalyst Conference, Atlantis Music Conference, and the 2008 National Poetry Slam Competition. She hosts a regular open mic in Atlanta every fifth Thursday at Urban Grind Coffee as well as hosting other poetry and music events.

Along with her spoken word recordings, Amena has participated in numerous professional and live recordings including the Caring Communities documentary, 97.1 JAMZ spoken word ads and a collection of video poems with Bluefish TV and Big Stuf Productions.

As a freelance journalist Amena has been published in Southeast Performer Magazine, Charlotte Creative Loafing, Atlanta Creative Loafing, and Atlanta INtown Newspaper. She also speaks at conferences and events for high school and college students, young adults, and women, where she has facilitated several workshops and breakout sessions on creativity, singleness, writing, and building artistic community.

You can connect with Amena and find out more about her work and events at http://amenabrown.com.

Hear how Amena was drawn to write and perform poetry in this video interview with StreamingFaith.com

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Need motivation and support in finding and pursuing your God-given dreams? Kingdom Dreams is a ministry of Adventures in Missions, created to “see God’s dreams realized through the passions of His people.” They offer support and resources that help connect you with other dreamers, coaches and if you are not sure what your dream is they also help you find direction to spark your journey. Watch the video below to find out more about the movement:

About Kingdom Dreams

God is a dreamer – and so are you.

We believe God created everyone with a dream. A dream to bring heaven to earth. We believe discovering this dream is part of the journey, and that most people stop short of realizing theirs. We believe that no one should miss their dream. We believe this world needs you to dream God’s dreams. We want your heart to break over something broken in the world. We want what is unacceptable in this world to ignite a dream in you that would inspire you to make a difference. We want to help make your dream come true.

You can connect with Kingdom Dreams by sharing your dream on their website at http://www.kingdom-dreams.org and checking out their blog and great resources they offer. One resource is the free ebook Discovering Your Passion – An E-Book About Realizing Your Kingdom Dream, click here to get your copy.

There is a dream inside of you that is waiting to be released for the Kingdom. Discovering Your Passion sheds light on the dreaming process, teaching dreamers how to move from discovering your passion, to exploring a solution, to building a dream, to finally launching a dream…

Below are some of my favorite blog posts from the Kingdom Dreams team:

- The Hardest Part of Realizing Your Dream

- Evolution of a Dream

- What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?

“If you don’t get a miracle become one…” – Nick Vujicic

If you haven’t been inspired by Nick Vujicic yet (he was featured in a previous message pick on Dream in Soul), be prepared to be encouraged! Nick is an amazing man who shows that with faith and relying on God’s strength we can overcome dark and difficult circumstances that come in life. Born without arms or legs, Nick battled depression and suicide attempts growing up to face Life Without Limbs and find his true purpose and a life without limits- glorifying his Creator.

Now Nick travels across the world as a speaker and author, spreading the Good News and his story of triumph and everyday renewal of God’s mercy. Nick’s also been featured in a documentary of his life called “The Measure of a Man” and the creative short film that will become a feature length film, “The Butterfly Circus.” Now adding music artist to his inspirational repertoire, Nick recently launched a song called “Something More” to spread his message of hope, watch the video above (congrats to Nick who also recently got engaged!:). Visit his site http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com for updates on his ministry and projects, and download the song “Something More” on iTunes here.

The Something More Campaign

In the fall of 2009, Nick Vujicic and Tyrone Wells discussed the possibility of working on a project together, unaware that their bond had been established long before the meeting ever took place. Tyrone had already written the captivating “More” lyrics. Nick had always dreamed of being part of music with meaning. Today, the song connects both men in an incredible way.

“More” mirrors Nick’s personal testimony, depicts Tyrone’s heartfelt plea, and conveys a strong message of hope. Nick Vujicic and Tyrone Wells have united, and launched THE SOMETHING MORE CAMPAIGN, combining the arts of music and film with the power of inspiration. With the music video and the documentary series in the final stages of post-production, THE SOMETHING MORE CAMPAIGN is now ready to debut.

Click here to learn more about the The Something More Campaign

Watch the video below to find out more about Nick’s story:

About Nick Vujicic

Imagine being born without arms. No arms to wrap around a friend ; no hands to hold the ones you love; no fingers to experience touch ; no way to lift or carry things. How much more difficult would life be if you were living without arms and hands? Or what about legs? Imagine if instead of no arms, you had no legs. No ability to dance, walk, run, or even stand. Now put both of those scenarios together… no arms and no legs. What would you do? How would that affect your everyday life?

Meet Nick Vujicic, pronounced ‘Vooy-cheech’. Born in 1982 in Brisbane, Australia, without any medical explanation or warning, Nicholas Vujicic came into the world with neither arms nor legs. Imagine the shock his parents felt when they saw their first-born brand new baby boy for the first time, only to find he was what the world would consider imperfect and abnormal.

A few months back on Dream in Soul I interviewed Stephanie Rodnez, a young filmmaker who is using her passion for making movies to inspire other young people through her company Christ Effect Entertainment. Stephanie’s latest project is Youth of Christ, a fun feature length film about a lazy youth group’s struggle to host a youth revival at their church. The message of the movie is that no matter what age you are, you’re never too young to do big things for Jesus Christ.

Youth of Christ is now available on DVD on ChristianCinema.com. You can support Stephanie’s dream and help her movie reach others buy purchasing your copy today, click here to order – its a great film for any youth group, family or just to see with your friends.

Christ Effect Entertainment: “See our films, CEE Jesus Christ.” CEE’s mission is to bring quality media content to young adults that inspire their walk for Jesus Christ and help them grow in their commitment to Him. Christ Effect Entertainment is distinguished in that it is entertainment created specifically for young adult Christians.

To connect with Stephanie Rodnez and Christ Effect Entertainment visit the website www.CeeChrist.com or join her “Youth of Christ” Facebook page. You can also read her blog at http://godlywoodgirl.wordpress.com.

Check out some sneak peeks from the movie below:

Click Here for the Dream in Soul Interview with Stephanie Rodnez

Check out the trailer for the film Youth of Christ below:

A few years back I attended a college ministry retreat, the Harvest Institute, and that’s when I first heard about Jim Munroe’s creative show the MAZE, which tours across universities around the country sharing both illusion and truth. Jim shared his story with us of facing serious illness and skepticism and overcoming the loss of a close friend. Below in a video from I Am Second, Jim recounts part of his journey:

Jim entered college with a skepticism about life. The idea of God seemed “silly”. He poured his life into a successful career in magic where a lot of his skepticism was confirmed. There really are “trap doors” and “smoke and mirrors.” But despite doubts, radical things were happening in Jim’s life to turn his world upside down. And then, just when he thought he had it all figured out: Leukemia. When faced with the choices of how to proceed, Jim knew his best chance of living was to allow himself to die first. Chemotherapy to destroy blood cells. New blood to replace his own. Yet how could he allow himself to endure the agony? And why was this happening?
- From I Am Second

Jim Munroe on Life Today

Jim appeared on Life Today a few years back and shared one of his cringe-worthy (and hilarious) tricks, watch below:

More About MAZE

MAZE is an experience that escapes the boundaries of any single definition. In stark contrast to the typical “magic show”, MAZE presents a unique blend of illusion, intuition, psychology, humor, mystery and danger.

The events that happen during a MAZE show leave you entertained, bewildered, distrubed and inadvertantly pondering the question “How can I know what is really true?”

MAZE exists to make waves in the ocean of the widely accepted, rarely challenged, cultural definition of truth.

Designed to evoke emotion, provoke dialogue regarding what you believe to be true, and to expose the rampant deception that exists in present day culture.

To learn more and for booking information visit: http://whatisthemaze.com

Watch a preview of the 2011 MAZE Tour below