A Visual Dream Journal

Since late July, I've been working on the following animated video shorts. Friday and Saturday, I presented them at Patrick's Cabaret. The animation is crude, I know... I'm still mastering the art of making pictures move. But I was pleased with the images and the art, and relieved to finish everything by the deadline.

These are three dreams that I've had in recent months that were significant to me. They are presented below in the order that I produced the videos (not in the order I had the dreams!). My favorite video is the last of the three, Dream 414.

There are dreams I would not share, because they are too personal or too sacred. But there are some dreams I feel the things I learned from them are worth sharing. After my presentations over the weekend, I had a couple of people commented that even though these were my dreams, they found the themes touched on in the dreams universal. If I've chosen to share these, it is because I hope that, if they are not "universal," at least others will be able to relate to them.

I Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet

After the end of the fourth session, I couldn't help breaking out into smiles. The prophet's message left me feeling burdens lifted, my heart lighter. By the time I got home, I felt positively joyful... Couldn't go without calling my parents on the phone and expressing my gratitude and love for our new prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Couldn't go without taking this moment to write my gratitude into this blog...

The beginning and ending of his message underlined that change is inevitable, that we have no choice but to adapt. And in navigating change, we need to learn to distinguish between what is important, and what is not. And what is important? The people in our lives, the ones we love. Never let problems become more important than people, he reminded us. The love and relationships in our lives are self-evidently blessings from God. Joy is for the here and now! Be grateful for what you have! Ingratitude is one of the greatest sins! Gratitude is one of the greatest virtues! Gratitude teaches us the proper relationship between us and our Savior, us and our Heavenly Father. Never have I seen gratitude raised to the level of a theological virtue in just this way...

I am so grateful for President Monson! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!