God-sized Dreams

Where Dreams Set Sail

Our Toughest Opponent

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Our Toughest Opponent

Recently my husband and I decided to watch a dvd together and since our taste in movies differs greatly — my favorite being Pride and Prejudice and his Rocky (not the first one but the second or third, his words not mine) — it takes awhile to come to an agreement. This time was different but only because it was the one movie we own that I had yet to see.

CREED

Although I’ve never been a big fan of the Rocky Balboa movies, this one was different. This was about Apollo Creed’s son — his illegitimate son.

I didn’t go into this thinking I might be able to relate to his story — as a wife, mom and Grammy what could I possibly have in common with a young boxer? But this movie resonated with me. It left a mark. And then God began to weave together a message.

I had already intended to write about roadblocks to our dreams when a line in the movie rocked me. The trainer spoke to the young man as he pointed to the boxer’s reflection in the mirror, “That’s the toughest opponent you’re ever going to have to face.”

How many times had I faced — and lost — to the opponent staring back at me in the mirror?

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I had certainly been my own worst enemy and the biggest roadblock to my own God-sized Dreams.

Forty eight years ago I came into this world as an unplanned pregnancy. Throughout my life I feared that because I wasn’t planned (a mistake), God didn’t have a plan for me. I didn’t realize that I had been fighting all along to prove otherwise until I heard this young boxer blurt the words out from his own pain.

“I have to prove it!”

“Prove what?”

“That I’m not a mistake!”

Just like me, he had been fighting an image he created of himself — illegitimate, unwanted, unplanned. So desperate to prove that he was something greater and yet incapable of believing he was anything more than a mistake.

Just like him, I had been trying so hard to prove that I wasn’t a mistake without ever really believing it.

I looked up the definition of creed and one of the simplest explanations was this…
“an idea or set of beliefs that guides the actions of a person or group”

The idea that I wasn’t planned caused me to believe that God couldn’t possibly have a plan for me and that belief created a roadblock to any dreams I could have had for myself.

Sometimes God reveals things to us in unexpected ways — like opening my eyes to a powerful truth through a movie that I wouldn’t normally agree to watch.

Most often our biggest roadblock is staring back at us in the mirror in the lies we believe, definitions we create and labels we give ourselves.

Maybe we’ve taken a few hits, maybe we’ve even been knocked down, but the fight isn’t over!

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What if we chose to believe that God purposed us to live in this very moment. What if we trusted in His plan for our lives. And what if that plan included a dream He placed in our hearts.

Romans 8:31New International Version (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 6:18New Living Translation (NLT)

And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.[a]”

Well there you have it. Not only is God is for us, but he calls us His sons and daughters. We are not unwanted, unplanned or illegitimate — we are His.

The only thing we have to prove is that we believe the word of God over the lies of the enemy.
And that my friends will tear down any roadblocks that stand in the way to our God-sized Dreams!

“Life’s not about how hard of a hit you can give… it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.”
― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Shared By: Lanette Haskins

God-sized Dreams Require Confidence In Our God

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YGFM POST

I can hardly believe that it’s already May! It seems as though we were just braving the cold and snow, although this is Michigan and we could still have a snowstorm tomorrow and 80 degrees the next day.

But typically May means warmer weather, spring showers, flowers sprouting, trees budding and grass growing greener (and longer) by the minute.

May also means Mother’s Day — a time to celebrate our moms and to be celebrated.

As a mom I know how blessed and how busy that day can be and this year was no different. My children and grandchildren visited, brought me gifts, cooked me dinner and loved on me — it was a beautiful day. I’m also blessed to have my husband’s mom living next door and was able to spend time with her and some extended family too.

But this year I was missing my mom. About a year ago she remarried and made a big move south and although she recently flew home for a visit, those trips are few and far between. Looking back I know now that I took for granted when she lived nearby and I could see her whenever I wanted.

But life was always busy and although I would attempt to squeeze in a little “extra” time to spend with her it wasn’t enough.

Isn’t it so easy to get caught up in busyness and forget to be present with the ones we love?

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My mom always encouraged me in whatever my dreams were. She was of course, my biggest fan and my greatest cheerleader and even had dreams of her own for me. In my late teens she insisted that I could be the local Free Fair Queen which I concluded would probably require grace, poise and some sort of talent — all of which I was sure that I didn’t possess. She had much more confidence in me than I did!

She worked harder than anyone I knew but was harder on herself than anyone too. She criticized and judged herself for all that she was and all that she wasn’t. I’ve adopted some of those same habits along the way but as I pursue my God-sized dreams I realize that I need some of the same confidence that my mom had in my gifts and abilities and also some of the same grace she extended to me too.

On her last trip home we were discussing my writing and as I began sharing some of my doubts (unsure whether I could measure up with other writers) she said “I don’t think you realize what a great writer you are.”

Sometimes we just need our mom’s approval.

And sometimes we just need our moms…

When I think about my thoughts towards my own children they are not unlike my mom’s thoughts towards me. I believe they possess so much talent , that they are so gifted and have so much potential. I believe in their God-sized dreams whatever they may be because I believe in the God who planted those dreams in their hearts and minds.

And if we, with all our flaws and failures, have those thoughts toward our children how much greater are God’s thoughts towards us?

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Psalm 40:5 (NASB)

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

Shouldn’t that give us all the confidence we need?

Friends I hope that you are encouraged to pursue your God-sized dreams and remember that you are being cheered on!!

Shared by: Lanette Haskins

Just. Keep. Swimming.

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Oceans for GSD
Several years ago there was a commercial in which a husband casually mentioned quitting his job to start a blog and his wife quickly responded with a resounding NO! I would jokingly ask my husband if I could quit my job and start a blog and of course his answer was also no. It wasn’t that he didn’t want me to do something that I loved, but realistically, I needed to have a full-time paying job.

I started my blog anyway (while I continued to work) and began writing on a regular basis.  The feedback from those early days was a tremendous encouragement. 

I started to believe that my dreams might come true.

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Doors began to open, and I continued to write and continued to be encouraged. I even had a short story published in a friend’s book.

And then a few years later something happened. The publishing company that I worked for was doing some restructuring of departments, and what I had hoped was going to be a promotion was something entirely different and completely unexpected.

My position had been eliminated.

As hard as those words were to hear, I’m sure they were just as hard to say. At the time I thought that was the end of me — or at least the end of my dreams.

Isaiah 55:8 (MSG) “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

Usually when we come to the end of ourselves that’s where we find God.

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After I had some time to process, I realized that this could be an answer to prayer. Shortly after receiving the news about my job, I was asked to be a contributing writer for God-sized Dreams. While this was not a paid position, it was certainly an honor to have been asked to write alongside these amazing women. The door was opening to my God-sized Dream, and I couldn’t wait to see where He was leading me. I was doing what I loved. I was writing.

Gradually I became distracted by other things (good things) that started to consume my time, and writing was pushed aside.

Even as I contemplated writing this post, I wondered if I had anything to contribute, especially in light of this month’s theme — Practical tools you use that help keep you organized and motivated to work on your God-sized Dreams.

To be honest, I didn’t feel as though I had anything to share because I wasn’t using any practical tools. I certainly wasn’t organized, and I had been sorely lacking in motivation.

Here’s the thing — I’m not here to tell you what tools to use to succeed, I’m here to tell you that if you feel like you’ve failed (again), or missed the boat, or that your storm is too big and overwhelming — I am right there with you. I completely understand. And I want to motivate you to pursue your God-sized Dream again! Don’t give up, no matter how many times you’ve started over.  Your God-sized Dream is there for a purpose — for you and for others!

Just. Keep. Swimming.

You can do this. We can do this.

2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV) But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.

Those storms in our lives, the circumstances that we have no control over, the very situations that we think just might destroy us are oftentimes where we find our purpose. And our purpose becomes clearer as we begin sharing the stories of our storms and how Jesus saved us from them.

Friends, start by not giving up, and then use the tools that the Holy Spirit reveals to you to make your God-sized Dreams come true.

Shared by: Lanette Haskins

                                                        

p.s. We launched our God-sized Dreams shop! It contains five downloadable prints created just for you. We hope they inspire you to chase after your dreams! We’d love for you to check them out! And as a thank-you to our email subscribers, once a month we will randomly choose one subscriber to receive a FREE print!

Dream. Shop. Inspire. God-sized Dreams new print shop!

Silence Makes Us A Prisoner To The Past

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luke 816

Silence Makes Us A Prisoner To The Past – Fear Holds Us In Captivity

Recently I spoke to a very large group of women and shared my story — the good, the bad, and the ugly — something I couldn’t have imagined doing just five or ten years ago.

I had always wanted to blend in — to go unnoticed — fearful of being the center of attention.

The truth is, fear had been a close companion for most of my life.

Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the what ifs. Fear for my children. Fear for myself.

I could go on and on.

Breaking free from those fears would be a long, and sometimes painful process.

Recently, God revealed to me that fear was able to control so much of my life because I lived expecting punishment for the choices of my past.

Choices of the past.

There are some things we would like to keep hidden in the dark places of our hearts, the shame too great to expose, the pain too terrible to bring into the light. At least that’s what the enemy of our soul whispers in our ears. So, we keep it all buried, and although we try to forget, we are haunted by the truth.

My past held many hurts for me, but my deepest regret came from my choice to have an abortion–a choice that wounded my heart and tormented me for years.

The fear of those painful truths being uncovered kept me in silence and I became a prisoner to my past.

I knew the truth — Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins — but somehow I managed to believe that I also needed to earn God’s forgiveness and keep earning it. Unfortunately, I would always fall short and that’s where I waited for punishment.

But, as I began to allow Jesus to shine light on those hidden areas of my life, and as I began to speak out about my own shame and guilt, what was hidden and holding me hostage, no longer had power over me. I had already been forgiven, but finally I was free.

You see, we are not defined by the things we chose to do, but by what we choose to do, because we are living in the present, not the past. So, instead of choosing to live fearfully, we can choose to live courageously.

When we push through our fears and share our stories we give others hope.

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We lead them out of captivity. We help them to be courageous and share their stories too.

Something amazing happens each time I speak out about those things that I kept hidden for so long — I gain more confidence and boldness. Not because of anything I’ve done, but because of what Jesus did. I finally understand the depth of God’s love for me, despite my choices. I recognize the lies of the enemy and because of that, I’m not afraid to chase my God-sized Dreams any longer.

Here’s the thing. God loves you too and He has a plan for you, to bless you and to give you hope, and He has a great future ahead for you! And I’m sure it includes a dream or two.

Don’t give up. Push through. Speak out about the hard things. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy.

Regardless of what you’ve done, or what’s been done to you — you don’t have to live a life of fear, or shame, or guilt, or whatever else the enemy whispers in your ear.

You can choose to live according to God’s promises.

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He is a good, good Father and He is faithful.

The last few years, instead of making New Year resolutions, I’ve prayerfully chosen One Word to remember throughout the year. The first year, my word was Fearless, and reminding myself of that one word helped me to step out in faith and do things I never thought I could do.

The second year, my word was Surrendered. Some difficult things happened that year — my job was eliminated, and for a short period of time I felt rejected and that I had no value, but then I remembered that one word. I chose to trust God and He reminded me that this was the answer to something I had been praying for, and so I surrendered it all to His will.

This year, my word is Empowered. God brought this word to my mind along with a verse.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

Friends, I pray that you live a life fearlessly surrendered and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do all that He has called you to do.

Shared by: Lanette Haskins

Picking Up Our Stones

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STONES FINAL FOR GSD

After the death of her beloved husband Frank, Kathy Lee Gifford spoke out about his life and his legacy.  She shared how Frank had grown up incredibly poor but with a deep-rooted faith — something that had shaped him into the humble and grateful man she deeply loved.

In recent years they had taken a trip to the Holy Land and visited the brook of Elah where they were encouraged to pick up a stone, just as David had done in that place. The significance of picking up their stones was discovering their gift and doing what only they could do to help transform this hurting world in desperate need of God.

Kathy Lee spoke of how Frank had been transformed by that trip and that when people came to visit, it wasn’t his trophies or awards that he proudly shared but the stone that he had picked up that day in the Holy Land. He shared with them his greatest achievement — his faith.

They encouraged their children by gifting them with a stone of their own, telling them to throw them hard and well to further God’s Kingdom.

I was deeply moved by her story and encouraged to write this message.

David has always been one of my favorite biblical characters. I could see myself in his failures and in his deep love for God. I especially love the story of David defeating Goliath.

I try to imagine what it might have been like for the Israelites facing this giant, day after day.

Goliath was 10 feet tall with a bronze helmet on his head, a bronze coat of armor weighing 125 lbs, bronze shin guards on his legs and on his back a bronze javelin. The shaft of his spear was described as a beam or a fence post and the head was made of 15 lbs of iron and the man who carried his shield walked ahead of him.

Every morning and night for forty days this giant came forward and challenged them.

 Goliath stood and called to the Israelites, “Why do you form a battle line? Am I not a Philistine, and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose a man, and let him come down to fight me. If he can fight me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us.”  The Philistine added, “I challenge the Israelite battle line today. Send out a man so that we can fight each other.”  When Saul and all the Israelites heard what this Philistine said, they were gripped with fear.
1 Samuel 17:8-11

Pretty intimidating, right?

We’ve all had goliaths in our lives — giants that challenge us day in and day out.

It may be a person, or circumstances, or the shame and guilt of our past or insecurities that hold us back — but those giants grip us with fear and keep us far from the plans God has for us.

They will continue to challenge us, day after day until we decide to stop listening to those voices that terrify us and choose instead to listen to the voice of truth.

God is for us and if He is for us, who can be against us? (<====Click To Tweet)

I spent most of my life feeling as if I had no value and nothing to offer. I’m not athletic (I can’t run and dribble a basketball to save my life), I struggle with retaining information and staying on task (which always made me feel stupid), and I can’t play an instrument or sing (although I might be able to get a recording contract in my car). I’m an artist but I always feared I wasn’t good enough.

Those giants didn’t just torment me for forty days but forty years.

Fortunately our God is faithful and so very patient. He continued to bring people into my life to encourage me and build me up. When I was completely broken He put me back together — stronger and more confident, not in who I was but in who He IS. He silenced the giants and taught me how to defeat them — He led me to that place to pick up my stone.

Today I can say with confidence that I am a writer. I don’t have to worry about not being good enough. I don’t have to try to be something that I’m not. (<====Click To Tweet) I just have to believe He is who He says He is and I am who He says I am.

That’s how David believed. He knew that it was the hand of God that had not only protected him in the past from the lion and the bear as he watched over his sheep but helped him to defeat them. He knew that the giant was no match for his God. He also knew who he was and who he was not.

Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can hardly move!” he exclaimed, and took them off again. Then he picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag and, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, started across to Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:38-40

David knew that he was not Saul. He couldn’t fight as Saul had fought so he slayed the giant Goliath in the way that he knew — with one stone.

Sometimes we try to be something or someone that we’re not. We see the way others are gifted and think we need to speak/write/act like they do to succeed but the truth is that God gave each of us our own gifts.

We all have gifts and callings that are uniquely ours and just like David, it’s up to us to pick up our stones and slay those giants.

“The goal is not accomplishing the dream that God has given you.  The dream is the secondary issue.  The primary issue is who you become in the process.  We fixate on what and when and where.  God’s primary concern is always who.  And He won’t get you where He wants you to go until you become who He wants you to be.”
Mark Batterson, Soul Print

David may have started off that day as a shepherd boy but by the end of it he had become a giant slayer.

So what are you waiting for — pick up your stone.

Shared by: Lanette Haskins

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teespring collage 300

Anchored Hope

 

Setting Sail To New Dreams

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“We are what we believe we are.”

– C. S. Lewis

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was one of my favorite books when I was growing up. I often imagined myself as Lucy, desperately wishing I could find my own wardrobe to make my escape to a far away land.

As a young girl I spent much time alone with a sketchbook and a pencil, drawing for hours at a time. Each picture held a unique story and each story began as a dream in my heart.

Years went by, the pictures became more detailed and my skills more refined. As a teenager I was selected by my high school art teacher to have my work displayed throughout our school and community. I was honored to be chosen and so full of hope.

I had BIG dreams of becoming a great artist and painting beautiful pictures that would hang in galleries all over the world. But then I started to compare myself to others and I began to question if I was really any good at all. There were so many other artists who were much more talented and besides, my dreams were unrealistic. After all, I was just a small town girl with a painful past — a nobody. And just like that my dreams vanished.

Much like the wicked queen in Narnia, we have an enemy who whispers deceitful words in our ears — words that cause us to doubt what we once dared to dream.

I’m guessing that many of you have had dreams that felt much too big and just like me, you’ve listened to the author of lies instead of listening to the dream giver.

God places those dreams in our hearts and wants us to believe in BIG dreams that are only possible through Him. The problem is that we’re limited by our inability to believe beyond what we are able to see.

But that’s where faith comes in. Faith isn’t seeing, faith is believing what we have yet to see. (<====Click to Tweet)

And it’s through our faith that we find hope!

“Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance]…” Hebrews 6:19 

Jesus calls us out of the boat onto the water, encouraging us to take a step of faith. Most often we’re so afraid of sinking (failing) that we’re willing to continue to do what we’ve always done — even if that means rowing against the current and working harder to be something we were never meant to be.

Friends can I just tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way? Even if we feel that we’ve missed the boat, His mercies are new every morning and it’s never too late to begin again! Not only do I believe that God is the dream giver, I believe that He gives us new dreams. I think He places before us opportunities and if we miss one, He offers up something different, always giving us a chance to try again.

As parents we love our children enough to give them the opportunity to start over when they fail. We encourage them to learn and grow from their mistakes and offer them another chance when they need it most. I love how Matthew 7:11 is worded in the Amplified Version, If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

He loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, that if we would just believe in Him, we would have everlasting life. Don’t you think He also wants us to enjoy the life He’s given us and to use the gifts He formed in us?

These days the pictures that I am painting are with my words. (<====Click to Tweet)

I’m a writer.

God has given me a new dream — to reach others with the words He writes on my heart and to lead them to Him. I was once a prisoner to the shame and guilt of my past and now I’m passionate about leading others out of captivity to the truth.

Friends please don’t stop believing and dreaming!

I want to encourage you with one last quote…

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C. S. Lewis

Shared By: Lanette Haskins

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