False Security

May 28, 2014 By Lisa Larson 9 Comments

“My faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.”

-Oceans, Hillsong United

Life pushes and pulls us in different directions. It’s so easy to lose sight of our Savior and the source of true security, while in a world that seems to feed us a constant stream of false security.

Night after night the tears continued to come. The life I used to be so sure of, was now surely falling apart. The darkness closed in around me and I felt like a girl drowning at sea, grasping for a life guard, reaching for hope…

…yet nothing came.

Often when we are in the midst of our greatest struggles, it seems God has abandoned us.

In the midst of my darkness though, He somehow led me to find the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Even though we can’t see it— in our darkest moments, God is most present. (<====Click to Tweet)

These words painfully awoke my soul to the false security I had rested in for the last 18 years. These words pierced my soul…

“Only faith can sleep without a care. When the disciples were climbing into the boat (Matt 8:23-27), they seemed quite secure. They seemed to have no fear. Why were they secure? They looked at the beautiful, calm sea and were quite at peace and without a care.

But with the rising winds and waves, they lost their peace and became anxious.

Jesus was reportedly asleep.

Only faith can sleep without a care, for sleep is a reminder of paradise; faith has its security in God alone. The disciples could not sleep. Their security was gone. They had nothing to hold on to. Theirs had been a false security that was only fear in a different dress.

Such security does not overcome fear and soon disappears, for fear is overcome only by faith, which leaves behind all false securities, leaves them fallen and broken. Faith does not believe in itself, or in a favorable sea, or in favorable conditions, or in its own power, or in any other human power, but solely, completely in God-whether there are storms or not.

It is the only faith that is not superstition, that does not lead us back into fear,
but rather frees us from fear.”

–Dietrich Bonhoeffer

My entire life had been built on the premise of a false security. A man-made boat had become my foundation, and when the boat began to rock, I fell head-first into the water. I had no grounding to hold me, no rope to cling to.

Little by little, God had to tear down every wall I had built, every belief I’d held close…until there was nothing left but Him.

Those were some of the darkest days I have ever known, and yet I can’t thank God enough for them. God has an amazing way of taking the broken pieces of our lives, and just when all hope seems lost and the path is dark and unknown, He is able to mold us into something entirely different. Something we had never thought of, or imagined.

Although it is always painful to swim through stormy seas, take comfort, for it is in these moments that God is working His greatest work within us.

For, it is in our darkest moments that God is growing our greatest faith. (<====Click to Tweet)

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
–Psalm 18:2 {NIV}

Shared by: Lisa Larson

Photo courtesy of: TruTourism

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Here at God-sized Dreams, we are partial to the song Oceans, by Hillsong United.
It encapsulates the ideas of facing big struggles, turning to Jesus, and the freedom of resting in His embrace.
Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout this month of May,
we’re going to explore these issues as presented through the lyrics of the song.

All posts in the series can be found on the Oceans page.

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Life Together

April 30, 2014 By Lisa Larson 10 Comments

Community.

Commonality.

Closeness.

Three words that scarred me in the past. Three words that now inspire me to move forward.

Have you ever felt like a soul living between two worlds, but never really fitting in with either one? Like the grains of sand upon the shore, a speck lost in the hoards of millions of others. Dull. Forgettable. Unknown. That’s what you see when you look in the mirror of your life.

You’re not made of the same substance as the rich soil a few yards up the road…..strong, prosperous, and beautiful ― able to cradle a Redwood for hundreds of years.

Nope. Not you.

But, you’re also not draped out on the ocean floor, soothed and rocked to sleep by the ever moving current, where the vast, undiscovered world is lovingly baptized in the deep.

Nope. Not you, either.

You’re stuck in the middle. No matter how hard you’ve tried…..you’ve always gotten it wrong. You don’t fit in. You’ve felt the bitter sting of judgment and condemnation most of your life. They label and mark you….and worst of all, you believe it.

Life has taught me to build my walls, and build them high.

But a year and a half ago, God did the unexpected… He turned our world upside down. He gave us a new life. A new community. And new eyes to see.

In Him, I don’t need walls.

In Him, I belong.

In Him, I am wanted. (<==== Click to tweet)

He never meant for us to walk this road alone. Some of the first words in the Bible tell us, “It is not good for the man to be alone.“(Genesis 2:18 NIV)

As daunting as it may feel to pursue your God-sized dreams, or to live the life that He is calling you to, the facts are… we all need encouragement for when the road gets tough, a shoulder to cry on when we feel like we’ve failed, and a cheerleader to believe in us when we doubt our abilities.

For it is through each other, that God expresses His love for us. (<==== Click to tweet)

And what I once thought was so rare and virtually nonexistent, has overpowered my heart and shattered my walls in one blow.

These people here, the love found in this community of Christ…

It is strong.

It is real.

It is amazing.

And I am learning, THAT is the beauty of the gospel. THAT is the true light of Christ ― it reaches into every situation, no matter how different it is, and creates something beautiful from the ashes. It can restore. It can heal. It can bring people together in unity, as it supersedes all boundaries and limitations.

God is good and God brings healing. And not only have I found that here in my new community in real life, but I’ve also found it in this online community of God-size dreamers. They know all about pain, failure, grief, love, big-comebacks, and giant leaps of faith. These are my kind of women… and they are yours too.

It is no accident that you’re here…Do you need a friend to encourage your journey and your dreams? This team, that’s what we’re here for. We’d love to get to know you and cheer you on!

“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart.

But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’

The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

This is life together.

The good, the bad, the painful, the ugly, the beautiful, the happy, the amazing…

May God bless you on your journey, and may you ever find those that God has chosen for you― to bring out your best, for Him.

Shared by Lisa Larson

When Your Fears Swallow You Whole

April 2, 2014 By Lisa Larson 26 Comments

F.E.A.R.

That elusive 4 letter word staring me down.

It can be tougher to chew on than a $2 Wal-Mart steak. It can steal your dreams quicker than a pickpocket on a crowded subway. And it always leaves you feeling empty, lost, broken, and utterly defeated.

But one way or another, we all have it…

Fear of heights, being wrong, public speaking, rejection, physical pain, failure, traumatizing memories, starting a new job, losing someone we love, and the terrifying unknown. I’m sure there’s a million more, but you get the idea.

Although each of our life experiences are different, the fear is just as real to all of us, in one form or another.

But we have a choice—our fears DO NOT have to define us. And fear should not be the end or the final say in how we live out our lives.

Fear should not be the end or the final say in how we live out our lives.

Click To Tweet

There. is. hope.

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”
Psalms 34:4 (KJV)

My story, my life, and this journey I’ve walked so far….it knows all about fear. The fear that swallows you whole, one defeating bite after another. The fear that screams, your life is only worth what they define it to be. It’s the kind of fear that nearly blots you out, making you believe that all hope is lost and that the light will never shine again.

You see, the battle of life had left us bloody and wounded. We felt we were drowning in the bottomless pit of the ocean, as the imminent waves continued to pour over us.

Our only hope was to turn to God in our darkest hour.

And that’s just what we did. We gave it all to Him… the anger, the pain, the fear, the hopes… and all the dreams. We placed it all in His hands, wiped the slate clean on every side of the board, and sought Him out relentlessly.

“If you go to God, God will come to you.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

And that’s when it happened.That’s when his hand pulled us out of the darkness. Hope flooded our souls and light began to shine as it never had before. And, the most amazing thing? It began to extinguish the overwhelming fear.

So a new life was born. Free from anxiety. Free from the fear that held us back.

And now the Rock we stood upon, was greater than any fear that could be conjured up.

Our family has lived through some rough stuff, but in all honesty- we would never wish it to be any other way. Every experience in life gives us the chance to become who He really made us to be.

Every experience in life gives us the chance to become who He really made us to be.

Click To Tweet

And conquering fear, oh, it sheds a whole new light on dreams you never knew existed. It opens the door to endless possibilities. And it makes for the most amazing adventure that life could ever take you on.

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go.” ―Ann Landers

Shared by: Lisa Larson

Give Back: Make A Difference In The World

March 5, 2014 By Lisa Larson 16 Comments

“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look,
there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest things right, and doing all for love”
-St. Therese of Lisieux

A Christian life is one of action, not of speech or daydreams. {click to tweet}

Life pushes and pulls us in different directions, yet every opportunity we face is a crossroads. A fork in the road. A choice.

There are those who have gone before us. They left a legacy, and no matter how big or small, the impact is far-reaching into the lives of those who live today.

So I wonder, what am I leaving for the next generation to follow? For my own children? These thoughts often rack my brain as I lay awake and wonder what it is that God has truly made me for.

It is a daunting thought to realize I have lived 11,434 days on this earth. And what have I made of it?

If I ask myself, what’s the most important thing I want to teach my children before leaving this Earth, it would be…

To love.
To truly love, in Him.

Love is an action. {click to tweet}

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:35 (NIV)

In today’s society, love is often perceived as just a feeling. And that’s why I believe there are so many marriages that fall apart. They just don’t feel the love anymore. And anyone who has been married for a while can attest that at some point, love will fail you.

“In any relationship, there will be frightening spells in which your feelings of love dry up. And when that happens you must remember that the essence of marriage is that it is a covenant, a commitment, a promise of future love. So what do you do? You do the acts of love, despite your lack of feeling. You may not feel tender, sympathetic, and eager to please, but in your actions you must BE tender, understanding, forgiving and helpful. And, if you do that, as time goes on you will not only get through the dry spells, but they will become less frequent and deep, and you will become more constant in your feelings.
This is what can happen if you decide to love.”
-Tim Keller

Right now, my husband and I are reading, “The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller. I love how the quote above not only applies to marriage, but to every relationship we’ve been called to in life…

“This is what can happen if you decide to love.”

I often think this lack of mentality is maybe why so many of us are hesitant to reach out to those in need. Perhaps it is because in the moment, we don’t feel that overwhelming compelling force to do so.

Yet does it matter? Just like in marriage, it is a choice….to act or not to act.

Christ did not command us to love one another only if we felt like it, or only in certain favorable conditions. No. He simply said…

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:12 (NKJV)

He performed the greatest act of love any soul ever could…He laid down His life for us. This kind of selfless love is life-changing, whether shown in big ways or little ways, whether shown in a marriage, or to a complete stranger. It all matters.

Love matters.

I can attest to the many times that love has changed my life, turned my world right-side up, pulled me out of darkness, and given me the strength to keep going.

We each hold the God-given power to mold the nature of our surroundings. It doesn’t have to be huge or overwhelming. It can be simple, everyday actions. Being kind or going out of your way to let someone else know they matter can have such a huge rippling effect.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
-John Quincy Adams

And that’s just it. The greatest and most fulfilling lives we could live are the ones that reach out, give back, lift up, and inspire others to dream bigger dreams of their own.

“Remember there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
-Scott Adams

Who knows what your love can do….Maybe one day it will change a single life, ripple out, and start a revolution of new dreamers and do-ers that change the world!

Shared by: Lisa Larson

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When You Don’t Feel Worthy Of Your Dreams – GSD Link-Up

February 18, 2014 By Lisa Larson 17 Comments

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I have lived the last 30 years of my life…afraid.

Afraid to dream.

Afraid to admit it.

Afraid to dare it.

For the last 18 years I waded through darkness, unsure that the light even existed. You see, my past is a jumbled mess. Only in the last year have I really begun to live, and even then, I wake most mornings and wonder what I’m doing here. How on Earth can I write for a group of women about dreams, when I don’t even have my own figured out?

And that’s just it. That’s where the arrow strikes me through the heart and floods my soul with a truth that is greater than my own reasoning.

“In a very real sense not one of us is qualified,
but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory.
―Madeleine L’Engle

Truth is, I’m not good enough. I’m not qualified. None of us are. Yet God’s ways are so contrary to ours. (<==== Click to tweet.)

As humans we have the tendency to choose the most perfect among us…the natural born leaders, the less risky, the ones that stand out and appear qualified.

Yet, He chose the least likely of all to accomplish His will and manifest His glory. Noah got drunk, Rahab was a prostitute, Paul was an accomplice to murder, Moses had a speech impediment, Jacob was a liar, David committed adultery, Martha worried too much, Peter denied Christ, Jonah ran from God, and Lazarus was dead.

In reality, He has a plan for all of us. No matter our past, our pain, our mistakes, or our incompetence, He is greater than it all. And no matter what we have done, nothing can stop God from using us to make manifest His glory.

“Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.”
―Rick Warren

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Growing up, I was taught that my dreams didn’t count. They didn’t matter. They were a waste of time. So tonight, I sit at the computer, staring wide-eyed at the blank screen in front of me, wondering if any of you have ever felt the same―that your dreams didn’t matter?

As I sit here contemplating, a little voice interrupts my thoughts with a beaming smile. “Mama, I know what I want to do when I grow up,” she says confidently. “I’m going to open an orphanage in Africa, and be a mommy like Katie.”

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Last month her Orphanage was going to be in Ireland. The month before, it was in Egypt. And who knows where it will be tomorrow, or what else she will dream of becoming.

Some days she wants to be a chef, a professional violin player, or a doctor. But no matter what she chooses, I will protect each and every dream she has and hold her hand every step of the way.

Because every dream counts. And every step along the way, grows a soul. (<==== Click to tweet.)

And no matter how wild and impossible her dreams may seem, I will encourage and explore every one of them with her. Why?

Because no dream has even the faintest chance of becoming a reality, unless you give it wings. I know that might sound silly and unpractical. Sophisticated grown-ups have told me, “don’t give her a false hope or make her believe she can do something, that she can’t.”

Well, my answer is this: try telling that to Rosa Parks or the Wright brothers. There are hundreds of dreamers and do-ers who have gone before us. Their dreams never came easy and never without a price…but that didn’t stop them.

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
―T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He went bankrupt several times before he finally built Disneyland. And as an inventor, Thomas Edison made nearly 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.

We live in a cynical world that breeds instant gratification, and defines the worth of a man by the amount of money in his pocket. There is hardly room to dream anymore. We laugh and mock and scorn those who fail. And worse yet, it’s almost an epidemic in today’s society: See the dream…..kill it. And if you don’t extinguish it yourself, you can be sure that someone else will certainly do the job for you.

In a culture where we are taught to conform to the normal, to be practical, to fit inside the box, let’s face it―it’s all too easy to trample dreams and ideas, before they even have the chance of getting off the ground.

When a reporter asked Thomas Edison, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Now my little girl may not become the next Yo-Yo Ma, or Katie Davis, but that doesn’t matter. Dreaming is not about the end result. It never has been. It’s about the process. The steps it takes to get there. The way it transforms your soul, your faith, and who you are.

When you take a step in faith and dare to believe that God placed a dream in your heart, or called you to do something wild that utterly terrifies you…the process is nothing less than life changing. It opens your soul, breaks down your walls, and bends your will to match what God intended for you to accomplish all along.

“I can’t help but wonder how many of us have a God-sized dream within us but we’re so afraid of failing that we never even try. We can’t imagine how the God idea could possibly happen. It’s beyond reasonableness. We never act on the vision. Here’s a challenge: don’t worry about the outcome. That isn’t your responsibility. He who began a good work is the One who will carry it to completion. You simply need to act on it.”
―Mark Batterson

So, I pose one question to you today…What dream would you pursue with your life if you weren’t afraid of failure, afraid of the outcome, or afraid that God couldn’t use you?

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This week we’re giving encouragement for those times when we don’t feel worthy of our dreams.

Share your story on your blog and link up with other God-sized dreamers below.
{For those who don’t have a blog, we invite you to share in the comments or on Facebook.}

Let’s all display the link up photo so we can find each other! Click here for link.

Next week, we’ll be sharing how we can trust that God’s given us just what we need for our God-sized dream. It might not seem like enough at times, but it leaves plenty of room for God to work!

{Prompts this week are from Chapters 7 and 8 of Holley’s devotional, Opening the Door to Your God-Sized Dream.}

Art Is Not A Thing. It’s A Way Of Life

February 5, 2014 By Lisa Larson 18 Comments

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
-Henry Ward Beecher

I believe we were born to make manifest the art that lives inside of us. (<==== Click to tweet.)

All of us.

For some it may be through writing, painting, or designing a room. For others, it ventures out through conversations, the act of listening, playing football, or baking a cake.

All of us are artists. Whether it’s the way we dance our babies to sleep, or brighten a stranger’s day with a smile. We are living art, leaving a trail of paint behind us wherever we go.

“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.”
-Auguste Rodin

What you do with your life matters. Every action, every dream, and every passion counts for something. So make it grand. Make it real. Make your life and what you do with it a work of art.

Paint the world with the God-given beauty that lies inside your soul. (<==== Click to tweet.)

God is the master artist, and we are each a piece of His grand puzzle. But sadly we live in a world that breeds practicality and success. We are taught to compete. To measure. To win.

We are continually weighing ourselves against each other. But what does this comparison do to our lives, to our art? It washes the vibrancy and passion out of all we do. It bleeds us dry and feeds us the lie that, “we will never be enough.”

And no doubt if we are brave enough to try anything, at some point we will trip, we will mess up, we will say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and we will fall down…but our failures do not define us.

We will get up and we will try again. Because we can. Because there is one who is stronger than us who came to make manifest His glory in our lives.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
–2 Corinthians 12:9

I wish I could reach into every one of your lives and tell you what I believe… that you count. You matter. You are a masterpiece in your own way, and your life counts for something great.

And art? The most beautiful pieces are rarely epic. They are often hidden in dusty attic corners. They are quirky, odd, and often go unnoticed to the world. Even Van Gogh, who painted almost 900 pictures in his lifetime, sold only one. And it was just before his death.

The art of our lives are often unseen. The woman down the street, she doesn’t see the way you put the world on hold, to make play dough pies with your 3 year old. She doesn’t know that your touch is the only thing that brings comfort to your baby’s cry in the middle of the night. She doesn’t know the hours you spend on your knees, praying over the soul of your teenage son.

But she doesn’t have to.

Our lives are not about who we impress, or how many facebook or instagram likes we get.

It’s about who we touch, who we help. It’s about who we reach out and love.

Life is about living in a way that inspires others to come alive, even if that “other” just happens to be your 5 year old son. Every life you come into contact with, matters. You do for them, what only YOU can do. You meet a need that only YOU and your life can fulfill. And there is nothing boring or ordinary about that.

So release your soul and all that God made you to be as a piece of living art to the world. Be brave. Set sail. Shine on.

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
-Thomas Merton

Shared by: Lisa Larson

Embracing Who You Were Made to Be

January 8, 2014 By Lisa Larson 29 Comments

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So there I am. Alone in the great deep of night. My mind aimlessly wanders about the buried crevices of my soul, searching for the answers that never seem to come.

I’m like an old tattered rag, worn through and through. Torn between all that I am, and all that I am not.

The walls of life…they crumble, exposing and baring the innermost depth of my heart. Do I keep building these barriers of safety, or do I reach out and embrace the wide-open spaces?

I have two lives within me. The one I’ve lived, and the one waiting to be lived.

I take in a long, deep breath of this unfamiliar fresh air. It’s strangely invigorating. In the distance, I see the faint silhouette of a girl. She has a quiet, yet radiant glow about her. She moves forward, confident in the impeccable workmanship of her Maker. She doesn’t doubt who He created her to be. I reach for her, longing to fit her soul into mine, hoping to try her on for size. Yet, she slips through my fingers like running water.

A life lived so long in fear; doused with gallons of guilt, held over the bottomless pit of the unknown–it holds me back. It keeps me contained, like the bars of a maximum security prison.

I am my own worst enemy. How about you?

I’ve convinced myself at times that I can’t move forward or begin to embrace my dreams until I know who I am, until I’ve got life all figured out, and sorted into boxes that can be labeled and understood. But you see, the thing about life is, it’s ever-evolving, ever-changing…and so are we.

One of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis is, “Nothing is yet in its true form.”

That one little line from Mr. Lewis fills me with terror and excitement, all at once. At some point in our lives, we all hit that wall of coming to terms with who we are or who we wish we were. And even when we’re sure we’ve got it figured out, life has a way of throwing a few tornadoes in the mix to keep things exciting. The years go by and we continually shift, adjust, and transform.

We are not locked into what we are; we never remain the same.

And, this gives me great hope. Hope that despite my many mistakes and failures, God is not done with me yet.

I’ve learned that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. It’s okay not to know where the path might lead. And it’s okay not to know who you are yet…because there is One who already knows. (<==== Click to tweet)

I once thought it was selfish to embrace my gifts, talents, and God-given passions. But the reality is, it’s most selfish to keep all that we are to ourselves.

“Creative work is not a selfish act or bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” –Steven Pressfield

To deny the gifts and talents God has given us is to deny His very workmanship, His creation, and His ingenuity that lives in each and every one of us.

All that we are and were created to become, is meant to be shared. Shared with our family. Shared with our neighbors down the street. Shared with the world.

Marianne Williamson states it beautifully, “…You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world…We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

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