God-Centered Dreams

June 14, 2017 By Guest 4 Comments

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On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Vicki Cottingham to God-sized Dreams! She shares the important reminder that, even as distractions and frustrations can often happen when we dream, it’s so important to keep our dreams centered on God. Thank you for being here today, Vicki!

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Do you have a dream, a desire, something that you believe God has planted deep in your soul? It’s often something that would seem to be impossible to accomplish in your own strength. Something way beyond your own abilities and giftings. And it’s something you know will only be fulfilled if God does it through you.

The dream God has sown in my life is to serve Him through my writing and my ministry to women.

However, as is often the case, there is always a time gap between the promises God gives and the fulfillment of those promises.

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And waiting is so hard.

Over time, God has been showing me I’ve been holding too tightly to the dreams He’s given me. When I hold them too tightly, I find I compare myself with others. I see them living out their dream, and I want it for myself, too. I become jealous and envious, frustrated that my dream has not yet become my reality. I then become dissatisfied and discontented with the life God has given me.

So, God is teaching me not to hold my dreams too tightly. He’s not telling me to give up on my dreams, but He is telling me to give them over to Him. He wants me to hold onto them with open hands.

God is showing me that my focus needs to change so that rather than being so taken up with what I don’t yet have and comparing my life with others, I am taken up with my relationship with God…with having Him at the centre of my life and making sure my dreams are God-centred.

When my perspective is God-ward rather than toward others, I see just what he Has done and is doing in my life. I see that whilst my dreams may not yet be fulfilled in the way I long for them to be, I am still able to live them out to some degree. With God’s help, I use the gift of writing He has given me to serve others. With His help, I recognise and appreciate that in small ways, I do have opportunities to minister to other women.

I am learning to give my dreams over to God.

When my dreams are placed back in God’s hands and under his control I know they are in far better hands than mine.

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I am learning to find true contentment in my relationship with God. My contentment is found in making myself available and obedient to Him.

I long to get to the place where I can say with Paul,

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

Vicki Cottingham lives in the South East of England. She has a love for God’s Word, studying it and sharing it with others through the written and spoken word. Her joy of writing led her to writing a regular devotional blog called Hope for Today. Last year one of her dreams became real when she self-published her devotional book: “Dear Friend…52 Weekly Devotions to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire”, available here, which is based on her devotional blogs.

Writing in Pencil

May 31, 2017 By Guest 5 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Sallie Burroughs to God-sized Dreams. She reminds us that there can be beauty, even if God asks us to wait on our dreams. Thanks for being here today, Sallie!

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I feel like I have been struck by this same revelation not that long ago. Except, the reasons why and the circumstances around it have changed so much, yet the truth still remains:

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

I have made a lot of plans this past year. A LOT. Some, really awesome ones that make sense; some, that came from my deepest desires; and some, I’ve held on to fragilely. Some, I’ve shared with friends and family freely; others, I have held close to my heart with hesitation and a little bit of fear.

I did not see this year, it already being April, looking like it does.

In my mind, and according to my plan, I should have already been pregnant. I should have loved my job and been excited about the prospect of a career there. I should have found a home to move into so that I could end the cycle of renting/moving every year for the past 12 years and finally put down roots. I should have finally been at peace with my body and my mind, accepting and loving it for what it is and what it can do.

These were my plans, and they have not come to pass.

These were my plans, but they are not my current reality.

These were my plans that I still deeply desire but have no control over.

These were my plans, but what I do in this time of silence and waiting is all I can hold on to.

This season has been a season of wait, wait, wait, and wait some more.

These are my plans, but they are just a shadow of what is out there and what is to come.

You see, I keep fooling myself into thinking that I know best. I keep assuring my inner-self that my plans are best, that my one-year, two-year, ten-year plans are solid and awesome. I keep convincing myself that what I desire is actually, deep down, what God wants for me, too! Why else would I want it?!

However, these plans are just plans. They are not my present; they are only a glimmer of the future, and thankfully, God is so much bigger than these plans.

I can’t begin to describe the path that I’ve been on the past year and a half. It’s one of stubbornness, one of obsession at times, and one of frustration and confusion as to why I can’t have what I want when I want it.

Sound familiar? If you’re thinking this is the cycle of a small toddler’s life, then, yes. Quite familiar and welcome to an insight into who I have been recently.

For so long I’ve been striving after what I have thought is best, pushing my mind and body to be a certain way, putting my hope in things I thought I could control but actually cannot.

I thought I would only be happy once those things came to pass and I had my own way, but this journey has been one of refinement. It’s been one of waiting and silence and realizing that what I want is not always what is best. That unanswered prayers do not mean no forever, but that there is something else down the road that I should be preparing for rather than putting my time and energy into conjuring something up that is not right at the moment.

Something has broken within me in the most positive way.

Usually, that word “broken” has negative connotations. Yes, it hurt and still does at times. Yes, there is a grieving of the life you thought you would have. Yes, the brokenness comes with pain and rebuilding. However, this brokenness to me is also synonymous with “freedom”.

Freedom to be. To rest. To trust. To stop and to sit. To open up myself and my dreams to bigger things than what I had previously tethered and tailored and controlled. There is a peace in my soul in the middle of the silence, in the middle of the waiting, because I finally remembered that I do not know what is best.

That my plans are not His plans. And my ways are not His ways.

Yes, I will have to remind myself of this truth next week when I feel the downward pull toward those previous plans again and back toward those desires that are still good…just not right now.

You are not alone in your wanting and waiting.

Those dreams and desires of yours, too, aren’t necessarily wrong, and the time may come. However, enough waiting and obsessing for them before their right time. Enough pausing the life that is in front of you and not recognizing the beauty of the unknown ahead.

Let go. Breathe. Believe. Dream. Trust. Repeat.

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Sallie is a twenty-something wife and teacher residing in Southern California. For the past two years, she and her husband taught at an International school in Caracas, Venezuela. They recently moved back to the States and are adjusting back to life, jobs, and the busyness of relocation and transition. She loves to write about the essence of everyday life, the transition after international living, and the beauty, and sometimes chaos, of living, loving, and doing. Connect with Sallie at her website and on Instagram .

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Do you have a God-sized Dream story to tell? We’d love to have you share your journey with us!
Visit our Guest Post Submissions page to learn more!

A Mother’s Wisdom

May 17, 2017 By Guest 2 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we welcome back Regan Seward to God-sized Dreams. She shares some important encouragement and wisdom for moms…but really, we can all learn something from these words and reminders. Thanks for being here today, Regan!

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The pressure of “mom perfection” kept me from sharing with others what they may have needed to hear.

I feared that I would be judged by others, but the truth is I am my biggest critic. I would beat myself up if I didn’t feel that I had given my children my very best, but the reality is they need to learn that life isn’t about perfection but about redemption.

I wish I could go back and tell my twenty-two year old self that the days I surrendered my exhausted and worn out momma heart were meant to be shared. If given the chance, I would be honest about the hard days.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)

This made me realize how much time I wasted on what I thought a “good mom” should look like instead of teaching my children that grace and humility is the key to a fulfilled life.

I should have shown them that there is no shame in allowing ourselves the grace we need to overcome a bad day or a tough situation.

When we want others to think we have it all together we are really just feeding our own pride.

When we show up busted and broken we give God the space to do His job in us and through us.

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Being a mom is one of the bravest most challenging jobs there is, but if we choose to only share the victories we are setting our daughters up to fail.

On most Sunday mornings we would show up to church and I would see other mothers with their put-together outfits and their smiling, well-behaved children and think, What is wrong with me?

I was far from having it all together and my kids were usually arguing over who got the front seat on the way home.

But, did I want others to see this mess of a momma on a Sunday morning? No! So I would pull myself together, put a smile on my face and ask my children to do the same.

My pride was keeping me from showing my daughters that if you can’t walk into church on a Sunday morning a mess then there is probably no place on this earth you can.

As I think about what I would do different I would say something like this…

If I could go back to the days when you were little, I wouldn’t try so hard to make mothering you look easy.

I would show you my true feelings on the days when I was falling short.

I would let you see that perfection isn’t something we should strive to achieve, rather showing honesty makes the realness of life make sense.

I wouldn’t have made lame excuses for my inability to keep it all together, and I would show you that when our hearts begin to unravel it is grace that keeps the seams of us together.

I would share with you that the real reason I was hiding behind the bathroom door that day was because I was drowning in my own holy mess.

You see, baby girl, on those days I failed you. Not because I yelled words that stung when I lost my patience, but I failed when I didn’t let you hear me asking God for the wisdom to be a better mom.

I should have told you that time spent on your knees is NOT a sign of weakness but a picture into a momma’s heart trying to find the grace for a do-over.

I didn’t fail you when I forgot it was picture day again…but I failed by trying to show you that life should look all put together.

I should have told you that life is messy some days and I would fail. You, too, will fail, and I assure you life won’t fall apart when you do.

Don’t waste time on chasing after a perfection that doesn’t exist, but rather looking for the opportunity to share humility with others.

This world that we live in will try and convince you that the girl next door or the woman in the next office has it all figured out, but if you will be brave enough to let her see you fail, God will show you that your struggles aren’t much different than hers.

Regan Seward is wife to Russ and mother to three wonderful kids…Bailey (20), Macie (17), and Cole (15). She and her husband own their own insulation business and work together every day. She strives to live in freedom from her past and encourage others who are trying to overcome guilt from their failures and mistakes. She knows firsthand what it feels like to fail in life but hopes to share with others the only true way to overcome it: by living in God’s grace. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5 (ESV)

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Do you have a God-sized Dream story to tell? We’d love to have you share your journey with us!
Visit our Guest Post Submissions page to learn more!

When The Pressure Of Your Dream Paralyzes You

May 3, 2017 By Guest 3 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Sarah Beth Marr to God-sized Dreams; she shares with us the reminder that as long as we are living out our dream for God, we are enough. Thanks so much for being here, Sarah!

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The audience was as black as night.

All I could see from the stage was the bright lights of the exit signs staring back at me. The tops of the musicians heads and the tips of their bows going back and forth reminded me how so very live this performance was. I was front and center, dancing a ballet I had dreamed of dancing. There in my pointe shoes, pink tights, and pink jeweled costumed, one moment I was dancing my heart out, and one moment I drew a complete blank. All the movements and musical cues I had rehearsed over and over through months of preparation suddenly left my brain as I honed in on this one thought,

I am not good enough.

In that moment, I feared that my director would suddenly realize that he had made a horrible mistake in casting me as this front and center gal in this beautiful ballet. I suddenly felt the pressure of living (or dancing in this instance) up to something that I simply could not live up to. I was aware that I was surrounded by four other beautiful dancers who were more experienced than I was. They had been doing this for years and they were confident. Here I was, this new girl, who was overwhelmed at the pressure to be good enough at the worst possible moment.

The choreography did come back to me. I had one little slip where I nearly fell, but thankfully after one of our exits, I had time to gather myself in the darkness of the wings. The tears were sitting in the corners of my eyes, you know the kind, that if someone asks, “Are you okay?” you don’t answer because you know the tears will fall and not stop. A short verse that my sweet mom had used to encourage me recently slipped into my heart,

“He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber.”
Psalm 121:3 (NLT)

It was enough solid footing for me to go out there on our next entrance, finish the piece, and actually enjoy the rest of the dance.

Maybe you have had moments of not-good-enough-ness too.

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Maybe in this dream of yours that you are following, you look around and you question why you’re even trying. You see others who are more confident, more qualified, and more experienced.

Me too.

I have felt the weight of not-enough-ness as I pursue my dreams and callings in more ways than I have time to go into. But we don’t have to live in that pressure cooker, standard-chasing kind of way. Looking back there are a few truths that I wish I had held onto before I planted my feet on the stage that evening:

The pressure and weight of not-enough-ness paralyzes us. Just as I went blank on stage in that moment, when we get tangled in the web of living up to some invincible standard, our dream or calling stops in its tracks. We can’t breathe or enjoy our dream or calling because we are so suffocated by our feelings of not being enough.
When we recognize when we are living in that standard-chasing stance, we can allow that to be an opportunity to pull us into God’s heart. God isn’t measuring our performance. He simply wants us to enjoy our dance. I had lost the joy of dancing in that moment on the stage because I was so caught up in the pressure. God does not want us to be caught up in the pressure, the performance, or anything else in our dreaming. He wants us to be caught up in Him.
From there we are propelled forward in our dream. The moment we release the pressure to the One who gave us our dream, is the moment we begin to truly enjoy it all again. The dreaming becomes an enjoyable dance with the Lord again.

Maybe your dream has become more of a grind than a dance lately. Maybe you feel paralyzed by the pressure and defeated by the weight of feeling not good enough.

Today, invite the One who watches over your life, into those feelings. Pull in close to His heart.

And from that place, let Him propel you forward into your dream.

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Dance on!

Sarah Beth Marr is a wife, mom, writer and speaker. Sarah also danced professionally as a ballet dancer and now uses her experiences in the dance world to encourage women in their own dance through life through her writing and speaking. Sarah’s first book is due to release in January of 2018. You can connect with her at her website, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

A Forgotten Dream

April 19, 2017 By Guest 4 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Jean Marie Bauhaus to God-sized Dreams; she reminds us that in the ups and downs of dreaming, we can always count on our Father to be faithful. Thanks for being here today, Jean!

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One day last fall, I holed up by myself in my quiet place, a little bedroom nook where I could pray aloud without being heard. I had a lot of things I wanted to cry aloud to God about, and I knew there was bound to be some actual crying in the process that I didn’t want anyone to see.

I’ve been waiting a long time for some of my dreams to happen.

I have big dreams in my heart, dreams that include becoming a best-selling author and having a thriving blog ministry. I have more personal dreams, too, dreams that might be on a smaller scale but to me seemed even bigger and more impossible. Dreams like becoming a mother even though it seems like that ship has sailed and my husband and I missed the boat. Dreams like moving out of our crime-ridden neighborhood and back to the country where, if kids ever did happen, we could raise them in peace.

I was struggling with disappointment because it seemed like that first dream had been dashed. Just weeks before, I had launched my first traditionally published novel. Despite all my efforts to build excitement about it, and despite all my prayers for its success, book sales were lackluster.

Somewhere along the way I had convinced myself that this book was the key to all of my dreams coming true. That if God chose to bless it and allow it to prosper the way I hoped it would, we’d be able to move, I’d finally be able to get good insurance, and we could start trying for a baby.

When my book failed to take off out of the starting gate, it felt like all my other dreams stalled along with it. Sitting there in my nook with tears streaming down my face, I confessed all of this to God, along with my anger and frustration and hurt feelings. “When, Lord?” I cried. “When will you bring my dreams to reality?” And then I lifted my eyes and saw the stack of paperback copies of my book that my publisher had sent me, and I heard a still, small voice speak to my heart:

Daughter, I already have.

Suddenly I remembered another dream I once had, seemingly ages ago. I was 26, single, and spending my days working a secretarial job. At night, in the early mornings, and on my lunch hour, I was working on my first novel. My dream then was simply to be a published novelist, and I wanted it so badly. Back then I didn’t care about writing a best seller. I would’ve been extremely grateful just to have a publisher think my writing was good enough.

Fast-forward 16 years. There I was, with a stack of author copies sitting on my desk, of a novel that a publisher had decided was good enough.

I picked up a book from that stack and held it in my hands.

My tears turned to tears of gratitude as I praised God for his faithfulness.

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And that voice spoke to me again. If I was faithful to bring about the dream of twenty-something Jean, do you not think I’ll be just as faithful to bring about the dreams of present-day Jean?

God gave me that dream when I was in my twenties, and I have to tell you that He brought it about in spite of me. Not long after I finished that first attempt at a novel and got a couple of rejection letters, I put it away and wouldn’t complete another novel for another six years. Even when I did finally write one I felt confident about enough to let people read it, I was too afraid of rejection to submit it, and went the self-publishing route instead. It was that first self-published novel that I now held in my hands–only God had brought it to the attention of an actual publisher, who reached out to me about re-publishing it under their label and turning it into a series.

I ran and ran from that early dream, too afraid to even try to make it happen. But God made it come true anyway.

He gave me that dream then, and He’s given me the dreams I have now.

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And I know I can trust Him to bring them about in His timing, in His way. It probably won’t be when I want it to happen, or look the way I expect it to. But He was faithful then, and He is just as faithful now.

His faithfulness never ends.

Photo Credit: Matt Bauhaus

A Jesus girl through and through, Jean Marie Bauhaus is on a journey of healing and rediscovering who God purposefully created her to be. She blogs about her journey at Daydream Believer. She’s the wife of Matt and mom to a crew of four-legged dependents, all of whom make their home in Northeastern Oklahoma. Jean counts coffee, dark chocolate and a yarn addiction among her vices. She’s the author of Restless Spirits, a romantic paranormal mystery now available from Vinspire Publishing. Find out more about her novels and short fiction at jeanmariebauhaus.wordpress.com.

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The Empty Womb

April 5, 2017 By Guest 8 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Aretha Tatum to God-sized Dreams. She reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible! Thanks for being here today, Aretha!

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As a little girl I would dream about what my life would be like when I got older. My plan was to go to school, start some career, get married, have three children and live…you guessed it…happily ever after. Now here I am, approaching fifty years old; I have never been married and I have no children.

That was not the plan.

When I mention to people that I am not married, they ask me why not, and I can easily explain that I have not met the right man. Most people usually accept that answer and move on to the next question, usually, do you have any kids? When I say I don’t have any children, I often get a strange look, and then I hear the same response: You’re not married and you don’t have any children. What’s wrong? What are you waiting for?

You would think that if I haven’t found a man I want to marry, why would I have children with someone I wouldn’t marry? Suddenly, I become this strange person that some people feel bad for because, as a woman, it is understandable if you don’t have a husband. But, to be over forty with no children, you somehow have missed one of the major experiences of womanhood.

Sometimes you even question yourself. Why?

I remember being out on a date; he was a handsome man, about fifty years old, never married with no children. We were talking about marriage and children. I remember he said, “I can still have children if I want to.”

I said to him, “Sure you can; you are a man.”

He looked at me and said, “You can too, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

Sounds like a faith statement to me! Well, the Bible says in Luke 1:37, For with God nothing shall be impossible.

When I think about an empty womb, I remember several women in the Bible who had the issue of being barren…Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth to name a few. Sarah gave her husband to her maid because she believed that was the only way she could have a child. Hannah was tormented by her husband’s other wife; as if not having a child wasn’t enough, she also had to deal with the “other” woman. Today, some women deal with low self-esteem or feeling like less than a woman.

But one should never lose hope. God can do anything.

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At His appointed time He blessed Sarah and Elizabeth with children. These verses from The Message give us a picture of how God provided for these two women.

Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.
Genesis 18:14

God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac.
Genesis 21:1-3

But the angel reassured him, “Don’t fear Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John.”
Luke 1:13

It wasn’t long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy. “So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!” she said.
Luke 1:24-25

God has a plan for each of our lives…so if not having a child is God’s will for you, don’t let anyone make you feel as though you are less than a woman. However, unless you know this, don’t assume it is and keep expecting. One day, after I am married of course, I still plan on having a child. I know most people will think that is foolish thinking, but it is according to my faith, not anyone else’s unbelief.

I believe if God did it for Sarah, for Hannah, and for Elizabeth, He can do it for me!

The empty womb is not a problem; it is a miracle waiting to happen.

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Aretha “Ms Respect” Tatum was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She is a Minister, Author and Motivational Speaker. Writing was not her plan, but it was God’s plan. After several amazing encounters, she started writing books which talk about her supernatural experiences and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. She often warns people that her joy is overflowing and is contagious!!! You can connect with Aretha on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Why Our Character Must Match Our Calling

March 22, 2017 By Guest 10 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Holly Haynes to God-sized Dreams. She shares a story to remind us that our character should match our calling. Thanks for being here today, Holly!

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I was writing so fast in my journal my hand could not keep up with my brain. I felt so defeated…what in the world was going on?

The Lord had given me a dream years ago. What was taking so long? I had grand visions of me speaking and writing, and let’s just say the visions were far from a reality.

I kept praying and reading the Word, searching for answers. I got up to clean the kitchen, laid my journal on the counter, and as I began to clean the Lord spoke this to my heart:

“Your character must match your calling.”

As soon as I heard the words, my heart began to race and I sat down to tune in to Him.

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As I rolled the words over in my mind, I knew what He was saying. I knew there were areas of my heart and areas of disobedience which I had tucked away and had not given Him full access to.

Around that time, I was preparing to go to a writers and speakers conference within a couple of weeks. As the conference drew near, I continued to pray and meditate on the words the Lord had spoken to me.

I scoured the Scriptures, looking for others who had heard a calling, yet had also gone through a substantial waiting period and a refining of their character.

I discovered that David, though anointed by Samuel at a young age to be king, would wait over twenty years before sitting on a throne.

I found that when Joseph was young he had also dreamed grand visions and dreams. Yet, God allowed him to be betrayed by his brothers, to be thrown into jail, and many years would pass before his dream would come to fruition.

As I examined their lives, I saw during their time of wilderness and waiting, God was teaching them, shaping their character, and refining them in their obscurity.

The day came for the conference, and when I left, God had already been doing big things in my heart. I roomed with a couple other ladies, and we each shared what the Lord had been speaking to us regarding our dreams.

It was a three-day conference, and we were so excited for the final night because THE Christine Caine was the keynote speaker.

None of us knew what she was going to be speaking on, but nonetheless, we came prepared with notebooks and pens ready to glean whatever the Lord wanted to say to us.

As she began to share that her message was why your character must match your calling, we stared at one another with our eyes and mouths wide open. We had been discussing this all weekend.

As Christine owned the stage with the Holy Spirit as her guide, tears streamed down my face.

My God had not forgotten me.

I realized the years of waiting had not been for naught and that I could trust in the Lord’s reasons and timing.

Christine went on to say that if your character does not match your calling, you will be crushed by the weight of it because your foundation will not be strong enough to withstand it.

Friend, I’m wondering if you are in a season of obscurity and waiting and you feel forgotten.

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Please let me encourage you, the Lord has not forgotten the dreams He placed within your heart. He is equipping and preparing you for the future He has for you.

Trust Him for His timing.

He is doing mighty things behind the scenes and in your heart that you cannot even begin to imagine. Don’t give up, continue to be faithful right where you are, and one day you will find yourself ready, equipped, and standing on a firm foundation.

And when He calls, you will have His heart and character to go with it.

Holly is a self-proclaimed mess who is one of Jesus’ ongoing patients. Although she struggles with depression, anxiety and ADD, (and swears her Lab, Zoey, does as well), she has found redemption and healing in owning her brokenness and sharing it with others. She is a wife, mom, and Bible study teacher to teens, couples and women. When she’s not running her teen boys around you can find her blogging at hollynoelhaynes.com, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.

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Investing in Kindness

March 8, 2017 By Guest 5 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we welcome back Regan Seward to God-sized Dreams. She shares how God has helped her to see the value of investing in kindness, even when others can be hard to love. Thanks for being here today, Regan!

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When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
Proverbs 31:26 (The Message)

I stood there waiting at the deli counter for my two pounds of shaved turkey, just like I do every other Saturday. We all get into a routine and most of us find ourselves shopping at the same grocery store, and we begin to see familiar faces each time we go. Some weeks it’s the cashier or the door greeter, but this week it was the lady working behind the deli counter God chose to put into my path.

The store was busy, and she was left all alone to do the job of three or four people. As I walked up, I could tell this was going to be a testing of patience on my behalf if I wanted to get my lunch meat. I could tell the employee was not having a good morning; she was stressed and short with the customers in line ahead of me. I could see the women in front of me were put off by the employee’s bad attitude, and they began to snap back in their response.

I stood there and watched as I waited my turn, and I quickly knew that, even though I was about to be greeted by a woman who was agitated and frustrated and what others might call rude, God was opening my heart to see myself in her.

How many times in my own life had I brought my bad mood and baggage to town or work and taken it out on those around me?

I had been exactly where she was, and I would imagine so have you.

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I began wondering what this woman may have dealt with hours before she came to work. Was she struggling with a sick child, maybe an unhappy marriage or battling a disease of her own? Had her finances failed her or had her brokenness from the past gotten the best of her this morning?

I knew in my heart she was hurting; the only thing I had was my words, and they needed to be real and they needed to be kind. I couldn’t fix or change her circumstances, but God was asking me only one thing, “Do you see her? Do you see yourself in her?”

The thing is, we as women have a hard time showing kindness when we feel offended or put off. When another woman speaks in a harsh tone to us, we instantly put up a brick wall of standoffishness. I am going to be even more honest here and say that we would rather not put ourselves out there because our own insecurities keep us in chains. Our hearts may be telling us to give this woman a compliment or offer her a kind gesture, but we believe our fears are bigger than the blessing.

Are we really called to be timid and just walk away from the chance to lift the spirit of a sister in need?

Not according to Matthew…

Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”
Matthew 19:26 (The Message)

What if, before we left the comforts of our own homes, we prayed for a heart wanting to BE the blessing and not looking to BE blessed? We should be asking God to fill us with the ability to see ourselves in other women and to realize that, at the end of the day, we are all the same.

What if we lived everyday desiring to uplift and empower the women we do life with? And maybe we should be walking through the doors of our offices and department stores telling the woman next to us, “I see you.”

How different our world would be if we left our critical and insecure attitudes at the cross.

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The truth is we are all battling something, and if we see each other as a vision of ourselves then it’s pretty difficult not to choose kindness.

That day the woman did sharply greet me with a not-so-friendly tone, but the moment my words to her were gentle, she began to let her guard down. She even thanked me for my patience, and I walked away from that meat counter with a changed heart. The truth is we are all going to have bad days but what I learned that morning was…

If we are walking close enough to Jesus, then we can be brave enough to lay aside our own insecurities to invest kindness into others.

And in that moment, God will strengthen us from the inside out.

Proverbs 31:25, She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
Proverbs 31:25 (NIV)

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Waiting for the One

February 22, 2017 By Guest 3 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we welcome Ava James to God-sized Dreams. She shares how God is working on her as she waits for a deep desire of her heart. Thanks for being here today, Ava!
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Every day, I must learn to wait.

From the minute I start my day, I am obliged to wait…

For the kettle to boil for a cup of coffee…

In traffic as I drive to work…

The list never ends.

I am not a patient person, but in my decision to surrender my heart totally to Christ, I asked Him to make me into a person after His own heart…a pretty tall order!

And guess where He started? With the two words I struggle with.

Wait…

Patience…

I love this verse, because it gives me so much hope in waiting.

Stay with God!
Take heart. Don’t quit.
I’ll say it again:
Stay with God.
Psalm 27:14 (The Message)

Although I have prayerfully waited for many things, the one prayer that has not been answered yet is waiting for the one…

From making mistakes and doing things contrary to God’s Word, I have learnt that ‘rejection’ and ‘doors closing’ is actually God protecting my heart. In this journey of totally surrendering my heart to Christ, I have had to learn to let go of every ‘way’ I thought I could ‘assist’ God in trying to find that person.

As Christ is changing my heart, I have learnt what it means to fully submit this area of my life to His Lordship.

If He knows my heart and He made me, He knows me better than anyone.

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So who would be a better matchmaker than God?!

In Romans 5, Paul talks about developing patience, and I love this chapter.

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling short-changed. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:3-5 (the Message)

Although there is a continual struggle between ‘how I feel’ and knowing what Christ wants me to do, I have finally yielded the decision of ‘waiting for the one’ to Him…because I trust Him and know that any plan I have will never be as great as the one He has for me!

And with that, I am prepared to wait for Him to bring the right person to me. In this time of waiting, although there is a continual struggle between ‘my feelings’ and waiting for my prayer to be answered, I know my waiting is not in vain. In my waiting, as I pray for my future husband, Christ is working in my heart – teaching me so much and changing my character into the person He wants me to be!

Wait… Pause… Delay… I have never felt more at peace in knowing that this is all part of His plan to make me more like Christ.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message)

About Ava: I love Christ! I love worship! And I love writing. I live in England, United Kingdom and started my blog in 2014. I have a law degree and work in a legal role within Mental Health. My passions are being creative in everything I do. I’m the author of Inspired by HIS words…visit me here!

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Get Ready To Go!

February 8, 2017 By Guest 5 Comments

On Wednesdays we are thrilled to fling open the doors to all of YOU! We love hearing your dreaming stories…the lessons you’ve learned, the roads you’ve walked, the dreams He’s planted in your hearts! Today we are excited to welcome Jacquelynn Marie to God-sized Dreams. She asks us to consider where God may be calling us! Thanks for being here today, Jacquelynn!

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Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8 (NKJV))

I love wandering around Manhattan and perusing parks and stores…while also looking at Pinterest and other creative websites! I do each of these things at the same time to gain ideas and get my “pretty wheels” turning as I begin a journey to start something new. My thoughts drift from idea to idea, until I feel a bit overwhelmed with the idea of doing anything at all. Plan this, make that, bake this, spearhead that…my excitement to use the gifts the Lord has given me sends me into a whirlwind. I must admit, though crazy-busy at times, it is also quite exhilarating and joy-filled!

At first, my thoughts begin as hesitation. I’m sure you can relate. We all have thoughts like this as we brainstorm…or dreamstorm! We get quite elated about the possibilities, and then doubt sets in. Someone has already thought of this idea, or there is no way I could do such a thing, I’m just one person. Personally, my favorite excuse is that I live in Manhattan and it’s all about who you know; I know about 17 people!

We all have that reluctance thought-stream that continues to flood our mind…yet the joys, ideas and the dreams continue to flood our minds simultaneously. The question is, which will we choose to listen to? This year, I am choosing to listen to the latter and say, “Why not me?”

This year, I am choosing to listen and say, “Why not me?”

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Obviously, the Lord thought it good to give us the gifts and place the desires in our hearts…why not be obedient, diligent, steadfast and devoted to what He is showing us? Yes, the first step (or first 14 steps) may be difficult to navigate and confusing to comprehend. Guess what? They are also exciting, character building and faith-growing! God does not give us a spirit of fear; He gives us a brave spirit of “Here am I! Send me.”

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV))

As each of us pray, seek, listen and wait…let’s remember that no matter the calling, God wants someone that is willing to trust Him and just go.

Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure. (Proverbs 4:26 (ESV))

Will we be those ladies? I think we should be…let’s get ready to go!

I pray that you will build upon the excitement the Lord gives you (and me) as you desire and decide to walk in the callings He has given…with no fear or doubt!

Jacquelynn Marie is a Manhattan girl by way of the west coast with lots of ideas in her head and lots of joy to spread like confetti. She works in non-profit and just began her newest venture, a small business called A Little Bit Fancy. Jacquelynn Marie enjoys serving as a Women’s Ministry leader, Welcome Ministry overseer and Children’s Ministry teacher at her home church in the city. In her spare time, Jacquelynn Marie also loves to work out, bake, travel, write and serve on too many para-church organization committees! She invites you to be a light as Matthew 5:16 states and join her as she blogs on www.iSparkleforJesus.webs.com

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