When Your Dream Has Crashed and Burned

April 11, 2018 By Michele Morin 50 Comments

It all started as a strategy for outreach. We sat around a table and began to dream out loud, trusting that the fire of shared passion and the wisdom of group process would yield creative ideas for communicating the love of Christ to our community.

I don’t mind confessing that I loved my dream. We would offer free oil changes to those in need: the poor, the elderly, single parents, come one, come all! Coffee and brownies would make the most of the waiting time as those of us less talented with a wrench would fill cups and keep the conversation flowing. We prepared colorful informational brochures about our church and its programs. We bought supplies, spread the word, and waited.

Not one person signed up.
Not one person called to inquire.

Rebounding from Disappointment

The spectacular crash and burn of my dream rang in my ears for a long time. In fact, it was all I could hear, and it was ages before my idea spigot found its way back to the on-position once again.

Reading through Jeremiah this year, I’m finding a soul mate in this life of perpetual rebound from disappointment. For 23 years, God’s Word came to Jeremiah. He rose early, and he burned the midnight oil. His words were the key note in a chorus of prophecy straight from the heart of God, urging Israel to back away from the abyss of their bad behavior.

They did not listen.
Yet, Jeremiah was persistent.

Looking back, there are plenty of reasons why my outreach brainstorm yielded not even a passing shower. In the nearly twenty years since, I’ve learned a lot about planning and about the unique ministry climate of my mid-coast Maine context. It was an idea that was doomed to fail before it even started, and yet . . .

Our story does not end with the death of one dream.

God’s new morning mercies jogged Jeremiah out of bed every day to share a message that burned like fire. Living in persistence requires showing up.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Our story does not end with the death of one dream. @MicheleDMorin shares her recovery from a crash and burn ministry experience at @GodsizeDreams.” quote=”Our story does not end with the death of one dream.”]

Showing Up with Fresh Creative Energy

Our little band of believers has gone on to host dinners and day camps. We’ve caroled in December and picnicked in July, always inviting our community to the party.

Sometimes they come.
We have great conversations.
They hear the Truth about a loving God who spread His arms wide to embrace the world.

Sometimes, though, on event day, we sound like Jeremiah:
“You never listened or paid the slightest attention.” (Jeremiah 25:3-4)

For Jeremiah to show up every day for 23 years with fresh creative energy for each day’s attempt took supernatural strength. I want to persevere in that same strength.

[clickToTweet tweet=”It takes holy persistence to press into a task when all around you wafts the stench of failure. Join us at today at @GodsizeDreams for words about the dream that doesn’t go as planned via @MicheleDMorin” quote=”It takes holy persistence to press into a task when all around you wafts the stench of failure. “]

It takes holy persistence to press into a task when all around you wafts the stench of failure. Holley Gerth, author of You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream, reminds me, however, that “success isn’t about outcome; it’s about obedience.” When the God-sized dream that we launch like a bottle rocket crashes onto the rocks below, we start over.

Committing the dream to God, we begin again with all the enthusiasm of an encore: “Lord, this is for you!”
The curtain rises.
By faith, we begin again.

Shared by: Michele Morin

Why We Don’t Have to Be Afraid of “Failure”

April 9, 2018 By Holley Gerth 9 Comments

Our part is not control. It’s not results. It’s obedience.

It’s intimacy with the One who asks us to trust him even when nothing makes sense.

— You’re Made for a God-sized Dream, Chapter 7

We live in a world of numbers. We can measure everything in our lives from pounds on a scale to the amount of friends we have on Facebook. That makes it tempting to measure the success of our God-sized dream in a similar way too. It makes us feel safer to tell ourselves, “When I reach this specific goal, then I will be a success.”

Even if we don’t attach a number to it, we can still come up with other ways of being able to check the “success” box on our lives. Happy family. Flourishing career. Deep spiritual life. Yet God calls us to see success differently. He doesn’t measure or define it like we do. Rather than seeking a result, He invites us to see success as part of a relationship.

To say it simply: true success is being a good and faithful servant who brings happiness to our Master. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matt. 25: 21) What does this look like in our daily lives?

First, the word “good” is about our character. It describes who we are. Thankfully, we don’t have to make ourselves “good.” Indeed, there’s no way we even can. We’re sinners who need a Savior. Yet when we receive what Jesus did for us, we do become “good.” And we bring our Master joy as we live out more and more of who we already are in Him. As Paul said, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Phil. 3:16).

The word “faithful” describes our actions, what we do. In other words, being faithful means being trustworthy and obedient. God can count on us to say yes to what He asks of us and to follow through on it. Will we mess up? Absolutely. What counts is that when we do, we come running back to our Master and let Him help us.

In essence, success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives. When we do so, we bring Him joy. It’s beautiful the way this verse describes it: “enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21 NASB). In other words, the joy of the Master in His servant is ongoing.

Success means yielding to the ongoing process of Jesus transforming us in every area of our lives.

Click To Tweet

Many of us go through life believing that God barely tolerates us— that He’s just hanging on until we get to heaven when He can actually enjoy us. But that’s not true. You can (and do) bring God joy right now. What this also means is that if you are obedient, you cannot fail. Oh, it may look like it in the eyes of the world at times. It may seem as if your dreams go wrong. But if you are faithful to your Master, then you are a success no matter what.

We can simply get up each morning and pray, “God, I am Your servant. Do with me what You will. Use me as little or as much as You want.” In ways that can’t be measured, beyond what we can count or even imagine, He will answer that prayer. And when we are home with Him, we’ll celebrate together—forever.

Shared by: Holley Gerth

An InLinkz Link-up

Feeling Lonely While Pursuing Your God-Sized Dreams?

March 26, 2018 By Elise Daly Parker 22 Comments

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“Was just talking to God and I realize I get bored and lonely when not collaborating in some way. I have wonderful stuff I’m doing. I like my editing work. And I’m enjoying writing content for The Mom Mentor. So I’m thinking…do I just need to get over myself or is there something I’m missing that I’m made for? Just a minor question for a Tuesday…”

This was a text I sent to Kimberly Amici, one of the co-hosts on our Slices of Life podcast. I was relieved to hear that she also struggled with working alone. She had already been talking to another member of the Slices of Life team, Noelle Rhodes, about the same thing.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Sometimes, while pursuing my God-sized dreams, I feel lonely and alone in my work.” quote=”Sometimes, while pursuing my God-sized dreams, I feel lonely and alone in my work.”]

I think there are a number of reasons why this is so, some of which you just might identify with.

We live in a digital world – So while the Slices of Life podcast, for example, is collaborative because it’s at least three people having a conversation about real faith, real life, real community – we can do the work of taping over Skype. The upside is we can be in our own homes in sweats with no makeup on. The downside is we are not really in the company of one another. We do catch up a little, pray, tape, and chat for a few more minutes every time we tape, but there’s just no substitute for being in a room together.
Some of us just don’t like being alone so often – Most of my work as a writer and editor requires me to be quiet (obviously not the case when I’m life coaching). I’m also easily distracted. So I need to be by myself. I’m likely to get the most done most efficiently alone in my own home office. No music. No talking. Just me and my computer. But after days and days of that, I’ve got to get out. I’ve got to engage with other people. I am an extrovert and being alone can drain me after a while.
Isolation can lead to “stinkin’ thinkin’” – When I’m alone for too long, I can start to feel discouraged. Is this really what I’m called to? My imagination can get the best of me. Comparison can creep in. In my boredom, I can start to look for ways to fill my loneliness – like eating things that aren’t good for me but feel like comfort, or going off on a social media bender for an hour…anybody?
We can feel like we’re in a vacuum – I’m an idea person, many dreamers are! We just can’t help ourselves. An entrepreneurial spirit is often part of the makeup of a God-sized dreamer. So we have ideas…All. The. Time. And by talking to others we can figure out if the idea might be worth pursuing. We process verbally. Sometimes writing can help, but sometimes we just need to share ideas with an understanding or like-minded friend out loud.

[clickToTweet tweet=”So what’s the solution for a God-sized dreamer who needs to be alone to pursue her dream, but craves the company in collaboration? ” quote=”So what’s the solution for a God-sized dreamer who needs to be alone to pursue her dream, but craves the company in collaboration?”]

Here are a few ideas:

Meet regularly with a friend or two – Since Kimberly and Noelle were feeling similarly, the three of us are going to meet together in one of our homes on a regular basis. We’ll be intentional about our time with an agenda that includes collaborative talk time, a lunch break, independent work with headphones on, then we’ll end our time together with a little additional sharing.
Consider a Meetup – You can join a Meetup group, start your own through Meetup, or gather a like-minded group regularly on your own, much like a book group. What’s Meetup? According to their About, “Getting together with real people in real life makes powerful things happen. Side hustles become careers, ideas become movements, and chance encounters become lifelong connections. Meetup brings people together to create thriving communities.” Groups of people are getting together to share writing, cooking, decluttering, and so much more through Meetup all over the world.
Try Coworking – Yes…it’s a real thing. Ideal for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, these are flexible shared office spaces. There are at least two spaces I know of right in my own town. You can agree to meet with friends a few times a week. You can buy a Day Pass, Monthly Pass, even a Monthly Dedicated Desk that allows you to use this space with a desk reserved just for you every day if you wish.

As Holley Gerth says in You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream, “Sometimes we feel alone not because we need to be with others but because God wants to be with us…Sometimes the feeling that we are alone is actually an invitation to stop and recognize his presence with us.”

You’ll definitely want to discern the difference between when you’re called to be alone so God can meet you in the quiet…and when you’re feeling lonely and need to connect with others.

When you need to step out and be with others…go ahead and find a way to do it. I’m cheering you on!

Shared by Elise Daly Parker

An InLinkz Link-up

Take Heart

November 13, 2017 By Kim Hyland 15 Comments

“Why is it so hard, Mom?”

His voice was weary, and though we were on the phone and separated by miles, I knew him well enough to see his expression—eyes cast down to the right, staring, disillusioned.

“I’ve prayed and believed this is the path God wants me to pursue with my life. So why is it so hard?”

My young adult son’s question was one every dream chaser eventually expresses: “If I’m doing what God wants me to, shouldn’t it be easier than this? Why isn’t He helping me?”

As followers of Christ, we know trials and hard seasons are a fact of life. Nevertheless, they take us by surprise. [clickToTweet tweet=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.” quote=”Our trials are consistent with our reality but so inconsistent with our expectations.”] And like a child who doesn’t understand, they make us cry Whyyyyyyy?

“Why, God? It isn’t fair! I did my best. I prayed. I trusted. I (fill in the blank with all your efforts), and this is what I get?!”

This is the hard reality of our trials and the confusion they cause. If we are truly God’s chosen, the ones He lovingly created and formed, then why is life so hard?

It’s true. We are chosen by Him. But often we forget what God’s choosing entails.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried and CHOSEN you in the furnace of affliction.
~Isaiah 48:10 (AMPC)

One Bible commentary says this:

God had chosen [the Israelite] nation to be his people when they were suffering in the furnace of affliction in Egypt; and it is also true that God chooses sinners now . . . as the result of heavy affliction. . . their affliction had prepared them . . . to seek consolation in him; . . . and to embrace [His} offers of mercy.

. . . the furnace of affliction – Refer[s] particularly to their trials [as exiles] in Babylon. Afflictions are often likened to fire – [because] fire is used to purify or try metals, and afflictions have the same object in reference to the people of God.

There are two clear purposes of the furnace of affliction:

to prepare the hearts of sinners to receive God’s mercy
to purify or try His chosen

Throughout the Bible, we see God use hard trials and testing to prove and strengthen the faith of His chosen both as the consequence of their sin and to purify and test their faith.

In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire,
may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
whom having not seen you love.
Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
~1 Peter 1:6-9

Our trials should cause us to examine our hearts before God for sin and the possibility of His correction, but we also have to remember His higher purpose for our lives. It’s not our comfort! His purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ.

Are you in a difficult season and tempted to give up on your dream? Take heart, Dreamer! God is committed to accomplishing all of His good purposes for your life. Allow Him to work in and through you as He purifies your heart in His holy furnace of affliction.

And be certain of this . . . He is the author and perfecter of your faith, and you can trust Him to complete the good work He began in you.

Shared by: Kim Hyland

An InLinkz Link-up

Uncultivated: Dreaming in the Wilderness

November 8, 2017 By Stacy Jeffries 3 Comments

For everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under the heaven. – (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)

Merriam-Webster defines wilderness as a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings. Scripture gives us an appreciation for every season of our lives, declaring that there is a time for everything under the heavens.

When I reflect on this opening scripture in Ecclesiastes 3, I for one like to think about positive life events. Time for a new job, a new hobby, anything exciting? Hallmark Christmas movies 24/7?

YES! Sign me up please and thanks.

The wilderness? Not so much. My hand is not raised. I am not ready and can I skip this class, please and thanks. I’m guessing your hand isn’t raised either. But as the passage continues, we are reminded that every season has a purpose, and the harvest and wilderness are two sides of the same coin (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15).

When I first said yes to my God-sized Dream of making organic bodycare products, I had no full-time job, which meant no real income to launch anything. I spent time educating myself in ways I could afford, learning about my craft. I dreamed with and asked God for a vision to follow. Every step of the way, He guided me and led me along the right path (Psalm 32:8). As I trusted Him with the process and used what was in my hands, He brought my dream of Mama’s Southern Love to fruition. One year later, He is still writing an amazing story .

How do we come to appreciate the uncharted territory, making a path where there is none? Not only for our lives but for our dreams too? Friend, I’ve learned that God does some of his best work in the wilderness. As I reflect on my experiences, here’s what I have learned.

Keep following the last instructions from God.

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you, a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 NLT)

When in the wilderness, continue following the last word we got from God. When we don’t know which way to turn, we can never go wrong with reminding ourselves of what God has already spoken to us. The good news is that we have the Word when we need a reminder and a guiding light. Study the characters of the Bible and ask God for Biblical leadership skills.

Be a good steward of the current moment and resources.

There have been months where I felt my dreams were stagnant and made no progress. I also experienced times where I had so many ideas without the resources to implement them, which can be equally frustrating. Regardless of which season our dreams are in, God will always provide the manna. Assess what “daily bread” He has given you, and put it to work. Do you have ideas? Write them down, and pray for them. Speak life over your dreams through affirmations and praying the scriptures. Educate yourself and become an expert in your dream field. Engage what’s in front of you in the wilderness until it’s time for the next season.

Trust God in the process of the unknown.

When the heat is turned up and challenges in the wilderness are difficult, turn to the Almighty, who is sovereign over all. Know that He has a plan and can see the full picture, whereas we only have a limited view. He will not steer you wrong. In addition to leaning on the Lord, turn to your community for encouragement and support.

Another Merriam-Webster definition of wilderness is “an area essentially undisturbed by human activity together with its naturally developed life community; an empty or pathless area or region.

Places void of human activity are divine opportunities for a touch from the God.

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While an area undisturbed may seem frightening at first, I have learned that God fills empty things and He makes them beautiful. When your season of dream wilderness has ended, you’ll be able to look back and see how God has indeed made everything beautiful in its time.

Shared by Stacy Jeffries

Photo by Jaromír Kavan on Unsplash

Give A Little Love

November 1, 2017 By Alecia Simersky 18 Comments

I’ve declared today, “Give a little love day.” Why? You ask. No particular reason.

Lately, it feels like the world is overwhelming. I have friends in health, marriage, you name it they’re in it crisis. So, instead of writing the most encouraging and enlightening blog post of your life on following your God-sized Dreams, I’m doing a giveaway!

Check out these beautiful hand-made necklaces and clutch. They’re from the craftsmen(women) at Fair Trade Friday.

If you haven’t heard of the Fair Trade Friday club yet, take a minute to click over to their site. They have some new boxes that I didn’t know they had! They’re not just pretty necklaces and earrings anymore. Girl Boss Box anyone? (We’re not affiliated, just big fans)

Leave me a comment below on how you are encouraging a fellow dreamer in your life and I’ll choose one winner.

I hope you win!

Shared by: Alecia Simersky

Trusting Even in the Unknown

October 11, 2017 By Kristin Smith 6 Comments

The past several weeks have been a true walking out of my faith for me. I often can encourage others well, offer prayer, and support when someone is struggling. But when it comes time for me to listen to my own advice, I falter.

In September I was having some weird medical issues that brought me into my doctor’s office. A cyst was discovered on my only remaining ovary and it was determined that because of its abnormal walls, it needed to come out.

I spent a few awful weeks waiting for the surgery and essentially banned myself from Google because I was having mini panic attacks over all of the possibilities. I had stopped taking my fears to God and instead decided to turn to the wise-old internet to give me the answers I was seeking. It wasn’t comforting and I was wound up tight.

I realized that I had not stopped in all of the craziness to ask God to calm my spirit. Have you ever been there? Stuck in the crazy cycle of trying to manage your life and it just seems to be spinning further and further out of control?

It isn’t a fun place to be!

But, oh the peace that came when I stopped trying to control and anticipate the future and really opened my hands and my heart up and gave my fears over to God. I started by taking time each morning to write out my prayers in a prayer journal. It is something that I had done before but had stopped for a season. It was time to start again.

Writing out my prayers has always been good for me because it helps keep me focused and I can look back and see all the ways God has answered those prayers! Taking even 10 minutes out of my morning to spend time with God in this way was the perfect way to start my day.

In doing that simple practice and continually turning things back over to God, sometimes hour by hour, something started to change in my spirit.

Initially there was talk of possible hormone replacement therapy, which I was not fond of at age 42. So I started turning that over to God. I couldn’t control it if HRT was required…why worry about it now?!

Then when it looked as if there was a smaller possibility that the abnormal walls of the cyst could be indicative of cancer…I had something new to worry about. But once again I turned that worry over. We prayed openly as a family about the surgery and reminded our kids that God would take care of me, no matter what, so they didn’t need to worry.

The night before the surgery I felt such peace. I had no idea what the outcome would be, and honestly, I had steeled myself for the worst possible outcome, and in spite of that I was at peace about whatever would happen. I knew God would be walking with me. Hebrews 6:19 is one of my favorite verses… “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

God has been my anchor my whole life…I just haven’t chosen to acknowledge it at all times.

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There are times I think that I need to be my own anchor, my own support. When this happens I find myself worried and stressed and cranky!! But when I let go of control, I find peace and contentment knowing God ‘s got this.

When I woke up from the surgery I discovered that everything went better than expected. The cyst was normal and it was able to be drained and removed without taking my ovary. All of the fears I could have held on to were unnecessary.

There are so many situations in my life where I have tried to be my own “boss.” I let God have some things, but not everything. I have done it where my dreaming journey is concerned as well. These past few weeks have been a reminder to me that there is a better way.

Trials will come. Whether it is in your personal life or your dream journey, it will never be smooth sailing. How we enter into those trials and walk through them is our choice. We can choose to have peace because God has an abundant supply of peace to offer us, or we can choose to white knuckle it through, pretending that we have it all under control.

I won’t always get it right, I know that. But I am hoping that when the next difficulty comes I will remember this situation and be ready to more quickly hand over control to God.

Are there some things in your life right now that you are trying to manage on your own? May I encourage you to open your hands and your hearts to turning those things over to God?

He is your anchor.

Shared by: Kristin Smith

Photo Credit: Sunny_ravin

Don’t Be Afraid to Say It

October 2, 2017 By Mel Schroeder 16 Comments

It was finally our turn to breathe.

The lists had been made, the bags were in the trunk of the car, the bed & breakfast was booked, the sitter was at the house with our kids.

We kicked off our four days away together with an anniversary breakfast out at one of our favorite local spots, and the coffee had barely been poured before we started talking about life.

How tired we were.

But how good it was.

How challenging the days were.

But, mostly, how blessed we were to be living it all.

Before our food had even arrived, our conversation took a detour toward all the things that had been put on the back burner since our baby boy arrived a year before.

He mentioned writing.

And I sort of changed the subject because I knew there hadn’t been many words written. I told him how much I wanted the words to come, but they just weren’t there. He encouraged me to keep writing things down in hopes that maybe someday the blog would revive itself a bit.

I smiled.

And then I mentioned Indonesia.

Though we’ve been back in the States for seven years, it seems like our conversations still often end up here. It’s also no secret to him how much of a place those people still hold in my heart. He knows the ache I experience some days. And he’s seen the tears that fall, too.

But we know it’s not meant to be right now…that God has placed us where we are for a purpose. And we love it here, too.

But there was something in that conversation…as we reminisced and talked about all the changes since…that gave me freedom, and so I kept talking. Kept sharing my heart.

I told him the secret dream that’s lied buried because I was too afraid to say it aloud.

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About how I wanted to open a coffee shop. A fair trade one that supports Indonesian farmers.

Even as I spoke the words, it felt so big. The kind of big for a dream that made it feel almost unfair to speak because it seemed so far off. So impossible. And, also, I thought he’d laugh.

But he didn’t.

He smiled. And then he said words that breathed life into my dreams more than he will ever know.

Do it.

What?!

Do it. I think it’s a great thing to shoot for. Do some research and figure out what comes next.

That part of the conversation was quickly followed by my daily reality…the fact that life right now is giving what I have to my husband, seven-year-old daughter, and becoming-a-toddler boy. There’s not enough left over to do much dream chasing.

We talked about that, too, and how even if this is just the very beginning of a dream…I should still take the next step. Ask the questions, drink the coffee, make the connections, drink more coffee. All things that I can do. Especially the coffee part. 😉

I could tell you more, too. About how, within the next week, God set up two very specific appointments for me, both involving fair trade and coffee.

We had a great getaway together, and we hit the ground running once we returned home. Honestly, other than some prayers, I haven’t chased my coffee shop dream down much more. But I have thought a lot about that morning…and the one thing that’s stuck with me since I poured my heart out and dared to speak that dream to my husband.

Sometimes it’s scary to say our dreams aloud.

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But let’s put on our brave pants and our superhero capes and say them anyway.

Because maybe God has something big on the horizon. I mean, His faithfulness is great, He’s a good Father…and I know I can trust Him with my dreams, both the ones that feel safe and the ones that seem scary.

And I kind of can’t wait to see what happens with this one.

Shared by: Mel Schroeder

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

An InLinkz Link-up

When God Redeems Those Dreams You Surrender…

September 18, 2017 By Dawn Boyer 14 Comments

Unbelief is a robber of grace. It diminishes our ability to hope and destroys our creativity to dream. It is the opposite of the affirming promises found in God’s Word. We can see the enmity that it places on the promises His Word affirms clearly, like a weapon of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy what Christ came to give.

I have come that you may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance, till it overflows.
John 10:10 (AMP)

Unbelief is a deterrent of purpose. It distracts us from the path we were meant to walk on. It steals and destroys and weakens faith till it is inactive. And not only faith is diminished by the arrows of doubt, but dreams wither and die in the adversity it seems to shadow over our lives.

If we have faith, if we believe God, He will show up…He will reward our diligence.

Hebrews 11 talks about faithful dreamers who were prompted and urged and provoked to big faith. A Hall of Fame recounting those who chose brave faith in spite of what they did not see…dreamers who dared to dream dreams. Right in the middle of this narration is a conjunction of sorts, a phrase that joins the beginning to the end, the origin to the goal, the idea to the dream. It’s a reminder to each of us, who choose to dream with God on this journey, that belief is rewarded not so much with our hope but with God instead.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Sometimes it’s the ordinary dreams that take the greatest amount of faith.

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There is a dreamer who wasn’t mentioned by name in this chapter, but her story rivals those summarized there. A recounting of those who did something extraordinary things out of ordinary faith all because they made the choice to seek first the One Who is the original mover of every dream.

Hannah is one of my heroes in the book of women who believed God for something bigger than herself. She had a simple dream that took mountain-moving faith to see fulfilled. Her narrative tells us who she was identified as, Elkanah’s wife; what was lacking in her life, children; and what she did, she prayed.

What strikes me about this first chapter of Samuel is not that Hannah felt unloved but rather unpurposed. She knew she was loved and favored by her husband, but it wasn’t enough. In her distressed and bitter state, she prayed to the Lord to fulfill a dream…to fill her soul with the resurrection of a broken and unmet goal. She went to the altar of grace and poured her dreams out of her soul into His hands in an action of surrender and trust.

What Hannah didn’t know, which is similar to each of us now, is that the fullness of the unrealized dream could never come to fruition until the timing of His fullness was met within her.

With a prayer of desperation and vow of faith, Hannah sought the only One Who could meet her need. She begged for a remembering, a resurrecting and redeeming of the hope that had been deferred by time and lack and loss. In one act of faith, a surrendering of herself back to the Lord Who planted the spark within.

As Hannah went to the temple to pray, she knelt low to surrender her dreams, she asked to be remembered, she poured out her soul in faith.

She went for a miracle and she left with God.

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Hannah went seeking provision for her deepest hurt and found the God Who supplies provision for her every need. Surrendering all she held in her heart: dreams, goals, wishes and bitterness, envy, hurt, she let go of the disease of unbelief. In her weariness, she asked for grace and was met by peace. Her countenance was changed in a way that was both felt and seen. It was in that moment, where she decided to surrender it all in search of the ONE Who fills us as nothing on this earth can, that she found the miracle she seeking.

Like Hannah, when we surrender all we have and all that we are on the altar of His grace, we will find that the One Who fills us is also preparing us for the dreams He has encrypted into the very fabric of our souls.

Right in the middle of every dreamers story is a pause, a waiting space of holy hope which has the power to impregnate a faith seed so powerful that it will change us completely.

She came to the throne of grace to receive well-timed help in her time of need. She came believing that He is Who He said He was. Not only did He resurrect her broken faith, rerouting her unbelief and changing the course of her destiny in the narrative of her story, He redeemed every broken dream, fulfilled her surrendered goals, and filled her with a seed of promise that would define her.

Praying that you will find your way to the altar of grace today, to surrender all that is in your heart to the One Who is waiting to fill you with all He has prepared for you.

Shared by: Dawn Boyer

An InLinkz Link-up

When Your Resume Doesn’t Match Your Dream

September 13, 2017 By Bethany Mcllrath 24 Comments

Call me weird, but I love helping people write their resume. It reminds me of those fun matching worksheets we’d fill out in school. Maybe you remember them too?

One column might list dates. The other would outline events. We would draw a line between those that matched.

Similarly, good resumes tend to align with correlating job descriptions. A posting for an organized and communicative coordinator is best met with a resume that highlights successful experiences organizing and communicating. When applying to work at a college, it’s smart for a resume to mention previous work experiences in an academic setting.

What happens when our resumes don’t match our assignments?

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Motherless career women are thrust into parenthood. Men who have worked for decades managing a technology are forced to find a new job field when new tech takes over. Stay-at-homes moms become single and need employment. Students who worked hard for their degree can’t find a related job. People with worthy, noble, God-sized dreams see no possibilities.

Sometimes, we look at our lives and ourselves and don’t see any matching qualifications for the task at hand.

But we’re not the first folks to have that issue.

Here’s a peek into heavenly HR:

Job Description: Second in Command over a Powerful Nation

Resume:

Betrayed by jealous family members

Sold into slavery, served as overseer

Falsely accused, sent to prison

Dream interpreter as prisoner

Possesses the Spirit of God

Good fit? A God-fit.

Job Description: Great-Grandmother of Second King to Ever Rule a Nation

Resume:

Woman from Moab, where child sacrifice was practiced

Widow of a man whose family seemed cursed

Professional gleaner of leftovers from fields

Remarried to older, apparently undesirable kinsman redeemer

Enabled by the Spirit of God

Good fit? A God-fit.

Job Description: Apostle Responsible for Leading Many Gentiles to Salvation

Resume:

Jewish zealot educated in the law

Persecutor of Christians

Accomplice to murder of many Christians

Temporarily blinded

Filled with the Spirit of God

Good fit? A God-fit.

Few (if any!) Bible heroes’ lives “matched up” with what God called them to do.

It’s easy for us to assume that we are either fit for something, or not. Qualified, or not. We may take steps to position ourselves as more fit or qualified. But we have to watch out:

When dreaming seems slow, we’re often tempted to start scheming.

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God is less about matching and more about making.

Joseph’s experiences didn’t clearly align with his future job description, but God used them to prepare Him practically and to make Himself known.
Ruth’s life in no way pre-disposed her as a clear fit for her future assignment, but God used her experiences to draw her to Himself and to make Himself known.
Paul’s work history would appear a hindrance to his future endeavors, but God used the drastic change to equip Paul for a life of seeing others changed and God used Paul to make Himself known.

We, like these people God so loved and set as examples for us, don’t have to scheme as we dream. We don’t have to create paths to beef up our resumes. We also don’t have to write failure across the tops of our assignments when we can’t see how our qualifications and our dreams match up.

Instead, we’re free to believe that God, who is making us still, will make Himself known through us (messy resumes welcome!)

That’s the dream, and it is this moment coming true.

Shared by: Bethany McIlrath