God-sized Dreams

Where Dreams Set Sail

Thriving as a Dreamer for Life

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Let us run with endurance the race marked out for us.

Let us run with endurance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

I tell this to my friend sitting across the table from me. “We can do all the flashy things that people tell us are required,” I say. “We can fill up our calendars until we’re exhausted. We can be loud and out front all the time. But I’m convinced the people who live and work that way are sprinters. They’ll move on and at the end of their lives they’ll say, ‘One time I wrote a book’ or ‘One time I did this cool thing.’ And that will be enough. They’re going for speed—not distance.”

This is not a criticism; sprinting has a time and place. I sprinted to get my master’s degree. To finish my counseling internship. To launch a web site. During a whirlwind season of speaking. But I have come to understand that while sprinting is doable, it is not sustainable.

So if you plan to do something not for a while but for as long as you can because you love it, feel called to it, and the touch of heaven is on it, then sprinting is not the solution. Instead, live and work like you’re going the distance. This means adopting a different pace. It means showing up over and over. It means letting people pass you. It means refusing to give in to the fear that you should always be doing more and instead continuing to faithfully, unglamorously do what matters most.

Professionally and personally, for me, this means I just want to love God and people well for a long time. When I first said this out loud, tears came to my eyes. Because it felt like coming home. I’m built more for slow and steady. I realized this only after years of frustration and exhaustion.

“Let us run with endurance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). That one word—endurance—says to me that life is not all sprinting. This makes no sense in our instant world. It’s upside down in the time of social media updates. It seems less sexy and exciting than the fast and the fancy. But it’s reassuring too, isn’t it? To know we don’t have to push so hard. We don’t have to go big or go home. We can just be obedient and leave the results to God.

We don’t have to go big or go home. We can just be obedient and leave the results to God.

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I hope sometimes we get to go fast. To experience moments with the wind in our hair, the hearts in our chests pumping wildly, and the ground a blur beneath our feet. But I’m asking Jesus that we also get to go far. To make it around all the bends in the road. To watch the leaves turn from green to amber gold. To have like-hearted companions with us. To kick up our tennis shoes like they’ve grown wings and just take the next step, the next step, all the way.

Let’s keep running our race at our pace. We’re doing better than we know.

See you at the finish.

XOXO

Holley Gerth

P.S. This post in an excerpt from Holley’s soon-to-be-released book Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely. To make sure you don’t miss any news about the book (Holley will be announcing something incredibly fun next week!), you can subscribe to her emails by clicking here.

When Life Doesn’t Track According To Plan

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There have been many times my life did not track the way I thought it would according to my list of plans, dreams, and goals. (I am guessing I am not alone in this!) Instead we find that following God is not a straight line between Point A and Point B. Some of us are still between A and B, trying to find our way.

Experience has taught me this valuable truth:

When life doesn’t track according to my plan, that doesn’t mean it isn’t God’s plan.

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Yet, when I watched my life take twists and turns that did not seem to add up to any expectation of what I perceived to be God’s plan for my life, I wrestled with how to deal with the perplexing turns my life was taking.

I know God is in the business of changing, molding, shaping, and testing us. There will be unexpected twists and turns in the events of our lives that will make us wonder what God is doing, and the answer won’t seem clear at all. That is part of the test to see if we are serious about the work He has called us to do. It is also part of the test to see if we are willing to be changed, molded, and prepared for what He has planned for us in His perfect timing, perfect way, and in His perfect will.

I don’t know if the perplexing part of my journey was God changing me, preparing me, testing me, or the enemy assaulting me, or if it was all of those. If God was changing me, I am definitely a different person now. If He was testing me, I want to pass the test.  If He was preparing me, I am thankful for the work He is doing in me. If the enemy was attacking me, he failed.

God is building something out of our lives, and the beginning product does not look like the finished product.

God is the one with the blueprint and the ultimate plan.

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Not us.

While God knows exactly what He is doing, we often find ourselves frustrated with uncertainty for what He hasn’t yet revealed. He asks us to wait and trust and keep doing what we know to do as we continue to follow Him along this path we call our lives.

There will be disappointments we must endure as we know in our finite hearts that we cannot see the big picture that God sees.

When we keep our eyes on Him and strive to move forward in our faith and on our journey, we will see unfolding events that slowly reveal the plans He has for us. Ultimately, God’s will is being accomplished in our lives, and that is the best track of all.

A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Shared by Kathy Cheek

 

                                              

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When You’re Tested, You Grow (and a Giveaway!)

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I became a full-time working mom last year…in real estate. I’ve become a sponge, soaking up every bit of knowledge I can.

It has been exciting, hard, and some days discouraging. This business is tough and so very far out of my comfort zone.

There have been moments I’ve said,  I don’t want to do this anymore; it’s too hard…too much.

I’ve had this verse from James rolling around in my head, James 1:2-4: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, right?!)

James reminds me each challenge is an opportunity to grow, develop, and persevere.

I won’t give up or give into fear…but you know, it would be super easy to do just that.

As I was thinking of what I would like to share with you today, I remembered how the past six months have tested my endurance. I’ve had days when other agents who began their realtoring (that’s a word in the Real Estate world 😉 ) the same time I did would get leads that actually led somewhere. I would force myself to be happy for them but inside, feel the sting of jealousy and wonder when it would be my turn.

And while it did eventually become my turn I thought, you know, I need to share what it takes to get disheartened and give up on your dreams and I think I’ve really narrowed it down…I came up with four practical ways.

What are my four ways?

1.Sit around and do nothing. I get it. Go ahead, give up. Give into the voice in your head that says, you’re not smart enough, talented enough…whatever the lie is, give into it. Let it win, the pull is strong, who cares anyways?! You tried, gave it your best and it wasn’t good enough. Wallow in your self-pity and let it overtake you.

And then, wipe the chocolate from your mouth, comb the rat-nest out of your hair and TRY AGAIN. Dreamers, winners, champions get knocked down so many times they have bruises on their hearts and knees. But, they get back up, brush the grit from their scrapes and do it again.

2. DO NOT PRAY. For heaven’s sake, if you want to get nowhere fast, decide praying is a waste of your time and energy. Believe those heart-felt cries and pleas are a vapor disappearing into thin air. I’m sure God has more important things to do than worry about your dreams.

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17

And yet, with everything the good Lord oversees, He cares about our desires and dreams.

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He looks on us with love and even singing! Pray…and then pray some more!

3. Always, always, always, compare yourself to others. I recently asked this question in our private FB group…What keeps you from fully living? A fellow dreamer said this: “Comparing my journey to others and then not worrying that I’m not ‘keeping up.’ I’m fully alive when I rest in who he created me to be and the unique path He has me on.”

Want an infallible way to kill a dream before it’s even begun? Go ahead and compare your talents, your personality, your ability, etc. to those around you. Let’s see how far you get. Then come back and sit before God and let Him silence the not enough’s. He wants to reassure you, affirm you, and bless you, so let Him!

4. Do life alone and stay isolated. If you know me at all, you know I’m an introvert. I don’t mind being alone most of the time, but sometimes I enjoy it too much and I forget there’s a big ol’ world out there with lots of people who care about me.

Isolation will lead you to feeling like you are the only one. The only one struggling and having problems. The only one doubting God’s goodness and promises. (The only with a crazy family and kids who behave like zoo animals.)

You are not the only one! 

Right here in this space, we understand that dreaming is a group effort. It takes a tribe. No man is an island. We are your people, your fellow dreamers, out-of-the-box thinkers.

If you dream in isolation you will only get so far, but together, no one can hold us back.

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Together we are unstoppable.

Your turn: What would you add to this list? Join me in the comments for a chance to win a copy of Holley Gerth’s book, You’re Made for a God-sized Dream.

Shared by: Alecia Simersky

P.S. Interested in joining our PRIVATE Facebook group? Friend me on Facebook, and I will add you. 🙂

 

What Next?

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Dreams. They begin to formulate in us from a young age with every relationship, emotion, and experience playing a part in bringing them to fruition.

David, Jessie’s youngest son, was a simple shepherd, tending to his father’s sheep. His dreams may have been of becoming a landowner and one day tending to his own sheep. But Samuel came looking for the man of God’s choosing and upon finding him, anointed him with oil. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord was powerfully upon David although he did not take his rightful place as “king” for several more years.

He came to reign through servanthood – tending his father’s sheep, fighting giants, and playing music for a crazed king who needed to be mellowed from time to time. The fulfillment of his dreams did not come easily. Some battles came through his own sin and flaws; others through the sins and flaws of those around him.

Yet God still said, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22, NLT).

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a young virgin, who dreamed of marrying Joseph, a good man. Her dream may have included a beautiful wedding day, hopes for a home, and children in the days ahead. The one thing she probably never dreamed was of finding herself pregnant before her wedding day. Her picture perfect plan did not go perfectly.

So what happens when our dreams change or we finally achieve our dream? What is it we are to do next?

We keep on going. We do the next thing.

God is always looking to make us stronger, grow us deeper, and take us further than we ever could dream.

His plans exceed what our finite and feeble minds can imagine and handle, so He unfolds them a bit at a time. All through our lives, He will continually be at work, revealing His plans piece by piece, much like a puzzle forms a work of art.

God always follows through on His plans and does not abandon the work of His hands. We only see a part as if through a mirror dimly, but one day we will see clearly:

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT)

[clickToTweet tweet=”God wants to make us stronger & take us further than we’ve ever been.” quote=”God wants to make us stronger and take us further than we’ve ever been. “]

“And I am certain that God who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

So what do we do when we have achieved our dreams?

Shared by: Joanne Viola

 

                                             

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Your Sweet Spot Matters

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#godsizedreams

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ –Matthew 5:37

When the bright red bubble of happiness popped up on my Facebook notifications, I eagerly clicked. Join my event, it urged! Such and such for sale, come over for appetizers and shopping.

I immediately clicked “Can’t Go.” It wasn’t because it was sales. Being in business myself, I appreciate these kinds events. I’ve put on these kinds of events.

It was the thought of entering a home I’d never been to and mingling with people I didn’t know. [clickToTweet tweet=”I knew it wasn’t my comfort zone. Nope. Not going. #trustyourgut @MandyMianecki” quote=”I knew it wasn’t my comfort zone. Nope. Not going.”]

Until my classic overthinking kicked in: It would be nice to get out of the house, converse with other moms, and put responsibilities aside for a couple of hours. If nothing else, I could catch up with the few ladies I did know. Maybe I’d even enjoy meeting new people!

I went.

As I approached the front door, my nerves ramped up. Knock, or just enter? Introduce myself, or start browsing the products? My confidence plummeting, I entered and smiled weakly at a few ladies as I surveyed the room. Walking into the kitchen, I found the hostess and the the sales distributor, a friend.

She explained the layout of the products, and my head began to spin. All the ladies surrounded me seemed at ease and thrilled to shop. They were familiar with the products and eager to add to their stash.

This was not the picture I had in my head. One friend had come early and left before I got there. The others I knew were rightly engaged in hosting. I knew the small talk starters and other tricks to socializing, but it all made me want to run and hide. I knew how I functioned well, and this was not it.

***

What’s your week look like? I texted. Want to grab coffee?

I entered Panera excited to grab some comfort food and catch up with my friend.

Her ready smile and warm bear hug set a pleasant, inviting tone for the visit. She asked about my family, recent activities, known challenges, and I did the same for her. We laughed as we caught up on school woes, kids’ antics, and upcoming fun activities, and we brainstormed and sympathized with each other’s stresses and struggles.

I left feeling energized and uplifted.

Two events, two vastly different experiences… They are not parallel situations, but they confirmed something important for me.

I thrive in one on one situations that skip small talk. I know this about myself. There was a time when one on ones triggered anxiety in me too, but never so much as large groups.

At the first event, I was trying to thrive in a situation I knew was not in my strengths. Was there anything inherently wrong with going to the first event? Not at all! It wasn’t entirely unpleasant for me either. It was simply an exercise in not trusting my intuition, not honoring who I am, and caving to the “shoulds.” You know the ones:

  • I should be able to do this.
  • I should do the hard thing.
  • I should stretch myself.
  • I should be stronger.
  • I should be better.
  • I should be doing what everyone else is.
  • I should be there to support my friend.

Striving for personal growth is a good thing, but focusing too much attention on managing weaknesses keeps us out of the sweet spot of where God calls us to be and can lead to discouragement. [clickToTweet tweet=”God doesn’t call us to be a nervous wreck. @MandyMianecki #useyourstrengths” quote=”God doesn’t call us to be a nervous wreck.”]

He calls us to the freedom that is found in abundant life with Him. Living in that freedom means recognizing who He made us to be and spending most of our energy there. Our unique giftings, interests, and even some of our preferences can point us to our God-sized dreams, and we progress in those dreams when we live in the authenticity of how He made us.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. –Galatians 5:1

What “shoulds” are holding you back?

Under what conditions do you thrive?

Shared by: Mandy Mianecki

                                           

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Writing in Pencil

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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 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!
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The Treasure of Finished

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What happens when your fears come true before your dreams do?

I faced this question recently when the very reason I’d avoided obeying the Lord in pursuit of my dreams became a reality. Spread out before me, my big scary reason for reluctance made the truth plain.

There is no way around hurt and hardship in the pursuit of our ultimate dream- to glorify God.

Whether we’re joyfully skipping after Christ or cautiously tiptoeing as He coaxes us along, we will encounter stumbling blocks. We will face opposition. Many of our fears will come true.

These aren’t possibilities, they are certainties. Jesus warned us not to be surprised by trouble in this world. “Do not be afraid” is repeated all throughout Scripture because God knows we often have cause to be afraid.

Thank the Lord fears being realized don’t stop dreams from coming true.

Growing old, well past child-bearing years, couldn’t keep God from fulfilling the dream He gave Abraham and Sarah. Joseph being sold into slavery and then falsely accused and imprisoned didn’t prevent God from making true the dreams He gave Joseph in his youth. Christ’s crucifixion didn’t nullify the dreams God gave Mary 30 or so years earlier, when He told her she would bear a son who would be king and whose “nation will have no end.”

We so often wish to “undo” certain things we’ve said or done. Regret and wishing we could “go back” or that events turned out differently is commonplace.

But there is such joy and grace in the Lord’s design of time as forward-moving. What a treasure that so many things can’t be undone!

“It is finished” also means “it cannot be undone.”

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When a bad day threatens that you aren’t lovable, it’s a blessing nothing can undo the words of love poured out by your people.

When fears are realized and your dreams seem like they’re teetering on the brink of destruction, nothing can undo the steps you’ve taken in obedience.

When you see no way around pain, you can walk right through it because God who is with you will deliver you safely. What He has secured will not be destroyed.

There is no retroactive ability to destroy what God has already built. What He calls finished cannot be undone. What He says He will complete cannot be left undone.

God’s Word cannot be chained. (2 Timothy 2:9)

Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord spoke concerning you. (Joshua 23:14)

“Forever and ever amen” means today and tomorrow and every day after. The phrase follows prayer after prayer, affirmation after affirmation. We believe in a never-changing, all-knowing, all-powerful God. He’s got forever steadily up and running, and He knows how it all turns out.

As we pursue the dreams He gives us, we can know they aren’t possibilities, but certainties. They may not be what we thought they would be, but when our dreams come true they will be what God planned.

We can walk through fears coming true before our dreams ever do knowing the truth:

He who calls us is more than faithful- He is able. And He will.

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For that I am humbled and grateful. How about you?

Shared by: Bethany McIlrath


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Get On With It!

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You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer.
You’re out in the open now.
The bright light of Christ makes your way plain.
So no more stumbling around. Get on with it!
The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours.
Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.
Ephesians 5:8-10 (The Message)

I’ve groped my way through the murk more than once.

I am definitely out in the open now.

I used to be very clandestine, quiet, introverted, shy, you take your pick on an adjective. But now as I enter further into life, I see more clearly how my mud walks and dark days have taught me to be brave.

I am brave enough to share how I trudged through that murk with you, dear reader.

First, as a woman, I acknowledge this:

We women are a bit nutty once we have children or work with them.

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Kids are a blessing, but they are a lot to carry, raise, and teach. I am thankful that my husband and two boys have walked beside me, reassuring me that I’m a great mom, friend, etc. I have my doubts at least once daily. When I was a child, my parents and sister walked beside me, and thankfully they continue to talk and spend time with me as an adult.

Our faith in Christ was a foundation in our family structure then and now. There is a generational impact of faith formation, and I believe that it takes a lot of exposure to Christian beliefs, Scripture, and teaching to really impact one’s brain and beliefs.

My belief in Christ began to form more maturely in my teen years. I don’t have a date I was “saved,” but I do know that the “Light” of Christ clicked on in my head and heart with a soul change; this happened sometime in my middle school years.

The Light of Christ has shone brightly at times and flickered as well…the best part is the energy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a tiny heart spark of Christ, and It has never left me.

It is the heart spark of the Holy Spirit that enables me to share more and more of myself in person, on social media, and on my blog.

I used to have private thoughts, journals, and a blog for those I gave the link to. However, I figured out if I have been reading someone’s words and they fill my heart or head with goodness or encouragement, then I should share my heart and words as well. Do you share your feelings aloud or in print?

To share your story and help someone else is a way to “Get on with it!”  Will you join me?

I can do the sunny days better than the cloudy days. In my mind I did the elementary years better than the mom-of-infants years. I do better on days that things seem to be going according to my mental plan. I think we all have God-sized Dreams, but the reality is we cannot always achieve them right away or ever.

His plan for us is eternal. His plan matters to the world, to us, and to other people. Our plans for ourselves have strict time lines, budgets, and often selfish motives.

Our plans may make us afraid, but His plans teach us to be brave.

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Be brave! Get on with it! Go forward today looking for glimmers of Grace.

I can cheer you on toward your dreams and cheer myself on toward mine. However, the best life coach is God’s Word. His Word, the Bible, is documentation of God himself. Turn on the Light! Get on with it!

Read the Instruction Book.

Figure out what Christ is calling you to do today.

The weeks, years, etc. will fall into place gradually. Grope your way through the dark days, and rejoice if you are basking in a sunny one! He is ever present, He is worthy to be shared, and He is our Hope. Look for His presence in words, people, and events.

Please also know that if today is terrible, you can “Get on with it!” when you allow His Light to shine onto your days ahead.

I used to think my God Sized Dream was to be a perfect mother/wife, published author, an amazing small group leader, or a very successful athlete or professional. I had to “Get on with it (my life)!”  I am a truthfully a less famous girl with many friends, neighbors, clients, and a sweet, small family.

I believe that I’m living a beautiful God Sized Dream each and every day I acknowledge His presence and look for His glimmers of grace.  He has brought me through the muck, and I know He is always a steady guide to what lies ahead in reality and in heaven.

So “Get on with it!” Go where His Light leads you.

Dear God,
You are the Designer of our days.
Forgive me when I make my own plans without including Your Presence.
Give me a thankful and open heart.
Help me to see Your Light and Grace in my life today.
Amen.

Shared by: Jennifer K. Cook

A Forgotten Dream

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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 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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We Are All Gifted

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We Are All Gifted

Each one of us is gifted by God.

We all have talent that God has placed in us. From one individual to another it will look different. It always amazes me to hear one person express how they love to work with teenagers in their church group, and someone else will say they could never work with teenagers but love teaching the little ones in preschool. Then, someone else admits they don’t work well with either age group, but they enjoy helping to plan a ministry event and making sure all those details come together.

I once heard a lady sadly declare that she didn’t think she had much talent, but when we pursued the subject, she admitted that she loved coming up with the ideas for the centerpieces for various women’s ministry events and other church wide functions. Together, we recalled the different centerpieces we had seen and assured her that she, indeed, did have a gift, and we helped her to see herself as an artist.

She had not ever seen herself that way before, but her face brightened when she realized that she had something special to offer.

Some of us are good at crunching numbers while others are good at nursing or photography, teaching, leading, cooking, counseling…and the list of varied skills goes on. All are God-given, and the wide range of diversity is reflected as soon as you talk to a group of people and discover their talents and interests.

God made us unique, and the gifts He gives us are part of His design to bring our lives purpose and satisfaction.

They are also the evidence that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

God-sized Dreams is a place where we can help each other develop and grow our gifts. Our stories and encouragement provide ongoing support through the ups and downs, the open and the closed doors, the stumbles and the successes.

But the most important truth we need to remember is this:

We are each individually gifted because we are wonderfully made by God.

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I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

I am a writer. In fact, I am one of the new additions to the team this year. I want to encourage others to see themselves as God sees them and to walk by faith as they live out a daily relationship with the Lord. I will admit, my writing journey has looked like the sentence above…open and closed doors, stumbles and successes.

How about you?

Are you like the lady who didn’t think she had much to offer, yet she did; or, are you living out your God-sized dream in real time?

Are you just getting started or are you stuck trying to get started?

Are you weary from the journey or celebrating a joyous victory?

Whatever your answer, I hope you believe you are gifted because you do have much to offer!

Shared by: Kathy Cheek 

                                                      

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