A Bittersweet Announcement

April 30, 2018 By Mel Schroeder 43 Comments

I remember the day I opened the email and saw the words, Congratulations! You’re a part of the God-sized Dream Team! It was a long time ago, that November 2012 morning, and sometimes I still can’t believe all that’s happened since the day Holley’s message made it to my inbox.

I didn’t know the amazing blessings that were coming.

To make a long (but fun!) story short, I’ll just say that the email led to a book launch team and some dear friendships as we connected and shared our hearts and spoke our dreams, as we covered each other in prayer and cheered our fellow dreaming sisters on. When the book launch officially ended, several of us broke off and formed a mastermind group, continuing to pray, encourage, and dream-chase together; it was in that group that our brave friend, Christine, spoke her God-sized Dream. Eager to encourage her and jump on board, we were all excited to join her as she headed up the beginning of this corner of the internet called God-sized Dreams.

In January of 2014 we launched this space as a place for dreamers to be encouraged, to share their stories and struggles, and to walk this road with others who had dreams burning in their hearts and needed the hand-holders as they stepped forward with whatever big and sometimes-scary things God had called them to do.

I can tell you that those of us who have been a part of this place have been blessed…many times over. We have loved being here, sharing our hearts with you, and hearing about all that God has done in your lives. Things have changed some…writers have joined and some have moved on to other things. Leadership has changed, too…both Kristin and Alecia have also been amazing leaders in this community over the last few years. There have been changes, but it’s always been such a blessing to be part of.

And maybe that’s why today’s announcement feels a little bittersweet.

After four years and a little more, God-sized Dreams is taking a pause.

It’s a decision that wasn’t made lightly and not without a lot of prayer. Because where there are dreamers (that’s us!) and when God is in us…well, there will always be God-sized Dreams. There’s so much encouragement still needed and so many stories that need to be shared, so many prayers that need to be prayed and so many celebrations still to happen over dreams bursting through and being realized.

But we also, as a team, have realized our limitations in life and very much have seen how dreams have changed and morphed, in both the expected and in the surprises. Many of us have walked hard roads in the last years, and while God is in the business of redeeming and we see Him clearly at work, we also see the need for obedience in learning to breathe and walk smaller, quieter roads. At least for now, those look like caring for our families and living the more immediate, tangible things that ask a lot of us in our daily lives. (Here’s looking at keeping up with my almost-8-year-old girl and chasing a toddler boy, at least for this dreamer.) 😉

When Alecia and I first had this discussion a couple of months ago, my heart ached…it feels sad to think of a possible ending to something that’s been so sweet. Placing a pause on this space isn’t what we wanted, but God was making it clear that we needed to keep our hands open with the very thing He’d placed in them. And so she communicated our thoughts and plans, and the entire writing team graciously responded.

What we know…is that we’re taking a break. That break may end, and it may not. We have ideas, visions…dreams we’d still love to see take shape here. But those need time to sit, and we need some time to wait and rest in order to let God breathe new life into what He might have for us regarding this place.

Will you pray with us and for us as we wait to see what God has next?

Will you leave a word of encouragement for a fellow dreaming sister (or brother!) in the comments?

And, if you feel led, will you share the blessings God has given as you’ve chased your dreams?

From the bottom of our dreaming hearts, we thank you all for being here and walking this with us.

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We have loved having each and every one of you here.

Here’s to our dreams and the Giver of them Who always goes with us.

Love,
the writers at GSD

Shared by Mel Schroeder

An InLinkz Link-up

Setting Aside Your Dream

December 11, 2017 By Lovelle Gerth-Myers 13 Comments

One year ago my life changed forever when I saw the faint pink line on the pregnancy test. Since I had graduated college only six months earlier, being a stay at home mom had never even crossed my mind. I’d worked five years to obtain that expensive piece of paper. Surely, I’d use it, right? Wrong.

Here I am a year later and my life looks nothing like I thought it would. My “career” is being a full-time caregiver, housekeeper, and cook. My husband, on the other hand, got a promotion right as I started staying home. As my “career” came to a stopping point, his was only beginning.

As long as we had been married, my husband had supported me and encouraged me in my dreams. He tutored me every evening while I struggled through college and had gone to countless speaking engagements with me. Even at women’s retreats, he would stand outside the door of the auditorium listening to me since men weren’t allowed.

When I asked to have my website designed, he didn’t care about the cost, he said, “of course”. That life coach certification? I got a yes in two seconds.

He happy danced with me when I got the news that I was going to be published in a devotional and always reminded me of my worth.

There is a season for everything. For me, this season looks like setting some of my dreams and that expensive piece of paper aside so I can care for the house while my husband works to care for me and our little girl. It means cleaning and cooking so that I can make my husband’s life a little easier since his hours at work got longer.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy. As much as I would love to say that vacuuming and changing diapers is fulfilling, it isn’t. I pray daily that the Lord will help me find joy in the mundane. My husband is good at what he does and from the looks of it, he only has room to grow in the company. This season means supporting my husband while he reaches for his dream. It’s the least I can do since he’s always supported me in mine.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Some seasons we are called to be active while other seasons involve us standing on the sidelines” quote=” Some seasons we are called to be active while other seasons involve us standing on the sidelines.”] I am determined to be content in whatever season the Lord has me in.

My heart swells with happiness when my husband comes home to tell me about his day. He’s happy and proud of what he does. The Lord isn’t done with me yet and in His time, I’ll be able to pick up where I left off. Until then I’ll continue to be the cheerleader on the sidelines pushing my husband to be all that God has called him to be because that’s how I can support him while he works to achieve his dream.

What season has God placed you in? What are some ways you find contentment? I’d love to hear about it.

Shared by: Lovelle Gerth-Myers

An InLinkz Link-up

When God Shifts Your Dreams {For A Season}

August 14, 2017 By Jennifer Linck 20 Comments

I have a confession to make.

It was really hard to write this post.

I had months to write it; but life has been busy and writing hasn’t been a priority.

I had to pray for the words and motivation to get it done on deadline.

You see, God’s been shifting my dreams.

I’ve sadly wasted too much time thinking my identity and worth were wrapped up in my writing.

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My focus is no longer on platforms and blog posts, but the little boy standing right in front of me.

God has been shifting my dreams to be more in line with His dreams for me.

It seems ironic that it’s taken five years for me to realize what really matters.

I’ve wrestled with finding a balance between writing and motherhood since the day Jackson was born.

I felt like motherhood wasn’t enough – that I had to be more and do more – to truly make a mark for the Kingdom.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe writing is a gift God’s entrusted to me.

God made me a writer.

I believe it’s part of my calling.

He made me a lover of words and it’s a gift I love to use,

But…

Motherhood is a high calling.

Being Jackson’s mama matters more than how many followers I have on social media.

In three days my son will start kindergarten. As I reflect on the past five years, I realize I wasted a lot of time trying to build a platform when I should have been building up his little heart.

I can’t help but wonder if maybe I missed some really great moments because I was so focused on being a writer.

When motherhood gets messy, it’s easy to turn to social media for a pick me up.

And motherhood is messy.

And mundane.

And isolating.

And humbling.

Motherhood is holy work behind closed doors.

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It doesn’t always feel like a calling when you’re juggling therapy appointments, making peanut butter and jelly and praying for patience.

It doesn’t always feel like a calling when your friends are getting book deals or their small businesses are booming.

It doesn’t always feel like a calling when God has asked you to put the dreams of your heart on hold.

It’s taken five years for my dreams to shift; to trust my Savior with the ones that aren’t meant for this season.

And that’s the thing; every season has it’s own set of dreams.

It doesn’t mean the dreams in our heart have to die.

God sees them there and will allow them to flourish in His perfect time.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

In my current season, carpooling and playing intense games of Hungry, Hungry Hippo are enough.

I don’t feel a crazy amount of pressure to produce blog posts and I rarely think about building a platform.

Trusting God with my dreams has brought about freedom.

This season – motherhood – is what I prayed and longed for for so many years.

It was a huge God-Sized dream that I wasn’t sure would happen for me.

There was infertility; followed by a crazy adoption journey.

There was a baby boy placed in my arms.

There was a lot of faith, prayers, tears and obedience on my journey to become a mother.

It was a dream God made come true in a way only He could.

Motherhood is my highest calling.

I’m so glad I’ve finally embraced it.

Shared By: Jennifer Linck

An InLinkz Link-up

On Holding on and Letting Go

September 14, 2016 By Elise Daly Parker Leave a Comment

Moving. We talked about it for several years. And then, we did it. We actually moved out of the town I’ve lived in for 48 years, and the home I’ve raised my family in for 26 years.

I’ve always loved my hometown. It’s beautiful. The streets are lined with sturdy mature trees. The old homes are gracious, each one unique and original. Ours featured the charm of hard wood floors, original moldings, warm fireplaces, the natural comfort and coziness of a traditional home.

We lived just a few blocks from our town center where we often had breakfast at the Cozy End. I’ve walked those streets countless times with babies, toddlers, and then teenagers. Over the years, the Meyers 5&10, Bonds Ice Cream Store, and Markers Bakery have yielded to The Gap, a Starbucks, and Williams Sonoma. But it’s still our little Uptown center. It’s still my neighborhood and it took me a long time to be ready to leave it.

Long ago, my husband and I made the decision, despite crazy high taxes, to stay in this town until all of our kids completed high school. We loved the diverse, multicultural and multi-ethnic character it has long been known for and which was part of my experience growing up.

Our conversation about moving started three years ago, on the way home from dropping our youngest off to college.

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It was time. Time to downsize.

We didn’t have a huge house, but no longer needed three floors plus a basement, and four bedrooms. The house needed costly care and upkeep. And we definitely didn’t need to keep paying the high taxes.

I knew the time would come to move on, but at first, it was just too much for me to consider. Everything was changing. I was afraid of losing the things that identified me. Made me sure and steady. Gave me purpose.

What did the future look like?

If I wasn’t prioritizing my family, what was I prioritizing?
If I wasn’t the day-to-day “mom,” who was I?
If I wasn’t living in Montclair, where I had almost always lived, where would I live?
And where would Christmas be? I was the keeper of the family Christmas…if not here, then where?

So it took a while. I told my husband that, rather than live in this strange neverland of one foot in my old home and the other on the path to the unknown, we should come up with a solid plan.

There were lots more questions that needed answers…

How would we prepare the home, freshen it up to make it ready to sell?
What would be the process of getting rid of all the stuff we had accumulated over the past 26 busy years?
When, really when, did we want to move?
Oh and where? The idea of heading for the coast intrigued me and struck me as a potential grandchild magnet. My husband loved the idea of immersing ourselves in Philly, where two of our children and our grandchildren live. Or, was it too soon to make such a change? Maybe we’d just move down the street a bit to a neighboring town.

That year after our youngest went to college we had our floors refinished and many of the walls painted in preparation to sell. Despite the effort, I was uneasy and unwilling to push past the fear and doubt. My husband was ready, but I wasn’t quite there yet…

We stayed another year.

I began to run out of good arguments for staying.

The taxes increased. The house wasn’t getting any smaller and still needed repairs. I couldn’t hold on any longer. So we met with our realtor and put together a plan of action that would take advantage of the spring real estate market.

I was overwhelmed by a sense of peace as we moved forward. We painted more walls and even installed granite countertops and subway tiles to spruce up the kitchen. We cleared our home of personal touches, like photos and tchotchkes, and got rid of about 1/3 of our papers, books, memorabilia, glassware, and sports equipment. We stored half of our furniture in the garage.

This was really happening!! After determining we’d stay in the area, but not exactly sure which town, we began looking around at houses to buy. When our house went on the market, it sold within a week.

It was time to choose our new home.

During the last few weeks in our old home, I sensed God’s reassurance. He spoke right to my heart, through His Word, as I read devotions. He was doing a new thing. He was able to do immeasurably more than I could imagine. He would never leave us or forsake us no matter where we lived.

I sensed God saying,

“It’s time to let go. Time for the next thing. As you let go of the past, you won’t just let go of all those good memories, you will be able to let go of some hard things too, some of the things that hold you back, some of your old beliefs that are stumbling blocks. There is freedom ahead.”

So what does this have to do with God-sized Dreaming?

Whether it’s a move or a dream, it’s a journey. And sometimes to move forward we have to let go of the past.

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We have to trust that if it’s time to leave a dream behind, God has something better ahead.

Are you thinking it’s time to leave your dream behind?

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Take time to reflect. Where have you been and where are you going?
Seek God. He’s got a plan and His timing is perfect…and He will speak.
Take action. If it’s time to move in a new direction, be brave and trust that God will be with you no matter where you go on your dream journey.

Shared by Elise Daly Parker

Note: You can hear more conversations about Letting Go on the Circles of Faith Slices of Life Podcast. Join us!

Sometimes Dreams Change

August 8, 2016 By Kristin Hill Taylor 2 Comments

When we moved into a house we loved middle of town three weeks before our second child was born, I thought we’d live there forever. We lived next door to Greg’s grandma, across the street from the park, and just around a couple corners from my best friend. We could walk to our favorite parade-watching spot and get most anywhere we ever go in 10 minutes.

Inside, the laundry room was right off the kitchen, there are four bedrooms which fit our family perfectly, and there’s extra space in the play room/office on the second floor and the basement living room to spread out. Ben mastered the steps before he could walk – and Rachel was starting to do the same.

Greg – my husband of 14 years – has long dreamed of living on more land, like he did when he was a teenager. We have a lake house and my mother-in-law lives on hundreds of acres, so as we spent time at those places throughout the years, Greg’s dream started becoming my dream. While we loved our home in town, adventure was starting to feel restricted.

In recent years, moving to a wide-open space to call home been one of those one-day dreams for when circumstances seemed right, the land was located in the right place, and the house suited our needs and wants.

Well, one day happened.

In June, we moved 8.3 miles away onto 33 acres. Around here, we call that moving to the country. Now I run errands in town.

Our house is all on one level, which I love. The kitchen is many times bigger and brighter and the open layout of the living, dining room fits our lifestyle, and the laundry room is bigger but still close to the kitchen. There are windows with views, wide open spaces to roam, and woods and creeks to explore.

Months before we moved in, I stood on the front porch looking out to where my boy could run free, where my husband could let his dreams take root, and where we could all five adventure together, I knew the dream had changed.

Dreams can change, you know.

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I say that because I’ve been hesitant to believe that.

I also say that because I had to remind myself of that when packing up our entire house was more emotional than I ever expected. I’m a doer – taking care of tasks makes me happy. So I imagined I’d organize and purge our stuff and then set up our new home.

That’s what we did, but it wasn’t so cut and dry. Even with the excitement of our new place, leaving the old one was hard.

That house was our home for half our marriage. We brought two kids home there. We celebrated and grieved there. So many kids had been there to play as my friends and I navigated motherhood. Honestly, collectively, my favorite years were spent there.

I know we will make many new memories and always have the memories from the old house, but, goodness, I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that come when dreams change.

Sometimes dreams change so God can usher us into a deeper relationship with him.

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Sometimes they change so we can meet a new friend or find a new passion. Sometimes they change for reasons we never know.

But change isn’t always bad.

Again, I say that because I’ve been hesitant to believe that.

We’ve had friends over and have settled into this place that feels like home. After a couple weeks of moving in, a torrential downpour and storm washed out part of our road. Thankfully, there’s another way out. But sometimes even the best dreams have hiccups.

I have no doubt much adventure awaits because that’s the beauty of accepting dreams can change.

Shared by: Kristin Hill Taylor

When the Failure of Your Dream Is Not Really a Failure After All

May 11, 2016 By Elise Daly Parker Leave a Comment

Have you ever felt a little bruised and battered by your God-sized dreams?

I mean dreams can be so exciting – when they’re moving forward, evolving, coming true! And then they can be dashed. Kaboom! All the work, time, effort, prayer, emotions that went into that dream can seem all for naught. It feels like the failure of your dream. That hurts! And it can be very discouraging. I know – I’ve had that experience with Circles of Faith.

For years, and I mean like 20 years, I had this dream to have a place to share our stories. Through a number of experiences in women’s ministry, I saw how powerful, life-changing in fact, it was to exchange our stories, our God stories. Stories that are expressions of a Good God, a God of miracles and redemption, a God who demonstrates His love in tangible ways, a God who is near, who cares, who loves immeasurably. A God who is real. These stories deepen faith, encourage, bring hope, and glorify God!

I envisioned a magazine (I’ve been in the magazine business for over 30 years) that would serve my local community. I wrote copious notes and journaled for years, believing that when the time was right, the God-sized dream would unfold.

And that’s basically what happened. Through a series of God orchestrations, I met a group of women who had a similar dream. But now the worldwide web was full speed ahead. So we decided to start there and launched an online community/contributor site, Circles of Faith – Where Faith, Life, and Community Intersect.

We had awesome content from a team of amazing writers. We had a good social media strategy. We worked diligently, along with a team of dedicated women. But our subscriber numbers were flat. They never really grew much from our official launch. Meanwhile, the web was getting saturated with more and more blogs…and our engagement seemed to be waning. What was up with that? Very disheartening.

The good news is we have been able to shift our dreams.

That was not easy. But we took some steps that allowed us to move forward. And these 5 Steps to Shifting Your Dreams just might help you if you find yourselves in a dream boat that seems to be sinking:

Pray – This might be obvious, but how many times do we seek the opinion of others instead of going to the author of our dreams? My partner/cofounder on Circles of Faith Kimberly Amici and I fasted and prayed through the holidays as we sought God’s direction. He was faithful to bring us to the same conclusion when we reconvened to discuss what we felt God calling or not calling us to.
Pay Attention – God is so good at communicating with us if we look, listen, reflect. He flashes “neon sign” messages through songs on the radio, a sermon, a conversation that leads to an ah-ha moment. Also pay as much attention to what God is doing as you do to what He isn’t. Our discouragement can lead to a pity party that blinds us from seeing God’s guidance.
Wait – God is not asleep. He hasn’t left you. Draw nearer to Him. God is always at work. He wastes no experience. Though you may not perceive His actions, God promises to fulfill His purposes in us and His timing is always perfect.
Don’t Go It Alone – I am blessed with a partner and CoFounder who is diligent to pray and who is also very different from me, so we complement each other. I also have many praying friends and I reached out to them during our season of discernment asking them to please keep us in their prayers. Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer or a sounding board from an honest trusted person or even tribe.
Trust – God loves you and He has good plans for you. That never changes, no matter how you feel. There is a new dream, an adjusted dream, a better dream around the corner. When you let go of what was, you open yourself up to what can be ahead.

The process of discernment, letting go, and gearing up for what we feel called to next through Circles of Faith has not been easy. At times it’s been disappointing and frustrating. But we feel certain that God is going before us and leading us. We’ve had some wonderful live events, which have allowed us to share stories in new and exciting ways – our Story Slices series is one of the results. And we are gearing up to launch our podcast, which will continue to allow us to gather with women and share stories in a fresh and dynamic way.

Have you had a dream shift? I’d love to hear about it!

God promises to fulfill His purposes and His timing is perfect.

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Shared by: Elise Daly Parker

Letting God Rewrite Your Dream

March 7, 2016 By Mel Schroeder 8 Comments

I always thought I’d be a mommy to two girls.

When I envisioned our future family, I saw my daughter, Mae, walking with her hand clasped tightly to another little girl’s.

It’s a precious image I’ve had in my head for a long time, but one I was afraid to verbalize.

In 2014, after a struggle to become pregnant, we found out we were expecting, and I was sure this was it.

My two girls.

Sadly, we miscarried that sweet little one, and I pushed that image far back into the corner of my brain…and my heart.

I felt like that dream was over, and it was one I grieved for a long time.

And then…surprise of surprises…we found out this past November that we were expecting again.

And I allowed that dream to take its place in the depths of my heart again.

I was sure.

My pregnancy with this one was nearly identical to my pregnancy with Maelie, other than the fact that I was even sicker. But everyone knows…sick = girl.

Oh, I wanted her to be a girl so badly.

We’d picked out her name. Hope Kristine.

And though there were nagging thoughts of, I think this might be a boy, I tried to stay positive.

God knew the desires of my heart, and I was sure He’d give them to me.

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But He didn’t.

A few weeks ago we found out that we are, in fact, expecting a BOY.

Despite the cuteness of his ultrasound picture, I cried. A lot. Like, weepy-with-constant-tears, a lot.

Not because I don’t love this baby, but because my dream of two little girls is over.

We know this is it. Physically, my body can’t handle another pregnancy. And I’m not young, either, so there’s that. And my family can’t endure another bout with Hyperemesis Gravidarum…that’s not fair to anyone.

I told my husband…My dream of another little girl to love died today. I’ll never have that.

And then I wept some more.

And I have to be honest with all of you…it’s taken time to grieve the loss of that dream and embrace the new one God is writing for us instead.

It’s not one I ever dreamed…I’m not gonna lie, I don’t have a clue what to do with a boy.

I don’t necessarily look forward to trucks and trains and baseball or two kiddos, six years separating them, of the opposite gender.

Truthfully, I’m facing a lot of fears right now. It feels safer to push them under the rug and never admit they’re there…but they are.

And yet July will come, and this pregnancy will end with a baby boy in my arms.

And I know I’ll fall in love, just like I did with my sweet Mae.

And I’ll look back at this and know completely that the dreams He’s writing…or rewriting…for me are better than anything I could ever come up with on my own.

Maybe you find yourself there today, my friend…struggling, hoping, wishing the dream would turn out like you want. Or, watching a dream being rewritten…and not knowing what to do or how to handle it all.

And yet…there’s hope when it all changes.

I can tell you that as I smile through the fluttery kicks I feel in my belly, in the weekly countdown (which needs to go faster!), and in the sweet anticipation of meeting this new little one who will, no doubt, change our family in amazing ways we can’t even picture right now.

So here’s to being a boy mom…to the trucks, the trains, the mud pies, and the adventures.

And here’s to our Father, who writes the greatest adventures of all. 🙂

And here’s to our Father, who writes the greatest adventures of all.

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Thank you, God, for that.

Shared by: Mel Schroeder

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Rebuilding the Ruins

January 25, 2016 By Gindi Vincent Leave a Comment

We all sat cross-legged in the living room laughing and catching up after too many months. Let me just get this out there so we can go on to happier news, she began. Then it came pouring out. What she’d been holding in for almost two months. The devastation he had wreaked. How it had all come out. Years of lies… I don’t know who I am. My confidence is gone.

We started out talking about work. Lots of big changes and challenging career relationships made things harder than ever. He just left. Wanted to reinvent himself. What do Christmas cards look like now? I thought I’d achieved my dreams, now what?

Dreams are unique and personal.

But we don’t achieve them alone. We can’t.

And when one of your pillars crumbles, or the foundation has cracked down the middle, you find yourself sitting in the rubble.

What do you do when you, or those closest to you, are crushed? When you feel like your future has been stolen?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

There are no easy answers. There are no quick repairs.

I remember sitting in tears on the floor of my grandparents bathroom after my parents marriage disintegrated. A church destroyed. A town stunned. The cold marble floor was the only thing not moving underneath me.

I’ve sat with dear friends these past few weeks in search of something to say as their heartbreak was whispered in quiet corners.

Dear dreamer, if your marriage is falling apart in front of your eyes, or has crumbled after an earthquake you never saw coming, might I dare to speak into your hurt? Because I don’t have the words, I give you His:

1. You are loved.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt. Jeremiah 31:3-4

It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 (MSG)

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ… Ephesians 3:16-18

2. He still has works and plans and dreams for you.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

3. Take time to heal. He is there.

[The Lord] has sent me to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.”Isaiah 61:2-4

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

4. You are a conqueror. You will come out on the other side of this.

You are a conqueror. You will come out on the other side of this.

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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. 2 Chronicles 32: 7-8

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. I John 4:4

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:33-37

We love you.

Let us know if we can be praying for you.

And an invitation to all dreamers: We hope you will join us for our spring book club in March as we walk through Alli Worthington’s new book, Breaking Busy.

Photo Courtesy of Global Table Adventure

Shared by: Gindi Vincent

Are We Listening, Or Leading?

December 18, 2015 By Chelle Wilson 4 Comments

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (NKJV))

Dear Dreamers,

Hear my confession. In my early years dreaming God-Sized Dreams, I took the joy I found in writing and supposed it to be the dream I was to build and dedicate to the Glory of God. I meant well , but I was entirely wrong.

Rather than listening in the quiet to hear God’s call, I was rash. I took things out of order.

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I forgot that He was God alone, supposing instead that I could partner with Him. I was not listening to be available to do His Will.

I was trying to lead and getting in His Way.

An innocent mistake, I see now that it took me journeying along in the wilderness much like the Children of Israel, who wandered 40 years out of the way on a 40-day trip. So desperate was I to make sense of my “exile,” I reasoned that God determined me to be an outsider.

I began to make peace with a life in the wild. It was dishonest, but it offered contentment.

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Or so I thought.

It usefully distracted me from my on-going misery about the fullness of joy lacking in my life. I was always mad, disappointed with God that the Joy and the Peace I knew so many experienced eluded me. What’d I do wrong?

The wrong was all in the doing…

My testimony is not so much that I was lost and now am found, but that I was dying spiritually, disconnected from The Vine, busying myself. I was longing for intimacy with God beyond anything I’d ever achieved previously. Or at least I thought so. I was reminded once again that God is always working in the background. Despite the appearance of wilderness, death, and dry bones, there was a Holy Ghost riot happening at the roots of my soul. Finally, it is good to return to the land of the living.

How did I return, you ask? I stopped fighting God. I stopped being angry, stopped filling my time, and quietly waited upon God. Oh, and there is one more thing. When God called, I simply said Yes.

What happened? Not the things I thought might. (and this is not a happily wrapped story ending, as God is not through with me yet). New things. New adventures. New perspectives on the world. New relationships, and yes, new calls from God.

I am more joyful than I’ve ever been, and while everything is not rosy, my perspective has changed (Perspective is key). I worry less and rely upon God more. And, when I get nervous, I remind myself, sometimes audibly, that He has Never Failed.

Here is the takeaway-let’s agree that dreaming is hard. Let’s concede that it takes a certain foolhardy bravery that is part faith and part stubborn tenacity. Anybody putting forth that much effort just to get to the starting line deserves a full serving of Grace.

And there is one other thing.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Listen more, and lead less, if at all.

(He doesn’t need your help.)

Shared by: Chelle Wilson

Believe In Yourself, God Does

December 9, 2015 By Alecia Simersky 10 Comments

As you read last week, Kristin announced she needed to step away from leadership at God-sized Dreams. When she first felt like God was speaking to her about this, she reached out and asked if I would be interested. I said, “NO WAY! Nope, please ask someone else. The role of leader is too much.” She did. She asked, she prayed, and no one stepped forward.

I felt pretty confident in my no, I wasn’t having second thoughts…until I asked God what He thought :). I was committed to praying with Kristin about the new website leader and the future of GSD. I didn’t feel like I would be a good enough leader, it is a lot of responsibility. I’m more comfortable in supporting roles, and idea generation. I will support, pray, and encourage the heck out of others, but as for me? I tend to short-change myself.

In my prayer time, God began to show me that I had the qualities of a leader, I always have, but I didn’t believe in myself enough to ever make the leap from supporting cast member to lead role.

He showed me my ideas and hopes for this site were possible (and I have many ideas for which I’m excited about!).

Plus, I wouldn’t be doing it alone, I have an amazing team of writers who support and pray for me.

The idea of me being in the role of leadership started to form. Could I do this? I wondered. Like really do it? And do it well? I spent the next several weeks praying. I finally gave up resisting and told God, “If this is something you want me to do, then you will have to get Kristin to ask me again. I’ve told her no once, and that answer will stand unless she asks once more. Then I will know for sure that this idea isn’t all in my head and it’s truly from You.”

In case this was a wild hair that my imagination made up, I wanted to be sure…for me and the site. I didn’t want to say yes, if God had someone else in mind instead.

I can’t remember how much time went by, I just remember waiting…either for a message from Kristin saying so-and-so had said yes, or asking me if I was sure I didn’t want to take it.

But one day the email came. She said she was going to post to our private FB page about needing someone to step up and take over and felt led to message me one.more.time.

I was SHOCKED. God was really calling me to lead the site! I didn’t know if I was more scared or excited.

I replied back to her, “You are not going to believe this. But I told God if you asked me one more time about leadership then I would know it was a sign from Him to take the role and tell you yes.”

I was right, she couldn’t believe it! She just knew she had to ask me again. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had such a clear answer to a prayer before, and I’ve got to say, it was an amazing experience.

So here we are, friends. Kristin is a humble and dedicated leader. She ran this site with her heart. I’m sad she is not at the helm, but so very thankful she is staying on to write and encourage. She has helped me tremendously through this transition, her knowledge and insight is invaluable. Thank you, Kristin!

The quote, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called” (Henry T. Blackaby) comes to mind during this season I am in. Unqualified but, yet, called is exactly how I feel.

In my own strength and wisdom I can not move this site forward, but with God I can do ALL things. (Philippians 4:13)

This verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 “Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight,” has been my daily prayer. I may not understand everything, but as long as I trust in the One who does, He will go before me and make the path straight.

I can trust in the One who goes before me and makes my path straight.

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I covet your prayers and encouragement. If you have any ideas on what you would like to see from us in the future, send me an email. We love guest writers, so if you haven’t written for us…or you have and want to send in another post, go ahead!

And remember, there is no such thing as a small God-sized Dream!

Shared by: Alecia Simersky