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 Valerie Murray to God-sized Dreams. She shares how God helped her to step into her God-sized Dream. Thanks for being here today, Valerie!

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When I woke up, I instantly remembered my dream. It was a dream so unlike my typical insecure patterns of thinking and my own limited perceptions of my capabilities. I had an overwhelming feeling it had to be from God.

In my dream, Lysa TerKeurst (best-selling Christian author)—I know, right? put her hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes and said to me, “Are you ready? God can use you. But it’s going to be hard work. Are you ready to take the risk?”

I couldn’t even believe Lysa Teurkerst was talking to me, as if her words were leading me into the public world of blogging. And yet in my heart I knew it was God’s way of holding out his hand to see if I would grab it.

Unpacking this scary God-sized dream felt too big for me and overwhelming.

But Lord, what if people don’t like my writing? How do I know if I’m good enough? Was that dream really from you?

I was scared. I wanted confirmation.

Writing has always felt like a second language to me. I feel like I speak two languages and am only fluent in one.  I can’t seem to speak the thoughts I’m able to write down. They are only expressed when they flow from my mind to my fingers.

But starting a blog meant I would share my writing with the big-wide-world of internet viewers and up until then, no one had even read my writing.

That is, until the struggles of life led me to a counselor and I gave her my written testimony.

When I sat on her couch, the first words she said were words that brought me right back to that dream.

“God gave you a gift and you have to use it. You can’t keep it to yourself.”

She asked, “What would do you do if fear wasn’t a factor?”

I would start a blog.

And so I did it. And believe me it was only by the power of God’s grace, that technically-challenged me started a blog from scratch!

My first blog post was titled: My Boat is in the Water/Trusting in His Guidance:

“If God is setting your boat on the ocean, then all you have to do is let him lead the direction of the boat. You just have to take the risk and take your boat off of the dock and put it in the water. Then trust God to lead you where he wants you to go.”

When I look back at each step I’ve taken over the past year, I see that God paved a path for me.

And it’s on these slow and steady steps along the way, where I’ve learned these life-changing lessons about following a God-sized dream.

Be a God-chaser before a dream chaser.

There were times when I looked around and realized I was chasing the dream more than I was pursuing the Lord. When you take your eyes off Jesus, you drift off course until you realize that you are farther away from Him than you thought.

Balance the Boat

We must keep our lives balanced. When we put too much time into chasing the dream, we capsize. Learn to balance the boat and keep God and family first.

Don’t go it alone

It’s so important to be in community. Don’t try rowing the boat by yourself. It will take you twice as long and you’ll burn out. You need the encouraging support of others.

Expect to work hard

I remember trying to row a boat back to shore against the wind and current. It’s hard work. But eventually you’ll see progress if you don’t give up.

 I know my strength isn’t enough. But God’s strength equips me to take the next step. I don’t have to worry about my final destination because I know God will direct my path.

What dream has God placed in your heart? What have you learned each step along the way?

Psalm 71:16-19 “I will go in the strength of the Lord, I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only, O God.”

Valerie Murray is a wife of 20 years and a busy mom to 4 energetic children. She writes at Cord of 6 about keeping family strong through Christ. Her heart’s desire is to offer hope to others and declare the glory of God in her life through her writing. Her mission is to offer encouragement to struggling marriages, overwhelmed moms and people striving to face their fears and know their worth. Coffee, chocolate and a good movies always makes her happy! You can find her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon & Google+.

Photo Credit: Valerie Murray

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