When I bring up the topic of dreaming what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
Think about it for a moment.
Maybe it was the insane dream you had last night that included people you haven’t seen or spoken to since high school? Am I the only one that happens to? It is seriously strange!
Or maybe, just maybe, when I bring up dreaming, your heart starts to beat faster and you start to think of all those ideas you want to put into action, the visions you have for your life. Maybe these dreams include falling in love, having a child, traveling the world, starting your own business, ending world hunger, etc.
It is those dreams that I want to talk about.
But wait.
What if I brought up the topic of dreaming to you and nothing happened? You didn’t feel any sort of draw to a certain accomplishment or desire? To that I would say let’s dig a little deeper.
It’s there.
You know how I know?
Because the Creator of the Universe put it in you. The one who formed you in your mother’s womb has placed specific dreams in you. They are dreams that perfectly fit who God has uniquely created you to be. They don’t look exactly like anyone else’s dreams. They might have similar components, but they are not wholly anyone else’s. They are uniquely yours. And those dreams are an invitation from your creator to step out into a crazy adventure with him…
Let me explain.
Over the last year, I have uncovered in me this fascination with dreaming and stepping out to pursue those dreams. It started after I returned from a two-week long trip to Uganda. I returned with dreams and desires that were there but not very clear. I couldn’t put complete words to what they were, but I knew they were there. I felt them.
What I knew for sure when I returned was:
I knew these were all in me, but I couldn’t figure out what they meant. My prayers consisted of “God I know you put this in me, but what am I supposed to do with it?”
And sure enough he began to show me.
He is still showing me.
As he began to reveal vision to me I felt like I was beginning to step out into an insanely beautiful and challenging adventure with my Creator.
And boy has it been!
Not long after returning I stumbled upon a book written by Holley Gerth titled “You’re Made For a God-Sized Dream”. I devoured it. It spoke directly to what I was feeling. And it helped me to start to put words to those feelings. I couldn’t put words to the exact dreams God was calling me to, but I could begin to recognize that God was in fact calling me into an adventure of dreaming. As he was beckoning me into this adventure I felt him whispering to me “let's dream big”.
At this point I was met with a choice. I could stop right there and let the fear win, most likely regretting it down the line. Or I could take a huge risk and keep pressing into the dreams God was calling me into. God had promised me from the very beginning that it would be hard (and it has been). I could have let that promise scare me away, though.
I didn’t. I was too curious as to what would happen if I kept moving forward.
I decided I didn’t want to live with regret either. I was terrified, but tried to focus only on the next thing God was calling me to rather than the big picture.
I didn’t necessarily know what God was calling me into, but I knew it was in relation to Uganda and Rwanda. So I started praying about the dreams I thought were in me, I started talking to the people closest to me about them, and I pressed into developing the relationships from Uganda that I knew I couldn’t lose. God even called me to lead a small group of women through the book that played a pivotal role in my journey. I started reading, a lot. Through the reading of books about Rwanda and Uganda, as well as biographies of people who have taken risks to pursue their dreams I kept being drawn to this idea of pursuing the dreams God had specifically placed in my heart.
It has been a crazy journey thus far, this journey of uncovering where God is leading me. I have learned loads of information about myself, taking risks, and trusting God. It has been hard, really hard at times. God has significantly stretched what I consider my trust muscle. I have been learning to serve and love people the way Christ did. I haven’t been perfect at it and I have hit really low points of wanting to give up. But I am constantly feeling pulled back to this idea of what would happen if I kept pursuing the dreams God was calling me to? What would happen if I just kept saying yes to God?
And through that I have started to uncover the truth that if God has put specific dreams in me and is calling me into pursuing these dreams well then he must be doing the same in every other human being. And what would happen if we all took the risks it takes to pursue the specific dreams God put in us?
As I have begun to dig into these questions I have uncovered a few things.
First, surprise surprise God really did put specific dreams inside of us all. He didn’t plant them in just a handful of people. No, he has planted them in everyone. Including you! There is not one single person on the earth God has not put specific dreams inside of and who he is not inviting into adventure with him.
Think about that for a few moments.
The creator of the universe, your creator, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb is calling you into an insanely beautiful adventure with him! How cool is that?
The second thing I have learned is that the majority of people don’t pursue the dreams God placed in them. There are a million reasons why this is. Some people simply can’t put words to the dreams that are in their hearts. They don’t know how to answer the question “what are your dreams”. Other people count themselves out. They fall into the trap of lies saying they can’t do it for whatever reason. Some people are paralyzed with fear. Others believe the resources aren’t right in front of them, therefore they simply shouldn't begin.
I have also come to believe that all of the excuses or reasons we have for not pursuing the dreams God put in us are really just Satan’s way of halting us from stepping out into an adventure with God. Satan will try anything he can to stop us before we begin. I truly believe that is because Satan knows what will happen if we risk pursuing the dreams God placed in us. The dreams God deposits in our hearts involve us becoming more like Christ in the pursuit of them. The enemy hates that! Satan knows that if we all pursued the dreams God put in us than we would be unstoppable for the Kingdom of God. If we all did this the shattered, brokenness of our world would begin to be made whole. It would begin to look more like the way God intended it to be.
Cool right?
I want to be a part of that!
And I want to encourage you to also be a part of that!
I want to come alongside you to uncover your dreams and work with you to figure out what the next step God is calling you to take is.
Right now you might be thinking through all of the reasons you are counted out of this dream pursuit.
Stop it!
I do not care what your socioeconomic status is, your looks, race, gender, personality, political views, or location is. God is calling you to dream and dream big! He is calling you into an adventure with him that will change you and change others through you!
All of those things I listed above can be barriers to pursuing your dreams, but I think those barriers can be broken down. One of my dreams is to create a community of people who will encourage and challenge each other in the pursuit of our God-given dreams, breaking down barriers in the process. I want to build a place where you can share your heart, your challenges, your fears. A community of people who will point each other back to God’s plans when the enemy tries to make us forget. I also want to create a community of people that will share resources when necessary and appropriate.
I truly believe this blog is my next step towards that dream.
It will take time to grow, which means this blog is going to begin as my journey. I will share my struggles and triumphs in my pursuit of this dream and the others God put in me, as well as share about my life in general. And I pray that one day through this blog a community of dream followers will arise. I don’t have all the details figured out as to how to build that community, but I don’t need to know. If God is calling me to be a part of building it than I trust he will provide the necessary materials for it.
Here's a personal disclaimer though...
This isn’t the first blog I have started. I have started a few in the past, but for whatever reason let them die. I struggled to keep up with them. I am afraid of this one falling dead as well. One of my fears is saying all of this and not following through on it. I do not want to do that! Which means I need help. I need your accountability. I need your encouragement.I feel so strongly that this is what God is calling me to do right now, but I can't do it alone!
So what do you say?
Want to join me in entering into a crazy, beautiful adventure with God?
Let's see what can happen as we step out into this journey together!
*If you are wondering what the meaning behind the name of my blog is head on over to the page titled "Story Behind the Name". You'll find it underneath the "About Me" page.
Think about it for a moment.
Maybe it was the insane dream you had last night that included people you haven’t seen or spoken to since high school? Am I the only one that happens to? It is seriously strange!
Or maybe, just maybe, when I bring up dreaming, your heart starts to beat faster and you start to think of all those ideas you want to put into action, the visions you have for your life. Maybe these dreams include falling in love, having a child, traveling the world, starting your own business, ending world hunger, etc.
It is those dreams that I want to talk about.
But wait.
What if I brought up the topic of dreaming to you and nothing happened? You didn’t feel any sort of draw to a certain accomplishment or desire? To that I would say let’s dig a little deeper.
It’s there.
You know how I know?
Because the Creator of the Universe put it in you. The one who formed you in your mother’s womb has placed specific dreams in you. They are dreams that perfectly fit who God has uniquely created you to be. They don’t look exactly like anyone else’s dreams. They might have similar components, but they are not wholly anyone else’s. They are uniquely yours. And those dreams are an invitation from your creator to step out into a crazy adventure with him…
Let me explain.
Over the last year, I have uncovered in me this fascination with dreaming and stepping out to pursue those dreams. It started after I returned from a two-week long trip to Uganda. I returned with dreams and desires that were there but not very clear. I couldn’t put complete words to what they were, but I knew they were there. I felt them.
What I knew for sure when I returned was:
- I had fallen head over heels in love with the Ugandan people, culture, and land.
- The groundwork was laid for relationships that I knew I wanted to fight to allow to grow.
- I felt more alive and at home while there than I ever had.
- I felt a strange attachment to Uganda’s south-western bordering country, Rwanda and I knew I had to start to uncover what that might mean.
I knew these were all in me, but I couldn’t figure out what they meant. My prayers consisted of “God I know you put this in me, but what am I supposed to do with it?”
And sure enough he began to show me.
He is still showing me.
As he began to reveal vision to me I felt like I was beginning to step out into an insanely beautiful and challenging adventure with my Creator.
And boy has it been!
Not long after returning I stumbled upon a book written by Holley Gerth titled “You’re Made For a God-Sized Dream”. I devoured it. It spoke directly to what I was feeling. And it helped me to start to put words to those feelings. I couldn’t put words to the exact dreams God was calling me to, but I could begin to recognize that God was in fact calling me into an adventure of dreaming. As he was beckoning me into this adventure I felt him whispering to me “let's dream big”.
At this point I was met with a choice. I could stop right there and let the fear win, most likely regretting it down the line. Or I could take a huge risk and keep pressing into the dreams God was calling me into. God had promised me from the very beginning that it would be hard (and it has been). I could have let that promise scare me away, though.
I didn’t. I was too curious as to what would happen if I kept moving forward.
I decided I didn’t want to live with regret either. I was terrified, but tried to focus only on the next thing God was calling me to rather than the big picture.
I didn’t necessarily know what God was calling me into, but I knew it was in relation to Uganda and Rwanda. So I started praying about the dreams I thought were in me, I started talking to the people closest to me about them, and I pressed into developing the relationships from Uganda that I knew I couldn’t lose. God even called me to lead a small group of women through the book that played a pivotal role in my journey. I started reading, a lot. Through the reading of books about Rwanda and Uganda, as well as biographies of people who have taken risks to pursue their dreams I kept being drawn to this idea of pursuing the dreams God had specifically placed in my heart.
It has been a crazy journey thus far, this journey of uncovering where God is leading me. I have learned loads of information about myself, taking risks, and trusting God. It has been hard, really hard at times. God has significantly stretched what I consider my trust muscle. I have been learning to serve and love people the way Christ did. I haven’t been perfect at it and I have hit really low points of wanting to give up. But I am constantly feeling pulled back to this idea of what would happen if I kept pursuing the dreams God was calling me to? What would happen if I just kept saying yes to God?
And through that I have started to uncover the truth that if God has put specific dreams in me and is calling me into pursuing these dreams well then he must be doing the same in every other human being. And what would happen if we all took the risks it takes to pursue the specific dreams God put in us?
As I have begun to dig into these questions I have uncovered a few things.
First, surprise surprise God really did put specific dreams inside of us all. He didn’t plant them in just a handful of people. No, he has planted them in everyone. Including you! There is not one single person on the earth God has not put specific dreams inside of and who he is not inviting into adventure with him.
Think about that for a few moments.
The creator of the universe, your creator, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb is calling you into an insanely beautiful adventure with him! How cool is that?
The second thing I have learned is that the majority of people don’t pursue the dreams God placed in them. There are a million reasons why this is. Some people simply can’t put words to the dreams that are in their hearts. They don’t know how to answer the question “what are your dreams”. Other people count themselves out. They fall into the trap of lies saying they can’t do it for whatever reason. Some people are paralyzed with fear. Others believe the resources aren’t right in front of them, therefore they simply shouldn't begin.
I have also come to believe that all of the excuses or reasons we have for not pursuing the dreams God put in us are really just Satan’s way of halting us from stepping out into an adventure with God. Satan will try anything he can to stop us before we begin. I truly believe that is because Satan knows what will happen if we risk pursuing the dreams God placed in us. The dreams God deposits in our hearts involve us becoming more like Christ in the pursuit of them. The enemy hates that! Satan knows that if we all pursued the dreams God put in us than we would be unstoppable for the Kingdom of God. If we all did this the shattered, brokenness of our world would begin to be made whole. It would begin to look more like the way God intended it to be.
Cool right?
I want to be a part of that!
And I want to encourage you to also be a part of that!
I want to come alongside you to uncover your dreams and work with you to figure out what the next step God is calling you to take is.
Right now you might be thinking through all of the reasons you are counted out of this dream pursuit.
Stop it!
I do not care what your socioeconomic status is, your looks, race, gender, personality, political views, or location is. God is calling you to dream and dream big! He is calling you into an adventure with him that will change you and change others through you!
All of those things I listed above can be barriers to pursuing your dreams, but I think those barriers can be broken down. One of my dreams is to create a community of people who will encourage and challenge each other in the pursuit of our God-given dreams, breaking down barriers in the process. I want to build a place where you can share your heart, your challenges, your fears. A community of people who will point each other back to God’s plans when the enemy tries to make us forget. I also want to create a community of people that will share resources when necessary and appropriate.
I truly believe this blog is my next step towards that dream.
It will take time to grow, which means this blog is going to begin as my journey. I will share my struggles and triumphs in my pursuit of this dream and the others God put in me, as well as share about my life in general. And I pray that one day through this blog a community of dream followers will arise. I don’t have all the details figured out as to how to build that community, but I don’t need to know. If God is calling me to be a part of building it than I trust he will provide the necessary materials for it.
Here's a personal disclaimer though...
This isn’t the first blog I have started. I have started a few in the past, but for whatever reason let them die. I struggled to keep up with them. I am afraid of this one falling dead as well. One of my fears is saying all of this and not following through on it. I do not want to do that! Which means I need help. I need your accountability. I need your encouragement.I feel so strongly that this is what God is calling me to do right now, but I can't do it alone!
So what do you say?
Want to join me in entering into a crazy, beautiful adventure with God?
Let's see what can happen as we step out into this journey together!
*If you are wondering what the meaning behind the name of my blog is head on over to the page titled "Story Behind the Name". You'll find it underneath the "About Me" page.
“Some journeys lead us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny.”
~C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
~C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe