In another "God Chat" (as I will call them) he and I got around to fear.
We fear a lot...
Some big fears...some little fears.
Many of our fears hold us back.
Hold us back from our best.
Somehow we think that if we "hunker" down and not take a chance that it will alleviate our fear. Wrong.
It only makes fear stronger.
Only by going through our fears to we get rid of them. Give in to one fear (no matter how small) it'll be that much easier to give into another.
Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of ridicule...etc.
Fear to Dream.
I am a Dreamer...I have come to realize that. I think we all are.
I used to think that it was bad to be a Dreamer...not "adult" enough, not "level headed"...not "mature."
But I can't help it...the more I fight it, the more the Dreamer in me kicks and screams and throws a tantrum.
Okay, I'm rambling...
The Better Half had a great goal for this year - To Live Fearless.
To which I say: Why Not?
The only thing we have to fear........
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Rise and Shine! (and finally...)
It’s quite sad what we’ve done with God.
Recently he’s gone from a dictator or sorts (all about rules and being “good”) to a vending machine.
Pray – select.
Give – select.
Do this – get that.
G2 please!
Yay, Skittles!
The pendulum seems to swing back and forth, depending on the day, church, book you pick up.
And, well, each is a bit right. But not always for the fight reasons.
God doesn’t want you to worry about the rules…just walk with Him. You’ll find that the more you walk with him. Start down that path.
It’s not too late!
It’s about the journey and discovery…not the destination, not the end “product.”
Rediscover your dream…in any way you can, no matter how small. Want to paint? Get a cheap set and start. Want to write? Get a pen and paper. Want to build? Start drawing designs. You call it, it’s yours!
Like Nike said: Just do it!
That’s what God’s saying to you: Just do it.
Recently he’s gone from a dictator or sorts (all about rules and being “good”) to a vending machine.
Pray – select.
Give – select.
Do this – get that.
G2 please!
Yay, Skittles!
The pendulum seems to swing back and forth, depending on the day, church, book you pick up.
And, well, each is a bit right. But not always for the fight reasons.
God doesn’t want you to worry about the rules…just walk with Him. You’ll find that the more you walk with him. Start down that path.
It’s not too late!
It’s about the journey and discovery…not the destination, not the end “product.”
Rediscover your dream…in any way you can, no matter how small. Want to paint? Get a cheap set and start. Want to write? Get a pen and paper. Want to build? Start drawing designs. You call it, it’s yours!
Like Nike said: Just do it!
That’s what God’s saying to you: Just do it.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Rise and Shine (Part II)
What is your dream? Do you remember?
Perhaps to dance, paint, sing, play music, write a book, write poetry, build a car, build a house, open a store, open a restaurant, open a shelter, open a church…
If you have pursued that dream, GREAT! Keep going!
If not…why not?
Why do we have dreams and aspirations, if not to chase them?
Somewhere along the line we bought into the notion that we had to dash those dreams, tuck them away only to look at them and say, “There was a time I wanted to…”
We’ve been told time and time again that these dreams are childish, silly, or not “rational.” Buckle down, put your nose to the grindstone and get to work!
How would we think God was any different? “Put aside your dreams, pick up your Bible and get to submitting to my will.”
Here’s a little test.
God = Fun
Jesus = Fun
Church = Fun
Do you chuckle like I did when I first looked at it? Did a little voice in your head say, “If only.” Especially that last one.
Why is that? Why wouldn’t God be fun?
Why wouldn’t Jesus be fun?
Why aren’t “Christians” looked at as being fun?
(I put Christians within quotes, because I dislike labels. Using the word Christian at times gets used in an “us vs. them” context. I wish not to do that here. We are ALL in this together…every single one of us)
Why are so many people flocking to other religions? Why did so many people get sucked into the fallacy of “The Secret?” For one reason, I think, like us we are all searching for meaning and truth. But furthermore, other religions, or theologies, or “practices” seem to allow for one to chase their dream. Somehow, someway, Christianity has come about as a religion that crushes dreams, beats them down into submission, until you become a nice, pious, Christian.
So why don’t we follow our dreams? Or a better question is why don’t we believe that God would want us to?
Maybe part of it is that we think it to be “worldly.” We are, after all, warned time and time again NOT to be worldly.
“I better not write that book. I might become famous and rich…and I shouldn’t want that, or accept that as an outcome.”
That is ridiculous.
Making money is not a sin. Being famous is not a sin. Having influence is not a sin. Yes, these can be USED in sinful (selfish) ways, but in-and-of themselves they are not sins.
If you really ask yourself about your dream is it more about CREATING something (yes a restaurant is creating something) or making gobs and gobs of money that you can burn it for fuel and rub it in everyone’s face?
I’m guessing it’s the former.
If that’s the case…what are you waiting for?
Perhaps to dance, paint, sing, play music, write a book, write poetry, build a car, build a house, open a store, open a restaurant, open a shelter, open a church…
If you have pursued that dream, GREAT! Keep going!
If not…why not?
Why do we have dreams and aspirations, if not to chase them?
Somewhere along the line we bought into the notion that we had to dash those dreams, tuck them away only to look at them and say, “There was a time I wanted to…”
We’ve been told time and time again that these dreams are childish, silly, or not “rational.” Buckle down, put your nose to the grindstone and get to work!
How would we think God was any different? “Put aside your dreams, pick up your Bible and get to submitting to my will.”
Here’s a little test.
God = Fun
Jesus = Fun
Church = Fun
Do you chuckle like I did when I first looked at it? Did a little voice in your head say, “If only.” Especially that last one.
Why is that? Why wouldn’t God be fun?
Why wouldn’t Jesus be fun?
Why aren’t “Christians” looked at as being fun?
(I put Christians within quotes, because I dislike labels. Using the word Christian at times gets used in an “us vs. them” context. I wish not to do that here. We are ALL in this together…every single one of us)
Why are so many people flocking to other religions? Why did so many people get sucked into the fallacy of “The Secret?” For one reason, I think, like us we are all searching for meaning and truth. But furthermore, other religions, or theologies, or “practices” seem to allow for one to chase their dream. Somehow, someway, Christianity has come about as a religion that crushes dreams, beats them down into submission, until you become a nice, pious, Christian.
So why don’t we follow our dreams? Or a better question is why don’t we believe that God would want us to?
Maybe part of it is that we think it to be “worldly.” We are, after all, warned time and time again NOT to be worldly.
“I better not write that book. I might become famous and rich…and I shouldn’t want that, or accept that as an outcome.”
That is ridiculous.
Making money is not a sin. Being famous is not a sin. Having influence is not a sin. Yes, these can be USED in sinful (selfish) ways, but in-and-of themselves they are not sins.
If you really ask yourself about your dream is it more about CREATING something (yes a restaurant is creating something) or making gobs and gobs of money that you can burn it for fuel and rub it in everyone’s face?
I’m guessing it’s the former.
If that’s the case…what are you waiting for?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Rise and Shine! (part one)
I don't usually like series messages, but in this case it'll be nice, as it would be one long post that would be boring and hard to read!
How much we learn at Sunday School that as we get older we toss to the side, or throw it in a box.
There's a children's song called: Rise and Shine, and Give God Your Glory.
The first line of this song is: Rise and Shine, and Give God your glory, glory.
If that wasn't enough, that also is the second line of the song. And if that wasn't still enough, that's the 3rd line of the song!
Three times we have children singing that they need to 1) Rise and Shine! and 2) Give God their Glory, Glory!
When's the last time you Rose and Shone? I don't think I did today, if I am honest. I think I got up, and shuffled to the coffee maker first.
As for giving God my Glory? What's that?
Aren't we supposed to give him our "obedience" and "submit" to him?
Perhaps our problem is we don't know what our glory is. Do you? Or are you confused at the lyrics too? Give God MY glory? I thought I'm supposed to give HIM glory...
Ah, but there it is: we give God Glory, by shining and giving him OUR GLORY.
What is our glory?
It's your desires (the healthy ones), it's your gifts (your talents), it's your heart...
How do you give those to God? By using them, by following them, by opening them. We all have gifts from God.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
These gifts come in a variety of ways through our talents and interests. Yes, those dreams we have for ourselves are from God. We are to pursue those dreams. To do so, gives God our glory.
Now, that isn't to say by going after our dreams we are going to reap rewards, riches, and fame...we very well might not.
But somewhere down the line we, as Christians, have decided that going after our dreams is somehow wrong...That our dreams, wishes, hopes couldn't possibly be anything God would want me to strive for...No God has a plan that I must "submit" to.
Who do you think gave you those dreams?
The secular world has no problems going after their dreams (look at Hollywood) why should we? Because we are Christians? Christians can't have dreams, want to succeed, have a goal?
Being "humble" or "mild" or whatever is NOT the same as putting aside your dream. Being humble means you do not think yourself better than anyone. Being humble means if you are able, put others first. It does NOT mean that we toss aside our ambitions, our desires, our dreams, to be pious, Bible reading, church going, "nice" religious robots.
Submitting, doesn't mean that we shove our dreams away and wait for what God "really" wants us to do...
That is NOT abundant life. That is NOT the plan God has for us.
That dream IS God's plan, or at least a large part of it.
Now, please, do not think that I am saying if we all follow our dreams we will all be rich and famous. Most of us won't. But that's not the point. The point is, our dream, our aspirations are an invitation from God...in a word: a path.
Our path.
Our own, special path designed just for us...my path is not the same as yours, your path is not the same as mine. Some similarities might exist, but to compare the two paths is futile and worthless.
It is to follow God down this path is truly submitting.
I do believe that if we all followed our dreams "submit" to walking with God along our path, we will experience a life we have never known.
A life that we would deem worth living...a life that not only gives God our glory, but gives Him glory as well.
How much we learn at Sunday School that as we get older we toss to the side, or throw it in a box.
There's a children's song called: Rise and Shine, and Give God Your Glory.
The first line of this song is: Rise and Shine, and Give God your glory, glory.
If that wasn't enough, that also is the second line of the song. And if that wasn't still enough, that's the 3rd line of the song!
Three times we have children singing that they need to 1) Rise and Shine! and 2) Give God their Glory, Glory!
When's the last time you Rose and Shone? I don't think I did today, if I am honest. I think I got up, and shuffled to the coffee maker first.
As for giving God my Glory? What's that?
Aren't we supposed to give him our "obedience" and "submit" to him?
Perhaps our problem is we don't know what our glory is. Do you? Or are you confused at the lyrics too? Give God MY glory? I thought I'm supposed to give HIM glory...
Ah, but there it is: we give God Glory, by shining and giving him OUR GLORY.
What is our glory?
It's your desires (the healthy ones), it's your gifts (your talents), it's your heart...
How do you give those to God? By using them, by following them, by opening them. We all have gifts from God.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
These gifts come in a variety of ways through our talents and interests. Yes, those dreams we have for ourselves are from God. We are to pursue those dreams. To do so, gives God our glory.
Now, that isn't to say by going after our dreams we are going to reap rewards, riches, and fame...we very well might not.
But somewhere down the line we, as Christians, have decided that going after our dreams is somehow wrong...That our dreams, wishes, hopes couldn't possibly be anything God would want me to strive for...No God has a plan that I must "submit" to.
Who do you think gave you those dreams?
The secular world has no problems going after their dreams (look at Hollywood) why should we? Because we are Christians? Christians can't have dreams, want to succeed, have a goal?
Being "humble" or "mild" or whatever is NOT the same as putting aside your dream. Being humble means you do not think yourself better than anyone. Being humble means if you are able, put others first. It does NOT mean that we toss aside our ambitions, our desires, our dreams, to be pious, Bible reading, church going, "nice" religious robots.
Submitting, doesn't mean that we shove our dreams away and wait for what God "really" wants us to do...
That is NOT abundant life. That is NOT the plan God has for us.
That dream IS God's plan, or at least a large part of it.
Now, please, do not think that I am saying if we all follow our dreams we will all be rich and famous. Most of us won't. But that's not the point. The point is, our dream, our aspirations are an invitation from God...in a word: a path.
Our path.
Our own, special path designed just for us...my path is not the same as yours, your path is not the same as mine. Some similarities might exist, but to compare the two paths is futile and worthless.
It is to follow God down this path is truly submitting.
I do believe that if we all followed our dreams "submit" to walking with God along our path, we will experience a life we have never known.
A life that we would deem worth living...a life that not only gives God our glory, but gives Him glory as well.
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