More Rain!

Funny how, here, it DID rain a little bit... we needed it desperately and I'm so thankful for it.

But I'm here to discuss a different kind of rain. For those who have read earlier posts on the topic, you'll know that I've been dreaming of rain. One of my new friends, Lisa Maria, has, as well... and so has Kim Clement. His latest post on the topic, can be found here!

God IS bringing the rain... some major rain... those who have ears to hear, listen for it and eyes to see watch for it. Rain is coming. It is coming. And we will either be blessed by it or we will choose not to be. We can decide right now if the Myriad Blessing rain will fall in our lives or not... and we can decide if torrents of rain come that are overloading us with negativity. Our choices bring our rain.

Hear this!! OUR CHOICES bring our rain. This is as true in the spirit as in the natural.

We choose where our rain comes from...  we CHOOSE where it comes from. Hear me. WE choose, by the choices we make daily, what we do with our actions, thoughts, words... we CHOOSE our own rain even though it is GOD Who reigns. Listen to what God is saying in your own life. What is He telling you?

Of Caterpillars and Butterflies

Its a few days early, but I got a birthday card in the mail today. It was from an aunt and uncle I love very much.  And on that card, homemade with love, and lovely, is a quote that I think is fabulous! Another JEWEL of a quote…

 
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.  ~Richard Bach

Think about that! It’s a perspective thing…

We don’t always know or understand the transformation God is bringing into our lives, or into our beings, and sometimes we think it’s all over when it isn’t. God has your back when you have His love in your heart and you trust Him. He will never forsake you or forget you’re here on planet earth. We are called to rise, to soar, to come from the cocoon a beautiful butterfly, and like the butterfly, our time here is short. Like the butterfly, we are beautiful and unique. Like the butterfly is provided for by God, so are we. And like the butterfly, we have a purpose. We are called into being by God, our Heavenly Father, a Father Who knows us before we are born or even conceived. We are called to this life… what we choose to do with the time He calls us to flit around down here is up to us. It is our decision to make.

We are to be like a butterfly… but we are first as a caterpillar. Faith in Him transforms us. HE transforms us into His image, into the image of Jesus Christ, when we allow Him to. Just as a butterfly cannot be helped along in its fight out of the cocoon or it will not survive, God doesn’t force us into faith, into trials we can’t handle but He calls us to fight to live. To live in Him. To become TRULY ALIVE. To fly and share our beauty and minister where He calls us.

We are butterflies of the Master of the Universe. We are His people. His loved ones. His children. We are called into flight, to soar, to flit, to go where we are called.

Some butterflies travel miles, while others remain in a small area. Like these creatures of beauty, people are sometimes called to stay in one general area or to flit around the world as they bless and minister to others and fulfill their callings.

Be God’s butterfly, my friend! Be beautiful. God called you to it, and He will bring you through it all… masterfully.

Michael

The anniversary of Michael Jackson's birthday has recently come and passed... but I wanted to share with you his tribute... the one I wrote the day after his death. He was another kind of jewel. Because much more than quotes, people are definitely jewels! They are precious...

Michael

Michael has gone,
But the magic
Has not passed;
Legend. Lonely.
Loved by many
Yet not understanding
Unconditional love.

Michael has passed,
His life and death
Remain in the hands
Of His Maker,
The One Who knows
What to all else
Is a mystery;
The only One Who
Truly can judge.

Michael's music,
His legacy
Of choreography,
Of dance so legendary,
So genius
Continues with us
Even though he's gone.

Michael, you were loved by many. I pray that in the end you realized it. It wasn't earned. You were loved for who you were. The world shall miss you dearly.

Step Toward Your Dream

Yesterday's Epitaph Marketing tip of the day was: Don't ever be afraid of what might come. If you have a dream keep fighting, know that every step, forward or backward, is a step toward your dream. Trust me things are going to get TOUGH, just keep stepping and your dreams will come true.

There are many ways to look at what a dream is... and many ways to interpret them... but in the instance of this particular post, let's look at where you want to go in life... what you hope to see happen or to accomplish.

What are YOUR dreams? What impassions you to live each day and what drives you into the future?

King David had a dream...
He dreamed of building a temple for God Almighty; a temple where His presence could dwell permanently; a temple to replace the moving tabernacle that held the Ark of the Covenant. He wanted to glorify God in all the ways he could possibly imagine, and building the temple was his deepest desire. Yet it was his son, Solomon, who ended up building the temple after David was gone...

Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream... 
"It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. . . . I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! . . . I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." Like King David, King's DREAM wasn't fulfilled in his lifetime.

Mahatma Gandhi had a dream...

He dreamed of an independent India and an India where "the untouchables," (the dalit) he called "children of God," would be at peace and learn and grow. He dreamed of peace for his country and for the world. Another DREAM not fully realized in his lifetime...

Deep Down, YOU have a dream...

We all do, whether or not we want to admit it. Sometimes we give up. Sometimes we fight. Sometimes we don't have the energy to care anymore. But we ALL have dreams. We ALL have dreams. God-sized dreams. Dreams that will be fully answered only after we are gone because they are so huge... THESE are the dreams God gives us. The dreams to touch the world, making it a better place. The dreams to change and help people's lives. We see some of the fruits of our labor, but rarely the end result.

Moses didn't make it to the Promised Land; Joshua and Caleb led the Israelites, instead.
David didn't get to build the temple, but his son Solomon did.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed physically before the spirit of his words echoed through the hearts of enough people for real change to happen.
There are still people in the untouchables class in India who are seeking peace, but Gandhi's dream is happening step by step.

What's YOUR dream? Your GOD-sized dream?

Are you willing to risk taking the steps you can and allowing others to finish the process once you're gone?

Dreams happen when we take things a step at a time, step by step, until they are accomplished. Each step is a smaller dream within the realm of the GOD-sized dream He gave you if you allow it to be...

Continue always... to dream GOD-sized dreams. To have Myriad Blessing faith... Jesus faith. Keep dreaming. Keep stepping. Keep trusting... and you'll get there!

Rain

In last night's post, I discussed that I've been having dreams of rain.

I just need to confess... I've been having them for over three years now. Not all of them have been the same, and there have been, I believe, different reasons for the different dreams. Some of it lately has been Fiona rain. But a lot of it has been Myriad Blessing rain. Five songs about the rain of God and how it is aligned with and part of the reign of God. Five that He has written using my hand.

Rain came again today at church. Myriad Blessing rain. May it wash over each one reading this, in Jesus' name...

Of Heart and Mind

Don't allow your mind to tell your heart what to do. The mind gives up easily.  ~Paolo Coelho

A friend of mine, Mette, had this quote today on her facebook as her status. It got me thinking back over the years to the times when I'd done just that... allowed my mind to rule where my heart should, as well, quite frankly, as vice versa. Neither way works. The heart and mind should work together rather than override one another, and each has its own domain regarding what advice to listen to.

As I sit here typing this, I am trusting God for a number of things, the newest to add to the list being a replacement phone. Most of the things on my list are much more personal than that... heart choice things rather than head choice things, which the phone is. If a phone isn't charging, there's a problem; if it's about to die because it isn't charging, that's a bigger one. And at the moment, that's what is happening.

But what about heart decisions? Things like relationships and belief systems and priorities; things like our passions and dreams and what our intuition brings to light... these are heart decisions, and must be made consulting the mind but decided by the heart.

The phone thing... is weighed by the heart, but the mind is who decides. Rationality and responsibility say "you need a phone in order to communicate with those you need to stay in touch with. You need it in case of an emergency." The heart says "you need a phone because you don't wish to be out of touch with loved ones."

What decisions do you make with your HEART?
What decisions do you make with your MIND?

Are your decisions in order?

Dream GOD-Sized Dreams

There has been a trend in my life lately toward dreaming God-sized dreams.

For those of you familiar with the blog Heart to Heart with Holley, you’ve likely heard of this… but I actually didn’t see the postings she had on this topic until after an email conversation with my new friend in Christ, Lisa Marie. She and I met when I noticed she had written on the wall of someone we both admire, someone very gifted in the Spirit with the gift of prophecy, and I wrote her a note.

Dreams of pouring rain. Fiona rain. We’d been having these dreams, not knowing for sure what was coming, but the three of us (Lisa Marie, the gentleman in question, and I) had dreamed of and seen torrents of rain pouring down. This is what brought Lisa Marie and I together, and in her closing to the initial note… “Dream God sized dreams.” It was part of her signature, her sign-off…

And then later that day, I came across Holly’s blog, a wonderful blog. And I have heard it at least a couple of times since… so as a recurring theme for my week I wanted to share this admonition with you:

Dream God-sized dreams. His dreams are bigger than we could ever imagine. They are as deep, wide, and wonderful as His love is.

How do we do this?

We allow God to dream through us. We allow HIM to set the plans up; we seek His guidance in the steps we are to take in life, because He’s the One Who knows the whole story… beginning to end, inside out and from back to front.

Dream God-sized dreams.

DREAM, and let the dreams be God-sized.

Allow Him to DREAM through YOU.

If you’ve already dreamed God-sized dreams… what have you learned from them? What did God help you to understand? How were you blessed?

What was your God-sized dream?

What will be your next one?

Will you allow God to dream through you and in doing so, go above and beyond the dreams of your own heart into a place of larger than life blessings in Him?

I challenge you: Dream GOD-Sized Dreams…

God is omnipresent; everywhere. That’s a big God. That’s incomprehensibly huge. And He has dreams for us that are just as big… just as wonderful… just as awesome as we can imagine… any far beyond.

Yes, You Can!

If you want to be in a different place, you must believe and do things differently.  ~Dave Ramsey

Where are you?

Look around at your life, relationships, work experience, habits, attitude, and how you prioritize your life. Seriously. Look around at it. Stop reading and think… where am I?

If you don’t like where you are, you need to get somewhere else before you can become the person you wish to be.

The dreaded C words again. Change. Choice. Here they come…

If you don’t like what is happening in your life, you cannot change other people but you CAN change yourself. You can’t change how others treat you, but you CAN change whether you choose to be around them or not. You can’t change your relationships overnight, but you CAN change them a step at a time, a moment at a time, a choice at a time. You CAN change where you are through making small steps.

Tiny steps will get you somewhere just the same as leaping and bounding, and you’ll have more energy for the journey and a better track record with others and yourself by utilizing this method.

There are times where leaps and bounds are appropriate, even necessary. Times when we MUST change something drastically, quickly, or the consequences of NOT doing so will be too detrimental.

Where do you need to take leaps and bounds in your life?

Where do you need to take tiny steps?

Both will get you where you need to go… somewhere different than the circumstances you are currently in… but wisdom and grace are needed to help you know which type of step to take.

If someone’s life is in danger, or their relationship in jeopardy… if there needs to be a major attitude adjustment in order to keep a roof over your head or to keep the bills paid… these are times when we should be leaping, bounding, sprinting toward a new place.

If we are trying to lose a few pounds, get into a new habit, become a better person in some way, small steps are what will help us get where we are going. Small steps insure that we are less likely to backtrack, to go backward, to misstep and twist the proverbial ankle.

Where do you need to take leaps and bounds?

Where do you need to take tiny steps?

Take them accordingly, and you’ll get closer to your goals, dreams, and visions. Dave Ramsey is right: “If you want to be in a different place, you must believe and do things differently.” By staying in the same place; by believing the same paradigms; by keeping all the same habits; by remaining static you will never get where God wants you to go.

There are times to stand and wait for God to move… but sometimes it is GOD waiting on US to make the moves we must  that will help Him to make the moves He needs to make in conjunction with us. It is time to upset some of our paradigms. It is time to shake things up a bit. Time to do what God says we can do and has shown us we can do even when we think we can’t. Time to say, OK GOD, I trust you. He’s telling you, “You can do it. Yes you can!”

Ask Him what kind of steps He wants you to take. He will guide you if you allow Him to… and pretty soon, you’ll realize you have moved.

Before You Get a Second Opinion...

Before you get a second opinion, make sure you have a first one. 
~ T.D. Jakes

Tell me… what’s your opinion?

Your opinion on Who God Is…

Your opinion on who YOU are…

Your opinion on what is right, on what is wrong, on what is just, on what is unjust…

Tell me… what’s your opinion?

Your opinion on your own decisions…

Your opinion on what you believe about the government…

Your opinion on the next step you should take in your life…

Your opinion on who should or shouldn’t be in your life…

Your opinion on what music to listen to, books to read, people to lunch with…

What’s your opinion?

T.D. Jakes reminds us that it is before… not after… we get someone else’s opinion on a matter, we should have our own. Of course, it’s good to have God’s opinion weigh in on ours, for those of us who believe in Him, but seriously… what’s YOUR opinion? Where do YOU stand?

There are times we are tempted to look for outside opinions before voicing our own, or before making a decision. Times when we don’t want to look like we’re different from the crowd around us… but is it really all that bad being unique?

Our opinion is one of the ways we can show we are unique… that we aren’t part of the crowd, faceless, nameless, opinionless, just going with the flow of everyone else’s thoughts and words.

There are times where everyone goes with the flow of an opinion and nobody even likes the opinion… but because everyone else is doing it, or they think so, then they will join in. Nobody wants to see or talk about the proverbial pink elephant in the room.

But now… now is the time to stand out and be the star that you are. Share your OWN opinion without fear that others won’t like it. What’s the worst that can happen? They don’t like your opinion. So what?

If I had a nickel for every time I had a different opinion someone else didn’t like, I’d have a lot more money right now… but at the same time, if I had to pay a nickel for every time I went along with the crowd’s opinion just because I was afraid of what they might say, where would I be? I don’t think I’d tie and break even, but I wouldn’t be in nickel debt, either…

What is your opinion?

What is YOUR opinion?

WHAT is your opinion?

What is your OPINION?

Until you know your own opinion, what’s the use of finding someone else’s? For all you know, they are placating you or others, trying to bump up their image in someone’s eyes rather than being authentic themselves.

When we can honestly share our opinions and not fear the response or reactions of others, we are being authentic. It is a step toward authenticity.

On the other hand, we don’t need to disparage others’ opinions or lack thereof, either. They have a choice to make. You have a choice to make. Make sure your choice is really YOUR choice.

Patience & Wisdom

  A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. ~Prov. 19:11

Where is your wisdom?

Tell me what arena(s) you’re patient in and you will know.

Whose offenses do you overlook? Anyone’s? Only certain people’s? And how often?

Proverbs tells us that we are wise when we are patient and when we overlook the offenses of those around us.

Where is your wisdom? Look to whose offenses you overlook. Look to where you are patient. Look to where your patience meets your forgiveness and you will find it…

Jewels

We all find jewels; powerful quotes that change our lives. Jewels sparkle, they change us, we see their beauty and their truth and their authenticity. Powerful quotes change who we are if we allow them to.

Jewels will be a series... a series that hopefully YOU, dear reader, will contribute to...

In this first part, I will add a handful of quotes that have changed my OWN life recently. And I'd like to know... what quotes have brought YOU pause? What have you learned? What JEWELS have you found... quotes that have changed who you are for the better?

JEWELS, Part 1 begins...

Keep expectation alive. Remember today is the tomorrow you were praying for  yesterday. Make the most of the best and the least of the worst.   ~ Kim Clement

The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.  ~Heraclitus

You can't find the right answer if you're asking the wrong question.  ~John Maxwell

Like a Phoenix rises from the ashes, great things always come out of adversity. Things may look down for me now but that is not at all what I see. I see trouble trying to stop me from reaching my victory.  ~Alicia Cross

People w/ humility don't think less of themselves; they just think of themselves less.  ~Blanchard & Peale

Correction does much, but encouragement does more.  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Do we want to have faith in Jesus, or do we want to have the faith of Jesus?   ~Madeline L'Engle

Living with integrity means:
Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships.
Asking for what you want and need from others.
Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension.
Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values.
Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe.  ~ Barbara De AngelisUnderstanding is nothing else than conception caused by speech.  ~Thomas Hobbes

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.  ~Mother Teresa

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.   ~Thomas Henry Huxley

Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I need it the most.  ~Swedish proverb

An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one who nobody can imitate.  ~de Chateaubriand

We already have so much abundance. We truly do. We need not search too far. It is within. The reason we fail to
recognize this is because we haven't quite mastered the art of being. For abundance to prevail, we must have love, gratitude, acceptance and compassion.  ~John Welwood

God holds the future in the palm of His hand... the path we take to get there may determine the route, but He determines the endpoint.  ~Harmony L. Courtney

Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.  ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.  ~Arnold Glasow

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Wait and Be Still

Sometimes all we can do is wait. Be still. Be silent. Wait.

‎"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

The Lord will be on our side if we follow His instructions for our lives… but isn’t waiting hard sometimes? I know it is for me. Isn’t it hard to just… wait and be still and see what will happen?

We all want to have more control in life than we do, but the thing is, God is in control of the things we see as uncontrollable as well as the things we think we’re in control of. He is in the omniscient business, the omnipresent business, and the omnipotent business. He knows all at all times about all of us, past, present, and future, and has the power to help us get where we’re headed in life if we will follow His instructions.

I know there have been times I have gotten frustrated waiting on the Lord, wondering who things seem to be taking so long and then, sometimes years later, I see why. I get it. Something clicks and I go, “so that’s what was up.”

I am in one of those times in my life once again, and all I can do is trust God, be still, and wait for whatever He wills to happen. The scary part of that is, it’s not just one area of my life… it IS my life. Literally. But I cannot allow that to hold me back or keep me from living while I wait, while I’m still before Him, while I wait for Him to fight on my behalf. The Lord will fight for me if I let Him do so… but if I try to do things on my own ahead of His timing or out of His plan, it isn’t going to work. I must be still and know He is God, and not I. He is the One Who has it all figured out. Not I. He is the One Who I must wait on and when I do, I will see that He is good… I will be reminded, God is good all the time, and all the time He is ever so good… He will fight for me the battles I think I must fight but cannot. He will fight for me. I must be still. I must know that HE alone is God. I must trust.

Where do you find yourself fighting when God has said, “I will fight for you if you are still and allow Me to work?” Where are you moving where He has told you to be still? Where are you still where He has told you that you must take action? Both are parts of God’s plan for us… and they are equally important parts of the package of obedience we lay at His feet…

Change

What is it about change that freaks people out?

If I change something in my life, is it really that threatening to you? If I change, then something in your own life automatically changes. But change can be a good thing, not just something negative.

Some people use change in others’ lives or in their circumstances to make changes for the better in their own. Others decide to continue a pattern of change once they have made one. Still others are adamant they will not change, even though in truth, we all change based on what we experience, who we are around, what we allow into our systems mentally, emotionally, relationally, spiritually, physically, and so forth.

Change can be a very good thing even when it comes from a place we don’t like or agree with.

I could get into myriad examples, but will leave you with one:

Say your next door neighbor is known for her long, luxurious red hair. For years, you have admired it and heard the neighbors do the same. Yet, say that today she decides to get her hair cut into a pixie and dyed blonde. At first you don’t recognize her as she walks up your driveway to say hello. Once you do, you choose to either respond positively or negatively. You realize that this is something you will need to get used to.

Simplistic as the above example is, it shows the power of choice and of change. When someone makes a choice it affects those around her whether or not she realizes it. When that change happens, others will either accept or try to reject the change that has taken place. They can embrace or run.

On a larger scale, this can be seen as corporations close their doors, as brands change their identifiers, as people make life-altering decisions that are more important than a mere haircut.

Yet let’s look at the haircut situation again…

If your neighbor is known for her hair because she is a hair model, then it changes the picture dramatically. If she is known for it because she has five red-headed children, this also changes the way we look at the haircut. Circumstances, environments, and relationships matter when it comes to how we perceive change in others’ lives, and in our own.

We don’t need to avoid change. Change is inevitable. Sometimes we must embrace it, go with the flow, get in alignment with what is happening. Sometimes we can use negative change to create a positive impetus for different change.

Some things to remember:

• ·        Change is nothing to fear. What we do – or refuse to do – with it is up to us.
• ·         We can serve as change agents for good even when things look bleak.
• ·         If we embrace change, befriend it, accept its inevitability, fear loses control over us in this area.
• ·         Change can be positive or negative, and often it is because of spin rather than circumstance that we see it that way.

Boundaries with and for Others

In the last post, we discussed boundaries and standards with one's self. In this one, I'd like to look at boundaries with others, which should stem from our standards.

Boundaries are there to tell people what is okay and what isn't. They tell people what we will stand for and what we will not. What are YOUR boundaries? Do you find yourself giving in? I know I occasionally have...

Boundaries can cover a lot of areas, including the following:

Boundaries with/for Others

·         Just say no… no need to explain (May your yes be yes, and your no be no)

·         Stay on the same stair

·         Physicality equal to relationship

·         I will wait only so long… time is precious and important

·         No guilt language… don’t tolerate it

·         No gossip or trash-talking… from self or others

·         Turn complaints into requests, and ask others to do the same

·         What would GOD say about that?

·         Call before coming over

·         Don’t assume I can, can’t, will, or won’t

·         If you’ve been around or eaten something I'm allergic to recently, don’t come around until it’s out of your system

·         What is your true intent? Be REAL…

·         Don’t bring cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol into my home

·         Don’t come into my home smelling like an ashtray or alcohol

·         Don’t curse in my home, or in my presence please

·         If you’re going to talk with me, speak the truth with love… don’t be harsh; I’ll do the same

·         Respect and keep your appointment times with me… if you can’t keep it, call as early as possible to let me know

·         Don’t talk down to me

·         Don’t try to proselytize me… I know what I believe

·         Get to know me for who I am rather than prejudging me on what I say or do or wear

·         Real relationships are always give and take… keep this in mind

·         Ask for what you REALLY want… don’t beat around the bush


What other boundaries can you think of? Where do your self-standards tell you you need to create a boundary with self or others in order to help you have a better life?

Self-Boundaries and Standards

There is a saying: boundaries are like fences, standards like walls. Sometimes, people get these confused and sometimes, people have then with or for others but not themselves.

When was the last time you checked the boundaries you give YOURSELF? When was the last time you did a self-check on your standards?

For those who don't do so on a regular basis, now might be a good time to reflect on these things.

Below is a sample list to help get you started:

Self-Boundaries and Standards

·         God above all, self care second

·         Love neighbors (those God calls to my life) as self… not above or below

·         Stop, listen, and observe before making an ultimate decision

·         I will represent Christ well

·         Ever-improve

·         Allow time for rest

·         Ask for help or clarification where needed… don’t be stubborn

·         Prepare well

·         Say “yes” or “no” respectfully and without reservations (2 sides to the coin)

·         Don’t push yourself over the limit

·         Know your limits and respect them

·         Treat others with respect, always

·         Choose actively, not passively

·         Hear others out, but don’t allow excuses

·         Don’t live complaints or excuses

·         Neglect negativity

·         Embrace growth, truth, love, grace

·         Ask for what you REALLY want

·         Practice spiritual disciplines from the heart, not from any other place

·         Toss out unnecessary to-dos

·         Remove blocks, tolerations, and fears: self-coach on them first; if necessary, ask others for ideas

·         Compliment and acknowledge… sincerely just because

·         If it isn’t 100%, don’t buy it (relationally, materially, etc)

·         Do it well, do it once…

·         Step out of the lie

·         Put faith into action

·         Don’t be party to anyone’s philandering

·         Don’t get sucked into unnecessary drama

Dream, Reality, and Imagination

The following is from an essay I wrote in 2002. Still powerful to think and ponder on.

What is a dream? I say that a dream is how we, as individuals, regard our lives in addition to the lives we imagine or hope to be ours. Dreams, in this context, are nightmares and fantasies we repute as reality, when it indeed isn’t. I believe that we are God’s dream. Inasmuch as He created us, how can we be anything but dreamers who create? For to create, we must dream first, otherwise there isn’t anything to produce. I think it’s one of the finer gifts God blessed us with when He fashioned us in His likeness. What God does in and through each of our lives as we dream throughout life, I believe, is the only time we truly see reality here on earth.

Reality, I think, is what God makes of our lives despite all our daydreaming, and imagination, both God’s as well as ours, plays a key role here. God utilizes our imagination to spread His Word and do His will. He does this through the gifts He has given us. I believe that’s why some people paint, others sing, others yet still preach, and others write. I believe God gives us these gifts to show us what reality truly is. I don’t think we’ll fully understand reality until we are ushered inside heaven’s gates and meet the Lord.

Sometimes, though, I anticipate we imagine that reality is what we make it. I don’t suppose we as humankind entirely understand that God is reality… and therefore we cannot comprehend it until we can see God face-to-face.

I imagine that one day, far into the future – in fact, when we hit eternity –we will each look back and see the reality of just how much of a dream we truly live in. We will understand, finally, I believe, the meanings of reality, dream, and imagination in that instant.

The Desacralization of the Godhead in America

It seems to me that God has been pushed from His throne in the eyes of most of the population of America, including that of much of assumed Christendom. This desacralization has been coming for decades and finally is to the point that elected now is someone who stands not for God and good, but for what he thinks the people need or want, even though the populace has spoken their concerns regarding many of his policies. It has happened more than one presidency in a row now, but at this juncture in time, it is more evident than usual, given the changed being fostered by the government, who now believes that it runs the people rather than the original intent of government, which is to SERVE the people and be monitored by the people. By their very choice of presidents and other officials, the people of the United states have created a desacralized view of the numinous aspects of Who God is. By their very choice, they have proclaimed Obama as the next best thing and some may suggest, even better… but to sacralize and holify a human being is to desacralize in their eyes the very God Who created that human being and wants to know him better, to guide and change him.  To sacralize Obama, Bush, or anyone else, is to idolize them. To do so is therefore to remove God from His throne and replace Him with that person.

Advertisements and products touting varying idols and gods as their symbologies reign the media to the point that unless you don’t have television or used the internet, you are bombarded with the idolatry of others thousands of times a day. Goddess shaving products and similarly-named perfumes are clear examples. Is it any wonder that the power of subliminal messaging has shown itself, sadly, to be effective here? They attempt to desacralized God by their very presence, seeming to think that He will all of a sudden not be sacred and holy anymore; that His very numinousness will just disappear, which will never happen… but in the United states, many observers would think it as true. They would agree with the philosophers, atheists, and polytheists who want to proclaim that the God of the Bible is dead. Thing is… He’s not.

That which was once considered morally incorrect is now considered nearly mainstream, and seems to be getting stronger as more and more people buy into the lie that living a sinful lifestyle should be a right, voted into law; that this lifestyle is not only “okay” but is natural; that there are people in government who want to teach the how-tos of homosexuality to our children as an alternative to the God-ordained, morally correct view of sexual relations within marriage, and marriage between a man and woman. This is to desacralize the gifts of sexuality, marriage, relationship, parenthood, leadership, and the law.

When will God-fearing Americans stand up? When will we get to the point where we say, “desacralizing the Godhead is no longer acceptable.” How much will be accepted by professors of Christ? How much will be too much?

Harmony, Love & Wisdom: The Same Thing?

There can be no harmony without love, nor love without harmony. Therefore they must somehow co-exist. And if true wisdom must forever be in harmony with biblical justice, which is the connecting piece between love and harmony, does wisdom equal harmony? Are wisdom and harmony the same thing, or is one part of the other? Do love and harmony mean the same thing, or are they merely co-existent?

If love and harmony are the same, and wisdom and harmony are the same, would that conclude that love and wisdom are one and the same as well? Are the three principles actually one thing with three different facets?

This I ponder.

Personal Branding and YOU

When you think of personal or professional branding, what are the first things you think about?

When you hear names like Nike, Sprite, KoolAid, Disney, or Michelle Kwan, what comes to mind?
Chances are, you think about what associates them to you in some way. You think about the swoosh, the green bottle, the KoolAid man, Mickey Mouse, and ice skating.
But what else do you think of, beyond these basics?

The following keys can help you to see how brands work, and can help you to figure out what will work for you if you allow yourself the time to really sit down and think about it.

• Success comes from a combination of value and brand recognition.
• Brands with power tend to "rub off" on others.
• Like a rubber band, a brand can be stretched... and should be.
• The stronger the brand, the stronger the survivability rate if and when things don't go as planned.
• Keep monitoring your brand and adjusting as necessary.

I have heard it said:
INTEGRITY, COURAGE, and STRENGTH are the Hallmarks of a GREAT Life Brand!!

Here is the challenge I pose to you:

Create some top ten lists of your talents, values, personal characteristics, and skills.

Once you've created the lists, figure out which two or three things from each is most important and noteworthy to you.

Ask a random sampling of people from your life to give you some key words describing how they see you. Do these things match up with what you have in your lists?
       If now, why not?
          You are presenting yourself differently from who you truly are when greeting the world.
      If that's the case, how can you change your image?
          You can start today by showing up in the authenticity of you. Follow the guide of your principles, the top ten lists you created, and your belief statements (see previous post). Highlight the things you see as most important from these resources called YOU. Continue to stick with it, no matter what.

Belief Statements

We all have things we believe. Things that help us to make decisions and things that guide us in life. But have those beliefs been really thought through and written down? Have they truly been guiding you?
 
Personal beliefs should act like a guiding star. They should be to us like the Star of Bethlehem, helping us find the path we should take. Without knowing what we believe, we are but wanderers through this life.

Below is my own example. There are nuances not added in here, but this is pretty basic. The beliefs I choose to disclose here are concerning my beliefs around the Godhead, though belief statements can be about anything from who we are to what we believe about nature, the world, or others.
 
Personal Statement of Belief

I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, for God is a Triune God, three-in-one. I believe God is both invisible, having no body on earth, and visible in His creation on earth, which testifies to His reality.

I believe that sin is the misappropriation or denial of God’s will, and that it skews both authenticity and relationship. It brings death.

I believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of man, born of Mary, a virgin, baptized by John, ministered three years, crucified on a cross and raised again from his tomb to ascend to the right hand of God the Father. I believe Jesus saved humanity from its sins as its Redeemer, and that He lives always, from and in eternity.

I believe the Holy Spirit has always been, aids in the continued creation of the world, and was given to believers in Jesus Christ by Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. I believe He works in, through, and for the children of God on behalf of Christ and out of love for Him.

I believe the church is the corporate body of Christ, though it is imperfect, and being made perfect in Christ by the Spirit of God, is directed by the Spirit, and is the future bride of Christ at the end of time.