Dream Again
I went to bed last night thinking about dreams and how I don’t “dream” with God anymore. I used to be the BIGGEST dreamer. I knew God was the God of the impossible and that nothing was too hard for Him, so I would regularly find myself daring to dream the unimaginable and unthinkable because, from my perspective, He could do it IF He wanted to, getting all of the glory.
I went to bed last night thinking about dreams and how I don’t “dream” with God anymore. I used to be the BIGGEST dreamer. I knew God was the God of the impossible and that nothing was too hard for Him, so I would regularly find myself daring to dream the unimaginable and unthinkable because, from my perspective, He could do it IF He wanted to, getting all of the glory. Because of my great imagination, I would allow my mind to wander too much instead of taking my desires to God. This caused me much disillusionment and heartbreak because my desires didn’t always align with God’s will. A verse comes to mind that pretty much sums up how I felt… “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” (Proverbs 13:12) I made my heart sick by allowing myself to run away with my incredible imagination. I should have surrendered the desires of my heart to God, ultimately desiring God’s will above my own. Unfortunately, I did not do this every time.
I have also greatly disappointed God by my choices and actions. I have crushed Him. Thankfully, He is a God whose heart is filled with abundant grace and love and when we truly repent before Him, He promises to “remove our sins as far as the East is from the West.” On the road of obedience, there are great blessings. In tears, I told Jesus last night that I wanted to dream again with Him, but this time I am going to take those dreams and give them to God. Ultimately, I want Him to place in me HIS dreams, desires, and purposes for my life because I know His desires will far outweigh my own. If you find yourself discouraged and disappointed, no longer dreaming with God, I want to encourage you today to take the heartbreak and pain, releasing it to God in exchange for excitement, anticipation, and joy for the dreams He has for YOU!!! Who is ready to start dreaming again?!
Delays & Divine Detours
On America’s Next Top Model we went to Santorini and last month I got the opportunity to return!!! It has been one of my most favorite places I’ve ever visited. I almost didn’t get to do the planned photoshoot because of the weather. Jesus did what only He could do and He calmed the seas.
On America’s Next Top Model we went to Santorini and last month I got the opportunity to return!!! It has been one of my most favorite places I’ve ever visited. I almost didn’t get to do the planned photoshoot because of the weather. Jesus did what only He could do and He calmed the seas. When I was a little girl, I saw a cosmetic commercial that quickly caught my attention. I imagined myself being the girl I saw on the TV. When I was younger, I thought this “desire” would just remain a dream until one day Jesus brought this dream to LIFE!!! I remember pinching myself on a few different occasions because I just couldn’t believe that those open doors were real! They seemed so unreal…. Like a dream that I just didn’t want to wake up from! I mentioned this before, but several years ago God moved me to walk away from modeling to become a nanny. It wasn’t on my radar to do, and it really didn’t make sense to me at all, but God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. I wanted to obey Him, so I left what was familiar for the unknown, trusting that where He was leading, He would be with me every step of the way. He used this new assignment to teach me things I would never have learned if I had stayed in modeling. He also humbled me and taught me more about Himself, which to me is priceless. During this photoshoot I was reminded of how much I still loved modeling and how I even missed it. I haven’t pursued it in years, but after this shoot I felt like I had never taken a break! I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know who holds the future!! My word for next year is “DREAM.” I know there may be times when God shuts doors. Then, when the time is right, He will open the door so that all may see that HE alone was the one who opened it! I also know there may be times when things have to appear or even be dead. I am reminded of the story of Lazarus. God COULD have healed him but what did He do?! He WAITED THREE DAYS, so He could show His resurrection POWER, ultimately getting all the glory! Our lives are meant to bring HIM glory, not our own, so at times He does things where we can be hidden, so He can be seen as the Author of it all!!!
I want to encourage you to surrender your dreams, desires, and longings of your hearts to Jesus. Trust that He knows what He is doing and how He wants to accomplish it. A DIVINE detour from God can propel you in the future. Remember Joseph?