Your Vision: The beginning...a very good place to start.

Writing a vision statement might come easy for some.  But when your "vision" has basically been to get through each day. . .looking ahead and envisioning a future can be a troublesome speculation.  Its when I finally started to allow the truth that God does have plans for my future to sink in, and to realize that even though I know He is the one ultimately in control, I have to open up to Him, trust Him, and allow Him to show me the way.  That is the only way I would be able to pull myself out of that old way of thinking and become the new me. . . clothed in His love, His strength and His peace.  I had to be willing to take off my old tattered rags and allow Him to unshackle the chains I was hanging on to so desperately.

Step 1: Pray. Ask. Journal. (from Caleb Company - www.calebcompany.org).
BAM -- that one is easy. . .I pray, I can ask, and I journal everyday.  I often sit down in the mornings with my journal and say "Lord, what do you have for me today?" And He always obliges. He fills the blank pages of my journals far more eloquently and with a purpose than I do.  I often find myself writing the litany of "woe-is-me"isms, before I allow Him control of the pencil to fill my pages with His truth and love. Don't get me wrong, there is space in there for my grievances and ramblings. . . His grace is plenty wide enough for books full of my pains and frustrations.  He wants to hear my heart. . . because only then can He begin to whisper the truth into those places. So, when I journal, I always try to spend some time telling Him where I am at, how my heart feels. And then I give him space to fill my pages with His light, His love, His WAY.

Step 1: Pray. Ask. Journal. . . What are your dreams? If money wasn't a factor, what would you want to do?
 For those of us with "I can take care of everything" tendencies. . .thinking about what I WANT to do seems perplexing and weird.  I think that's how I lost the ability to dream and turned my attention to helping everyone else pursue theirs. . .a little co-dependency goes a long way. :)  I get so wrapped up in focusing on what others need -- my husband, my kids, my aging parents, my co-workers, my boss -- that I forget about that little thing called ME.

Okay. . . your turn.  Give it a try.  Sit down and dream a little. What sort of things have you prayed for in the past?  FOR YOURSELF, not others.  If you find you spend a lot of time praying about others or about lamenting problems rather than dreaming with God about your future, patiently allow yourself the grace to talk to Him about where you want to go and where He wants to lead you.  He wants you to dream big and He wants to help you fulfill those dreams.  Just start at the beginning. . .it happens to be right where He is.
In the beginning was the Word --  that's Him!
Happy dreaming!