When dreamers dream...

At the heart of every exceptional lemonade lies a blend of passion and perseverance. True happiness and fulfillment are not reserved for those who simply envision their dreams; they are bestowed upon those who boldly embark on the journey to transform those visions into reality. When we stop dreaming, we inadvertently stifle a vital part of our purpose. Likewise, if we allow fear to halt our progress towards those dreams, we risk becoming stagnant, held back by the weight of unfulfilled aspirations and the reluctance to take the necessary risks that lead to our goals.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. | Proverbs 13:12

Candidly speaking, I am not as brave as people typically think I am in my behavior toward my dream. Failure paralyzes my dare. Learning that failure is not a destination anymore than success catapults me back up to try again and again ... and once more after that.

As the keynote at a recent BASA conference, Jill Siler, a school superintendent from Texas, said, "Even if we are not moving in the seamless, straight trajectory we had anticipated or hoped for, it doesn't mean that we are not ready and equipped to be successful in our next steps. The line to success is rarely straight."

So we need to keep daring to activate the things around us to find the right person, the right place, the right house, the right strategy, or the right opportunity. Believe. Behave and Build. God will bless your dream one decision, one action at a time. Are you ready for more? Keep reading.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure ... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." | Theodore Roosevelt

Lizzie's dream started in kindergarten.

5 year old Lizzie's physician signature

Lizzie's first hospital blueprint; (did you notice the hospital is lemon yellow)

A lot of daring decisions, a myriad of failures and successes gave way to this little girl's dream. More details about this journey will be published later!

For right now, just know that this dreamer dreamed, dared, and God delivered to her the reality she wanted.

When I look at what God has done in my Lizzie's life, my faith explodes! I am confident that it was her belief, her behavior, and her bias to make choices that aligned to God's Word and the living out of the God dream has been, and continues to be, the special recipe of her journey,

"Dream" by Dutch Sheets recently intrigued my interest. The byline "Discovering God's Purpose For Your Life" appealed to the wilderness of opportunities bouncing around within my head. Deciding that if God can speak by way of a donkey to direct a man's step (Numbers 22:21-39) or use an unconsumed burning bush to provide guidance (Exodus 3:10-7), then by all means, a dream can be had, judged to align with His Word and then, give counsel to those who are willing to listen!

The bigger question is what is the personal responsibility we have with a God-gifted dream?

Does God really have an expectation for obedience when we are working out a faithful calling upon our life? Is there ever a moment when that dream isn't the voice of God but pizza (or short ribs) from the night before? How can we discern if our dreams match the heart of God? Does a dream turned disappointment or disaster an indication that we missed the mark?

My life cycles every few years with an overwhelming anxiety about something; it can be anything in my life but typically it is those elements that are out of my control. I know this because I have a history of these happenings in my journaling. (Write things down; it will help you timestamp the beginning AND the end of the trouble in life.)

On April 14, 2020, I wrote this in my journal of letters to God. "The future is making my stomach hurt--literally! My belly feels all tight and it's impacting me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. My weakness has led to errors in judgment and I feel absolutely powerless. My brain feels like a massive web of confusion. I am off the track that I had laid out and I'm not sure what to do about it." And now, in 2025, I am again passing through paralyzing fear in the face of an unknown future. Fear will never go away, and it will continue its attempt to sabotage our behavior; however, our response to fear can drastically change its impact on our lives.

Just like Lizzie, we all must navigate the good, the bad, and the ugly. Those elements will always be ingredients in making good lemonade; you can't have the sweet without the sour. One helps you understand the other. When we have what we need to make lemonade, how exactly do we do that?

Here's some things that I have added to my recipe card.

1. Stop watching other people. Comparison is the thief of joy and efficacy. The Facebook reel or the live action of someone's life causes us to juxtapose our weaknesses, failures, challenges against someone else's strengths, successes, and victories. Don't do it. Review your journey. Don't expect everyone to understand your perspective. Your design was not a group project; you were individually fashioned by a loving Creator. Make a date and ask a friend to remind you of a moment when the time when life was hard, really hard, and you did not give up. When did you push through the "what if" to the "what now"? Ask for stories that articulate when the live action of your life motivated someone else in their own.

"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else." | Galatians 6:4

2. Act now. Stop delaying personal obedience. Make one small step in the direction of your God dream. There will never be the opportunity to try without the risk of failure. Did you get that? There will NEVER be the opportunity to try without the risk of failure. If ants fail to act, then they assure themselves of death. If we fail to act, then we will wonder where our dreams died along the way.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. | Proverbs 6:6-8

3. Pray daily. Ask God for what you want faithfully. Be specific. Be strategic. Be intentional. Do you want to walk in grace or in greatness? When we focus on the Dream Giver instead of the dream, then our failures don't define us anymore than our successes. We can turn to our Heavenly Father, open His Word and be reminded of who we are, whose we are, and the eternity that awaits. If we live by the praises of a man, then we will die by criticism from the same. Stay tuned into Jesus.

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up in the right time. | James 4:10

4. Take care of yourself. Sleep. Drink water. Take a walk. Read a book. What part of your life doesn't match your dream? Purge your life. God tells us to love our neighbor, only as we love ourselves. What kindness and grace do you need to extend to you?

5. Do what you know to do whether you feel like doing it or not. Don't let the uncertainty of present circumstances determine the fulfillment of your future. Be a student of dreamers who have followed God's design and learn from their example. Develop resilience and grit by getting up from every failure with your mind still set like a flint. Flint is a hard, unyielding stone, symbolizing determination and resoluteness.

The antithesis of flint is our human emotions. Just like emotions are not truth's vocal twin, neither are feelings birthed from failure the litmus test for reality. Feelings are reactions, derived from our human nature. The truth of God's Word clears the fog in our minds and provides much-needed boundaries for our emotions and empowers our wills to choose well! Do the next thing you know to do. Be flinty!

Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze directly before you. | Proverbs 4:25

Consider these final thoughts ...

Are you asking for a promotion or a position where you can be the best you that God has designed? Sometimes, both come to us. What is the intent of your heart in the dream for the next thing? This is important because it determines who you feel is responsible to carry the load. If you carry the responsibility, then the work is a burden. You will get weary. You will give up. Why? Because you are not smart enough, funny enough, cute enough, or organized enough to do this dream thing without Him.

When dreamers dream and acquiesce that custody of the dreamer and the dream are both cradled within the hands of God by symbolically throwing their trust toward security in God, instead of placing security in the dream, then AND ONLY THEN is the heart of the dreamer protected!

God, I'm seeking your direction. Here I am again, fighting for myself. I'm fighting for my dream. I'm quiet. I'm empty. I'm confused. I'm disoriented, but I AM HERE. My ears feel a little dull, but God, I KNOW that I KNOW your voice....speak to me in whatever way I can hear you--Your Word, thoughts, a person--just give me confidence in my discernment. Give me the courage to be a dream fighter. Amen.

Since the day I was born, I've been placed in your custody. You've cradled me throughout my days. I've trusted in you and you've always been my God. | Psalm 22:10

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