Day 31: This Is Just The Beginning

I was worried about taking on this challenge. I was in the midst of a dry season of dreaming, while pursuing my dreams.

Dreaming is not all magical and fun. In the beginning it can be sparkly and fun to throw ideas out and talk in hypothetical about ideas and plans but once you get into the dream, it gets hard. It is not all fun.

That makes this series hard. I want all of us to not lose our wonder in the webs of life and disappointment, but it is hard. I want us to hang on to Jesus with all we got, clinging to truth instead of the lies, but it is hard. I want us to take our disappointments and not see them as absolutes and limitations on our lives, but it is hard. During our daily responsibilities I want us to try to take regular steps towards our dreams, but it is hard. 

If life were easy, there would be no sin and brokenness; we would be living in the perfect world that God intended. Hard is part of our lives now. It is just a fact. 

One of the major reasons dreaming and daring to wonder, trust, believe, and try is hard for me is that I want things fast. I want to see results. I want the big picture. 

But if I knew the big picture, there would not be a reason to wonder or dream. I would just do.

If I all the way deep down trusted that God knows and that is all that matters, I would just do.

It is hard to dream, wonder, surrender, persevere, and try with unbelief. 

From avoiding dreams to being in the midst of moving forward into them this scripture is my prayer for me and for you.

“And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24

May you go forth and wonder deep and dream wide, trusting that God is with you every step of the way as he has gone before you and is right behind you, to love the beautiful souls of this world, because they are who our dreams are for above anything else. 

- Hannah

Day 30: (in)courage Devotional Bible: Review

There is a chance for you to win a copy of the (in) courage Devotional Bible! Follow the link and enter your name and email and that is it! Happy entering! https://www.blessedfreebies.com/incouragewomensdevobible.html

(in)courage is one of my personal favorite websites/blogs to go to for encouragement and inspiration. The ladies that make up (in)courage have come together and created a devotional Bible that is both aesthetically beautiful and filled with content that engages the reader with individuals in scripture and how their stories relate to us and our lives. The Bible comes in a gray hardcover, soft-leather blue, genuine leather navy, and green cloth board—which is what I have. All, except the gray hardcover, have options that include a thumb index for easy reference to the books of the Bible. Besides the devotionals included, the Bible includes 10 reading plans that corresponds with the themes they have laid out, journaling lines at the bottom of each page, book introductions, theme verses, and women of courage highlights. This bible is jam packed full of features to help you know God’s word and grow in relationship with him. 

This is not my favorite women’s devotional Bible on the market, but it might be yours. I highly suggest going to your local Christian book store to check this one out and see if it is for you. The devotional content is on point and encouraging and the Bible reading plans are rooted in key areas that women struggle with. Those features are great, but there are features of this Bible that I could do without or that could be upgraded for better use. The lines that are provided for taking notes are small, I prefer wider margins and Bibles that do not provide lines. That way I can get more out of the space. The paper quality is okay, but if you really go crazy with marking up your Bible, like I do, you are going to see your notes on the other side, they are faint, but they are visible enough that you do notice. I do love the cloth bound version that I was given to review. I think the fabric is gorgeous and it is a fun calming color. It lays flat, which I love when I am studying. A Bible that does not lay flat, gets on my nerves.  I am happy to have the (in)courage Devotional Bible in my arsenal for the devotional content and reading plans alone, but this is not the devotional Bible I will be using for personal study. But, the (in)courage Devotional Bible, is worth checking out to see if it fits you and your needs on your journey with Jesus. I think you will be encouraged by the content you find. 

You want a copy for yourself? Don't forget there is a chance for you to get an (in)courage Devotional Bible! Follow the link and enter your name and email and that is it! Happy entering! https://www.blessedfreebies.com/incouragewomensdevobible.html

- Hannah

*I received a free copy of this Bible from Front Gate Media in exchange for my honest review. 

Day 29: It's Time To Try

To learn to dream again is one thing. But to dream again we need to try. We can each learn new skills, but unless those skills are implemented we do not actually “know” how to dream. I think learning to dream looks different for each of us. 

It has taken years for me to get in a space and frame of mind where I believe what I dream combined with my talents has any merit. It has taken years, for some it does not take that long. The time frame does not matter. All that matters is you take each day and try to:

• Spend time with Jesus daily
• Make time to pursue your gifts and passions daily or weekly.
• Seek out opportunities related to your dreams.
• Seek out wisdom from God and trusted family/friends.
• Surrender disappointments and past events when they come up.
• Hold on to Jesus and his word.

It is a discipline to dream. It is not easy to prioritize what keeps spinning in our mind and hearts, when our responsibilities seem so big. We each have time to daily take steps to pursue what God has given us both in our daily responsibilities and our talents, gifts, and ideas. There is time. If we can spend time in our journals writing our ideas or thinking on those ideas, we have time to take steps forward towards those dreams.

I don't know what you are dreaming, what God has given you, but I know it is for a reason. Those dreams are not a mistake. They are important and worth pursuing. Try. From daring to write your dreams down to taking steps to pursue them. Try. Please try. God is sovereign over all. He has a plan, but we also have free will to choose if we are going to participate in what he has given us or not.  If we want to just sit and not pursue we can.

But from my own years of ignoring my dreams, I know it is just as painful to sit and stew and think “what if” as it is to see dreams unfulfilled.

Dreaming is part of our relationship with God. 

- Hannah