What's holding you back?

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At this time of year most of us start thinking about the future---future goals, future pursuits, future dreams. It can be a great time of reflection, or it can bring us down as we think about all the resolutions we made and didn't keep.

But instead of focusing on what we haven't done, I'd like to ask you a question. What's holding you back from pursuing your dreams? Not just dreams of grandeur, but little things too. Maybe a desire to lose ten pounds. Or to spend more time with family. Perhaps you want to write a novel.

What if we didn't worry so much and dove in with abandon? What would our lives look like a year from now if we took a step out of our comfort zone and did one thing that God's dropped in our hearts?

How many years have you said things like, "Someday I want to _____"? I know I have many of those someday thoughts. Are they really that unattainable? Why wait for your kids to grow up or your hair to turn white before you pursue the things of your heart?

I'm not talking about shirking our responsibilities, of course. Our bills still need to be paid, our families taken care of. But I bet there's something we could pursue that would get us closer to reaching our dreams. Small steps are the key.

Let's not allow fear or what others think be our guides in 2011, but let's give our pursuits to the Lord who knows the exact next step we're supposed to take.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. --Psalm 32:8

What's your dream for 2011? What tiny step can you take in the coming weeks to get you closer to it?

I Dream Of . . .

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Lately I've been thinking about beginnings. No, not of books. Of stories. MY story. What was it that compelled me to write? See, for as long as I can remember, I've loved to read and writing stories was a natural extension of that. When I was around eight I started an ambitious project called “The Horse’s Story” on my Dad's old Panasonic word processor. It was about a horse named Loopter (how's that for an imaginative name) who would become Joshua of the Bible’s horse. He was going to be a witness of the walls of Jericho falling down, but . . . I never finished it.

Then there was my epic (started when I was twelve) called “Moby”, about a Labrador Retriever trying to find his place in this world. He tried being a lap dog (with some humorous consequences!), a fire dog, a police dog, a sheep dog . . . he never did find out what he was meant to be ‘cause I never finished that story either.

As I look back I see that writing has been in my life for many, many years. Did God put that desire in my heart? I think so now. At the time, I had no idea. When I was a teenager I remember practically begging God, "Lord, show me what I'm supposed to do with my life!" My parents would always tell me I had plenty of time to find out, I was still young, but at the time it seemed like my life was practically over. :)

When I was fifteen I started a story that would change the way I thought about writing. It was about two sisters who hadn’t seen each other for years but eventually met again. That story became my first novel, Thicker Than Blood, which will be published January 2010 by Tyndale.
If you'd told me at the time that story would be my first book, I don't know if I would've believed you!

I don't recall where I heard this advice, but someone has suggested we think back to the things we dreamed about and wanted to do when we were ten or eleven. Often, those desires are clues into what God has called us to do. And many, many times we forget about those youthful dreams, abandoning them for whatever makes more money, or makes more sense.

The cool thing is, it's never too late to pick up those dreams of your childhood, dust them off, and make them happen. It might take baby steps at first, and years before you see their fulfillment, but I'd encourage you to at least think back to when you were a kid. What were your dreams? Or better yet... what did you enjoy doing?

God really does equip us at an early age for our calling. I'm learning that, and it's exciting to think about.

Making Your God-given Dreams Come True

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Tricia Goyer has a wonderful series going on over at her Writing Mentor blog called "Dare to Dream". There are so many practical and insightful quotes in these pieces, and here's one of them:

The easiest way to tell if we are missing our unique purpose is to consider the things that bring joy to our lives. Things that are uniquely us. It may be singing, baking, or even landscaping. Many of us need to ask, “If I could be doing anything for God’s kingdom what would it be?” and “Do I ‘thrive’ in my daily duties and feel God’s pleasure, or do I simply ‘survive’ as I try to keep up with the world’s ideas?”

Read all three parts of Dare to Dream:

Part 1 : What dreams are hidden in your heart?
Part 2 : Discover - What are God's Dreams?
Part 3 : Granting Ourselves Freedom - How can the impossible become possible?
Part 4 : How dreamers have changed our world

October Sky and how it encouraged me

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I recently watched the movie October Sky. Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer Hickham, the movie tells: "The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes."

I was encouraged by this movie in ways I hadn't expected. Homer wasn't afraid to follow his dreams, despite severe opposition from his father and other towns folks. I kept asking myself as I watched, "Would I have had the guts to follow my dreams when faced with that kind of opposition?" Probably not. And unlike Homer, I have a supportive family.

The movie challenged me to strive for more and give my writing all of my dedication. If a teen boy like Homer can do it, so can I. But I need to want to succeed as a writer as much as Homer wanted to succeed with his rockets. And the cool thing is, wanting something badly is half the battle. Homer was horrible at math, but he studied and learned and eventually understood it. Deep in the mines he was pouring over his textbooks during lunch breaks. He got little sleep. He was dedicated to his dream.

How dedicated to your dreams are you? God puts dreams in our hearts for a reason. He has some way of fulfilling them if we will commit them to Him and follow that still small voice leading us. Don't be afraid to do something toward your dreams today. Even if it seems incredibly small. You won't be able to take big steps until you take the small ones.