What do you do when your dreams have to change?

What do you do when your dreams have to change?

A short background on my life:

·   I gave my life to God when I was 6, and never rebelled against my calling. I am a testimony that your kids never have to rebel against what you are praying over them. I have asked God every step of the way to lead me into His will for my life.

·    Being brought up by Godly parents taught me that spiritual heritage is so important, generation after generation following God showed me His power to keep and live in victory and joy.

·      Being baptized in the spirit and in water at the age of 12 gave me the thirst and power to share whom my best friend was.

·      I lived an idyllic life. I prayed about my future, my relationships and career.  I started dating my best friend, fell in love, was accepted for university and married, graduated and started a family. I worked in church went on mission trips, traveled, helped in church growth and grew in God. I emigrated to America found a wonderful church and was invited into leadership, Where I did the whole spectrum, as it was a brand new church so I stacked chairs, cleaned toilets, even cut trees and beside my husband co-led a cell group, a prayer group, I was on the leadership team of the church and loved every minute Sounds great eh!

·      We always knew we would eventually move to Houston so when the opportunity of a huge promotion came, as always we prayed about it and felt God’s prodding to move.

·      That’s when my life crashed… Over the last week I have gone over my journals and seen God’s hand all over my life. At my darkest time and my brightest time, He has been there.

·      After possibly the worst year of my life I found out my husband was having an affair, but I was eager to see God heal, restore, and bring forgiveness. I married for life; no one in my lineage had ever divorced.  It wasn’t in my understanding of who a Christian is. I believed in God!!!

·      However that was when my journey with God really started. If I had struggled in my walk before I would always ask those closest to me for encouragement, help and strength. Now I knew that the only one I could really trust was God.

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? (Psalm 13:2)

·      Over the next 10 years I have been brought into revelation that God is more than a happy ending. He is in the journey, and I discovered this life really isn’t about you at all.

“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” -Edward Teller

Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

·      We were created for His pleasure. We were saved because of His love. We haven’t a victorious life just because… We live to show His beauty, His heart, His Life lived in us and again not just because… But to give it away, to replicate the Christ in us in others.

·      To enable us to do this He has shown me that we grow in understanding, wisdom, and LOVE not just to be better equipped, but in doing so we become what He created us to be…His!!! His authority on earth, to break strongholds, to live out Him…

·      While reading my journals I realized that situations and people, I struggled with, worried about, thought were permanent, changed, over and over, what seemed so huge when viewed from a distance was no longer. Life changes, you change, nothing is permanent. In those times it was a meeting place where I came to the knowledge and understanding of the God and that my struggles could be an opportunity for God to show his power. 

Luke 8:5 A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." V11 The seed is the word of God.

·      When this was all fresh there was one thing that I could focus on and trust and that was the word of God. It became very precious, it’s what kept me from feeling totally overwhelmed. I knew that what I read was true, the feelings I had when measured up to His word were pure and dependable.

·      I had been given good tools and during this time started to grow so close and loved by God. My relationship changed. When I breathed I knew He was the one that was blowing the air into my lungs. When I slept I knew He was the one that cradled me and caught and kept my tears. I was falling in love in a much purer way than ever before.

·      The seed is Love, Hope and Faith, which is sown and planted by the same. Love Hope and Faith, growing from what God has done, shown and grown in you. Then it’s again not about you but about God pouring His Spirit out upon the seed to produce growth and more seed.

·      I have all these swords. Different types in different places but all strong and sharp. Because that is what I used to become His warrior Bride with His authority and the understanding of what that meant being raised in me.

Like 17:21 The kingdom of heaven is within you.

2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

·      That’s where I learned to be the bride and the warrior and to put on my armor.

Ephesians 6:1-17 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

·      The bride is equipped, ready while the Holy Spirit is all around her, shown by the wind, and the water. This was a season of boldness of laying down, letting go and of more change in my life. The Lord was showing me that I was His bride. I entered into a time of dwelling His presence. Faith produces joy. Joy comes from having a confident trust (faith) in God. (Phil 1:25) Faith in God dispels attitudes that prevent joy from occurring, e.g. worry, doubt and fear. (Matt 6:25-30, 14: 27-31, Rom 15:13) God’s word produces joy (Rom 10:17, 15:13), Obedience produces joy

Isaiah 35:10 They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Throughout Scripture, Zion represents:

•       Unity (Psalm 133:1-3).

•       God's presence (Isaiah 8:6).

•       The Spring of Living Water (Is.8:6; Ps.46:4).

•       Righteousness (Isaiah 62:1-2; 33:5).

•       Victory (Psalm 2:1-6; 125:2).

•       Rest (Psalm 132:14).

•       Praise (Psalm 9:14; 65:1).

•       Perfection (Psalm 50:1-2).

•     •  Glory (Psalm 50:1-2).

The dancing girl represents this season of growth. One day I went out for prayer and He opened up my head and just poured in Joy, which produced such freedom. I sensed Him with all my being He was so close. He showed me how my weakness showed His power in me, how I had to become fully dependent on Him.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

·      It goes on to speak about enduring hardship as discipline and that it’s because He is our Father and in V11 it says however, it (discipline; enduring hardship) produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

•       Very early one morning He gently spoke to me and gave me a calling to use my passion, and to take His picture. Through that calling I realized throughout this journey He has kept me in His Peace.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

•       Even in the production of my photographs, the film, and the darkroom all works because of light. The earthiness the imperfections, the shades of black to white all talk to who I am in Him.

•       Preparing for this message, the Lord gave me another gift. He showed me this plant. I’m going to describe it and you can guess what it is. It has 2 parts to its life cycle, each being very different but each being beautiful.

Dandelion:

•       There are fields and fields of blooming dandelion throughout British Columbia in the springtime. Although we have been conditioned to think of them as noxious weeds best dealt with chemical poisons, there are other uses for dandelions.

•       Small birds are very fond of the seeds of the Dandelion and pigs devour the whole plant greedily. Goats will eat it, but sheep and cattle do not care for it, though it is said to increase the milk of cows when eaten by them. Horses refuse to touch this plant, not appreciating its bitter juice. It is valuable food for rabbits.

•       The young leaves make an excellent salad, are delicious in sandwiches, Mixed with other flavors, as in a salad, dandelions improve the flavor.

•       The flowers are used in the preparation of a beverage known as Dandelion Wine. This wine is suggestive of sherry slightly flat, and has the deserved reputation of being an excellent tonic, extremely good for the blood.

•       The roasted roots are largely used to form Dandelion Coffee, and are a natural beverage without any of the harmful effects that ordinary tea and coffee have on the nerves and digestive organs. It exercises a stimulating influence over the whole system, helping the liver and kidneys to do their work and keeping the bowels in a healthy condition, so that it offers great advantages to dyspeptics and does not cause wakefulness.

•       There are no poisonous look-alikes. Dandelions are especially well adapted to a modern world of "disturbed habitats," such as lawns and sunny, open places. They were even introduced into the Midwest from Europe to provide food for the imported honeybees in early spring. They now grow virtually worldwide. Dandelions spread further, are more difficult to exterminate, and grow under more under adverse circumstances than most competitors.

•       Most gardeners detest them, but the more you try to weed them up, the faster they grow. Unless you remove it completely, it will regenerate. After a frost, their protective bitterness disappears. You can pass 20,000 volts of electricity through them and it won’t kill the plant.

•       You can also eat dandelion flowers. You can also sauté them, dip them in batter and fry them into fritters, or steam them with other vegetables. They have a meaty texture that contrasts with other lighter vegetables in a stir-fry dish or a casserole.

•       The taproot can be used as a cooked vegetable, especially in soups. Although not as tasty as many other wild root vegetables the leaves are more nutritious than anything you can buy.

•       They're higher in beta-carotene than carrots. The iron and calcium content is phenomenal, greater than spinach. You also get vitamins B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, P, and D, biotin, inositol, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc by using a tasty, free vegetable that grows on virtually every lawn. The root contains the sugar insulin, plus many medicinal substances.

•       Dandelion root is one of the safest and most popular herbal remedies. It’s supposed to strengthen the entire body, especially the liver and gallbladder, where it promotes the flow of bile, reduces inflammation of the bile duct, and helps get rid of gall stones. This is due to its taraxacin. It’s good for chronic hepatitis, it reduces liver swelling and jaundice, and it helps indigestion caused by insufficient bile. The root and leaf tea act on the kidneys as a gentle diuretic, improving the way they cleanse the blood and recycle nutrients. Unlike pharmaceuticals diuretics, this doesn't leach potassium, a vital mineral, from the body. Improved general health and clear skin result from improved kidney function. Dandelions are also good for the bladder, spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines. It’s recommended for stressed-out, internally sluggish, and sedentary people. Anyone who's a victim of excessive fat, white flour, and concentrated sweeteners could benefit from a daily cup of dandelion tea.

•       Dandelion root is a sugar that doesn't elicit the rapid production of insulin, as refined sugars do. It helps mature-onset diabetes, and is used as part of a holistic regime for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

1.     Dandelion leaf’s bitter elements encourage the production of proper levels of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes. All the digestive glands and organs respond to this herbs stimulation

2.     The leaf’s white, milky sap removes warts, moles, pimples, calluses, and sores, and soothes bee stings and blisters.

3.     Unlike most other seeds, dandelions’ can germinate without long periods of dormancy. The seeds can develop without cross-fertilization, so a flower can fertilize itself. This lets it foil the gardener by dispersing seeds as early as the day after the flower opens.

Questions:

1/ Did the Lord show you any dream that you may have to lay down or change in your own life?

2/ Did the dandelion‘s description shock you? Did you relate to it? Considering that it’s perceived in many different ways, good and bad, but that it still produces seeds under nearly all conditions!

3/ If you were going to pick a verse from the bible that describes your journey what would it be? Explain why.