No shrinking dreams

So the hubs and I were watching some TV last night and something along the lines of "quit feeling sorry for yourself" was said. I said "sounds like someone I know." You see, Mr. Hubs likes to say that to me! The nerve, I know. So anyway, I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning and she says two things I found pertinent enough to write down: "for some people, they are their own worst enemies." She says this after praying aloud for the perfectionists in the room. What is this, pick on Kari day? So then she says, "quit feeling sorry for yourself." Really! I spend too much time focusing on me, and focusing on my circumstances. It affects my attitude and my outlook on life and even my goals.

Todd and I have an idea for the kind of home we'd like to live in when our future gets here. We've got a vision board with pictures on it of what the home will look like on the outside, photos of different rooms we both like for ideas of how to paint and decorate when we get there. We even found a floor plan, pulled it out of a magazine, and hung that on the vision board. We have an idea of what area of town we'd like to live and I had all but given up on that vision, that dream. I was holding onto the last thread before church yesterday. I started to get stirred up about this town yesterday morning. Then Pastor gets up and spends a minute talking about how the devil wants to shrink our dreams. He can't keep us out of heaven, it's too late for that. So, he wants to try to get us to accept less that what we had dreamed of. Shoot, he was almost done with me. I had moved my vision out of that town and into a decent imaginary home in another, more affordable city. That lasted for a while until I all but convinced myself that not only could I live with buying a home in this other city but I could even live with the smallest home in it! That future I didn't even have yet was in the process of being ripped out from under me.

Now I'm not suggesting that we be materialistic and place all our bets on God and stretch out faith for the biggest home in the best part of town. For me, I feel called to this particular area. it's a small town, our church home is located there, and it's just a quaint small community. With it, comes a Main Street. When my photography business is ready for a storefront, it WILL be located on Main Street! To wrap up the service we were shown a slide show of images from this particular city. Images of the towns churches that are uniting in prayer and service to this community. Images of the empty storefronts on Main Street with For Lease signs in the window because local businesses have not been able to stay afloat. One of those, probably with a red awning, will have Kari Dawson Photography above the door one of these days! Images of all the local schools and prophetic words that have been spoken over the city and the churches within it. This is the city I feel led to raise my family. My vision has been restored and a fire has been lit under my booty so to speak.

I am still reminded however that sometimes I need to check my attitude and check my heart. Todd and I are still in the midst of a journey as we are between houses. We see our future ahead of us but we are in a time of sowing right now. We are cleaning up old mistakes, rotten floor boards, and building a new foundation; an unshakable one. Though the transition to this place was a challenging one, we have found peace and comfort here. We have been accepted with open arms and patience as we rebuild and don't feel pressured to hurry along. We are blessed! In the end, when we get to the next level, to what our future has for us, we'll have a testimony of all that God did to restore us to that place. What he brought us from and where he is taking us. I am mindful that I have no testimony without a test. I am ready for the next level. Ready to go deeper. Ready to be held more accountable. Ready to make more progress and take more action.

In 2008, I began to keep a list of scriptures up on the vision board. Once that are relevant to what we are praying for. Some have served their purposes and will removed and new ones have taken their place.

Malachi 3:10 NLT
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Romans 15:13 NLT
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.