What Is Your Dream?

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Today is the day we celebrate the life, legacy and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Many people dedicate this day to service and to doing for others.  This is a great way to celebrate what Dr. King accomplished.  But my question is “What is Your Dream?”

Many of us like Dr. King have been considered dreamers.  Whether it was the little girl dreaming of her prince charming and the big wedding, or the little boy who dreamt that he would be the next Michael Jordon or Kobe Bryant, we all had dreams.  As we aged and started to live, work, pay bills and all that other grown up stuff, some of us forgot about our dreams.  So I ask again what is your dream?

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In the movie Pretty Woman, the movie ends when the guy gets the girl or the girl gets the guy and they leave to live life happily ever after.  The radio announcer at the end of the movie asks this same question, What is Your Dream?   The character in Pretty Woman got her fairytale ending and was able to realize her dreams, but how many of us are able to realize our dreams?

Personally, I still have a little ways to go in realizing all of my dreams.  Yes I have achieved some, but even as I age there are more to go.  My message to all on the Dr. King holiday…Keep Dreaming! Keep allowing God to work on you, in you and through you until you reach your dreams.  Do not be afraid to be a dreamer and a doer.  Remember faith without works does not exist.  Keep reaching for your dreams as I keep reaching for mine.  They can and will come true.

The Spirit of Stuck

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Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV

Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing.

I believe that I can safely say that we have all felt stuck at some point in our lives. Whether we felt as if our back was against the wall, we were fighting to keep out head above water, or it just seemed that there was no way out, we were just stuck. For people such as myself who live in Chicago, it is like navigating the winter storms with bad tires. Once you are snowed in, you have to either work your way out or wait for a change in the weather or you are just stuck. What do we do then when we get stuck, I am guilty, I whine, complain, fuss, fret and worry, all to no avail.

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This can be especially true this time of year when people encounter the Winter blues or the Winter blah’s. Let’s be mindful not to allow the circumstances to control us. Remember that we have the power to overcome these things.

I am so happy that scripture reminds us that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in this world. When we are stuck we are to remember who we are and Whose we are. We are to prepare ourselves with the tools and the weapons that God has given us, because these are the only tools that will work in this type of battle. Do you think that soldiers fight with slingshots? Absolutely not! So why would we in turn fight a spiritual battle using non-spiritual sources. We are to use Gods armor when we get stuck, so that we can remain standing.   Put on all of God’s armor.

In order to beat the blues and the blahs that come with this time of year, and life in general, remember your armor. Remember the real reason for this season. Not the presents, the food the sales, and who doesn’t love a sale. The reason for this season is to celebrate the ultimate gift of love given to us. For unto us a child was given. Let us remove the Spirit of Stuck from our lives and live the lives we were created to live. Lives full of mercy, grace and abundance. And remember the true meaning of the season. New Year! New You! New Life!

pray, faith, god