Hello everyone! Have you ever had a dream that you didn't quite know how to make happen? Maybe the dream is bigger than your skill set and budget, and you're not sure how to invite others on board or if anyone will take you seriously. I've been there SO many times! Over the years, I've discovered that if my dream is written down and a strategy is determined, God often brings people across my path who provide what's needed for the next step. Here's an exciting key that unpacks this process... My new book Launch Your Vision elaborates on this concept extensively. Here's a quote:
Nehemiah is a great example of a man who had a vision and brought it to pass. When he heard that his home city of Jerusalem had been burned and destroyed, he went into the secret place of prayer and began to cry out to God. Moved with a vision to rebuild the walls, he did more than pray-- he became a man of strategy. The king of Babylon sensed that something was on Nehemiah's heart, and asked him to tell his vision. Boldly sharing his idea, Nehemiah's heart must have skipped a beat when the king responded, “What is your request?” Inwardly, Nehemiah whispered a quick prayer for wisdom. “If it seems good to you, send me to Jerusalem.” he responded, “Write a letter of safe conduct that will secure safe passage through the territories and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the lumber to give me all the wood needed to rebuild.” Graciously, the king granted every request. God has “kings” waiting to help you build, but you need more than vision: you need a strategy. When a person of influence asks you, “What do you need for your vision?” they're not going to listen to thirty minutes of a visionary expressing their hopes and dreams. Like the king, if you have a specific, itemized list of what you need to accomplish the work, there's a good chance they'll help you get there. In every season, we have the option to keep our ideas in the "dream" phase, or be intentional about walking them out. Not every idea needs to happen, but some dreams may be placed inside of us by God Himself, and He desires to partner with us in making them come alive. May you discover His dreams for your life and have the courage to strategize with God! Best, Rebecca Read more in my book!
0 Comments
My pastor talked about Advent this week. Later I faked ignorance and told him, "I always thought Advent was short for Adventure!" We laughed, but it was a great moment to remember that the Christmas season marks a huge, God-ordained adventure in history... how a young woman said yes to God and become mother to the Messiah... her fiance was moved by an angelic messenger to marry a pregnant woman and raise the Son of God... shepherds were interrupted by angels and left their herds to find a child... wise men traveled hundreds of miles based on a coded message in the stars... and God Himself left heaven to dwell with men. The whole story is so typical of the God who calls us away from our comfort zone to join Him on adventures, both big and small. This week I have a video to share with you. (Insert mental image of the Snoopy Dance of celebration!) I've spent countless hours crafting costumes, filming, editing, and choosing/licensing music tracks to create it. I believe it's a call to adventure... the kind that resonates with all who long for a life that outlasts their short time on earth and leaves an ongoing legacy. If you push "pause" on the business of life and take just a moment to watch this short film, you'll hear the Father's invitation to run with your part in His story. Enjoy! This film concept started when I asked pastors Craig and Karlet Muster and Brae Wycoff of Awakening International, if they would dress up in armor and sit around a campfire. Courageous people -- they said yes. They had been talking about King David's mighty men in church, so I asked them to share with a group of warriors as if they were David a cave speaking to their tribe, and using that metaphor to release visionaries today. I opted for costumes with a medieval/fantasy themed and designed them myself, inviting people from my church, ministry, and community to be involved. I wanted to capture the power of leaders who speak life over the people the Lord has entrusted them with; then I filmed myself and the kids in several other shoots and fleshed out the ideas by filming all of the story line in slow motion at 4x normal speed, and chose music from indie artists in Northern Ireland and Scotland. You can see bloopers, behind the scenes concepts, the fuller message that my pastors shared, and a DIY video showing how I created my faux leather armor from craft foam on a special YouTube playlist. Check it out! I'd love to hear your comments on my social media pages, so feel free to visit and share the links to help spread the message. This Advent season, may you dream and be inspired to run with God's adventure for your life! Best, Rebecca |
Sign up for Rebecca's weekly photo devotional!
Rebecca friedlander
Blog starting October 15th! Archives
March 2021
|