BIG Dreams

In September of 2009 a pastor, Jud Wilhite, gave a sermon in church about setting goals in your God given dreams. He quoted John McArthur in saying, " Let me follow a man around for two weeks and I can tell you where he will be in five years from now." The sermon went on to say that we are called to live life abundantly in everything we do. He talked about how our dreams will not just fall into our laps but that it is an everyday step by step process. Goals need to be set daily in attaining and working toward your God given dream and this is the most important point he made....GOD must be in every step.

That is the part that I find myself struggling with most because, when i do get to the place where things ARE going the way I have planned... I forget that it has been God that got me there. How can somebody be so self centered in thinking that all things miraculous that happen are a direct result of the wise choices they have made? It's a stupid way of thinking yet I find myself very often marveling at the wonderfulness of me.

The next verses I found cut me to the heart. I realized that there is nothing I can do that will lead me to success. Yes there are actions I can take, but the Bible is very clear that blessing comes from God and destruction will come to anyone who does not come to God. Yes, I agree that success in this life can be attained on your own, but is it fulfilling and does it ultimately matter in light of eternity?

PROVERBS 16:18, 20

PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND HAUGHTINESS BEFORE A FALL.

THOSE WHO LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS WILL PROSPER

THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD WILL BE JOYFUL.

Relapse

It is the moments of relapse that are the most painful memories in my life. Over and over again, I get drawn into the world and its glamour and glitz only to find out later that I stepped away from the life that I sincerely desired. The enticement that the world emanates goes beyond fame and popularity, it encompasses all aspects of the dreams of individuals and a promise to fulfill every part of your life that you THINK is missing.

I cannot count for you the times that I have fallen into the trap of thinking that my life needed more than I already had. It was not until I was in over my head that I realized I had left behind everything I truly wanted, to chase after empty promises that left my starving and begging to be rescued. Yet it was in those times that I saw the majesty of God and his love for me encompassing everything that I yearned to be. No matter how deep I buried myself God still found a way to reach down and pull me out when I was sufficiently dissatisfied.

PROVERBS 16:1-3 (NLT)

WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN PLANS, BUT THE LORD GIVES

THE RIGHT ANSWER. PEOPLE MAY BE PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES,

BUT THE LORD EXAMINES THEIR MOTIVES.

COMMIT YOUR ACTIONS TO THE LORD, AND YOUR PLANS WILL SUCCEED.

My mission statement

Britney Thompson,

called to be a living sacrifice to god. (Romans 12:1,2)

commissioned to be pure and blameless in the sight of God and man. (Philippians 1:10)

Petitioned as a disciple of jesus to go and preach

the gospel to every nation, baptizing them and

teaching them (Matthew 28:19,20) how to rightly divide gods inspired word. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Recognizing that god will make everything

Beautiful in his own time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Understanding that god knows more than I do (Isaiah 55:8) and managing my time on this earth accordingly.

Finally, I will remember that I have been created for this exact moment in history (Esther 4:14) and live every moment as though it were my last.

My mission statement is simple and concise, pulled directly from the Bible and still extremely relevant for today. Not only have I not lived up to this standard but I have failed miserably for years. I have forgotten what it means to live selflessly and am lost when it comes to realizing God's calling in my life. My dreams and aspirations have fallen by the wayside as I have spent time living…. "LIFE". You know exactly what I mean when I say "life". The perfect boyfriend (Who didn’t end up being so perfect), the glamorous job (That took up all my available time), the partying, the money (Still was never enough), basically everything the world tells me I need to be happy. But the truth is I have never been so unhappy. The majority of the time I forget how to smile, I forget the small things that make life worth living. I forget God, family, friends, trees, children, the small things that make life truly a life worth living.