Today I’d love you to help write this post. I love dreams! I love encouraging those with big, especially God-given dreams, to take the risks required to see them become reality. It’s almost certain that with no willingness to put failure as an option, most dreams would never see the light of day. Many people live with an unfulfilled passion, something that burns, or used to burn inside of them yet to be realized, because they never took action towards reality.
Recently I was encouraged again reading the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah accomplished his God-given dream by prayer and action. Consider Nehemiah 4:9: “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” Nehemiah depended on God for protection and strength, but he took the actions he knew to take.
So, here’s your chance to finish this post. Leave a comment and complete this sentence:
It money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would __________________________.
Be bold! Write it down! Share it with others. Together we may encourage some dreaming to become reality!
I have thought about this much. I am new to this site and this is my first post. (clap please). If resources were not an issue, I would shine the light in the dark places in men's lifes. If you are a guy, you know what I'm talking about. This is taking the legs out from under the church. The problem is HUGE. To me, it is simply not O.K. I would tell men, no matter what they have done in the past, they are not alone, and they are still "a chosen vessel of His". The Church would be totally different if men were allowed to stand up without guilt and shame, live a Holy life, and BE the men that God made them to be…….I would love to read comments on this from all of you…… Joe McCrary (out).
Thanks so much for checking out my site, and more than that for commenting. I love your dream!
My big dream would be to travel across the world teaching, motivating and empowering others. I would hawaiian dance, tai chi chuan and karate within some of these presentations. The area I would love to work with our organizations, women, colleges, teens and churches. I would like to teach about career development, sress reduction, empowerment,etc
I love this.
we would move to SA and be a part of mentoring young men and women in the journey.
Go for it!!!!
Never been to that part of our world. Love it
That's awesome
I love that and share it with you. Thanks
Love your dream. I could share that one
That's a much needed issue. Our youth have been involved in some of these relief efforts.
There is a place for this! Go for it!
Wow! That's unique. Sounds interesting
Very specific. Love it.
I'm in London right now heading back from missions in Africa. Great city, but not the same without my wife. Great dream
Joe, something tells me you are the guy who could make this happen! Love it
That's funny..or not. I guess Intense Debate limits your size response. Anyway…love the dream! Thanks for sharing
I'm sorry about that but hope this is the way God is opening a door for you. Maybe someone will read this needing an IT guy. Praying for you
I love that dream. If we could afford another staff person right now an IT guy would be great. I'm sure you'd be wonderful. Hope someone reads this who needs one now
My answer to that question above has always been to start a radio station in Cincinnati that played Christian rock music. Still waiting on Radio U in Columbus to put an antenna here.
But currently I am hopefully walking the path to a dream that is more attainable. For some time now I have felt that I needed to move out of the Corporate world and go work full time in ministry. A couple of weeks ago, my wife tells me that she thinks I am supposed to quit my job and go work for a church. I agreed with her, but also knew that was not a smart thing to do. I told my small group that if God wanted me to quit my job and go work for the church that he would have to get me fired. 2 days later, I was laid off of my job. So I am currently looking for a church who has a need for an I.T. guy with a lot of small group experience and a great passion for community and social media. Things are not moving as quickly as I had hoped, but I really feel God's hand in all of this. So I keep throwing myself out there to see where there could be a need. I am hoping to be living my dream very soon.
Chris, if we could afford an IT guy I'd talk with you. I'm sure you'd be great. Praying for you.
Thanks for the prayers. Hoping this turns into a really cool story to share.
When it does…please share.
(hahah, aparently you can dream with out limits but commenting them is a different story- i had to split this into 2 parts)
Part 2: and if i may add to this dream, i love taking people along for the ride, so after we did the show (and sold it to the discovery channel), i would like to open this into some sort of adventure camp for students. we could talk to them about living life to the fullest and daring to risk in your walk with Christ. teaching them to be open to doing the illogical for the sake of the kingdom. granted, chasing a wheel of cheese down a hill doesn't necessarily translate into salvation of our souls, but would definately teach them to get out of their comfort zone and risk for the adventure of life to the fullest the way the Jesus talks about. anyway.. that's my dream.
Sorry about the Intense Debate restrictions
ahhh, i LOVE dreaming without limits!!! so heres my big idea.. my friend, @traceepersiko and i have this idea for an adventure show. we would basically go all over the world looking for adventure, extreme sports, or extreme sporting events that the average person could do. for example, theres a cheese wheel race in Gloucestershire that looks unbelievable!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOyQBSMeIhM. So my friend and i would find all these crazy things to do all over (we have an enormous list as of right now), and show the world so they can do them too. There is so much life to live and fun to be had that people have no idea about!
Awesome! Sounds like a winner
I would pull together a team of people and write a high school curriculum on personal finances. We would then train teachers in every single school in the United States to teach it. And then give the curriculum materials away for free to every single student.
Joe, if anyone can pull this off…you can. Love it!
If money, time or other restriction were not an issue, I would travel all over the world on a touring motorcycle with my wife. I know it sounds selfish, but I would love to see God's creation. Living in Louisiana all my life . . . well, would like to just see the world!
Love it! My wife wouldn't do the motorcycle though…maybe a convertible
If money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would have a church built for Bishop Etinfoh, Jesus' Peoples Temple; and Apostle Stella Alhassan, Hour of Liberation; and build a water well for every village in Nigeria and Mexico that needs one, in association with Bishop Olu Lawrence. I would create a Foundation that financially supports the parents of children that are confined to a hospital for as long as necessary. I would create a school for the arts that my daughter, Ginger, would run. I would buy the former VT2 studios building as the place in Houston for God-ordained Media Arts production. I would obtain wise counsel to manage the overwhelming financial increase that God is providing. I would continue to praise God for His mercy and grace. And, I would take my wife on an Alaskan CruiseTour.
Those are great dreams! I would think some of them could be accomplished…if not all!
If money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would conduct the symphony. Although, there would probably be more satisfaction in teaching young students how to play individually and in an ensemble – like being a band director. I love music and find extreme joy in creating, teaching, participating, and experiencing finished works of music. I occasionally get a taste of this doing music ministry at my church, but the closest thing to music at my day job is listening to the telephone ring.
That's original. I love it
to begin a Front Porch Ministry here in our town.
Go for it!!!
It money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would start a writing and speaking ministry to wake up the Christian church to the horrors of human sex trafficking within the United States. I would travel to churches and speak to both congregations and other groups about the way women and girls are being held captive within the USA as prostitutes, porn actresses and domestic slaves (with the outward appearance as a girlfriend/wife) & why we as the body of Christ need to rise up against it.
Jesus wasn't kidding when he read Isaiah 61:1 at the temple and said it was fulfilled in the hearing. He came to set captives free and we need to do it too.
Alas, God's not opened a door for me to do that yet.
I agree. Our youth have worked with this need…it's huge.
Ron, if money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would spend every waking moment playing with my kids, dating my wife, writing top-selling books, feeding the hungry, encouraging the lonely, entertaining the world, cooking first class meals, traveling the world, speaking to anyone who’d listen, training future leaders, praying for repentance, singing (awfully) songs of joy, and blogging my every thought. In the absence of time limitations, I could go on forever with my list Ron … but …Alas, I must get back to work!
Yea…me too!
My dream Ron, is to see the Church breakout of the books and Buildings culture, and engage the world in culturally sensitive ways. Not just in the developing world where the mission need has always been, AND STILL IS, but toward the “home world” where we all live. We need to wake up to the evangelism need of where we live (a veritable mission field indeed) and break out into tech savvy ways of engaging with those who cross our paths dailly. To this end I am endeavearing to get an old fuddled brain, empowered by Jesus, around Blogs, Social Media etc and how to empower these technologies in a community relevant way for those who are “given me” for a season.
Our basic foundations will always be Christ, Community, and the love of God demonstrated to others. Our tech endeavours will faill on the altar of irrelevancy, if our integrity and foundations do not stand up. But I feel that this is the next big push into disenfranchised humanity. My dream is that “Daddy” will make it work if we make ourselves available.
Regards Bj
I'm with you…I love this
I was thinking of airing a reality show where all different age people would be going thro life's experiences & there would be an advisory panel. The counsellors would keep enouraging & pointing out to the participants how getting to know their Creator & Savior would benefit them in all the situations they find themselves in. They would keep struggling until they accepted Jesus Sacrifice & accepted the free gift of life & showed their appreciation for it.- kind of like they go to rehab & then sober living they would have to prove their committment. to be successful in a happy God fearing life.
Okay Ron, as a pastor you already do all this! — but wish I could be instrumental in helping others & in turn myself! Thx for all your posts :-))
This is great! Love it!
It money, time or other restrictions were not an issue, I would travel to Nepal. I have a pastor friend there, Ashok Adhikari, who is doing great work planting churches and training pastors. His main church is in a leper colony outside of Kathmandu. No one I know works more passionately and tirelessly for the Lord. He could really use some help and encouragement sometimes.
I would love to go to Nepal, spend a few months with Ashok and help him in training pastors and leaders in the new churches. My dream includes bringing along my wife, Kathy, so she could spend time with Ashok's wife, Romila. My fifeteen year old son would come also. It would be so great for him to get a vision of a world outside of the USA and the amazing things God is doing around the world. I could get really wild and dream that my two adult daughters would turn back to the Lord and desire to go with us as well. Glory!
An even better dream would be that I could return there every year and do it again.
That's my dream. –Richard
Very specific dream. Love it