Dream Devotional

40 Days of Hope

Renee Fisher

Copyright 2014 by Renee Fisher

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations within critical articles or reviews.

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Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible,

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Cover Design: Brett Burner, Lamp Post

Cover Image: © Shutterstock

Edited by Kyle Waalen

Dedicated

To all the dreamers, I hope you dream.

Table of Contents

Foreword ~ My Dream Died

Day #1 ~ Is Something Missing in Your Life?

Day #2 ~ Faith vs. Feeling

Day #3 ~ Is This as Good as Life Can Get?

Day #4 ~ I Thought You Hated Me

Day #5 ~ When God Is Silent

Day #6 ~ Why Detours Are Important

Day #7 ~ Permission to Transition

Day #8 ~ Are You Chasing the Next Big Thing?

Day #9 ~ Exposed

Day #10 ~ Keep It Short

Day #11 ~ Generational Sins

Day #12 ~ It’s Okay to Stop Hiding

Day #13 ~ Need a Vacation from Your Boring life?

Day #14 ~ When God Is Not Enough

Day #15 ~ Ask God to Change Your Name

Day #16 ~ A Shower for Suffering

Day #17 ~ For a Brief Moment

Day #18 ~ Live with No Regrets

Day #19 ~ God Will Never Leave You

Day #20 ~ Hope and a Future

Day #21 ~ Daddy’s Little Girl

Day #22 ~ Learning a New Identity

Day #23 ~ Why I Stopped Going to Church

Day #24 ~ What Is Real Comfort?

Day #25 ~ Empathy vs. Sympathy

Day #26 ~ Worthy of His Calling

Day #27 ~ Share Your Story

Day #28 ~ Don’t Be Afraid of Lonely Places

Day #29 ~ Our Reward Is in Heaven

Day #30 ~ To Dream or Not to Dream

Day #31 ~ Keep Your Passport

Day #32 ~ Do You Believe in Silver Linings?

Day #33 ~ Are You Living a Better Story?

Day #34 ~ Shattered

Day #35 ~ Comforting the Broken

Day #36 ~ I Suck without Jesus

Day #37 ~ I Have a Dream

Day #38 ~ Crucified with Christ

Day #39 ~ Get Dream Smart

Day #40 ~ Your Vision

Foreword ~ My Dream Died

My dream died. I’m just going to come right out and say it. I can’t sugarcoat things anymore. And now? The gloves are off.

“What kind of God would stand back and watch a dream—a good dream, for ministry and impact—fall apart?”1 The more I realized I had let my dream or my “good work” consume me, I knew that writing had become my idol and my identity. It’s also humbling when God continues speaking to me in a certain area that I thought I had already learned. That’s when I am reminded not to set up any images or idols (Exodus 20:4).

God deserves the highest place in my life. Not me. Not my career. Not my relationships. Not anything. It’s not about my dreams but my obedience. God doesn’t need me to write anything. I don’t need to have a platform. In fact, anything that glorifies me more than God needs to die.

God loves me because I am His child, not because of what I can do for Him. My worth is in God alone. Not in my efforts to write, publish, and market a book. Or be a wife. Or anything, really! I can only be obedient to what He tells me to do and leave the rest up to Him. My worth is found in my identity in Christ.

I can honestly say the times I’ve grown the most and have been the happiest were when I suffered the most. When I struggled to find my purpose. Those were the times I grew exponentially. Maybe they weren’t easy or glamorous, but God met me there. In the desert, He met me. In the valley of the shadow of death, He met me. “The impact God has planned for us doesn’t occur when we’re pursuing impact. It occurs when we’re pursuing God.”2

For now I choose to serve with integrity, not pretending to be somebody I’m not. I will wait for God to resurrect my dreams—His dreams for me. Maybe one of the reasons why I can’t plot out the next few years of my life is because I’m not supposed to. It feels amazing to accomplish the dreams that I set out to achieve seven years ago and even more gut-wrenching to see them all crumble at my feet.

I am sure you can relate.

Maybe you’ve seen your dreams come true only to watch them die. Or maybe you haven’t seen them come true yet. Maybe you’re still waiting. I wrote Dream Devotional to encourage you to keep dreaming. “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he” (Proverbs 29:18, AMP).

I hope you dream.

Day #1 ~ Is Something Missing in Your Life?

“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:24–28, NIV).

Is something missing in your life today? Maybe you’re single and lonely. Maybe you’re married and childless. Maybe you’re in between jobs. Whatever it is, I want you to know there is hope and not the kind that disappoints (see Isaiah 49:23 and Romans 5:5).

When I was in my mid-twenties, I lost hope rather easily. In fact, it’s quite embarrassing just how ashamed I was in my ever-changing circumstances, unrealized dreams, and unfulfilled longing. But something amazing happened. God answered prayer.

One by one. Prayer by prayer. Job? Check. Career? Check. Education? Check. Health? Check. Relationship? Check. I almost forgot that I had lost hope. Almost.

When I share openly about my broken dreams, I am encouraged by others to know that I am not alone. But even in the midst of sharing about the death of my dreams, I want to be careful not to lead anyone astray because…

I.

Haven’t.

Given.

Up.

Hope.

It may feel and look that way, but I haven’t. I know better. I can look back on my twenties and see God’s fingerprints. His answered prayers. This is why I know not to give up all hope. Maybe like me, you need to hear that God’s not done with you yet!

The disciples had walked with Jesus. Literally walked. Side by side they heard His messages and parables. They got extra time with Jesus, and that still didn’t prepare them for the crucifixion.

“But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place” (Luke 24:21, NIV).

The disciples were with Jesus and they didn’t get it. Maybe you’re in your twenties and you are losing hope for a mate. Maybe you’re in your thirties and hope isn’t even in your vocabulary anymore. Maybe you’re in your forties and you’re feeling the pain of being the only one without a child.

I have no idea what you’re still holding out hope for, but I know Jesus is the source. Recently I heard a sermon that showed me what was missing in my life. The reason we had hoped is because we lacked contentment.

Paul explains it best: “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11–13).

Paul knew what it was like to lose hope. So why doesn’t Paul lose hope? Why doesn’t he just give up and stop? Because he knew the secret. He learned contentment through every trial.

Today, be encouraged to look through the scriptures to find your source of hope. Thank God even if there is something missing in your life.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please help me through this season of feeling like I’m missing out or that something is missing. Please show me the areas in my life where you already feel that I can’t see! Thank you for opening my eyes today. Amen.

Is something missing in your life? If so, how do you remain hopeful?

Day #2 ~ Faith vs. Feeling

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go”

(Joshua 1:7, NIV).

There is a difference between complaint and an honest expression of our feelings before God. It’s faith versus feelings. I recently read a book entitled The Land Between by Jeff Manion. He writes about the trip the Israelites took out of Egypt and why it wasn’t a short trip. If you are traveling through the Land Between, I want to share with you a few truths.

“Traveling through the Land Between, we often have to battle discouragement. Sometimes deep discouragement. The Land Between is fertile ground for emotional collapse. There are times when God allows us—as he did the Israelites, as he did Moses—to suffer need.”3 Have you been crying out to God for change? For something new? And yet do you feel like God dumped you in the middle of the desert?

Recently, I attended North Coast Church, and Pastor Chris Brown shared from Joshua 1 (one of my favorite passages). Moses had just died. Joshua had just taken over. The Israelites were about to take their first steps out of the Land Between into the Promised Land. Pastor Brown said that following God closely may lead to symptoms of:

+ Feeling like God doesn’t care.

+ Feeling weak.

+ Feeling fear.

+ Feeling discouraged.

+ Feeling clueless.

The way God spoke to Moses was completely different from the way He spoke to Joshua. When He was instructing Joshua on their first steps into the Promised Land, there were no signs, wonders, or promises, but simply a call to bold courage. In fact, God said it three times.

+ Be bold and courageous.

+ Be bold and very courageous.

+ I command you to be bold and courageous.

We are supposed to be afraid. Maybe that’s why we walk by faith and not by feelings alone. Whoa! Just whoa. But the problem is our feelings are powerful! They make us believe what we’re feeling is actually real. And if we’re honest, sometimes they are. The Israelites felt trapped. Stuck. Maybe you’re currently having a hard time distinguishing between faith and feeling.

Manion continues, “When God disciplines us in ways that seem harsh or difficult to bear, could it be that he is attempting to rescue something?”4 Are you aware that whatever hardship you are currently experiencing is for the greater good (see Genesis 50:20)? It never feels that way when it’s happening, of course. We whine and complain. It’s natural to feel discouragement, remember? We don’t know what God is trying to save us from (yet).

Maybe the difference between the death and birth of new dreams is found in the desert place. In the place we least want to be, but the place where God wants to bless us (the Land Between). If you currently find yourself in between, like me, let’s encourage one another. Let’s remain. Stay hopeful. Choose contentment. Be bold and very courageous.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please help me navigate the land between. When I don’t understand my feelings and when my faith fails. Please give me the courage to step one foot in front of the other, even when I don’t understand where you’re leading. Amen.

Have you ever struggled to stand firm in your faith versus running away with your feelings? What made you stay or run?

Day #3 ~ Is This as Good as Life Can Get?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:1–5, NIV).

Because I’m in transition, I’ve been wondering, “Is this as good as life can get?” I usually tend to think along these lines when I am struggling to find my identity. Is it in my relationship status? Job title? Mental health? Church community? When some or all of these things are lacking, I tend to go off the deep end. I am sure you can relate.

When I was working at my dream job, I thought that this was as good as life could get. I struggled with letting go. With quitting. I didn’t want to be known as a quitter. Then I experienced sexual harassment at my Christian workplace and severe panic attacks that put me in the hospital. I was forced to move on.

I was flabbergasted when God brought my husband, Marc, into my life. I felt so unworthy. Unprepared. It was God’s grace wrapped up in a tall drink of water. I couldn’t believe that he wanted to marry me. Through Marc, God fulfilled about a decade-or-so worth of prayers. Then add four published books, and it’s no wonder that I was thinking, “Is this as good as life can get?” Nope.

I started attending Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) with my mother-in-law recently. The lessons have been convicting, like they were written just for me. So much so that I have chickened out at least once to blog about it. Now, I am no longer chicken. I cannot stay silent anymore. In one of the lessons, it said, “‘If the seed is good, why does it not take root in everyone who hears it?’ Jesus’ answer is that the failure belongs not to the sower or to the seed, but to the soil onto which the seed falls. Therefore, the disciple or Christian worker must not be too discouraged. Only a minority will receive the gospel of Jesus, and only a minority of the minority will be abundantly fruitful.”5

Oh my word. I have been so discouraged that my efforts to publish my last book haven’t gone as planned. I even went as far as saying my dream died. But maybe it didn’t. Maybe (as I have been suspecting) I have been too hard on myself. Maybe it’s not about placing any blame. If God has called me to sow seeds, that’s all I’m called to do. It’s not my job to make them flourish.

I’ve been so discouraged that all my efforts haven’t produced a harvest that I failed to overlook Jesus’ first parable in Matthew 13. It’s not up to me. Every time I think this is as good as life can get, I am in danger of living in the good. Jesus didn’t come so you or I could be a good person. Let me say that again. Jesus didn’t suffer at the hands of men and women, die a criminal’s death, and rise again on the third day so that I could be a good person. He came to redeem me from my sin, set me free, and make me great (fruitful)! That means you too.

The most impactful part of that BSF lesson was a question. It asked if we as Christians believe that Christ would never call us to suffer. It said that such a “shallow” heart lacked true faith. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but I used to be a lot happier when I suffered more than I do now. It’s sad to think I am easily discouraged, although I’m suffering less. Honestly? I lack true faith.

I share all of this because I know I am not the only one who is feeling discouraged and stuck. Friends, don’t be afraid to suffer so God can prune the weeds of good to make you great. This is definitely not as good as life can get.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please restore my thinking so I no longer choose to believe the lies that life is as good as it gets. No matter if life is great or if I am struggling, help me to accept the fact that suffering is part of your plan to make me great. Amen.

Has God ever allowed suffering to help you see this is not as good as life can get?

What happened and what was the outcome?

Day #4 ~ I Thought You Hated Me

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”

(Matthew 6:24, NIV).

Each time I played the “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” game, I only had two options: love or hate. Either you loved me or I thought you hated me. I recently devoured another book, He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobsen. I am so impressed with this simple yet profound message that Jesus loves me.

He loves me. That is all.

I wonder how many of us are still walking the tightrope of God’s love? Wayne says,

“So perhaps it’s time to toss your daisies aside and discover that it is not the fear of losing God’s love that will keep you on his path, but the simple joy of living in it every day.”6

Love. Isn’t that what we’re searching for? Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of the day I would be loved. My father’s love wasn’t enough. I wanted romantic love. When God didn’t allow a relationship in my life to happen on my time schedule, I questioned Jesus’ love. I thought He hated me.

A hard lesson I had to learn was that God, in fact, loved me and not because of anything I had ever done. I’ll never forget walking the Oceanside Pier one night with church friends. We were participating in a beach outreach and giving away free hot chocolate with no strings attached. It was so simple. Jesus loves you; here’s some hot cocoa. And yet I found myself so offended. I was angry. If Jesus loved me, then why didn’t He (fill in the blank)?

That’s what I believed. I struggled with the gnawing emptiness inside of me. It wasn’t enough to be friends with God. I wanted a human relationship with human affection.

Wayne continues, “God feels the same way about you. He’s not interested in your service or sacrifice. He only wants you to know how much you are loved, hoping that you will choose to love him in return. Understand that, and everything else about your life will fall into place; miss that, and nothing else will make any difference.”7

That profound revelation shook my faith. Solidified my love for Him. Jesus didn’t want me to do anything for Him. He loved me. That was all.

I am ashamed to admit that even after learning this lesson about love, I find myself working in other areas to prove my love. To earn more (fill in the blank). Isn’t this one of the biggest lies in our culture? If you’re married with children, you must be doing something right. If you’re without a spouse and/or children, forget about it. If I’m honest, I’m still playing the “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” game. Instead of love, I replace it with other concepts, such as a job title or my own abilities. Both of these lead back to my performance. My wrong motives. God’s love is not performance-based. Neither is my reward. As an author who speaks and writes publicly, I am once again ashamed.

This process hurts so much. But it’s been good. Cathartic. I can’t even say how grateful I am that God has cut through the bull to help me see my own sin. My selfishness. God wants me to be selfless. Whether or not God chooses to reward the works He called me to do this side of heaven is on Him. He should be enough because He is enough. Just like that time I learned that God’s love was enough when I was single. Just like I learned that ministry was enough without a job title or steady salary.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please forgive me for playing the “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” game with you. Of course, you love me. Help me to see your love, feel your love, and receive your love today. Amen.

Has God allowed you to come to the end of your efforts so you could find out how much you are loved? Is your desire for others’ rewards or for God’s?

Day #5 ~ When God Is Silent

“But David found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6b, NIV).

Why is it when God is silent, when God says to wait, that we often experience a crisis of faith? Maybe, like Elijah, you’ve just done something big for God. Instead of feeling victorious, you run for your life when threatened. What happened? Why are you running? Maybe, like David, you’ve just returned home only to find your entire life burned to the ground. Plundered. Everything is gone. Everyone is threatening you.

Even when God is silent, we are still supposed to look for Him. When David inquired of the Lord, he was successful. Even after fighting and being up for twenty-four hours. Interestingly enough, this was one of the last battles David would fight before becoming king.

When God told Samuel to anoint David, he was just a teenager. A shepherd boy. Even when the time came for David to become King of Israel, it was many years later. After hiding in caves. After living like a fugitive because the current king wanted him dead. How could David have known God would make him wait? He didn’t. God calls long before He changes our landscape, position of leadership, or status. It’s during the waiting that we have time to get to know God. It’s in this time we are equipped. We are poured into. We are tested and tried and (hopefully) found ready.

When I was fifteen, I knew I wanted to change the world. I knew God had called me to write and share the miracles I was experiencing in my life and health. It wasn’t until I turned twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight, that my first book of all my writings would finally be published. Like David, I waited over a decade to see my dreams come true. And not just my writing dreams, but my dream of a husband.

I wonder what you’re waiting on? Maybe you’re waiting on schooling or a better job. Maybe a relationship issue needs to be resolved. Whatever it is, Sarah Young from Jesus Calling writes, “I am preparing you for what is on the road ahead, just around the bend. Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you. The busier you become, the more you need this time apart with Me.”8

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please don’t let me get discouraged when I feel you are silent. Maybe you’re preparing me to be someone or to do something great one day like David! Give me hope for the days ahead. Amen.

Are you currently waiting on God for something or someone? If so, how long has it been? What encourages you through the waiting?

Day #6 ~ Why Detours Are Important

“‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the Lord heard this” (Numbers 12:2, NIV).

Detours. I don’t know about you, but I tend to get caught up in the detour rather than enjoying the journey or looking for a new destination. For instance, I can literally go back through every major transition in my life and point out the detours.

+ The people that stood in my way.

+ The jobs that eluded me.

+ The broken relationships.

+ The health trials.

It’s easier to want to focus on what’s going wrong than the new path God is forging. New takes time and requires faith, but please believe me that it’s there. I just love this devotional thought from Experiencing God Day-by-Day by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby. It says to “follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.”9

Not the detour.

In transition God wants us to pray and look to Him. Even when we feel stuck. When we’re listening to feelings instead of faith. When we’re believing the lie that this is a good as life can get. And especially when God is silent. It’s not up to us to have it all spelled out. We don’t need to have control. We are just supposed to go. Easier said than done, right? Instead of going, we tend to complain. We nurse grudges. We become bitter.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes in her devotional The Quiet Place that we tend to nurse gripes when we feel stuck. She writes, “…learn a lesson from the life of Miriam, who had become jealous of her little brother Moses, the one God had raised up to lead His people. It seems she was tired of being stuck in the background. Unhappy about her perceived lack of influence. As a result, she grew increasingly critical of Moses, pointing out things that bothered her about him or tweaked her sense of fairness.”10

It says in Numbers 12:2 that God heard Miriam. Not just when she said the words out loud, but when they began in her heart and mind. Why is it in the seasons of transition that we start to complain bitterly about the detours?

And quite often, those obstacles or detours are people. It’s not about our perceived lack of influence, but about what God is doing in you and me. And, in times of transition, there will always be people who think they know God’s will for your life. Like Jesus, we need to learn to pray. To seek His will no matter what others think. I don’t know about you, but I want to know what God thinks—before it’s too late.

Did you know that Miriam’s complaint resulted in her getting leprosy? She was banished from the camp until Moses prayed and asked God to heal her. And even then she had to spend a few days outside camp for purification.

Maybe the reason I wasn’t able to enter into a season of rest like God wanted me to is because I was too proud. I kept comparing myself (like Miriam was) to others who were “successfully making it.” Friends, I don’t want this to happen to you. I want you to learn from Jesus, from Miriam, and from me.

I want you to see that God does have plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). I know what it feels like to lose hope. I know what it feels like to want to focus on the detour. Don’t.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please help me to have faith and rest in your promises. Something is coming around the corner. Don’t let me get caught up in sin by comparing myself to others. Amen.

Has God ever used a detour in your life to point out an area of sin that He wants to remove before transitioning you forward (even if you feel that your sin is only one percent compared to others)?

Day #7 ~ Permission to Transition

“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

(Matthew 11:2–3, NIV).

For some, the past can be painful.11 For others, the pain is the answer. This year, you may encounter a trial you’ve never experienced before or be transitioning into a new job, new community, new stage of life, etc. Friends, I want you to know that no matter what you’re going through, you can have faith. You can trust in the midst of doubt. The two most popular questions typically asked during times of transition are:

1. Is God who He says He is?

2. Can God do what He says He will do?

Looking to the Bible, John the Baptist struggled with these two questions. The more I studied him, the more I was struck by John’s character. I didn’t realize what he actually meant when he, in prison, sent his disciples to Jesus. It wasn’t until I read about John in my BSF lesson, shared in my group, and listened to the lecture that I heard the pain behind John’s question.

Instead of glossing through the passage in Matthew 11, I saw a human man with real doubts. A man locked up in prison who expected Jesus to bust him out. Isn’t that how we often feel too? Jesus has the power to heal, save, provide, and (fill in the blank). Yet, we sometimes experience the death of a dream like John.

It’s interesting to note that of all people John should have known better. He was the one who famously said Jesus “must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, KJV). After seeing John as a real person with real doubts, it’s much easier to place myself in his shoes. One moment I’m surrendering my life, job, relationships, and health to God, and the next I’m wondering where God went. I’m asking the same question as John.

“Lord, have you become so great and I so small that you have forgotten me in this prison?” Doubt has a way of forcing us to reevaluate the past to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Jesus wasn’t what John expected. And if you and I are honest, sometimes Jesus isn’t what we expected either.

Like John, I wasn’t expecting a recent trial with my health. I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t know I would find myself in sudden transition. Sometimes prayer is not enough. Sometimes like John, we don’t understand and that’s okay. Unlike John, we now have the privilege of seeing the whole picture and reading the entirety of God’s Word. We know Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. What John couldn’t see, we can now see clearly. He expected Jesus to come in righteousness like a mighty militia, not as a suffering servant.

When Jesus replied to John’s disciples, he said: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” (Matthew 11:4–6, NIV).

John sent his disciples straight to Jesus. Did you catch that? Not to others, but to the source—the only person who could answer his doubts. If you find yourself in doubt, it’s okay to give yourself permission to transition. It’s okay to ask Jesus what went wrong. It’s okay to look to the past for answers and into His Word for comfort. It’s okay.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please help me make sense of the pain I’m in. I acknowledge that only you have the words of eternal life. Thank you that I can run straight to you when I need help. Amen.

What kinds of transition do you find yourself in? Do you think you have this year figured out or do you have no idea to expect?

Day #8 ~ Are You Chasing the Next Big Thing?

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24, NIV).

Chasing the next big thing is like running a race in which the finish line does not exist. Recently, my husband, Marc, and I flew to Austin, TX, to explore the city. We wanted to catch the vibe and chase the possibility of relocating. We walked downtown Austin on 6th Street and were met with T-shirts and signs that said “Keep Austin Weird.” There were also loads of hipsters and hippies. We ventured over to Zilker Park and walked under the bridge. We saw lots of joggers, runners, and people walking their dogs. Then we ate at a food landmark of Austin.

Then, in the middle of the night, Marc woke up violently. The burrito did not agree with him. He got the flu. That cut our two-day trip in half. We never got the opportunity to explore Round Rock, a suburb of Austin. Thank goodness for friends who let us stay in their home so Marc was at least more comfortable.

While Marc was resting, I started reading Satisfied by Jeff Manion. I recently read his first book, The Land Between, and wrote about it on Day #2. I was deeply impacted by the message in his first book about feeling stuck in the Land Between. When I saw his second book was about satisfaction and contentment, I knew I had to read it.

I had just come through a season of rest. Feeling stuck. Waiting on God. So on the couch downstairs in Round Rock, TX, I began to read. Lord, what is your will? Here we are walking on water. We’re venturing into the unknown. Taking time to explore a new city. Why does my heart feel so restless?

Jeff writes, “Contentment is the cultivation of a satisfied heart.”12 This simple yet profound statement helped open my spiritual eyes. God had already started changing me. This season of rest where I felt restless was beginning to feel more peaceful. At home. I loved that God took me all the way to Texas to show me that I had changed even though my circumstances had not.

It wasn’t until I got home that I found out my book Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me was selling well. I wasn’t a big fat failure. My dreams hadn’t died. And that lack of a church community? Marc and I just started a young married growth group through North Coast Church. For the first time in our marriage, we finally found a group where we’re not the only couple without kids!

I think the reason why God allowed such a long season of rest is to show me that I was continually chasing the next big thing. I was trying to fill the void with a new book or a new child or running or losing weight or church community. Even if some, all, or none of these things changed, God wanted to change me first and leave me with His peace, contentment, and a satisfied heart.

Jeff writes, “Is there a finish line out there? Not if our quest is for ‘more.’ If our goal is more, then whatever we have is never enough. It is like running a race where a finish line doesn’t exist.”13

Whether content or cankerous, I’m thankful God is a gentleman and waits for us to decide. He won’t take us kicking and screaming. I’m thankful for the opportunity to explore a new town, even if we felt it wasn’t for us.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please help me to stop chasing the next big thing. Or maybe it’s my motives that need to be checked. Either way, thanks for showing me the path you’ve picked out for me to walk. Give me the courage to obey. Amen.

Are you chasing the next big thing? Why or why not?

Day #9 ~ Exposed

“‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us

into the hand of Midian’” (Judges 6:13, NIV).

Have you ever felt emotionally drained to the core? Exposed. Your life is on display for all to see like a tree showing its roots. It seems like every negative habit from your life has reared its ugly head. Even the way you respond to pressure, criticism, loneliness, etc. It’s like you can’t do anything right.

When I couldn’t handle the pressure of an incident at work, I locked myself in my room for about four months with little to no social interaction. It was my way of coping with the drama. I didn’t want to lose my job by speaking out, but I didn’t want to stay quiet either. But maybe you do. Maybe you know the feeling of helplessness and the sting of abandonment. What it feels like to read about God and be tested on it almost immediately. If you’re anything like me, when that happens, God has to reach down and press deep into your soul to help you get it into your thick skull that you need to know Him.

But how? It’s hard to know how to receive God’s love when you feel exposed and abandoned. It’s also hard if you deal with anxiety like me. I stayed quiet for so long that my anxiety turned into depression. Maybe your present troubles are triggering an event in the past that you thought you had dealt with already. Have you ever been there?

It’s like Gideon and his priceless reaction when the angel of the Lord arrived and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”

“But why?” Gideon said.

Isn’t that so typical? Gideon asked why, and why do we ask it too? Gideon didn’t feel powerful. When God allows certain situations in our lives, we certainly don’t feel confident either. I can’t answer that in your life, but I can point you back to the scriptures.

“When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet” (Judges 6:7–8a, NIV).

God heard their cries. It can be hard to sit and wait for God to answer when the situation is desperate. I don’t know about you, but when I feel exposed, I want God to fix it right away. It hurts. But maybe there is a reason that we can’t see yet. Maybe God is working out a plan behind the scenes that requires courage now, but we will reap the benefits later.

Take time to wait for the Lord and give Him your feelings of abandonment in order to express your concerns. Go to God and get alone with Him. Pray in your prayer closet. Search the scriptures for your promise.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I am feeling exposed and abandoned. I don’t feel like I have the confidence to continue. Help me to know that it’s okay to speak up and do the right thing, even if it means I will face resistance. Thank you for showing me the example of Gideon and that today with your help I can be a mighty hero too! Amen.

Have you ever felt abandoned? What triggers it today, and how do you deal with it?

Day #10 ~ Keep It Short

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6, NIV).

Our righteousness falls so short of God’s glory, even in our best attempts. Because sin entered the world and our righteousness has become like filthy rags, we must repent. Ask God to forgive us. We must keep short accounts. I want to share a story of how my mom helped shape me as a young girl, which carried me into adulthood. She would always tell me not to come out of my room until I read my Bible and spent time with God. Since she was my teacher (I was home schooled) and spiritual encourager, I listened to her. I didn’t mind because I loved reading, but as I got older I sometimes resented her.

Who was she to tell me what to do?

It wasn’t until I was a young adult that I realized I desperately needed to know Christ and the power of the Word in order to be set free from all lies. Free from unbelief, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. You name it. Over the years, a daily quiet time gave me the much-needed confidence to keep short accounts with God. It wasn’t until many, many years later that I realized this habit helped save my life through hard times. It was during those long battles with eczema and anxiety that I remembered many of the verses I read daily in my quiet times.

I wonder what it is for you? Maybe you’re just going through the motions. Be encouraged, friend! Psalm 119:11 says that we should hide God’s Word in our heart so that we don’t sin against him. Joshua 1:8 says to meditate on the Word day and night so that we can be careful to do what it says. And maybe, just maybe, the verses you read aren’t just for you!

Can you think of a person, friend, or parent who encouraged you to connect with God—even over the little things? Don’t be afraid to post that Bible verse you read in your devotional on Facebook. Why not email a friend whom you’ve been thinking of lately and tell her that she has been in your thoughts and prayers. It’s the little things that can sometimes go a long way.

I remember when I started the practice of writing a Bible verse on a sticky note and placing it on my monitor at work. I was afraid to share my faith because those around me didn’t seem like they wanted to hear about it. Over time, they would come to me because they knew that every day I would write a new verse down. Sometimes it’s the little things that remind people that you care. Still to this day, I write a verse and put it on my monitor even though I work from home alone. It’s a reminder to myself to be faithful in the places God puts you because you never know who you’re going to impact for the kingdom and how.

Today, if you find yourself struggling with believing the Good News of the Gospel, ask God for help and thank Him for the ability to keep it short. Ask God to sprinkle you with clean water and make you clean. Ask Him to wash your filthiness away and keep you from worshipping anyone but Him. Thank God for giving you a new heart and a new spirit. Ask Him to take out your stony heart of sin and give you a tender heart responsive to His spirit, so you can follow Him daily.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, sometimes it just feels like I am going through the motions. Help remind me that it is important to remember your Word and to meditate on it—not just for myself, but for others who might need encouragement. Amen.

What is one thing you can do to put into practice keeping short accounts with God?

Day #11 ~ Generational Sins

“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Schem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her,

he took her and raped her” (Genesis 34:12, NIV).

One of the toughest passages to read in the Bible is Genesis 34. Jacob and his family are passing through a town on their way to Bethel, and his daughter—his only daughter—is raped. You can imagine how angry her twelve brothers were? They wanted revenge so badly they could taste blood. The sick part about Dinah’s rapist is that he fell in love with her (verse 3) and wanted to marry her after the fact. The boy’s father even had the audacity to ask if his son could marry her (verse 6).

As a side note, it never ceases to amaze me how people act on impulse. He saw a beautiful woman. He had to have her. He had her. Leah’s story sounds familiar. Even though this story is rarely preached on at church or in Sunday school, we all know the story of David and Bathsheba. Although that’s not the point of my story, it is interesting that women in Bible times were treated like property. Dinah’s brothers did not want her to be sold to this man, no matter what the price he was willing to pay! Her brothers deceitfully asked the rapist and all the men in the village to circumcise themselves. It was then and only then that he and anyone in their village would be allowed to intermarry, including Dinah.

While the men were still obviously in pain, her brothers killed every male in the village. It’s interesting that the brothers acted “deceitfully” (verse 13). Their dad’s name Jacob means “deceiver.” In Scripture, Jacob deceived others two times to get what he wanted—first his birthright and his two wives, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:25, 31:20).

In the church, there is a term called “generational sins.” It might sound foreign or “Christianese” to you, but it simply means the sons were carrying out the sins of their fathers. In other words, Dinah’s brothers didn’t know any better. Unfortunately, some people in this world do not either. Have you ever thought that maybe you’re suffering because of what your parents went through?

“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations” (Exodus 34:7, NLT).

Often when there is a strong hold in your life or a recurring obstacle, it is a result of sin that wasn’t dealt with in our parents’ or maybe even grandparents’ generations. As you begin the process of asking Jesus to help you through hard times and to give you hope, also ask Him to remove any suffering from previous generations and set you free!

There is no reason why you shouldn’t be free to live as Jesus intended instead of getting caught in a vicious cycle. It may take time and some tough conversations with your parents, but they are worth having and worth asking about! It’s easy to spot sins in other people’s families or judge those families for their cycles of violence. Instead of pointing fingers, take the time to seek God in silence. Maybe He will reveal to you some things that you’ve been holding on to that you no longer need to hold on to anymore!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, open my eyes and my mind and show me if there are any sins hindering me from moving forward in my relationship with you. Thank you in advance for showing me patterns or cycles that I no longer have to keep going. In Jesus’ name, I ask you to stop them and set me free! Amen.

Do you believe in generational sins? Have you ever felt affected by them?

Day #12 ~ It’s Okay to Stop Hiding

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:11–12, NIV).

How many of us like change or welcome change? Probably not you or me. We like things just the way they are, thank you very much. In order to avoid embarrassment, some of us (including myself) might spend days, months, or years in hiding. We’re paralyzed by the thought of taking a risk because we’re afraid of the big F word: Failure. It stands in our way like a roadblock or a locked door. A lost job, failed marriage, broken relationships, or a doctor’s negligence. But I’ve got good news, friends. It’s okay to stop hiding!

There is absolutely no place we can go to hide from the Lord’s presence. Just the other day I briefly mentioned David, a man who had committed great sin. He said in Psalm 139:7 that there is no place of escape. David knew this because he was a man after God’s own heart—even after he committed adultery and murder. Sounds like an oxymoron or a contradicting statement, but it’s not. He hid in sin until the prophet Nathan found him out and confronted him. He confessed his sin and was made right with God again. In other words, David stopped hiding.

Maybe you never planned being exposed (see Day #9). Maybe you thought God hated you (see Day #4). Maybe you got scared (see Day #2). There have been plenty of times I was afraid because of this trial or that trial. There have been plenty of times in my life where I have felt like a big fat failure. I’ve wished to go back to the way things were—but couldn’t. Red with shame, it’s okay to ask God to help us stop hiding! I love that Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced” (1 Peter 2:6b, NLT).

Never.

Be.

Disgraced.

When Nathan told David the story of the cute little lamb, it wasn’t to entrap David. Sure, it was to point out his sin, but most of all it was to point him back to God. To restore David and set him free. That’s where it gets tricky. Sometimes we don’t want to boldly ask God to remove our shame. Even though the Lord stands ready and waiting to lead us out of hiding—like David—we need help.

I know this can be a difficult prayer to pray because nobody likes being confronted of his or her sins, but maybe you do need to pray for a Nathan! Ask God to do whatever it takes to get you to stop hiding. Sin simply means missing the mark. Unfortunately, we miss the mark not once, not twice, but many times.

Thank God He is there each time we are afraid to exercise our faith and go back into hiding from our past, present, and future. The beauty of the scriptures shows David over and over again crying out to God.

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8, NIV). “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me” (Psalm 18:19–20, NIV).

The first step out of the darkness is trust. Ask Jesus for help! Believe that He can do what He says.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I don’t want to pray for patience or trust, but I know I need to. I need help to stop hiding. Please do whatever it takes to show me that I can be restored to fellowship and friendship with you once again. Thank you that it says in your Word that whenever we are tempted you show us a way out. Please show me that way today and every day. Amen.

What are you hiding from today?

Day #13 ~ Need a Vacation from Your Boring Life?

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1, NIV).

I never thought I’d say that married life is boring. Well, actually it’s nothing like single life was. I think the word I’m looking for though is “routine.” In the morning, I kiss my husband goodbye, and then I turn on my computer and go to work. At first glance, any routine can seem exhilarating, but it seems no one talks about how we get there. Everyone wants a vacation from life. There are seasons of fighting and seasons of enjoying the view—hopefully somewhere tropical.

I’ve fought a fierce fight, faced my fears, and overcome many obstacles to get where I am. Of course, I want to enjoy it! I love my house because it is up against a beautiful hill with avocado trees. It reminds me to take time to admire where I’ve been and how long it took me to get here. I’m living in the freedom of being married, owning a home, and writing full time—something I prayed many years for.

After running for his life as a fugitive for many years, David learned to enjoy his life as King of Israel. He called this his place of safety or spacious place. He also respected God’s boundaries (Psalm 16:6).

David was in his “spacious” room with a view when he noticed Bathsheba. I didn’t connect these two until recently. It was in the springtime that David stayed behind.

He stopped fighting. I’m not sure if he was hurt or if he was generously tired of fighting. Maybe he just needed a vacation. Sometimes I need a vacation. The only person who truly knows David’s heart is God. While David was up on the rooftop of his palace enjoying his view, he noticed Bathsheba’s hot naked body. Yowza. He had two choices: turn and cover his eyes or take a vacation with someone else’s wife. Not only was David guilty of adultery, but murder. All because of his palace view. He couldn’t just watch her bathe. He had to have her.

I find it’s easier to slip quietly into sin when we are “on vacation.” It’s easier to justify spending way too much money on that vacation I can’t afford when I just need to get away. Like David, when I’m done fighting, I just want to get away. Friends, a room with a view is something to take very seriously. God provides our very own safe and spacious place because He knows how tired we are. That’s also when the enemy knows we are weak and bored. That’s when we need to be careful.

Maybe you’ve gone through a literal war and fought for our country. Maybe others of you have struggled on the battlefield of lust or pornography, and you’re not sure how to ask God to forgive you. I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad David’s example is in the Bible.

God forgave David’s indiscretions just as He forgives our sins today. We can thank God for that!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for the example of David. He fought and sinned greatly, and yet he was a man after your own heart. Help me overcome the wars that are waging in my heart. Give me victory to walk away no matter how boring or justified I feel in my weakness. Amen.

Has there ever been a specific time when you have felt more vulnerable than others?

Why or why not?

Day #14 ~ When God Is Not Enough

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28–31, NIV).

Have you ever felt like you were pretty good in your own strength? For me, I tend to get by with my spunky, full-of-life personality. Usually it keeps me from staying down. Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me! That’s how I feel most days. Because of all God has helped me overcome, I am just so excited about life. Sounds weird, but it’s true. I wonder if you ever think about what gets you through the day. Your own strength? Coffee? Lots of coffee?

Thankfully, our only hope is found in Christ. Eventually our strength runs out and we can’t imagine what it feels like to hope. It’s crazy how one minute we’re on top of the world, and the next we’re in a puddle on the floor. I wonder if you’re like me in that you often lean on your own strength and understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

The more I feel like I’ve got this, God, that’s when I am truly in danger of losing my hope. It’s the habits of spending time with God through reading the Bible, daily devotionals, prayer, and praise that keep me covered. You too! Which leads me to my next question: How the heck is God not enough? No, seriously! If we know these things and even do them often, how is it that we lose our strength? Our hope?

Let’s ask David. Over and over he wrote in the Psalms, “Why have you forsaken me?” And Jesus said the same thing while on earth (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46).

When you and I are in the midst of suffering, we need passionate patience. What do I mean by that? God can handle your passionate sobbing fits. He can handle your words—even when you feel like cussing. Stop pretending everything is okay. Stop pretending. Just tell God that it feels like He is not enough. Even if everywhere you turn panic attacks scourge your mind, throat, and body. Maybe you feel choked to death. There have been a few times when I’ve asked God to take away my ministry of writing, teaching, and speaking because I was afraid I wasn’t adequate enough. I’m so glad He calmly and peacefully took over.

“A confident woman wants to know who God created her to be. She is comfortable saying ‘no’ to some things so that she can say ‘yes’ to living the life God wants her to live. She is intentional and secure about pursuing the spiritual purpose God has for her.”14

In all your worries and “what if’s” concerning the future, can you confidently say God has been faithful? You should because God is not one to change His mind or misdirect your paths. He keeps your feet from slipping, not once, not twice, but many, many times. Timothy, a young apostle for Christ with many health issues said, “If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is” (2 Timothy 2:12–14, NLT). Can the same be said of your life, even when God doesn’t feel like enough in the moment?

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for God-sized confidence in the midst of my weaknesses and doubts. Help me in my unbelief. Help me to see that you are, in fact, enough. No matter how big my trial, I ask you for help. Sustain me today, I pray. Amen.

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when God hasn’t felt like enough?

How long did it last and what did you do about it?

Day #15 ~ Ask God to Change Your Name

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17, NIV).

I firmly believe you can’t receive your destiny until you go. What’s that popular saying, “You can’t drive a parked car”? It’s like that. Obedience is the key that unlocks God’s door to revealing your secret name.

It wasn’t until Abram left his country, friends, and relatives that God revealed His promises (Genesis 12:1). He wasn’t fully changed into the Abraham we all know and love until he went. He made a few huge mistakes along the way, but God still honored His promise. Abraham was to become the father of many nations. Because of Him, we have the entire Jewish faith and the beginning of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Genesis 17:5, Matthew 1:1).

Jacob was another man in whom God saw potential. His deceiving ways might have gotten him a physical birthright in place of his brother, Esau, but God had in mind a spiritual birthright. “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome” (Genesis 32:28, NIV).

Simon Peter proclaimed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and his name was changed to Peter, “the rock,” which God used to build His church upon. He denied Jesus at the most crucial time in history. However, that did not prevent God from giving him the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:18–19).

Paul’s terrifying transformation took him from lead Pharisee and terrorist of Christians to lead apostle of the early church. His rebirth was the foundation of most of the books we now have in the New Testament (Acts 8:3, 9:1; Romans; 1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Colossians; Hebrews; 1 & 2 Timothy; Titus).

I am convinced that Jesus has a plan and purpose for your life. You must believe! Maybe you feel more like Much Afraid in Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard than you do Joy or Peace. Choose to move forward in faith even though you have no idea how God is going to make good on His promises. Your dreams are waiting on the other side. God may decide to keep your name secret for a while, but once He reveals it to you, you can count on it like a promise.

I’ll never forget the day I drove out to Texas. I was nursing a broken heart and decided to go to school in San Antonio. My big prayer was a name change. Call me crazy, but at the age of twenty-one I knew something within me had to change. I was afraid of asking, because I knew all the men of great faith endured many trials before God changed their names. But I still asked.

A few days after settling into my new apartment, I decided to make a trip to the Christian bookstore (back in the days when they had bookstores and before Amazon existed). Before I left, I flipped through their name cards. You know—the ones that list your first name, a Bible verse, and the meaning of your name in giant bold letters? My name Renee has always meant “born again” or “new life.” And for some reason this particular card said “Peaceful.” I laughed out loud. Who, me? Peaceful? No way! That’s when I immediately knew that God had heard and answered my prayer. I also groaned inwardly because I knew that it would not be an easy process.

Is there something within you that needs to change? “I experienced a sense of bondage I could not name and did not know how to escape. The outside of my life was bright and shiny, but inside I was a mess: anxious, lonely, afraid, and looking for significance.”15 I wonder if like Abram, Jacob, Simon, and Saul, you’re waiting for God to reveal His secret name for you. Maybe you felt trapped on the inside. Don’t be afraid; ask Jesus to change your name!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I feel stuck and trapped and empty inside. I know you have a purpose and a destiny for me, and all I can see are my shortcomings. Would you please change my name? Give me what I need to continue on my journey. Thank you for transforming me and for making me a new creation! Amen.

Have you ever thought about changing your name? Why or why not?

Day #16 ~ A Shower for Suffering

“For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his

comfort through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5, NLT).

In what sick and twisted world do we throw someone a shower for suffering? The only showers we typically go to are wedding and baby showers or a house warming party. I know because I was always the bridesmaid, never the bride—until I turned twenty-nine. All those years of suffering and no one offered to sit with me and throw a party.

I take that back. One Sunday at church, my pastor bought a bunch of beach balls (our church was less than a mile from the beach) and started telling everyone to get into the spirit of celebration. No matter what we suffered with, He wanted us to have a “ball.” Get it? At that particular time, I brought my parents to my church to have the elders of the church lay hands on me and ask God to heal me because I was really struggling with my eczema.

I mentioned yesterday in Day #15 that I asked God to change my name in Texas. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay long enough to watch that happen, because the weather and I didn’t get along so well. I had to come home after only living there for five months. The reason why I wanted the pastors to pray over me is because I lost the skin off my hands.

I remember expecting a somber church service, but instead I was met with flying beach balls to the face. Talk about the weirdest Sunday ever. I was tired of suffering. I was upset with my pastor that Sunday because I did not want a shower! I just wanted him to pray over me. I didn’t want to laugh. Crazy how I had to quickly adjust my attitude if I wanted him to pray over me, which I did.

Today’s verse resonates with me on another level because I am a newlywed. When it was finally my turn to be the bride, I couldn’t wait for my parents, best friends, and mentor to throw me three separate showers. Three!

Let me ask you a question: Do your friends and family know how important it is that they weep when you weep and not just rejoice when everything’s going fine? “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15, NIV).

It’s rare to find a true friend who is willing to throw you a shower for suffering. One who is willing to mourn with you when you’re in deep mourning. I am grateful to know a handful of women who have walked me through some very hard trials. Thankfully, they are the same women who can rejoice with me when things are going well. They aren’t jealous or caddy. What about you?

Without the hard times, we wouldn’t desire to encourage others as much. No message to share. No heart for ministry. No compassion for our friends. Although you may already know this, I hope it is another reminder not to give up hope.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, show me who my true friends are. It’s easy to know who your friends are when everything is going well, but I’m in trouble and not sure whom to trust. Point out to me those I can trust and confide in. Show me those who will sit and mourn with me when I just need a good cry. Thank you for your discernment today. Amen.

Do you find it easier to rejoice or mourn with others or both? Which are you more comfortable with others doing for you? Why?

Day #17 ~ For a Brief Moment

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24–25, NIV).

The only forever guarantee is God’s Word. In the midst of our suffering, we don’t have to give up. But that doesn’t mean you and I don’t experience rejection from time to time. For instance, I cried myself to sleep when I was about to get married. From an outsider looking in, it wouldn’t make much sense. Anyone who knows me knows how much I was praying for my future husband for over twelve years. You’d think I’d be happy, right? But with a flare-up of eczema, I felt like God rejected me again at my biggest moment of joy.

“Excuse me, God, why have you rejected me? I’m struggling to find your promises.”

Maybe you’ve felt the same way I have. Like you don’t matter. Your soul feels trapped. Caged. Sometimes we think we should be done with suffering. No more, God. We have certain expectations. Maybe it’s because of a painful past or something that happened recently that makes you think you deserve a free pass or exemption from suffering from a while. Admit it. We’ve all thought that way at one time or another.

I thought because of my painful past that I got a free ticket to paradise. Wrong. My skin cleared up in time for my wedding (good news), but then Marc and I got the flu on our wedding night (very, very bad news). Or maybe it was from the shrimp we ate or nerves. Who knows? To this day, I’ll never forget how disappointed I was because we had waited for sex after marriage. My parents, the Bible, and the church drilled into me the issue of sexual purity my entire life. Wait for sex and God will bless you. Correct, but not in the way I was thinking! It was a joy to start our marriage without any baggage or STDs. But I felt like I was being punished. I knew in the back of my head marriage was not a ticket to paradise, but I couldn’t help but feel rejected by God.

One of my favorite verses of comfort is from Isaiah 54:4–8 (NIV): “‘Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected,’ says your God. ‘For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer.”

It can be hard to continue on when all we want to do is dwell on that “brief moment” we feel God has rejected us. Maybe you know God isn’t punishing you, but it just felt like that.

“You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Do not be afraid, you worm [your name here], little [your name here], do not fear, for I myself will help you” (Isaiah 41:9b–10, 14a, NIV).

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, in my heart I know you haven’t rejected or abandoned me, but my head just can’t stop dwelling on my trials. Help me to look to you instead of what’s bothering me. Show me the path you have for me so I can make it through with your help! Amen.

Have you ever felt rejected by God? When and why?

Day #18 ~ Live with No Regret

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10, NLT).

Godly sorrow can produce a life of no regrets. Today, you can be set free. Instead of playing the blame game, God wants you to learn a hard lesson on forgiveness. It’s called regret, and it’s the hardest and probably the most painful lesson to learn. It will strip you of your former life so that you cannot go back (Luke 9:62). Ever. Again.

When I was in my early twenties, I worked as a temp. The company I worked for thought I was a good fit, so they hired me. Permanently. I ended up staying on three years longer because I was comfortable. Not bad comfortable. Just comfortable. One day, the brand-new hire asked me out for food and drinks after work. Totally willing, I naively said yes. I had no idea what kind of character this man had. All I knew was that I was the eager-to-please, single, beloved office receptionist.

What could go wrong?

One drink later, I found myself in my car with this man. He tried to force himself on me three times. I said no. Thank God that nothing happened, but I was mortified. My innocence was gone. He forced me to see things I never wanted to see, and if I could take back that February day, I would in a heartbeat. I felt sorry for going out with him alone.

I regretted my actions as I sobbed all the way home. My workplace would never be the same. He was the only person I could see from my desk in the lobby, of course. He treated me with such disrespect after that because he was afraid I was going to get him fired. Since it happened off company time, there was nothing I could do. I felt ashamed and helpless. Never had my actions gotten me in trouble like that before—and for something I didn’t do. I blamed him for ruining my life and for my boss not handling things the way I would have liked.

But.

That’s when I started writing again. I had been writing on and off in my journals since I was fifteen, pouring out my heart to God. Then I started a blog in 2004.

Years later, after I published Faithbook of Jesus, I realized all those devotionals I wrote were because of that incident. I’m so glad I fought for courage through words to be set free. I learned to live with no regret. God in His mighty power used writing to help me forgive my former coworker and clear my name!

“See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11, NIV).

Is there an event in your life that you regret—whether from someone else’s doing or your own? Let today be the day you start uncovering the truth of what God says about you in His Word. Today, choose to be set free! You never know how your story can touch someone’s life or many lives because you were faithful to tell it! That’s why I write. What about you?

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I don’t want to live with regret. Help me take the first step toward freedom. Show me what it looks like to be set free and stay set free! Thank you that godly sorrow leads to repentance. Amen.

Do you have any regrets? Why or why not?

Day #19 ~ God Will Never Leave You

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b, NIV).

Everybody needs money, but not everybody loves it. Have you ever noticed around the office how people’s attitudes are cheerier, their voices louder, and their words are generally kinder on payday? It’s such a silly question to ask why, but I will anyway! It’s because money pays for things we need like rent, food, and gas and for things we personally want too.

Providing for oneself and one’s family is not what it once was. It’s way more stressful now. The American Dream certainly isn’t what it used to be. The housing market crashed a few years ago and is slowly rising. Food prices are up. Unemployment doesn’t seem to be getting any better. So, what are we supposed to do then? Are we to pray harder and work faster? I don’t think so.

It’s interesting that one of the most popular Bible verses is often misquoted. It’s important to remember that God will never leave us or forsake us, but it’s way more important to read the verse in context.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5–6, NIV).

In other words, when we are afraid of where the money is coming from, God is always there. He will never leave our side or forsake us through rough financial times. I don’t know about you, but that is one of the most comforting verses I’ve read in a while.

I honestly never thought I would struggle with money. My parents raised me to respect money. If I didn’t have it, then I didn’t spend it. My job was for paying the bills, saving, tithing, and spending the rest on what I wanted. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I could successfully say I was livin’ the dream. I was financially independent. It felt so good not to have to mooch off my parents.

Around that time, I signed my first book contract. I went to work during the day and wrote nights and weekends. I never felt so blessed. The stress of working full time and writing a 636-page manuscript in four months quickly caught up to me though. I fought it. I didn’t want to give up my job and my financial sense of independence. I didn’t think I could. How else would I pay for my apartment, car, and miscellaneous expenses like going to the movies and hanging out with friends? Besides, I loved my job.

That is until I hated my job. God used circumstances at work to make me see what I was holding on to more than Him—money. Instead of repaying God’s gratitude by starting a writing ministry, I chose not to believe God would be with me through my financial struggles. Then burnout hit. I ended up in the hospital. Panic attacks were a daily routine, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I got mixed up in work conflicts and lost my identity. My job title defined me, and I felt trapped. Raw. Exposed. Weak.

I was more concerned about what my boss could do to me than resting in God’s provision. Have you ever been there? You know you have to provide for yourself and/or your family, and God is asking you to take a leap of faith. I truly believe that trial was more painful to me than any health problem I’ve ever had, because He exposed my sin (pride) and I couldn’t hide any longer.

Praise God, we are not alone when it comes to our finances. God is working with us—supporting us and providing for all or our needs. It’s taken me years to learn that God can provide spiritually, emotionally, and financially. I hope it doesn’t take you as long as I did to learn that!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, what an amazing verse to read that I am not alone in providing for my needs! Thank you that you will never leave me or forsake me. Help me to trust you with all my needs, including the financial ones. Amen.

Have you ever worried about money to the point that it affected your jobs, relationships, or health for any reason? Why or why not?

Day #20 ~ Hope and a Future

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

I never planned on ruining my life. I moved to Texas to serve God. I wrote about it in Days #8, #15, and #16. I wanted to be a missionary. I had just overcome a six-year-long battle with eczema and losing the skin off my feet and face. I celebrated by moving states away and out of my parent’s house for the first time! The longer I drove away from California, the more I felt hope rising.

The first verse I read when I made it to San Antonio was, “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:23, NLT).

The plan was to move in, get settled, complete my schooling, and travel to India for our overseas portion of Ambassadors for Christ, a discipleship training school, for nine-and-a-half months. I only made it five months. Unfortunately, the weather in Texas did not agree with my skin. I still hadn’t learned to control my eczema. It returned with a fury, and this time quickly tore the skin off my hands.

I.

Was.

Devastated.

For the first time in my life, I couldn’t forgive myself. It was such a difficult thing to swallow that I wrote Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me and spent ten years trying to get it published.

I was the one who applied, got accepted, and moved to Texas. The worst was the fact I went for God. How can you fail at being a missionary? I served God. Gave my life for Him. Besides, He healed me before. Why couldn’t He heal me now? What made this time any different?

I did everything I knew how to keep going. I put creams on my fingers. I took pills. Nothing worked. All my plans for life were gone. So was my hope and future.

I wonder if you’ve ever felt lost because all your plans didn’t play out the way you originally thought. Maybe you got into a relationship thinking it was headed toward marriage and then you were dumped. Blindsided. Maybe you had a job that was pretty cool and it paid the bills, but then you were laid off. Maybe like me you struggled with your health and have had to readjust the course of your life, not once, not twice, but three times!

Forgiving others is easier than forgiving myself. Since I’m the one responsible for making plans. I forgave doctors in the past that mistreated me, and my parents for taking me to those quacks. I just couldn’t let myself off the hook because I knew I would have to readjust once again. I had just set myself back another few years. Since I wasn’t in high school this time:

I.

Was.

Humiliated.

I couldn’t use my hands for the longest time. I was the only twenty-something I knew who sat at home with no plans. Zero. None. Dunzo.

Then God showed me that all those journal writings and devotionals I’d written were His plans for my “hope and a future.” It’s crazy. I couldn’t see it until God showed it to me. I wanted to be a high school math teacher. Then a missionary. Then a writer. Thanks to God, I didn’t have to stay suck in my plans. My dreams. I forgave myself for my wrongful thinking and let God’s plans once again become mine. That’s when I got my hope back and started planning for my future as a writer! What about you? What kind of God-sized plans are you planning on seeing all the way through or are you still waiting for God to show them to you?

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please forgive me when I think my plans are better than yours. When all my hope is in what I think is best, not what you have for me. Thank you for restoring my thinking and for setting me back on the right path again. Amen.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t forgive yourself for any plans you’ve made?

If so, how long was it until you felt God’s forgiveness once again?

Day #21 ~ Daddy’s Little Girl

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15, NIV).

I grew up as Daddy’s little girl. I craved his attention after he got home from work. I wanted him to approve of whatever I painted, created, or put together that day—pretty much like any little girl would, right? When he said, “Good job,” I felt appreciated. I mattered.

It wasn’t until I grew up that I noticed how much my needing to be a daddy’s girl affected my career. When I got my first real job, I wasn’t like the other girls who worked retail. They didn’t care about pleasing the boss. They actually took advantage of her, and yet they were the favored ones. I didn’t get it.

I left the mall for corporate America and became an office receptionist. I loved being the first person that greeted everyone. I was the hub of that company. The center of attention. I enjoyed getting to know everyone in the company—even though I didn’t have to. I worked hard to finish college and get my dream job. I thought I had hit a gold mine. I served the church and got paid for it. Shortly thereafter, a publisher approached me and I got my first book contract. Everything was going my way.

I tried balancing a full-time job and writing a book. Unfortunately, it totally backfired. I tried to hide my panic attacks from my boss, which actually wasn’t hard because he had his own issues to deal with. I really struggled without his help. I thought I needed the approval of my boss. It took me six months of intense conversations with God and some of my coworkers to make me realize my work performance and the need for others’ approval was actually hindering me from accepting God’s plan.

Have you ever struggled to focus in your workplace or in your relationships because you’re missing approval from others? It feels totally normal when you’re a child, but somehow when you grow up you’re just expected to be okay without praise.

The most frustrating thing to me is when you’re a child and you receive praise for almost everything you do. The older you grow up, the less praise you receive. I’ll also go as far as to say that it seems like the only time bosses do notice you is when you do something wrong.

When I became a writer, I didn’t realize how little feedback I would receive. At first I received a ton of feedback, but eventually people move on and forget about you (not in a bad way). Being Daddy’s little girl was something God was trying to teach me, but from His perspective. Actually, He’s trying to teach all of us to search for Him first.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV).

Maybe the reason you’ve stopped pursuing your dreams is because you’re not sure if you have what it takes. In the Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkinson asks, “Did you have a dream as a child that you lost along the way?”16 He writes a beautiful allegory of Ordinary, who has a Big Dream. Along the way, Ordinary realizes his Father didn’t pursue his dreams and he doesn’t want to end up making the same mistake. He didn’t want to waste another day waiting for his Dream to happen. So he came up with four choices that I believe will greatly encourage you to continue pursuing your Big Dream. He made a plan, hard choices, difficult changes, and big sacrifices.17

Take heart, friends. Don’t let your father’s mistakes, your own fears, or needing the approval of others cause you to quit pursuing your dreams. In this season of scarcity, unemployment, and jobs that don’t mean much, seek Abba Daddy’s approval over anyone else’s. Just so you know, when I finally stopped striving to make a name for myself, my first book sold out, and I got my second, third, and fourth book contracts.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, you are my Abba Father. No matter what anyone else says and no matter how my earthly father treated me, I crave your love. I want your attention and affection. Show me that I’m worth it, even when I don’t believe in myself. Help me to continue to pursue the big dreams that you’ve planted in my heart. Amen.

Do you seek to please others even at your own expense?

Do you feel it is easier to seek man’s or God’s approval? Why?

Day #22 ~ Learning a New Identity

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come”

(Proverbs 31:25, NIV).

Marriage is the last place I thought I would experience an identity crisis of sorts. For years I prayed to be married. I even wrote two books on dating and relationships (Not Another Dating Book and Loves Me Not).

When God brought my husband into my life, I literally had to change my single mindset. My mentality for over twelve years was a bit jaded. I had become so independent that I wasn’t sure there was such a thing as a happy ending.

Like me, have you ever believed one thing for so long that you started to live it? That’s how I felt when I got married. I was so used to being by myself that it took the first two years of my marriage to get comfortable with my new identity. Married.

I’m going to let you in on a not-so-little secret. Adjusting to a new normal is never easy. You see, I fully expected my identity crisis in my early twenties. It was super hard to adjust to going back to college while working full time. My life felt like one big speed bump. I wasn’t prepared for how much I would have to slow myself down. Pause. Reorganize. It was like that, too, when I got married. Everything was brand new. Different.

My mentor, Pam Farrel, writes in her book Women of Influence, “Being a woman of influence is a matter of finding the right hat, then walking like it’s supposed to be there!”18 If God has promised good works for us that He created in advance for us, then it’s okay to learn a new identity (Ephesians 2:10).

Today’s passage from Proverbs rocks. It reminds me I need to laugh whenever I get too serious about who I am and where I’m going with my life. It takes more muscles to frown than to laugh, yet I could make a living out of worrying. Another passage that has been kicking my butt is Matthew 6:25–34. It says to not worry about everyday life. If I’m honest, I need to ask God to forgive me for being such a control freak. When I don’t trust Him with the outcome.

It’s kind of weird not to constantly be freaking out about my relationship status like I did when I was single. I used to worry when I would meet my future husband. Now that I’m married and God has done such a fantastic job of answering that prayer in Marc, I am freaking out about it. I must be a woman, right? Crazy! Even saying it out loud makes me feel guilty. Like I need something new to worry—I mean pray—about.

What is it like for you? Do you struggle with finding your identity in people, places, or things? We all do. It can be even easier when you’ve lived in that identity for many years.

“Many of us sink into our ruts and cover our heads, waiting for the heavenly trumpet to sound. Most women don’t see themselves as women of influence because they think they have to do some grand thing to be influential. In a relationship of influence, being is much more important than doing.”19

When I was single, I was busy doing much for God’s kingdom. Serving at this event. Speaking at this event. Writing for this and that. When I got married, I took the first year off to adjust. It’s biblical. “If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married” (Deuteronomy 24:5, NIV).

In a fast-moving, microwave kind of culture, it can be difficult to slow down and adjust. Think of it this way: If you easily give grace to others when they get a new job or become a new parent, why not ask God for the same grace? You’ve earned it!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, why am I feeling so guilty when you have blessed me with so much? Thanks for allowing me to be honest. It’s hard to rest. It’s easy to feel guilty when there’s so much I could be doing. Help me to learn how to be instead. Thanks for my new identity in Christ. Amen.

Have you ever felt guilty about enjoying a new identity? Why or why not?

Day #23 ~ Why I Stopped Going to Church

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15, NIV).

If you grew up in the church, you’ve heard today’s passage. I don’t do what I want to do, yada, yada, yada. Well, what happens when you do the most wrong you can ever think of and then try to tell someone about it? Were you met with shame or with open and loving arms?

Unfortunately, the statistic for young adults fleeing the church by age twenty-three is seventy percent, according to LifeWay Christian Resources.20 According to their findings, sixty-five percent rarely or never pray with others, sixty-five percent rarely or never attend worship services, sixty-sevent percent don’t read the Bible or sacred texts, and fifty percent do not attend church at least weekly. These statistics shouldn’t surprise you, but it should leave you saddened. Does it burden you for the next generation? I know it does because I am part of this demographic.

I used to think that going to church as a single person was the worst until I got married. The church, unfortunately, caters to those who are married with kids. The family unit has dominated the highest percentage of ministry leaders and budgets since I can remember growing up in the church.

When I was single, I found only a few churches that had singles ministries. Some of them weren’t run very well, and others felt more like a meat market. When I got married, I thought the church would finally love me back. But because we married in our late twenties, most people at church around our same age already had kids, were still single, or were divorced.

I recently quit working on staff at a large church in San Diego, CA. We were literally the only married couple without kids. It was so sad. We felt like we had to leave in order to find fellowship, and we did.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t go to church. Instead of feeling ashamed, I felt this burden continue to rise up within me. Instead of acting on it, I felt God wanted me to rest and pray about it. Yesterday, on Day #22, I talked about the importance of being instead of doing. Sometimes God shows us things so that we can pray about it.

The disciples experienced a similar trial. “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:19–20, NIV).

It can be hard to navigate this life as a young adult, and sometimes—gulp—our decisions suck. Let me explain. I’m part of that thirty percent who stayed in church. I never felt judged so much as left out because I hadn’t gotten married and had kids right away. I think I was my own worst critic.

I wonder how you view church today? Are you part of the seventy percent that stopped going to church or are you part of the thirty percent that stayed? I love God’s heart on the matter. “If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off” (Matthew 18:12–13, NIV).

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you that you do not wish for me to wander away from your fold. No matter what church I go to or do not go to, please show me that I am loved by you. Help me when I don’t know where to go or when I find myself doing what I don’t want to do. Amen.

What is your view on the church? Be honest!

Day #24 ~ What Is Real Comfort?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4, NIV).

Suffering is good for the heart. Pain is actually meant for our good. It’s like the phrase, “No pain, no gain.” But whose gain? There’s a reason why you see two people workout together at the gym. We need a spotter to make sure the pain doesn’t become unbearable. We need each other. Nobody should have to suffer alone. Jesus suffered so we don’t have to. If you read that too fast that might not make sense to you; however, we endure suffering to encourage our friends.

I love this quote found in one of my favorite devotionals, Streams in the Desert. It says, “If you aspire to be a person of consolation, if you want to share the priestly gift of sympathy, if you desire to go beyond giving commonplace comfort to a heart that is tempted, and if you long to go through the daily exchanges of life with the kind of tact that never inflicts pain, then you must be prepared to pay the price for a costly education—for like Christ, you must suffer.”21

You.

Must.

Suffer.

Have you ever thought why your best friends are the best? A best friend sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). A best friend weeps when you cry. He or she is also happy for you when you’re happy (Romans 12:15). I love my best friends. They have comforted me through painful trials of broken health and relationships. Maybe they didn’t experience the exact same thing as me, but through their own trials they were able to comfort me. We need each other’s comfort. For real. Not the kind of wimpy friendship that asks how you’re doing and then doesn’t stick around to hear the answer.

Bestselling author Bob Goff said, “I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them. The world can make you think that love can be picked up at a garage sale or enveloped in a Hallmark card. But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence.”22

I love what Bob said because that’s exactly how Christians tend to treat each other. Before I got married, I led a small group for twenty-somethings at my church. Our group decided, as Christians, that our biggest pet peeve was when someone says, “Hey, how are you?” or “I’ll pray for you,” as an excuse not to be a real friend. Sure, everyone’s busy these days. At some point though, we really need to cut the excuses and really be there for others. What is real comfort? It’s costly. It involves sacrifice. It involves sharing your weaknesses so you can encourage others who may be struggling with the same. Comfort others as you want them to comfort you. Really!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice so that I could be comforted. Give me the strength to comfort others with real comfort—even if I don’t feel like I have the time or energy. Thank you for never making me feel like I am a burden. Thank you for loving me with real love and with real comfort. Amen.

Can you think of a time when someone comforted you when you were down?

How did it make you feel?

Day #25 ~ Empathy vs. Sympathy

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin”

(Hebrews 4:15, NIV).

Sympathy is good. For instance, if you’re having a bad day, your boss might have sympathy for you and let you go home early. Or maybe your significant other or roommate can cook you dinner or give you a backrub to cheer you up. But did you know sympathy could sometimes masquerade as something deeper?

Sometimes we identify with one another too closely. Our emotions are tangled. We think we’re doing our friends a favor because they’re in pain. We love them. We want to stop his suffering instantly. We want to fix her. But God’s plans are not always our plans for our Christian brothers and sisters.

The definition of sympathy is “an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other.”23 It’s a good thing to be there for someone, right? Comfort as we want to be comforted. We read that yesterday on Day #24, remember?

Oswald Chambers says, “Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say—‘I will not allow that thing to happen.’”24

In our attempt to show sympathy, we might be in the way of God’s plans for our friends. That’s scary. Yikes. That’s why prayer is so powerful. As believers we are shown how to use our trials to comfort others who are suffering. But how do we know what God is already doing?

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing better to do or say than point people back to the Bible. I don’t want to sound insincere, but my advice isn’t that great sometimes. For instance, I am no longer friends with someone because I didn’t know how to show her empathy versus sympathy. Every time she had a bad day or went through a breakup, I just blurted out sympathy instead of praying and searching the scriptures. It sounds good in the moment, but I did my friend a disservice. So much so that our friendship didn’t last. When I started taking steps back from our relationship to pray about the situation before offering up quick advice just to make her (and myself) feel better, it was already too late. The damage had been done.

Have you been there? It can be easy to say what sounds good in the moment, but what you’re actually doing is showing false sympathy. It seems sincere, but it’s nothing close to empathy.

The definition of empathy is “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.”25

In other words, empathy is showing kindness and being sensitive to the needs of others without the tangled emotions. Maybe I suck at showing empathy versus sympathy because I’m an extremely emotional person. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the emotions of a situation, especially when it’s desperate, extreme, and all of a sudden.

Maybe God is trying to teach your friend faith, and the only way he’ll learn is through endurance (James 1:2–4). Maybe she hasn’t been completely honest about her past relationships, and God is teaching her through His discipline. Maybe he needs to learn how to rely on God’s voice first instead of yours.

God’s end goal for our relationships is righteousness. “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26, NIV). Real friends don’t lead you astray from your dreams.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, as much as it hurts, please help me to pray first and speak second. It can be too easy to just give comfort when what I really need to do is listen. Give me your words, not mine! I ask for more empathy today! Amen.

What kind of friends do you surround yourself with? Are you the kind of friend that chooses your words carefully (empathy) or leads others astray (sympathy)?

Day #26 ~ Worthy of His Calling

“We constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling,

and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness

and your every deed prompted by faith” (2 Thessalonians 1:11, NIV).

Paul is writing to the church of Thessalonica. He wants them to know how thankful he is for them—even boasting about their perseverance and faith in persecution and trials. It’s one thing to survive hardships but another to thrive. Maybe it was because they had heard of the stories of Jesus. How He healed the sick, fed thousands, and performed many miracles. Maybe they heard about the Holy Spirit coming down like tongues of fire. And maybe they heard first-hand about Paul’s conversion story. How he was on his way to kill Christians when he heard a sound like thunder and experienced such a bright light (the glory of God) that he was literally blinded. It was that one encounter with Christ that forever changed the trajectory of Paul’s life.

Have you ever been through something so profound and life-changing that you can’t help but want to spend the rest of your life telling others about it? Maybe it was a health issue that God healed. Or maybe God answered your prayers for a family member, and now they are part of God’s kingdom. Whatever it is—large or small—we know that God faithfully answers prayer.

So why is it when we experience persecution (advances against our Christian faith) and trials that we lose the faith? Don’t stop dreaming. In her book Do You Know Who I Am?, Angela Thomas writes, “You have been given much and God is so worthy, therefore, go live a great big life worthy of your calling in Christ Jesus. Our calling is not supposed to be restrained or squandered or hidden.”26

Going after your calling in Christ is easier said than done when there is little to no opposition. When there are more sunny days than money in the bank. Angela continues, “I want to spend this lifetime learning how to be courageous. Living a bigger story than the one I can write. Dreaming bigger than my mind can imagine. And in the end bringing a greater glory for my God who is worthy.”27

It’s because God is so big and so worthy that we pursue righteous living, faith, and dreaming big. It’s because God empowers those and strengthens those who follow Him that we are able to stand up under temptation and trial (1 Corinthians 10:13). The problem isn’t so much that we are worthy of the calling, but that we are worthy of His calling. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).

Even Paul.

Even you.

Even me.

It’s nice to know that we’re in good company. It’s nice to know that even on the bad days there is someone who is far more glorious than we will ever be, enabling us to advance the kingdom of God. I love how even though Paul was extremely zealous and passionate against the cause of Christ (he didn’t think he was) and God still picked him and used him.

Have you ever felt unworthy of the calling of Christ? Maybe you don’t feel qualified. Maybe you feel you’ve messed up one too many times. Or maybe you’re scared. Chicken.

“Our Lord does not come to us to discover what we would like to accomplish for Him. He encounters us in order to reveal His activity and invite us to become involved in His work.”28 I love this devotional thought from Experiencing God Day-by-Day. When I read it in my own quiet time, it immediately reminded me of the apostle Paul.

May we be open to the His calling today—wherever He may lead us.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, what an amazing devotional thought for the day! It’s not based on my own strength or merit, but because you love me and because you are worthy! Give me the courage to follow where you lead. Don’t let me stop dreaming God-sized dreams. Amen.

What do you find most difficult about following God’s calling for your life?

Day #27 ~ Share Your Story

“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering”

(Mark 5:34, NIV).

Are you a woman who feels called to share her story? Yesterday you read in Day #26 about keeping the faith during persecution. Staying strong in trials. To keep dreaming.

I feel it is important to prayerfully consider why Jesus calls us to share our testimonies or stories, if you prefer a less churchy word. Here are three reasons why I feel it is necessary to share publicly:

1. Tell the whole truth. “Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33, NIV).

The woman in this story had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. I have shared much about my own struggles with eczema for almost ten years, but twelve? She had suffered much. And the sad part was that she suffered at the hands of doctors. Obamacare hadn’t even been invented yet. There was no Medicare or help for women. She was considered the lowest class in society, and there was no welfare. To make matters worse, she spent all her money in the process.

It’s important to know this woman’s backstory. Why? Because you and I both have one. When we see each other at church or in the grocery store, this is the part of our story that we never share. It’s too personal. And if we’re honest, we’d like to keep that part of the story hidden, even if that means never sharing about those who hurt you.

What I love about Jesus is He wanted to hear her whole story. Not just that she was bleeding and had been for twelve years, but He wanted to hear about her pain and those who had taken advantage of her and hurt her. Jesus cares about your pain.

2. Healing happens. “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’” (Mark 5:34, NIV).

When we tell the whole truth in front of many witnesses, including Jesus, that is where we find healing. That woman must have been scared to death to share her whole story in front of so many strangers. It’s one thing to talk to a psychiatrist, a counselor, or a family member, but another to blurt your whole story in the presence of a crowd.

Imagine the courage the woman had. She was desperate. She had no other options. She was at the point where she didn’t care any longer what other people thought of her. No matter what stigma was attached to her, such as “the sick woman” or “the woman who bleeds a lot” or “unclean.”

Are you struggling to share your story openly? Maybe it’s because you haven’t reached rock bottom yet. This is something I struggle with saying. I also don’t take this statement lightly. I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom. It’s terrible. You feel like you’re dying. Like me, maybe you’ve even thought about suicide. I wouldn’t even wish a “rock bottom” on my enemies. But if you are not ready and willing to approach Jesus in humility and bear all your sins, you might not find the closure, healing, or hope you’re so desperately searching for. Consider taking a step of faith like this woman and share your story publicly.

3. Don’t go unnoticed. “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed” (Luke 8:47, NIV).

Thank God the woman didn’t have to wait long to be healed. Instantly, it says. It’s also interesting that it wasn’t enough for Jesus to just heal this woman. He wanted to know who touched Him. It’s because Jesus desires to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us that He wanted to know who touched Him. He didn’t care there were crowds of people around Him. He took the time to stop and ask. Even though Jesus knew who touched Him, I believe it was to strengthen this woman’s faith even more!

When you and I share the whole truth, we find healing while encouraging those around us with our story! Daughter, is hope and healing what you are longing for? What are you waiting for? Share your story today, and be set free!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, what an amazing example this woman is to me! She struggled with the same issue for over a decade, was abused by doctors, and lost all her money, and yet you healed her in an instant. Please heal me from (fill in the blank). I only need your touch. Please show me if there’s more I can do by sharing my story with others. Thank you for healing me. Amen.

Have you ever been afraid to share your story publicly? Why or why not?

Day #28 ~ Don’t Be Afraid of Lonely Places

“Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result,

Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.

Yet the people still came to him from everywhere” (Mark 1:45, NIV).

Instead of remaining quiet as Jesus strongly warned, the man who was healed of leprosy went out and talked freely. He spread the fame and miracles of Jesus. Normally, this is something we long to hear. Isn’t it? So why the strong warning? Jesus didn’t want to be treated like a celebrity. Imagine Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus walking around downtown Los Angeles. They’d be mobbed. In fact, any celebrity who wants to enjoy time left alone outdoors usually dresses incognito. If they want to go to the grocery store, Starbucks, or for a jog, he or she usually wears a hat or no makeup.

Jesus was known as a man of compassion. He healed all sickness and disease. Of course, people wanted to find out where He was. Jesus wasn’t so much concerned about the people who wanted to be healed, but those who opposed Him and wanted to kill Him. Jesus’ time hadn’t yet come, and He still needed to train His disciples and do the Father’s will. But in order to do the Father’s will, Jesus needed to spend time alone in prayer.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come’” (Mark 1:35–38, NIV).

I’ve read this passage a thousand times, but it didn’t hit me until recently that Jesus hung out in lonely places. Have you ever felt like following God is lonely? Don’t be discouraged. You’re not alone! One of the reasons why I wrote Dream Devotional is because of my own time spent in the lonely places the past few months. When I thought a few of my dreams had died, I needed time to pray and regroup. I needed to seek the Father’s will. As much as I wanted to get together with my family and friends, who were concerned with how I was doing, I knew I needed to just rest.

My only problem? I am not good at resting. I wish I had my husband’s capacity for rest. He is so good at sleeping and remaining calm. Most people don’t understand that I am an introvert. I need time to process, but because I’m a borderline introvert, that time doesn’t last as long as Marc’s. Sure, I enjoy resting and watching television or movies as much as the next person, but after it’s over, I’m ready to hang out again. To say this past six months has been difficult would be an understatement.

Maybe the reason why Jesus was trying to tell Simon and his companions that He wasn’t called to the crowds to please the mob was because He had more to do. Just like Jesus, God calls us to do His will (see Day #26). Often we think we have an idea of what that entails. We think if we are making a splash and building our platform that we must be doing something right.

I am guilty of thinking the past few months were wasted. Worthless. I thought because I wasn’t selling enough books that I was a loser. That my dreams had died.

I.

Was.

Wrong.

God showed me the importance of hanging around in lonely places so that He would build me up. So that His voice was the only one I heard. Instead of hearing whispers of disappointment and failure, I heard such lavish statements like, “I love you,” “You are worthy,” “You are mine,” and “I have called you to do good works.”

Jesus calls us to dream. Big. Instead of listening to the massive crowd, the increasing (or decreasing) numbers, or those in your family (or ministry), take a time-out today to spend with Jesus. You might be surprised at what you find. Like me, you’ll even find the ability to enjoy the lonely places.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, please restore my thinking. I’m not called to please or entertain the masses. I am called to spend time with you in the lonely places as you did with the Father. When I feel like I’m wasting time, please help me to stop feeling guilty. Thank you for times of resting and refreshment today. Amen.

Have you ever felt guilty or even lonely for spending time alone with Jesus?

Why or why not?

Day #29 ~ Our Reward Is in Heaven

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1, NIV).

Today’s verse is one of those verses that hits deep. Whoever wants to read a warm, fuzzy devotional thought or get off easy today, this is not it. This is one of those lessons I learned in BSF that took me weeks to share with others. In Matthew 6:1–18, the word “reward” is mentioned seven times. That’s a lot. Normally, when you think back on this chapter, you think of the warm fuzzies found in verses 5–15 and 25–34, where Jesus teaches us how to pray and then how not to worry.

So, what about the first part of the chapter? Jesus is addressing a common cultural trend. The Pharisees were known to be givers. They gave to the needy. They even tithed a tenth of all their spices (Matthew 23:23). What were they missing? Jesus knew their motives. The Pharisees thought they had to do things a certain way to obtain God’s blessing. Everything they did—and I mean everything—was done publicly. Giving. Praying. Fasting. These three things are great, but it’s the how and why that matter most to God. He knows whether we give cheerfully or because we have to.

Be careful. That’s all Jesus was saying. At least that’s how I used to read the passage. I glossed over the part that says, “If you do everything in public to be seen by others, you will have no reward.” Gulp. What? Who, me?

Maybe it’s because I didn’t have a full-time writing career until four years ago. I didn’t struggle with building my platform in a public way until recently. Yesterday, I shared in Day #28 the reason why we don’t have to fear the lonely places. Spending time along with God is a gift. And, going a step further, today I want to encourage us with our reward. The more we focus on doing our acts of righteousness in public, the less our reward will be in heaven. Yikes. Maybe that doesn’t seem so bad, but the time spent on earth compared to the eternity in heaven should terrify us. It should rock us to our core and reveal our motives in a flash.

Do you share how amazing things are going in order to receive praise or to direct praise to God? This is a question only you can answer. Same with me.

The problem is we run around like hurt Christians hurting each other because all we can see are the planks in each other’s eyes. The Pharisees were so careful to point out everyone else’s sin that they missed the mark entirely.

I love the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and tithe a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’” (Luke 18:10–13, NIV).

Jesus said that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified before God. In other words, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14, NIV).

Maybe you’ve worked really hard and feel you deserve a reward in this lifetime. Now! Maybe you need God to come through, and you really hoped all your good deeds would have saved you by now. Admit it. Don’t be shy.

I’ve thought both of those at various times in my life. Maybe you’ve never thought these things, or maybe you haven’t. But maybe you know someone else needs to hear this! We all need to be reminded from time to time that our reward is an eternal reward and to be careful to not get caught up in laying up our treasures here on this earth! At least I know I do! What about you?

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for the reminder of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Help me not to focus on others’ sin but focus on my own standing with you. Please have mercy on me! Thanks also for the reminder of where our rewards come from. Help me to be a good steward of everything you’ve given me on this earth until we meet in heaven. Amen.

How do you view rewards? Is it something you’re seeking on this earth, in heaven, or both?

Day #30 ~ To Dream or Not to Dream

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12–14, NIV).

This morning I had coffee with a fellow author. We had never met before and without knowing much about me, she asked, “So, what’s your big dream?” I was taken aback by her question. I wasn’t expecting her to just come out and ask me. Normally, I have an answer for just about everything. I’m not shy! But for some reason I just couldn’t answer.

To dream, or not to dream: that is the real question. That is the reason why I wrote this book. I’ve seen my dreams come true many times. I’ve also seen a few of them crumble at my feet. If I were to sit down with you for coffee, I wonder how you would answer the same question.

What is your big dream?

Maybe you’re a dreamer. Maybe you’re more on the practical side. No matter how easy or difficult it is to answer this question, God created you for a purpose. It’s not enough to dream; you have to believe (Mark 9:23). I don’t know about you, but the older I get I find it easier to doubt my dreams. I succumb to fear. I rationalize the impossible, and give up before even starting.

In Mark 9, Jesus heals a boy with an impure spirit. The disciples were arguing with the father about why they couldn’t cast out his son’s spirit. Jesus said, “You unbelieving generation. How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19, NIV).

The father told Jesus “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” I just love Jesus’ response. He says, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” Then the father gives his famous response, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:21–24, NIV).

It’s not that I didn’t want to answer my new author friend when she asked what my big dream was. I’m between dreams at the moment. Everything I’ve prayed for God has answered. I’m actually not quite sure what to dream for next. However, I do know that when the time is right and God gives birth to a new dream or dreams in my life, I will believe because I have seen God do miracles.

What about you? Do you believe God can help you overcome so that you can have the freedom to dream? I purposefully want to keep this a short devotional so that you can spend extra time in prayer to process your big dream(s)!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for helping me thus far to do so much already. Please teach me how to dream again. Don’t let me miss out because of my unbelief. I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! Amen.

What is your big dream? Is this an easy or a difficult question? Why or why not?

Day #31 ~ Keep Your Passport

“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17, NIV).

At the time of our troubles, we cannot see God shaping and molding us to dream for the future. We’re too focused on the past. Instead of dwelling on the past any longer, we should say, Good riddance! “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62, NIV).

What does that mean? Basically, no more looking back! Today is the day to move toward your Promised Land. No more dwelling on all those troubles. We need God, our lifeline, to help us never let go of Him, so we can let go of the things that bring us down. Maybe it’s a relationship. Maybe it’s money. Maybe it’s a health issue. Whatever your struggle, I know what it feels like to never stop crying. My fears overtake me. I think I’ll be stuck forever.

Yesterday, in Day #30, I asked, “What is your big dream?” I feel it’s important to follow up with a story about the Israelites. Instead of moving on to their big dream of the Promised Land, they got stuck in the desert for forty years.

“The ancient Hebrews were masters at glorifying the ugly past. Little wonder that God canceled their passport to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:23, 29). To live in the past is to miss today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s blessings.”29

I want to share a story with you. I still have my passport even though it’s completely empty. I shared in Day #3, #15, and #16 about my trip to Texas. I was bummed when I wasn’t able to complete my discipleship training, which lasted nine months, because the last portion was an overseas mission. I got my passport expecting to go to India and put everything into practice that I learned in the classroom. Only instead of traveling with my fellow classmates, I ended up on a plane back home to California because of my eczema. Now ten years later, I’m still waiting. I haven’t given up hope that one day I will be able to use my passport. I have a feeling that traveling overseas is one of my big dreams.

I won’t let my ugly past dictate my bright future. Instead of saying no to those in spiritual leadership like the Israelites told Moses, I will remain open. I don’t want to pretend to put myself in their shoes though. I want to be careful. They were scared. They saw giants in the land. I’m not sure why only two men—Joshua and Caleb—thought it was okay to advance to the Promised Land. There’s been so many times I’ve wanted to give up and stay in the desert. If you have been abused long enough, you’ll start to believe it’s what you deserve. But I have news for you, my friends. You do not belong in the desert. God never meant for us to live in slavery. We are to say no to bondage. Just say no.

Any time you start to feel the least bit pulled back to the past, refuse to look back. Keep moving forward. Keep your passport just in case. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll be flying overseas.

I love this verse from Joel 2:25 (NIV) that says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locusts and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you.”

God might be training you for more schooling, financial means, work venture. It’s good for us to endure. Good riddance! Say it out loud. Say it all the time. Good riddance to the past and future fears. Jesus has widened the path for our steps so that we would not tumble over the edge into nothing. We are going over the edge, and there is something good waiting on the other side.

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I don’t like to hear that I need more training or schooling. Help me to keep an open itinerary and passport, knowing that when it’s the right time, you’ll come and get me. Move me where you see fit, no matter if there are giants in the land. I don’t want to go back or stay any longer than I have to. Thank you for your help! Amen.

What do you think is the best way to keep an open mind, schedule, and/or passport for God to use you? Is there anything you need to say good riddance to?

Day #32 ~ Do You Believe in Silver Linings?

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert;

it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur” (Genesis 16:7, NIV).

The least likely character in the Bible to have a hopeful future was Hagar. She was Abraham’s servant and Sarah’s maidservant. Her child was the illegitimate promise child. Can you imagine? Ishmael was favored by Abraham but not chosen by God to be the first of many. The covenant went something like this: “I will make you into a nation, too numerous to count” (Genesis 12:2).

In the midst of Abraham and Sarah acting on behalf of God, they chose a future for Hagar that she would not have chosen otherwise. Now sitting in a wasteland desert, Hagar cries out to God to save her and her son. In the valley, God meets her and saves them from sudden death. He reveals himself as El Roi, the God who sees.

I don’t know about you, but I find it comforting that God chose to reveal himself to someone who wasn’t considered to be a chosen part of society. Have you ever felt rejected? Discarded? Abandoned?

You.

Are.

Not.

Alone.

God meets us in our moment of pain when we’re between a rock and a hard place. When we need a silver lining. Character is being forged in the pouring rain in the valley as opposed to a cloudless mountaintop. As much as Hagar would have liked to be part of the family, God used a terrible experience to draw her even nearer to Him. God also saved their lives that fateful day.

What about you? Do you believe in silver linings?

I recently watched the movie Silver Linings Playbook because it speaks to me for many reasons. Not just because I know what it feels like to be different. To be judged because of my mental illness. To feel like an outcast. But I also know what it feels like to use my shortcomings and my passion to reach for dreams in spite of myself.

The defining moment in the movie for me was when Pat, the main character, said “The only way you can beat my crazy was by doing something crazy yourself. Thank you. I love you. I knew it the minute I met you. I’m sorry it took so long for me to catch up. I just got stuck.”30

I wonder, like Hagar and like Pat, what your defining moment is. When you can finally see your silver lining. Because God is the God who sees you. You should feel safe knowing there is a God who sees you.

I’ll leave you with my second favorite quote from Silver Linings Playbook to chew on. Pat’s dad, Robert De Niro, said, “When life reaches you at a moment like this, it’s a sin if you don’t reach back. I’m telling you it’s a sin if you don’t reach back! It’ll haunt you the rest of your days like a curse. You’re facing a big challenge in your life right now at this very moment, right here.”31

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you that no matter what cloud or storm or desert I find myself in that you are a God who sees me. Open my eyes to help me see my silver lining. Thank you for saving my life today as you also saved Hagar’s life and Ishmael’s life many thousands of years ago. Show me that I am chosen because I am your child. Amen.

Do you believe in silver linings? Why or why not?

Day #33 ~ Are You Living a Better Story?

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV).

I read Donald Miller’s famous book. It got me thinking if I was living a better story. Are you? He says, “Characters don’t really choose to move. They have to be forced.”32 Isn’t that the truth? It’s because we’re afraid that God pushes us forward. Don says the Bible mentions the phrase “do not fear” over 200 times. Sounds like the number of times God tells me on a daily basis as I pursue my dreams.

Thankfully we are forced to move forward when we encounter (what Don says) an inciting incident in which we do something that requires courage of heart. Before the Lion in The Wizard of Oz was given the gift of courage, he said this, “What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dust? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the ‘ape’ in apricot? What have they got that I ain’t got?”33

It takes courage to live a better story. But God will use incidents in our lives to change us for the better. Next time you feel courage-less, keep trying to seize new life. The life we are called to live. But don’t listen to me; listen to what your peers said.

Courtney said, “I’m afraid of never getting out of the situation. I can’t see an end in sight. That leads to depression and then hopelessness.”

Kayla said, “I’m afraid that I’ll never get unstuck. I’m excited because it’s an opportunity for growth.”

Lisa said, “I’m afraid of failing and not being able to care for my child. I struggle with excitement.”

Daphne said, “I’m afraid that I’ve made the wrong choice, that this is a ‘my own, dang fault again!’ moment.”

Faith said, “I’m afraid of losing my daughter and being alone. Rediscovering ‘me’ again, finding peace, grace, hope, and balance. Getting my footing back on a flat, straight surface with God again.”

Mia said, “I’m most afraid of the waiting period while you’re stuck. I’m most excited about the promises that lie ahead.”

Brit said, “When I’m feeling stuck, I tend to be most afraid of and excited about the same thing—the change that needs to (and is going to) happen. I am afraid of what is going to take for it to happen and the timing of when it is going to happen and what it will entail. But at the same time, I am excited about getting out of the rut that makes me uncomfortable and threatens my joy.”

Are you living a better story? “And once you live a good story, you get a taste for a kind of meaning in life, and you can’t go back to being normal; you can’t go back to meaningless scenes stitched together by the forgettable thread of wasted time.”34

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for showing me that I am not alone. Thanks for allowing inciting incidents to move us forward. Give me the courage to face the situation even if I am afraid. Amen.

Would you consider yourself to be a person of courage or fear or both? Why?

Day #34 ~ Shattered

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).

According to the Merriam-Webster OnLine dictionary, brokenness also means shattered.35 I wrote an acronym that best describes when our lives are interrupted, crushed, sorrowful, disconnected, and bankrupt (additional words to describe brokenness):

Sovereign—We might not see God as sovereign at first, but God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11).

Heart—Guard your heart above everything, for that’s where life starts (Proverbs 4:23).

Attitude—It’s not about our achievements more than it is about His timing (Isaiah 55:8–11).

Truth—If we want the victory, we must speak the truth over all the lies (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Trust—When we don’t understand, trust (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Empathy—Seek everything from God first, then others for encouragement (Matthew 6:33).

Really, really hurts—That’s an understatement, and God knows this (Psalm 139).

Encouragement—You will get through this (1 Peter 5:10)

Discipline—Because He loves us (Hebrews 12:5–11).

Brokenness can look more like humiliation than an experience in humility. No one likes to feel exposed, especially when there’s hurt, shame, guilt, discouragement, fear, or (fill in the blank) involved. Please look up the shattered verses above whenever you need help in healing the broken pieces in your life. Why? You can still dream in the midst of brokenness.

“When the grieving women ‘were sitting there opposite the tomb,’ did they see the triumph of the next two thousand years? Did they see anything except that Christ was gone? The Christ you and I know today came from their loss.”36

Is there something holding you back from believing in God? Could it be the broken, shattered pieces that don’t seem to make sense yet. Joyce Meyer said, “Doubt is not from God. Doubt comes in the form of thoughts [lies] that are in opposition to the Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to know the Word of God.”37

Don’t let doubt stand in the way of your dreams. Today, take some time to look up the verses listed above and ask God to help you make sense of the broken, shattered pieces today!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I acknowledge you as the only person who can help me put together the broken pieces of my life. Please take what’s shattered and make something beautiful. Thank you that I am your masterpiece. Amen.

What verse encourages you the most when you feel shattered or broken? Why?

Day #35 ~ Comforting the Broken

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

Most people don’t know this, but my fourth book, Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me, was supposed to be my second published book. The day I turned in my manuscript the publisher canceled my contract without warning. It wasn’t until a year-and-a-half later that another publisher, Harvest House, signed me and gave me the chance to finally publish a book I believed so much in.

I saved the old manuscript that was canceled, because I knew at some point I would be ready to share it.

Well.

I’m ready!

It was ironic and quite painful to re-read the words I wrote in the last chapter, Comforting the Broken. Side note: It’s amazing how all things work together. No detail goes unnoticed by God. Nothing is wasted. I hope these words encourage you through your time of need. Never stop dreaming my friends.

I’ve struggled with how to end this chapter. Nobody likes to suffer. C. S. Lewis said, “I answer that suffering is not good in itself.”38 Denying oneself is painful. It doesn’t feel natural. However countercultural it may seem, God calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him. The weight of sin, guilt, and shame far outweigh submission to Christ. So, what do I say to someone who has no direction in life and is overwhelmed on how to move forward? Look to Christ.

The hardest part to figuring out brokenness that goes on for a long period of time is where it’s coming from. When everything hits the fan (and it will), and you’re left scrambling with thoughts, temptation, blame, or whatever else comes to mind, remember that bad things happen to all people. Not just the godly. Ask God to help you get your emotions out of the way and allow Him to use your brokenness to comfort others who are broken just like you!

If you’re like me, we want to know why we’re broken. I want to encourage others, but I also want to know why I’m suffering. I remember a time in my life when I was doing everything right, yet I was still broken. I had read Hosea 6:1–3. God had torn me to pieces and bandaged my wounds. Yet why was I still bleeding? I re-read verse 3 many times. It said, “As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” I was doing everything right, yet my perfect obedience did not guarantee a perfect outcome to my life. Besides learning what to do when God says no is even harder to move forward when God says nothing. Like me, you might even believe it’s your fault. Don’t believe the lies. God may be pruning you for an even greater work.

The hard part is waiting. It requires more courage to stand. Be still. Do not lose hope while your friends go happily along their way. Jesus told His disciples to remain eleven times in John 15. I think that says a lot about God’s character. He was on to something. I think Jesus knew how cruel and harsh and unkind the world would be and how unkind we could be to each other.

Remember, “It is finished!” Whenever your life begins in brokenness, it is only for a short season. In just a short while, God will refresh us and make us new. The spiritual battle has already been won. Jesus can and will handle all our questions. His death on the cross and resurrection over the grave unites His love with our forgiveness. We are to extend the same forgiveness if we want to be made new. To be made right. To stand in His presence free of blemish or blame, no matter how scared or fearful we are. We come boldly before Christ and ask for His healing touch for others and ourselves. The same comfort we receive we freely give!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I need your comfort. Sometimes I know when trials are coming and other times I am given no warning. Help me to turn my trials into a lesson on encouraging and comforting others. Thank you for showing me today that it’s not all about me—no matter how painful that may be to hear. I love you, Jesus. Amen.

What does comfort mean to you? How do you like to be comforted?

Day #36 ~ I Suck without Jesus

“I messed up my life—and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it. But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!” (Job 33:27–28, MSG).

Once upon a time, I wrote, “I suck without Jesus.” This thought came to me very strongly when it had been a while since I had read my Bible, a devotional, or had quiet time. Just being honest, I can tell if I’m not reading the Bible. Maybe not right away, but a few days later I’ll feel something missing. And others can tell too. I get crabby. I am easily overwhelmed. I focus less on the needs of those God has placed around me, and instead I focus on myself. I even start overeating or overspending. It’s crazy! I wonder what it is for you. Do you whine more? Do you cry more?

I made it a habit fifteen years ago to read a little bit of the Word every day, because I so desperately need His help. I became a writer through the many journal entries I have written since then. There would be days I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out alive because of my severe health issues, which I’ve shared so openly about in this book. That’s why I can confidently say that I suck without Jesus.

Since it can be easy to get quickly off track from connecting with Jesus, I wanted to share ten tips to renew your devotional life so that you don’t have to suck without Jesus!

1. Be a follower. “Disciple” simply means “follower.” It’s not a spiritual term. You follow people on Twitter and Facebook, so why not be mindful to follow God FIRST? (See Matthew 6:33.)

2. Discipline takes time. Over the years, I’ve discovered what works for me. Daily eVerses + yearly devotionals + One Year Bible + journal/pen = a VERY happy Renee. What have you found works best for you? (See 1 Corthians 9:27.)

3. If you’re bored, God’s bored. My friend Monique told me this phrase, and it’s always stuck with me. If you’re in the middle of reading your daily devotions, don’t be afraid to get creative. Try a new Bible translation, time of the day, or devotional book. In the past, what have you found most helpful in getting creative with changing up your devotional life with God? (See Exodus 31:1–3.)

4. Don’t do it alone. We need community. We need people. We need help. See if one of your friends or family members can keep you accountable to spend your time daily with God. If you don’t tell others, they won’t know to ask. Write down the names of one or two people who help keep you accountable for reading the Word daily. If you can’t think of anyone, write down the names of people you will ask this week. (See Hebrews 10:24–25.)

5. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to lean on your accountability partner for help. When trials come (and they will), God tangibly offers His support in the form of those who are made in His image (your friends and family). Are you afraid to ask others for help? (See Acts 16:25.)

6. Keep watching! Even when we’re asking others for support and encouragement, ultimately we need to take responsibility to stand watch and keep watching for the Lord to speak to us. Where do you go to watch for the Lord? Write down at least three places, including your room, the outdoors, private gardens, etc. (See Habakkuk 2:1–2.)

7. Use your senses. I don’t know about you, but I love the taste of food. I like how it fills me up, tastes good, and gives me energy. The Bible is like that too. We taste and see that God is good by spending time daily in the Word, through prayer, and meeting with others. How do you use your senses to connect with Jesus daily? (See John 6:33, 35.)

8. Find your promise. It took me eleven months and twenty-six days to find my promise of healing from God by searching the scriptures. What kind of promise from the Lord are you desperately searching for or have you already found one? (See whatever God shows you.)

9. Memorize Scripture. If you can quote your favorite movie, you can memorize Scripture. Just sayin’. When was the last time you memorized a favorite passage of Scripture? (See Joshua 1:8.)

10. Living for eternity. God has given us every spiritual gift we need for living a godly life (2 Peter 1:3, NLT). Don’t let Judgment Day catch you by surprise. Live each day with eternity in mind. Add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection, and love to your faith daily. What attribute do you find most difficult and/or easy to live out loud? (See 1 Corinthians 13:13.)

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you that you don’t suck! You forgive my sins, and you don’t give me what I deserve (in a good way). I see the light! Thank you for constantly helping me out of the messes I make so I can continue to reach toward the goal and keep dreaming. Amen.

What is your life like without Jesus?

Day #37 ~ I Have a Dream

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more”

(Genesis 37:5).

One of my favorite Bible characters is Joseph. He was a dreamer, and so am I. Every time he had a dream, he would tell his brothers, and they hated him for it. Israel, their father, loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and even made him a special colorful robe.

I posed the following question on social media a while back: If you could do anything without failing, what would you do? (Read their responses below!) Jesus knows some of us can dream big dreams. That’s why they’re called dreams.

The next time Joseph went to visit his brothers, they said, “Here comes the dreamer! Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams” (Genesis 37:19–20).

Joseph was not killed, but instead his brothers sold him into slavery. His slavery led him to Egypt, where he became second in command next to Pharaoh. Later in the story, Joseph said to his brothers, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5).

Let Joseph be an example to you. Adversity doesn’t have to kill your dreams. But don’t listen to me; listen to what your peers said.

Melissa said, “Write a book!”

Lindsey said, “Produce a magazine.”

Christine said, “Become a professional speaker.”

Matt said, “Teach Old Testament at the master’s level while publishing useful, relevant material.”

Lisa said, “My problem isn’t dreaming. It’s knowing what steps are necessary and beneficial in pursuing the dreams God has put in my heart. And understanding whether the dreams are God’s dreams or my own. If I could sort through that stuff, failure wouldn’t be defined so scarily.”

Becky said, “Travel the world, write about my experiences, and speak to groups about what God is doing around the world.”

Morgan said, “Lead missions teams to all corners of the earth, and be able to articulate it to others when I come home to encourage more people to go.”

Amanda said, “Author and speaker—a leader in women’s ministry and teen ministry.”

Jennie said, “Start an all-vegan fashion line to eliminate cruelty to animals for the sake of fashion.”

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, no matter what kind of adversity I face today, help me to know that you do not kill dreams. I may not understand where you are leading me, but I can trust you to fulfill my dreams and my destiny. Amen.

Have you ever felt like adversity has killed one or more of your dreams? Why or why not?

Day #38 ~ Crucified with Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”

(Galatians 2:20, NIV).

Although Jesus’ death on the cross and victory over the grave are still very much alive today, the message of the cross in our daily life isn’t easily accepted or wildly popular—even among Christians.

Do you want to die to your wants, desires, and dreams in order to follow Jesus? No, really. Right? Plus, that’s not an easy question to answer. Doesn’t that leave us with nothing? That’s what the enemy wants us to believe anyway. The enemy’s first lie is that we’ll live a boring life with no fun if we follow Jesus.

And what about our hopes and dreams? Forget about it. That’s what the world will tell you. The world will also say that it’s okay to live however you want. But if you are living only for this world, then live it up—because that’s all you’re going to get. Yikes!

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14, NIV). He was crucified, murdered, and sent to the grave so that we could make it in this life. So that our hopes and dreams could be resurrected.

There are many reasons why I chose not to share about writing this book until it was released. Because I am tired of the sound of my voice. I know I can be a tease. I loathe the fact that a traditionally published book can take up to two years to release. Instead of letting you know what I am doing every step of the way—only to have lost your attention by the time the book is released—I wanted to keep it a surprise.

Plus, I wanted to write Dream Devotional for me first. I wanted to know that I could keep a secret. I needed to know that God could be my hope first before I wrote about it and shared it with you next.

Now it’s my turn to help you achieve your dreams! Want to see your dreams come back to life? Don’t set your faith aside. Jesus wasn’t crucified for nothing! Ask Him for His help today to bring your dreams back to life as He has mine!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, thank you for the cross! Thank you for dying in my place! Thank you that, when I was a sinner and the least of these, you died for me so that I could be forgiven. Teach me how to walk in my new life. Show me how I can die to my desires so that the dreams you have for me will be brought back to life. Amen.

What does Jesus’ death on the cross mean to you and to your dreams?

Day #39 ~ Get Dream Smart

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4–5, NIV).

I don’t know what the future holds for you. If you search far and wide for what you’re looking for, Jesus knows and will show you if you ask Him. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV). “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5, NIV).

When you’re waiting, hoping, living, striving, and dreaming, you should pray and search the Bible for answers. Don’t just take my word for it. Read for yourself.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, NIV). These Bereans were smart. They didn’t just trust what the apostle Paul said. They searched the scrolls to make sure what he was saying was accurate.

This is very important in today’s culture because a lot of sermons, quotes, books, and devotionals can be watered down. This is no surprise. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 2:3–5, NIV).

We get smart by studying. We get dream smart by following God’s path—not ours. Trials and tests will come our way, and if we’re not prepared, we won’t know what to do or how to act. Want to know what you should do at work or how to act toward your significant other? Get dream smart. Search the Word.

Here are a few verses I found by doing my own search on “path” in the Bible. I found 108 examples, but I will only list a few below. What about you? What will you find when you search the Word?

“You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way” (2 Samuel 22:37, NIV).

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take” (Nehemiah 9:19, NIV).

“He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness” (Job 19:8, NIV).

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11, NIV).

“My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled” (Psalm 17:5, NIV).

“You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way” (Psalm 18:36, NIV).

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” (Psalm 119:9, 32, 105, NIV).

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, I am dumb sometimes. Okay, that’s an understatement—I’m stupid. I’m like a sheep. When I don’t know what to do, I panic or try to take matters into my own hands. Help me understand how to get smart by reading your Word and talking with you daily. Amen.

What is your favorite way of studying the Bible?

Day #40 ~ Your Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepth the law,

happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV).

Let’s be honest. We all have a vision for our lives. Some of us aspire to be great spouses, parents, coworkers, and friends. Wherever you are at in achieving any or all of these things, it is difficult to dream if you have no vision for your life. Wandering aimlessly is not fun. In fact, the Bible says it’s dangerous.

The New American Standard Bible says people who lack vision are “unrestrained.” I don’t know about you, but I feel unrestrained daily. I feel like I am constantly reaching for something that doesn’t yet exist. The Message translates it this way: “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”

Do you want to be blessed today? Seek Jesus first, and then give Him your vision. Trust Him to turn your vision into making all your dreams coming true.

“Jesus does not follow us; we are to follow Him. You do not invite God to join you in your activity. He invites you to become involved in His activity. Jesus said, ‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you’ (John 15:16). Following Jesus will lead you into experiences you never dreamed of.”39

Maybe the reason your dreams haven’t come true yet is because you haven’t yet looked to Jesus first and asked Him what His dreams are for your life. I know this can be tough to hear. I know because I have lived it. It’s gut-wrenching when your plans don’t come true. When you’re left feeling exposed. A failure. If my life can be just one example to you of what not to do, I hope I can encourage you to trust God. To go with Him wherever He leads—no matter how difficult. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s more rewarding. You’ll see.

Thanks for going on this forty-day journey of hope with me. I hope you have been blessed, that your hope has been restored, and you’re dreaming big once again!

Dear Dream-Giver Jesus, your Word and your Spirit teach us how to live and have vision. Please share with me daily how to dream and keep walking in my dreams until you’ve brought the vision to complete fruition. Thank you for answering my prayers daily. Amen.

What is your vision?

Notes

1. Phil Vischer, Me, Myself, & Bob (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2006), 227.

2. Ibid., 251.

3. Jeff Manion, The Land Between (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 102.

4. Ibid., 125.

5. Bible Study Fellowship®, “BSF® Lesson 13 Notes, Matthew III Series,” (San Antonio, TX: Bible Study Fellowship, 1960, 2004, 2013), 5.

6. Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me (Newbury Park, CA: Windblown Media, 2007), 9.

7. Ibid., 30.

8. Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004), December 27.

9. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1998, 2006), January 9.

10. Nancy Leigh DeMoss, The Quiet Place (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012), December 4.

11. Renee Fisher, “Permission to Transition,” iBelieve.com, published January 20, 2014, accessed “January 20, 2014, http://www.ibelieve.com/faith/permission-to-transition.html.

12. Jeff Manion, Satisfied (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 33.

13. Ibid., 42–43.

14. Renee Swope, A Confident Heart (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2011), 138–139.

15. Jennie Allen, Stuck (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 6.

16. Bruce Wilkinson, The Dream Giver (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2003), 8.

17. Ibid., 18.

18. Pam Farrel, Women of Influence (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 2006), 33.

19. Ibid., 155, 163.

20. “Survey: 72% of Millennials ‘more spiritual than religious,’” USA Today, April 27, 2010, updated October 14, 2010, http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-04-27-1amillfaith27_st_n.htm.

21. L. B. E. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997), 313.

22. Bob Goff, Love Does (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012), 1, 9.

23. Merriam-Webster OnLine, s.v. “sympathy,” accessed February 21, 2014, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sympathy.

24. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, Inc. 1935, 1963), May 3.

25. Merriam-Webster OnLine, s.v. “empathy,” accessed February 24, 2014, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empathy.

26. Angela Thomas, Do You Know Who I Am? (New York, NY: Howard, 2010), 14.

27. Ibid., 19.

28. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1998, 2006), February 9.

29. Haddon W. Robinson, Our Daily Bread: Devotional Collection (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 2013, 2012, 2002), February 12.

30. “Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Quotes,” IMDB.com, Inc., accessed February 24, 2014, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/quotes.

31. Ibid.

32. Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 101.

33. “Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Quotes,” IMDB.com, Inc., accessed February 24, 2014, http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0004330/quotes

34. Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 155.

35. Merriam-Webster OnLine, s.v. “brokenness,” accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brokenness.

36. L. B. E. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan 1997), 170.

37. Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House Publishers, 1995), 107.

38. C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2009), 110.

39. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1998, 2006), February 19.

About the Author

Renee Fisher is an adoring wife to Marc and a mom to their pit bull named Star. She is the author of five books, including Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me (Harvest House, 2013) and the newly released Dream Devotional. Renee is the editor and founder of Devotional Diva.com and loves nothing more than to spur others forward. She is a member of the Advisory Board for Christian Mingle, creator of Quarter Life Conference, and a Biola University graduate. Renee lives in California and loves running on sunny days. Connect with her at ReneeFisher.com.

After purchasing Dream Devotional, if you would like further help, support, or consulting advice on how to pursue your writing dreams, please go to http://www.reneefisher.com/consulting.

Previous Works

~ Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me

~ Loves Me Not

~ Not Another Dating Book

~ Faithbook of Jesus

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreword ~ My Dream Died

Day #1 ~ Is Something Missing in Your Life?

Day #2 ~ Faith vs. Feeling

Day #3 ~ Is This as Good as Life Can Get?

Day #4 ~ I Thought You Hated Me

Day #5 ~ When God Is Silent

Day #6 ~ Why Detours Are Important

Day #7 ~ Permission to Transition

Day #8 ~ Are You Chasing the Next Big Thing?

Day #9 ~ Exposed

Day #10 ~ Keep It Short

Day #11 ~ Generational Sins

Day #12 ~ It’s Okay to Stop Hiding

Day #13 ~ Need a Vacation from Your Boring life?

Day #14 ~ When God Is Not Enough

Day #15 ~ Ask God to Change Your Name

Day #16 ~ A Shower for Suffering

Day #17 ~ For a Brief Moment

Day #18 ~ Live with No Regrets

Day #19 ~ God Will Never Leave You

Day #20 ~ Hope and a Future

Day #21 ~ Daddy’s Little Girl

Day #22 ~ Learning a New Identity

Day #23 ~ Why I Stopped Going to Church

Day #24 ~ What Is Real Comfort?

Day #25 ~ Empathy vs. Sympathy

Day #26 ~ Worthy of His Calling

Day #27 ~ Share Your Story

Day #28 ~ Don’t Be Afraid of Lonely Places

Day #29 ~ Our Reward Is in Heaven

Day #30 ~ To Dream or Not to Dream

Day #31 ~ Keep Your Passport

Day #32 ~ Do You Believe in Silver Linings?

Day #33 ~ Are You Living a Better Story?

Day #34 ~ Shattered

Day #35 ~ Comforting the Broken

Day #36 ~ I Suck without Jesus

Day #37 ~ I Have a Dream

Day #38 ~ Crucified with Christ

Day #39 ~ Get Dream Smart

Day #40 ~ Your Vision

Notes

About the Author

Previous Works

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreword ~ My Dream Died

Day #1 ~ Is Something Missing in Your Life?

Day #2 ~ Faith vs. Feeling

Day #3 ~ Is This as Good as Life Can Get?

Day #4 ~ I Thought You Hated Me

Day #5 ~ When God Is Silent

Day #6 ~ Why Detours Are Important

Day #7 ~ Permission to Transition

Day #8 ~ Are You Chasing the Next Big Thing?

Day #9 ~ Exposed

Day #10 ~ Keep It Short

Day #11 ~ Generational Sins

Day #12 ~ It’s Okay to Stop Hiding

Day #13 ~ Need a Vacation from Your Boring life?

Day #14 ~ When God Is Not Enough

Day #15 ~ Ask God to Change Your Name

Day #16 ~ A Shower for Suffering

Day #17 ~ For a Brief Moment

Day #18 ~ Live with No Regrets

Day #19 ~ God Will Never Leave You

Day #20 ~ Hope and a Future

Day #21 ~ Daddy’s Little Girl

Day #22 ~ Learning a New Identity

Day #23 ~ Why I Stopped Going to Church

Day #24 ~ What Is Real Comfort?

Day #25 ~ Empathy vs. Sympathy

Day #26 ~ Worthy of His Calling

Day #27 ~ Share Your Story

Day #28 ~ Don’t Be Afraid of Lonely Places

Day #29 ~ Our Reward Is in Heaven

Day #30 ~ To Dream or Not to Dream

Day #31 ~ Keep Your Passport

Day #32 ~ Do You Believe in Silver Linings?

Day #33 ~ Are You Living a Better Story?

Day #34 ~ Shattered

Day #35 ~ Comforting the Broken

Day #36 ~ I Suck without Jesus

Day #37 ~ I Have a Dream

Day #38 ~ Crucified with Christ

Day #39 ~ Get Dream Smart

Day #40 ~ Your Vision

Notes

About the Author

Previous Works