Dreams

THE DREAM

In the Winter of 2014 I had a dream - a sleeping in the middle of the night kind of dream... I saw a concrete foundation that was covered with painted Scripture. I felt the Lord say "this needs to be your foundation."  I knew that meant the Bible needed to be the foundation for my life.  I began digging into the Scriptures like never before. They became alive and active on a daily basis.  I learned how to study Scripture in whole new way. The Holy Spirit began connecting dots and taking me on wild goose chases. I would wildly flip from Romans, to Isaiah, to Ezekiel, to Colossians - the stories all connected. It was as if puzzle pieces were coming together, and I was getting glimpses of the full picture.

[Side note - this has NOT always been my Bible reading experience! If you are new to faith, read this post.]

Fast forward one year. I had another dream. This time I was standing on the concrete foundation with a bucket of paint and a brush. I was the one painting the Scripture. And this time I saw the surroundings... mountains.

Now mind you, we had only casually talked about moving to the mountains at this point. When we did start house hunting in Asheville, we were looking for an old farmhouse to renovate, we were not looking to build.  But of course, we ended up standing on this land.  The first time on the land I heard the quietest whisper... "I give good gifts to my children." I thought to myself "This is crazy. This exceeds our resources, this is too good, the driveway scares me, God you seriously want us to raise two young children on a mountain top surrounded by cliffs? Seriously?"  

So what did I do?  I prayed.  I opened my Bible and specifically asked God to give me guidance for the land.  He pointed me to Deuteronomy, "the land your God is giving you" is repeated over and over throughout that book.  I was 98% sure this is where we were supposed to be.  So we moved forward.  I asked God that if this was NOT His will, that he shut the door and not make it an option (trust me when I say there were 1,000 doors that could have easily been shut!)... He opened every single one.  

I think we overcomplicate God's will for our life.  If we are asking God for guidance and submitting to HIS plan, then of course He is going to guide the way!  But He rarely gives a 100% answer.  He rarely lights up a totally obvious path.  There is usually some question which path to take.  This is where faith comes in.  Hebrews 10:22, Amplified version describe faith this way - by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.

Do you trust that God is good, that He wants the best for you, that He will never leave or forsake you, and that He will guide you?  Find out the truth to those questions for yourself - Read: Psalm 136:1, Jeremiah 29:11, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 32:8.

The question is, are you willing to step out in faith and believe him?

If you struggle with believing that God is good, I highly recommend watching the movie The Shack. It's so good!

THE PURPOSE IN THE PAINTING

First, I believe God gives us dreams, whether they be in the middle of the night, or an idea planted in our heart because these are the good works He planned in advance for us to do. The choice is up to us whether we do them or not. I choose to do this good work.

Many people have asked, will the painting be seen when the house is completed?  No. Soon, the flooring will go in, and this painting will never be seen again, except in the photos shown below. 

There are two verses that encapsulate the purpose behind the painting...

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

Every fiber of me believes that the verses written on this foundation WILL come to fruition some day. This is my faith in action. 

Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for people.  Colossians 3:23

This was a day set apart for me and my Maker.  It was a day to dedicate this house and land to the Lord.    This is His house.  He gets to decide what to do with it.  The ball is in His court.

You see, this house is much more than our family home.  This land is holy ground.  God is going to do some amazing things here.  Lives are going to be transformed here.  By incredible miracles?  I wouldn't put that past God, but do you know where I see most of the miracles taking place?  Around the table.  During hard, sweet, honest, vulnerable conversations.  God is going to use this space to draw us closer to one another and to Him.

This land is just dirt and trees.  The house is just wood and rock.  On it's own, it's not special.  But with God... anyplace can become holy ground.  So where is your holy ground? 

WHAT DREAM HAS GOD PLACED IN YOU?

This is the vision God has given our family. I urge you not to compare our life to yours. God has good plans for YOU. He has works planned in advance for YOU to walk in. His plans for YOU are immeasurably more. You will never discover what His plans for YOU are, if you are constantly comparing your life to someone else.

Do you know what plans He has for you?  If not, ask Him. Keep on asking.  If yes, what steps of obedience are you taking to move toward that dream?

Ask God to lead you, then follow Him.  It is that simple.

This is one of the fundamental verses God has given for this house. You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 MSG

We intend to DO exactly that. I can hardly wait to see the people God brings to this home.

Madeline's bedroom

God bless you my dear daughter, what a splendid expression of love. Everybody is town knows what a courageous, virtuous, worthy, noble woman you are. Ruth 3:10
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. Your gift is to encourage others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:6-15

Dawson's bedroom

My son, give God your heart, may your eyes take delight in follow his ways. Proverbs 23:26

The Spirit of the Lord is on you, because he has anointed you to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent you to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

You are chosen, God's special possession, so that you can show others the goodness of God. 1 Peter 2:9

"Prayer is your highest privilege as a parent. There is nothing you can do that will have a higher return on investment. In fact, the dividends are eternal. Prayer turn ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children, grandchildren, and every generation that follows."
Mark Batterson, Praying Circles Around Your Children.

It is not lost on me, that this photo looks like prison bars, yet the word FREE stands out.

These promises are for everyone that steps foot on this land.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine! Ephesians 3:20

He brought us out into a spacious place, he rescued us because he delighted in us. Psalm 18:19 

Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Colossians 2:7

Look to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1

... this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us. 1 Chronicles 29:1

Pretty cool hu?  I wonder what dreams God has planned for YOU?  I wonder... Only one way to find out.  Follow Him...