My Dream Journal

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." 
John Lennon

I'm a dreamer. I dream about living in a big city, being a talk show host, and changing the world. However, it wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I spoke those dreams out loud because I was scared - scared of what people might think/say of me, scared of never achieving them, scared of being vulnerable - and it wasn't until a few years ago that I decided to put it on paper. 

I have yet to regret it.

I just recently finished reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, a book about "praying circles around your biggest dreams and greatest fears." I've always heard that a person is more likely to reach a goal if they write it down and according to Batterson, "You'll never achieve the goals you don't set...setting a goal creates structural tension in your brain, which will seek to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, who you are and who you want to become." He goes on to say, "The more you pray, the more God-sized goals you'll be inspired to go after. But prayer doesn't just inspire godly goals, it also ensures that you keep praying hard because it is the only way you'll accomplish a God-sized goal. Simply put, prayers naturally turn into goals, and goals naturally turn into prayers. Goals give you a prayer target." 

As much as I would like to touch on every single point Batterson makes about goal-setting, it is much too difficult. However, the quotes in this chapter are too good not to mention, so below is a list of the quotes that caught my eye:

"And that's why the are life goals. They might take a lifetime to achieve, but they are worth waiting for and working for." 

"Goals are dreams with deadlines."

"If you don't give your dream a deadline, it will be dead before you know it. Deadlines keep dreams alive. Deadlines bring dreams back to life." 

"With a vision, people prosper." 

"If dreams are the destination, goals are the GPS that gets you there." 

"Goals are as unique as we are. They should reflect our unique personality and passions."

"It's okay to make revisions to our visions." 

"Journaling is the difference between learning and remembering. It's also the difference between forgetting and fulfilling our goals."

Batterson then provides ten steps to goal-setting:

1) Start with Prayer
2) Check Your Motives
3) Think in Categories
4) Be Specific
5) Write It Down
6) Include Others
7) Celebrate along the Way
8) Dream Big
9) Think Long
10) Pray Hard

As I mentioned earlier, it wasn't until a few years ago that I made the decision to put my dreams and goals on paper. I went to Target, found a journal with an inspirational quote sketched across the front cover and went to work. I turned to the first page and blatantly began stating my biggest dreams and goals because, as Rick Warren says in Purpose Driven Life, "[We] were made for a mission...God wants to say something to the world through [us]." I firmly believe God will use the things I'm most passionate about (encouraging others, being happy, people, being a positive influence, reaching out, looking on the bright side of every situation, seeking God's will for my life, etc.) to say something to the world through me. Guess what!?!? He'll do it for you, too! 

This journal has become my way of praying circles around my biggest dreams because it is through these pages I am able to see God's hand at work in my life - right here, right now. I'm sure you're wondering, "But Kristin...did you really need to buy an entire journal to do that? Couldn't you have just used a sticky note or the back of a bookmark to write down your dreams?" Well, you see, Curious Cathy, my dreams and goals are not the only thing I've written inside my journal. This journal is where I record my journey. I write down experiences I've had (with The Ellen DeGeneres Show, per se...see Giving God the Glory for what Really Happened at The Ellen DeGeneres Show) and the conversations I've had (with strangers, my college minister, my friends, my Phi Lamb sisters, etc.) so that I can look back and see when/how God used people/circumstances to prepare me for my purpose and reaffirm the direction my life is going! I also write down Bible verses and quotes that inspire me, and I tape notes/letters I've received from my closest friends and family randomly throughout the pages that encourage me to follow my dreams and remind me that, no matter what, there are people who love me and believe in me. 

I don't know where you're at in life, but I know you have dreams, too. I know there are certain things in life you are passionate about that set your soul on fire, things that you go to sleep thinking about and hoping for every single night. You are passionate about certain things for a reason! I pray you find the courage to speak those dreams out loud, whatever they may be. I pray you not worry about what people might say or think about you but instead seek approval from the Lord, the only One whose opinion matters. I pray you take the time to write down your biggest dreams and goals and you know that "bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers." Ultimately, I pray you never forget that "getting what you want isn't the goal; the goal is glorifying God by drawing circles around the promises, miracles, and dreams He wants for you." Let God answer your prayers in His time, His way! Be patient - "He will answer them somewhere, sometime, somehow." 

Remember, "God isn't offended by big dreams; He's offended by anything less. Your dreams may start out small, and God will honor those humble dreams, but as your faith grows so do your dreams until you dare to dream thirty-, sixty-, hundredfold dreams. And when you draw those God-sized circles, it gives the Omnipresent One room to work...if you have the courage to circle the dream in prayer, you can't never always sometimes tell...take a step of faith when God gives you a vision because you trust that the One who gave you the vision is going to make provision. And for the record, if the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your means. Having vision beyond your resources is synonymous with dreaming big. And it may feel like you're setting yourself up for failure, but you're actually setting God up for a miracle. How God performs the miracle is His job. Your job is drawing a circle around the God-given dream...it's not our man-made plans that move the Almighty; the Almighty is moved by big dreams and bold prayers." 

CHALLENGE: Buy a journal and begin this journey with the Lord. Discover what you're most passionate about and if you can't figure it out, ask God to show them to you. Write down your biggest goals and dreams, no matter how big or unattainable they may seem to you. Share your heart with those closest to you - I promise their encouragement and support will make all the difference down the road. Pray hard and pray boldly. Circle everything in prayer. Have faith. Believe in yourself. Trust God and let Him work!