Dream On

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U. S. (1856-1924) said, "We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true." This quote from President Wilson has inspired me many times over the years. It has always challenged me to dream big, and to follow my dreams.

I believe God puts dreams inside of every person. Yet, there are a few "dream thieves" that rob people of their intended future. Too many settle for medicre, instead of choosing the greater adventure God has for them. We should not allow our family or friends from stealing the dream from our heart. I don't believe they intend to hurt us or hold us back. In fact, they may be trying to protect us from getting hurt.

The pursuit of a dream comes with risk. Failure and set backs are certain. No path in life is without potholes and detours. Our own mistakes will rob us of our dreams, if we allow them. Self-condemnation and self-doubt causes many to shrink back. The oppostition of others and uncontrollable circumstances seem to difficult to overcome.

The greatest thief of all is TIME. "If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now," thoughts fill our brain. We falsely believe that it is too late for our dream to come true. A study of the Bible proves that most of the people, who saw their dreams come true had to wait for a long time. Ten to twenty-five years was a typical senario.

While we wait for our dream to come true, we need to protect our hearts. We must resist bitterness and depression. We must stay at peace with self and with God. A good plan is to minister to other, helping their dreams to come to pass. We should keep our heart fixed upon God's plan. We should rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. I read that in 1 Thessalonians.

"Suddenly" is one of my favorite Bible words. Suddenly, one day our dream will come true. As President Wilson said, "Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."

Peace,

Stan

Hallowed By Thy Name

The beginning of the Lord's Prayer is, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." God is holy. We revere and honor him. It good to begin our prayer with an acknowledgment of the awesomeness of God. Specifically we are instructed to give glory to the NAME of God.

I am know by many names. I am Stan, Stanley (only a few can call me this, because it is NOT my real name), Dad, Padre, Pastor, Mr. Saunders, Honey, and a few more. Each name reveals a different aspect of who I am. It is the same with God.

Without boring you with the Hebrew and every scripture reference, let me share with you a few of God's names. He is Almighty, The Most High, Self-Existant One. He also declares himself to be Provider, Healer, My Victory, My Shepherd, Peace, Love, Always There. By worshipping the name of God, I become more aware of his attributes. I have more faith to receive those same benefits.

Next time you pray, before you start on your requests, how about hallowing the his mighty name?

Peace,

Stan

The Garden

In a garden Adam sinned and cut himself off from his Creator and friend. In a garden the last Adam planted a seed that brought us back to the Creator. In Eden, Adam chose his own will. He chose rebellion. He chose Satan over God. In Gethsemane, the last Adam, Jesus, chose the Father's will above his own. He chose obedience, even to the point of death on the cross. He chose the way of God. Hours before the crucifixion, in the garden, Jesus laid down his life for you and for me. The Romans, nor the Jews took the life of our Savior. He willingly gave himself as a sacrifice for our redemption.

Likewise, Jesus calls us to lay down our lives. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT), "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." The cross is an instrument of death to our flesh.

Let's follow the Christ's example. Let us die to our flesh that we might raise to true life. Adam chose to satify the longings of his flesh and died. 1 Corinthians 3:9 reads, “you are God’s garden” Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Our lives are gardens. Some fourish while some are overgrown with weeds. Let us sow to the spirit and sprout new life. We read in Jeremiah 31:12 ESV,
"They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more."

Peace,

Stan