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 \  /    HEARTLIGHT(R) Magazine   --   http://www.heartlight.org/
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Dreaming need not be daydreaming. It is healthy, challenging, and
exciting to wrap your life around a noble vision and to move toward its
accomplishment.

Some holy dreams have been given directly by God. Paul, for example,
had a dream about a man of Macedonia begging for the gospel to be
preached to him. It became the spark for the great missionary to preach
the gospel in Europe.

Other dreams arise from the heartbreak of seeing a situation that is
evil and knowing it must be challenged. Martin Luther King Jr. had such
a dream and verbalized it for a whole generation of Americans. It
changed the world.

All dreams are future-oriented. Helpful ones are clear and vivid in
their description of some desirable state of affairs. They channel
energy and inspire commitment. They rally others to you and to your
vision of the future.

What about it? Are you pursuing a great dream? Or are you just
drifting? As we welcome the New Year, here are some things to ponder
...

  * Our dream needs to stretch you. When you put it into words, it
    should produce an audible gulp. Dreams should be big enough and
    noble enough that they challenge the best in you and the people
    around you.

  * You must reduce your dream to specific goals. Until you do, it has
    no handles to grab. Without specific goals, you have no idea
    whether you are getting closer to realizing it. "Do a better job at
    work" and "Lose some weight" aren't helpful; "Increase sales 20% by
    July 1" and "Lose 15 pounds by April 15," on the other hand, mean
    something definite and allow you to measure progress.

  * Dreamers must be flexible. People who do worthwhile things never
    abandon their ultimate vision but often have to change their
    strategies along the way. Stubbornness in method usually means
    trouble.

2004 is upon us now, fresh and ready for the living. If you can't tell
yourself where you want to be at the end of this year, it will likely
be lackluster and without much sense of fulfillment. Even with a dream
fixed in your heart for the New Year, Vance Havner's words are
noteworthy: "The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not
enough to stare up the steps -- we must step up the stairs."

So what is the vision for your professional life? Your family life?
Your spiritual life? And what are the steps that will get you there?

  I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters
  will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men
  will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17)

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  (c) 2004 From Rubel Shelly's "FAX of Life"