EXCERPT FROM MY E-BOOK

Without a vision [dream] the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

      What is your dream? Do you have one? Are you living it? If not, then now is the time to discover or retrieve your dream, to rediscover a life of satisfaction, excitement and fulfillment. We must have a dream. Without a dream we merely exist; with a dream, there lies before us a life of limitless possibilities. Perhaps you have never had a dream. Well, jump on board the Dream Express and expect the unexpected!

THE DREAM EXPRESS

      We all enter life with a measure of faith: that we will be fed when hungry, attended to when we cry, sheltered from the elements, clothed adequately and, of greatest significance, that we are loved. Naturally we don't think in these terms as an infant, but we are born with built-in trust. Without it we couldn't survive. Studies have shown that when babies lack human touch and are never held in loving arms they don't thrive. As we get a little older, we have faith that Mom and Dad will be there for us. We learn to know that when we sit on a chair it won't fall apart (usually--there have been two occasions when a chair collapsed under me!). We don't wonder every time we get in a car if we'll arrive at our destination--we take it for granted. Until the car breaks down we don't even think about it.

      Yes, we all have faith. On occasion, our faith is severely tested through our circumstances, and we may lose faith in family, friends, even ourselves. Because of devastating past experiences we struggle to believe that good will eventually come our way. We must learn to have faith in God. There will be a time when God brings you face to face with a vital choice: Will you serve the Lord? Or will you choose to serve yourself, the world, your family, your job? Your response will determine your present and your future. Choose well.

DREAM OR NIGHTMARE?

What picture breaks into your mind at the mention of the word dream? Does it bring dread at the thought of nightmares you remember as clearly as if they had really happened? Or perhaps you recall a dream that ended all too soon it was so beautiful. Do you think of your greatest wish in life, your dream home, dream car, etc.? You might also think of daydreams, fairy tales you have woven in your imagination that you know will never come true.

People need dreams to survive in the often harsh circumstances they live in. If there is nothing to hope for, there is nothing to live for. If you're as old as me, you might remember the line in the song Happy Talk from South Pacific: You've gotta have a dream, if you don't have a dream, then how ya gonna have a dream come true? Good advice! Do you have a dream?

Gage Canadian Thesaurus defines 'dream' as a verb: build castles in the air, conjure, daydream, fantasize. It can also mean think, visualize, imagine. 'Dream' as a noun has a number of interesting synonyms: ambition, aspiration, beauty, heart's desire, goal, hope, vision. This is the dream to which I allude.

What is your heart's desire? To what do you aspire? Are you working toward a worthy goal? More money, perhaps? A better job? Fame? Power? Happiness? Throughout the ages people have followed their dreams, some to a disastrous end, others to marvelous fulfillment. What makes the difference?

Often a person dreams of things far too lofty to be attainable in comparison to his willingness and ability to work towards it. Want to be a famous singer, but not willing to practise for hours every day? The result is predictable. No fame. Is your desire for wealth proportionate to your  consistency in putting a plan into action? If not, poverty or mediocrity may continue for the rest of your life.

The difference between winners and losers, those who realize their dreams and those who don't, usually has nothing to do with ability or circumstances. Losers say, "If only I had...", or "If only that hadn't happened", "If only my parents had...", "If everything wasn't always against me." On the other hand, winners say, "I can and I will", "No matter if this or that happened in my past. I will overcome those obstacles." Winners will use those roadblocks as stepping stones to the next level of achievement.

It's a matter of mind.

It's a matter of discipline.

It's a matter of persistence.

It's a matter of passion.

It's your choice. Will you live your dream?