Dare to Dream

In this section, I encourage you to follow your dreams and not be afraid to fail or be disappointed. This section is about doing what you love and believing money will follow. It deals with standing on biblical principles as to why you can follow your dreams. I encourage you to write out your vision, make it plain, and expect to receive positive outcomes. Each section entails my personal experiences and is followed by a poem meant to encourage you and to help you keep your dream alive.

Dare to dream because it promotes hope and gives you courage to pursue your goals and dreams. Dare to dream because it makes the days go by and puts a smile on your face despite what's going on in your life. Follow your dreams because they will never lead you the wrong way, and dreams are all we have. Most of us choose our paths with an overall objective of attaining financial stability but forfeit the opportunity to experience passion in our journeys. Many of us wish we had pursued our passions in life and often look back with regrets.

If you are starting a new career or transitioning because of the economy, revise your mentality that you have to work for money; pursue your dream now, and the money will follow.

It's Your Time

We often blame others when we fail to become everything we want to be in life because we didn't pursue our goals or obtain success because of poor choices we made, because of fear, or because of sacrifices we made for loved ones. We must, however, take responsibility for our circumstances and know that God still has plans for our lives and will redirect us.

God sees the sacrifices that many of us make, whether it is in raising children or taking care of ill parents or siblings. Other sacrifices many of us make are working while taking night classes, working two jobs to make ends meet, and putting dreams on hold.

I respect those who selflessly provide for someone else's welfare over their own because this is one of the many characteristics of our heavenly Father. "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son" (John 3:16 The Message).

God also speaks about training children: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). After you have finished being a guardian for your children, spouse, or parents, there comes a time when you must let go and allow them to blossom to become the people they are meant to be. When a child goes off to college, when your parent is receiving full-time care, or when your spouse graduates from school, it may be a good time to reflect on your own aspirations.

Daring to dream is about challenging yourself to think beyond your current circumstances and embrace the life you have always wanted to live. It's about taking a leap of faith and not being afraid to be wrong, to fail, or to be disappointed. Dare to take that pottery or art class if it has been a lifelong dream of yours to create; dare to go back to school at age forty to become a teacher after being in corporate America for the past fifteen years.

When I was a child, my friends used to double dare me to race the fastest runner, climb the highest tree, or step into double-dutch when the ropes were going so fast they could swipe skin off your knees. They would say, "I double dare you." This meant that if you succeeded, you were tough and weren't afraid of challenges. Today, I double dare you to dream, and I challenge you to take action in your life and believe your dreams will come true.

Throughout the Bible, God revealed his messages through dreams. When God gives you a dream, please do not take it lightly. In Habakkuk 2:2, God said, "Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in block letters so it can be read on the run." If you have your dreams written out and you have a plan to execute them, when life throws you stumbling blocks, you will always be able to refer to your plan, a blueprint for where you want to be and the goals you want to accomplish.

In Matthew 5:13, we read, "Let me tell you why you are here. You are here to be salt—seasoning that brings out the God flavors of this earth." When God gives you a dream, use it to salt the earth and add a bit of your anointed flavor so people can benefit from your goodness. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? If you lose your desire to dream, how will people know that dreams come true? Matthew 5:14-16 says, "Now that I've put you here on a hill top, 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 to God." Now that God has put a dream in your heart, shine and share your experiences so people will know God makes dreams come true.

It's Time to Move!

When God gives you a dream, please, don't let people choke it out of you. Make sure your seed is like that which the farmers cast on good ground. Matthew 13:23 tells us, "The seed cast on good ground is the person who hears and takes in the new, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." If he told you to start a business, open up a salon, for instance, you don't have to tell everybody. Hold it in your spirit for a while and really grasp what he is telling you because you may tell someone who just can't see your vision, and he or she will try to talk you out of doing what God has told you to do. Genesis 37:5-7 says, "Joseph had a dream. When he told his brothers, they hated him even more." When you receive your vision, write down everything you saw and immediately start planning for it to come to pass; don't put it off or you'll get scared and start doubting yourself.

In Matthew 1:19-20, we read, "Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced." While trying to figure out a way, an angel of God sent him a dream. Notice that Joseph took care of things quietly; you do not have to use a bullhorn or call all your friends immediately about what the Lord has told you. I know that when two or three agree it is done, make sure you agree with it first.

Matthew 1:24-25 says, "Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream." After you've received a dream and you're sure it's from God, get started on the plan; don't procrastinate a bit. In 1 Corinthians 2:9, we read, "No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it, What God has arranged for those who love him." You will never know exactly what God is doing—that's why it's imperative you get moving and find out along the way.

I Dared to Dream

I remember when I used to dream about being a singer, dancer, and actor. My mother would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would always say several professions that entailed helping people, such as teaching, medicine, or the law. But I always ended the list with singer, dancer, and actress. Okay, I was determined.

I took a drama class in high school and became quite fond of the experience. I was always the class clown seeking attention, the youngest sibling seeking attention, and the only girl seeking attention—let's just say I liked the spotlight. I would dance with our school mascot, pick fights with both of my brothers for sheer amusement, and pout to my mother when I didn't get my own way. I know my brothers are so glad I've grown up.

Although I did not pursue acting or broadcasting, they were always my desire. I can probably think of many reasons I didn't pursue an artistic major or career, but that would bore you. What's most important for you to know is that I never stop dreaming. Recently, I glimpsed at my high school yearbook and there it was in bold letters, "I'm going to be an actor." Many years have passed since then, and I am amazed my life has come full circle. As I write to you, I am pursuing my goal of becoming a successful, paid actress.

In 2010, I started taking acting classes, joined a few film organizations, and enrolled in a community college as a theater major for a year. On June 16, 2012, I received my acceptance letter from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles for its master's of fine arts program for acting for film. In addition, I have written my first script; as for singing, I plan to release my single "Dare to Dream" in the fall of 2014. I will continue to pursue my dreams until they manifest.

Many years have passed since high school, but I know I'm on the right track. I encourage you to continue pursuing your dreams even when life seems to throw you off course; that may simply mean it was not your season and you were not ready. However, continue to remain active and steadfast on your journey because your dreams will come true.

Dare to Dream

Dare to dream what is in your heart
Don't let anyone keep you apart from the desire and love
deep in your soul
You'll never have regrets when you get old
Think about how you will feel when you are in your rocking
chair
You will think about the memories you want to share
Will they be memories of doubts and regret or stories you'll
share of things you haven't done yet?
Let it be good memories of the good old by and by
Not a tear-streaked face looking up to the sky
As you realize things are not what they seem
You could have lived your life and fulfilled your dreams
There is no such thing as you missed your calling
When all you are doing is stalling
Because you don't want to feel rejected
You have lost hope and feel neglected
Do yourself and favor and let those feeling go
Take the first step because you never know
Life is what you make it, and things aren't what they seem
You are closer than you think, so fight and stay in the ring
Give yourself a chance, and dare to follow your dreams

Dare to Ask for God's Will for Your Life

This section deals with asking and receiving God's will for your life and outlines some thoughts and feelings you may encounter and identify with during your journey. The examples are available to comfort you if you feel you are faced with obstacles as a result of receiving his will. Let the words ease your soul; know you have made the right choice and are headed in the right direction.

Take the Plunge

Many people say they want God's will for their lives, but they seldom want to do what is required to be in his will. Accepting God's will may mean putting aside personal goals, but that's why God gave us a simple prayer in Matthew 6:10 (NKJV), "Your Kingdom come your will be done," to ensure our outcomes lead back to him. God wants us to accomplish some things in our lives that may not include doing everything we want to do. This doesn't mean God won't give us the desires of our hearts, but it does mean he will accomplish in us what he set out to do.

Being in God's will can be very controversial to our flesh, our desires, because we all often fixate on what we think is best for us, not taking into account that we may not be capable of fulfilling our personal agendas if they are not in his will.

At times, it seems that God places things, people, events, and circumstances in our paths that slow us down and lead to frustration and discouragement. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I shaped you in your mother's womb I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had plans for you: A prophet to the nations that's what I had in mind for you." We can choose how we perceive the interruptions, but our responses will determine how long it takes us to reach our goals. How we wait is just as important as how long we wait on the manifestation. Asking for and receiving God's will is the right choice; otherwise, we will constantly wonder if we are headed in the right direction. In Jeremiah 1:7-8, God said, "I'll tell you where to go and you will go there. I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it."

When you ask for his will, be prepared for your life to take a different direction than you intended because he has to correct some things that led you out of his presence. It may seem as if you're starting all over again personally or professionally, but know that God is about order, and he's not going to let you present yourself to the world in his name without the proper tools to accomplish his mission for your life.

In Jeremiah 29:10-12, God said, "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out, plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hoped for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen."

When God Is Silent

You don't want things before your time because that won't serve the right purpose. At times, it will seem that God is silent and you won't know what he's doing. That, however, is when you remember the plan he gave you when you were in his presence, and you work on that plan until you can feel his presence again and hear him speak through your spirit.

Sometimes, God is silent to see what you're going to do with what he told you in your spirit. If he told you to open a business, start working on it, and you will receive your blessing at the right time. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 says, "There's an opportune time to do things a right time for everything on earth. A right time to plan and another to reap: A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go." There are several biblical messages that indicate the importance of right timing in your walk with God; you will find that sometimes you have to just let go and let God even when he is silent.

Get a Jump Start

In relay races, when the baton is passed off with finesse, the one who just received the baton can continue the race in stride and will usually be farther ahead in the race than the opponents. God has your baton, and he's waiting for you to meet him at your business and open up shop, but the only way to get there is to start running toward him and finish your race.

You must be mature to ask and receive God's will for your life. You have to visualize God waiting for you to catch up with him. Visualize God at your restaurant's grand opening, the ribbon-cutting ceremony, even while you're working on your business plan. I visualize God holding my Grammy, waiting for me, while I'm writing songs and getting ear training. In acting classes, I visualize him in the front row at my first Broadway performance. There are many roads to travel, but he will be at the finish line waiting for me to take the baton and run with it. Will you meet God at the finish line by continuing to work toward the promise? You'll be further ahead than you realize.

God's Will

When you embrace God's will
Get ready to take a truth pill
His truth tells you who you are called to be
The proof is his Word, it's no mystery
You will find the solution to your problems
You can't do it by yourself, so don't try to solve them
Ask for guidance each step of the way
He will lead you to a different place
To get his blessing; it's not something you have to do
He blesses you out of love just because he wants to
Accept his will because you know it is right
It substitutes for any worrying you do at night
Let go and let God; your life will be still
That what it feels like to be in his will

Dare to Have a Relationship with God

This section, about having a personal relationship with God, deals with helping you find your praise process when you communicate with him. It will help you accept the fact that your process is different from other people's processes, and that is what having a personal relationship with God is all about. You'll be free to love him and know he loves you unconditionally. I encourage you to have a relationship with God so no one can tell you how much he loves you because that will be something you already know.

Your Relationship with God

Having a relationship with God doesn't mean jumping up and down or speaking in tongues to get his attention. Although those are ways some communicate with the Lord, that doesn't mean you have to emulate them. You may be a quiet worshiper who doesn't feel the need to communicate with God as openly as others do, and that's alright. Having a relationship with God involves accepting Jesus as your personal savior, accepting his will for your life, and knowing in your heart he will provide all your needs.