Day 20: Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future

Man! This is a tough one! Kinda personal don'tcha think?

Who do I see myself marrying or being with in the future? What a question! Honestly, I have no idea. I have a small amount of commitment issues, nothing serious, it's just that I'm only 19 and I am NOT ready to be tied down quite yet. That's healthy, right? I'll answer that question: Yes, it is.

Anyways, if we're talking about a specific person here, I couldn't tell ya. I don't know that I've met him yet. But if we're just talking figuratively, well, I can do that. I've perfected the art of imagining my own Mr. Right. This guy is on FIRE for the Lord. I mean, he loves Jesus so much that sometimes I don't even exist to him, and that is okay, cause that's how I want to feel about the Lord too. After that, he's just gotta love me... and trust me, I can be a handful sometimes. This guy, ahem, man, will have to be strong. I don't mean freakishly controlling and overbearing, I would have to kill him, but I need a spiritual leader. A man who can stand up for me and protect me and someone whom I can trust to lead me.

Of course I wouldn't mind if he was handsome and funny and played an instrument or something, but I know that looks fade and corny jokes get old, so I'm more interested in his character.

And, if his name was Clark Kent and he wore a red cape at night, I wouldn't really mind that either.

Day 19: Nicknames you have

I only have one nickname that ever even remotely stuck and that is Boo Boo. My Uncle Greg called me that when he came to see me at the hospital after I was born :)

When I was younger my cousin Lexi called me Anna Banana and I would get so mad because I hated bananas. Now my friends at school call me Anna Banana and I let it go because it would be weird for me to not let them call me that... even though I still don't like bananas :)

Day 18: Plans, Dreams, Goals You Have

This is fun for me. I am SUCH a planner. Most every week on Sunday night I pull out my planner and map out my week almost hour by hour. I find joy in it. Planning for the future, the far out future however, is something I wish I didn't do as much. I mean, I do it. I am such a dreamer, but I know that God commands us to live for today because we are not promised tomorrow. However, for the purpose of this blog challenge, I will indulge in my favorite passtime :)

Plans:

College-First of all, next semester I will have enough hours to substitute teach, so I want to start doing some of that. Secondly, I will graduate in May of 2013 (hopefully, I may be pushing it, but I am not beyond taking summer and j-term classes).

Career: As soon as I graduate I want to go to work immediately, no use wasting time, there are kiddies who need taught!!!

Life: I don't plan for marriage, not anymore. When God wants to send Mr. Wonderful to me, I will accept gladly, fall madly in love, and marry him within 3 months. No joke. I like to get things done haha.

Dreams:

Ahhh, dreams. I want to be the best teacher ever. Seriously, someday I might even go the principal route. I kinda like to be in charge of things haha.

I want to get married. I dream of getting married. I don't care when it happens, as long as it happens, then I want to have five kids. I always wanted Mom and Dad to have one more. I think five is good (I'm dreaming, right?)

I also want to marry a man who loves the Lord and will help me raise our children in church. And I want us to have a ministry together. I don't care what it is, I am not beyond going on the mission field or evangelizing, whatever. I will do it. I will go wherever the Lord wants me to go.

I want a hybrid car. Something that is good for the environment anyways. I mean, I love my little truck, but the air needs a break.

I want a moderate sized home, just enough for my family. And I want a hot tub. That's the only extra I'm gonna ask for :)

I want all of my friends and family to know Jesus. I guess that shouldn't necessarily be a dream... its more like a plan!

Goals:

Well, I've already shared those right? Go check out day... whatever it was about goals.

Day 17: Someone you would like to switch places with for one day...

Oh man. I love my life, but this is so fun.

First of all, I would like to switch places with John, the "beloved" disciple. I mean, how awesome to, first of all, be a disciple, and second of all be the disciple who was closest to Jesus. The one who could sit at His feet and talk to Him on a level that no one else could. I love the story in the Bible at the last supper when Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray Him and Peter, the disciple we hear the most about, tells John to ask Jesus who it would be. I mean, John and Jesus were tight. And I know that I can be that close to the Lord today. I know I can ask him things and He will talk to me, but to have actually been there when He walked the earth... man.

But just in case this blog entry is supposed to be current... I would trade places with Kari Jobe. I mean seriously, she has a stinking awesome voice and gets to sing and worship the Lord for a living and she gets to sing with Christ for the Nations and the Desperation band and that is just cool and I would like to be her.

The Second Floor is for Scaredy-Cats.

It's 10:20 pm and I have had a long week. However, that does not seem to matter to the tornado floating around outside my window. Yep, that's right. The sirens are going off and everything: Bowling Green is under a tornado warning and people are going crazy. I live on the second floor of my dorm which means that when it storms, everyone comes and sits in MY hallway. Yes, I know I share it with 59 other girls, but right now there are way more than 60 girls on this floor... and they brought friends. So I'm gonna vent.

First of all, Rebekah would like for me to include that the internet is slow. I haven't noticed, but if she says so then it is. And that stinks.

Second of all, all I want to do is take a shower and get in the bed. But I am NOT walking all the way to the bathroom with the large quantities of people and people's boyfriends in the hall. Inappropriate.

Third, I have already finished all of my homework for tomorrow. All I have left to do is a math paper (I know, right? Math paper? What?) And I'd much rather blog than write a stinkin math paper... or talk to someone, but I broke up with my boyfriend so I kind of ruined that plan (which explains why I'm taking my frustration out on my poor blog readers).

Fourth, it's the perfect night to sleep. I mean a little thunder a little rain... okay okay a lot of thunder and a lot of rain, but like I said, perfect night to sleep. Not with a million people outside my room laughing and shouting.

I think I'm beginning to sound a little redundant here. Let's talk about some good things.... welp, I've got nothing. Hahaha, just kidding.

First, tonight we (Rebekah and I) had a wonderful dinner of Rigatoni with the Hudson family and our new best friend Chaley Elmore. She's the bomb.com

Secondly, the Lord gave me a verse during my time with him this morning and I knew He needed me to know it for some reason and whaddaya know, tonight my mom texted me asking for a Bible verse and I had the perfect one!

Third, I didn't have to go to the class that I tutor for this morning because it was a test day. So, I got to sleep in (which is good, since I will be going to bed late tonight, obviously) and I got some work done before class today.

Fourth, I only have one more week of classes until I get a week off for Spring Break! Hallelujah!

Lastly, only 20 days until the Missionary Conference. I can't wait to be with my favorite people: God's people!

Day 16: Another Lousy Picture of Yourself... haha

Well, technically, it's just supposed to be "Another Picture of Yourself" but I don't like that :)
However, I will adhere to the rules of the blog challenge and do whatever it tells me to do.

So here is the pretty one...
And this is what I look like on most days....

Day 15: The first 10 songs on shuffle

1. Forevermore by Aaron Shust
2. I Need You to Love Me [Acoustic Version] by BarlowGirl
3. Consuming Fire by Hillsong United
4. Caught Up in Yourself by Third Day
5. Beautiful Words by The Afters
6. No Greater Love by Steven Curtis Chapman
7. Light by Hillsong United
8. I Won't Stay Long by Sixpence None the Richer
9. Let's Dance by Hawk Nelson
10. Everything by Michael Buble

Very interesting selection... I've never even heard some of these before haha. But hey! Great songs :)

Break: Best song I've heard all week!

Pocket Full of Rocks, "Come as You Are"

He's not mad at you
He's not disappointed
His grace is greater still,
than all of your wrong choices
He is full of mercy and he is ever kind
Hear his invitation, His arms are open wide

You can come as you are,
with all your broken pieces
And all your shameful scars
The pain you hold in your heart,
bring it all to Jesus
You can come as you are

Louder than the voice that whispers your unworthy
Hear the sound of love,
that tells a different story
Shattering your darkness and pushing through the lies
How tenderly he calls you,
His arms are open wide

Day 14: A Picture of You and Your Family.

There really aren't that many great pics of us all together... but these will do. I love these people.

Day 13: A Letter to Someone Who Hurt You Recently

Dear brothers and sisters who have left the Faith,
It's interesting that I pick you for this letter, right? I mean, when you decided to turn your back on the Lord, to give up the fight, to lay down and give in, deep down you really only thought you were hurting yourself, right? Well, you were wrong.
Growing up in a family dedicated to the ministry, I learned to be heartbroken at a very young age, and that is sad. I gave my heart away to the people of the church a long time ago. Since then, pieces of me have been taken away by many of them. The thing is, it's not personal. I am hurting, I feel pain, honestly and sincerely for you. My heart breaks for you. You don't have any idea what you are giving up. You don't understand the catastrophic effects that your decision has.
I don't want to reprimand you. I don't want to cut you down for your decision. I want you to know that I still love you and that God still loves you. You can always come back.
Your sister in Christ,
Anna

Day 12: How you found out about blogger and why you have one.

Well, this one is easy. I like to talk and I like to write and I like to share. So I decided I wanted to blog when I was a senior in high school. I got on the internet, typed "blogging" into the Google search bar and BAM! I found blogger and started on up. The world of blogging has never been the same. :)

Break: Good things that happened this week!

1. AfterDark.... Dave Barnes in concert and an amazing sermon by Joe White
2. Seeing Bailey get baptized on Sunday night (Whoot whoot for the Youth Group)
3. Dinner with the Hudson family on Thursday night
4. Three awesome workouts
   
5. Fellowship Meeting with some great men and women of God
6. Breakfast with the family this morning :))
7. Steak and shrimp Valentines dinner with the girls
8. Beautiful weather
9. Canceled Biology class!
10. Smallville marathon :)
    

Day 11: Another Picture of You and Your Friends

Well, whoever created this blog challenge sure was... inspired? What? I mean REPEATS??? Whatever, I guess I will do it. I mean, I love my friends and all but sheesh... a little more ingenuity next time!

B-stud GirlsWith Grandmama :)A long time ago with a great man of God, Bro. Burgett.

Day 10: The songs I listen to when I'm...

One of my favorite things to do is make playlists on my computer. Seriously, it's a great way to procrastinate when one should be doing homework. I have songs for studying, songs for dancing, songs for singing, songs for worshiping, and songs for every mood. Sometimes music can be the best way to lift my spirit, the best way to grieve, or the best way to get pumped up. So, without further ado, this is what I listen to when I'm...

Happy: Anything by Kirk Franklin. He's the man. Some of my favorites are "Could've Been" and "Brighter Day"
Sad: The Afters, "Falling into Place" and "Beautiful Words"
Studying: "Give us Clean Hands" by Charlie Hall and anything by Josh Groban, especially the stuff in another language because I don't get so distracted haha.
Driving: Country Music. Oh yeah. It makes the best driving music. I love Josh Turner, that man's voice is enough to make any girl melt.
Missing home: The Crabb Family, or any bluegrass. It reminds me of home. "Oh How I Love Jesus."
Worshiping: Deluge Band, Kim Walker and Jesus Culture, Kari Jobe
Heartbroken: Worship music :)

Day 9: Something you're proud of in the past few days

This is so awesome! So, I was walking back to the dorm thinking about my blog ('cause I have nothing else to think about? what?) and I was thinking that instead of doing the challenge today I really wanted to write about my kids from church and how proud of them I am... and whaddaya know, the blog challenge is to write about something I'm proud of. How quaint.

So, last night at church we were talking about the fruit of the Spirit and how if the Spirit is alive in us we should be producing fruit. As I looked around the table at all the kids as I was teaching I was pretty overwhelmed with the fruit of the Spirit that I can see growing in their lives. Yeah, I have some trouble-makers and some kids who seem to not really care about what I am saying at all, but I can look at the majority of my kids and see that they are seeking more of God and they are growing in Him. And that is saying something.

Part of the lesson was, at the end, for the kids to partner up with one another and talk about what they can see God doing in each others lives, as well as share with their partner what fruit of the Spirit they themselves need to work on. Three months ago I would have NEVER been able to incorporate something like that. They would have looked at me with blank stares. I'm not even sure they would have known that the Spirit could work in their lives. But last night I listened to their conversations and I was utterly amazed at some of the things that I heard coming from them. They shared with each other their need for more of the Lord and encouraged each other in their walks. I was in shock.

Something has changed, and I know what it is! It all started with one girl. She was filled with the Holy Ghost at our youth service back in December and since then I can see that God has given her boldness and confidence in Him. The other kids can see that and those who were already filled with the Holy Ghost are now more comfortable with allowing the Spirit to move in their own lives. The kids who don't have the Holy Ghost are seeking it. They want what everyone else has. Two weekends ago another one of the boys got the Holy Ghost and he was baptized in that beautiful name of Jesus. It literally thrills my soul to see these kids wanting more of the Lord.

I am just encouraged by what God can do through the desires of one person. Loving the Lord is contagious, and these kids have got it bad.

I am just in amazement. I feel like I can't explain in words how drastically God is moving in these young people. I am SO proud. I am blown away by God. If you are reading this and there are people you want to reach for the Lord, let me give you this advice: Be so full of the Spirit that it just pours from you. God wants to use YOU. If you catch on fire for Him, the people around you are not going to be able to keep from wanting what you have. Be an example to our young people. They need you.

Day 8: Short-term goals for this month and why

Goals goals goals. This is a good blogging day for me because I am very, very goal oriented AND I like to make lists :)

However, this month is about halfway over and there are some goals I have already achieved (well, I hope so anyways) and there are some goals... well the point is, this entry really isn't just for this month. So on February 28, do not ask me if I have completed them.

1. Have a great "Fall in Love with Jesus" Service: Check! (This was last weekend and it was my primary concern for this month. It turned out great! The Spirit of God moved and changed lives).
   
2. Finish sorting all of my mom's pictures (my mom has/had an enormous amount of unsorted pictures as well as quite of bit of undeveloped film that I started sorting through last Summer. I didn't get done with them by the time school started, so the plan was to get them finished over Winter break; that didn't happen. So, now I am determined to finish them this month, even if it means spending my entire weekend surrounded by pictures of my younger self!)
   
3. Finish all 30 Spanish assignments (they are actually due on February 28, so you have full permission to ask me about this one because it HAS to be done).
4. Exercise at least three times a week (I try to work out on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays because those are the days I have time to work out. This week I am doing good. Today is Wednesday, so I don't have to work out today! Praise God!)
5. I need to devote more time to my friends and to being an encouragement to them.
6. Mail out the "Our Herald" (the official publication of the Associated Brotherhood of Christians, of which I am the editor. It comes out this week!)
   

These are just short-term goals. I have many, many more goals. But they have nothing to do with this entry. So I will shut up about them. :)

Day 7: A picture of someone/something that has had the biggest impact on you

This blog wouldn't be complete without honorable mention of Camp Mulberry. On the same note, neither would my life be complete without Camp Mulberry.

V-day. Thank God it's almost over.

A tulip from my valentine, Paige Embry. Best frannn.

"I am convinced that NOTHING can separate us from the Love of Jesus."
Romans 8:38-39

Day 6: Favorite Superhero and Why

Today is the best blogging day ever (as far as this challenge is concerned, please do not expect me to blog anything about the dreadful v-day).

My favorite superhero in all t.v./comic superhero history is Superman. Okay, now I'm not a fanatic, but I've watched enough Smallville to consider myself a fan. The truth is, I may not exactly be a Superman lover, but instead more of a Clark Kent, Tom Welling lover. Yes. I love that show. I love it so much! In all honesty, I've never even seen any of the original movies or comics or anything; I just know Smallville, and that is enough for me.

HOWEVER, Superman, Clark Kent, Tom Welling, Christopher Reeve, whoever, has never saved my life. So, today, blog challenge day number five, I declare that Jesus Christ is my FAVORITE superhero of all time. Not just because one amazing day 2,000 years ago he died for me and everyone else on this planet, saving every single life ever created, but because He saves me every single day. More than that (and how ironic that today is valentines day and I said I would not do this) He loves me, and I love him. Superman could never be with Lois Lane because he was never able to tell her the truth, even though he loved her. Jesus and I, well we have a pretty good thing going and even when I don't tell Him the truth, He knows it.

I wish everyone would pick Jesus as their favorite superhero.

Day 5: A picture of somewhere you've been to.

I'm a little bothered by this blog challenge's instructions. I mean, I can't just put ONE picture on here and, moreover, I sure can't just put one picture on here and then not talk about it.

So, in the summer of 2008, my youth group and the youth group from a church in Nashville teamed up and went to Mexico together on a mission trip. We stayed a week with Bro. Stephen and Sis. Marcella Tolman in San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico. It was fantastic. I could seriously start a whole new blog and spend a lot of time there telling you about our trip. I'll try to keep it to a minimum here. We left home on a Friday after everyone got off of work and arrived in Mexico on Saturday night at about 11 p.m. Yes, we drove there. We spent the week working around the compound, painting and building and going to church. It was one of the best experiences of my life. On Thursday we went to a place close to Torreon, Mexico called "Cardboard Land" where everyone in the community lives in homes made of cardboard boxes, poster boards, and things of the like. It was life changing. I love it there!

Day 4: A habit I wish I didn't have...

Oh man.... this should be interesting.

I have the horrible problem of becoming addicted to t.v. shows and then proceeding to watch every episode of it that I can find online. For instance, right now I am addicted to Grey's Anatomy. Previously I was watching Smallville, and before that I watched all episodes of the show Trauma (which no longer comes on...sad) on NBC. com. I'm such a loser for that :)

Also, I am extremely OCD (and it used to be worse) about my clothes matching. I cannot stand for my clothes to not match. Oh, it kills me! I used to even make sure that the material was the same and that the stitching went in the same direction. No longer do I care that much (it's what college will do for a girl).

Hm, I bite my bottom lip when I am thinking really hard, been doing that since the fifth grade when I realized that Tyler Toon was smarter than me.

Finally, I have a horrible nervous laughter problem. When I was little and my dad would try to whoop me I would laugh so hard he couldn't whoop me. When I was in grade school and a classmate would get in trouble, I would laugh. Now, when I have to confront someone, or when I'm talking to a cute boy... I just laugh. Sometimes it works for me... sometimes it doesn't.

Day 3: A picture of you and your friends

Not to brag, but I have lots of friends :)
Church friends, school friends, camp friends... can I include them all here? Yes, yes I can.


I think some of the same people were in all of these pictures... oh well ;)
Oh, and the fact that none of these are serious... I don't know.

Day 2: The meaning behind your blog title

Well, funny story: When I first started blogging I had no idea what I was doing. So my blog title was "Anna Link"... I think. I don't know. But now it's called "A Lovely History," which you already know.

So why did I decide to call my blog "A Lovely History"? Well, I like to think that I live the most incredible life. God has placed me in an unbelievable family that He uses for His glory. He has given me the most incredible church family (two of them, actually) that anyone could ask for, and the absolute best circle of friends. And, for some reason, 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ felt the need to die on a cross so that I could have this life. He was thinking of me.

However, don't get me wrong, sometimes its hard, and sometimes I want to give up, but I know that God has given my life a purpose and a reason. He somehow looked down on me and decided He wanted to use me. And even if I have to go through the trials and the fire to become who he wants me to be, I'm still becoming who He wants me to be, and that makes every single day... lovely.

So that's the meaning behind the title. This blog chronicles the life of Anna Link, 19 years old. Someday it will be history, shoot, yesterday is now history. And just like I said, it's lovely.

Day 1: A Recent Picture of You and 15 Interesting Facts

Fifteen Facts about myself (sorry if you don't think they are interesting hehe)

1. I am Apostolic (my favorite thing about myself :) Baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost people!
   
2. I am a student at WKU! (Go Toppers!)
3. I am the Youth Leader at First Apostolic Church
   
4. I have three younger sisters: Beka, Tina, and Jessica
5. I love nature photography
6. I enjoy singing and lead praise and worship at my home church, Hope.
7. I am very organized.
   
8. I am dating a woooonderful boy: Justin Hamm
9. I am the editor of the A.B. of C. publication, "Our Herald"
10. I am the New Testament tutor here at WKU
11. My family sings and plays music together
12. I have been attending the same church camp, Camp Mulberry, for 12 years, it's my favorite place in the world!
13. My favorite color is Green... Although, if you look in my closet you will see a vast array of grays, reds, and denim haha.
14. I love Pepsi. I love Pizza. Don't judge
15. When I get started watching a t.v. series, I quickly become addicted, i.e. Grey's Anatomy and Smallville.
    

Blog Challenge

Everyday I feel the need to blog. However, I do not always have something to say. So to avoid saying pathetically lame things every day or posting weird comics, I am going to do this blog challenge.... At least it will give me something to do besides homework ;)

Day One- A recent picture of yourself and fifteen interesting facts.
Day Two- The meaning behind your blog name.
Day Three-A picture of you and your friends.
Day Four- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.
Day Five- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day Six- Favorite super hero and why.
Day Seven- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.
Day Eight- Short term goals for this month and why.
Day Nine- Something you’re proud of in the past few days.
Day Ten- Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad.
Day Eleven- Another picture of you and your friends.
Day Twelve- How you found out about blogger and why you have one.
Day Thirteen- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day Fourteen- A picture of you and your family.
Day Fifteen- Put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play.
Day Sixteen- Another picture of yourself.
Day Seventeen- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.
Day Eighteen- Plans/dreams/goals you have.
Day Nineteen- Nicknames you have and why you have them.
Day Twenty- Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future.
Day Twenty one- A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day Twenty two- What makes you different from everyone else.
Day Twenty three- Something you crave for a lot.
Day Twenty four- A letter to your parents.
Day Twenty five- What I would find in your bag.
Day Twenty six- What do you think about your friends?
Day Twenty eight- A picture from you last year, and now. What has changed since then?
Day Twenty nine- In this past month, what have you learned?
Day Thirty- Your favorite song.

Courtesy of www.nataliedee.com

It just keeps on snowing snowing snowing...

Well, it's February 7 people and my hometown got six inches of snow today. My sisters haven't been to school a full week since December... it's nuts!!!

However, I can't say that much for BG. We've gotten plenty of snow alright, but there has been no cancellation of the classes. Boo.

So what have I been doing? Hmmmm... this does not qualify for my "A Day in the Life" series, which is good, because if you were to read this as a day in the life, you might start to think we are lame, unlike the picture I tried to paint of my family a month or so ago.

Today I got out of class at 1:35, and, instead of coming directly back to the room, changing, and going to the gym as I had planned, I found myself dragging two frozen feet and a wet head into the dorm. I put my hair up in a towel, laid my shoes on the heater and bundled up on the bed with my laptop. Rebekah and I then watched as many episodes as possible of Grey's Anatomy on Cucirca. Yeah, so pathetic. However, I did manage to finish three Spanish assignments, read a book for my LME class, AND read my Bible. Good times.

BUT PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

I can't believe this wasn't the first thing I blogged about! On Saturday night I went to a youth service with my youth group from home as well as my youth group from the Bowling Green church and it was so awesome! Bro. Jonathan Denton preached an unbelievable message and my kids definitely got a touch from the Lord in the altar.

There is one kid from BG who I know the Lord has been working on lately. I stood there and prayed for him in the altar as tears just fell from his face. Last night, Sis. Tammy texted me to tell me that Bailey had been filled with the Holy Ghost Sunday night at church! Regardless of the fact that I was unable to be there, I still feel so encouraged in the Lord. I know He is up to something really great and I am just humbled that somehow He found me and wants to use me. It's unbelievable.

This weekend has renewed my spirit and I am ready to serve the Lord with a new fire. I was studying today and came across one of my favorite verses, Jude 20-23.

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt;snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

What if we always lived with that kind of intensity? What if we were constantly striving to build our faith and to "snatch others from the fire"? It would change this world.

The Newest Edition to our Church Family at Hope :)

Beautiful Baby Isaac. Congrats to Josh and Sarah!!! We all love him already!!!

You Are a Dreamer.

"Every church needs a Dreamer."
-Bishop Billy Shoulders

That's what I preached on Sunday Night.
It didn't really come out the way I wanted it to then, so maybe I can redeem myself here.

I want you to just think about Joseph, in the book of Genesis. He was a dreamer. Seriously, that was God's job for Joseph. But things happened in Joseph's life. Joseph's brothers hated him for his gift and he was sold into slavery and then, after finding favor in Egypt, he was thrown into prison. So much for big dreams right? Yeah, he interpreted the dreams of the baker and the cup bearer, but for two whole years he didn't work in the gift God had given him. And then one day Pharaoh called his name.

Just because things have been going on in your life lately does not mean that God is finished with you. It means His timing is different than ours. So your truck broke down or you lost your job or you failed your class... don't stop dreaming. PLUS just because you've forgotten about your dreams doesn't mean God isn't using you! Did you know that while Joseph was in prison he was in charge of all the prisoners? God showed him favor and God used him, Joseph just wasn't dreaming. We can get caught up in what we are doing for the Lord (i.e. teaching Sunday School, Leading the youth group, singing congregational songs, cleaning the toilets at church) and forget that before He called us to do anything else, He called us to be dreamers.

Why are dreamers important? Why does "every church" need a "dreamer"? Let me put it this way: After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, Pharaoh put him in charge of a lot of stuff. When Egypt went into a famine, Joseph's plan brought people from all over to Egypt to get food. Not only that, but it brought his family together too.

God uses dreamers to reach a lost world, to mend broken hearts, to restore destroyed relationships.

Don't forget that once YOU were a dreamer.