Day 7: Dreamsicle - Thawing Out Your Frozen Dreams

Life Lesson (from journal): "God has put us here for a reason and planted dreams within us so we can do our part in seeing them realized."

Chris Shook begins today's lesson by talking about her love for Dreamsicles. She talks about chasing down the ice cream truck as a little girl, just to enjoy that orange sherbet surrounding vanilla ice cream. She relates this experience to our frozen dreams. How some of us have put our dreams on ice and pushed them far back into the freezer and left them to accumulate freezer burn. We have lost our childhood dreams and feel as if our Dreamsicle has melted too soon. We have become vulnerable to doubt and reason.

(From journal): "What does God want you to do about dreams from Him that you once pursued, but have abandoned?" (See Revelation 2:4-5)

My Answer: He wants me to go back to my first loves. Some of my first loves were going to museums to see art, to draw animated characters again like I did as a kid, put puzzles together which challenged my mind, to continue learning how to become an entrepreneur in my own right and ultimately to keep on the course towards a full-time career in the arts.

(From journal): "Some people's "doubt" is a smoke screen for resistance to God. But what is God's attitude toward a genuine doubter?" (Jude 1:22)

My Answer: God says to be merciful to them (the doubter).

(From journal): "When you doubt your ability to fulfill a God-given dream--to achieve something He wants for you--what does God say about His willingness and ability to fulfill that dream? (1 John 5:14-15; Jeremiah 32:17)

My Answer: Fulfilling that dream--God hears us if we ask him according to his will. God has made the Heavens and the Earth, there is nothing too hard for God.


Kerry Shook then came on the audio, or if you are following in the book to talk about how impatience really hinders us with pursuing our dreams. I can definitely relate to this about patience. I want things to happen now and sometimes I forget that time is needed sometimes to prune a situation or make it better for me. I found these examples, Kerry Shook gave from the Bible to be awesome for explaining how even the great men of God in the Bible had to practice patience. Here they are to share with you:

• Abraham - was told that he would be a father of a great nation. He was 99 years old before he had a child!
• Moses - became a leader to guide the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. They plight for over 400 years, but first he sent him to the desert to tend sheep for 40 years.
• Jesus Christ - had to wait 30 years before he was able to begin his ministry on Earth.

I mean, now that puts it in major perspective for me because I really do sometimes wonder when are my dreams going to kick start and I guess I know the answer to that now. Even the great men of God had to practice patience and wait for their divinely assigned time to move.

(From the journal): "Satan's doubt-inspiring voice can sound very much like the voice of reason, even the voice of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). What will you do to obey God's command and claim His promise in (1 Peter 5:8-11)?" Leave your comment on this journal question if you would like.

(From the journal): "When Satan whispers, "You're not up to it," why is this message so convincing? Why is it dangerous?"

My Answer:  Well, this message is so convincing b/c I'm already thinking way outside the box, and you hear so many people saying that acting is competitive and it's really about who you know, so you wonder and then start second-guessing yourself. It's dangerous b/c you've wasted a day, a week, month, or year on the dream or assignments you know you are to continue to work on. You miss opportunities to grow in your dream, experience the beginnings, meet the right people, educate yourself, or prepare for God's many assignments that will advance the dream. This is huge because it happens everyday and even in my own life, I reset my mind to fight against these wavering thoughts b/c this is a real challenge of will and determination. "How bad do I want it attacks!"

(From the journal): "Do you need God's healing? What will you do to claim His promises right now? (See Psalm 147:3) and Isaiah 61:1-3), a promise of the Messiah's ministry to us.)" Leave your comments or feedback if you would like.

Today's Challenge
     Choose a frozen dream that you think God wants you to pursue. If your faith is still weak and your wounds are still deep, He understands if you start with something small.
     Live in dreamland for at least a few minutes. Imagine the end picture if this dream is fulfilled. Describe the steps it would take to fulfill this dream.
     Now pray and ask God to fill you with enthusiastic confidence in Him and His dream for you.
     Write a tentative date for your first step and share it with someone.

Leave your feedback!

Face Time
      My frozen dream is in Your hands, Lord. Help me to trust You to let it thaw out. I choose to believe that, if it's Your dream for me, You'll give me hope, passion, and power to fulfill it. And if it's not, please give me new direction. 
      Please heal me of [describe your disappointment wounds] ____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________.
      And give me strength to resist Satan's lies. In particular, I'm wrestling with [share your doubts
_______________________________________________________________________________.
      Thank You for Your promises to me. Help me to trust You more.


That's all for today folks! Keep dreaming and leave your feedback or comments!

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Day 6: Monkey Bars - Risking Greatness

One Month To Live Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal):"The only way to risk greatness is to trust God with all areas of your life...He wants us to trust Him to accomplish incredible things we could never achieve on our own."

Kerry Shook begins by talking about his son and his experience, hanging from the Monkey Bars. So he lifted his son onto the Monkey Bars to hang and he was so happy. He dangled there and eventually he started to become tired and wanted his father, Kerry Shook, to bring him down. Kerry Shook told his son to "let go and he would catch him", but his son became nervous and scared and didn't want to let go. Eventually he became so tired that he had to let go and his father, Kerry Shook, was there to catch him as he said he would. The boy became happy again and ran off to the swings.

My Answer: This day truly speaks to me because I still have a hard time letting go and letting God take care of things. I think sometimes thats because I have the strength, so I should do something to resolve a situation or circumstance, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I know that God gives me strength, commonsense, and the will, but I must understand that to trust Him means letting him go before me to prepare my next steps.

Something to ponder from journal: Imagine you were guaranteed pain-free success. Describe five great accomplishments you would love to pursue for God.

My Answer: One of mine was, doing missionary work in a needy country. There is so much violence going on in other countries and even close to our own borders, but I have always wanted to help others in third world countries. I could teach English or be a caregiver.

Leave yours in the comments section of this post. 

I thought these scriptures were great from the journal on understanding God's promises for success and protection over our lives. (John 10:27-30; Romans 8:31-39; 2Timothy 4:16-18)

My Summary of the scriptures:God wants to see me successful, but wants me to learn to lean on Him for that success. He wants me to trust that He is God and that He knows my goings and comings. He knows what is right for me and how I should reach the successes in my life. He will also protect me from the things seen and unseen. He is my shield.

Frankly speaking, I know this may sound a little too religious for some, but I can say personally that this is real. Over the past few days since really making myself vulnerable to this information of a "One Month To Live" mentality, I have saw how the little things I've done on one day, set me up for what I had to do the next day. My concept of "everything happens for a reason" is becoming more about my steps into the right direction toward multiple-purposed life. My desires to act, to live peacefully, to enjoy people and their talents, to share in happy times with my family, to provide to those in need, to trust God when I feel that He is the only one to trust. I have come to realize how my spiritual perspective on life is so important to my physical presence in this life. My connection to nature and other people who share my similar walk, are so important to my advancement. Being able to naturally connect with those similar spirits within other people in this life, leads me ultimately to the purpose God has for me. So, yes, this may appear too religious or outside of the box, but until we tap into our spiritual center of why we are here, we will continue to be lost to life and the trust we have in our God will be null and void.

Who can you trust? I've heard this before by some who have put their trust in girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, teachers, preachers, and even pets. However, when that trust was broken due to the imperfections of the flesh, they feel violated. The journal says, "Consider the statement, "To know God is to trust Him." Do you agree? Why or Why not? (See 2 Timothy 1:12, Ephesians 3:16-21.) 

My Answer: I agree, because if I really know God, I know that he really has my back and wants the best for me. He will not try to back-stab me or set me up for failure. He knows me better than anyone. Constant connection with Jesus is worth the faith-filled risks because first of all, what do I have to lose if he knows me better than anyone. He will not judge, but lead me to a better solution. So, I believe that is why I don't get too bothered by people who just don't get me, because I don't really expect them to. I am a unique being with a lot of complex levels and it would be crazy for someone to try when they have their own life to tend to. I know that God knows what he's working with because he molded me and that's why I can just live in this life and accept people for who they are and just keep on trekking until it's time to leave this life.

Today's Challenge
What's one risk you want to take for God? Write a list of pros and cons. What are the worst and best possible end scenarios?___________________________________________________.

Face Time
Okay, God, we both know what I've been putting off. And we both know why. I'm putting this situation in Your hands:_______________________________________________________.

That's all for today! Leave your feedback or comments.

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Day 5: Oxygen Mask - Breathing First

One Month To Live Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal): "If you're going to make the most of your time on earth, living a no-regret lifestyle, then you need to engage fully with those around you...The only way to accomplish these goals of authentic living is first to take time and focus on yourself. If you're not healthy spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally, how can you move beyond yourself and invest in others?"

Kerry Shook begins today's lesson with an airplane drill that many of us may have heard about or watched being performed by flight attendants during travel. They say that if the pressure in the cabin becomes too extreme, then the oxygen masks will be released above your head and you are to put the mask on yourself FIRST, then small children. You may wonder why that is so....well, if you are going to help your small children or others around you, you have to be in good shape and not faint. This example explains how important it is for us to take care of ourselves first in a physical, spiritual, and emotional sense in order to help others or contribute to other people's lives.

From the journal: Take some time and do this, "Rewrite in your own words what Psalm 139:13-16 says about your body."

My Answer: To me, these verses let's me know that my body was perfectly and wonderfully made by God. I was not a mistake, but a purposeful body made and molded to do the preordained works of God before I even arrived in this life.

Ponder these questions from the journal:
1.Do your emotions ever get out of control and cause problems for you and/or others? 
Brainstorm some possible action steps toward self-control.
2.Do you sometimes put your emotions on hold and not allow yourself to express them?
Brainstorm some action steps you could take toward being more emotionally honest, yet still controlling your actions.
3.How do you see your spiritual health impacting your emotional health?
In what ways does spiritual health impact emotional health?

(Share your comments and answers to this post.)

Today's Challenge
Look back over your analysis of yourself and choose one goal for your physical health and emotional health to make a commitment to renew or work to change.
My Answer: For my physical health, I'm going to start getting more rest per night. I have a tendency to stay up until late and get 4 hours of sleep and still get up early the next morning. Its important to let my body renew itself during the sleeping process so I can heal, rejuvenate, and reset my physical, mental, and social dials. So, I'm starting with this tonight. It's going to be hard, but I'm going to give it my best. 

As for the emotional health goal, I need to work on reassessing my road-rage. I just can't stand driving in Los Angeles, CA because most people from LA can't drive and they jump right in front of you, don't use signal lights, sit at green lights looking at their cell phones, and don't let it rain because then we'll have a 6 car pile up, like I heard about this morning! Okay, see, I have work to do with this one...

That's why God is there to work with us during our constant conversations and constant confessions with Him. I can talk to him when the road-rage feels like it is creeping in. I try now to smile about it....wow, this will be a trying one...

If you live in Los Angeles, CA I would love to hear what you think and how you deal with the drivers. Or, if you have a comment on Day 5.