Without Vision my people will perish Proverbs 29:18

When my BFF's and I got together recently, I shared a devotion about how important it is to spend time in prayer creating a vision board or focus board, whichever you prefer to call it. Some people might do it at the beginning of a new year; a New Year's Resolution sorta. I have never been one to make New Year resolutions but reflection about our lives is always a good thing. I always just kept mine in my mind before, only recently have I started writing them down. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on presentation or the way it looked, I just wrote it on a piece of paper in my journal. I think the time spent in soul searching, prayer, and meditation is far more important. After researching a little I found that some people like to creatively make a board to hang up so that it is visually accessible. Either way it should depict our dreams, hopes for the future; our vision. In that way, we can always be mindful of and prayerfully pursuing it. It's a great way to help get priorities in order. It might seem a little legalistic, but just think about it, anytime we do something in our daily life we purposely pursue it to get it done. We either make a list or we are mindful of it all day; whether it be a grocery item that we need from the store or a reminder to get our oil checked, we make a list or keep going over it all day in our mind to try and not forget it. It helps us. It helps keep us focused. Isn't it amazing how we will sit down and take the time to make a grocery list but want give any thought to a vision for the future or even the year. Isn't our life much more important?  Well it took me a while but I finally realized that it is. Very important. I thought about all the times in my life that I was just floundering around. No real vision for my life at all. I just went through my daily routine. Whatever happened, just happened. Thank you Lord that you were always present in every moment, even when I wasn't. I understand now, so very well that without a real vision for my life, I just exist...I am not becoming. With vision and purpose in my life, I can become the Godly wife, mother, grandmother, friend, unique, one of a kind person that you created me to be. I have to stay focused on the things of God; mind, body, and spirit. They don't just happen. I have to pursue them. I have to be disciplined in my bible reading, prayer life, my thoughts, what I eat and how much I exercise. I want to be the virtuous woman and wife that is worth far more than rubies. (I recently added to my board Proverbs 31) I want to be a good steward of everything that God has given me. That includes my body, my time, and my resources. I also have hopes and dreams. Desires of my heart. I can't help but think about some of my dreams. Being the romantic that I am, Italy was the place I always wanted to visit. It was a dream to go with the person that I loved. After a rocky marriage, divorce, and being single for almost 11 years it seemed very unlikely. Not to even mention the cost. Sorry to say it, but I doubted that I would ever be able to afford it. See, although it was an unlikely dream, I had no idea what God had in store for me. It was the farthest thought in my mind that he was going to give me a man that loved me enough to help make all my dreams come true. It wasn't his dream at all. In fact he was very nervous about going out of the country but he did it for me ❤  I always dreamed of having a cabin in the mountains. Once again, there were many times that it looked like there was no way that it would ever happen. Nevertheless, I kept dreaming about it. Almost out of the blue, I started feeling a stirring to sell our home and within a month it was sold. We were in the mountains when I got the phone call. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. We started pursuing the dream a little harder; praying about it, saving money, searching for houses on websites. It took almost 30 years to happen, (both dreams.)  But, they did! I have other hopes and dreams; dreams for our children and grandchildren. I have dreams of doing missions in other countries. I have learned to never give up on my dreams no matter how things look. Even though there are deep valleys to walk through, curves in the road, and even a few gully washers at times, (if it's God's will), I believe it will happen.

Thank you God for giving me the desires of my heart 🏠💑 

This verse in Habakkuk 2 was an eye opener for me.

And the Lord answered me, and said,

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables,

that he may run that readeth it.

 For the vision is yet for an appointed time,

but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:

though it tarry, wait for it;

because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

sammie jean ❤