At some point in all of our lives, we've had a dream; something we deeply desired to have happen in our lives. For a lot of us, this dream was placed in our heart by God and lines up with His will. And more often than not, we knew the weight of how impossible those dreams were, but believed they would happen anyway. That's what we like to call "faith." But also more often than not, something in our lives has happened and those dreams have died and with them our faith and hope. What do we do in those instances? In those moments where we have watched our dreams die and did nothing to resuscitate them because it was easier to just let it die out. Or maybe sometimes have intentionally squelched whatever chance our dream had to live in an effort to "not get hurt again."

You know who also died? Jesus. But you know what else happened? He was resurrected from the dead. God is in the business of resurrection. He resurrects situations, relationships, and yes even your dreams. I believe if we will just take our dead dream to the foot of the cross and believe, in faith, that the dream will be fulfilled according to God's purpose, God says that He will propel that dream even further than you ever thought possible.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." - Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

I think the key piece though in understanding why dreams die in the first place and how they can be resurrected lies in one thing: faith.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." - Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

There are 2 crucial things to remember in this:

"Faith is the confidence..."
1. Faith brings confidence
When we have faith that God will come through in a seemingly impossible situation (like a dead dream), we can have confidence as well because we are able to take the responsibility off of us and place it where it rightfully belongs: Jesus. I think the biggest reason that our dreams die is because we rely on ourselves to fulfill them and when something goes wrong, it's all over. If God designed them in the first place and knows how they are going to come to be, why would our feeble human attempts to fulfill them ever work?

"...it gives us assurance..."
2. Faith brings security
In the midst of us believing that our dreams will be fulfilled, there is inevitably a doubt, planted by the enemy, that comes in to makes us believe that since we cannot see it coming to pass, it must not be coming to pass at all. This suggests a lack of faith. Faith is our security plan. It's all we have, but it's also all we need. If we will put our faith in Him who is able to do "immeasurably more", then we have that security in the midst of the things we cannot see. How do we know that? Because it's who He is. God is not a God who leaves us out to dry, if He's planted a dream in your heart and it lines up with His will, He is faithful and it will come to pass.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

"The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right." - Psalms 84:11b

So I would challenge you to wake up that dream of yours and hold on tight because your "immeasurably more" is coming.

I have to admit. This is a concept I am still trying to wrap my mind around. The idea of a life to the full is a beautiful and most desirable concept, but sometimes when fear and doubt come in, I have no idea how to go about doing it. However, as I was reading in John the other day, I came across God's game plan for a full and abundant life.

I am a huge fan of Joyce Meyer. I think she's fabulous, has tons of sass (which I value highly), and God has used her ministry to push me out of some really dark places. Anyone who knows her, knows that one of her favorite verses to use is John 10:10 (in the Amplified Bible of course).

"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]." - John 10:10 (AMP)

Whenever Joyce will use this when referring to an "abundant life," it is always followed with the following phrase, "to the full, till it overflows." Cognitively, I know what that means. I can explain it in biblical terms and probably give you a couple of other biblical truths to support it. However, as far as heart knowledge, I have no idea what that looks like. What is a full life? What do you mean it overflows? How can it when I struggle with __________? However, if it's read in context, Jesus explains it pretty clearly; it all goes back to security in Christ.

1. Know His voice
"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4 (NLT)

Jesus illustrates His design for a full and abundant life with a parable (I know right, He never does that!). In this illustration, He compares our relationship with Him to that of a shepherd and His flock of sheep which is actually really accurate because if you know anything about sheep, they're actually kind of dumb and need constant guidance to accomplish nearly anything. However, they are pretty loyal to their shepherd and follow with extreme loyalty. I've heard it said if a shepherd were to lead his sheep down a cliff they would walk right off. In this parable Jesus uses this to illustrate how we should follow Jesus: with undying loyalty. But why do we follow and trust Jesus? How can we? Because we know His voice. In knowing the voice of the Savior, we can distinguish the lies from the truth and can be led away from fear and worry in a split second when we recognize deceit. But what do we do when we hear that nagging voice that isn't our good and wonderful Shepherd?

2. Run from that which isn't His voice
"They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice." - John 10:5 (NLT)

Verse 5 suggests that we run from that which we do not recognize as our Shepherd. Now, this is not to say that we should run out of fear. No, we fight from victory; there's no reason to fear. But I think sometimes, when temptation or lies come around the best way to defeat them is not to dwell but to rebuke and run the other direction into the arms of our Shepherd. One of the biggest reasons shepherds exist is to protect their sheep from predators. Jesus is no different.

3. Live life to the full
"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." - John 10:10 (NLT)

When we learn to distinguish between the voices and fight the vile ones accordingly, we can enter into the full life the Lord intends for us. You see, we aren't meant to live a defeated life, we have been redeemed so that we can live a full and abundant life! But we can't do that if we dwell on anything other than His voice. From this place of living life to the full we can be confident in points 4 and 5.

4. He's not leaving
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep." - John 10:11-13 (NLT)

A shepherd's livelihood depends on his sheep. Therefore, a good shepherd doesn't leave the flock he's in charge of because that would mean his livelihood is on the line; losing even one sheep to a predator isn't an option. So he is extra vigilant in keeping watch over the sheep because the risk of losing one is far too great.

Because we know the Lord's voice and we know that His purpose is good, we can be confident that He is not the hired hand; He is the good shepherd and a good shepherd stays with the sheep always until the end because the risk of losing one to the predator is a risk He is not willing to take.

I think a lot of times we look at Jesus as the hired hand. We think He was sent to earth with the same demeanor that a parent sends their kid to school (Dad do I have to?). But that's not it at all. He even says in verse 18, "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.” Jesus came down here voluntarily because He loved us, and He's not about to leave us like a hired hand now.

5. No one can take me from Him; my salvation is secure
"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand." - John 10:28-29 (NLT)

This is the summit of living life to the full: rest secure in your salvation that Christ so fiercely paid for. When we realize, and I mean fully realize and know both in head and heart, how secure we are as redeemed children of God, nothing can touch us. Salvation is a gift that cannot be lost or taken once it is accepted through a profession of faith. We were paid for at a heavy price with an unbreakable insurance plan: grace.

Freedom is a choice and often times (as I'm learning) one that is a daily choice. But it starts with the realization that God is a good Shepherd and His desire is for us to live our lives the way He intended: to the full, till it overflows.

The church I grew up in did not talk about spiritual warfare. I can honestly say I do not remember a time where I even heard the enemy mentioned except for a verse in the song "I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy," where we sung, "And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack." As if that was the most harmful fate for him that we could think of.

So as a result, I grew up timid thinking that everything that went on between my ears was entirely my fault and I believed every thought I heard. An anxiety disorder diagnosis, 13 years worth of daily medication, and 22 years of my life later, someone finally told me that wasn't the case and I could do something about it. About 2 years ago I was in a study for the book, Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. It was the first time I heard about rebuking out loud, and the first time I really learned anything about how to defeat the enemy. I worked to put these strategies into practice and finally found some relief over the ploys of the enemy. Some of my friends and I even adapted the famous phrase from Jesus, "Get behind me satan." And we used it for everything regardless of if it was relevant or not.

Yesterday, I was thinking and the Lord led my mind back to that phrase. I thought about how my friends and I used to use it and said to myself, "Man I haven't heard that in a while." But as I really started to meditate on it I started to understand the implications of it.

"Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:23 (NIV)

When Jesus rebuked in this way, at the root of it He was rebuking that which was trying to come against what God had called Him to be: to be the Savior of the world. Satan is not creative, I mean how many times has he come against your calling or who God says you are? It's an age old game!

When I thought about this verse, God spoke this phrase to me, "Don't let the devil cut in front of you." I thought that was a game changer. The enemy is forever separate from the favor and promises of the Lord. When we as humans wait in line, we are usually waiting to receive something that we want or need. This is a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. We are constantly anticipating the good he has for us! Our enemy is going to do anything he can to meander his way up to the front because he is jealous.

This reminds me of the primal instincts I see in my students in the lunchroom. There's at least one person every day who thinks they should be allowed to cut in line to get to the front faster; as if they have less time to eat than other students. And what happens when they do? The people behind them are angry of course! But usually, especially in middle school, the people who cut don't cut in front of the bold who will call them out on it, they cut in front of the timid. Why? Well of course because they are an easy target and won't say anything. I was that way as a student; I would be seething with anger, but I wouldn't say anything out of fear.

We can't let Satan do this to us! The Bible says in Proverbs 28:1 that the righteous are as bold as lions, so why do we shrink back from a jealous serpent that we could crush under our feet within seconds?

Don't let the devil cut in front of you! Stand up for yourself because you have the authority under Christ Jesus. Jesus paid the price for you to have your rightful place in line, don't let the enemy tell you any more that he is in charge; he does "not have in mind for you the concerns of God, but the concerns of this world!" Stand boldly in that line waiting on Christ's promises and blessings and don't let anyone, namely the enemy, cut in front of you and act as a "stumbling block" for what God has for you.

I've been in the weirdest season for a few months now. Throughout it I've been battling old hurts and hardships that have plagued me for as long as I can remember. And throughout it, nothing seems to have been going right. So 3 weeks ago I hit a deer. Actually, I like to say that a deer hit me because that's actually more accurate as to how it occurred. There was good that came out of it in the moment because at the moment I yelled for His help, Jesus completely protected my roommate and I from death quite honestly. But if I'm being honest, I was mad. I could not fathom why God just wouldn't give me a break! And I was especially mad when my roommate avoided the same situation a week later.

So I took my car to the shop to get it fixed fully anticipating that I would have to shell out money for the deductible. I mean I know how this works; this isn't my first rodeo with accidents. A few days later my dad messages me and tells me the raw estimate which was $3,500. I asked how much the deductible covered and he said $0. I literally was so sure I was going to scream right then and there (which would have been bad as I was at work in a room full of students) because in this "everything is going wrong" mentality, I took that as I have to pay $3,500 which I do NOT have. But upon asking my dad, he clarified that I owed $0. I immediately recognized this as God's grace and was thankful for how He had answered the prayer that my roommate prayed over my finances immediately after we got hit.

Fast forward to yesterday when I went to pick up my car from the shop. As I drove into the lot, I saw my car and I was amazed. Yes I knew they would fix it, but there was an added blessing. Because of an earlier accident, my hood was a baseline unpainted hood that my dad had bought. We kept putting off getting it painted because of lack of money and really lack of time to get it fixed. The hood was completely new and painted to match the rest of the car. I thought they might just replace it with an undented version of what I had, or just pop out the dents in the old one, but no it was completely new. I realized then that God had used this situation, (as He so often does) that the enemy intended for harm, for my good because now we don't have to worry about finding the money or time to get the hood painted because it was paid for by the insurance.

Later that day, I was reflecting on this blessing and the Lord spoke to me and said, "Megan, this is the principle of my Gospel." And He was right. I brought in the car mismatched, broken down, and busted and it was fixed. But not only was it fixed, it was fully whole. That's just what the Lord does with us. When we couldn't pay for the cost to fix it; when we tried to do it ourselves and failed; when we were busted; He came in, paid for the whole thing and fixed it without a second thought. The Lord doesn't give us a second rate new life, He gives us an abundant and whole new life.

This was everything for me. I've been needing a new revelation of the Gospel in order to get over this hurdle in my life that I've been stumbling over during this season. For so long, I've been dealing with my situation like I had with the hood on my car. I've masked it, covered it up, temporarily relieved the issue, all of which constitute as trying to fix it myself. But God was letting me go through this season because He didn't just want to pop out the dents, He wanted to replace the whole thing. I've been trying by myself to quell fears and anxieties that I've dealt with for as long as I can remember. And I've been doing it alone because what I was dealing with seemed too shameful for God. But all the while, He's been the whisper among the clamor of voices saying, "Don't be afraid. It's finished and paid for, I don't condemn you...just let me handle it."

Sometimes God uses a traumatic instance in our life to snap our attention to Him and to leave us with no choice BUT to trust Him. I've seen this in my walk and this car situation; in fact, they've been essentially parallel (weird how God does that!). I hope whatever you're holding on to today that you will release it to the Lord. No matter how shameful you think it is, He is merciful. And not just to everyone else; to you too. Trust me I know it is easier said than done and there are so many times where it feels impossible, but freedom is so worth it.

It's that time of the year again: the most wonderful time of the year. The weather is getting colder, the anticipation for the holidays is high, and we randomly decide to be nice to each other.

I mean isn't that how it is? For 10 months out of the year, we can't be bothered to be kind to one another, but once it hits Thanksgiving and Christmas time we decide that we should probably be nice. Perhaps it's the weather or just the warm fuzzies of being around family, but I think it's deeper than that; I think it has everything to do with the way our hearts were created. Yes, I think our sudden attitude change is the surest sign that our hearts are indeed designed for glorifying Christ; the surest sign that no one, not even in the world we are living in, is too far gone for the love that the Father has to offer.

It's the fact that we have a whole holiday centered around being thankful. It's in every Christmas song and every Christmas movie: the desire to "be loved" and to "feel the joy and peace that Christmas brings all year long." Those are core desires in the hearts of humans that were intentionally placed there and thus not inherently bad but albeit misplaced. It's not the holiday itself that brings those things, but the subject of the holiday that does. Without going all typical, cliche, "Jesus is the reason for the season," on you, He is the entire reason we even have Christmas. Let's just call the "Christmas spirit" what it actually is shall we? That's the Spirit of the Lord you feel. I'd venture to say that you feel those warm fuzzy "Christmas emotions," because when Christ came to earth he brought a new hope for those things and continues to do so even today. Because at His very core He IS love, He IS joy, and He IS peace. And at this time when we recognize and focus on His birth, those elements of His character are intentionally apparent.

You and I desire that which only God can truly give us. In John 15, Jesus says, "I am the true vine..." This implies that there are other vines that we can attach ourselves to, but the Lord is the true vine; He is the one that will sustain and will bring forth eternal fruit. So we can immerse ourselves in the temporary that the holiday brings, but ultimately it's going to be January and we will be left wondering where all the love, joy, and peace have gone. That's why Jesus continues by urging His disciples to continue to abide in Him so that their joy will overflow (John 15:11).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. - John 15:9-11 (ESV)

To abide means to live in. The word "abide" is a close relative of the word "abode" meaning a place where a person lives' it's where everything flows from and where we always go back to. Let Christ be the place you always go back to and where everything in your life flows from. That throughout the year, not just this season, we recognize and give God the credit in our lives and allow Him to then provide us with His true joy.

Let Christ be the true vine for you this holiday season; don't let your love, joy, and peace be contingent upon the trivial things that we can focus on in this season. Let it not just be a season of temporary joy, love, and peace but a springboard for the rest of your year. This season should be a reminder of God's goodness and a renewal of hope in remembering that our Savior was sent into the world to ultimately act as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we may live in freedom. Take that revelation and let it move you into a place of abiding in Him and receiving true love, joy, and peace all year long.