Dreaming Archives -

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021Christian Walk, Dreaming, Following Jesus

Following the Trailmarkers

“Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” -Habakkuk 2:2

I have been a proponent of writing down the revelation (i.e. dreams) for many years. Yet, sometimes I forget to look back on those dreams so that I may run with that revelation. Writing down your dreams is a good way to practice obedience. It also shows a willingness to listen to these secrets in the night, and is a valuable resource for running our race with endurance. We are called to be good stewards of our finances and to use them wisely. We are also called to be good stewards of the revelations, words of wisdom, and dreams that God speaks to us. But why? What is the purpose of writing these things down?

Wait for It

Often dreams are not literal, and at least in my experience dreams need time to incubate. The exception to this is warning dreams, which typically speak to something more immediate. It is prudent to seek out the meaning and pay attention to these dreams. For the purpose here I am not referring to warning dreams, that is a post all on its own!

When God gives this revelation to Habakkuk it is more long-term in nature. God is speaking of what is to come, meaning, this won’t happen right away. As you wait for it, you will face discouragement. Writing down the revelation so you can look back on it will prove to be a valuable source of encouragement in the wait. Right after God tells Habakkuk to write down the vision in verse 2, verse 3 says;

“For the revelation awaits for an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it tarry (or take longer than you want), wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” -Habakkuk 2:3

Delay is a Gift

Our idea of delay and God’s idea of delay are two very different things! His timing is different than ours and He knows we tend to be impatient and have memory problems. Waiting for His timing brings joy and excitement that is indescribable. Our family is embarking on a dream journey with God that I am still waiting to see the fulfillment of. I’m starting to see glimpses of the fulfillment and it’s exhilarating! In his book, Dream, Mark Rutland has this to say about the waiting time in dreaming:

“The delay, common to dreamers, from dream to fulfillment can be absolutely excruciating. No spiritual discipline is as taxing or, for that matter, so close to the heart of holiness as waiting, but that does not mean it is a pleasant experience. That very season of delay which we find so distasteful, may, however, be crucial to the plan and purpose of God. Such delays give God time to prepare us for the opportunity and the opportunity for us. While we wait, God is working to remove obstacles before us, which if allowed to remain, would hinder or limit the dream.”
Mark Rutland, Dream

God’s timing is absolutely vital in these dreams becoming reality. Have you ever stopped to consider the concept that while you are waiting, God is not only preparing YOU, but He is preparing the opportunity that you will step into. His timing is impeccable!

Not the greatest picture, but this is a great example of how we can feel in the middle of the wait. When everything looks like delay and we wonder if we’ll ever see the promised vision. In this case, the trail was long and difficult, but there was a promise of a gorgeous waterfall so I trudged on, even though at this point I wanted nothing more than to turn back.

Trail Markers

Being a good steward of dreams can look a lot like hurry up and wait. Dreams can fade from our memory quickly, and we have to develop a habit of writing them down in those few moments after we awake. Often, details like colors, numbers, and people’s names can have a very specific meaning. Yet in my experience, those are the first things to fade from my memory after I wake up. Being diligent to write down the dream is one way to be a good steward. I’ve found the dreams I write down have been like guideposts in this journey with Jesus that I am on.

If you’ve ever been hiking you know just how important a well-marked trail is. When you’re on a trail sometimes suddenly you have no idea where the trail began or where it’s going. My walk with God feels like this at times. I’m so thankful for the trail markers He gives me along the way. His word is the best trail marker, but there are also other markers such as dreams, visions, words of wisdom from other believers, even signs in the heavens, and confirmations that are given through people and experiences. These “trail markers” bring encouragement when the trail is long. In following Jesus on this trail of life, looking back on dreams gives me strength and endurance to keep moving forward.

Looking Back Brings Strength

What we see is like looking at only one piece of the puzzle. God has a higher vantage point and can see the whole picture. This week I was looking back on some dreams I have had in the past two years. When I discovered that I lived out portions of a dream I had back in October it gave me such encouragement. I had completely forgotten about this particular dream, but Oh how glad I am that I wrote it down!

When I went back to re-read it, God used that dream and my experience this week to breathe fresh air into my dreaming heart. It was the encouragement I needed to continue following Him on this trail. The hardest climbs often result in the greatest view. So keep climbing! Keep chasing those dreams, and write it down so that you can run with endurance because the trail is often longer with more twists and turns than we think it will have, but the view from the top is worth it.

majacobs 0

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021Adoption, Dreaming, Identity, Motherhood, Purpose, Racial Healing

Wokeness has Invaded Adoption

This is what holding a harvest of joy looks like. You can’t see in my face all the emotions that come into play here. I was exhausted after waiting years for our Hadassah to join our family. I had carried this dream in my heart for roughly 10 years before she was born. Have you ever been pregnant with a dream for a decade? It’s exhausting to keep hoping, praying, and never give up even when it looks hopeless. In this moment the Lord spoke to me, “it’s all worth it.” This is the face of joy, peace, and love. This daughter I had seen in my dreams for years and had wondered if she would look like that, I was now holding. Her heart beating next to mine. This is what fulfilled promise looks like.

I found out today that one of the largest adoption agencies in our nation, Bethany Christian Services, the agency that completed our home study, now wants to make this kind of adoption a thing of the past. Essentially they have bowed to the “woke” culture and decided it would be better for black children to languish in foster care waiting for a black family to adopt them than to be placed in the loving home of a white mom and dad. I’m not even mad about this development. I should be furious, instead, I’m incredibly sad. A sense of deep, gut-wrenching sadness washed over me at this news. Our home study agency, the one that wrote such amazing things about our family and our ability to care for our children has now decided that black children should not be raised by white parents.

God Places the Lonely in Families

When I read this story in Newsweek today (which I will link in the comments). My heart sank. Immediately I thought of the many biracial families I know personally. Many of them are white Momma’s and Daddy’s who have welcomed black children into their home. I’ve seen with my own eyes these children grow and thrive in the love and care of their white mom and dad. Psalm 68:6 says, “God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.” How we’ve seen this lived out in our own family! In God’s eyes, we are all His precious children. God has built our family and I am thankful for the kaleidoscope of colors in each of my children. How boring it would be if we were all exact copies of each other!

My verse while waiting for Hadassah was Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears WILL reap a Harvest of Joy. (paraphrase mine). God showed me her face in dreams multiple times, and years before she was born. Don’t tell me for a second that it’s a mistake she is part of our family! Her birth mom chose us to raise her, but long before she was even conceived God choose us to be her parents. He prepared our hearts and even gave me glimpses of what she would look like to confirm His promises. Now, this agency which holds the keys for many families in their adoption journey is closing those doors. It’s a shame to base adoption on race in any way! The needs of the child and if possible the wishes of the birth mother should be the #1 factor in adoption decisions.

majacobs 3

July 15, 2020July 15, 2020Calling, Christian Walk, Dreaming, Following Jesus, Uncategorized

Great Reward

My husband is my favorite cheerleader! Today is our 20th anniversary and I have to brag on him a bit. If you’ve taken a look at the website, or ordered a book and noticed the logo stamped on the bag or envelope, you are seeing the fruit of his labors. He is the graphics guy, I can take zero credit for those things.

Writing the book was his idea. He knew it would be a challenging project, but he also never doubted my ability to finish it. He doesn’t just push, he encourages along the way. Every time I wanted to give up, he gave me space to process my emotions on the subject. Every time I got stuck in the process he helped me find a way out. Last week we got away for a few days and did some hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Road Less Traveled

On the last full day of our trip, we hiked a trail that was marked “Strenuous”. It started out fine, but before we even reached the halfway point I was ready to turn back. He encouraged me to keep going. He gave me time to rest, He found chocolate in his bag (a snack he had brought for himself) and gave it to me. All in an effort to encourage me to keep going even when it was hard. He has been this way since the beginning of our marriage. He can be intense at times, but even in his intensity, he is kind.

Similar to this hike, in our journey with God, there will be times it feels easier to give up and turn around. To go back to the smooth, flat, paved path of life. But Oh the things we will miss if we do that! If we turned back in our journey when it got hard we would have missed meeting our daughter, we would not have some of the incredible friendships we have today, and we would not have seen victories through prayer that we have seen over the years.

Following Jesus

In life, there will be times when sacrifice is required to keep following Jesus and where He leads. He never promised it would be an easy, smooth, path. In fact, He says there will be hard things to walk through. It’s basically a guarantee that life won’t be smooth sailing.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

John 16:33 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Because it is so true and I”ve seen it play out in my life over and over again! Rarely is life smooth and easy. It’s often hard and full of difficult circumstances to navigate. But, we are not without hope! Jesus has overcome the world. There is nothing we face that He is not able to help us through. There is never a time when He leaves us to figure it out on our own. He is with us through it all. Not everyone we meet will be up to this challenge of taking the less traveled road. It can seem lonely because taking the harder path sometimes means taking it alone, but the reward for sticking with it in the hard times is great! Even if we don’t recognize it until later.

Streams of Refreshing

We made it to the waterfall! But we still had to make the trek back to the parking lot.

When we finally made it to the halfway point of our hike there was this sweet reward. A beautiful and serene waterfall. It was secluded off the beaten path. There were few people who made the trek. So we had a few moments to just rest and take in the beauty all around us. It was quiet except for the sound of the water rushing over the edge. We found a rock to sit on at the edge of the waterfall. We ate a snack and soaked our tired feet in the cool, refreshing water. But the journey wasn’t over. This was only the halfway point. We still had to make it back up to the trailhead. We had descended 1300 feet to get to the waterfall, and now we had to make our way back up.

The Promise

The trail was narrow, and difficult in spots. It was steep and rocky, but along the way, there were these sections of flat, wide trail. In those sections the ground under our feet was soft and we had a chance to catch our breath before going back to the hard. During the hike, I just wanted to get back to the car. When we finally made it back, I started looking through the pictures I had taken along the way. I was surprised to see a rainbow across the bottom of the waterfall. I didn’t see a rainbow when we were there, but somehow my phone had captured it. A rainbow is a reminder of God’s promises.

Jesus never promised an easy life. He does promise to lead us to streams of refreshing and be with us along the way. Keep pushing forward in your journey with God. Keep pursuing Him even when the trail is difficult. The reward for staying the course is great! I am so thankful my Jesus loves me enough to stay by my side even when I want to give up. And I am so thankful my husband takes me on difficult paths to beautiful waterfalls. The reward is great! Stay the course!

majacobs 0

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020Adoption, Dreaming, Purpose

Livin’ the Dream, Literally!

Livin’ the Dream is such a cliché. In general, I despise clichés. I remember a children’s literature class I took in college and the professor was so opposed to clichés that she told us upfront if we used them in our papers she would automatically give us a zero on the assignment. Ouch! That’s harsh. Maybe my dislike of clichés goes back to that experience.

So how in the world did we choose what is perhaps the biggest cliché of all time as the title for my new book? It’s a funny story actually, and the title came out of a completely unrelated conversation between my husband and me.

This message of dreaming with God has been burning in my heart for several years! After we adopted and brought home our dream of a daughter that God had been showing me for over a decade in dreams in the night, my husband said, “You need to write a book.” I think in the beginning I just thought he was tired of me sharing all the insights I was getting from God on dreaming. As time went on, however, and I started the writing process there was so much to share. When I sat down that first day to write I really wasn’t convinced there would be enough for a full book. I thought maybe I can just write a blog post or an article. This is only going to be enough to fill a small pamphlet, not a book! Amazingly to even me, as I set my heart before God and asked, “What do you want to share with Your bride?” The words flowed and before I knew it, I had written nearly 40,000 words.

The writing came easy because this message had been building in my heart for so long it wasn’t difficult to get the words on paper. The title, however, was a struggle! For about 2 years I had a “working title”. I didn’t love it, but it was all I had. I actually shelved the book for almost a year because I didn’t have a title I felt adequately expressed the message of the book. During this time I began asking God to give me a title. If this truly was a message He wanted me to share with the church, I wanted the title to be a good representation of that. So for almost a year, I asked God, show me what the title should be. Give me a dream, scripture, anything! I was beginning to feel a tad desperate while at the same time wondering why I ever bothered to start writing in the first place. A book without a title isn’t going anywhere.

Then one day my husband and I were driving home from a wedding. We were just talking about life in general, the kids, what commitments and activities we had that week. When out of nowhere he said, “You are living your dreams.” I kind of laughed and said, “yeah literally!”. It only took a moment for me to realize that’s the title of my book.

When I say I’m “Livin’ the Dream”, I don’t mean it in the same way as most people. For most people, it is nothing more than a cliché. They will sarcastically joke about a hard job that they don’t enjoy and say, “I’m livin the dream.” It’s cliché and sarcasm. When I say it, it’s not cliché. I mean it literally. I have had dreams in the night where God showed me glimpses of His plan for our family years before those plans came into being. Today, I am living in the reality of those dreams. My greatest hope and prayer through this project is that those who read the book will be encouraged to pay attention to the dreams in the night. That they too will experience what it is to live your dreams. Not just your dreams of things you desire, but that thing you were created for. The plans and purposes of God for you. He formed you in your mother’s womb and set a purpose for you before you took your first breath. Grab hold of those dreams, and experience the joy and fullness of living in purpose.

majacobs 0