Dreaming Reality

February 4, 2014

I was sitting in the living room, curled up in the arm chair having my morning devotional. Staring out the window, I was really missing my friends that morning. Not just any friends but those so-close-you-don't-even-have-to-speak kind of friends. 

Moving around the country had it's advantages, seeing new places, meeting new people. But, what I always struggled with, was leaving those who were in my heart behind. Those I could trust with who I was, who I am, and what I was going through. Those who partnered in prayer with and for me. 

I had been reading the book "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson. He challenged me to circle in prayer things, desires that God had place in my heart and see if He would be faithful. So I did. I circle my friends-my heart friends in prayer. I had been circling my desire, my need, to be part of something, to be part of a prayer group. But, not just any prayer group. One that somehow included my prayer-partnering-heart friends.

That's when it came like a flood.  Ideas to start a prayer group. A women's prayer group that would not be constrained by place or time. Where those in the group could pray with and for each other, where ever we were, at anytime, about the same topic, while being as heart-specific as needed with in the group. Then, as those with in the group felt God moved, they would start another group, and then other groups would be started. Like ripples in a pond.

All through out the day, the ideas came. Writing this God inspired dream on anything I could get my hands on when He spoke.

But, then as I thought more about it, and started sharing with some others. Doubt crept in. "How can you be part of a group of people you never meet with or see?" "I've never seen anything like this before." "Write a blog-Scary" "What if no one wants to be part of it?" "What if it never grows beyond you?"

I believe like anything God designed, the devil tries to destroy; and the only way I know how to do battle with the devil is on my knees. So I kept praying.

I prayed over the idea and over those I wanted to ask to be in it. I asked those I had shared the idea to pray. Then, I asked those I thought about being in it, to pray before they gave me an answer. 

After praying over it for a few weeks. I knew regardless of my doubts, God was saying to move. So, March 1, 2014 the ministry "Circle of Prayer" began.

Let me tell you, through the years things didn't always go the way I thought they should have. I've wondered why would God even choose me? Why would anyone read what we have to say? Should we even keep going? How will I make this dream a reality?

Just last month, I received and e-mail for one of my heart-friends we started the group with and she said I could share it with you all. 

Hi All, 

These last few months have been busy.... But when is life not busy? I asked you all several months ago to pray for me, for an idea I had. I don't remember if I was specific with you or not but I am over due in sharing with you all.

It started back when we had our small group retreat... A seed was planted, though it was not abundantly clear...a dream was born... I thank you all for your prayers. This dream over the months became clear, I wanted to start a small group for girls here at Campion. The challenges have been many, I've tried a couple avenues in which to start this group, to no avail.  I need a co-leader, though the people I talked to thought it was a great idea they were not able commit the time. Through support from my husband and prayers from all of you, we are launching a pilot group this year!  It gives me good bumps just thinking about the process.

She continued by saying...

This year the Spiritual VP and myself have been praying over names and decided that to pilot this year with one group, we needed to invite 6-8 girls to join.  This morning for the first time... I had good bumps and tears of joy in my eyes to see these girls gather at my house for an hour to kick off our small group.  5 of the eight we invited came the other 3 are still deciding.

Please continue to pray for this year, this group, these girls... That this may be a success.  My big dream is that every student can be in a small group that it would be available starting freshman year with the same group members for all 4 years and the same group leaders for all 4 years.  Imagine! The impact! Doing life together, building authentic faith, learning, knowing God better and building our relationship with each other. Being that safe environment where kids can be honest, vulnerable, and ask questions. Just imagine! 

Again thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray....Please surround us daily in this endeavor.

Photo by Cerys Lowe on Unsplash

What I've come to realize is that when God puts the dream in our hearts, and we seek after Him in prayer HE will be faithful to make it a reality.

So, I'm asking you. 

What dream has He put in your heart and what's He asking you to do about it? 

Take that step towards your God designed dream-and see for yourself if He will be faithful.

Rejoice evermore.Pray without ceasing.In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18(KJV)

~kartini r. maxson

What’s Your Dream?

This month we are praying for the dreams that are God inspired.  Those dreams that He is placing on our hearts.  Do you know the ones that I am talking about? If not, that is okay. Hopefully by the end of the month, you will have your God inspired dream.

In the movie “Tangled” there is a question raised.  “What’s Your Dream?”  That question is significant to all of us.  Do you have a dream?  Maybe it is a dream that has been lying dormant in you for a long time.  Is there a dream that you don’t know where it came from?  Could be God inspired.

Even as children, we had dreams. Maybe it was what you were going to be when you grew up or who you would marry.  Those dreams seem to change and mature as we change and mature.  Some dreams morph into something different then what we first thought. 

What about the God inspired dreams?  Can you recognize the dreams that are God inspired?   Do you know the difference? 

I have dreams.  Some of them are just mine, and some of them are God inspired.  As I was thinking about this month’s prayer blog, I realized that I do have God designed dreams.  There are quite a few, in fact.

One dream, that I feel is God inspired, seems to be always out of my reach. God has been seemingly guiding me towards this dream.  I keep following Him, and His will, and yet the dream still seems out of my reach. 

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

I keep trying to make it a reality by myself, but it seems just a little past my fingertips.  One day after another passes by, and I don’t see how this dream will come true.  It has been a long time, and there are many days that I am frustrated and angry.  My focus is on what more can I do to make this dream a reality.

Maybe I am missing the point that God is trying to show me.  To get to the realization that I must rely on God.  I can be ever ready for it, but continue to keep my focus on Him.  If all I focus on is that dream and why it is not becoming a reality and not focusing on God, then I have lost the point. The point is our journey with God.

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

I dream of getting the books that I have written through the years published.  God has inspired me to use my creative imagination and write the stories that are in my head down.  Yet, something holds me back from putting the books out there to be published.  My fear that no one will want to read them.

The fear is dictating my life. Again, I have lost the focus, or the point that God wants me to have.  If He has inspired or given me this dream, then why do I fear?  God is bigger than any fear.

My prayer is that I will allow God to be…God.  He has given me an amazing life, and yes it has been ugly at times, but there has been beauty.  Through it all my God has been there for me every step of the way.  Why do I think that He is going to stop now?

This month, I pray that each of you reading this blog will know the God designed dreams for you.  I pray that you keep your eyes and hearts and souls so focused on God that He will show you the dreams He has for you, and the strength to do what needs to be done.  I pray for you all.

So, what is your God inspired dream?  Go out and find it and embrace God and step out in faith when He asks you too.  He has got you.  Just remember, we are all in this life together.  Let’s make this life an amazing one where our God inspired dreams come true.

Dear Lord,

I pray for each person who is reading this blog.  Show us Your dreams for us.  Give us the courage and strength to step out in faith where necessary and the courage to be patient when needed.  Help each one of us to keep our focus on You and that our journey with You is our number one priority.

In Jesus’ Name – Amen

Laura Maxson

September Prayer Topic: Taking Steps Toward You God Inspired Dreams

 Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

Listening to the Silence

Sometimes it's hard for me to share with others the things that I think I'm good at. It's that fine line between humility and pride. But, one thing I humbly pride myself in is-my listening skills.

I want to listen to others. I not only want to, but enjoy and appreciate the ability to spend one-on-one time learning and listening to what other people have to say. I love listening to their funny stories, how someone's day was, random facts, struggles they may be going through. Just listening.

But, there's one thing I have a hard time listening to.

It's Silence.

I struuuuuugle with silence. To the point that I have, what my husband has termed, "verbal vomit." When I'm faced with silence in a conversation; I, the one who prefers to do the listening, would rather fill the silence with uncomfortable, awkward talking. During these times, as I'm awkwardly attempting to poorly navigate this one person conversation, I tell myself "Stop talking! Stop Talking!" And yet, the words continue to pour out of my mouth, because I can't handle the silence. It's terrible.

But, when I really think about it, I don't always struggle with silence in conversation. If I'm honest with myself, there are people I'm OK being silent with. The one's I'm completely comfortable with. The one's who know me. The one's who I feel will not judge me.

 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10

There are time in my journey with the Lord and He goes silent, I struggle with that. Times when I'm either waiting to hear Him speak, or have heard him clearly before. I'm listening and waiting. But, for whatever reason He has chosen to be silent. It's really hard place for me to be. 

Many times, even with the Lord, the One who I'm comfortable with, who knows me, who does not judge me, but ultimately loves me; I end up filling His silence with my talking. I try to say what I think He might want to say, I  reason with Him, I even make plans to  move when He hasn't asked me to.

It's hard for me to listen to His silence. But, I believe that if I would just "Be still, and know that HE is God," that in the silence I will learn what He want to say to me. 

A few weeks ago we were at camp meeting and I was listen to Pastor Debleaire Snell. He was preaching about the times in our lives that we feel in the dark. The hard times, the night. One of the things he said resonated deep with me. He said, "God won't leave you in the dark. God will lead you in the dark."

Remembering those word, I feel that is also true with His silence. Though silence may be the "complete absence of sound;" with God, it can be the complete Presence of God.  He is there in the silence when we stop and allow Him to be God in our lives-what ever it may look or sound like. 

"Be still, and know that I AM God."

Psalms 46:10

When we do that, I believe we will hear-and know Him.
Even in the silence.

Photo by Ezra Jeffrey on Unsplash

~kartini r. maxson

I'm Listening?

Closing the garage door behind me, it had been a long week. Not a bad one, but a long one. Walking into the family room, I started telling my husband about my past two days at work. As I continued to share about how exhausted I was, He put down what he was currently doing and began to listen.

I continued on about other subjects, like school things for our son, going over our calendar for the next few weeks, talking about the visit from friends that was coming up. He listen to me, appropriately interjecting into the conversation. But, I definitely did most of the talking. 

Once I felt I had said all I needed to-satisfied, I headed upstairs to take a shower. It felt good to have his undivided attention for those few minutes.

After my shower, I got dressed and headed back downstairs, supper was calling. I was processing through my head what I should make, and what my teenage and husband might want. As I was rummaging through the fridge I asked my husband what he wanted for supper. No answer. So, I continued. I rattled off a list of things in the fridge, then moved on to the pantry and started listing off things in there. 

Then came his answer. "I'm sorry I didn't hear anything you just said. I wasn't listening."

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10

I find myself in these situation with the Lord.

There are times that I've been yearning to hear from Him. Time where I've been so connected and in tune, that when I heard His voice calling, I immediately answered, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." What comes next, is nothing but beautiful and amazing. As I listen, He "tells me great and unsearchable things I did not know."Jeremiah 33:3

Then, there are the times that life is calling me. Calling me in all different directions-mom, wife, daughter, work, church, friends. Listening to all those other things, that when He calls me-calls my name, I don't hear Him. He's there "as at the other times"calling my name. Just waiting for me-waiting for me to stop and listen. 

I don't know if you ever find yourself this situations. Like me, if you do-know there is hope. As with Samuel, He doesn't stop calling out to us after one time. His voice is there, calling out as all the other times. He's wanting to share with us, to talk with us, to tell us great and unsearchable things. 

He's just waiting for us to listen.

~kartini r. maxson

August Prayer Topic: 1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10

Passort to Peru

Things were coming along smoothly for the upcoming mission trip my husband and I were planning to Peru, until about two and a half weeks before our departure.  One of our Indonesian students,  Chrisheline, came to us distraught and upset. She told us, she had passport problems and it didn’t look like she would be able to go on the mission trip.  

Upon further investigation, we found out she currently held an Indonesian Passport, which was expiring within just a few days after we arrived back home from Peru.  Most countries require an expiration date between 6-12 months after departure from said country.  She had applied for a U.S. Passport in January, 2017, plenty of time to process by our March 9, departure date.  Just 11 days before departure Chrisheline received a letter from the passport agency saying that they needed more documents to be able to complete the passport process.

Chrisheline was devastated, she had worked hard and had raised all the funds for the trip.  This was her first mission trip, and she was really looking forward to going.  My husband, working with Chrisheline,  immediately started making phone calls trying to figure out how to get the right documentation to the right place and get her passport processed, in hand, and all in a week  and a half. 

Working with her parents, Chrisheline, and with numerous phone calls,  documents were overnighted to the passport agency.  We started praying.  We gathered as a mission trip team to pray over Chrisheline’s plight.  We had the entire student body praying for her.  Our prayer was for Chrisheline’s passport to arrive before we left so she could join us to Peru.  And let me tell you, God answered our prayers…. just not in the way we asked for.  He always has something better in mind.  It usually takes stepping out in faith and what looks like to some, risky decisions.  

We kept checking with Chrisheline, as she had a tracking number for the passport as it made its way through the mail system.  The day before we were to leave, the passport was in Commerce City in the big mail distribution center.  Chrisheline and her parents went to the mail distribution warehouse to try to pick it up, to no avail.  They wouldn’t release the passport to her.  She was told it would be delivered within the next day or so and she would just have to wait.  We kept praying… 

We had about 45 students and sponsors going on our trip. Because some of the participants had made the decision to go after we had purchased tickets, we had our group split in two.  Ten or so were leaving at 8:00am and routed through Miami, the main group was leaving about 2:00pm the same day and routed through Dallas.  The group traveling through Miami was supposed to land in Cousco, Peru, our destination city a couple hours before the rest of us.  Chrisheline was in the group leaving in the morning, thus not able to wait for the mail to arrive before she left.  

The night before we were to leave, my husband talked to Chrisheline and her parents.  They had a decision to make. Chrisheline could leave as scheduled with her Indonesian passport and hope to get through the boarding check in Miami, and through Customs in Lima, and hope the passport arrived before the later group left; or she could choose to not go on the trip.  My husband put the decision in their hands.  We all continued to pray…

Let me just say, for those of you who may not have experience traveling outside the country, just how scary this decision was.  There was no guarantee Chrisheline would make it out of Miami, normally as you board your flight departing the US, the airline agents check your passport and boarding pass.  So there was a risk of her being sent home once she reached Miami, as she didn’t have a passport that was valid for 6-12 months past the return of her trip.  Then there was the risk, that if she did make it onto the plane leaving Miami, she would not make it through Customs in Lima, and onto her connecting flight to Cousco.  

Chrisheline decided she would try to make it to Peru on her Indonesian passport, and she left with the group leaving at 8:00am.  We continued to pray…

Mean while, we waited at the school for the passport to arrive before we left. It didn’t. We couldn’t wait any longer. So, without her passport in hand,  my husband and I, along with the 35 others traveling on the 2:00pm, through Dallas, took off from Denver and we continued to pray.  

We knew everyone had landed in Miami safely but were in the air when they took off, so did not know if Chrisheline had made the connection or not, until we landed in Dallas.  As my husband turned his phone on in Dallas, a text came through that everyone had boarded the flight to Lima! I teared up, how awesome! We thanked God, and continued to pray….

As we arrived in Lima after an overnight flight from Dallas, we didn’t know if we needed to be looking for Chrisheline to helping her get home, or if we could go onto Cousco. There were a couple sponsors who had international texting plans, and soon word came through; Chrisheline was with the group in Cousco waiting for us to arrive! We all cheered and hugged and shed some tears of joy. But wait, the trip was not over… Chrisheline had to make it home! We thanked God, and continued to pray…

In the mean time, back in Colorado her passport arrived the next day. Chrisheline’s parents picked it up from the school, and sent it through DHL to our contact person in Cousco.

When we were all united together in Peru we found out what had happened. Upon arriving to Peru, one of the group sponsors went through the customs line first and informed the customs agent that he was with a group of students on their way to help out at an orphanage. The sponsor put Chrisheline in the middle of the line, so by the point she got up to the desk to get her passport stamped, the customs agent would hopefully just stamp the passport and move on.  

When Chrisheline got up to the customs counter, the agent asked if she was part of the group on a mission trip, she said she was.  There was a long pause, as the customs agent looked at the passport, looked at her and back at the passport.  Everyone there held their breath. He stamped it and called for the next person. WOW!

As we started our work at the orphanage, we continued to pray for everything to work out and for Chrisheline to have a smooth trip back home.  On Friday we got word that the passport had arrived and our contact person had it in hand.  

But wait, there’s more. Chrisheline couldn’t just take her US passport, with no entry stamp to Peru in it, waltz back through Lima and Dallas then home.  So we continued to pray.  

My husband instructed Chrisheline to use her Indonesian passport to get out of Peru.  We were hopeful they wouldn’t balk at the expiration date coming up in a few days.  We hoped that since she was leaving the country they would stamp the exit stamp and not say anything.  She had her US passport in her bag if she needed it. But, we told her not to have both of them out at the same time, as that would raise questions. We put her in the middle of the line again, and prayed.  The customs agent again looked at her, looked at her passport, I mean really looked at her passport, looked at her, and finally stamped her out of the country.  Praise God! Just  one more hurdle.

When we arrived in Dallas we got in the customs line.  There were no customs agents, everything was computerized for US citizens.  This time we told Chrisheline to use her US passport. She went through, scanned the first page of her passport; the one with her picture and passport number on it. Then, the computer took her picture and printed a black and white mug shot of her along with a print out of her travel information.  We all proceeded to pick up our bags and go through the final check point.  There, the customs agent glance at the first page of her passport, looked at her, and glanced at her print out, and let her through!

Every time I think about Chrisheline, I get goose bumps remembering how Awesome that God had a series of mini miracles set up to create one giant miracle for Chrisheline.  Had she not stepped out in faith God would not have been able to show her and the rest of us what He had planned.  She could have gotten hung up or turned away at any of the many checkpoints and things still would have gotten sorted out. But a seamless entry and exit! WOW GOD! 

I think this experience was for more than just Chrisheline, though she will have a special memory of this for the rest of her life, it was for all of us, including you, who are reading this story.  To remind us that amidst all the chaos, God is still in control, and He cares about the details.

~Honali Marin