Dare to Dream

I had to share this because I just get so excited at the possibilities in life!  For so many years I was afraid to dream.  I was afraid to get my hopes up for them to just be dashed again and again.  For years the scripture in Proverbs that says "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick," was my life mantra!  It wasn't until I really looked at that fear head on and decided to deal with it, that I truly realized change was imminent!   So for nearly 7 years now, I have been diligent in persuading my heart of not only God's promises, but also the proper placement of my hope in those promises! 

Proper placement of our hopes and dreams begin with partnering with God!  He should be our "hope / dream keeper!"  I used to place hope in things or people, however that is when my hopes and dreams had a negative impact in my heart, which continued a cyclic chaos, that brought forth an "I give up" result!  

When I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired, I made a decision!  I said, God, my Bible says I was not designed to live this way, and although my experience has contradicted what Your Word tells me, I'm choosing to believe You, over me and God, you need to show me how to make this journey with You!  This brought on an extraordinary journey of doing things afraid and believing God that good would come from the brokenness of my heart!  There were a lot of broken places in there that needed God's redemption and restoration!  As God and I have made the journey together, and I've invested His word in my heart, and talked with Him about my fears, and crying my eyes out more times than I can count, as well as surrounding myself with a plethura of leaders, teachers, mentors, etc., that can encourage me, I can say, my heart is well in this area now!  I want to keep it well so I keep investing in myself to not only maintain it, but to also expand my heart and dream bigger! 

Listen, God often leads us by the desires of our heart and the desires I have welled up in there, need my partner, God!  He is my hope keeper!  He is my dream keeper!  If you are depending on people to make your dream happen, change your way of thinking!  Depend on God to make it happen and He'll bring the right people to accomplish His dream for you!!!  You know when you follow God, it's His dream for your life!  Looks a little differently when you begin to see it that way, doesn't it? 

One of the dreams I believe God has for me is to travel!  I want to do huge concerts and have inspiring conferences that infuse people with possibility!  I want them to dare to dream and dare to hope, but trusting in the right ONE to make the dreams and hopes possible!  Not everyone will understand why you dream what you dream!  The right people will however!

The other night I was outside in parking lot of the church I attend.  My pastor had just taught and in his teaching he shared about a pastor in South Africa believing God for a larger home.  At the time he lived with his wife and child in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment.  When people would come over he would say "this is my master suite, this is the guest bedroom, this is my office, etc."  He literally would just be turning around in one place, pointing at areas in this tiny apartment. A few years later, someone built this huge home for him and his family!  So as my friend Michele and I were talking about this, I pointed to the parking lot and said, "Michele, look at my huge tour bus!  It's everything I wanted.  It's black with big silver swirls (I love black and silver) and shiny wheels.  The master suite is mine, but there are plenty of bunks for all of us.  We can all switch the master suite every week so we all can enjoy it!  Oh, you'll have to deal with my dogs too.  The dogs go with me on the road!  See the big TDahl written on the side there?  Well, Michele, let's get on the bus, its time to ride!"  Just as I finished speaking that, no joke, a big tour bus that was black with silver swirls passes right by the church!  I flipped out and started jumping up and down and screaming with this hope that exploded in my heart!!  The bus missed its stop because it didn't turn around and pick us up, but hey, the fact is, I saw a glimpse of the dream and it made my heart soar with excitement!!! 

So can I just encourage you to get on board with God and dream big!!!  HOPE HUGE!!!  The possibilities are limitless with God!!!

TDahl

Leading By Example

I will preface this blog with a sincere thank you to those who speak into my life!  Your leadership and guidance has been and continues to be priceless in my life. 

Those who know me pretty well, know that leadership is something I study, read about, attend workshops on, etc., because God created me to be a leader.  Hindsight is 20/20 and I can honestly say that I was born a leader!  I didn't recognize that as a young girl.  I just knew that somehow I influenced others in both good and bad ways.  As a teenager, my friend's parents even recognized that my influence was very strong and tried to keep their children away from me at times.  Lets just say I was not the most compliant individual when it came to authority!  I was never afraid to stand alone when I was standing up for something that was right.  Guess what?  That still hasn't changed, when it comes to standing up for something that is right!   

When I re-committed my life to Jesus on August 17th, 1994 I began learning about godly leadership through the guidance of Dad and Mom Heisey.  I lived with them during my pregnancy and until Mikayla was about 6 months old.  Dad was the leader of their home and he exhibited a godly example in both love and truth!  He was not afraid to confront things, yet he still made you feel loved in the process.  I remember watching Dad study his Bible every morning for a few hours before his day started.  I would sometimes sleep in his office (there was a bed in there) just so I could wake up to the light that was on his desk shining to illuminate his Bible and notebook.  I watched him intently.  He knew I would wake up at about 5:00 (even though I had been awake watching him for about an hour and he didn't know it), so about 5 minutes before, he would stop his studying and go to the kitchen and make me a cup of coffee.  He would set it next to the bed and go back to his studying.  I would awake (lol) and sit and drink my coffee and talk with him about what he was studying.  Can I just say his influence with actions was, and still is, so powerful in my life.  Dad's leadership, coupled with his servant's heart has influenced my life so much!

I began to study leadership.  I even completed a 2 year internship with my former pastor and then was formally ordained as a minister in 1998.  I was in leadership at my church and served them for 6 out of the 8 years I attended there.  I started a non-profit ministry and began to minister to women in the adult entertainment industry.  I preached on Monday nights at my church for a period of time as well.  It was in my heart to lead people.  I didn't just want to lead people, I wanted to be an effective leader!  That meant living what I was learning, and for sure living what I was teaching!!  I'm far from perfect, and I make a lot of mistakes - however I have set strong boundaries for myself and I continue to evaluate those boundaries as I learn more and more about leading people.  

Recently, I had a conversation with a few individuals and I was livid as to what they were sharing with me regarding leadership issues.  I had to really watch my tongue and harness it with great care.  I've been meditating on the things they've shared and thus prompted my blog. 

I think there is a deception that is running rampant within the body of Christ.  The body of Christ is beginning to look like the world!  They have tried to fit in to draw people, rather than stand out and have people say "I want what you have."  If you say anything, then you are accused of being judgmental.  I accept people as they are, but I can tell you, they would not be placed in a position of leadership if there wasn't a higher standard operating in their personal lives.  If someone in a position of leadership has a failure, then they should be removed so they can be restored.  It's setting a boundary, and placing that person's healing above everything else, as well as protecting those they are influencing!  It's addressing issues head on, as uncomfortable as that may be - it's the responsible thing to do!

There were many conversations I had with Dad Heisey over the course of my time in his home.  There were conversations of correction, advice, affirmation, physical hugs and I love you's!  There were times he stood up to protect me when others had differing opinions.  There were times he sat me down and declared boundaries in his home!  His leadership was and still is priceless in my life!!  It's the reason I choose the mentors I do, in my own life! 

Let me tell you first hand - I DO NOT HAVE "YES" PEOPLE IN MY LIFE!  The people I've chosen to surround myself with and given them the authority to speak into my life, are those who are not afraid to communicate the truth with me and be completely authentic in that communication.  The people in my life do not have to walk on eggshells with me!  I feel this is very important for growth - both personally as well as in leading others!

There is another area in which I feel is incredibly important!  Making big decisions!  Decisions affect others!  When you have decisions to make that have the potential to impact a great deal of people, I follow the advice I received from a very wise man.  He said, "Tammy, whether you're married, or running a business, follow this rule of thumb...if you have to make a high impact decision, consult with others who have, A. made the decision in the past and can advise you of the high's and low's, and B.  No matter what, don't make the decision until your spouse, or board, or core (whatever you want to call them) are totally on board and in agreement - with absolutely no arm twisting or persuasion from you."  Can I tell you that piece of advice has saved me from making so many bad decisions.  I can also tell you that I've ignored that advice and have had to reap consequences of those decisions and it hasn't been fun!

Leadership is a responsibility I feel many don't take seriously enough.  That's my personal opinion of course.  There are so many areas in which, I personally want to become a better leader!  I will continue to study, grow, and learn in this area!  I will continue to lead by example and hopefully influence others to do the same!  When I fail, I know I've surrounded myself with wise, experienced individuals that will stretch out their hand to help me up, brush off the dust, and help me begin again - a wiser, more experienced individual myself!

TDahl