Birthing Your Dreams and Visions By Joyce Meyer

Where there is no vision, the people perish....—Proverbs 29:18 KJV

It is important to have dreams and visions for our lives. Weatrophy without something to reach for. God has created us tohave goals. We need to look beyond where we are.Our dreams and visions are simply hope for a better tomorrow.When God plants a seed of something in our heart, at that pointit is a possibility, but not a "positively". That seed must becared for properly.Quite often the Lord attempts to place something in our heart,and we fail to conceive that He really means what He is saying.We must remember that we cannot get pregnant with a dream or avision unless we are able to conceive. Practically speaking,that refers to our thoughts.We must believe a thing to be possible. We must be able toconceive it in our thoughts. If we do get past the conception,there is still the pregnancy to go through. There is muchplanning and preparation before the birth. Satan doeseverything he can to get us to abort our dreams and visions.God has a vision for your life, and He desires to plant it inyour heart. Don't have a "spiritual abortion." Give birth toall that God has placed within you.Say This: "I will not give up the dreams and visions God has placedwithin my heart. I am determined to see them through to theend.

"The Opinion That Counts
By Richard Roberts

Has someone put you down? Have you been ridiculed or rejected?Slandered or libeled? Counted as a failure even before you'vetried? If so, you're in good company:Critics said that Vince Lombardi had only a minimal amount offootball knowledge, but he led the Green Bay Packers to be thechampions of Super Bowls I and II.Critics told a young Walt Disney, "You have no future as anartist."Critics once told F. W. Woolworth he wasn't competent enough towork behind a store counter.Critics told Martin Luther King Jr. when he was a boy, "You'llnever be a public speaker."Don't listen to the critics. You have Someone who is always foryou-the Lord God Almighty. Read what He says about you:"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am yourGod. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will upholdyou with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)."I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They areplans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and ahope" (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ...I am convincedthat nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't,and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Ourfears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even thepowers of hell can't keep God's love away (Romans 8:31,38 NLT).Don't listen to your critics. Listen to what God says. He isfor you, and His opinion is the one that counts the most!My Declaration of Faith for TodayI turn away from my critics and look to the Lord, who says, "Iam the Lord, your God...Do not fear; I will help you" (Isaiah41:13 NIV).