Dream In Soul – Creativity for the Kingdom:

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

I wanted to share some light for your day from my inspirational devotional series from Christ for the Nations…

Life would look so much different if we did everything in and for Love. I’ve been thinking about this lately – if we didn’t care so much what people thought we’d be free. In fact we’re already free because we’re really living for an audience of One – His opinion is the one that matters most.

What we do for God isn’t done in fear, intimidation, obligation or trying to impress or gain love, affirmation or awards – God Himself is the greatest reward & blessing we could ever receive. Living out our purpose and dreams comes out of a love for God and people, a passion God gives us & desire to change people’s lives to allow them to flourish because of the light we’re given to share…

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31. As God’s children, we’re called to do all things in excellence – both in exercising our gifts and in doing what we may see as menial tasks like cleaning the bathroom at home or church. I spent a year interning at my church and this was one of the biggest lessons we learned as we cleaned windows – how every task and person matters to the Kingdom because we all work together for a greater Dream.

Steven Curtis Chapman has a great song “Do Everything” that would fit perfectly playing in the background as you read this;). What if everything we did mattered to God, not just the big, “important things”? What if we viewed every part of our day as an opportunity to give our best in worship and love to Him, our “utmost for His highest,” as Oswald Chambers says in one of my favorite devotional books.

The next time you’re serving others or even scrubbing the bathtub, remember to do it for the glory of God who loves us and who deserves our best at all times. He’s given us blessings beyond imagine –the very breath we take for granted and the life we live is a gift from Him and an opportunity to serve Him in the big, the small, the ordinary and the seemingly trivial. Invite God into your day and do life with the Giver of life, the greatest Lover of all, in everything you do. -Julene Fleurmond, CFNI Devotionals

A post shared by Julene Fleurmond DreamNetwork (@daredreamernet) on Sep 14, 2017 at 7:59pm PDT

I was walking on campus and stopped by this refreshing fountain – the sound is so calming & soothing. Ummm… can you imagine how relaxing it would be to walk in the cool of the day in the Garden with God and our family showered with His love before there were so many tempting distractions and shiny objects (like that dang fruit) that are never as great as they seem…we get tripped up in the shallow when we could scuba dive into the deep. Like C.S. Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.”

Whoa – when I let my imagination run wild✨ He takes me to a place in Him that we don’t have to wait for Heaven to experience – so overflowing with joy, peace, wonder and adventure. So fulfilling, like a (legal :D) high you never come down from… Everything God created that I’m drawn to might reflect Him but will never fully satisfy the thirst of my soul – so why not go to the source of it all, the Master Artist, the Living Water. I want to want the Gift Giver more than the gift the Ultimate Dreamer more than the dream. If the fall happened when we took our eyes off of Him our greatest success & rise is in our undivided devotion. Let’s go deep – be covered by the stream of God who is so real!

Man, if we only knew how rich God is and how everything else doesn’t even compare. The only way we can really love others created in His image is to know His love, so deep, so wide – so let’s go, let’s seek deeper with all we’ve got…if you don’t know where to start dive into His living Word the Bible and learn what our Father is like! Painting at the bottom from the Flourish Conference a while back all about jumping into the waterfalls and deepness of God –

“You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine… Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now…” From Hillsong’s Oceans

A post shared by Julene Fleurmond DreamNetwork (@daredreamernet) on Sep 26, 2017 at 7:45pm PDT

Community, love, relationships & family are some of the greatest gifts in life! My friend Sarah has a great series on her site WorkinProgressBlog.co on the power and many benefits of community. I was happy to share part of my story and passion in the series – go check it out!

God used a dry, long lonely time in my life to draw me into deeper intimacy with Him, discovering His heart and love for myself and for other people. The wilderness is where we develop a deep love for God and people if we allow it to! That deep ache of loneliness was filled by God’s presence and my dependence on Him to satisfy my desires. I discovered how He longed for His people to get to know Him better and to hear His voice. He also desired for us to love one another and to see each other as missing pieces of the puzzle pieces of His heart – if one person was missing then the picture of His family and even of His image would be incomplete. I believe our unity as His body is one of God’s biggest dreams! In our unity we will display His love and glory to the world.

We’re relational beings and are made to be together, growing in unity and in God’s heart. Family and fellowship was God’s original design and intention for us ever since the Garden of Eden when He said it was not good for man to be alone. As God’s people we can reflect His heart by gathering together and showing the world what true community is. I’m so grateful for the family and purpose partners God has placed in my life. Iron sharpens iron and we are so much better together! ⚔ Even disagreements can shape us – diamonds shape diamonds when they collide and we can learn about the different facets of our enormous, beautiful indescribable God in eachother! Let’s grow in love and community – the more we interact the more we shape eachother and are refined to look more like Love!

A post shared by Julene Fleurmond DreamNetwork (@daredreamernet) on Aug 14, 2017 at 8:56pm PDT

“I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as We are one— I in them and You in Me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” – Jesus’ prayer (in John 17:22-23)

No matter what society says, no matter what we see in the news God’s children are one in Christ. No matter the color of our skin we are sisters and brothers, made in God’s love for a purpose – we’re better together as His family. God’s love is unconditional and with our different races and colors we show His creativity and intent for this world – we’re His masterpiece! Let’s live at peace and appreciate one another and stand up against darkness that has tried to divide and set us against each other since the beginning and throughout history.

Shout out to my friend and brother Joo Chan who I met at Christ for the Nations while we were taking vocal lessons – I’m so inspired by him! He’s a passionate singer with a heart for God and people and just dropped his first EP “Process”, woooo! Check out his page Joochan.com and be inspired by his amazing sound and words. He came to the U.S. from Korea and went to Israel for the summer and played and ministered to people and is a true example of breaking barriers of culture to reach his fellow sisters and brothers. Keep on sharing your gifts and heart Joo Chan! Love you bro (and thanks for taking time to play at our video shoot. Thanks also Cordell Franklin for your amazing heart and gift in cinematography)!

Love has already won and we are His warriors who battle from His victory against both spiritual darkness and groups who are lost in bondage & inexcusable mindsets. We stand up against hate and fight for love by taking action and being the change we want to see – sometimes that’s in sharing your gifts, having conversations with people who are different, creating movements and activism, speaking up through whatever platform you have, and coming together to strategize how we can stop history from repeating itself.

Let’s show the world what real unity is by serving our neighborhoods and uniting in making a difference. None of us have all the answers but together with God’s wisdom we are the answer – no matter what we are one. 1️⃣- Juene Fleurmond, Editor of DreaminSoul.com