Dream In Soul – Creativity for the Kingdom:

Above: An acoustic version of “One Desire” from Kari Jobe’s new album Where I Find You.

“One Desire” Lyrics

Here I am
Just for You, only You
Here I stand
Wanting You, only You

In Your presence Lord
I will find my strength
You’re the breath in me
You’re my everything

With my heart bowed low
And my hands held high
All consuming fire
You’re my one desire

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And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap a harvest, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

What will you do this year to make a leap toward our purpose? I wanted to share this message from my heart and a poem I wrote above entitled “Dreams in Due Season” to encourage you to keep going where ever you are on your journey…

So many of us start out life dreaming in wide-eyed wonder – then life happens and leaves us in a dazed slumber. We face disappointments, discouragement and detours…and we get practical.

We become sleepwalkers, settling for the ordinary because the dreams we had seem too lofty, too out of reach. My journey has been similar; throughout the years I’ve had great visions yet often get lost in loneliness and and weary when the dreams don’t always grow the way I imagined.

I want to encourage you today to arise, shine and bring those dreams back to life. Everyone was born with purpose and no one’s purpose is more important than another’s. There are dreams in your heart that were planted there for a reason to impact the world – we all miss out if you don’t water them.

It’s up to you to nurture them – give them some love and let them grow today. Don’t give up on your purpose…you’ll reap a harvest in due season if you don’t give up!

My dream is to inspire you to realize and pursue the importance of your purpose.

What’s your dream? What vision or passion have you set aside for the more practical and everyday cares of life?

I dare you to nourish the seeds of those dreams, nuture them back to health and bring them to the Light – one step guided by God is like a leap and can take you further and higher than you can go on your own.

Share your aspirations, and the dreams you want to accomplish this year and in the future in the comments, I’d love to hear them!

God bless, and keep dreaming and nurturing the dreams in your heart – Dear Dreamer, the world awaits!

– Julene “Dreamfleur” Fleurmond

Editor of DreaminSoul.com

P.S. Click here to read the story behind this poem and about a dream that has recently begun to come to fruition for me…

by Julene Fleurmond, Editor of DreaminSoul.com

The auditorium was a sea of excited and expectant expressions waiting to see what effect a single day could have on their lives. Soon the room was filled with waves of laughter and streams of tears – sometimes all at once – as Women of Faith’s ONE DAY event in Dallas made an impact.

Hundreds of women shared a bond and a deep sense of God’s love and dreams for their lives as speakers Christine Caine, Andy Andrews and Angie Smith, poured out their stories and faith-filled wisdom into open hearts.

This was the first year for ONE DAY, created in response to women who couldn’t attend the two-day Women of Faith events. ONE DAY had a more intimate atmosphere that allowed the speakers to go deeper and the attendees to get more up close and personal and feel like they are part of a sisterhood that shares their faith and feelings about life.

I’ve been inspired by the ministry of Women of Faith for several years now, but never had chance to attend their live events, (other than last year’s event for teen girls, The Revolve Tour: “Dream On” which was a fun and moving experience).

I was excited to go to ONE DAY, and what made it more personal for me was that it was held at Southern Methodist University where I went to college, in the very same auditorium I graduated in. Three years ago I sat in those seats and walked across that stage in apprehension, wondering what calling God had placed on my life. On Saturday the encouragement from the ONE DAY speakers had an impact on me in ways I couldn’t imagine.

The theme of the event was “In ONE DAY God can change everything,” with Psalm 118:6 as the leading verse:

“I will not be afraid, because the Lord is with me.”

Each speaker had a unique style and broke the ice with humor before delving into more serious and somber parts of their stories, to inspire us to see God’s divine plan in our own lives. I loved their transparency of sharing the not-so-pretty parts of their backgrounds that can help others going through similar situations. Here are a few highlights of what they shared:

“If you’re still here there is more left to life…” – Andy Andrews

Worship leader Jennifer Thigpen opened the day with prayer and song to set the atmosphere and focus of the day. Then Andy Andrews, bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift, took to the stage and the auditorium aisles as a bouncing ball of energy, joking that his adult ADD was kicking in that morning. Laughter rolled through the audience as he wove in and out, sharing his difficult past and wisdom about living purposefully and impacting those around us through intentional choices. His two sessions spread throughout the day were engaging and I along with many of the attendees nodded and scribbled away at our notepads to capture his insights.

”Life is a vapor but the choices we make matter…I want to live a life of purpose – I want my vapor to count…” – Christine Caine

Christine Caine came to stage so personally, like a close friend (if only we each had a friend with an awesome Aussie accent that we could listen to all day). She dove into deep topics like forgiveness as she recounted her story of overcoming a past of abandonment and abuse. Now she is saving the lives of other women exploited in human trafficking through the A21 Campaign. She challenged every woman to take the unpaved path to make a difference in the world, saying, “I think God wants to take us places we never dreamed of by paths we never knew existed.”

“If what you are doing glorifies you, not God, you have misunderstood your calling…” – Angie Smith

Angie Smith’s warm demeanor and transparency was inviting as she recounted her struggles with crippling fear since she was a child and a story of loss. Through heartbreaking trials she realized that God could take the pain in her life to create something beautiful that could bring glory to Him and give hope to others. Tears fell around the room as she asked those who had experienced a similar loss to stand, and instantly hearts were connected and comforted as they realized they were not alone. Afterwards we were left with the truth that where we experience our “greatest life wounding” and hurts, we can also find our calling if we bring our offerings of obedience to the King.

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“Let It Go” is a beautiful and moving song from Mandy Gawley‘s debut album, “Life So Sweet” that inspires us to let go of the hardships in life that we can’t control and to place them in God’s hands:

I can see the weight on your shoulders
I can tell how much pain you feel
And it’s tempting your heart to turn colder
But believe me, in time it can heal

Just keep movin’ on ‘cause the past is gone
And what’s done is done

Let it go, lay it down
Oh there’s no use carryin’
The burden around
Don’t you know?
It’s okay to let it go…

– From the song “Let it Go”

About Mandy Gawley

She began this journey as a wife and mother, living the dream of singing her own life story. Born in Georgia, but having grown up mostly in southern California and having experienced the death of her father when she was only fifteen, Mandy Gawley knows the bitterness of loss and the impact of family.

With the release of her album, “Life So Sweet”, Mandy gives us songs that sweeten even the most poignant of life experiences with a light at the end of every tunnel. She writes from the heart of a wife and mother of two, baring her own experiences to the microphone with the subtle grace that can only come from one who knows…

Find out more about Mandy Gawley on her website www.mandygawley.com…

Check out the latest updates from Dream in Soul’s SOAR Youth & Young Adult section:

Say Yes To Your Purpose For Such a Time As This: Inspiration from Beckah Shae

Beckah Shae shares her testimony of how she grew to know God and embraced her purpose…

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Phil Wickham on Pursuing Purpose and Finding God’s Will

“You are not to young to find out and seek what God wants you to do with your life right now…your voice isn’t too small…” – Phil Wickham

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Artist Snapshots & Music Pick: Level 3:16 – Love

Started as a part of the Impact Movement (a ministry geared toward college students) and now in partnership with Cross Movement Records comes Level 3:16 bringing a fresh, energetic and spiritually uplifting sound…

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Ministry Spotlight: The Dream Girlz Gathering & GLAM Camp Founded by Melinda Watts

Recording artist Melinda Watts, winner of the Gospel Music Channel’s singing competition Gospel Dream, knows firsthand about the power of dreams and the importance of being given the opportunity to grow into one’s purpose. As a former teacher her heart has always been geared toward youth, especially girls who grew up in difficult environments…

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SOAR Interview: Pointers on the Pursuit of Purpose with Life Coach Leslie Denman

Interview by Julene Fleurmond, Editor of DreaminSoul.com and SOAR

Society sometimes sets aside “teenhood” and the early twenties as those fun, carefree years – but what better opportunity to discover who you are and explore what you were made for when you don’t yet have responsibilities like paying rent. Everyone has purpose and we as young people can serve God right where we are, impacting our friends, using our gifts and serving others in our corner of the world. Many leaders throughout history and in the Bible started walking into their purpose in their teen years, so like 1 Timothy 4:12 says:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Leslie Denman is passionate about young people and helping them to find and pursue their purpose while they are young. She is a certified Life Purpose and Teen Empowerment Coach (in other words when it comes to purpose, she knows her stuff;) and the founder of the organization Girls Living Life On Purpose, Inc. based in Dallas, TX. In this Interview Coach Leslie gives pointers on pursuing God and purpose boldly right where you are…