5 Tips to Receiving and Remembering Your Dreams

I often hear people say, “I don’t dream.” 

My response is, “You do, but you just don’t remember.” 

That is typical. There can be many reasons why you don't remember. Sometimes, I struggle at times to remember my dreams. However, you can prepare to receive dreams and to record them in the morning. Don't let the excuse that you never remember your dreams stop you from trying these five tips.

1. Pray before you go to bed and expect that you’re going to receive and remember. If you ask God for a fish, is He going to give you a snake? (Luke 11:11) 
2. Have a consistent bedtime schedule.
3. Clean your filter. What are you watching/reading before you go to bed? Try to reflect on the day, unclog your filters by quieting yourself before God and submitting all your thoughts and actions for the day to Him. Repent if you need to.
4. Put a pen and paper or journal on your nightstand as an act of faith.
5. Try to wake up without an alarm.When I am jolted out of bed by an alarm, I am awake and there is no residue of the sleepy-dream-like state. Though if God can bring back to your memory your dreams during the day. Usually something will trigger you to remember. When I wake up without an alarm, I can wake up slowly while trying to recall what I dreamed.

If you still can’t remember your dreams, ask the Lord why. Be honest with yourself, too. Are you preparing before bedtime? Could it be medication or food that is hindering your dream life? Ask the Lord to show you what you can change. 

Also, it's ok if you don't remember the whole dream. Write down what you do remember - even if it was something simple like getting your hair cut. In addition, write down what you were feeling when you woke up. Try to write down something everyday. Trust God. He is faithful. He will speak to you in the night.

Does anyone else have other tips on how to receive and remember dreams?

God is Restoring Childhood Dreams

When you were a child, what were some of the things you wanted to be when you grew up? A singer, a doctor, a writer or maybe even an artist?

I am being very serious about this. A lot of times we laugh about the silly things we dreamed about as a child, but the reality is is that those dreams are probably more true  to who we are called to be than what we could dream up today. As adults we have lost touch with child-likeness. We have gotten caught up in responsibility, bills, and work. I'm not saying be immature again, but dream like a little child again. Let yourself float away in the awesome awe and wonder of God. When you do, nothing will seem impossible to accomplish with Him at your side!

Growing Up

Somewhere along the path of growing up I fed into lies of what was really feasible to me. I made decisions based on fear. I remember thinking, what if people don’t like my singing? I guess I won’t do that. Someone told me I had to go to school forever if I wanted to be a doctor, it was really hard, and I’d have a lot of loans afterward. Again, fear steered me straight off that path.

In fourth grade, I decided I wanted to write children’s books. Who better to write children’s books then a 10-year-old. So I wrote a story about the tooth fairy and even illustrated it. Then I went and asked my teacher, Ms. Jokela, if I could put it in the school library. She said, “No, but you can put it in our classroom library.” That was good enough for me so I did. I don’t know that anyone read it, but then I soon heard that is was very difficult to get published and that writing books was hard. So I decided I wouldn’t try that either.

I bring all this up as examples of how lies in my childhood robbed me of what could have been mine. Now 20 years later, I feel like the Lord is restoring so many things that I had forgotten about. Prayers that I know I prayed when I was little are being fulfilled now.

Today's Dreams
In the last year-and-a-half, the Lord has been reminding me of all my childhood dreams, and He's even restoring them to me! For example, I've been playing the piano, painting and writing. Those things have always spoke to me as being unproductive. Then one day the Lord said in response to the piano playing, "Well, what if you play the piano as an act of worship to me? Then is it productive?" I was stunned, and it totally changed my perspective.  "Ummm, Yes, Lord I'll play for you." I said without another thought of why I shouldn't do that.

When I was a little girl my parents used to take my sisters and I to Heritage USA in Fort Mill, SC (Jim and Tammy Bakker's Christian theme park/resort). My mom said that I wanted to go there rather than Disney World. I don't remember, but I think I said a little prayer in my heart that I wanted to work there someday. Well, 20 plus years went by, the park shut down, life happened and now there is a new ministry inside the old Heritage Grand Hotel. I happened to get a job there 8 months ago when my husband and I moved. So everyday I walk down the halls and have such fond memories. I still can't believe I work there and my office is on Main Street inside the hotel!

In addition, I've been writing a lot. As many of you know, I just released a short ebook called "Close Your Eyes Dream." I'm also writing some children's fiction which has been my dream since 4th grade - though I'd totally forgotten!

Restoring Dreams
I believe the Lord is restoring dreams right now in my life and I believe He wants to do it in yours. It's the only way to walk out our destiny by remembering and moving forward in our call. I know I'm called to write and I love it. I've always been a writer, worked as one being somebody else's voice in my career. Now I have my own voice and I'm not totally sure what that all looks like, but I'm excited. The sky is the limit. The opportunities are endless with the Lord and I'm enjoying dreaming in this season with Him - or should I say Him reminding me of my childhood dreams and then giving them back to me.

What are some of your childhood dreams? I believe God wants to restore them to you! In fact, when I've shared this testimony several folks have said something stirred in them as well. They remembered their dreams. If that's you, let me know!

Rumblings, Shakings - Getting in Position for a Massive Move of God

Last night I had a dream that was profound. 

People were saying, "Get ready it's coming." I had no clue what "it" was, but I knew it was God. So I got in position - down on my knees with my hands over my head. There was so much great expectation, excitement and terror because of the magnitude of what was coming. As soon as I got in position, the shakings and rumblings came. I can't even explain it or what happened next. (It was all in the spirit and that can be hard to explain sometimes in this realm.) Some folks were still standing up and had no clue what was going on because it couldn't be seen in the natural. I really wish there was one word to describe the emotion I was feeling, but I really have no other way to describe it but it was like excitement, terror, expectation, and massiveness. In all this, I still wanted "it" to come.  I believe "it" was the Lord. Though I had no clue in what form that would be.

I found that there are many examples of the Lord showing up in such magnitude that it's "terrifying."
He shows up on the scene with nostrils flaring and lightening and thunder as mentioned in Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22. You may remember in Revelation 1, John fell down as of dead when he met the Lord. Daniel sees a vision in Daniel 10. The folks around him don't see it, but "such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid."

Crazily enough, I woke up to thunderstorms. I excitedly poked my husband and said, "It's storming. Do you hear it?" It's like I was still in the dream. Odd that I was dreaming about rumblings and woke up to thunder. Some would say I was dreaming that because of what I was actually hearing, but I think the rumbling was actually a confirmation of what is going on the spirit and a confirmation of what my dream means. 

I believe there is a move of God coming. Call it Revival. Call it Awakening. Call it Harvest time. I believe and sense something big and possibly even "terrifying" is about to break forth in the body of Christ.

Two weeks ago I had a dream about a tidal wave sweeping through a big city. A tidal wave is pretty terrifying to me, though in this dream I experienced it as the greatest thrill ride. I blogged about it - The Ultimate Thrilling Ride of the Spirit.  I believe today's dream is about a move of the spirit as well. This morning I found this blog post, There's a Tidal Wave of Revival on the Horizon by Jennifer Miskov, a revival historian. It really confirmed what I had been sensing. 

In addition, Prophet Bob Jones' recent passing leads me to believe we have started the 1 billion soul harvest. The Lord told him in 1975, when he died and went to heaven, that he was coming back to earth and would see the beginning of the 1 billion soul harvest of youth before he died the second time. He died last Friday, February 14, 2014.

Two days before his death was the biggest snow storm to hit the Charlotte area in the last decade; followed by a 60 degree day; and on the day of his death, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake. I think it's all manifestations of the rumbling going on in the spirit.

At our church, folks are also having dreams about tidal waves, thunder and lightning in the sanctuary, etc. There is great expectation for a move of God. You can feel the electricity and the spiritual activity is really ramping up. My friend who lives there says she can hardly sleep at night because of all of the angel chatter that she keeps hearing.

I will also say there was recently 40 days of prayer and fasting and last month we started 90 days of prayer and worship at our church. Our pastor has been preaching on love and fellowship. I think these are all necessary for revival to break out. (Of course, these are just the most recent things and not an exhaustive list.)

 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1

They were all with ONE accord as they PRAYED and also IN ONE PLACE when the power of God came. Unity of heart, and even the gathering in one place, were important for the thousands of souls that were brought into the kingdom that day. That sounds like REVIVAL to me!

This Friday, Feb. 21, there will be a memorial service for Bob Jones at our church. I know that there are going to be people from all over the world there and many great prophetic leaders. I would't be surprised if lightning and thunder showed up in the sanctuary. I wouldn't be surprised if a move of God started during the service. Bob Jones was known for his love for God, love for people and his supernatural gifting and encounters with God. How fitting that he died on Valentine's day (and my birthday if I might add.) I think Bob Jone's death is even a prophetic word to the church. I wouldn't be surprised if this next move of God was a love wave.

In the meantime, I'm getting in position and waiting with great expectation!

What about you? Have you had any significant dreams that lead you to believe that the body of Christ is about to see a great move of God?

Last Night I Had A Dream eBook Released

I’ve always been a dreamer. When I was a little girl, I would tell my mom about my dreams every morning while eating breakfast. I’d always start off with, “Last night I had a dream …”

After I was finished, my mom would laugh because they were silly. Then, she’d say, “You have such a vivid imagination.”

I knew the biblical stories of men and women receiving communication from God through dreams, but it never occurred to me that God could speak to me through dreams. Now, I know it’s true, as I have many dreams that have given me direction, encouragement, warning, healing and even a few laughs. Yes, some of my dreams are still as crazy as ever!

I do not consider myself an expert in dreams or even someone who interprets them. I’m just someone who dreams a lot and talks to God about them all. However, I do believe that I can guide any dreamer as they talk to God about their dreams. He’s the one who holds the interpretation, according to Genesis 40:8. Plus, it helps the dreamer to learn how to hear from God for themselves.

Sometimes, I wake up and know exactly what my dream means. Other days, I ponder it all day, and occasionally, I have a dream that stumps me. I file those dreams away and believe that God will remind me when it’s time. It’s like being a little kid who puts together puzzles every day, except it’s more than that. These puzzles can bring meaning to your life if you are willing to search them out.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2 NAS

I feel that many people miss out on dream communication with God because they are too busy to pay attention to their dreams, or worse, they don’t believe that God speaks through them. So, I wrote a short and to-the-point eBook called "Last Night I Had a Dream" for two reasons:

1. To show the importance of dreams as a way in which God pursues us and communicates to us

2. To teach others how to talk to God about their dreams and receive understanding from Him

As you read this eBook, I believe you will begin to see biblical foundation and importance for dreaming. It will increase your faith to receive dreams from God and the confidence to interpret with the Holy Spirit as your guide. You’ll see that God is pursuing you all the time, even in your sleep. It is an expression of His love toward you!

Purchase your copy of Last Night I Had A Dream today!

Don't forget to check out my other eBook, "Life on the Fringe."

Pieces of the Puzzle

There we were; getting ready for a road trip; the cool air of the wee early morning. The sun was still a long way from its appearing in the sky. As we walked out the front door, bags in hand, I felt the excitement of the open road. I threw my bags in the back seat as Bill loaded the trunk. As I'm going over the checklist in my mind, I hear Bill rambling on something about Peter and Luke 24. Just as he says one of his famous one liners, I looked over my shoulder and asked him to repeat what he just said. 

He paused for a moment, as if to ask himself if he was thinking out loud again, and said," I don't know. What did I just say?" 

I say, "It was something about Peter. Yeah! Luke 24" 

And that's all we could remember. In that moment Bill reminded me of my grandfather. He always seemed to have this ongoing talk within himself. Some of the things that I would overhear him say, while most of the time were hilarious, often had a profound affect on my life and how I viewed the world around me. 

Bill and I walked down the road in front of the house for a while thinking about Peter and that chapter in the book of Luke. 

Were not our hearts burning within us ... Luke 24:32

Then I woke up! 

It was a dream. Yeah, Bill Johnson and I were going on a road trip. While I've met other great preachers in my dreams, this one had great significance as Bill is one of the most influential in my life. Over the last few years, I've meet Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, Justin Abraham, Ian Clayton, Julie Meyer, James Goll, Joshua Mills, and a few others in my dreams. I plan to write about these meetings. I am realizing that all these dreams are pieces of a puzzle that fit together to make a big picture. 

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2 

As we know, God often talks in riddles and dark sayings, and He does this to broaden our understanding of how He speaks and who He is. I want to write about all these dreams and experiences over the next few months to give you a better understanding of how to put together and interpret the messages God gives us and what they mean in our lives. I'm beginning to understand that through all the ups and downs in our walk with Jesus that He is always speaking. We may get a word here and a verse there. We may have an occasional dream or what seems to be a piece of a vision or a passing thought. These are often small pieces to a much bigger puzzle that God is always putting together. And suddenly a season comes where seemingly all of the cosmic tumblers fall right into place and you find yourself under a torrent of information that God is downloading into your brain. Its like for a day or so the windows of heaven open to bring clarity to all of the pieces that you have been accumulating over the past few weeks, months or sometimes years. I call it ,"riding the wave." 

At the beginning of Rick Joyner's book, "The Final Quest," he states that the book is written from a series of dreams and experiences that he had over a period of time. This happens with a lot of prophetic people, and I believe it happens in a lot of lives more than we know. It is my goal in this series of blog postings to help bring understanding to how this process takes place. I want to take you on a journey that I believe at times will be very transparent, but very necessary for my growth and those in the body that God will speak to in this way. I know as some of you read this God will begin to speak to you in this way, if He is not already. I should say that He is already speaking to you in this way, and that now is the time to get understanding. 

- Nathan

Healing In a Dream, In a Song and In a Vision

In three months I'll be Mrs. Bingle.

If you've ever planned a wedding you know there is a lot to do. There is preparation in the natural and spiritual. I want to be ready for both.

One thing that I have been asking of God is that I would be clean from all past relationships. I don't want to take anything to my marriage bed that isn't pure, and I want to fully give myself to the one I'm pledging myself to. Let me tell you this has been a process for at least three years now. I thought this process was over, until I had a dream several days ago.

I dreamed I was married to another man, one that I used to have a huge crush on from seventh grade till forever. We lived in a messy house with lots of animals. We also lived in a second house that my father lived in. Every day I would come home from work to a disgusting house and no matter how hard I tried to clean it never got clean.

When I woke up I thought, OK how are these two men linked in my life? I got no response that I could hear. Later that day I was riding in the car with my fiance to our friend's house for a pancake dinner. (By the way, it was yummy!) I thought of the dream and asked God, "What is the link between these two men?"

I heard, "rejection." I thought, "I"m not rejected. No, not me." It was then that I felt the emotion of rejection. I engaged it and realized that is was deep, then the tears came and the sobbing followed. Nathan was like, "What is going on?"

I told him about the dream and about what I heard the Lord say and asked him to pray. He felt we should worship. When he said that I saw my friend in her "piano" room singing over me while I laid on the floor.

When I got to her house I asked her if she would sing over me just like I saw in the vision. She was more than happy to do that. So I assumed the position and laid on the floor, while she sang a song that she had written about her and Jesus called, "Beloved."

As she began to sing I began to cry and snot all over myself and her carpet, but I didn't care. It was then that I saw a vision of myself with a brown box. I was taking the box to the foot of the cross. I went to leave it there and the Lord said to me, "Wait, open it."

I did not want to do that, because I knew it was a box of bottled up pain that I didn't want anything to do with. I opened it anyways, after He prodded me. A white bird flew out. I felt the Lord say that He didn't throw things away when they were broken, He fixed them and made them new. He'd given me freedom from my wounds. He'd made me new!

It was then that my friend stopped playing and asked if I was O.K. She then leaned over to her bookshelf and handed me a brown box. I almost fell out. It was just like the box I had seen moments ago in the vision, which she knew nothing about. I asked her what was in the box and she said she didn't remember. But that whatever it was, it was good. So I opened it.

Inside was a little angel pin and a white piece of paper with two verses.

That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. (Isaiah 43:4)

I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love! (Jeremiah 31:3)

It was exactly what I needed! His love!

I felt like the Lord told me I would never cry over this wound again, because he had healed me and made me whole with His love!

I"m always so amazed at the wonder of God.

Now it's easy to read this and go, "Wow, she must really be spiritual." The truth is, I'm no more spiritual than anybody else who loves Jesus and is seeking after Him. I was just desperate to hear His voice, get healed and walk in peace. I believed that He loved me enough to answer me and He will do the same for you! Just ask, wait and engage Him. He'll give you His love!

I Like What I See! I'm Getting Married!

This past week I got engaged!

Yup, Nathan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I said yes!

He's very smart. He killed three birds with one stone or I should say ring: Valentine's Day, my birthday (which is on V-day) and our engagement.

I'd like to say that God gave me a dream confirming this, but He didn't. He gave lots of wedding dreams when I dated other men. The funny thing is I never saw the face of the groom in any of the dreams, and I was extremely worried that I was marrying the wrong person.

Looking back on these dreams, I think the Lord was showing me my hesitation in getting married to whoever I was dating at the time. (Which is a good thing.)

I have not had those dreams while dating Nathan. In fact I haven't any dreams about weddings in the last two years of dating. To be honest, not having a wedding dream with Nathan in it speaks volumes to me. And the cool thing is, I didn't need a dream to begin with.

I have had many conversations about my relationship with Nathan to the Lord. I don't think marriage is something anyone should take lightly. I have prayed, fasted and given close friends access to speak into my life about this relationship. I am so thankful for their support, friendship and council. It has made a world of difference!

In October of 2009, I went to the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. It's a 24/7 prayer room, and it is awesome! I sat and typed for a few hours and came up with five pages of conversation between me and God! Yes five pages!

I asked Him who He would give me away to. He said that He would give me away to a man that chases after His heart! He also gave me specific instructions about how to choose a man. He said, "Do not look at titles or resumes. That's what man looks at. Look at the heart."

Immediately I went to my Bible searching for confirmation. Did God really say that? Yes he did! The Lord advised Samuel when he was about to anoint Eliab as king.

But GOD told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Then Samuel anointed David, the runt.

Looks and stature can deceive us. It sounds like an easy no-brainer, but when you're searching for answers, it isn't always that clear. It can be hard to dismiss what the world says about choosing a mate.

I also asked the Lord what my life would look like if I chose Nathan. He was honest and real with me. What he showed me was so cool. (which I'm not going to share yet.) I love mine and Nathan's destinies together! God has some big plans and I'm want to step into those with Nathan.

It's good to mention that marriage is a choice. The Lord didn't tell me to marry Nathan, but He did show me what my life would be like with Nathan if I chose him, giving me the choice.

I like what I see!

I'm getting married!

Four-Year-Old Brings Peace Through a Dream

This is kind of part two of my first post "Dreaming Kids." Erin Kinzel, co-worker, social media guru and blogger extraordinaire, graciously typed out this story of comfort through her daughter's dream. Enjoy!

After a whirlwind week that included a positive pregnancy test, a miscarriage, and an unexpected trip to the hospital to deal with what had been an ectopic pregnancy, I was lying in bed with my four-year-old daughter on a Sunday morning. My husband was sick the night before and had slept on the couch, so Kaitlyn had spent the night with me. Kaitlyn often will tell me about her dreams, and we talk about how good dreams come from Jesus and bad dreams come from Satan. (That’s a bit simplistic, but it’s just enough for her four-year-old brain to handle.) On this particular morning she woke up and excitedly told me that she’d had a dream. She said, “Mommy! I had a dream about an egg. I was holding the egg, and it had a baby in it, and there was a feather in it, but the baby didn’t hatch.” She got a little sad at the end when she said the baby didn’t hatch, but she quickly moved on to another subject.

I was shocked – we hadn’t told her anything about the events of the week. She didn’t know about the positive pregnancy test, or the miscarriage, or my trip to the hospital. All she knew is that mommy wasn’t feeling good and it resulted in an unexpected overnight trip for her to Grandma and Grandpa’s, complete with brand new pajamas and a new outfit, and pancakes for breakfast. Even if she did pick up on some conversations about what had happened, I doubt that she could understand it enough to concoct her dream out of her own imagination.

For me, her dream was a hug of reassurance from the Holy Spirit, our Comforter. This baby did not “hatch,” but the feather symbolized that it was still cared for, and that I am cared for. I didn’t have a lot of emotion about the loss of the baby because we hadn’t known for very long, but I did have my moments of grief and Kaitlyn’s dream was a message from God that brought me peace in these moments.

Dreaming Kids

As many of you know, little kids can say some of the most profound and sometimes the most comforting things. The wild thing is it's always so simple. Go figure.

Here's a recent story that a co-worker shared with me. I've changed the names in this story.

Earlier this week, a co-worker of mine was sharing with me a dream her granddaughter had. In the dream the five-year-old girl, Millie, was having fun playing with her Papa Smith. When she woke up, she told her grandma that she had fun with Papa Smith while she slept.

Grandma said, "How did you know who it was?" (Millie had never met Papa Smith. He had died five years before she was even born.)

Millie replied, "I don't know. I just knew it was him."

Then Grandma said, "Well, that would be just like Papa Smith. He loved to have fun with kids."

That blessed my co-worker so much. It just so happened that she had really been thinking about her father a lot that week, unbeknownst to your young granddaughter. The dream Millie had really comforted my friend, remembering how her father was on earth. And maybe, just maybe - Millie really did play with Papa Smith in the spirit at night.

What types of dreams do your children share with you? Have you ever stopped to think that they may be significant or perhaps the Lord talking to you through them?

Dream Testimonies at Teen Challenge

My boyfriend, Nathan, works for North Central Indiana Teen Challenge. I describe TC as a Christian rehabilitation center for older teens and men.

A couple of days ago Nathan spoke during chapel. He mentioned that God wants to speak through people through dreams. He told the guys that if they were serious about wanting to hear from God then put a piece of paper and pencil by their beds at night. A lot of them did.

The next morning, the men shared their dreams. One guy said that God came to him and told him he was going to learn how to read and that he was going to write a book.

Another guy said that he dreamed he and his friend were in a bar. They both ordered a beer. His friend drank it, but he didn't. Then in a second dream the student was in a desert or wilderness and God came down and told him He wanted to bring him up.

Some of the other guys said they had dreams where they were acting out their old lifestyle. I'm not sure if these dreams were from the Lord, but Nathan shared an explanation that perhaps their old lifestyle is still in their soul.

He explained that when we accept the Lord we become a new creation, old things pass away. The more we focus on the Lord and meditate on scriptures the more our minds become renewed. We move from glory to glory. Paul says to "work out your salvation." Meaning you just don't sit there, you move forward toward the things of God. It's not always easy and it's a constant choice. As we continue to make the right choices we become renewed and even healed. The Lord is ready and willing to meet us exactly where we are and do what needs to be done to bring us into the fullness of our destiny.

I encourage you, if you aren't already, to ask the Lord to speak to you in dreams. In faith, put a pen and paper next to your bed or invest in a dream journal. He will not disappoint you. He loves you and wants to talk to you!

Jesus Didn't Die to Make Me Comfortable

Comfort is a hot commodity in this world.

We want our bellies filled.
We want nice clothes, cars and homes.
We want job security.

As Christians, we sometimes "humbly" say things like, "I don't care about being rich, I just want to be comfortable." What does that mean? I've said it myself without really understanding what I mean.

The reality is we want our flesh gratified at all times. And yet Romans 8:6 says, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace."

So why do we want things that bring death? I'll tell you why, because it's painful to kill our flesh. And killing the flesh means being uncomfortable.

A Rough Ride
A couple of days ago I had a dream that I was trying to get onto a large aircraft. I was in the tunnel between the aircraft and the ticket counter, but I was having such a hard time getting to the plane. There were so many obstacles and I wanted to give up, but I knew I had to get on this plane and it was leaving very soon.

Then someone came up to me and said, "If you can't even get on the plane, how do you think you're going to handle the ride?"

It made me work harder to get on the plane. I thought, "I'll show you. I can get on this plane." Once I did, and before I got to my seat, the plane took off and immediately started doing flips, spins and dives. I was literally hanging on to my seat belt upside down and all around.

I did notice that some people didn't even flinch. In fact, they kept drinking coffee, reading their books. They didn't even notice the crazy ride. They were not disturbed in the least. The whole time I kept thinking, "Why can't we just fly normal? When is this going to stop?" And somehow I knew this was the way it was and it wasn't changing anytime soon."

I've been sitting on this dream for two days and all I can sum up about this dream is that it was VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. But I chose to get on the plane knowing that somehow the ride was going to be harder than actually getting on the plane.

I think in life we make choices, hope they are the right ones and when the outcome is uncomfortable we get all upset and wonder why me? What did I do wrong?

I know there are some definitely uncomfortable situations going on in my life and you know what? That's just the way it is for me right now.

Here's What God Told Me

He said he didn't come to this earth and die on the cross to make me comfortable. Ouch!

It's true. It's evident in His own life. He didn't live in comfort in birth, death or the years in between. And yet, He is the Comforter and Prince of Peace. He slept in the midst of a storm. He calmed the winds with the peace from within him.

This dream just put some things into perspective for me. Just because something is hard, doesn't mean I give up (and not get on the plane). And just because the outcome from a choice I made doesn't feel good (bumpy plane ride), it doesn't mean I'm out of balance spiritually. It doesn't mean I need to make a 9-1-1 phone call to God.

I don't think taking up our cross and following Him was meant to make us feel good every second of our walk with Him. Sometimes I think we just have to live uncomfortable, knowing that Jesus didn't die on the cross to make us comfortable.

Climbing Waterfalls - It's Not Impossible

This morning I had one dream.

I was climbing up the middle of a waterfall. There was some water falling down (like a waterfall), but most of the water was going opposite of the way it should. In fact, there was so much water over my head it was like a huge mountainous wave. I was amazed at how this waterfall was completely and totally opposite of what a real waterfall is like. Though I wasn't afraid, even though I knew that big wave was going to crash over me at some point and I might fall into the pool below, I didn't even care. I also couldn't remember why I would try to climb a waterfall in the first place. At this point, I stopped and waited for the wave to overtake me, knowing that it wasn't going to be a bad thing - scary - YES ; bad - NO.

So I've been sitting on this dream all day waiting for a revelation up until now. I've been sitting here journaling and talking to God.

He reminded me that He was bringing me resources and that everyone around me would benefit. He said to remember His ways and declare His truths in all my circumstances. He said it wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't look possible, but He told me I could do the impossible because He was with me. He said he was refreshing me so I could move forward.

As I kind I thought about what he said I remembered my dream and the many parallels to my conversation with God.

Climbing a waterfall is impossible, but He's with me and that's what makes it possible to even get halfway up the waterfall. Water is refreshing and in this case it's a huge wave. He said, He is refreshing me. (You know when God does it - it's always more than enough!) I also feel like the wave could represent resources that have been held back, but once they are unleashed - watch out! I'm getting bombarded with blessing and so is everyone around me. (We know that if you're close to the edge when a wave comes - you're getting wet.)

I love that nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) Even when you're doing the impossible - like climbing a waterfall.

Thank you God for reminding me in a dream and confirming it in a conversation!

Anybody else have a good encouraging dream to share?

What Type of Dreamer Are You? High, Medium or Low?

So what type of dreamer are you?

I've been reading "Dreams and Visions: How to Receive, Interpret and Apply Your Dreams" by Dr. Joe Ibojie for about a year now. It's like a textbook - so much information that you can't just breeze through it in a few weeks.

I got the book because I was hopeful that Dr. Ibojie would expand on dreams from a medical perspective, but that wasn't the case. Though he's a trained medical doctor, he is also a pastor and his book is extremely detailed and full of lots of biblically sound information. I pulled a "hmmm" when I read this part on different amounts of dreaming.

I've never really thought I was anything other than a person who had a lot of dreams, but according to Dr. Ibojie, there are different amounts of dreaming.

High - These dreamers receive two or more dreams a night on a consistent basis. A lot of the dreams of a high volume dreamer may address routine issues that most people would not think God to be interested in.

Medium - These dreamers is in the middle of high and low dreamers.

Low - These dreamers receive about one dream in a week, or one dream in a few weeks regularly.

"So-called" Non dreamers - This includes those who say they don't dream or those who say they can't recall their dreams. (BTW - everybody dreams. In fact, dreams keep us from going nuts. The problem is these people can't recall their dreams.)

One might call a high level dreamer someone who has revelatory giftedness - or someone who has the potential to receive lots of revelation. However, how they receive it and how much they receive depends on one's relationship with God. The Lord confides in those who fear Him. (Psalm 25:14)

One way to increase the amount of dreams we receive is by paying more attention to our dreams and strengthening our relationship with God. Moving this way, moves us toward a possible increase in dreams of non-personal issues.

Additionally as we mature as Christians and our minds continues to transform into that of Christ's (Romans 12:2), God will communicate in dreams more clearer, sharper and shorter. Though from time to time we may have lengthy dreams.

What type of dreamer are you - High, Medium or Low? And what type of dreams do you have - sharp & short or lengthy?

God Can Speak to You About Any Dream

I was watching a video by Doug Addison of InLight Connection and he said that not all dreams are from God, but that God can speak to you through dreams.

I had to think about that for a second. I know that dreams can come from three places:

1. God
2. The Enemy
3. Your Soul

When I wake up in the morning I always write my dreams down, regardless of where I think they came from.

Short Review

• A God dream is typically vibrantly colorful.


• A Demonic dream is usually in black and white or grayscale and typically has fear attached with it.


• A Soulish dream manifests whatever is in your heart. It's from you.

God Talks
I usually know right away the source of the dream. In the past I've said, if you think you've had a demonic dream - throw it away. The devil is a liar and why would you try to interpret or listen to anything he has to say.

Now that is true -we don't want to listen to the enemy. However, we can take the dream back to God and ask questions about it.

"Why did I have this dream?" or "Is there any door in my life that is open that the enemy has access to?"

As believers we have swords. (Eph 6:17) We have authority to crush the enemy's head. (Gen 3:15) I refuse to let him come in and mess with my sleep time. Holy Spirit will always let you know how to proceed. Typically it starts with me evaluating my actions, words, etc. Do I need to repent for something, and if so what?

If you have a dream from your soul it will reveal what is really in your heart.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45

Heart and soul can be used interchangeably in this verse. Ouch! It can be ugly sometimes. Trust me I know. I'm still working out my salvation.

This is also a time to say, hmmm where am I at right now with God? Because let's face it - sometimes we are so busy in the day that we don't recognize that we're idolizing something or even addicted to something, etc.

Summary

So for anyone who has woken up from a deep slumber and felt that their dream was stupid - it's not the case. The Lord will always talk to you about the dream. You just have to sit down with him and ask some questions.

A Dream at Aldi's Reveals Some Free Gifts

This morning I had a dream that I was shopping at Aldi's. (I love that place.) They had gourmet food (typically they don't), but I was kind of annoyed because there were no prices on anything. Then when I tried to pay, there was no cashier. I spent all this time trying to find someone to take my money. So I went home and decided to come back the next day to pay for my food. Again, no cashier. The people working in the back room didn't know anything about cashing people out and they didn't seem to care if I paid or not. This really bothered me because, well, by golly, I"m a "good" Christian and I pay for my stuff. Then I woke up.

I said, "God does this mean anything?" Automatically I had thought it was a dumb dream. Note to self - when you think you have a dumb dream, it's usually because you're in darkness about something. Hello McFly! God wants to reveal something to you!

So I immediately wondered, "Is there anything in my life that is free and I don't know about it? I mean am I working hard and begging God for something that he's already given to me?"

I got in my Bible and found hundreds of references on give, gives, giving, given. In fact, more than 1500 references. Not all of them make reference to God giving something, but most do. It's so exhaustive.

Interesting, the first mention of giving is Genesis 1:15 where God speaks light to the expanse of the heavens, giving earth light. I'm not surprised that the first reference of giving is light. Metaphorically speaking, Jesus is the light of the world. Plus, most of us know he IS the free gift.

In Genesis 1:29,30 "Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so."

So a few verses later, now He's talking about man and all he's given him. Can you say - EVERYTHING.

How about this short, short list:

Gives Life

Gives generously and without reproach

Gives grace to the humble

Gives bread

Gives mercy

Gives victory

Gives encouragement

Gives His Son

Gives the Holy Spirit

Gives justice

Gives the keys to the Kingdom

Now Matthew 6:19 caught my attention.

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

I remember when my dad would give me the keys to the car as a teenager. I felt like I owned the world, and the highway for that matter. Now think about your father handing you keys to the Kingdom? I don't even think our minds can comprehend what we've been given. That list is probably equally exhaustive. According to this verse we have authority to command things in heaven so that they manifest on earth! WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LOOSE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY STORED UP FOR US IN THE HEAVENS SO WE CAN ENJOY THEM ON THE EARTH.

The more I type, the more excited my spirit gets. I own everything because my inheritance is in Him. The best part about it is - I don't have to wait till I die. It's for today. He has given everything, including his life, that I might live and live abundantly.

Moral of the dream - If the cashier doesn't exist and nobody is expecting payment - don't waste time trying to pay for something that is already yours! Enjoy the FREE gift.

Jesus Visits - Gives Discernment in a Dream

Going along the same theme of my last blog, "I Had a Dream About Jesus," here's another example of a Christian man who received a visit from Jesus in a dream.

Earlier this week I happened to listen to Sid Roth's Naturally Supernatural radio show online. I absolutely love this site. He also has a weekly TV show and I love that too!

His radio guest was Mel Bond. Mel sees into the supernatural realm, even discerning demons on people. When he prays, demons leave and people are physically healed.

What really caught my attention on Monday's show was that Mel talked about how he received this gift in a dream! He received the discernment of spirits after Jesus visited him in a dream.

Remember King Solomon received the gift of wisdom in a dream. (1 Kings 3:3-14) Riches and honor also came with that. So for Mel, not only did he receive the gift of discernment he also received the gift of healing through deliverance.

Mel also talks about what happens during the night session, the demonic, deliverance, etc. in a five-part series with Sid. Listen here.

I Had A Dream About Jesus

Has Jesus ever come to you in a dream?

He has never specifically come to me, but I think he has symbolized different things to me in dreams.

There are no references in the bible where Jesus visits in a dream, but there are references of the Lord saying he will visit in a vision and speak in a dream (Numbers12:6). The Lord also visits Solomon in a dream and asks him what he wants (1Kings 3:5).

I started thinking about this topic after a friend passed along a newsletter from Jeffrey D. Miller Ministries . Miller is a Jew evangelizing for Jesus who talked about how he met a Jewish man who had a been asking God every night if Jesus was really his son. Then in a dream here's what the Jewish man says happened:

"A short while ago, I was having a great dream when there was a commercial in the dream. In the commercial, Jesus appeared to me saying, 'I am the Son of God!' then I went back to my original dream."

This prompted me to search for more information about Jesus visiting people in dreams. It seems like he's been visiting lots of people, which is definitely biblical.

AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, `THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; (Acts 2:17)

I found this awesome video that was on CBN. Thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ after having visions and dreams of Jesus.


I also found a web site specifically for Muslims who have dreams about Jesus. It's called the Jesus Visions. I also found a movie called "More Than Dreams." The movie is about five Muslims who become Christians after they had dreams/visions of Jesus.



So this brings me back to the first question I asked, "Have you ever dreamed about Jesus?" What happened after your visit with him? Care to share?

Dreams with Multiple Meanings For Multiple Times

Yesterday I was talking with a friend about a dream he had. Right before we got off the phone, I reminded him that the dream could have multiple meanings for multiple times. I was speaking from an experience that I'd had about two years ago.

One night before I went to bed, I asked God to give me a dream. I needed direction about whether I should let a friend move in with me. That night I had one very, very short dream.

I saw my friend. In one hand she had a book, and in the other hand she had $100.

When I woke I up I realized God gave me an answer to my question. I felt that my friend had knowledge (representing the book) to share with me along with some payment (representing the money). So I let her move in.

After about a month and a half after she moved in, I was asking God about the length of her stay. He reminded me of the dream that I had when I made my original decision to let her move in. I remembered thinking, "Yeah, that dream is kicked. It's useless. It's already given me one answer. How can that little dream give any other answers?" Then I had and "Ah-Ha" moment or really a revelation from God.

I knew her stay was over when all the transactions took place. I'd already received the knowledge. She had cooked all my food and taught me about eating healthy. She had already given me $50. (I should mention that I never told her about the dream, nor did I ask her for any money.) I just needed another transaction of $50. I didn't know when it was going to happen, but I knew that when I received it, her time would be up. Two weeks later she gave me another $50 without me asking for it.

So in this account, a very short dream was extremely significant in helping me with direction about my living situation not only once, but twice. Notice that the dream had two directional meanings for me. Also that my friend gave me two gifts - knowledge and money. Additionally she stayed two months.

God is so big. He always blows me away. As I write this I'm wondering if I have any dreams that I've kind of crossed off that might have some more meaning today. What about you? Have you ever had a dream that gave you answers to more than one situation? Please share. I'd love to hear about it.

Secular vs. Biblical Dream Interpreting

Recently I listened to a nine-part YouTube message on John Paul Jackson's testimony on dreams and visions. There was a lot he talked about, but I wanted to write about some key things he discussed about secular vs. biblical interpretation.

Secular Interpretation
In the secular realm dream interpreting has temporal revelation. It is believed that the dreams are internally originated, meaning you can find the interpretation by looking inside yourself. These dreams:
1. Are Internal - Out
2. Are soul driven
3. Have one meaning
4. Believe in a self change
5. Include several art types - mythological, masculine, etc.

Biblical Interpretation
With biblical interpretation the revelation is eternal. God, the creator, sees into your life and knows what needs to be fixed inside of you so you can step in the destiny that he has planned for you. "Do this, and you'll succeed." He is the external that takes a look inside. These dreams:
1. Are External - In
2. Are spirit driven
3. Have levels of uses and multiple meanings. They can apply today, and even in 10 years.
4. God does the changing
5. Can include an angelic being coming to you with a message.

SELAH

John Paul make some great comments about believing in the soul central idea. If your soul can change you, then your soul can perfect you. Then there is no need for a savior to do that for you. SELAH

A man left to his own devices deteriorates. He does not regenerate. Adam and Eve proved it in the beginning. SELAH

Interpreting with a secular (soul-central) belief, doesn't work. Remember the story in the book of Daniel when King Nebedchadnezzar called all the magicians to interpret his dream? Not one of them could do it. It wasn't until Daniel inquired of the Lord and received the interpretation. So if the soul can interpret dreams, then all the magicians should have been able to tell the king the interpretation. SELAH

Summary

My advice is to use the Bible as your foundation and ask Holy Spirit for the revelation. You may not get the interpretation right away. Sometimes the interpretation comes months later. That's why journaling and reviewing your dream journal is key. Additionally, do not use any secular dream interpretation books or web sites. No need to bring in confusion.

Black and White vs Color Dreams

Do you dream in black and white or color?

God is the creator. He gives vibrant, colorful, full of life dreams when he talks to us. If your dream is in color, it's a good indicator that it is from God.

Dreams in black and white or gray scale are not from God. These are nightmares. I have had dreams like this and most of the time they are accompanied by a spirit of fear.

The first thing I do when I wake up from a black and white/gray scale dream is take it to God. There is no need for an interpretation. The devil is a liar, so no need to pay attention to what he is saying.

If I am dealing with the spirit of fear in a dream. I ask the Lord, where I let that spirit come in and attach itself to me. Meaning- what lie am I believing that isn't true. Then I repent for being afraid, because the Lord has not given me a spirit of fear. There is no reason for me ever to be afraid, because I am His. Then I rebuke the enemy, because I know he has to flee in Jesus name.
In my own experience, I have had to seek deliverance ministry to be completely set free. The Bible says one can slay 1,000 and two 10,000. I was completely set free after one prayer session. The enemy has tried to come back, but I know how to take authority over him and kick him out. I very rarely have these types of dreams anymore.

If you are having a lot of troubling black and white dreams, ask the Lord to help you. Rebuke the enemy. If the dreams don't stop, ask someone to pray with you.

Additionally, here is short video from John Paul Jackson about dreaming in black and white.


Anyone have any testimonies about being set free from nightmares?