There are days when I just plain feel stuck. Overwhelmed by all that’s on my to-do list, I simply stare at it in a stupor. Usually, that’s when I realize that my to-do list is more a creation of reaction than action—borne more of urgency and circumstance than an intentional plan. But determination without destination doesn’t get anyone very far. It’s not hard to go warp-speed in circles. So, before you engage your warp engine today, take a few moments to look over that list. How many things on it are moving you toward your destination or merely there keeping you busy?

Your thoughts? What are ways you’ve found to keep your destination the arbiter of your actions?

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What’s the difference between a dreamer and a visionary? While dreamers talk, visionaries act. Dreamers expect others to come along and make their dreams come true. Over time, they may become embittered when things don’t go their way. Instead, visionaries inspire others to be part of something bigger than themselves. Dreamers wait for provision—more money in the bank, empty nest, better job—before they act. Visionaries act today, even in small ways, knowing that every action brings them closer to seeing their vision come to light. Which are you choosing to be today?

Your thoughts? What steps could you take today toward your vision?

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You’ve heard the saying, “The best Defense is a good Offense.” Yet often, as professing Christians, our focus is more on sin management—not dropping the ball—than building a thirst for the end-zone. It’s as if we only possess a Defensive Playbook—worrying more about being scored against, than scoring. But vision, daring, courage and adventure are in the Offensive Playbook. And the more we practice plays from that book the less our Defense needs to be on the field.

Your thoughts? What Offensive play could you call on to execute today?

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Fifteen years later, AT&T’s vision of the future is now passé. For each of those You Wills, we already have — with two differences. First, most of the experiences with technology we enjoy today are much better than AT&T envisioned. They could see only dimly what the future would hold.  Second, by and large, AT&T was not the company to bring it to us. Their vision was largely delivered by companies that weren’t even around in 1993. In fact, the more cynical among us would argue that it wasn’t even really AT&T’s vision — they merely borrowed from others for the expedience of marketing their brand.

Notwithstanding the commercial motivations for the ad, it occurs to me that this video holds two reminders for us bold adventurers as we dream about and work toward the future. First, no matter how we envision it, as long as we remain yielded to God’s leading, our future will always be better than we can imagine. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). Second, as was the case with AT&T, we are not the only ones building that future. He is working His dream out through the members of His body in ways He chooses and we can’t conceive.

Just as it sounds silly to hear AT&T promise to be the sole deliverer of technological wonders, it’s equally silly for us to believe that we are to deliver God’s dream alone as well.  While each of us have our own path to walk, we best do so in the context of community. Because dreams shared by many make a better future than dreams imagined alone, that’s really good news.  It also makes our encounters with others more stimulating.  Someone we will soon meet may carry the seed of our dream into the future.   And the dreams of someone we already know may be the inspiration for our next adventure.  The key is the willingness to release our dreams into others and to receive theirs for us in return.

SOUND OFF:  Have you been inspired recently by encounters with others that have given new perspectives on your dream?

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