If we don’t have our dreams, we have nothing.  
— The Astronaut Farmer

I love the Walt Disney Park’s mystique and theme, “Where dreams come true.”  My belief in dreams and miracles (prior to my relationship with Jesus) was instilled early in my childhood through trips to Disneyland.  Even though I have learned several of the Disney secrets, have been frustrated professionally, and have experienced disappointment in my personal life, I am not deterred from believing that my dreams can come true.

My desire of being a husband and a father is one dream that has taken a beating over the years.  In the early ‘90s, I spent five years working with a church youth group mentoring a group of young men.  Along with challenging these men spiritually, we also spent a great deal of time talking about girls, dating and relationships.  Fast forward fifteen years and all of these guys are married with children, while their “mentor” is writing articles for singles.  Did I miss something along the way?  Did I not follow some aspect of my own advice?

There are many who wonder if life has passed them by, if their best years are behind them, or if they have been robbed of their dreams.  (Did I just hear an “Amen”?)  However, if we spend our time lamenting over the past and what might have been instead of what actually is, we will be blind and deaf to what God has for us today.

Every new day begins with possibilities.  It’s up to us to fill it with things that move us towards progress and peace.  Ronald Reagan

Life can be hard and broken dreams can beat down the strongest of faiths.  I see my younger friends living out their dreams and wonder about my own, but through God’s Word I find encouragement on how to maintain and progress towards my own dreams in the midst of my friends experiencing theirs.

Do Not Covet

Do not covet your neighbor’s house.  Do not covet your neighbor’s wife…or anything else your neighbor owns (Exodus 20:17).

Covet simply means to desire inordinately (exceeding reasonable limits).

Coveting may be the most common unspoken sin in society.  It is often difficult to go through a day without, or wanting, what another has—be it large or small.  However, when the desire becomes all consuming, it becomes sinful.

I watch couples enjoy an intimate dinner.  I stand up for others as they exchange their wedding vows.  I drive by ball fields and see parents cheer for their child.  How can I maintain my desire for the same without it becoming an obsession?

My comfort comes from knowing that the God of the Universe knew and understood from the beginning the very things I would struggle with.  He specifically says do not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, or anything else your neighbor owns.  That’s pretty self-explanatory.  It is a command for us to stop (excessively) wanting what others have, that includes relationships, and all that comes with it.
 
(He) has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3).