It's New Year time again--time to reflect on 2011 and ponder the possibilities of 2012. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I do spend time getting still and examining the past year, and seeking insight about the year to come.

2011 was a difficult year for many people--11 representing a time of 'transition'. Transition is necessary and usually beneficial, but it can also be chaotic.

My son and his wife just moved at Christmastime to their first home, a beautiful new 'nest', a wonderful change for them. But getting the paperwork done, arrangements made, the possessions boxed, transported, and unboxed, the new house and the old apartment cleaned appropriately took some major effort.

The number 12 (of 2012) can represent order, right government, authority, and a sigh of relief for those of us who prefer stability and peace instead of shaking and upheaval!

Let's cooperate with the natural shift in season. Push past the distractions, find a quiet afternoon, get still, and focus on some personal 'housecleaning' so that you are ready for 2012's adventures with gusto. I usually like to invite my most treasured friend, the Spirit of Truth, to guide me and give divine insight to this process.

1) Make a list of the negatives of 2011. What mistakes did you make? What did you learn from them? What can you do to avoid them in the future? Which projects or relationships in your life need a different perspective or approach? Is there anyone you need to forgive (possibly yourself)? Is there anything you need to release and not carry with you into the new year?

2) Make a list of the positives of 2011. What goals were you able to accomplish? What did you learn along the way? What worked well for you? In what areas did you experience breakthrough (emotional, educational, physical, business or work, financial, mental, spiritual)? Did you receive answers to prayer?  What are you grateful for?

3) Change. What would you like to accomplish in 2012? List the areas of your life that you would like to change, and list some steps--even tiny advances you can take under each one--to make them happen. What areas of your character need overhaul, tweaking, strengthening, or polishing?

4) Life-end goals. Write your obituary. What accomplishments and character traits do you want to be remembered by your loved ones, peers, acquaintances--and by the world? You are a unique individual, gifted with plenty of strengths, experiences, and precious treasures. No one else in the world is like you. What does the world need from you? What is something ONLY you can do (or BE) to make an impact on lives around you?

5) Listen to your dreams. Ask the Giver of dreams to release more nighttime love messages to you about your purpose and destiny. And, ask for the dream interpretations as well. Write them down and pay attention. If you kept a dream journal, go back to analyze 2011's dreams. You may begin to realize that you are being called to pull off feats way beyond your own abilities. Exploits that will require supernatural involvement to make them happen. Dream Big!

What is one simple step you can do TODAY to launch with power into 2012?

Post it here, if you like, and GO DO IT!

Happy New Year from Destiny Dreamz! 

Yesterday at the doctor's office,  the assistant queried me about the level of pain I felt during a procedure I was undergoing. When I expressed discomfort, she brought me this tiny tube of 'relief gel' that is designed to 'desensitize' me to pain. I mock-expressed dismay at the tiny tube and requested a vat-full of the miracle relief instead.

I experienced a few moments of satisfying comfort just imagining myself soaking in a big tub of the stuff whenever life got uncomfortable or painful.

Wouldn't that be nice?

It made me think of Staples' Easy Button campaign designed to convince customers to take the 'easy way' in getting their office needs met. How many times do we face difficult circumstances and wish we could press the Easy Button to take care of matters?

However, with most of our challenges, the only way OUT of them is to go THROUGH them. Life provides us with endless opportunities to grow, get stretched, and overcome. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, the saying goes. I think we would all agree that those painful seasons, though excruciating at times, always bring us to a new level of power and hardiness, especially if we cooperate. No pain, no gain.

Human nature almost always desires the easy way out. Not just in our difficulties, like experiencing sickness, financial troubles, or emotional devastation, but also in our learning and growing opportunities. If given a choice in learning something new, how often do we usually try to slide by with the least amount of effort and cost from us?

Our outlook plays an important role in how much we choose to resist or embrace our trials. Do we view them as a chance to tackle and conquer, trusting that we will become better people in the process, or do we see them as something to avoid and complain the whole way through about how much it hurts?

I'm not advocating the idea that we all become martyrs or always choose the painful route, possibly subtly letting people know how much we are 'suffering'. But there are times when we can benefit greatly by welcoming our problems, seeing them as Divine compliments, knowing an end WILL come, and realizing there is a purpose for us as we plug away. We can look back and see how the journey has transformed our thinking and our character--all for the better.

One of my favorite authors says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (James 1:2-4 The Message)

I think if we choose to conquer life with a positive attitude, once in a while, we get to enjoy heaven-sent fellow journeymen who are willing lighten our load by sharing their Relief Gel with us.

Have you ever found yourself obviously divinely planted in just the right place at just the right time? A moment reveals an assignment that requires timely precision and action to step in and perhaps prevent a looming disaster?

A few days ago I was out walking my dogs and we approached an intersection. I had a 'sense' of something approaching, and I made my dogs sit and stay. Just ahead of me was a college girl talking on her phone. She stepped out into the street without looking. Time seemed to slow down like I was in warp speed, as out of the corner of my eye I spied the SUV heading straight toward her. I grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her clear out of the path of the speeding car.

My adrenaline spiked and I knew I had just be privileged to save her from extreme injury, if not death. I was shaky and wanted to hug this gal because I felt an instant bond with her.

Her response? She kept talking on her phone and kept walking. As if nothing happened. No acknowledgment, no eye contact, no "Thank you." Like having her life saved was not even a tiny blip on the screen of her consciousness.

I was stunned! I didn't need to be thanked, but wow, her ungratefulness and apathy took me by surprise. My first thought was that if she didn't learn to become more aware of her surroundings, she will keep walking in front of cars and eventually experience some sort of hit that could really take her out.

But then it hit me. Spirit said to me, "Merry, you are the same way. You don't see the dangers that are averted away from you every day. And you don't develop gratefulness for all those near-misses. You just keep on going and fail to learn because you are not paying attention."

My response: "Let me see some of them so I can change my outlook and attitude."

Let's just say that tuning in lately has shaken me, as I've personally experienced several narrowly-missed incidents that could have been tragic:

• Things like my garage door somehow left open while we are gone for the entire evening (in a robbery-prone neighborhood) and nothing is disturbed.  

• Falling into a hole on my nightly walk with no injury. (I tripped and fell like a feather)

• 'Almost' landing in a ditch on a bike ride but miraculously didn't, because 'someone or some thing' moved my front tire back on the path

• Pausing at an intersection in my car, then watching a truck run the red light--thus NOT plowing into me

• 'Happening' to be home when a fire erupts. A neighbor sees it and we put it out before our house catches fire

I'm not accident-prone, really!  These are everyday occurrences that I would  normally, quickly dismiss.  

But I have come to believe way more deeply that I'm divinely protected in so many incidents and ways--big and small--that I don't even notice. Or acknowledge. Or become grateful for. I'm realizing more how I am not really in control. But Someone is. And He has got my back. Even when I don't say, 'Thank you."

It all seems to add a little more joy to life, knowing that I can be bold and not walk in fear…or in ignorance either. I can entrust my life to Creator to a greater degree, and that makes my heart more thankful.

And if I learn to focus more intently and step aside more quickly, how many hard hits in life might I actually avoid altogether?

Have you experienced any near-misses lately? What could you learn from those events?
 

Lately I've been catching myself increasingly doing a lot of 'double takes' as I 'see' or sense something out of the corner of my eye that I didn't realize was actually there. A startling flash of dark or white light, a figure, a creature, a door, or even descriptive words hanging in thin air. When I look back, my eyes don't see anything, but flickered image remains, as well as a real sense of its continued presence.

Some people might call it old age, or say my eyes are playing tricks on me, or think that I need more sleep, or accuse me for having an overactive imagination.

But the fact is, for many years, I've been asking for eyes to see the unseen world--what is going on in the spiritual realm 'behind the scenes', so that I can know how to interact and cooperate with Divine assignments. I want God to use me to bring encouragement and hope into our world. I figure the more I can see what he is doing, the more I can step in with understanding and compassion.

I think many of us see this kind of stuff but we may be too quick to dismiss it for fear people would call us crazy or weird. Or we don't know what to do with what we detect.

One of my favorite stories in the ancient scriptures concerns a prophetic guy, Elisha. He was famous for his continual, accurate 'insider information' from God's heart that protected his leaders. So he was hated and hunted by his enemies.

One morning he discovered he was surrounded by 'impressive fighting forces' from the other side. Elisha's servant panicked and said, "Oh, master! What shall we do?"

Elisha calmly answered, "Don't worry about it--there are more on our side than on their side." And he prayed for God to open the servant's eyes and let him see.

"The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder!   The whole mountain-side full of heavenly horses and chariots of fire were surrounding Elisha." (2 Kings 6). This turn of events led to a supernatural victory over the evil army.  Elisha could clearly see the bigger picture. Appearances through the natural eye can be deceiving.

I believe we can live in greater confidence and faith if we become more aware of both the negative plots that are pitted against us, as well as the positive or angelic armies protecting us and working for us. Perhaps we would feel much less stress as well.  

If I see something extra, maybe I'm being invited to join in somehow. I want to live a fully engaged life and make a difference for Good.

So, regarding those imgage flashes, scary, strange, puzzling, and often inconvenient--I say, "Thank you, Creator!  BRING THEM ON! Open my eyes to see, and my ears to hear, and give me the courage to respond." 

Picture:  Ron DiCianni "Chariots of Fire"

If you are a student of dream interpretation, you know how crucial it is to think metaphorically in order to interpret dreams accurately. You learn the process of determining the focus of a dream--who or what the dream is about, what are the major or most important symbols, the minor or less critical symbols, and of course their possible parabolic meanings.

The more you practice, the better you get at knowing your colors, numbers, common themes, the sources of dreams, as well as summing up a dream's meaning along the way.

In essence, it becomes second nature to Simplify, Symbolize, and Summarize. But we can't forget the last step, the most important: Striking the Sweet Spot.

The sweet spot is not a bakery--it is the point or area on a bat, club, or racket which, when it comes into contact with the ball, results in a maximum response. If you master awareness of the sweet spot and learn how to 'use your equipment/equipping' correctly,  you will shoot  the ball directly where you are aiming, with ease.  

What is 'the sweet spot' in dream interpretation? It is discerning the 'WHY' of the dream. It is not only knowing the message of the dream, but understanding why the dream was released to the dreamer.

We need to understand the purpose of the dream (see the list of dream types). Is it a warning? An encouragement dream? A dream giving direction or highlighting a fear that needs to be addressed?

What is the Dreamgiver's heart and love message for the dreamer?

Without 'nailing' the sweet spot, our interpretations will fall flat and not connect deeply with the dreamer's spirit.

To become an excellent dream interpreter, take time to go deeper and listen for how to deliver the message with purposeful impact. Dream message + Sweet Spot + your love for the dreamer = power to transform lives, one dream at a time!

Deep in the heart of Texas, we are experiencing summer heat and drought like no other summer that I can remember--relentless heat wave with no rain for many months. Every morning our newspaper headlines highlight drought complications. Today marks our 40th day in a row over 100 degrees--some days my thermometer reads 110.

Our region normally experiences hot summers, but not sustained dry seasons like this current fiery streak. Folks have been irritable and testy because of the weather, water shortage, and outrageous utility bills.

I asked Spirit, "Have we done something wrong? Why are things so miserable? Can you please send rain and give us relief?"

The answer I heard back took my breath away: "You don't need relief. You need to learn to endure the heat. How much heat can you take?"

The only response I could think of was, "OK, I will take as much heat as you deem necessary. Bring it on. Teach me how to live graciously in all circumstances. Not only that, but douse me with accelerant and set me on fire!"

That means not complaining or fretting in the midst of wildfires all around, our dead lawns, or sweltering car rides. After all, we do have air conditioning and iced tea!

Often natural happenings reflect what is happening in the spiritual realm. Are you experiencing extreme pressure in areas of your life like character, finances, or relationships?

I expect many of us are having the 'non-essentials' of life shaken or burned away, so that we can move forward in greater strength, better attitudes, with less deadweight. It helps if we cooperate instead of whine and resist.

Already, folks here in the heat wave district are adapting. Last night during my late night walk, other walkers were delighting in the 'cool breezes' that two months ago we felt were killing us!

l believe we also are developing spiritual ability to handle more adversity--so that we are better prepared for days ahead.  Purifying and refining comes from heat!

This morning I noticed a sweet sight in my garden. My favorite rosebush, which I thought was heat-stroke-dead because it is brown and has lost all of its leaves, is blooming! Two fragrant, albeit scraggly roses made me smile and feel a glimmer of hope that no matter how HOT life gets, we can be survivors and thrivers. Through scorching, burning, searing, red-hot trials of every kind:

"These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." (The Message)

How much heat can YOU take?

Years ago when I started learning about dream interpretation, I began to understand that many of my dreams were given to me by God. I came to appreciate that he was communicating with me quite often during my sleep time.

I also realized that he wanted my attention, and he seemed to grab it while I was knocked out cold on my pillow--because I was ignoring his voice during the day. I wasn't tuning him out intentionally, I got busy and didn't focus on much beyond my own daily stuff.

I recognized my degree of self-absorption and spiritual shallowness, and I knew that if I heard God's voice and cooperated with his insight and assignments, I could function more efficiently and joyfully. Deeply grieved at my neglectful attitude, I gave God permission to interrupt me--day or night--to speak his heart to me.

I think that is when my sleep time dramatically decreased, with all kinds of dreamy adventures and messages stimulating and enlivening my spirit, mingling with physical rest--or most often, unrest.

Creator of the Universe seems to always have something to say. And what a difference it makes in life to listen--and understand!

How often to you wake up in the middle of the night, perhaps at 3 AM, for no apparent reason? Maybe you were dreaming something important and need to process the message. Or maybe Spirit desires to communicate with you, and this is a good time because there isn't a whole lot else happening...except sleep. What might you miss out on if you dismiss this opportunity to respond, "I'm listening. Do you want to tell me something?"

My musician son spent a season traveling with his band, often all through the night, all over the country. Sometimes when they were on the road, I would wake up with the impression to pray for their safety. A couple of times, I had a dream that his car was skidding into a ditch or on ice. For a season, almost without fail, he would call and ask, "Mom, were you just praying for me (at 1:30 AM)? I just hit a deer and landed in a ditch, but all is well and there is not even any damage to my car. But the deer didn't fare so well."

What a precious opportunity to partner with Spirit to make a difference in the world!

Often I find myself during the day, feeling restless, unfocused, perturbed for no apparent reason. Or I wake up in the middle of the night, sweating with anxiety or fear of the unknowns in my life. Perhaps God has been knocking at my door, inviting me to spend time with him.  I know I can quickly get back on the right track if only I take a little time to recalibrate in his Presence first.

I discovered that if we give God permission and ask for more focus, power, and direction, he likes to answer those prayers! So, if you dare, ask! You will probably get far less sleep. But the sizzling adventure is far worth a few less Zzzzzz's.

My husband and I were 'planted' in Abilene, Texas--for the second time--seventeen years ago. Just out of college, we escaped this fine little West Texas city the first time to move to Denver, where we fully fell in love with mountains and cool weather for ten glorious years.  Following a dream, we then sold everything we owned in hopes of moving to a foreign mission field--with a planned year-long stop back in Abilene for training and fundraising.

But we never made it to our desired destination, getting 'stuck' in Abilene--sigh--again. The people are wonderful here, but scenery is sadly lacking, especially if one has been spoiled by living in pretty places. Believing that we were supposed to 'bloom where we are planted', we put down roots, raised our children, and have ever been trusting that we have a mission to accomplish here, and that in God's timing, we might get to relocate to a more pleasant place of paradise.

We have learned to be content in the waiting for change, but not without some groaning. Our spirits sometimes sag with the  summer heat (yesterday it was 107.6 degrees in the shade), high electric bills, hot winds, fried, brown lawns, and dust storms that leave your teeth gritty if you dare try to smile outside. And smile big, we try--it makes life more enjoyable.

Just a few lessons learned from Desert Time (think metaphorically):

* Desert seasons produce hardy people. We have no mountains to escape to or to wander around. Landscape seems flat and boring. We see the wide horizon, but any change ahead seems, oh, so far off. Strong character is produced as we endure scorching 'heat' with gracious patience, living life faithfully, making a difference around us, one day at a time--while keeping our eyes focused on dreams ahead.

* Help the weaker ones. Spiritually speaking, we must put others' needs first. To share with those who are struggling, help them keep protected along their journey. We do this out of our own strengths and victories.

* It's easy to get dehydrated, so drink a lot. Water, yes. Fine wine occasionally, yes. Spirit, most definitely yes! Drink deep, drink long, drink until we are full, every day. Because we humans leak and need a constant refilling and refueling in order to survive. We may look parched or weather-worn on the outside, but inwardly, we are being renewed day by day by the One who made us.

* It only takes a careless spark to start a wildfire. "By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." (James 3:6) It is easier to prevent a fiery disaster than to control it once it has begun. Note to self:  Watch my tongue...and quit complaining!

* Sometimes relief comes in the form of a storm. We pray consistently for welcome 'rain' and the answers often appear in the form of pounding hail, tornados, water torrents, or high winds--that force violent cleansing within our lives. Allowing our roots to go deep during difficult times keeps our foundation firm when we are shaken to the core.  

* We all need to take a break once in a while. Get out of dodge, take a vacation, refresh in a different locale. See another part of the world--we return 'home' with a renewed perspective that will sustain us until seasons change.

Just call me 'Desert Rose'--because I am learning to thrive by blooming and releasing divine fragrance in all sorts of dry places.

Question: What kinds of adversity are you learning to persist through? What's your strategy? What are some of the lessons you have learned in the process?
 

In dream interpretation training, a major concept emphasized repeatedly is that dreams are symbolic. Too often we miss the meaning of a dream because we interpret it--or specific symbols in a dream--too literally. We may think our boss in our dream really represents our boss, rather than someone in authority over us that is 'bossing' us around. A good interpreter will ALWAYS first consider the symbolic possibilities of a dream.

However, that doesn't mean that dreams are never literal. Some of our 'dreams' are actually 'visions' of the night (a little different from a dream), and visions tend to communicate more literally. Some of our dreams are just plain, straightforward revelation about a crucial situation that needs unlocking.

How do we know whether we should interpret a dream symbolically or literally? Rule of thumb is to interpret symbolically first. This interpretation will even apply if the dream is more direct. We interpret, then apply the interpretation. Often the application is literal. Or literally symbolic.

Like the time I dreamed I had rats feeding in my basement. It was upsetting and I knew that I needed to look into my life to see what 'garbage' was hidden that was empowering a feeling of being 'eaten' up and defiled. I found some some attitudes and behaviors that needed to be cleaned up. But in the process, we realized we really did INDEED have rats living in our basement. They were coming in through the doggie door! There was an 'open entry point' that needed to be tended to. And rat eradication wasn't as easy or as quick as we hoped. It was a slow, steady process that required patience and tenacity. Double dream meaning!

Don't dismiss possible literal applications for dreams. For example:

* If you dream that you get a job promotion and will make a difficult but rewarding move to Philadelphia, you can keep your ears open for such a possibility at your job, but also keep in mind that your heart may need a 'shift' toward greater 'brotherly love' that will challenge you but increase your happiness.

* If you dream that your friend Alison drowns, your dream may be telling you that she is feeling overwhelmed in life and needs some help. But you might also pray for her physical safety. Or even call her and ask her to be extra careful at the lake house this weekend.

* If you dream your front rear tire is low on air, you might acknowledge that your spirit needs a 'refilling'. But also, check that tire before you leave for work.

* During a sad time in our family, I dreamed we all rolled around in the floor playing with a little black and white puppy, laughing through waves and waves of deep belly heaves. I awoke with tears of healing from the laughter. A heavy weight lifted. The next day, we found out that our father-in-law had just spontaneously bought us a little Boston terrier puppy....a happy harbinger of joy sent into our lives after a season of grief.

It never hurts to cover all the bases that you can in applying a dream interpretation. Dreams are subjective, sometimes very clear, very often confusing. Amazingly often, if we are paying attention, we notice a correlation between internals and externals--what a dream says about what is happening within us is confirmed by natural events or conditions. We can always ask for further Divine information.

An amazing treasure about dreams is how they can speak to us on many different levels. Literal. Symbolic. Hidden. Somewhere in between. And all of the above. Dream interpretation does not fit in any kind of box. What a great gift we receive from the Dream Giver, who employs all sorts of creative ways to speak guidance into our lives.

Share:  What dreams have you experienced that seemed to speak more literally to you?  Or had several layers of meaning--symbolic as well as 'real life' stuff?

Five Things Not to Do in Dream Interpretation 
 

Humans naturally gravitate toward ruts--boring routines or habits that rule. Our repetitive actions can be positive or negative, productive, lazy, damaging, internal or external.

I believe our externals reflect what is happening internally. If we are thinking imaginatively or creatively, we radiate with renewed energy. If we focus on what isn't working well in our life, our lack of victory or gratitude can sour the atmosphere around us--and folks notice it.

Which areas are you most prone to succumb to a default mode? Mental, physical, or emotional? Foods and exercise? Work? Relational? Spiritual? Thinking patterns?

Dream interpreters can get stuck in humdrum habits all too easily, mostly if we aren't tending to our spiritual life. But to strengthen our dream interpretation abilities, it especially helps to flush out any filters that may have gotten clogged from too much linear or literal thinking. We must experience free back-and-forth flow of right-brain and left-brain processing, balanced by quiet peace--in a noisy world--so that we can Dream Big and connect with the Releaser of Dreams.

Our biggest hurdle, of course, is to recognize our ruts. Then it is a matter of discipline to reverse and revoke them. Try keeping your brain stirred up. Renew vigor by varying as many of your routines as possible. Here are just a few suggestions:

* Set your alarm clock to a new station or sound. Processing unfamiliar sounds wakes up your brain a different way.

* Journal your dreams in a different way to remember them. Draw a picture or a map of the action instead of using words.

* Get dressed with your eyes closed. Pick out your outfit the night before and then blindly rely on your other senses to get yourself ready.

* Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand, challenging different nerve cells in your brain.

* Swap lunches with your co-workers or friends. Or try a different restaurant and a new type of food that you've never tasted before. Lay off foods you are addicted to for a season.

* Have a silent family dinner. No talking while eating. Figure out how to communicate your day or your requests without words, in a visual way, which will spark creativity.

* Spend a day 'unplugged'--set the computer, TV, and phone aside--spend time outdoors, doing something you don't normally do.

Reboot thyself. Reset, clear the cache, delete any necessary 'cookies' (or unwanted, extra 'junk files' in your memory), download and install new mental and spiritual updates. Reconnect to your Power Source. Then you are ready to fire up again with more power and clarity.