The Last Song on a Record

 I have become frustrated with the lack of ease with which I now write. Writing is supposed to be my passion, and I want it to be my passion. However, I find myself now stuck with possibly the worst case of writer’s block. I don’t know where to begin, and when I do begin, I don’t know how to develop my writing or end it. I’m never happy enough with what I write. Every time I read what I have supposedly finished, I feel disappointed by what I see and am overwhelmed by a sense of perpetual amateurism. I always want to be better, but I don’t know how to improve. I can hardly think of a topic to write on, and when I ask God for a word, I feel as though I am listening to nothing.

  It’s like the moment when the last song on a record has played but you don’t know it’s the last song, and the record is still spinning for a second or so. You’re wondering if there is another song, but then you hear that little click when the turntable stops, signifying there is nothing more to hear. It’s that moment of expectation and hope, waiting to hear something, and then feeling disappointed. Going along with this analogy, I guess it is safe to say that there is another side of the record. You just have to get up, flip the record over, put the needle down, and listen. I will admit that in the last year I haven’t been listening as hard as I used to. I was eager to hear what God wanted me to write, but then I got tired and frustrated with my lack of perfection. Even now, God will give me a vision to write, but I feel stuck when I try to explain it.
    The best I can do is be patient with myself, challenge myself (rather, force myself) to write more, and hope that at least one person will read my writings and hear God’s voice in it somehow. Even if my writing is not perfect, I need to be obedient and write whatever God asks me to share.

Flaming Clock

       There is a clock that is engulfed in flames. Over the crackling of the fire, you can still hear the repetitive, endless cry of the clock: Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It is all hypnotic, entrancing, hard to pull away from. The heat from the flames is uncomfortable, yet begs you to come in closer until you realize you enjoy it. The intensity of the prickly warmth, both painful and comforting, feels familiar. The clock begins to melt, the ticks and tocks becoming slower. You are losing track of time. A strong wind comes, giving you chills. As the strong gust continues the fire dissipates. What is left is a disfigured clock, still ticking off the seconds, and smoldering embers resting beneath. 

Treadmill in the Forest

     I see a young woman on a treadmill. All around her is a forest. The scenery begins to move past her as she runs on the treadmill--although she is technically not moving, it appears as though she is. She is sprinting now, breathing hard and growing tired. The landscape changes to an open field as she slows her pace. She allows the treadmill to come to a stop. She steps off and begins to walk, leaving the machine behind her. She runs through the tall grass, feeling free and lighthearted. She soaks in everything through her senses--feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling... She lays down in the meadow, staring up at the cloudless blue sky and squinting at the sun. She feels as if she can feel the earth's motion. All she can feel is peace. After resting she feels rejuvenated and refreshed, ready to move about. She walks purposefully towards the horizon, ready to see and experience what is beyond her sight.

White Picket Fence

      I see a white picket fence. There is a gate at its midpoint and, beside it, a mailbox standing just behind the fence. Shadows of people intermittently walk by, none of them noticing the fence or mailbox. Occasionally the shadow of a mailman will put papers into the box, but it is usually junk mail. There is the shadow of one man in particular who walks by this fence quite often. This man loves to take strolls now—he used to enjoy the busy, workaholic life. One day he had to walk home from work because his car was in the shop. He was angry, annoyed, and in a hurry. He passed this fence that day, and was overcome by a profound sense of calmness. Since then, he walks by the white picket fence daily, several times a day when possible. Today he notices something new. Ivy is wrapping around the pole of the mailbox and beginning to reach for the nearest fence post. When this shadow of a man passes by later that day, the ivy has wrapped itself over the entire mailbox, creating a snug blanket and sealing it shut. The red flag is down and completely hidden. He stares for a moment, fascinated, but is reminded he has to get home soon. The next time he goes by, the ivy has crept along several of the fence posts, wrapping around them like ribbon. Sunflowers sprout behind the fence. The nameless, faceless man stops and stares, stunned by the peace he found from this image. He forgets for a moment that he is on his way to work, a dreaded, stressful job. He thinks a moment, silently debating. Then, he opens the fate—which was free of ivy—and walks through. The sunflowers have grown into a dense forest of tall flowers. He wanders into it, feeling free at last. He loses himself in this place—no knowing which direction is which—but does not feel lost or confused. Joy. Only joy. He lays down and soaks in the warmth of the sun’s rays and rests, truly rests, for the first time in ages. 

Volcanoe (vision)

Last weekend, I was in Big Bear for a retreat with my church's college group. On Saturday night, we were having a prayer and worship session when God's Spirit completely set in. We were all basking in God's presence when God gave me a vision. I was writing it down and asking God who I needed to speak it to when He said to read it out loud for everyone to hear. As I read it, I could sense a fire stirring in us all, a fire and passion for revival. I began to pray with a fervor I've never experience before, and everyone began praying with all their might.

       I saw a desolate, flat, dry, dead land. Trees were bare, the ground was all dirt, no grass. The people living there were scrawny, starving, and weak. A mountain stood near the town--I could see that it was a volcanoe, long thought dormant. Suddenly, it erupted and fire came spewing out of it. The fire covered the dead land a spread rapidly. But instead of destruction, the fire brought new life as it burned. The trees sprouted green leaves, fresh grass grew and colorful flowers blossomed. The people became healthy, joyful, and vibrant. The fire spread rapidly to nearby towns, continuing the transformation of death into new life.
       We live in the desolate wasteland--the people are starving and feel hopeless. The body of Christ, the church, the believers... We are the volcanoe, long thought dormant. We must erupt with a passion and filled with the Spirit. We must spread the holy fire. People are longing for new life; we must show them how to attain new life. If we are obedient to God's will, the land will come alive again in a miraculous revival, a revival that will spread from person to person, town to town. We need to take responsibility for the lives around us and lead people to Christ so their souls will be satisfied.

       Lord, I pray that You will convict us of our unwillingness to reach out to the people in the world who hunger and thirst for You. Give us the boldness to speak truth in love to those who need You most. Show us the weight of the responsibility You have given us. Rid us of our stubborness, laziness, pride, or whatever it is that gets in the way of doing exactly what You say for us to do. Unite us as the body of Christ and ignite a flame in our hearts for revival.

                 Amen.

Ephesians 4:1-6

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." 

Romans 13:11-12

"And do this [love God, love your neighbor], understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Jars at a Cemetery (vision) Part II

        On Wednesday night, I shared my "Jars at a Cemetery" vision to my high school group. During the worship service prior to me speaking, God showed me visions for three people. After I finished explaining the vision, I spoke to each person.
        For one person: I saw a glass jar full of sand. A grain of sand on its own is insignificant, yet the more sand there is the noticeable it becomes. Similarly, a single act of love might seem unimportant, but continue showing acts of love and there will definitely be an obvious impact.
        For the next person: I saw a jar with a flower in it and the lid screwed on tight. The flower was rootless and withering, a symbol of his life at the moment. God wanted to reveal to him that He has greater plans for his future, that he will grow roots (so to speak) and be rejuvenated.
        For the third person: I saw a jar full of water with smooth stones, then an image of rocks being thrown into a rushing river. When rough, jagged rocks are left under a river's water, the rough edges wear away and become smooth. God spoke to the girl through this--If she jumped into the river of His glory and His love, all of her rough edges would be washed away. Her transformation will become a testimony and encouragement to people experiencing similar trials as her.
        God also revealed to me the meaning of the beating heart and firefly I saw in the jars in the vision. The beating heart in the jar was meant to show that a beating her does not constitute living. There is an Anberlin song that comes to mind that says "There's more to living than being alive." A firefly flickers its dim light on and off at will. We were meant to live as steadfast bright lights in the world, not dull and wavering.

Jars at a Cemetery (vision)

        Lying on a couch in a college apartment, I had a vision. I was visiting my future college in Oregon for a scholarship competition and was able to sleep on campus. After a long day of exciting activities, I was feeling calm and prepared to work hard on my competition the next day. I was hoping to get plenty of rest so I would not be distracted by tiredness and the inability to think straight. Instead, I would doze off for an hour, wake up, doze off, wake up... I sat up and read my Bible for a while (specifically, Romans 8), then changed to The Reason for God by Timothy Keller (great book).
        I closed my eyes, sinking into the couch, thinking I was about to fall asleep. God had other plans--He gave me a vision. At first, I thought I was having a nightmare--it seemed dark and sinister--but God showed me that it was from Him, that I didn't need to be afraid, that I needed to pay attention to what He was showing me.
        I saw a dark cemetery. Old, gray, cracked tombstones covered the landscape. A full moon hovered above the thick fog that lingered over the ground. Next to each tombstone was a glass jar. Most jars were empty or cracked. Some had trinkets or mementos in them--photographs, ticket stubs, pebbles... symbols of memories from that lifetime. They were representations of what that life had accomplished. The photographs showed friendships and relationships, whether shallow or impactful. Ticket stubs showed wasted time, time spent doing things that did not really matter. The pebbles were the extra weight, the burdens, people felt whether it be from worry, sins, guilt, grudges... In one jar, I saw a beating heart. In another, a firefly. These were just glimpses into the lives of the people who no longer existed.
        I heard a booming voice: "What will your legacy be? What will you be remembered for? What will you leave behind?"
        I asked myself: What will be in my "jar"? Will my jar be a broken, shattered mess that holds nothing, no memories, no legacy? Will it hold fond memories for only my own recollection? Will I have an impact on the people around me?
        I thought about my desires, my aspirations for my future. I do not want to lead a pointless, self-satisfying life. I do not want to leave this world without having contributed to something bigger than me. I want to live my life filled with the Holy Spirit--I know that through Him I can make a difference in the world for Christ. I think about Romans 8:5-6... "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." I think it appropriate the vision was set in a place of death, especially after reading Romans 8. I hope that my "jar" will be a legacy based on what the Spirit has helped me accomplish, not achievements of the flesh.
        Take some time to consider these things: What will be in your "jar"? What will you be remembered for? What do you want to be remembered for?

Diamond in the Roots (vision)

        I see you walking through a grassy field- you are picking flowers as you walk. One flower is stubborn as you pull on it. Once you pull it from the ground you notice a diamond knotted in the roots. As you try to disentangle the diamond, you notice it was not caught in the roots- the roots are growing from the diamonds.
        The bouquet of flowers you were collecting is for someone who is sick, someone you are taking care of in real life. The diamond in the roots symbolizes a hidden blessing you will receive because of your kindness. In the vision, you weren't searching and digging for a treasure. The flower growing from the diamond was a way for you to find a blessing because of your caring nature.

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        I had this vision last night at church, but I wasn't sure who it was for at first. As I was praying, I felt like God was telling me that it would be for the person who was standing behind me after service. After closing in prayer, I turned around and saw a woman standing there. I leaned over, introduced myself, and told her the vision I had for her. She said that she has been praying for and taking care of many sick people in her life lately, and that this vision totally matched up with her life.
        We continued to speak for a while, somehow approaching the subject of names' meanings. She said that recently she found out her name--Tracey--meant "harvester." We started laughing because we realized that the speaker that night had been talking about harvesting blessings. God has a funny way of speaking to us, doesn't He?

Instruments (Vision)

I had this vision tonight at church at the end of worship and wound up speaking this to my whole youth group. (Thank You, Lord, for giving me the boldness!) I think this applies to pretty much everyone...

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        I see musical instruments sitting on all the chairs in this room. They aren't being played and not making any sound.
        In church, we are told that we are instruments for God to use, that God wants to use us to make a difference.
        In a lot of ways, we are like the musical instruments I saw... An instrument on its own does nothing, makes no sound. To be heard, it must be played.
        I feel like God is saying that we have not been active in our faith. He wants to use you for mighty things, but maybe you've been just sitting around waiting for mighty things to happen to you.
       When we start living our faith out, it is as if God is playing your instrument. You don't have to worry about how you will sound because He will be doing everything for you-- you just have to be willing for Him to use you. Acts 1:8* and Luke 12:11-12** assure us of this.
        And the beautiful thing is that once God is using all of us, it will work together like a symphony.

*Acts 1:8
    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

**Luke 12:11-12
    When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.

Spears in the Heart (visions)

        Let me just say this: The last couple weeks have been very draining. I have had a lot of stress from school (thank goodness I'm on break for two weeks), social situations (people can be so irritating), and family (can't live with them, can't live without them). I finally had a complete breakdown today when my dad and I had a huge fight over something pathetic (like cleaning up the house).
        I have been feeling annoyed with my dad for quite some time, but I finally snapped. It seems that he is either too absent or too controlling. We never see anything eye to eye. It seems like he is at work, on the computer playing a stupid game, watching TV, or asleep. When he's awake he's too tired to spend time with my sister or me. I'm not proud of how I acted today. I overreacted and shouldn't have raised my voice at him. I'm just glad that I didn't run out of the house like I was really tempted to do.
        My sister and I did eventually leave the house in a frenzy, tears streaming down my face. I wound up at my friend's house for a Christmas get-together. I was supposed to be picked up at nine, but I decided to just stay overnight. I really didn't want to go home.
        At midnight, my friend (Shari) and I had a heart to heart. I was a mess. I know that I need to be thankful I have a dad in the first place. I know that the family I have now is the only family I will ever have, so I need to make the most of it. It's hard though.
        Shari began to pray for me and she had a vision. She saw words piercing my heart like spears, stabbing all the way through my heart, leaving holes. As she was saying this, I started to feel like I wasn't letting the wounds heal properly, as if I was letting it fester and be more painful than ever. We continued to pray, believing God would give me the patience and grace I need to have for my family.
        We turned off the lights and were listening to worship music. Songs like Arms Wide Open by Misty Edwards (I wrote about this song), Embrace by Jake Hamilton, Oh You Bring by Hillsong United... They seemed to carry a common message about God's love...
        As I was laying there in the dark, I saw a knife come down from the ceiling and plunge into my heart. I sat there, almost in awe. It was like Shari's vision but so much more vivid and personal. The knife began to grow, becoming more like a sword. I tried and tried to pull out the sword from my own heart, but could not. I felt the pain of words spoken to me, the pain of a broken relationship with my father and with my sister... Then I saw a hand stretch down from heaven and pull the sword out of my heart and heal the wound completely. A scar was left behind, but there was no wound and no more pain. It reminded me of The Sword in the Stone, the story in which the person who pulled the sword out of the stone became king. My visions seemed to show that the King of all could pull the sword from my heart.
        I guess this can apply to all people... When we hear people speaking negative things to us, we can choose to ignore or to listen. The words they speak can be planted in our hearts as weeds and wounds that fester, or as seeds that sprout into beauty and grace. Which words will you take to heart? How will you respond to negativity?
        The hardest thing is forgiveness... I always ask God for forgiveness, but I'm reluctant to forgive others, especially family. If Dad ever reads this: I'm sorry for the times I have been disrespectful to you. I know that you're not perfect, but you don't have to be. God is my perfect Father, and that's what matters most. I forgive you. Will you forgive me?
        This conversation will be so much harder in person... Will I ever get the chance to speak this to you or will I never get around to it? Who knows?
        For now, I find comfort knowing that God is my Father in heaven, loving me, loving me, and loving me even more. Whatever my earthly dad can't do, He can do perfectly. He alone can heal the wounds in my heart and give me the peace I need.
        I encourage you to find what has injured your heart and pray for your Father to remove the pain and the wound.

The Size of an Ant (vision)

       I see you walking through the grass--you are about the size of an ant. There are other people walking around, also very small. Everyone looks up; you see a giant foot about to come down. People run frantically away, scurrying in every direction, terrified of getting stepped on. You stand still right where you are. You watch as the foot comes down directly in front of you--you narrowly missed it, but others were not so lucky. Something tells you that you would have been squished if you had been running away. The danger passes and you continue to walk. As you walk, you begin to grow. You are taller than the other people, the blades of grass, the flowers... You see the person whose foot you had nearly been stepped on by, and you begin walking quickly and purposely towards him. As you approach him, you realize you are much bigger than he. At first, you couldn't tell it you had grown larger than him or if he was just a smaller person. When you get near to him, you see he is a young child. You reach out and put a hand on his shoulder; he turns, startled and afraid. You smile gently and put your arm around him. You speak to him; he listens intently. I don't know the words you spoke, but I know it has to do with him scaring all the little people. The two of you begin to shrink down to the size you had been before. People come from all over--they recognize this kid as the one who threatened them earlier. You begin to speak and their faces change from being angry to showing compassion. All the people embrace the boy and he becomes a part of the community.

My interpretation:
       You are in a community of people who always fear something bigger than them. This "community" might be a group of friends, acquaintances, maybe even strangers. The constant fear could be of something supernatural or it could be a situation in life that scares them. When everyone else panics, you remain calm and listen to the small voice inside you that tells you to remain where you are; this winds up saving you. Your ability to stand firm shows courage and faith; you were able to conquer the fear that cripples the people of your community. Because of this, you were able to become larger than the problem itself and come face to face with it. You saw that the problem was not as threatening as everyone thought it was--in the vision it was a young, small person that you can easily talk to (this could symbolize a problem that you can easily manage). You are able to bring this "problem" down to the size of your community. I think this shows that the people's fear was blown out of proportion compared to the size of the problem. After talking with the people of your community, they come to realize the problem is not as big as they thought; it is nothing to fear.
       I guess I can sum this all up to: You overcome a fear that cripples the people around you and eventually prove to those people there is nothing for them to be afraid of.

Old to New Shoes (vision)

      I see you trying on dresses--brand new, fancy, elegant dresses. You are putting on jewels--earrings, necklaces, bracelets. You are looking into a mirror at all aspects of yourself. Leaning across the desktop, you stare into your eyes deeply. You lean back, brushing and fixing your hair. You are all set to go to a ball. As you step out of the house, you realize your feet are cold and look down. You have no shoes on. You run back inside to your closet and open the doors. No shoes. You search, tearing apart your closet, knowing you'll never find any shoes. Just then, a knock at the door. You walk over, head hung low, feet dragging, and open the door. A friend holds out a pair of shoes for you. They are old shoes, worn countless times. At first you consider turning down the offer but figure the old is better than nothing. Changing your attitude, you become very thankful, taking the shoes with pride, dignity, and gratitude, becoming more excited for the ball. As you slip on the shoes, they change into new, sparkling beautiful shoes that match your outfit perfectly. You are ready. You step out of the house confident and glowing with happiness. Tonight you will turn heads--you will be unforgetable.

My interpretation...
      I notice that as you looked in the mirror you weren't being vain but proud of who you are. You thought you were ready to go out, but realized you were missing a very important item. You were determined to find shoes, searching and searching but ending in disappointment. At the moment of greatest despair a friend steps in to rescue you. I think that the shoes could represent faith. Someone offers to help you when you have little or no faith and because of this lack of faith you don't see how they can help. At the point you become thankful for their help, it transforms into something that fits perfectly into your life. Gratitude leads to provision. From what I can tell, God (and pretty much anyone else on Earth) hates to provide for people who grumble, whine, and complain.
      Faith is more of a walk than a blind leap. You had to walk to the closet, and even when you were upset by the outcome of that situation, you walk to the door. From there you walk with your new shoes outside and onto the ball.
      Also, you are a very thrifty person. You make old clothes appear to be the newest, trendiest fashions ever! :) I find it funny that the vision I had of you had a hint of this in it... The old shoes becoming new and a part of your elegant ensemble.

Lamppost In A Storm (vision)

      I see you lying awake in bed. It's a dark night with clouds thickly covering the sky. After tossing and turning, you sit up with the blankets covering your legs. You are wearing a white night gown with long sleeves--the old-fashioned kind. You turn on your light--an old lamp on a bedside table. The light flickers. The wind is blowing hard outside and tree branches--empty, without leaves--scratch at the window. You slide your legs over the side of your bed and slip your feet into soft slippers. You walk to the window and look out. It's a big window--floor to celing-- and you're on the second floor of your house. You see a lamppost down the street with a flickering flame inside the glass panes of the top of the post. It begins to rain--lightly at first, then harder and harder. The light in your room goes out. Following the darkness, lightning flashes several times. The thunder rolls in many seconds later. You are not fearful in the least bit. If anything, you are intrigued and excited.
      You make your way through the dark house and down a winding, stone stairwell that leads outside. You step out into the storm as lightning strikes--thunder follows much quicker than before--yet you don't get wet from the rain. You stand below the enormous, bare tree. You circle it once, twice, three times and begin backing away. Lightning flashes and thunder claps--the lightning is getting closer. You turn around and start walking towards the lamppost. The clouds begin to pull back and the full moon shines down, illuminating your path better. As you approach the lamppost, you notice things you couldn't have seen from your bedroom window. Tree roots are sprouting from the bottom of the post and ivy grows, wrapping around the post. Instead of just one flame, the lamp has three flames in it. You stand next to the lamppost, facing your home.
      Lightning strikes the base of the tree and it it bursts into flames. You sit down at the base of the lamppost and watch the fire consume the tree. Your house remains unscathed. The wind dies down, the lightning and thunder stops, but the rain continues relentlessly. You continue to sit and watch as the flames on the tree die down. When there is hardly any fire left, you walk to the tree's remains. All that is left is a charred stump and dry roots. You shake your head out of sadness. You look to the the moon, your room, then the lamppost. You run up the stairwell, into your room, and into your closet. You pull out a wicker basket and run to the lamppost. You begin to pick off the ivy leaves and place them in your basket. As you pick the leaves, thorns and rosebuds sprout in their place (you don't touch these). When you finish picking all the ivy and your basket is full, you run to the dead tree stump.
      You spread all the ivy onto the stump. The ivy sort of melts into the stump and a new tree begins to grow. Its branches stretch as high as, if not higher than, before. Leaves sprout from these new, healthy limbs. You look to the lamppost. There is one large flame glowing from the top and all the roses are in full bloom. The rain stops and the sky is cloudless.
      Smiling to yourself, you walk to your bedroom. You sit on the edge of your bed, slide off your slippers, swing your legs onto the bed, and pull your covers up. You notice that your lamp has turned back on so you lean over, turn it off, and lay back in bed. You are asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.

My interpretation...
      First off, I'd like to point out that you and your clothes remain unchanged throughout. In all my other visions (there are much more than what I've posted), there was at least one change in at least one article of clothing or other parts of appearance. These changes represent changes in themselves--their attitude, heart, mind, etc. Your vision did not have that. Second, the white nightgown made me think of purity, simplicity, and integrity.
      You remain fearless throughout.
      I have yet to talk to you about this, and I'm sure it'll make more sense when we talk. I'll be honest: I'm kind of confused by the meaning of this.
      I can see that you will be bringing something thought dead back to life (probably on a spiritual or metaphorical level, but you never know).
      I did some research on ivy and found some interesting symbolism. Ivy is usually considered symbolic of friendship and growth. Ivy is durable and can withstand even some of the harshest conditions. It represents determination because it is virtually indestructable--it can survive and grow back even after suffering damage or being cut. Some say it is an example of human character/spirit because of the strength and ability to carry on regardless of setbacks. Ivy grows in spirals which can be seen as expansion and rebirth. This I find most interesting considering the ivy leaves bring back the dead tree.

Swimming Raft and Flower Crowns (vision)

      I see you standing on a swimming raft in a lake (see picture below: it's pretty much a wooden platform floating in a lake). The wind circles around you, blowing your hair in your face and bringing you chills. You begin to spin in circles, kind of dancing in the wind. But you are hesitant to really dance with the wind and let loose because you fear falling into the water. The wind continues to blow; gusts are getting stronger--their force is moving you about on the platform. You get dangerously close to being pushed into the water by the wind. Finally, you decide you will dive in. Rather than being forced in, you choose to (it allows you to prepare yourself for the shock of the cold water and to land properly in the water). You put your hands together over your head, lean forward, and dive into the dark water. You brace yourself for extreme cold and are surprised to find that it is not as cold as expected. You are also surprised at yourself with your lack of fear--you have no fear of drowning or other creatures in the lake, and you do not fear becoming lost in the lake.
      You swim to the shore. You shake your head and water goes flying--your hair is instantly dry, as are all your clothes, which have changed (on the platform, you had been wearing a sweatjackt and jeans with red Converse--now you are wearing a white, flowing dress and are barefoot). You sit cross-legged a ways from the shore in a patch of tiny white flowers. You pick many flowers and begin to weave yourself a crown out of these flowers. As you do this, new flowers grow rapidly in their place--bigger and bolder-colored flowers. Also, children start coming and sitting around you. They gather in a circle, all sitting-cross-legged-- just like you-- and leaning forward, heads propped on their hands, watching you intently.
      You have finished the crown you were working on and give it to one child. Then you pick more of the tiny white flowers and make more crowns. Eventually, you have made enough crowns for all the children. Each child then picks a flower--these are the newer, bigger, bolder flowers. They hand you these flowers and you weave them into a crown. You ask "Whose crown is this?: One child stands up, takes the crown from your hands, and places it on your head. All of you stand in a circle, clasp hands, and dance in a circle (something like "Ring Around the Rosy" but without the song). Once again, the wind begins to blow as you dance with the children.

My Interpretation...

      The first part reminds me of John 3:5-8,11-13. "Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit...Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?'"

       When I read "born of water and Spirit" I think of baptism of each. Also, He says that you can't discredit the spiritual world because you can't see it--You can't see the wind, but you can feel its effects. Another aspect of the wind that is true of God: you can't see where it comes from or where it will be going.

      When you were on the swimming raft, you had to make a conscious decision to dive in and be "baptized" in a sense. Nothing could force you to do that. You had thought you were free until you say how limited you actually were on the raft.

      You emerge from the water in new clothing--you aren't your old self anymore--in a way, you are a new creation. You were wearing a white, flowing dress--what I see as a symbol of purity and honesty/integrity. The barefeet make me think of freedom. The patch of white flowers--purity, life, and growth. The children are your ministry (I know how much you already love teaching and being around kids); this vision can be an affirmation to you that you were meant for teaching kids. The children came to you and, first, imitated the way you acted, then eagerly and intently watched you. You passed on crowns to them that you put love and care into--crowns made from life, purity, and growth. In the end they gave you a crown of blessings--the flowers that had grown as a result of picking the flowers for the children's crowns. The vision ends with everyone dancing in freedom with the Spirit. 

Field of Dandelions and Daisies (vision)

      I see you in an old wooden ship. You are scared out of your mind because it is rocking back and forth; you are afraid you will capsize and drown. You put on a lifejacket and run around frantically. Looking over the side of the ship you realize the ship is in a small pond. The huge waves you felt were mere ripples in the pond. You jump out of the ship, landing in the shallow water. You slide off your shoes and start running through the tall green grass. You are wearing a yellow, flowing dress.
      As you are running through the field, you see a spiral staircase stretching into the sky. You begin climbing the stairs. You get to a point where you stop, looking around you. All you see is the field for as far as the eye can see. You shrug (thinking "What's the point of climbing this staircase?), turn, and start walking back down the stairs. On your way down you sit on the bannister and slide down. The momentum gives you a running start as you go running off into the field
      There are no mountains, no valleys--only the field you are running barefoot through. The field becomes full of dandelions and daisies. You stand and spin in this field, then plop down onto the ground. You sit there and pick a dandelion and a daisy. You hold the dandelion in your left hand and the daisy in your right hand. You look at both intensely, but hold up the dandelion. You close your eyes and blow on it. The seeds disperse, flying with the wind. You lay back and stare up at the sun as the wind continues to blow.

My interpretation...
      The vision came in three parts: 1) the ship 2) the staircase, and 3) the dandelions/daisies. The ship could be something in your life that you think is a big issue that will end in disaster, but realize your fear blocked the reality of the situation. This reminds me of the saying "Big fish in a small pond." Maybe you need to escape the confines of a "ship" in your life and go running free through a field (metaphorically speaking). :)
      The barefeet and yellow dress make me think of freedom. I resarched the meaning of colors, and yellow (like your dress) tends to be a color of energy and clarity--clarity for decision-making, relief from panic and nervousness, and protection from depression.
      You see a spiral staircase with seemingly no end. You climb but realize it's in vain--you can see it won't get you anywhere by climbing it so you quit it. On your way down, you decide to slide down the bannister--a quicker way to leave the staircase--which launches you into your running start towards the field.
      There are no mountains or valleys--few struggles or despair. The dandelions are weeds, but I see them as a positive type weed. Instead of weeds of hate, I see weeds of love and hope (sounds a little paradoxical, I know). The love can be scattered and grow back tenfold. When you sit down, you pick a daisy and a dandelion. Instead of the daisy, you prefer the dandelion which you close your eyes and seemingly make a wish on. The seeds go flying, something I see as scattering hope and love. As I talked with you, I describe the daisy as the "He-loves-me-He-loves-me-not" flower. I think it means something... The "He-loves-me..." mentality leaves it up to chance and superstition, while dandelion has so much more hope and wishful thinking behind it that leads to the planting of countless seeds.
      You end in such a state of peace and tranquility, resting in the sun (which I think is a funy play on the word "Son"--Jesus).

Visions

The next several posts are visions I have had for people in my life. I guess they would be considered prophetic because I speak to these people only what God tells me--things I couldn't possibly know on my own. I think about Zechariah 4:6 where it says "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."

I will keep them anonymous but the person it's for will know... I think the visions are fascinating and worth sharing.