001 - Taking the Leap into Destiny

I've planned to start a newsletter for a while now.

This is the beginning. The first "official" issue.

Today is story time (as well as an invitation to be the best you that you've been created to be).

In 2014, while in ministry school, I had a vision that I did not understand the impact of.

God reminded me of the vision about 3 years ago.

It was the story of my life up to that point. With pretty crazy accuracy.

As I've shared this vision with people, I realized that many people relate to it... almost like it's ALSO the story of their lives.

Hopefully, it will do the same for you.

Let's dig in.

The vision started with me, as a child, walking hand-in-hand with Jesus through a forest.

And, as a child, I was in a state of wonder. The flowers, the trees, the insects – it was all overwhelmingly wonderful to me.

As we walked along the wooded path, I was bouncing around, just happy to be exploring all that was.

"Woah, look at that!" was followed by "That's so cool."

That's when we came to a cave. As I explored it's opening, Jesus asked me if I wanted to go deeper.

Of course I wanted to, so in the cave we went.

However, the deeper we got, the darker the cave became.

Before I knew it, all that existed was pitch blackness. So dark, you couldn't see the back of your hand in front of your face.

Even in the darkness, while evil was lurking, I felt no fear. My hand was still grasping the one who loved me.

As we continued even deeper, I started hearing the distant sound of rushing water.

It was an underground river. A river I knew we had to cross.

But how?

As we came up to edge of the river, Jesus told me to simply step where He steps.

His steps were illuminated in the darkness, and across the river we went.

Still deeper we ventured.

The sound of the river disappeared and a pinhole of light started appearing in the distance.

The pinhole of light grew bigger and bigger until, finally, we came to an opening.

A feeling of relief washed over me as we left the darkness behind.

As we stepped out of the opening, I realized I was on a ledge of cliff. It was a lazy summer day with clouds below the cliff ledge.

The refreshing feeling of the sun had me pause for a good while simply to soak it up. It was surreal, blissful.

After a time of refreshing, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I'm ready to jump.

Yes, JUMP!?

At first this felt impossible.

Then, Jesus asked me take His hand as we'll do this together.

So, I took His hand, fully trusting Him.

We stepped to the ledge and jumped off without any hesitation.

Free falling. Then, fear. Was I going to crash to the ground, dead?

Suddenly, though, I have wings.

And instead of falling, I'm soaring. Still above the clouds, I soar around.

Again, this feeling of freedom, of fullness. The wind through my wings.

We soar around for a while, then descend through the clouds.

After descending, I land on a stage and am given a mic.

Groups of hundreds of thousands of people are in front of me... waiting.

That's when the vision ends.

Now, let's break it down for what it means for me & for you.

PART 1: The Forest. 

You see, when I was in ministry school, I was learning about the joys and wonder of the Kingdom of God.

It was a happy-go-lucky time.

For you, it may have been when you first encountered God's goodness.

PART 2: The Cave.

Next came the cave. As I left ministry school and moved back home, people didn't understand the freedom I had experienced.

They judged me for it, and it got really dark for a while.

Depression was my companion.

Maybe, you've also gone through a time of darkness (or are still in it - if so, be encouraged because goodness is coming).

PART 3: The River.

At the depth of the cave, I encountered a river I had to transition.

Transitioning in the midst of darkness would have been impossible by my own. But, following the footsteps of Jesus took me from the deepest darkness and led me toward light.

For me, this transition was moving to a new place and going to a new church and, trust me, it was rough.

If you've felt the darkness and overcome it, you've experienced this sort of transition. If you haven't yet transitioned, it's possible. (I'll share more in another issue.)

PART 4: The Ledge.

After the transition, I finally came to a ledge where the darkness was no more.

I could freely soak up the sun (son). And that's what I did for a couple years after the transition.

For me, this looked like spending time simply enjoying the presence of God. No agenda. No pressure. No performance. Simply being.

If you haven't experienced this yet in your life, hang on. It'll happen as you choose to put your focus OFF of the darkness and unto the speck of light that comes from God.

If you have experienced this time of refreshing, it's a setup to step into your destiny.

PART 5: The Leap.

You see, after refreshing, it's time to face your biggest fear. To jump with no safety net.

In this, you must let go of yourself and hang on to Christ. It's the only way.

This is where I'm at. Taking the jump.

That's why I'm writing this newsletter. It's me taking a jump and inviting you to take a jump as well (if the time is right).

Because after you jump, you'll SOAR into your destiny.

For me that was the stage and the people.

For you it may be completely different.

Whatever it is, you've got it because He's got you.

Where do you see yourself in this vision?

Where are you going next?

Over the next couple weeks & months, I'll pull back the journey of this jump (including something I'm launching shortly, but more on that another time).

You get to join me on the journey through this newsletter.