The length of a dream can be as short as a few seconds or up to as long as 20-30 minutes. A lot can be said during that relatively short amount of time especially when it is the words of God that we are receiving. Instant revelation is nice, but that is often not the case. With the symbolic nature of dreams, the meaning can be kept from us. This can be due maturity or timing. It could be that we are not ready to hear what is being said as there are some areas of growth needed in our life. Secondarily, it may not be God’s right time and He is hiding some details until He sees fit. A dream comes in a moment but takes a lifetime to fulfill.

While we may see the end destination there are many steps to take on the journey. I like to call this the “In Between.” I capitalized it because it makes it seem super important and it is. How we navigate the doldrum and storms will invariably shape our character more than anything else. We love the victory experiences — peoples lives being changed, accomplishing major goals, financial success, but those of us that extract the value from the “defeats” will be the ones that live in the fulfillment of their dreams.

Two of the most famous dreamers of the Bible, Joseph and Daniel, had significant In Between seasons. Joseph went through slavery, rape accusation and prison between his dreams and his rise to power. Daniel was exiled to a foreign land, thrown in the lion’s den and forgotten about for decades at time between his moments of dream activation. We all have the In Between and it becomes a catalyst for our growth that results in a destiny that shapes history.

Every dream journey is vastly different. I didn’t know the first thing about dreams until after I was 30 years old. Raised in a Christian home, educated at Christian schools, employed at Christian organizations, but I did not know that God had dreams for me. I knew that God had a plan for me. I did not know the entirety of it. Being awakened to dreams not only helped me understand why I was here but it helped me know my Father. He has a way of leaking out information about what His plans for us are as we draw closer to Him. It is His great joy to share the Kingdom with us.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:32

Your dream is a Kingdom dream. A. The King gave it to you. B. He’s called you to build his Kingdom. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is the Kingdom of God on this earth. Or your dream. Your dream is much cooler than Rome, by the way.

Now that you know you are called to build the Kingdom through your dream, here are some tips on the In Between.

Get better at listening

Do this even if you have no desire to dream. It will help out all the rest of us. More specifically, get better at listening to God. I often highlight the importance of dreams, but certainly God uses many avenues to speak to us. It always starts with the Bible. If you cannot hear Him speaking directly through His word, spend more time in it coupled with prayer. God uses other people to speak to us and sometimes they are the least expected source. Remember the donkey and Balaam? (Numbers 22:21-38) Yeah, He can use anything to talk to you. Begin to recognize His voice in circumstances and situations, as well. Simple nuances of life can be insightful reminders from your Father. As you hear the voice of God more readily, you will not only learn valuable lessons for everyday life but also revelation on walking out your dreams.

Sharpen your character

As you listen better, you will hear the Still Small Voice telling you to do some things you may not want to do. Pick up that trash. Say sorry. Help that homeless man. At first these may be a stretch for you, but as you obey these moments of discomfort they become natural responses of love. In those selfless moments, you are actually building the dream of another person no matter how small the act may be. Your gift will never be taken away as Romans 11:29 reminds us, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” The maturity of that gift in you will not be found outside of the development of your character.

Develop your dream

The dream is alive in you! Way to go! Do not just sit there waiting for Heaven to drop everything you need into your lap. If this does happen to you, hallelujah to the King, but I do not know of one person that has happened to in the history of mankind. Jesus made everything we need available to us at the cross, but we do have our part in accessing it. Every single dream has to be stewarded by the carrier. The passion should not be hard to come by as this dream is tailor-made for you. It will be up to you to learn, better yourself and make it a lifelong pursuit of excellence.

The In Between is the most valuable but often least thought about aspect of your dream. Without it the dream withers into forgotten wisps. The In Between drives you to become everything God intended you to be. Joseph needed it. Daniel needed it. You need it. I need it. See you in the In Between.

Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.

At least that is what Wikipedia says. And everybody knows if it is on Wikipedia, then someone probably defaced the page … like me.

Fun, fun, fun, fun … wait. It’s not Friday. Nevermind.

For most part, the thought of education centers around the first 18 to 22 years of life, and maybe an additional decade if you are a doctor or if you like to take your time, a.k.a. you are a slacker. In reality, we never stop learning. Everyday we encounter information that educates us, and we choose who or what is teaching us. If our learnin’ comes from the E! Channel and Ryan Seacrest, the potential return is minimal. Although, we will know that Lindsay Lohan went to the grocery store which is vital information. On the other hand, we have so many options to properly educate ourselves so that we can be all that we can be … and not just in the Army.

I have many friends that are established in their careers and they are getting formal education to insure that they continue to move forward. But that is not the only way to go about education. There is so much free information on the Internet that you could nearly receive doctorate level schooling in just about anything. No one confirmed from a previous post, but I’m pretty sure there are still libraries that allow you to check out books for free. Amazing! Of course, there is a myriad of paid training available online and offline that does not require enrollment in a college.

Employers understand the value of education, as many of them will reimburse the cost of courses that pertain to their field. If you have that opportunity, take it! Usually companies only pay for one course a semester. So it make take a little while, but THEY ARE PAYING! Do it.

We should take advantage of on-the-job training, as well. I really like the education Wiki definition above, “…society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.” Learn from those that have gone before. Experience is a powerful teacher. Be deliberate. Have a plan of how education is going to improve business and life. Arguably, the most important part is to pass on what we have learned. Share the knowledge. Don’t be a “Dead Sea of wisdom” — receiving everything, but never pouring out. Eventually, we will become bitter (I’ve tasted the Dead Sea. It’s gross.) and lifeless if we do not make an effort to improve others.

The opportunities are endless to better ourselves through education. Make it a life long goal to never stop learning and never stop teaching. Everyone is a student, and everyone is a teacher. As we realize this, we can make a concerted effort to train ourselves and others with the necessary tools to bring out the best in everyone.

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.  ~A.A. Milne