“Can Your Faith Be Seen?” by Joan Y. Edwards
Can you see, smell, touch, hear, or taste your faith in yourself? There are positive effects of getting an object to represent your dream coming true. This object will symbolize your goal in the completed state when it becomes reality. Visualize an object that you think symbolizes one of your goals. Can you buy it or create it?
A writer/illustrator can visualize winning the Newbery Medal or the Caldecott Award. She can see herself being declared a New York Times Best-Selling Author. When authors see these awards in their minds, it will help them achieve the praise-worthy awards.
Let me explain further. For instance, Joel Osteen said a woman and her husband bought a baby’s outfit. They didn’t have a baby yet. They were “hoping” to have one. Every day they looked at the outfit and thanked God for the baby He was sending him. Funny thing about this. The couple did have a baby many years later.
It reminded me of a few times when I’ve used as an object as a symbol of my belief:
When I was caring for my Mother in the year 2000, I was distressed because during the previous five years, she had been in the hospital two times for a long stay. I wanted to keep this from happening again. I created a mini-hospital bag: a gift bag filled with bandaids, Neosporin ointment, and gauze. I told Mother and Carl I was going to keep this as my mini-hospital so it would keep Mother from having to go into the hospital to stay. It worked. Mother never had to stay in the hospital again until a month before she died. My mini-hospital-being able to furnish my Mother’s needs worked. I believed it would work. It worked.
When Carl and I went to Colorado this summer in the midst of all the fires they were having, we were terrified. I told him that just because we stayed home wouldn’t mean there wouldn’t be problems. I told him I asked God if we could take rain to Colorado. I also told him I was going to buy N-95 Particulate Masks to protect us from the smoke, if we got into it. I told him that the masks would work sort of like having an umbrella to keep the rain away. We did take rain with us. It rained in Colorado and put out a lot of the fires while we were out there. God answered our prayers and the prayers of all the people in the world who have prayed for rain in drought filled areas.
Sometimes I cut words and/or pictures out of magazines to represent what I wish for…my dreams. Funny about it, when I look back on them later, many of those dreams have come true. In 2004, I cut out a picture of a house I liked. In 2006, the house Carl and I bought was similar to it. John Assaraf, in the movie, The Secret, put a picture of a beautiful Hollywood home on his “Vision Board.” Five years later he discovered that he not only got a house similar to the one in his picture, but he had actually purchased the exact same house and was living in it.
Believe that you will receive what you wish. The universe has an abundance. God has an abundance for you. Expect and declare what you desire. Choose words or an object to represent your dream. I believe in you. God believes in you. Believe in yourself. You are more than worth it.
Thanks for reading my blog. Please leave a comment. Share symbols you have for your dreams. I’d love to hear from you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright 2012 © Joan Y. Edwards
Joan,
On my way to a job interview today, I prayed that God’s will be done. In the next breath I asked for Jesus to be at my side. I was reminded of the Footprints in the Sand poem. I’ve never made the second prayer request before today. I’m not sure where the request came from. It wasn’t planned. While at the job interview, I was more relaxed than I’ve been at any other one this last year. I think the visual image of not being on my own was what made the difference. What a great feeling. Visualizing worked for me.
Dear Linda,
My heart goes out to you in your job search. I’m glad that visualizing not being alone and being reminded of the Footsteps in the Sand Poem is a great symbol of your faith in God to be with you. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you were more relaxed at this interview. I’m hoping this is the job interview that leads to a permanent job for you. Celebrate you today!
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
You’re welcome. I’d forgotten that I had downloaded the Newbery and Caldecott Medal images a few years ago. I used them recently in a mini-lesson for one of my critique groups. I did an image for New York Best-Selling Author, but it was too small, so I redid it. I’m glad you liked them.
Keep visualizing your success. It’ll inspire the steps necessary to get there.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Joan,
I love the new images you added. Keep them in sight!