“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT“
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT

We all have dreams. You may not have thought about yours for a long time. Perhaps life has swallowed up your initiative to follow through on them, but they are still there. What are they?

Perhaps you have crafted your dream into a goal. You may even have written it down and made a plan. But just maybe, life has swallowed your plan along with your drive to follow through, and you find it hard to move forward. You may feel stuck. Is that you?

The truth is, we don’t have the power to follow through on our dreams and goals until we hear God speak. When He speaks, we receive the power to follow through. What has God spoken to you, and what will you do about it?

If you believe God has spoken to you, what is your next step? Let me offer a suggestion.

Confirm – Pray and be sure that you have heard correctly. Ask trusted people in your life for input. Important decisions require confirmation from more than one source. You are not in this alone. So, don’t isolate yourself. Reach out for support.

Craft a plan to fulfill what God has spoken. Writing it down helps you think through the details but also gives you a concrete reminder to review. Post that plan where you will see it regularly. It’s worth the effort.

Take the next step. That is all. You can only take one step at a time. So, do it! You can’t skip to the end as much as you may want to.

In recent years, I have realized skipping to the end is what I often want most. I want to leap over all the middle steps and just land at the deeply desired goal. Every important, God-inspired goal holds so many more middle steps than I expect. Reaching that goal takes so much more grit, determination, and perseverance than I want. But those middle steps are how God grows my character. I will miss that important aspect if I skip to the end, and so will you.

Here is the bottom line: The power to achieve comes from God. But you and I must choose to move.

What is God saying to you, my friend? How will you respond? What is your next step?

Key Question: What has God spoken to you, and what will you do about it?

A Scripture to Consider: “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT“

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT

A YES Challenge: Whether you have written them out or not, review the goals you have set for yourself. Ask God to highlight the goals He wants you to follow through on. Then, ask Him to empower you to take the next step toward it.

Prayer: Lord, Your word says that there are many plans in human hearts, but that You are the one who directs our steps. I want my plans to line up with Yours. On my own, I can never accomplish anything of value. I need You and Your power. Fill me. Guide me. Lead me in the right path for Your honor and glory. Amen.

If you’d like to learn more, you can check out the book here. Please leave a review on Amazon! That will help other people find the book and receive guidance and encouragement in their God-centered goal setting.

If you are stuck and would like a partner to help you process your next step, I’d love to help. Schedule a 30-minute complimentary coaching session here.

September 12, 2026

This is Not Forever

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

As I tearfully opened the sodden boxes of our stored belongings, wondering what was ruined, a verse came to mind,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

We were temporarily living with my parents, and our stuff was stored in Tom’s parents' garage. They had a plumbing issue in their bathroom above the garage, causing a leak that soaked several of our boxes and other items, including our mattress. We weren’t sure what was salvageable.

That period of time was already difficult. We were waiting for a job to open up and unsure how long that would take, how long we would be living with my parents, how long our stuff would be stored. Both sets of parents had been patient, loving, and gracious. There was no one to blame for the water damage. Sometimes things just happen.

But when that verse popped into my brain, it completely changed my perspective on going through the damage. The tears didn’t stop. There was some mourning and disappointment. But at the same time, there was hope. This was temporary. These things were just things. What really mattered was how I responded. I could choose an eternal perspective. I could choose to treasure Christ more than an earthly possession.

As it turned out, very few of our things were unsalvageable, and insurance more than covered anything that was lost. But the eternal perspective I gained is a treasure that I still carry. That simple shift helped me through the three and a half years of living in the in-between.