I am so excited to announce that today my second eBook is live and available for purchase at:
This book is very close to my heart and very special because of how it "came about" and the revelation associated with it.
The Backstory
I was about to make a vision board, so I went to YouTube to just get some ideas on how to start and do a bit of research. As I viewed different videos on that platform, I soon discovered a reoccurring thing that was happening as a result of the vision board creator "manifesting" whatever it was they put on the board. What was it? I'm glad you asked. It was the following:
- credit was given to the vision board as if it possessed some sort of mystical power to grant them whatever they wanted on the board.
- every last one of them spoke of manifesting the stuff they put on the board, encouraged their viewers to create a vision board, put whatever they wanted on the board, and the end result would be that it would happen for them leaving no space for God to come in and amend as He saw fit.
On the surface, it seems harmless, and many will declare that it is. What's the harm in putting all one's heart's desire down on paper and believing that they will get it? Even the Christians do that right? God instructed the Prophet Habakkuk to "write the vision and make it plain" (Habakkuk 2:1-3)...right? Here's where I'd like to submit to you my perspective to ponder as I address the harm that I see.
Believers In Jesus the Christ Beware
The purpose of a vision board is to create a visual collage of the things that your heart desire and believe that they will happen. The problem with that is we don't truly know our hearts. We think we do but we really don't. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. It is the LORD who searches the heart. The question is raised..."who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9-10). That's why I don't like the motto: Follow Your Heart. The Bible instructs us to not lean on our own understanding about things and to acknowledge God in all our ways so that our paths can be directed by Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). Not one time did I hear any of the content creators nor read any information where God was given credit for the obtaining of the things on the vision board. It was...the vision board this and the vision board that. Why is that? It is because vision boards are commonly associated with the new age practice of manifesting and the law of attraction.
The older I get and the more I go before God transparently, the more I realize I need Him because He truly does know me better than I know myself. That goes for every human being that has walked, is walking, and will walk the face of this earth. People create vision boards, throw all these material things on there that they feel like they want or would make them happy, then they pursue those things. That's the real reason the person gets everything they wanted...they become focused. It gives them a sense of direction. What happens then is that once they achieve all they wanted they then say it was the vision board. Every single person I have ever heard speak on their usage of a vision board spoke like the vision board had power. Listen, focus and dedication is all good. That is not the problem I am raising. What I'm drawing attention to is the lack of room or space created to allow God to AMEND what is being desired. With that said, by the wisdom of God, I have created an alternative for the believer.
The Alternative
The Personal Desire Journal, that God gave me the inspiration to create, is the alternative. Why? It's because it is Christ centered. It is a guided journal for casting your desires and dreams before Jesus and allowing Him to have a say about the things you are desiring. This is so, so, so very important because, like I mentioned above, the heart is deceitful and wicked. That's why it is unwise to follow it. The heart will have you wanting things that have the potential of killing you in some kind of way, whether that be spiritually and/or physically because there is a way that appears (seems) to be right, but in the end, it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12). How many of us humans have had our hearts lead us into toxic and unproductive relationships that almost killed us? How many of us humans have taken opportunities that promised more money for it to only kill the quality time we once allotted to spend with our family? How many of us humans have bought things that we just had to have but it killed any peace that we once had? We don't include God enough in our plans and decision making. If we did, we would have the privilege of having the truth about our hearts revealed to us. So many of want things, pursue them, and possess them without ever really understanding that the desire for what it is that we want originates from some childhood trauma, or some need for validation, and etc. When we place those things that we desire before the light of Jesus through the Word (Bible), that light begins to illuminate what's dark and impure. The Word washes away the impurities of our hearts and sanctify us.
Katie wants a 6-bedroom house. She gets a high imagining how fabulously people would think of her as they walked through her professionally decorated 6-bedroom house one day so she throws it on the vision board. Katie goes out and finds a job that would afford her the income to purchase the home she has always been wanting. She gets it. Katie becomes so focused on getting the house that she doesn't even realize that it's not really what she wants. It's the validation of others. It's others thinking that she has arrived is what she really desires. Katie represents so many people. Fame is another highly pursued thing that, for many, seems right but actually leads to death. How many people have pursued fame only to realize it doesn't truly offer happiness because all the demands attached to it sucks the life out of their soul?
The Personal Desire Journal is a resource that elementary age children to adults can benefit from using. The difference between a vision board and this book is that you intentionally give God space and freedom to direct your path as it pertains to the desires you jot down. This book includes within:
- foundational scriptures upon which the book is built upon.
- a prayer for the purchaser.
- Desire Dump - section that focuses on writing down all your dreams and desires freely.
- Desire Outlook - section that focuses on analyzing each desire you wrote down for clarity.
- People to Bless - section that focuses on listing the names of people you need to bless and how you desire to bless them.
- Inspiration - space to create a visual of the desires you have.
- Gratitude - space to just write down the things you find that you are grateful for as you journey towards the things that God has in store for you.
- Scripture Strength - a section created for the sole purpose of keeping a log of encouraging scriptures to give you strength along the way because there will be days when things will look bleak even though God is always working behind the scenes.
- Prayer Requests - a space created for you to keep a log of prayer requests that you make so you can document when God answers them.
- Helpful Resources - a section dedicated to keeping all the important people, places, thing, organizations, phone numbers, and etc., that will help you reach your goals.
- Note - just space for you to jot down quick notes and reminders.
This eBook is designed so that you can print the actual pages out and create a physical journal (binder). I am confident that this particular book will be an effective tool in assisting you with keeping your wants and desires in proper perspective and order as God chooses to bless you according to His will. Get your copy of my eBook at:
Be sure to check out my first book:
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