A dream, a goal, a life

8:06 p.m. Today's project was to wrap up details of the living trust the Lord has allowed and led me to set up. At Steve's passing, all of his estate passed to me as joint tenant. But I have 5 children, 4 children-in-law and 4 grandsons so far, and their modest inheritance needs to be prearranged to be fairly divided among them. After a desultory number of appointments at Wells Fargo yesterday, my details were taken care of by my regular, knowledgeable banker Laila this morning; and then I had a short and productive session with Provident banker Danielle, and we're at the last step, which I can take care of tomorrow.

It's been important to be a wise steward of our family's property, because the Bible makes it clear that we are to conduct our lives wisely as believers. We give God the praise for our ability to work and earn; we give to God's work; we put aside support for our children and grandchildren. Scriptures that encouraged me are:

A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands, Proverbs 14:1
It is He who gives you the power to get wealth, Deuteronomy 8:18
For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children, 2 Corinthians 12:14b.

Before, during, after, over and above the legal and banking procedures of the last three days has been hard work toward the achievement of my goal in Mary Kay: building my team from five active business women to ten by April 30th. On May 1st, I then may submit for DIQ (Director in Qualification), to debut on the 50th anniversary stage as a Sales Director in Dallas in August. I'll need a minimum of 24 women in my potential unit, which the Holy Spirit showed me to name "The Uplifted Ones."

For the first time this year, the Lord has led me to envision myself in that leadership role, and has told me repeatedly, especially when the goal seems far away and setbacks crowd hope out, "I am in this for you." I've added four new team members in the last two weeks, and now need to encourage my more seasoned members to continue to be active. Because I'm down to a five-day wire, I know God will get all the glory when my goal is accomplished, because only He can move another person to make a decision. Psalm 94:11 tells us that God knows the thoughts of man; Proverbs 20:24 shows us that even our own thoughts and actions can be a mystery to us, but not to  God.

Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

My son Kriss and I were talking about the difference between a dream and a goal earlier this evening. To be a professional musician has been his dream for many years, for instance. But goals such as moving his family here to live in Riverside with me on a certain date was a goal--a definite action with a date and cost. The cost could be monetary or sacrifice of familiarity or comfort. My dream is to enjoy, as sole source of income for myself, financial independence through my Mary Kay business. But my goal is definite, and has a date stamp: create my 10 woman team for DIQ by April 30th. And there are definite costs--no gardening this season, lots of appointments, parties, interviews and lead-gathering events, and many missed dinners! (How blessed I am that Kriss' wife Marisela leaves me a perfect portion of every meal I miss, which I eat later on)!

Life may not always conform to the dreams we have, but achievement of increasingly challenging goals will directly lead to success in any endeavor when the Lord is with you! Most important, let's remember to set spiritual goals as well, to read the Bible daily, pray, stay in fellowship at church, and tell others about Jesus. And we will attain to more usefulness to His kingdom if our goal is to learn and grow. 2 Corinthians 3:18:

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as of the Lord the Spirit.