Kris Vallotton • February 23, 2016

What if?

Guest post by Kevin Dedmon.


In my last blog , I discussed the benefits of daydreaming our way into our destiny.


The degree to which our destiny is fulfilled, however, will be determined by our willingness to dream beyond what we initially imagine, ask, or think.


God has called us to do the impossible, which means we must dream the impossible dream, in order to fulfill our Divine destiny.


It can be scary, however, to dream bigger, especially if we have had set backs, failures, and unfulfilled dreams in the past.


If we are going to live in our destiny, we must do as the apostle Paul and forget what is behind and press toward the mark (Philippians 3:10).


We must refuse to let the past determine our future.


Remember:


We are not defined by our past — We are defining our future.


Our future is unlimited, full of potential, and waiting to be activated.


As believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. God is literally partnering with our faith to accomplish all of the good plans and purposes He has for us and through us.


The question is how much will we believe for? What will we risk to think beyond the box of our current reality? How far will we travel into our destiny?


WHAT IS POSSIBLE?



God is the difference maker, and anything is possible for those who believe.


Think about it:


What if…?


What if we had no limitations?


What if we had no constraints?


What if we had no impediments?


What if we had no inhibitions?


What if…?


What if we had enough money?


What if we were smart enough?


What if we were gifted enough?


What if we were talented enough?


What if…?


What if we knew we were valuable?


What if we knew we were significant?


What if we knew we were favored?


What if we knew we were enough?


What if…?


What if we believed that God is who He says He is?


What if we believed that God could do what He says He could do?


What if we believed that we are who God says that we are?


What if we believed that we could do what God says we could do?


What would we do? IF…?


The reality is that we are enough, and we have enough.



WHAT IS ENOUGH?


Enough is a matter of perspective.


When Jesus encountered the hungry multitudes, he didn’t look at the little lunch offered by the little boy, and say like the disciples, “We really don’t have enough.” No, he saw the possibility in the little he had available and believed it was enough for a miracle (John 6:1-14).


On another occasion, Jesus told a parable about three men with varying amounts of money (1, 2, and 5 talents).


Jesus explains, that while they had different levels of resource, they all had the ability to invest what they had to bring about increase, and please their master with the return on their investment.


Unfortunately, the man with one talent did not think he had enough. He did not think to ask, “What if…” with what he had.


In the end, he not only did not walk into his destiny to “be fruitful and multiply,” but also lost what he had hidden (Matthew 25:13-30).


The point of the parable is not about how much we have, but that we have enough.


The reality is that we have enough with whatever we have.



USE WHAT YOU HAVE


You may have heard about David Murdock, the billionaire, who founded Dole Foods, and owns most of the Island of Lanai, Hawaii.


He didn’t begin with a lot.


In fact, after serving in the military in World War II, he was homeless and penniless on the streets of Detroit, Michigan. Instead of accepting his misfortunate circumstances, he convinced a man to lend him $900 to open a diner. He soon sold it for a $700 profit, bought a car, and drove to Arizona, where he began building one off homes that soon became track homes, developments, and a real estate empire. He then invested in his passion for the food industry, and created Dole Foods.


When asked how he did it, his reply was, “To do the impossible, you must see the invisible.”


We all start with something, even if it seems like nothing.


Oprah Winfrey was born into abject poverty in rural Mississippi, but managed to become a world influencer and accrue billions of dollars through her various entrepreneurial and even philanthropic projects.


She advises:  “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.”


Bruce Willis had a stuttering speech impediment from early childhood until he became an actor as an adult. With no therapy, he literally acted his way out of the disability, and his dream became a reality.


The movie, The King’s Speech, depicts King George VI becoming the spokesperson for Great Britain during World War II, despite having a severe stuttering problem.


Moses had some kind of a speech impediment.


If not for God’s encouragement and empowerment, Moses may have been too overwhelmed with the seemingly impossible task, and derailed from his destiny to deliver the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 4:10-12).


The first disciples were uneducated, common people, who seemed ordinary, but accomplished the extraordinary and changed the world (Acts 4:13).


Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Jeff Healey all became successful performing musicians even though they were blind.


Franklin Delanor Roosevelt contracted polio early in his political career, became paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. He did not, however, let his disability stop him from becoming the President of the United States.


The following quotes epitomize his dreaming capacity for himself and our country:


“We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”


“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”


“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”


“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”


Following is an excerpt of a poem that my wife, Theresa, wrote. The poem captures the essence of dreaming beyond the possible to step into the realm of the impossible.



WHAT IF?


A longing


living in the shadows of a child’s secret dreams,


sprawling through the edges of borders


that define what could be..


 

What if there was something greater


than what was expected?


What if we could color a world


without lines


that defines how small we are?


 

What if?


 

Awakened,


Dreams , like sentinels arise from the mist,


carrying a torch of freedom


Guiding us on a path,


where who we are


becomes greater than our fear


to live asleep.


 

In a moment, the Son comes


and the shadows flee.


What once was cannot compare


to what we realize


we already are.


 

What if?


 

We were created to dream of impossible possibilities — to dream beyond our perceived constraints and the obstacles before us.


Will we dare to dream?


I want to encourage you to take some time this week to look at the various areas of your life and ask, “What if…?”


Then, it is just a matter of taking risk to venture into the good things God has prepared.


What steps are you taking to walk in greater measures of your destiny, and how you are changing the world in some way in your environment or sphere of influence? Tell me about it in the comments below.


If this blog has encouraged you in some way, send it to your friends, so that they may be encouraged as well. Check out my next blog outlining the pathway of dream to destiny .


______________________________________


Kevin Dedmon has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years and has a B.A. in Biblical Studies and a M.A. degree in Church Leadership from Vanguard University . Kevin conducts Supernatural Lifestyle Conferences worldwide in which people are equipped, empowered, and activated in miracles, healing, and prophetic as a normal lifestyle of the believer.

He also teaches revival Kingdom theology in the School of Supernatural Ministry and trains new believers and new members in a revival supernatural lifestyle in his Firstarters class at Bethel Church .


Kevin has also authored the following books: The Ultimate Treasure Hunt,Unlocking Heaven: Keys to Living Naturally Supernatural, The Risk Factor,T.N.T., Firestarter curriculum, and HomeFire curriculum .



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4 Lessons After 50 Years of Marriage

By Kris Vallotton • February 12, 2025
Kathy and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, and we’ve been together for 54. We’ve experienced highs and lows together and built a life I never imagined possible! Over the past 50+ years, we’ve learned a few things that I want to share with you to help your marriage thrive!  Know when to sacrifice pleasure for the pursuit of joy. Kathy and I have learned when to sacrifice pleasure for the pursuit of joy; this is the discipline of laying down your life for another. A practical example of this is when people find out we have horses. They say, “Oh wow, Kris, you have horses!” My response to them goes something like this, “No, I don’t have horses. Kathy has horses. I only pay for the horses.” Their next question for me usually is, “Don’t you like horses?” To which I respond, “No, I don’t like horses, but I like Kathy.” You see, I get a lot of joy out of doing what Kathy wants to do. I am willing to sacrifice my own pleasure to pursue what develops joy in our marriage. It’s not one-sided, Kathy does the same for me. 2. Forgiveness restores the standard. If you’ve been in a relationship for any length of time, then you know the honeymoon phase doesn't last forever. The person that you love and cherish at the deepest level is the same person that will stretch, challenge, and offend you. I learned this lesson years ago when my kids were teenagers. I became angry with Kathy in front of them and treated her disrespectfully. An hour later, I apologized, and she forgave me. Colossians 3:13 tells us that “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive". The truth is, forgiveness restores the standard of holiness in us and through us. 3. It’s not bad if your spouse thinks differently than you. Men and women think differently, and this is metaphorically demonstrated in the way they were created. Please understand what I am trying to communicate here. I am not at all trying to dishonor either gender. I know that women and men are equally intelligent. When Kathy and I got married, I didn’t understand marriage or women at all. I was so ignorant that it wasn’t even funny. I just had no value for Kathy’s opinion, while we were making decisions, when she refused to produce the facts for her conclusions. She often prefaced her statements with phrases like, “I feel like...,” “It troubles me that...,” “I don’t feel good about that...,” and so on. But what I learned over time, as many of my great decisions began to turn into mistakes, was that her “It feels like” or “This troubles me” were often a lot more accurate than the so-called facts! As the years have rolled on, I have learned to invite the rest of me, and my other half, my wife, into all of my decisions. And she has learned the same thing. We were made to be together. We are one flesh, a mystery that continues to unfold with time. 4. Vision gives pain a purpose. It is my conviction that we are living in a generation perishing for lack of vision. This is evident in many different areas of life, but I also see it in marriages. Having a vision for your marriage will help you persevere through the harder seasons that you’ll face together. Many years ago I had a vision where I was standing next to this elderly gentleman and could see him perfectly, but the man could not see me. The older man was surrounded by children and grandchildren telling stories about the family's history, lineage, and favor with God. In the vision he said, “And all of this began with your great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather.” I looked up and above the mantle of the fireplace and there was a huge portrait of Kathy and me! The Lord spoke to me and said: “You are no longer to live for a ministry—you are to live to leave a legacy! Your children’s children’s children are depending on you leaving them a world in revival. From this day forward, you will live for a generation that you will never see. You are to have a one-hundred-year vision so that you can build from the future.” This vision of our future helped us in developing a strategy to apprehend God’s goals for our lives, and it was the fuel that kept us going in the harder seasons. Consequently, from that day on, we began to build from the future, as the Lord had said. Let me be clear: you don't have to have a literal vision like I did, but you should have a vision and a direction for the future! ​​Your marriage isn’t just about you, it’s about the generations that will follow. The truth is, the way you love, lead, and fight for your marriage today is building a legacy for your children and their children. So take time with your spouse, dream with God, and dream with each other. Get a vision for your family’s future! The breakthrough you experience now will impact the generations to come.

4 Spiritual Disciplines to Propel Your Growth in the New Year

By Kris Vallotton • January 1, 2025
As we step into 2025, people are often thinking about engaging in the time-honored yet unspoken custom of setting New Year’s Resolutions. Many people jump on the opportunity to develop new healthier habits and pursue positive change with the start of a brand new year. Most New Year's Resolutions revolve around diet and exercise, finances, relationships, and hobbies or personal interests. New Year's Resolutions help by giving people a vision for when they endure the challenges that come with change. Losing 100 pounds or being more diligent with saving money isn't always easy and vision gives pain a purpose! All of these areas are important to focus on, but oftentimes we neglect spiritual topics when forming our resolutions. As we focus on building our physical lives and pursuing health and wholeness with the New Year, it’s crucial not to overlook our spiritual growth and well-being. I’m going to share four spiritual disciplines you can grow in this New Year, along with practical tips to help you follow through. Some of these may appear simple, but when practiced consistently over a long period of time, they can lead to deep transformation! 1. Bible Reading This should come as no surprise, but it can be very difficult to find time on a busy day to sit down and read the Scriptures. Some people have a hard time sitting and being still to read while others are bombarded by the busyness of their lives. I want to encourage you to prioritize your time in the Word this year - I make sure to read at least one chapter each day. It might mean having to sacrifice something. Perhaps it’s waking up earlier to have an extra 30 minutes in your routine. Try leaving your Bible open on your kitchen counter the night before, so you see it in the morning. Maybe you can bring your Bible during your lunch break and have a meal with Jesus. You can even listen to the Bible on audio for your morning commute! My encouragement is to start small and build the habit. 2. Prayer Personal prayer can look different to everyone. Some people have no problem praying for over an hour a day, other people have a hard time finding a moment in an entire week! The goal here is to make sure that we are staying in communion with God. There may be sometimes where you only have two minutes to pray in-between meetings or running errands. There may be other times where you have to go into your room, lock your door and pray in secret for an extended period of time like the Bible says. Let me be clear: the goal is consistent communion with the Father. Try setting reminders or alarms on your phone to go off at certain parts of the day. It doesn't have to be long. These reminders can be specific like, “Pray for my family member” or “Pray for healing for this coworker.” You can write them down on pieces of paper and stick them to the walls in your house. 3. Community This may not feel like a discipline, but one of the most challenging things that a person's spiritual growth could face is solitude. When God created Adam he said that it was not good for man to be alone. We were created for community and Jesus was often found doing ministry and life around a group of people except for the times where he went alone to pray. Stepping out into community can be challenging. Maybe you struggle with fear of rejection, not fitting in, or you're scared of how people will respond when they really begin to know you. If you find yourself being isolated, reach out to some people. Text a friend that you know and trust and share that you want to spend more time around people. If you're part of a local church see what kind of small groups they have to offer. Community is a key for growth in 2025. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 4. Serving When Jesus was on earth he said in Matthew 20:28 that, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Serving was at the center of Jesus’ ministry. He met the physical needs of people by providing food miraculously as well as the spiritual needs of people by offering salvation to everyone who would believe. When we serve people we are like Christ. There may be people coming to your mind already who have a need. They could be in your church family, or a friend from school or work. It doesn’t have to be someone you know! Try paying for someone’s coffee in line and leaving them with some encouragement. There are so many ways that we can serve people and make them feel seen and loved. When they feel seen and loved, they are often very receptive to the Gospel. The power in these disciplines isn’t just doing them once, but in repeating them over a long period of time. As Zechariah 4:10 reminds us, we should not despise small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin. My prayer for you is that what would start as spiritual disciplines would grow into spiritual devotion. That you would find joy in these things and that they would draw you closer to the Father!

3 Ways to Think Differently About Gratitude

By Kris Vallotton • November 27, 2024
During Christmas of 2012 Kathy and I learned a very valuable lesson about gratitude and entitlement… In years past leading up to Christmas we had always gotten a “Christmas want list” from each of our grandkids. Kathy would go through all the lists and pick out only a few items to buy for each of our grandkids. But that year Kathy decided to get them everything on their list! As we bought gifts our Christmas tree soon began to disappear behind a wall of wrapped presents. Christmas morning came and we gathered as a family as I shared the story of baby Jesus. I finished the story of our savior's birth and started handing out the presents. Over the course of 2 hours lights and ornaments began to emerge as our tree slowly became visible again. Suddenly I heard a whimpering cry to my left. I looked over to see my daughter giving a strong correction to one of her children. I went over to investigate and learned that the child was upset because, “Grandma missed one gift.” Kathy has overseen the administration for our businesses for our entire marriage. She’s looked over hundreds of spreadsheets, time cards, and other documents. I had a hard time believing that she would miss a gift on a Christmas list. Kathy went to our office and came back a moment later with a somber look on her face. “I did forget one gift,” she said with compassion. “I’m so sorry,” she explained while choking back tears. Trying to smooth the situation over, she added, “I’ll go tomorrow and buy the gift I missed.” In our quest to bless our family, we had unknowingly sown seeds of entitlement into the soil of their little hearts. Something that was a great sacrifice for us was disregarded in a child's expectation for more. We live in a world where entitlement runs rampant. It doesn’t always look like throwing a temper tantrum over a forgotten gift. Sometimes it can be the anger that comes when your coffee order takes too long, or it can be the person who is driving in front of you who's not driving your preferred speed limit. These small seeds of entitlement can take root in our heart and if we’re not careful they can lead to a life led by pride. Gratitude is what breaks entitlement in your life. I’m going to share 3 ways to think differently about gratitude this season. 1. Gratitude is a discipline. Gratitude is not merely a fleeting emotion but a discipline that aligns our hearts with God’s truth and His will. Gratitude requires intentionality, often going against the grain of our natural tendencies to complain or focus on what we lack. Scripture commands us to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18), not because life is always easy, but because gratitude acknowledges God’s sovereignty and goodness regardless of our situation. Cultivating gratitude as a discipline trains our souls to see life through the lens of God’s faithfulness, fostering a spirit of humility and trust. It shifts our focus from temporal struggles to eternal promises, rooting our joy in the unchanging nature of God rather than the shifting sands of circumstance. 2. Gratitude changes your attitude about situations Gratitude has the power to transform our perspective on even the most challenging situations. From a biblical standpoint, it shifts our focus from what we lack to what God has already provided, reminding us of His faithfulness and provision. When we choose gratitude, we realign our hearts to trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28). This perspective doesn't necessarily change the situation itself, but it changes us —replacing fear, frustration, or bitterness with peace, hope, and contentment. Gratitude reframes trials as opportunities for growth and deepens our awareness of God's presence, enabling us to face life's difficulties with a renewed attitude of faith and trust. 3. Gratitude Cures Entitlement Gratitude is the antidote to entitlement. It shifts our hearts from demanding what we believe we deserve to recognizing every blessing as an unmerited gift from God. Entitlement breeds discontentment, rooted in the false belief that we are owed something, while gratitude humbles us, reminding us that all we have comes from God's grace. As James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above," and acknowledging this truth uproots the pride that fuels entitlement. Instead of fixating on unmet expectations, gratitude cultivates a spirit of thanksgiving, teaching us to celebrate God’s goodness and approach life with humility and joy. In this posture, we find freedom from the restless pursuit of "more" and learn the richness of contentment in Christ. As we reflect on the story of that Christmas morning and the lessons it taught us, it’s clear that gratitude is more than a seasonal sentiment—it’s a heart posture that can reshape our lives. Entitlement may creep in subtly, disguised as disappointment or frustration, but gratitude stands as its cure, redirecting our hearts toward humility and joy. This season, let’s commit to cultivating gratitude—not just for the blessings we see, but for the ways God works in every circumstance. May we remember that every good gift comes from Him, and may our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, transforming how we live, love, and give. What are you grateful for? Share in the comments below!
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