“Your dreams are from God,” Agnes said.
But, instead of just hearing the recorded voice of Agnes Sanford from decades earlier, it was as if God was speaking directly to my spirit through her words.
It was the spring of 2020, just before the release of my nonfiction book Faith with Wings. I had been writing Christian nonfiction, but was also dreaming of writing fiction—the kind that would bring life to readers the way certain fiction books had done for me.
But I wanted to know if that’s what God wanted for me.
When I heard Sanford say, Your dreams are from God, a realization hit me with force: That was a fact. My dream was from God.
In my case, that meant God did want me to write more books, and for fiction to be included in that. He had given me this dream, and he had been working my whole life to bring it into reality. God was pleased and excited about it.
I would need to pray for many parts of it—for God to equip me, and for his will to be done on earth as it was in heaven. There were obstacles. But this was the time for the dream to be brought to its fullness. We would see the dream come to fruition together.
And we are. My 4-book Christian fiction series, Valley of Artisans, is now available. And I believe there’s much more to come.
You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
Psalm 92:4 (NLT)
What Dream is in Your Heart?
And now I want to encourage you!
What God-given dream is in your heart?
Maybe it’s front-and-center and you’re in full pursuit! And maybe there are obstacles.
Or maybe there’s something it seems too late for, or that you don’t feel you are equipped for—yet it’s been tickling at the edge of your thoughts anyway from time to time.
Or maybe you think you don’t have any dreams—because your real dream got left for dead along the way.
I know what all of those things are like, and I want to encourage you that God does have a dream for your life. And I want to encourage you that I believe now is the time for your God-given dreams to flourish.
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age, they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
Psalm 92:12-14 (NLT)
A Prayer for You and Your Dream
If you’d like to receive this prayer for your life, please hold your hands open (as you would for God to put something in your hands) and pray it out loud in agreement:
God, this one loves you and wants your dream for her or his life.
I pray that you will make that dream known, and that you will make known how excited you are about seeing it come into being on earth.
I pray that you will equip your beloved daughter or son with all that is needed to cooperate fully with you and do the good works that you have prepared in advance for her or him to do.
I pray that you will accomplish your will as you work through the dream given to this faithful child of yours.
I pray that all that this one does will be done in love, in ever-deepening relationship with you, and with joy that reflects the joy of our beloved savior, Jesus.
Thank you, God.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
About Remembering: Valley of Artisans – Book 1 by AmyLu Riley
River Carter arrives in the Valley of Artisans to reopen her family’s pottery shop, excited to shape a life of her own. She’ll be creating the art she loves, and helping to make the town into a thriving tourist destination once more.
But will lingering challenges from River’s mold-injured brain threaten her dreams?
Gradual memory gains feel more like a bane than a blessing, when they dredge up a shattered friendship she’d rather forget. And could River’s remaining cognitive deficits and doubts end up costing her the livelihood she wants so much?
As River faces each obstacle with faith in God, she discovers gifts from him that she’ll never forget.
Remembering is book 1 in the Valley of Artisans series, a gentle, small-town fiction series by inspirational Christian author AmyLu Riley.
What Readers are Saying About Remembering
A reader sent me a comment recently saying I had made her wish the Valley of Artisans was a real place! Here’s what other readers are saying:
The Entire Valley of Artisans Series is Available in Paperback and Ebook!
Parting Words
I’m still collecting your questions about how to journal with God. I want to address as many as possible in the book I’m working on now. Just hit reply to this email to send me your questions.
If you would like prayer for anything, hit reply to send me an email. I’ll be glad to pray.
To your freedom, health, and wholeness,
AmyLu
Inspiring Christian Fiction by AmyLu Riley
Remembering: Valley of Artisans – Book 1
Open for Miracles: Valley of Artisans – Book 2
A Winter Wedding in the Valley of Artisans: Valley of Artisans – Book 3
Ordinary Miracles: Valley of Artisans – Book 4
Inspiring Christian Non-Fiction by AmyLu Riley
Jesus as Healer: Miracles and Meditations in Luke
Stay: Why I’m Still Here, A Spiritual Memoir