The dictionary defines vision as the act or power of imagination. (Merriam-Webster, 2016); When we actively use our imaginations to produce vision, it is incredibly powerful. When we have a vision, we are essentially using our imaginations to dream and fulfill what God has placed in our hearts. I am a firm believer that our lives will head in the direction of our vision, and we can't make lasting change in any area of our lives without it.

As powerful as it is however, vision often doesn't just happen "naturally". Many times we have to make an effort to imagine something bigger than our current situation, which includes taking the time to develop dreams, goals, and our vision for the future.

How Do We Develop Our Vision?

One of the most powerful ways to develop vision is through a vision board. A vision board is essentially a board that keeps images, messages, and words before our eyes on a continual basis that paints a picture for where we want to go in life. I made a vision board years ago, and have kept it fresh and updated a few times each year.

I personally like to take promises that God has given me, and things He has revealed to me in my heart and place them on the vision board, along with dreams and goals. I can speak from experience when I say how powerful it is to see the things that were once dreams in my heart fulfilled as I believe God and mediate on His promises.

Habakuk 2:2 tells us just how powerful having a vision is. It says, "Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run." We can see all through the bible many times that God gave people vision in order to fulfill their destiny, and He certainly continues to do so today; We just have to take some time to clear out the distractions and make time to focus on what He has placed in our hearts, and meditate on it daily!

Where to Begin:

To create a vision board, start by taking some time to ponder what the envision the future holding for you and those you love. I like to start by getting in a cozy place and journal out promises God gave me, dreams for the future, and short and long term goals. After you have done so, gather some supplies and get to creating!

Some Things to Consider:

• Your purpose.
• Dreams.
• Core values and beliefs.
• Future plans.
• Using your gifts and talents to bless others.
• Where you want to go in life.
• Goals.

Supplies and Ideas to Fill Your Board:

• Any kind of board, a posterboard, cork board or small canvas works great.
• A stack of old magazines, photos, inspirational quotes, etc.
• Scissors.
• Glue, tape, thumbtacks or pins.
• A photo of yourself or family from a previous time, or current
• Inspirational quotes
• Meaningful scriptures
• Pictures of words and images from magazines that remind you of your of goals, future hopes and dreams, inspiration.
• Typed or written out dreams, goals, and visions.

Some Examples from My Personal Vision Board:

Here are some examples from my vision board. As I shared, I update it a few times a year to keep my vision fresh and ever expanding! I have a few long term vision things, like a dream home, and more television cooking segments, possibly even my own cooking show some day.

And some shorter term goals, like my next cookbook, a small group atmosphere within the Dashing Dish community, (in the works currently);And as you can see, Nourish is on there; A dream fulfilled praise God! It is also where I talk about the power of vision as it relates to our health and weight loss in more depth!

There are also a few inspirational quotes that inspire me daily, some scriptures and promises for this season of life, and images that remind me of the faithfulness of God. One of them being the Madeline image, which my husband made when we were praying for a baby! The Lord gave us her name before I was even pregnant, and so this served as a powerful reminder of God's promise to us about a baby one day. I keep this and a few other things on my vision board as a reminder of just how powerful God's promises are!

And, last but not least, there are a few hand written notes from my husband, which make my heart smile when I read them! I hope this inspired you guys to start taking the time to dream and write a vision and make it plain on "tablets" (or in this case, a vision board!) xo Katie