Dr. King’s dream might be the most famous dream in recent memory. Can you dream this big? What is your dream? Are you a parent or grandparent? What do your kids dream? Are you a minister? What do your congregations dream?
Will you share your dreams? Check out the comments below, and tell me about your dream. Ask me questions, too! Believe me, your dreams matter. They matter to you, they matter to me, and they matter to God. Dream big. Dream really, really big!
Jeremy Affeldt 
My dream is to create beautiful art that helps people to hear God’s whisper in their lives.
My dream is to see Love bring healing and hope to the nations, the orphans, the widows.
My dream is to hear one of “my” songs on the radio.
My dream is to see a generation completely captivated by Christ, choosing to live in his way instead of our individualistic, materialistic culture.
My dream is for friends to not work in order to pay bills, but to work for the passion that God has birthed in their hearts.
Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream was for equality for all people, regardless of race. The wise words of MLK Jr have resonated, have crossed all boundaries of race or age or sex, and have lasted the test of time. The enslaving of Africans is an ugly stain on this great country. But through education and enough people fighting for justice, we were able to move on from our ugly past. However, most people don’t realize that there are still slaves in this country! What people don’t know is that the enslaved are young children, mostly girls, sometimes as young as 8 years old. . .
My dream is that sex trafficking in the world ends, and specifically that sex trafficking of children in this country will end. We need to prosecute the johns and the traffickers (pimps). We need to stop treating the minor child as the criminal. We need to support recovery centers that offer unique services to these children. “New Day For Children” is one of these group homes in Northern California designed specifically for the sexually trafficked girl from age 10 to 18 year of age. They have enough space for 50 beds, but only have enough money to fund 5. Only 5 beds!
Most people are not even aware that there is a problem in this country. They think, if anything, it’s an inner-city problem. These children are being lured or kidnapped into the hands of the trafficker. They come from upper-middle class. They come from inner-city. They come from single-parent families and from the best schools. They are pastors’ daughters and nurses’ daughters and straight-A students and runaways. They are raped, tortured, drugged, and brain-washed into the “business.” Out of survival, they remain loyal to their captors. And the average age of indoctrination into this slavery is 11 to 14 years.
My dream is that these girls are recovered and loved on and learn to know the love of Christ. That law enforcement won’t just give the john a slap on the wrist or turn a blind eye to the pimp. That somehow, from somewhere, law enforcement is given more funding and resources to combat this. That this country is educated, that the ugly truth is exposed in all of its horror. That enough people stand up and demand justice for these precious children.
That is my dream.
my dream is to help recently released inmates from county jails, as well as state and federal prisons to successful re-enter main stream society. currently, the success rate is statistically low (less than 25%) and the revolving door sees a lot of the same people. i also want to find a way to stop the discrimination of felons who have a hard time entering the workforce because of their past. i fully support the “ban the box” movement. a lot of our homeless are former inmates who have no one who supports them, no job, no where to go; they turn to what is comfortable to them: a life of crime, a life with drugs and alcohol. one day, i would like to touch someone’s life and show them that others do care, to help that person successfully re-enter main stream society with a new life and prove the nay-sayers wrong. sometimes all it takes is just one person believing in someone to help that person change.
i know i can’t save the entire world, but i do know i can save one person.
When I think of my dreams, of course I dream of big things like an end to hunger and world peace, but I also dream big for my family. Most of what I dream about is for my kids. I dream that they will be successful in school. I dream that my son will be able to play football and baseball all 4 years for his small school. He is not the most gifted athletically, but he works harder than nearly everyone out there to get better. He has a dream to work as an animator or an editor someday. I support and encourage him in whatever way I can. I dream that my daughter will gain the focus she needs to continue playing sports in high school. My daughter has been gifted with athleticism. However, she has to decide what to do with this gift. She has said that she wants to be the first 3 sport female athelete at her school. Of course I encourage and support her any way I can as well. I dream that she goes to college and becomes successful it whatever her chosen field may be. And of course I dream for health and happiness for my family and friends. …….on lighter note, I did have a dream come true last year….My Giants finally won it all! Thanks for being a part of it Jeremy.
My dream is to travel the world and play music and let people see God through me. When people see me I want to see them smile and know that through me shines Jesus and they just have to taste who He is. I want to be able to help as many people as I can through my story and expierences. I have a hunger to see my school take days off just to worship Him. I have dream that one day abortion will be ended in all states and the enemy of which I stand against has no room for manipulation. My hope, is to help as many people as I can realize just how big my God is and what he is capable of. I want to give a word in front of people I don’t know at this age. I want to prove to this older generation that my generation is NOT a silent generation.
I dream about moving to Los Angeles and doing something that gives me a voice throughout the media. Preferably from dancing and acting, and then use whatever publicity I get to do God’s work.
I have a heart for young women of God. I dream about having the ability to talk to girls who have been taken advantaged of by guys. I dream about sharing my story of being in an abusive relationship to inspire others to get out of theirs. I dream about bringing awareness to abortion, and the real damage it does to the mothers. And I dream about being a model for purity in an environment where that is unheard of.
I love to dream big… For we have a big God!!!
BLESSINGS
My dream is to save children from hunger. It kills me to know how many children die everyday from hunger. My dream is to have an Orphanage in the Dominican Republic and in America. I LOVE the children of the Dominican Republic, but I am also aware of the hunger children face here in America, so I would LOVE to have an Orphanage in both places!
I’m embarrassed because my dream is so simple compared to all of the beautiful dreams above.
My dream is that all people would adopt one simple rule-the golden rule-for everyone to just live by that one simple rule-to treat others as you yourself would like to be treated. I feel strongly that it would save the world.
For right now my dream is to treat EVERYONE as I want to be treated NOT as they treat me. That’s big dream. Imagine a world where everyone did that
I certainly dream about all of the dreams already described, but I also have a smaller dream that is very important to me. I dream that our generation will change our ways and those of society regarding promiscuity. It is becoming disgusting to me how casual sex has become and how common it is. It has infiltrated the media, advertising, and I see it having a huge effect on everyone around me. Being a teenager myself, I constantly see the pressure put especially on women to engage in sexual acts. I see young girls (and even boys!) lose respect for themselves and their bodies and I think it’s wrong. My personal belief is that sex is meant for marriage. I know that has become a very radical belief these days, but I just hope someday it will become common. Jeremy, I don’t know your personal beliefs on this matter, but I would really appreciate your insight into this issue. I believe it’s become a huge problem and it’s becoming harder and harder to find people with similar concerns (and I even go to a Catholic school!) What do YOU think about it?
My dream is guide this younger generation to discover, encounter, experience, & pursue Jesus Christ so that they will be able to step into they’re God given destiny and bring the reality of the Kingdom of God here in the Bay Area and to the world.
My other dream =) is to witness and be a part of change in the lives of the street kids of the Philippines. Millions are in poverty and I desire to see them off the streets.
My dream is to become a missionary and go places God leads me to go. I’m going to apply to a school named Bethel School of Supernatural this month because I believe it’s gong to prepare me for what God has planned. I want to be able to hear His voice like a roaring lion and confidently proclaim his glory and wonders. I eventually want to open an orphanage in places where children are mistreated and show them the love and compassion they’ve never experienced. I have a heart for children, and their innocence is what draws my heart to help them even more.
My dream is that I would daily be overwhelmed with gratitude by meditating on the gospel and beholding the beauty of my Savior’s love for me; so that because I am saved from a self-seeking lifestyle, I would be glad to pour out my life for my students, and bear good fruit for God. I teach 4th grade at NWCS in Spokane.
My dream is bring a functioning and stable infrastructure to Africa and South and Central America in the name of Jesus. Reducing the cost of transporting goods means that the money people have will go further and have greater purchasing power.
‘the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’ (Anon).
Jeremy,
I think its great that you are such an inspiration to many young athletes. I have come to learn more and more about you and your walk with Christ. I recently decided to give my life to Christ and its the best decision I have ever made. I finally realized that our dreams are not to bring pleasure to ourselves but to share his Kingdom and to open many other doors to help change this entire world. I am a young baseball player myself and I have gone through the two toughest years of my life. I didn’t pitch much my first year in college and when I did I failed like I have never have before and this year i went to a different college and I had tommy john surgery. I felt like nothing was going my way and all my dreams of playing baseball were gone. Well, I found God and he has showed me that there are going to be trials in our life but he wants us to dream huge and maximize the gifts he’s blessed us with. My surgery went great and I am back to throwing I have met many great people to guide me and I have another opportunity to play baseball. He is just showing me the right ways to follow my dreams because they are given from him. I have great dreams to become a leader and a disciple of his works on my new College team and to play Professional baseball to show people how he has worked in my life and has inspired me to carry out the gift and love his given to me. I dream to be able to give back to my community and start a foundation for people with epilepsy, so that they can receive the right treatment and medication. God has absolutely changed my life and it’s great to know that know matter what we have a Father who wants the best for us and knows whats best for us.
My dream is for everyone on Earth to love each other—regardless of the color of their skin, regardless of where they’re from, regardless of what they believe in, regardless of who they love, if they’re rich or poor, man or woman. I want each and every single one of us to embrace the diversity of this beautiful world, but realize that we all bleed the same blood. Erase hate…just love.
My ancestors came to the United States fleeing persecution, seeking a land where they might practice their religion in its different denominational manifestations in freedom. I give thanks for my rich spiritual heritage. My dream is to see religious freedom protected and upheld around the world.
In the meantime however, as we fight for that right, my dream is to see the worldwide Body of Christ united, standing together, regardless of denomination or nationality, suffering with those who suffer, rejoicing with those who rejoice and praying for one another in all things. My dream is to see those of us who live and worship in freedom, even relative freedom, aware of what our persecuted brothers and sisters are going through.
Even today, men, women and children are sacrificing all that they hold dear to follow Christ. Even today, our brothers and sisters in Egypt are fighting for a future for the Egyptian Christian Church; are we praying for them? Are we using our voice to push the US government (which gives a ton of aid to the Egyptian government) to hold the Egyptian rulers to account and ensure that democracy and respect and protection for religious minorities are integral parts of the new Egypt? I could go on about a lot of other countries and individuals who are suffering for their faith, but Egypt is particularly on my heart today.
If anyone wants additional information on how to encourage a persecuted Christian they can download a letter writing pack here: http://www.csw.org.uk/connectandencourage.htm
My dream is to get the stories I have have in my head down on paper. My pastor says I have the gift to read scripture, but I would like to use that gift in the form of devotional writing.
My dream is to find a way out of my greatest financial debt so that I can provide a home for foster children with the hopes of adopting a pair of siblings. Those children need a loving home so bad and, even though I’m a single woman, I know that I could raise them God’s way.
I dream of owning a place where I can allow children that are in the foster care system to be their forever home, the last stop where they are loved & taught to love, and to just be kids for whatever part of their childhood is left.
Loving your blog…….I dream for San Francisco to be rocked with Jesus’ Love….. to build a church that glorifies God and draws people to Him…. so that we will have even greater impact reaching the nations of the world with His love.
I dream for the Lord to help me put in 100 clean water wells in Uganda. I don’t know how it’s going to be paid for, but I’d say the first 20 I’ve helped raised funds to put in are a nice start! 🙂 I just really dream for these people to know that the Lord doesn’t just hear their cries, but then motivates people like myself and yourself to act to make it happen.
One of my dreams is to start a local farmers produce stand in honor of the late “Clancy’s Produce” stand owner who’s life was taken in a traffic accident. He served the West Central neighborhood in Spokane from behind the Maxwell House Tavern and donated his profits to charity. We could call it “Clancy’s Honor”. He catered to people that needed the food he sold or gave them to survive.
My hope is to create an organization for local produce farmers where they can donated or wholesale their produce to a market that caters to the neighborhoods, that is staffed by young people and adults from local schools and churches where children can learn while helping people.
It could even involve delivering produce to people that are shut ins and have no way to get food. I have produced and sold over 5,000 pounds of produce from my farm and sold it from the back of my truck and at farmers markets and have found a need for the elderly to be able to buy small quantities of food and for local producers to have a market for their goods they produce.
My dreams that I could have the opportunity to work with kids with autism. My dream is also that people would realize how amazing God is, and that we need him! All the time we need him!
My dream is to be a professional equestrian. And through being an equestrian, show people how great our God is, so that people can experience the love of God.
I dream about having a career where I get to travel the world, meet people and hear their stories, and make their lives better if I can. I want to work as a program officer for the United Nations (or a big NGO like Mercy Corps or Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), doing large on-the-ground development projects, where I’ll work with people to get access to the services that they need and develop sustainable solutions to poverty. I also dream about using that platform to advocate for gender equality, education, and to fight the atrocities of human trafficking.
I was actually feeling a little discouraged about my career dreams recently – not feeling qualified for anything and unsure of how to even get to where I want to be. A friend recommended your book and it has really inspired me to trust God with my passions and dreams (they’re from Him after all, right?), take proactive steps to keep moving forward toward my goals (like improving my Spanish and starting to volunteer at a local non-profit that combats human trafficking), work hard, and not give up.
I guess I should say thank you! I appreciate you sharing your story and using your platform to honor God and make a difference in the world.
My dreams are many and yet at times few. Some private and others not. The only dream that has stuck with me since 6th grade is that I wanted to advocate for the rights of children and not only am I blessed to do this, I am blessed to do it as a volunteer in various capacities.
Whether as youth mentor, raising awareness about Human Trafficking and working with those who work with youth to show documentaries like Chosen or fundraising with a women/girls organization to help ensure dreams are pursued, I am truly blessed to have always been engaged in helping kids in some form even after an accident with a semi-truck while riding my motorcycle (I rode with Bikers Against Child Abuse at the time).
My hope is always with the Lord but I prayerfully dream of the day the children and really all of us will be safe.
My dream is that the U.S. will return to living in a way that honors and pleases God.