Focus on the Family and Veggietales creator Phil Vischer - When Dreams Die

Phil Visher
creator of Veggie Tales
(I am almost 35 and yes, I listen to VT, lolololol!!!)
Phil came face to face with the death of a dream, even after a wave of success
Noticed at a very early age God had given him the ability to tell stories
Made his first film at age eight
knew at 14that would be the work he would do for Christ,
three semesters of Bible college and dropped out, never made it to film school
computer animation
Talking vegetables that loved God
"God was using our efforts"***

people couldnt get along
sales stopped growing
everything he had built falling apart, lay-offs
dream that ended too soon
"I think this is about God and Phil"
Bible conference in Florida
Tape - sermon Rick Porter
"What does it mean when God gives you a dream, shows up in it, and it comes to life, without warning the dream dies?"

2 Kings 4 - Shunamite woman
holding the dream God gave her, dead in her arms
God wants to see what is more inportant to you, the dream...or Him.
Let go of your dreams
anything I am unwilling to let go of is an idol and I am in sin
Rather than finding my identity in my relationship with God I was finding it in my intense drive to do good work

wait on God
read the Bible and pray - no agenda
it took a few months
sense of giving up, his ambition dying, his will, hopes, dreams, life
God could have spared him from all this, but He didn't
It was about God and him; ambition, dreams, misplaced sense of identity and values, on the altar
Let everything go and rest in Him (he didn't want to write ...I didnt want to be the main pre-k teacher)
and then one night....ideas
Each one was derived from or during a time of waiting on God
Discovered once all the noise had faded away what he'd been missing all along
the impact God has planned for us does not occur wehn we are pursuing impact, but pursuing God.
"As the deer pants for the water so my soul pants for You oh God".
The most important thing I can do for God is not the work I can do for God, the most important thing is to make God the most important thing.
Start over....start on your knees.
In utter broken humility, holding everything loosely except God Himself

Do you dream of the work you can do for God (I do)
Do you carry ambitions for changing the world in His name
When you are ready to put them on the altar, to kill them, to let them go, to live your whole life without them resting solely in your relationship with God, you are ready to be used by Him.


God allows us to come to a place of complete brokenness where there is no end in sight, we cannot fix things...and then somehow He rebuilds us stronger and better, all for His glory.
He didn't know how, when or even IF God would use his gift again.
Humbly declare Gods sovereignty, right in the middle of the unknown.
Trust Him evven when you cannot see the solution



And now I think I'll go listen to VeggieTales

New Computer

So my poor desktop was really ill, so says one of the members of the G33Ksquad @ Bestbuy. I've known that for a while now. My dilemma - was it cheaper to break down and get it fixed, or to just use my tax refund toward the purchase of a new one.

I loooked online @ Costco and couldn't find anything within my price range. All of them were at least, if not more than $1000. I wish I were made of money, and not dependent upon public assistance. Surprisingly enough, I really thought Costco would be the cheaper of the two. I was wrong. Costco was the more expensive. I was also looking for something at least 17 inch, to accomodate for less than perfect eyesight.

SO, I looked online at Best Buy. And whoa! I had my work cut out for me. They had many brandnames, and A LOT within what I was willing to spend ( oh yeah, mom and dad were splitting the cost). I saw a few computers of different colors. That would have been ccool, but still too much for this meager pocketbook. Halfway through looking, I notice on the side that I could have typed in exactly what I was looking for. But at least doing it this way I could see what was available. I set up a wish list, that way I could come back to potential computers and compare. After deleting so many from the wish list (there was a reason I did it that way, narrow them down) I finally prayed...Lo and Behold! The next one that came up had everything I wanted and a little more at a price I could afford (now where have I heard THAT before. Hmm, sounds like a commercial on t.v.).

Good grief, this things a monster! A lot bigger than the advertisement made it out to be. But it's cool. I spent a few days just becoming familiar with the thing. Then, I reveived a phonecall from the G33kSquad, and they were here within two or three days to help me with set up. I mostly needed help with set up of the internet, since all or most of what I wanted to do required it, loading programs and such.

I am so excited to get my music ripped so that I can put it ALL on my iPod. I started to load it onto my desktop and managed to back up into the cd/dvd drive with my wheelchair. Real smooth, I know. One doesnt really realize how much music one has until she rips it to her computer ( I can bun now too. So I have been sitting here for the past two days doing just that...ripping. Most CD's I havent played in months, and I forgot how good they were.

The greatest part of having a laptop for me is the fact that I can get my feet up when I need to. Shoot, I spent way too much time on the computer as it is. Any of you webcam-ers out there, I can now do video with online conversations. I may have to try out this skype thing to.