Different Types of Dreams

The other night I had a dream that I didn't really understand.  So many ridiculous things happened throughout the dream that I woke up thinking, "what in the world was that?!?"  Sometimes I wake up thinking the dream was real, but that wasn't the case this time since my old dog made an appearance in the dream and ate his food with a tongue like a frog that reached over a couple of feet.  So...yea, didn't have to worry about mistaking it for real life. But it did get me thinking about dreams...I thought a lot about dreams this week and I see dreams as being in two different categories...

1. Dreams You DON'T Have Control Over
2. Dreams You DO Have Control Over

While both are a part of life, they are viewed differently, and both extremely powerful if understood correctly.DREAM TYPE #1: Dreams you DON'T Have Control OverIn other words, these are the dreams you have in your sleep.  You can't choose what you dream about when you go to sleep.  As much as I wanted to go back to sleep and jump back into a dream I was a part of, I have never been able to do that.  Now I know that everyone has different thoughts on dreaming, and some people don't ever remember what they dream.  But I do believe that God speaks through dreams and He has done it for a long time.Matthew 2:12 - "And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way"Genesis 37:9 - "Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”God spoke to many people through dreams and even used people to interpret those dreams to put them in positions of power (See Daniel).Knowing this and seeing God work and speak through dreams, I make sure never to simply dismiss a dream I have had overnight that I remember.  I always go back through everything that I remember and ask God to reveal any secrets and knowledge to me following those visions.DREAM TYPE #2: Dreams you DO Have Control OverSo now you may be thinking what I mean by this.  Simply put, it is the simple question of what do you want to accomplish in your life, or said differently, what are your dreams? Each of us have done this at one point in our life.  For example, maybe it was our younger self dreaming of being an astronaut, or a firefighter or a football player.  While those are very youthful ambitions, our dreams that we begin to come up with on our own in our teenage years are those that begin to guide where we go.  I believe that while we have control over these, God puts these passions in our heart to create these dreams.For example, God gave me a passion for golf, and ultimately gave me a dream of doing something in the sport of golf.  Many of us may have the dream of being married, and having a family.  These dreams drive our decisions and how we walk out our lives to accomplish our dreams.I just experienced a golf tournament where 50 men were awarded membership into the PGA TOUR, which is the pinnacle of golf.  Each of these men at some point in their life dreamed of being able to play golf on the world's biggest stage. They practiced and worked for years to accomplish this goal, and they will continue to do that to stay there.In short, I use that as an example, because my encouragement is to not take those dreams lightly. Take hold of them, and keep fighting to accomplish your dreams throughout your life, whatever they may be.  God gives you passions as a part of your life to put you down the path where He would have you!Thank you God for dreams that we have both in our sleep and while we are wide awake that guide us here on Earth.