Do you have a dream for your life that didn’t pan out exactly as you had planned? Maybe something out of your control happened that made that dream impossible, or maybe you made some choices that turned your life in a direction that wasn’t in line with your hopes and goals? Though we can be filled with regret over dreams lost or deferred, God has another way of looking at those shifts in our lives and He encourages us that He will always guide us to where He wants us to be, as we’re reminded in Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Country music star Brett Young had dreams of being a pro baseball player until an injury halted his career. Sarah Jakes Roberts, daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes, never imagined that she would become pregnant as a teenager and for many years dealt with the shame and disappointment of having a life that didn’t turn out as she had planned. Each of these stories shows us that God can take our circumstances, no matter what they are, and still get us to where we can live the amazing life he has in store for us.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

Jesus Calling

Jesus Listens

Sarah Young

Past interview: Pastor Matthew Barnett

Upcoming interview: Ben Courson

Brett Young

Fresno State

Arizona State

Love You, Little Lady

Weekends Look A Little Different These Days 

www.brettyoungmusic.com

Sarah Jakes Roberts

Bishop T.D. Jakes

Woman Evolve

The Potter's House One

Woman Evolve: Break Up With Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life

Interview Quotes:

“Without my faith, I wouldn't have been able to get over the injury and let baseball go and be open enough to let something else come in. And music ended up being something that I love more than I loved baseball. And it feels exactly like what I was supposed to do in life.” - Brett Young

“I always say, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.’” - Brett Young

“The fact that God is giving us this life and these unique days one at a time, it feels almost irresponsible to try to fit them into a mold or try to make today yesterday or look forward to tomorrow rather than living in this precious moment that you've been given.” - Brett Young

“I think life is a collection of God opening and closing doors. And I think we're the only ones that get in our way of seeing when a door is being closed and when the door is being opened.” - Brett Young 

“[I] decided to completely stay away from anything that looked like ministry and even God, because I wasn't sure that there was a place for a girl who had made such a big, big mistake that I thought was beyond recovery.” - Sarah Jakes Robert

“It took a step of faith for me to believe that maybe [salvation] applied to me too, not just the woman who's on the other side of the pew or my neighbor, but this same redemption is available to me.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts

“It doesn't matter what color we are—on the inside, we're all trying to sort through the sin of life and missing the mark and wondering where we fit. And I have found that sometimes we allow things to divide us that keep us from actually being able to edify one another because of the barriers that exist in culture.” - Sarah Jakes Roberts 

“God's presence is always available to us. But sometimes we are present in our life, so much so that we miss out on God's p