The Origins of Vision: From Trauma to Clarity

I shared that my very first visions came after something traumatic, and for a long time, every single vision I received up until my late 20s was tied to a difficult experience. I didn't understand what these visions were; I thought I was crazy or that they were taunting me.

It wasn't until I was around 36 years old that I heard a quote that changed my entire perspective: **"The dreams and visions that are placed in your heart are not God mocking you, it's God showing you what's possible for your life."** This realization changed everything for me, allowing me to see that these challenging gifts were actually glimpses of the life I was created to live.

The key lesson here is that our gifts and insights can emerge from our deepest wounds. They're all gifts from God, and it's up to us to understand them rather than reject them out of fear or confusion.

A Word of Caution: Confirmation is Key

While visions are a beautiful gift, I've seen them weaponized. I shared a story about being "catfished" by someone claiming to be a prophet who fed me words that spoke directly to my dreams. I made a huge, public decision to move back to San Diego based on this, only to have it fall apart, resulting in deep embarrassment.

This led to a crucial lesson: **before you run off and do what a visionary tells you, ask for confirmation from the Creator.** It's incredibly dangerous to say "God told me to do this" without that personal confirmation. If it's truly of God, it will be confirmed. Waiting for that confirmation, even if it takes a day or more, can save you a lot of heartbreak and detours.

The path to your purpose is a straight line, but the detours are what truly slow you down. It's a lot easier to take leaps of faith when you've waited for confirmation that the leap you're about to take is the right one.

How to Connect with Your Vision

In the broadcast, I also shared the importance of writing down your vision, a practice from Habakkuk 3:3. I believe when you write something down, it creates a powerful brain-heart connection, blocking out all the noise and allowing you to get to the "ultimate moment of presence."

A simple exercise I've found powerful is to practice gratitude by not just saying what you're grateful for, but asking "why." By continually asking "why," you go deeper into your heart, turning a simple statement of gratitude into a profound, meaningful knowing.

The Moral: Be Good Stewards of Your Gifts

Be careful with how we use our visions and how we share them. Our gifts can be beautiful and life-giving, but they can also be weaponized and cause harm. I learned to keep certain visions and plans close to the vest until it was the right time to share them. This is also why I stand against monetizing our gifts in a way that pollutes them, like the "cash app prophets" who attach a price tag to a word from God.

Ultimately, this message is about personal responsibility and stewardship. Be still, be patient, and wait for confirmation. A man without a vision is a dangerous man because he has no purpose, but a man who acts on an unconfirmed vision can create a train wreck of his life. Live by faith, get your confirmation, and then jump—you can build the parachute on the way down.