Typically right after a new year begins, vision architects are busy assembling the pieces they need to build their God-given dream. Plans are unfolding, resources being gathered, teams mobilized, and undoubtedly somewhere in the near future roadblocks will be hit. That’s why it’s important for the leader to understand the stages of a vision. When you understand the different phases of vision, then you’re able to respond with wisdom and maturity when you encounter challenges. A vision typically goes through six stages.

1. Imagination Stage: This is the fun stage where you get to think outside the box and dream about possibilities. Typically you’re focused on solving a problem that is close to your heart and praying through ways God wants to use you to make a difference.

2. Preparation Stage: This is the hard work of putting together the timelines, budget, priorities, and goals of the vision. Vision is seeing tomorrow’s possibilities today, but it’s not enough just to see it. You have to design a blueprint in order to minimize frustrations along the way.

OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) In an effort to block the state’s involvement with gay marriage, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday (March 10) to abolish marriage licenses in the state.

The legislation, authored by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, amends language in the state law that governs the responsibilities of court clerks. All references to marriage licenses were removed.

Russ said the intent of the bill is to protect court clerks caught between the federal and state governments. A federal appeals court overturned Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage last year. Russ, like many Republican legislators in the state, including Gov. Mary Fallin, believes the federal government overstepped its constitutional authority on this issue.

Acknowledging that his bill is partially in response to the federal court ruling, Russ told ABC News affiliate KSWO that the federal government lacks the power to “force its new definitions of what they believe on independent states.”

Chen Guangcheng seemed an unlikely hero. Born in 1971 to a poor family in rural China, blind since infancy, and illiterate until his late teens, Chen became his country’s most prominent human-rights activist. His story made international headlines in 2012 when, under house arrest, he made a dramatic escape and sought refuge in the US embassy in Beijing. The Chinese government eventually allowed him to go to the United States.

The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man’s Fight for Justice and Freedom in China (Henry Holt) is Chen’s autobiography. It offers both an absorbing story of how a determined, courageous individual can make a difference in the lives of millions and an eye-opening portrait of the desperate conditions endured by China’s rural poor. Chen advised his countrymen about their legal rights, and the book’s title refers to the nickname by which they know him.

Chen’s activism began with a seemingly trivial incident: A ticket collector on a bus refused to let him ride free, as mandated under China’s law regarding those with disabilities. His outrage at this mistreatment propelled him into advocacy for people with disabilities, first at his school in Shandong Province and then on a national level. He educated himself on disability law, petitioned the government in Beijing for better enforcement, and used the media to call attention to violations.