Dear Family, Friends, & all of my dear readers, both near & far,
This book has a little bit of history behind it.
In creating my wish list of books for the Race, (being the voracious reader that I am) I needed to be sure I brought the books I wanted to for the year I would be on the Race.
This was a book I came across and had heard a little about before. It was at the top of my wish list. It seemed to show some key aspects that I was dealing with and could help to set me free spiritually in some crucial ways.
Who doesn’t want to know and experience their true identity as a son or daughter of the King?
Identity had played a key part of my spiritual journey. In forgetting who I was, I forgot how a daughter of the King should act. I forgot that God loved me as His precious daughter. I forgot I was set free.
I had no recollection that I could lean on my Father for help and comfort. That His love was forever and He would never fail me.
That’s what this book symbolized to me.
That’s why it was at the top of my list.
Fast forward to Launch. The night before we would leave at 4am to Costa Rica.
Now, if you know me, you know I love the written word and all things to do with books.
Since I was little, I absolutely loved to read and this soon transformed into a love for stories and writing.
So we were in a room together with our squad of 30 people we would be going to all 11 countries with, plus our leaders. After the announcements and technical stuff was taken care of, they said they had another announcement.
Books! For everyone to choose from to take on the Race and pass along.
It was like Christmas morning.
Maybe even better.
Of course, I couldn’t wait when I first got gist that there were going to be books for us and was the first one out of my seat to choose a book for my team.
And there it was!
The book of the hour. The book I had most wanted for the Race!
The book at the top of the list.
From Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship by Jack Frost.
It was definitely Christmas morning!
It was a gift from God.
Glowing, as if outlined in soft white-gold.
It was a gift for me. A sweet whisper from God that He called me here and would provide my needs. He cared for me. Even in the small things. He knew what would bring such delight to my heart.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
A holy embrace from the Father.
Which was perfect because this book, as I would soon see, was all about how to change our view from that of a slave to a true daughter or son of the Most High King, Lord God.
Favorite Quotes/Passages from the Book
1. “God is saying, “I will not leave you an orphan. You have a home with me. Home is a place of safety and security. It is a place of warmth and love. If you’re having a “bad hair day” and everyone is coming against you at school or at work, and nobody is speaking anything good about you, home is the place where you can go and hear the voice of your Father say, “No matter what anybody else says, you are the child I love and on whom my favor rests.”
Home is where you constantly hear the voice of God speaking His affirmation over you, His love over you, and His forgiveness, compassion and grace over you.”
2. All of creation begins and ends with Father’s longing for relationship with you as His beloved child. He created you to live your life as if you have a home. Did you get up this morning and hear the loving voice of your Father say, “Don’t worry that you don’t have everything together, that’s OK. I don’t expect you to get it perfect. I love you so much just the way you are. You are the son/daughter I love and in whom I am well pleased?”
Or did you get up thinking, Nobody loves me. Nobody cares about me. I’ve got to have devotions today, and pray enough, and get my three Bible chapters a day in, and do all the right Christian stuff, just so I can get a crumb from the Master’s table today?
You will treat yourself and others according to the way you think God feels about you. If you know you are loved unconditionally, you will love yourself and others with that same kind of love. But if you feel you have to perform in order to be of value to God, then you will portray that thought to others that they need to perform in order to be of value to you. Either you live your life as if you have a home or you live your life as if you don’t have a home. Fear…or Father’s embrace!
3. Our Quest for Safe Harbor
A safe haven from the storms of life is what each one of us is searching for, but still so many can’t seem to find their way home. We either search for a safe harbor we have never known or seek to return to a safe harbor that once was ours, but have lost our way. At one time, we knew safe harbor. We tasted of Christ’s forgiveness, salavation and peace. But through the circumstances of life, the sins o others against us, or our sins against others, we have found ourselves battling a blizzard, in the middle of a whiteout. With our vision blurred, it becomes difficult to hear the comforting and affirming voice of God. We struggle with the consequences of decisions we made, thinking we are pursuing something “better” in life, only to have fallen into a well-laid trap of the enemy that threatens to ice us in.
Questions to Ponder
What’s your favorite book you have recently read?
What’s on your wish list?
What holy desires of your heart have you asked God for?
Have you delighted yourself in God?
What does that mean or look like to delight yourself in God?
Talking about wish lists, please consider giving a birthday gift (coming up in February!) if you feel led to join me on this journey. I am $2500 away from meeting my next deadline in February- will you help me meet it as a birthday gift and partnership as I serve around the world?
Or for a fun way to give the gift of a memorable experience, please consider giving to help me take part in Adventure Day this coming up month for my birthday- when we get to explore the country around us on our days off. It would mean so much to me! You can give through PayPal: [email protected] Thank you!!!!
Please pray I meet this next deadline of $2500 left to meet the $13,000 deadline by Leap Year- Feb. 29th, 2016!
That will bring me closer to my final deadline that is needed by the end of April- $16,962.
Thank you so much! Love you all! So glad to be on this journey together.
Love,
Jen
