Monday, January 25, 2016

A Bridal Dip Into the Jordan River!



This weekend, I made a step of faith. I crossed over into my promise land! My knees were shaking and my heart was beating fast, but I did it! As I stepped into my personal Jordan River of fears, doubts, insecurities and unbelief , I miraculously saw those waters that once threatened me begin to push back! I shared publicily a small part of my introduction to the book I'm trying to write. It was a defining moment for me in my walk of faith to finally put my work out there! As a writer, your work is your passion. It's your inner heart beat that drives you to write. Every word written is song being played by your soul. All my fears diminished and faded away as I began to take hold of the very things that once took hold of me. Fear is no longer my enemy. Fear is a lie. I put fear under my feet and it felt good!! God's Word tells us in 1 John 4:18, " There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." In other words, when we put fear down and are obedient to God in the things He has placed in our hearts to do for Him, He is the One that drives back the darkness and lies that entangle us from walking in our destines and taking hold of our promises. Faith will always call us to deeper waters of trust. Like Peter, we need to get out our boats and walk toward God in faith. When we do, He has us to walk on those waters!  What does your Jordan River represent? What deep waters does God want you to walk on this season? Allow yourself to let your faith lead you to places you never dreamed of. Let your faith be without borders!

Now, I will take another step of faith and share with you just a little sneak peak of my book, "Imposter Brides. Will the True Bride of Christ Please Stand Up!:)



Introduction

Imposter Bride ….Will the True Bride of Christ Please Stand Up!


“That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”  Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV).

Have you ever watched a bride on her wedding day? Or, perhaps you may have been that bride yourself and experienced the growing anticipation of such a glorious occasion. Months and months of preparation have taken place—detail after detail, carefully scrutinized, even right down to the exact seating arrangements. No element left out, no expense spared. Then, it’s the matter of the dress, perhaps exclusively handmade from Italy with the finest of lace and white satin, displaying tiny exquisite pearls and sequence throughout.  
            Roses and gardenias are arranged and presented on beautiful white linen tablecloths with delicate china on top of silver chargers for extra finesse. The candles glow with effervescent lights that dance and shimmer in the night air. Even the nametags are pleasing to the eyes. The guests wait patiently in stylish impressive attire. The bride’s maids and groomsmen stand poised at the altar. The wedding is about to begin.
Love encompasses the air and all wait for the bride to make her grand entrance and procession down the aisle to her groom. With each second that passes, her excitement and anticipation grows. These are the moments she has reminisced over in her mind since she was a little girl. Timidly, she smiles underneath her veil as she thinks about her groom and the promises being fulfilled today.  
 On key, the music beckons and she gently fits her vulnerable hand snuggly into her daddy’s arm. It’s time! The doors of the church swing open and the people stand. Breathing in deeply, she takes her first steps towards the future. With all eyes upon her, she feels self-conscious. Nevertheless, she refocuses and steadies her sight towards her groom. She sees him. He sees her. Their eyes lock with loving acceptance and desire for one another. Immediately, her heartbeat increases with sheer delight and assuredly her confidence returns. Tears of joy begin to fall gently down her cheeks. The elation within her bursts forth like a song resounding in her soul. It’s a song of promise, commitment and passion.
This is her moment. The moment she has been preparing for all her life. All that she has imagined, longed for and worked for accumulates into this one passage of time when she says “yes!” From this point on, she matters to someone. She counts. She is worthy of love!
             As women, we deeply desire to feel beautiful, validated, accepted and worthy of someone’s love. You see, this is a picture of God’s heart for His bride. He desires for us to feel that same joy of anticipation, love, acceptance and passion when we are reunited with Him for all eternity. But more so, He wants to be more than enough for us—today!
He desires to be our hearts’ final destination where nothing else can satisfy us more than Him. This is an infinite love story, which resonates through time and space since before all of creation. God loves us! His compassion and love constantly pursue our hearts until we are prepared for Him without wrinkle or blemish. No other love story ever written can compare because this one was written through our Lover’s sacrificial blood, as His life was ransomed for our bridal price. We were chosen and bought for the King of Kings, and one day, we will become His eternal bride. However, the question remains, are we ready?