Month: May 2018

As I watch my daughter grow up, I am reminded of my own childhood.  I see so much of my little girl self in her. Adventurous. Bold. Strong. Funny. Kind. Thoughtful.

I watch the way my daughter plays and it brings back my own childhood fantasy play. While she’s playing out Minecraft stories and pretending to be a Mario princess, I pretended to be Daisy Duke out running the sheriff, Princess Leia fighting the galactic battle of good and evil, or Wonder Woman flying around in my invisible jet dodging bullets with golden bracelets and forcing men to tell the truth with my golden lasso.

It makes me smile.

Then I think about growing out of childhood and becoming a teenager.  The turbulent road of growing into a young woman. All the mine fields I had to navigate. Was I beautiful? Was I worthy? Was I desirable? I think about how I struggled to find the validation of my beauty in the world around me.

They say hindsight is 20/20. I was truly blinded to the truth during those years. I had no idea of what true beauty was or where it came from. It wasn’t until my mid to late twenties when I began to understand beauty. I’m in my forties now and I feel like I’ve finally come to truly see what feminine beauty is and where is comes from.

Here’s what I want my daughter to know that I did not.

• You are made in the image of God.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  Genesis 1:27

It’s really hard to think of yourself as junk when you realize that you are modeled after God himself.  The Lord is splendid.  Beautiful.  And to say you are anything other than splendid and beautiful is to mar the very image of God.  So just don’t do it.  Never call yourself ugly.  Never call yourself fat.  You. Are. Beautifully. Splendid. Period.  Even if you don’t feel like it.  The reality is that you ARE.

• You are extremely good.

Read Genesis chapter 1.  I love the story of God’s creation. I don’t understand it, but I love knowing that we were all created by a loving and intentional God.  We did not happen by accident.  It wasn’t a cosmic boom or happen stance that earth and all its inhabitants came into existence. God created nature and humanity and he did so with intention, with reason and with purpose.

When I read this chapter I see that God created everything. The land and oceans, the stars in the sky, the birds of the air, the creepy things of the ground (although I can think of a few many legged creatures I wish the Lord had not created).  And when he finished each task he looked at his creation and said, “It was good.”  But this pattern changes after he created man and woman.  All of his other creation he look upon after the work was complete and called “good.”  However, when he finished making man and woman in his own image he looked upon it as the crown of his creation and called it “VERY good” (emphasis mine).  So never ever think of yourself as anything other than very good. If you look into nature and see something beautiful, a sunset or a butterfly, know that you are even more beautiful than that.  God himself says so.  While they are “good”, you are “very good.”  And yes… that means you are more beautiful than the most beautiful of all God’s creation.  You have purpose and are worthy simply because of that.

“I praise you (Lord) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

Some translations use “marvelous” instead of  “wonderful.”  The definition of the both of these works literally means “extremely good.”  So the Psalmist, David, goes a bit further in his revelation of who he is as God’s creation.  Not only did God say we are “very good” we are actually “extremely good.”  So who are we to argue that we are ugly or fat?!

• God himself is enthralled with us

Psalm 45 is a poem about a bride and bridegroom.  It parallel’s the church’s relationship with Christ.  We are the bride and he is the bridegroom.  I love what Psalm 45:11a says.

“For your royal Bridegroom is ravished by your beautiful brightness. Bow in reverence before him, for he is your Lord!” (TPT)

“Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord” (NIV)

Did you get that!?

Ravish – “to give great pleasure to someone.”

Enthrall – “to keep someone completely interested.”

This means that we give great pleasure to the Lord.  Just by being us!  It also means that we hold God’s attention.  He will never cancel an appointment with us.  He will never be distracted in our presence.  You are completely ravishing and enthralling just the way you are.  As his creation.

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So what does all this mean?! I am a firm believer that we become what we say.  Our thoughts and our self speak are powerful things. How many times did I stand in front of the mirror saying things about myself that just did not line up with God’s Word?!  Instead I should have been speaking God’s Word over myself and speaking LIFE instead of death.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”  Proverbs 18:21a

I want to challenge you to speak life over yourself. Rather than stand in front of the mirror and point out the flaws that you see, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truths of what God says about you to you. Then start speaking them out over yourself.  Look in the mirror and say, “I am made in God’s image and that can’t be anything but awesome.  He is after all GOD! I am ravishing.  God is enthralled with me. God himself is can not be distracted by anything when He’s with me. I am completely interesting and give pleasure to those around me. I am not only very good but extremely good. God himself called me “very good”.  I am whole. I am complete.  God made me so.”

These are things I wish I had known while navigating those dangerous streets of becoming a young woman.  When I was tempted to let my value and beauty be dictated by the crush of a boy instead of the position my Father gave me, I wish someone had been there to fill me with these truths.  Oh how I had known confidently that I am BEAUTY, just because God made me.  It has nothing to do with the number of boys that said I was desirable.  Beauty is based on my position with God and nothing else.

So grow, my sweet daughter, knowing that you are beautiful.  That you are loved.  That you are enthralling and marvelously made.  Just the way you are.

 

Something truly significant happened on May 19, 2018.  A day of historical significance, an American actress became a princess. Not just any American actress either.  Meghan Markle, a woman of African American heritage who for many reasons could have traditionally been thought of as improper for the royal family, married Prince Harry and became royalty.  It may have lacked the fairy dust and glitter of the fairy tales, but today she transformed into a real bonafide princess.  Wow.  And with that metamorphosis, she became both the envy and the inspiration of girls both big and small across the globe.

I didn’t dress up, wear a royal hat or set an alarm to watch the coverage.  I simply watched a bit while eating breakfast with my kids this morning.  There was a part of me that wanted to make sure my kids didn’t miss out on the monumental and historical value of today’s royal wedding.  Another part of me wanted to empower my daughter to know that being royalty really is possible.  It’s not just some fairy tale upon which to dream.

What I did watch, melted my heart.  It was beautiful to watch the royal family envelope her into their own family.  The reporters on the news commented on how Prince Charles walked her down the aisle and gave her to his son, Harry.  A huge act of acceptance.  It was like they wrapped their arms around her in approval and consent of the her becoming part of their family.

Another segment showed girls from Meghan’s alma mater watching the wedding.  They talked about how inspiriting it was to know that they too could come from such a normal place as their school and like Meghan become royalty.  The possibilities are uncapped, ladies.  You never know what good things could happen.

As I went about my morning, I couldn’t help but think about the things the commentators were saying about this royal union. Meghan is the envy of every single woman (and some married women) on the planet, right!?  She found her Prince Charming and became a real princess today. She instantly gained status and title.  Former actress becomes Duchess of Sussex. In an instant she gained all the legacy and rights of royalty.  I had a brief moment where my mind wondered down a path towards jealousy. I mean, talk about life changing birth right and inheritance!

Then as the Holy Spirit often does, a tender touch stirred in my heart.  I am already royalty.  My inheritance, my status and my legacy are fully covered in my position as a daughter of the one true King.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God….” John 1:12 (NKJV)

“For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, to that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace — for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!” Ephesians 1:5-6 (TPT)

And just in case those aren’t enough to open your eyes to see.  Here’s one more.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1

As the truth and revelation of the Holy Spirit poured over me, I started laughing.  Joy overtook me.  Truth bomb: As Believers, we have an inheritance in the faith that far surpasses any British royalty.  Don’t believe me!?  Let’s take a look.

• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)
• I am fully accepted by God. (Romans 15:7)
• I have been brought into fullness and have all power and authority in Christ. (Colossians 2:9-10)
• I am one with God’s spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
• I am no longer a slave to sin. (Romans 6:6)
• I have been created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27)
• I am a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD and God’s special possession. (1 Peter 2:9)
• I have been raised with Christ!! (Colossians 3:1-3)
• I am chosen. (1 Peter 2:9)

I could go on and on!! You can grab a bunch of truth statements from Freedom In Christ Ministries here.) And if that’s not enough, just search “what is my identity in Christ?” in your favorite search engine and you’ll find tons of truth on your royalty!!

Move over Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.  You may have been transformed into a real bonafide princess today, but I have been transformed into a new creation. I am a daughter of the King.  I am a royal priest hood.  I have been enveloped by Christ. I am perfectly accepted and bestowed abundant live.  I am already royalty holding God given-title, elevated in supernatural status, and holding all the legacy and inheritance of God.  Wow. If that doesn’t get your fire going, your wood is a little wet.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

I turned on the TV today to show my daughter new possibilities.  To let her see a historical moment transpire hoping it would inspire her to dream a little bigger.  But I learned that I really want her to know something much deeper and much bigger.  In Christ she already is a princess.  She is the Bride of Christ.  Already in union with the Spirit of God. She is already royalty blessed with every rich spiritual blessing and living in inheritance and legacy.  Just like a real bonafide princess.  And this, my dear daughter, is much better than any princess story out there.

So for you today who read this.  If you have asked Jesus into your heart, you too hold the title and position.  You are already royalty.  Embrace this today and ask Holy Spirit to bring this truth into fullness in your heart.  You.  Are.  Already.  Royalty.

Written by Dacian Keaton – Founder of DK Minstries

Recently, I was awoken from sleep with a vision. I saw the image of a toddler with a handful of cookies in his hands yet he kept asking for more.  The symbolism makes me chuckle at first.  I can remember moments like this with both my children when they were little.  Hands full of chocolate chip cookies asking for just one more.  Once I remember playing the game with one of my kids where I just kept handing them cookies until they literally couldn’t hold any more. I can’t remember the outcome of that event.  But I do think it ended up with a full belly for my child and a big chocolatey mess for me to clean up.

Believe it or not, deep spiritual meaning rests in this image of a messy child holding onto his handful of cookies.

I know I have been guilty of doing this very same thing with my heavenly father.  I stand before Him with a handful of blessings already in my hands, yet I stand asking for them.  Lord, help me to not sin today.  Lord, heal me.  Lord, calm my emotions and bring me peace. I stand with a handful of “spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) and “everything needed to live a life of Godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) and ask for the ability to live a good life or the ability to be healed from sickness. All I really need to do is eat from the cookies in my hand. To partake of the deep spiritual blessings the Lord has already bestowed to me.  Things I already have.  I just need to devour them.

Peace. Joy. Patience. Goodness. Power. Authority. Divine health. Just to name a few.

All of these things and many more are already given to me.  Power to raise from the dead lives inside me.  All authority has been given to me (Matthew 28:18).  Yet rather than just stand and take a big bite of them, I cry out to the Lord to give me strength.  Or I cry out for Him to heal me.  Or I cry out for Him to help me be or do something good.  

I AM already  good.  I AM already healed.  I AM already strong.

In Christ.  Christ in me.

In God.  God in me.

Holy Spirit upon me.

So this past couple weeks I feel like something has taken root in my that has moved me up a rung on the ladder of maturity.

1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

No longer will I ask for things I already have.  Childish ways of holding a handful of cookies while asking for some cookies is behind me.  I will not ask the Lord for strength.  I will just take the strength He has already given me and move on.  I will no longer ask Him to heal me.  I will declare that I am already healed, curse the symptoms and move on. I will no longer ask the Lord to help me not sin.  I will claim the finished work of the Cross, the fact that Christ is in me and move on.  I am a new creation.  I have every spiritual blessing.  Everything I need to live a life o Godliness has been given to me.  Let’s get going.

I have been liberated.

My prayer life will never be the same.

 

** Stay tuned for a more in depth teaching on this topic of devouring the blessings God has already given to you.**