Written by: Joylann Lumpford (Author Credits) The Words Within a Butterfly release in a way that is so breath-taking, yet so revitalizing, simultaneously, that a reader has no choice but to believe that the feeling of this triumph is attainable in their own personal flight of life. Thus, providing hope for reoccurring victory in life to create an individual's story. These words share the presence of God through the unwavering faith in His word, as the ability to allow the float of a butterfly to mirror life's up's and down's.
Words Within a Butterfly
Words Within A Butterfly: Under GraceBy Jillyann MarshallAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Jillyann Marshall
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4685-9447-8Contents
Chapter One Trust..................................................1Chapter Two Consider My Position...................................7Chapter Three Not so Elementary Beginnings.........................11Chapter Four You Reap What You Sew.................................19Chapter Five Seriously?............................................31Chapter Six Out with the Old in with Confusion.....................39Chapter Seven A Journey to Remember................................43Chapter Eight An Unnecessary Sacrifice.............................51Chapter Nine A Brighter Day........................................59Chapter Ten Life's Graduation......................................65Chapter Eleven Why Write?..........................................71Chapter Twelve The Heart of a True Believer........................75Chapter Thirteen The Truth about Deliverance.......................83
Chapter One
Trust
The bottom line is trust. When we serve this all mighty God with the power to soar anyone to their highest of heights, but all the while are in the midst of examples of vessels like I who did not trust God, doubts begin to consume onlookers, spectators, or candidates for Christianity.
Well, thank God He is the God of a second chance. Being under confident or lacking self-esteem causes a lack of trust in one's self. If we cannot commit to trusting ourselves, then how do we expect to place the entirety of our trust in God? Faith actually becomes inquiry, especially if these principles are introduced to a person before they learn what trust is.
I remember there was this engulfing love that God had blessed me with through family and friends and gifts and talents that I refused to embrace. I rejected it time and time again. I had the happiest moments of completion and fulfillment, and then in order to combat the satisfaction I felt, I would rebel or lie. I was not a child who was into doing really bad things, such as drinking or smoking or any drugs, so my only means of rebellion was sneaking or lying about things, that if I had asked my parents, they would have let me do those things. This love and support was so compelling and so pulling, but I would not allow myself, for unknown reasons, to be founded on it.
With not embracing this security, I stood out in the rain of negativity and hatred, but the whole time God protected my life, with this force field of mercy and grace. I was aware that I was being protected. I had thoroughly praying parents. In order to really feel protected or secure, as humans we have to actually associate this with some type of emotion. That is just human nature. But because I could not properly emote this love, I found myself searching for love in improper fashion, especially when it came to friends. That is not God's heart for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world (that's us) that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
God wanted us to feel His love so badly that He sacrificed His only son. He even said if we embrace His love and trust and believe Him, that we could live throughout all eternity. Wow, that is some kind of love. Now most new Christians hear this scripture, and after the break down of it are immediately attracted to the most important part, giving. If we pay attention in relationships, a lot of times the only window to true commitment is sacrifice or giving. Something has to be given to symbolize commitment. When I got married June 12, 2010, my husband and I exchanged rings and vows. Those rings are in a circle to symbolize eternal love and commitment, and in the middle of those vows we repeated several different examples of what I like to call "the no matter whats". These are, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others etc. Never will there be a relationship that at some point in time will not involve sacrifice. Now with obvious connotation we must sacrifice self and or flesh to please God. Sacrifice is not negative, especially with God, that includes in relationships whether with a spouse, children, or friends. It is the highest form of giving, and each time in some way that relationship will grow.
Sacrifice forms trust. It makes it so apparent to the other person in the relationship that we will always have their back or protect, provide, or take care of them.
I often think about how many sacrifices my own parents made for my sisters and me. Then it occurs to me that all of those things make me who I am today. That love and security that God was developing in me has now evolved into several serving ministries, including Wings of Purpose for people, not much unlike me, who just could not embrace that love and that sense of purpose.
Many things derive from the opportunity to give or sacrifice:
• God gives us a definite depiction of an answered prayer, and suddenly we now see how He manifests His glory.
• Secondly, He maintains the sense of security in Him that will last a lifetime.
• Lastly, He gives us witnessing tool, or testimony to compel others to believe Him as well
I say all of these things with the fact in mind that some people have trust issues that run very deep and are hard to heal, but please remember that nothing is too hard for God. Mark 9:23 says Jesus said unto them "If thou canst believe all things are possible to him who believeth." Again I am a person who dealt with trust issues. I had a time period in my life where I trusted no one. This derived from someone close to me abusing me sexually for years. It consumed me for an unsettling amount of time, but God delivered me out of that very real and truly dark state of mind. Part of my darkness came from thinking it was my fault, because I felt I could not say anything, when in fact God could have saved me from that if I had opened my mouth and trusted Him to handle it. Praise God that it did not result in tragedy, but in victory! I do everything I know God has called me to do in spite of that demeaning and crippling era in my life. Now I stand on the things that God has founded my life on, principles of love, faith, and ministry.
When we trust God, He can break us though any chains and bondage. He can move a mountain, and set us up on a straight and narrow path, but it is up to us to want those things for our lives. Some people want the walls and they want the mountains, just to use them as excuses, again I was one of them, but we absolutely cannot spend our lives drowning in a sea of things ungodly only to go to hell and drown eternally in a lake of fire.
Chapter Two
Consider My Position
I know my life has just begun. I am elated to see the things to come. At this point, I have envisioned where I am going, and honestly I am grateful for even the vision.
I began my life as a vessel for smiles and laughter. It was only two years before I began reading and a week after my third birthday I began writing. From the age of four, I knew there was one thing that I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and that is, write. God gave me a voice, and something to say to encourage people at different points of their lives. I spill my voice onto paper every chance I get. I realized a long time ago that God would not have given me a voice if no one had use for the words of encouragement, His ministry, or my testimony.
Outspoken is an...
