Tuesday AM dawned crisp and cool as we loaded our bags into Melody's van to begin our trek west. I tell you what, when three women pack for a six day trip, and those women are moms, we don't forget anything! And I mean anything! By the time we were packed we made sure that no one on this trip would go hungry, without adequate medical care and sufficient clothing just in case we got stuck for the winter.
All kidding aside, we did have a great trip out to MO. The trip itself actually took us 18 hours. Yup, I said 18 hours. Why so long you may ask? Well, when you send three woman on a road trip with no children or husbands do you really expect them to drive the whole thing straight without so much as a glance at all the wonderfully places zipping past the window? Specifically the shopping malls and restroom facilities along the way? Since the conference did not actually start until Thursday evening, we had time to spend. Wow, now there is a concept for three moms, on the road, with no responsibility other than themselves. So we found ourselves stopping for the restroom when WE needed to go and shopping for..GASP! OURSELVES of all people.
Finally, around 12am we arrived at our hotel...or should I say castle! You see, Melody's husband Jeff, had arranged all the hotel accommodations for our trip. I had seen a brief picture of the hotel and a listing of amenities but I don't think it fully registered exactly where we would be staying. As we rounded the bend to the hotel I remember gasping inwardly and staring in awe at the structure before us. We weren't staying at a hotel, we were staying in a castle! No...really....it looked like a castle! As we pulled up to the grand doors, where bellmen awaited each guest, Melody, in grand flourish declared "Ladies we are princesses this week and this is our castle"!
Even though Melody was being silly at that moment, what she said was so very true. We, as daughters of our King (Jesus Christ) are princesses and he longs for us to discover just how much he loves us. Not only that but he wants to lavish that love upon us in so many ways. Seeing that Hotel brought to mind a recent discussion I was having with one of my girls.
As Mom with 4 daughters we have been going through parts of Sharon Ethridge's book "Preparing your daughter for every woman's battle". At the very beginning of the mother/daughter section Sharon talks about how we are princess's and God is our King. In Psalm 45:11, 13-15 it talks about how the king is enthralled with our beauty (in referencing his church) and how "glorious is the princess within her chamber". I love how Sharon takes that passage and breaks it down. She says:
"In case you didn't catch what that verse really means to you, let me word it another way:
You, my dear, are a princess and a stunningly beautiful creation of the King of the universe;
and He is absolutely, positively head over heels in love with you. You have been richly
adorned with spiritual beauty, and your role in life is to radiate God's magnificent glory to
others."
(Sharon Ethridge - Preparing your daughter for every woman's battle)
So the question is:
Do you see yourself as a princess or a peasant?
Do you struggle to see yourself as a princess? If so, why?
Over the weekend with Joyce Meyer we heard a lot about our attitude and the power of our thoughts. Our thoughts affect every part of our life both personally and spiritually!
Ephesians 4:23 (amplified) says:
"And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]"
Let me encourage you that if you are struggling to see yourself as a princess and find yourself feeling more like a peasant most days...you are not alone. Many of us feel this way at one time or another. I have to work at taking the lies the enemy wants to feed into my spirit and speak the truth. So...speak the truth today! Let your mind be renewed. Ask God to show you, even in practical ways, that you are a princess. He might just surprise you! And as you turn the bend you may just find a castle!
Journeying with a Purpose - Serving Him,
~Victoria
Our Castle
The Kings Princess's
