Afraid to fight? Do it anyway.

Blessings Princess Warriors. I'm so excited to share my latest blog entry. I hope that you too will feel encouraged, blessed, even challenged, by the following message.

First, I'll admit I'm a big Johnny Depp fan, and, in most cases, I go to all the movies he stars in. I think he's a fabulous actor. Okay. Okay. I think he's quite (incredibly) good looking as well. (That's my big confession!)

Anyway ... I recently took my daughter to the new Alice in Wonderland, starring none other than Mr. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

We both enjoyed the movie and its amazing 3D effects. But later, back home, I found myself rewinding and reviewing the movie over and over in my head. One scene in particular kept coming to mind. (Beware! This contains some tiny spoilers, although, I doubt reading will ruin your movie experience.)

Let me just mention that through a majority of the movie, Alice refused to accept her identity and her destiny. She simply could not grasp that she had a great calling on her life and that the inhabitants of Wonderland saw her as a savior of sorts. Even when she actually embraced the truth, she wouldn't accept her mission. She was afraid. But, who wouldn't be? Her task wasn't simple, nor was it typical for a young woman.

Alice was asked to trade her frilly dress for a coat of armor and a sword. Her destiny required her to slay a monstrous beast that struck unparalleled terror in the hearts and minds of Wonderland's many strange creatures. Frightened of the possible outcome, Alice fled from the hopeful onlookers, torrents of tears cascading down her pretty, young face.

After sharing her concerns with one very wise and very ancient caterpillar, and listening to his thoughtful council, she returns dressed in full armor, fierce determination etched across her face, the tears long gone.

I won't tell you how it all turns out, but our movie heroine's acceptance of her God-given identity and her daring destiny, serve as powerful reminders of our own destinies as daughters of the King.

We, too, may feel less than perfect and unprepared (that's okay; we are). We may be afraid of what God is asking us to do (no problem; we can do "it" afraid). And we might not be sure what to do (no worries; God and the people He selects to guide us will know). Like Alice, we, too, have our own armor and sword, for God provides spiritual armor for His warriors to wear. That means us! In other words, He gives us everything we need to meet the challenges we face.

We can be who we're created to be and do what we're called to do. Amen!

Right now, simply be reminded of who you are in Christ, and know you can accomplish any mission, no matter how scary it might at first appear. God keeps His promises. It's up to us to take Him at His Word.

For encouragement, why not read about how Moses, scared and argumentative, was initially too frightened to be who he was and do what God required him to do. Or consider Ruth -- a woman in mourning. A woman who was willing to become a princess warrior and walk boldly forward with Naomi to a whole new land, and, ultimately, an unexpected, history-altering destiny. Can anyone say lineage of Christ? Or ... maybe it's time to reread the story of Mary, a peasant girl who became a princess warrior and gave birth to our Savior.

God's love letters give us one example after another of men and women who were unsure who they were and what they were supposed to do. They were afraid, angry, confused, and sinful. Yet, God used them to change the world -- forever.

We can change our world too. Sometimes we wear our princess gowns and other times we need to armor up. Will we be afraid as Alice was? Absolutely! But, like Alice, we can conquer our fear and raise our swords, expecting victory in Christ.

I'm sure you remember that old Nike slogan: "Just do it!" Sometimes we will make a very significant statement by our actions. That's right. We may be fearful, but with God's help, we'll feel the fear and move forward anyway. We'll Just Do It.

Psalm 27:1 says: "The LORD is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" (NIV)

Isaiah 41:13: "For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (NIV)

God bless you, sisters. Let us Armor Up and become battle ready. For with our King, nothing is impossible.

Check back soon, because I'm not yet finished with this whole Alice in Wonderland comparison. There's just so much "good stuff" from the movie that relates to our growth as Princess Warriors for Christ.