Barefoot Cinderellas

Hi, this is Bernie Dake. Welcome to the Salvation Army's Words of Life. And this is our song. This is us.

This is us. Oh, this is my song. And this is my song.

Praising my Savior, Father in love. This is our story. This is our song.

This is us. This is my story. This is my story. Praising my Savior, Father in love. This is our story. This is our story. Praising my Savior, Father in love.

Praising my Savior, Father in love. This is our song. This is our story. This is us.

This is my song. Praising my Savior, Father in love. This is us. This is us. Praising my Savior, Father in love.

Praising my Savior, Father in love. This is us. This is us. Oh, yeah. Oh, this is my story. Jesus, you're mine and I'm yours.

Yeah. Hallelujah. Welcome back everybody and welcome to you, Cheryl Gillum. Hey, nice to be with you, Bernie. Do I call you Major Cheryl Gillum?

Do our listeners know the respect that you command? You can call me Cheryl. Okay.

That's what my mama named me. That's good. And we've known each other since we were teenagers, so that's a good thing. It's a few years anyway.

Just a couple. It's a new time in the life of Words of Life. You may notice just a small change in the way that we're introducing the program. And I hope our listeners will agree with us. We just want to get to the message quicker. Absolutely.

It's easier to say. Wonderful, not wonderful, Words of Life. Words of Life. Words of Life.

That's right. See? It's a tongue twister. This week we're starting a new series and this is unlike anything that we've done on this show before. Major Susie Erickson has written a new book on her life's journey to encourage, especially women, who have walked in similar shoes, Barefoot Cinderella's. I'm excited about this because Susie is really an authentic follower of Jesus Christ and she's written from her own personal experiences. She's even talking about some family and some different struggles. I just got my copy yesterday, so I haven't read through it, but having heard her talk about it and seeing some of the promotional materials, I'm excited for our listeners to get a hold of this.

Absolutely. These are relevant topics that anyone really can identify with and can be ministered to through things like shame, loss, the pain and the waiting. She talks about infertility and she talks about even marriage.

Her and I and our husbands have this discussion on that and some of the struggles and how we overcame some of those struggles. And so we've partnered with Susie to launch a Words of Life series that will follow each chapter of the book. In each episode, she'll be joined by another Barefoot Cinderella whose own story reflects that of each chapter. I'm excited too, Cheryl, to get to the fact that I think this book, while maybe targeted towards women specifically, would be an encouragement to men. And I'm only saying that just because I think it's important for us not only to come alongside our spouses, but to be praying for powerful women in the kingdom that will strengthen family, it will strengthen marriage, it will thwart a lot of the devil's schemes in my brain. So in our first episode, Susie's joined by Commissioner Barbara Howell as they discuss the process of writing this book from the moment she felt called to write to the actual release of this book, which will officially be available next week.

Yeah. As we begin the countdown to the release date, Susie is sharing a daily blog starting today that you can find on our website. Visit Salvation Army Soundcast dot org slash Words of Life to follow along with Susie on this journey. I'm excited too to share with our listeners that there is going to be an audiobook of Susie reading this.

I know a lot of people aren't necessarily running to libraries and sitting in silence and reading like maybe you and I did when we were younger. But we're just trying to meet our listeners in any way we can so that when good material comes out, they can hear the voice of the author, the passion behind the words that they're reading. And for Susie, even the chuckles because she's talking about her family, you know, so she's afraid she's going to be laughing while we're recording it.

And I think that's healthy. She has such a great way of narrating too. And when you hear her, you'll just be, you know, drawn in to the story in such a powerful way.

So be on the lookout for all resources related to this and we'll see you next time on Words of Life. Hello, I'm Major Susie Erickson with the Salvation Army. And today we are starting a new series entitled Barefoot Cinderella. And it's based on the book Barefoot Cinderella Set the Captives Free. And today I'm in the studio with Commissioner Barbara Howell and she is the territorial president for women's ministries in the southern territory of the USA South.

That's right, Susie. I am so privileged to be here with you today and just to talk about the beautiful, wonderful book that you have written. And as being part of Ministry to Women, I think this book just shares so many stories that possibly many of our women throughout the territory have experience. And for you to be able to put this down into writing and to share your experience, I just think that's a beautiful ministry that you are sharing with each one of the women across this territory. Well, it's been an exciting journey of writing a book. I've learned a lot about myself and a lot about God. But also I've learned a lot throughout my journey in Ministry to Women about women. And that is one of the motivators for writing this book. I came to a point in my life when I realized that barefoot Cinderella's are hard to find.

Outwardly, they blend in with the maidens around them. But when they let you get close enough to look deep into their eyes, you see it. You see a girl that's longing for something more than she has in her spiritual journey. And I was that girl. Outside, everything was polished, but on the inside, I knew that there was something in my spiritual walk that was missing. I wasn't experiencing the abundant life that Christ offers to us. And I came to a point of understanding that what I really was longing for was freedom. Freedom in places that I did not even really know that I was in bondage. And I wanted to be free, to be all that God created me to be. But yet there was this girl who the enemy had convinced was nothing more than an orphan slave girl. And I lived my life with that mentality that there was something more, but I just couldn't quite attain it.

And I couldn't reach and find what it was that I was looking for. I was living more like a pauper than a princess. And as you go throughout the territory and you minister to women in leadership and in every walk of life, I'm sure you've seen that in their eyes as well. Yeah, that's very true. You know, God has given each one of us a story to share. But for many of those women that we have out in our beautiful territory, that story has been captured with inside of them. And they do not feel the freedom to share that because they think it's too ugly to share.

Right. And I felt the same way. There's this element of shame that the enemy uses in our story and convinces us that we're not worthy of the love and the grace that God so freely gives to us. But also, I think he tries to use that element of shame to keep us at the orphan table instead of at the banquet table that our Father has prepared for us. As you know, Suzy, we have put together the new resources, Call and Gather, where we are inviting women to come together and gather at the table. And you were just talking about coming to a table and how beautiful it would be that women would feel so free just to come and gather and come to the table and feel free to share their own personal testimonies and stories that God is writing in their life, just like you have. Well, over the next 10 weeks, that is exactly what we're doing through this series, is we're providing a table for women to come and to share their stories.

We're going to be looking at 10 women who have walked very unique journeys, each one of them. And they're going to come over the next 10 weeks and share their story and what they've learned about themselves in the journey, but more importantly, what they have learned about God and the purpose that he has for them. Each one of them have walked a painful journey in some ways. But from that pain, they have been able to rise up and to see that God has purpose in their suffering and in their pain. And they have stepped into their purpose because of what Christ has done in their life. And he has brought them on the other side of that pain and suffering. And that's the experience that I have had in my life as well. And Barefoot Cinderella's is the story of that, of walking through a painful journey, but coming out on the other side realizing that the cross led you to a resurrection.

That is so beautiful. And just your reminder to all of them that you have portrayed throughout your story in your book, you have reminded them that they are all daughters of the king. And if you're a daughter of a king, you are a princess.

Right. You are a beautiful princess both inside and out. And no matter what has happened in your past and what may happen in your future, you are still a daughter of the king. And you share that so beautiful throughout the story. Well, Cinderella's prince knocked on every door in the kingdom to find her. And our prince does the same for us.

He's looking for us, his daughters. You are chosen. You are cherished and created to fulfill God's plans for your life. Join us over the next ten weeks as we look at these stories of incredible women who have found victory in their challenges. And you will find victory too. Open the door to your happily ever after. The life that you long for awaits on the other side of fear.

Let's join hands and let's go get your crown. Amen to that, Suzy. Thank you. The Salvation Army's mission, Doing the Most Good, means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army. Visit salvationarmyusa.org to offer your support.

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