Testimonies are some of the most powerful tools we have to share the love of God with others. They show that no matter what our individual experiences may be, we all have one thing in common: evidence of God's faithfulness and goodness. When we share our testimony, we open up our lives to others and invite them to see God at work in our lives. This is an incredibly powerful act of love, and it has the potential to change lives for the better. In this episode of Publishing Secrets, guest host Jenny Rosario de Casiano shares her truly amazing testimony. She tells her story with such passion and conviction that it's sure to inspire and encourage you. Let Jenny’s words remind you that no matter what you're facing, you can make it through with God's help.
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
This episode is part of the Christian Authors Network global speaking competition, Speak Up. Click here to learn more and stay up-to-date on the competition!
The word “impossible” can be a discouraging word. It belongs to a family of other dead-end, lifeless words which have death attached to them, and the dark emotions we begin to feel from these words are the effects of the whispers from the enemy.
But Matthew 22:32 tells us that “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” And what is His Word? His Word is alive. Therefore, we cannot accept those words of death to our spirits.
Luke 1:37 declares that “With God, nothing will be impossible.” In Ephesians 6, God tells us how the Lord has equipped us as His soldiers with the armor of God, which protects our bodies, minds and spirits.
Expectation is the boundary line of possibility. When you hang out with the God of the impossible, you expand your expectation.
I share this message with you from experience. Since early in life, I've struggled with major, life-threatening illnesses. This eventually led to self-esteem issues, fear, a lack of self-worth, and depression. Feelings that many of you also know very well.
The enemy began to whisper lies to me. If my physical ailments weren't going to take my life, the enemy had a whole other strategy to take me out. But God did not and will not allow that to happen if we stand in faith.
At two years old, I survived a ruptured appendix. It took two weeks for the doctors to make the discovery. They found an inexplicable, never-seen-before thick wall of tissue formed around my appendix, trapping the poison that should have spread throughout my body and killed me.
I was rushed into surgery and then labeled a “miracle child.” My mother stood in the gap of faith for me, and God continued to perform miracles in my life after that.
Fast-forward to my 30th birthday. I was a single mom to a five-year-old son and found myself in a wheelchair. I had suffered a car accident, and it left me with spinal injuries that prevented me from walking. The doctors had told me that if I did not walk within six months, I would likely never walk again. There goes one of those buzzwords!
I did not accept that I would never walk again, because I believed that the impossible was possible with God. I went home that day and bought a beautiful pair of purple high heels online and hung them right in front of my bed so that, every day, they would remind me that I would walk in them one day.
It was a two-and-a-half year journey of praying, rolling around in faith in my wheelchair, seeing a chiropractor, and finally, learning how to walk again through the grace of God. I am living and walking proof that both you and I can expect the impossible!
If you stand in faith and change your perspective on the word “impossible,” you can change the meaning and outcome of that word from something unachievable to the contrary — absolutely achievable. The word “impossible” becomes the words, “I'm possible.”
BIO:
JENNY ROSARIO de CASIANO is an actor, spokesperson, author, and philanthropist living in Florida with her husband. Jenny wrote her children’s book, “Sunny Days with Mommy & Me”, based on her own experience as a single mother to her son, Marcos. She has significantly fond memories of their time together living with their dog, Harley, when Marcos was between four and six years old. Marcos now attends Yale University while Jenny writes children’s books, continues to work as an actor, and enjoys taking part in missionary work around the world.
GET CONNECTED:
Website: jennyrosario.com/books
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rmarcfilms/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/JennyRosario8
THE CHRISTIAN AUTHORS NETWORK SPEAK UP COMPETITION:
The Speak Up Competition, sponsored by the Christian Authors Network, is a powerful source of hope and light for people all over the world. This year’s theme, “Expect the Impossible,” is a reminder that no matter how dark our situations may look, we always have hope because we know that all things are possible with God! The inspirational messages featured in this series are from the round two finalists. Stay tuned for updates as the competition progresses, and please pray with us that God will use this competition to bless and encourage His people. We know that the speak up community has the power to make a difference in this world, and we can’t wait to see what God does through us!