More Gems for the Journey
Page 1
VIKKI JOHNSON
MOREGEMS
for the
JOURNEY
This body of work is to honor the center of my joy—
the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything I do is for your glory!
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction Letter
Gems for the Spirit
1 Today’s Gem
2 Today’s Gem
3 Today’s Gem
4 Today’s Gem
5 Today’s Gem
6 Today’s Gem
7 Today’s Gem
8 Today’s Gem
9 Today’s Gem
10 Today’s Gem
11 Today’s Gem
12 Today’s Gem
13 Today’s Gem
14 Today’s Gem
15 Today’s Gem
16 Today’s Gem
17 Today’s Gem
18 Today’s Gem
19 Today’s Gem
20 Today’s Gem
21 Today’s Gem
22 Today’s Gem
23 Today’s Gem
24 Today’s Gem
25 Today’s Gem
26 Today’s Gem
27 Today’s Gem
28 Today’s Gem
29 Today’s Gem
30 Today’s Gem
31 Today’s Gem
32 Today’s Gem
33 Today’s Gem
34 Today’s Gem
35 Today’s Gem
36 Today’s Gem
37 Today’s Gem
38 Today’s Gem
39 Today’s Gem
40 Today’s Gem
41 Today’s Gem
42 Today’s Gem
43 Today’s Gem
44 Today’s Gem
45 Today’s Gem
46 Today’s Gem
47 Today’s Gem
48 Today’s Gem
49 Today’s Gem
50 Today’s Gem
51 Today’s Gem
52 Today’s Gem
53 Today’s Gem
54 Today’s Gem
55 Today’s Gem
56 Today’s Gem
57 Today’s Gem
58 Today’s Gem
59 Today’s Gem
60 Today’s Gem
61 Today’s Gem
62 Today’s Gem
63 Today’s Gem
64 Today’s Gem
65 Today’s Gem
66 Today’s Gem
67 Today’s Gem
68 Today’s Gem
69 Today’s Gem
70 Today’s Gem
71 Today’s Gem
72 Today’s Gem
73 Today’s Gem
74 Today’s Gem
75 Today’s Gem
76 Today’s Gem
77 Today’s Gem
78 Today’s Gem
79 Today’s Gem
80 Today’s Gem
81 Today’s Gem
82 Today’s Gem
83 Today’s Gem
84 Today’s Gem
85 Today’s Gem
86 Today’s Gem
87 Today’s Gem
88 Today’s Gem
89 Today’s Gem
90 Today’s Gem
91 Today’s Gem
92 Today’s Gem
93 Today’s Gem
94 Today’s Gem
95 Today’s Gem
96 Today’s Gem
97 Today’s Gem
98 Today’s Gem
99 Today’s Gem
100 Today’s Gem
101 Today’s Gem
102 Today’s Gem
103 Today’s Gem
104 Today’s Gem
105 Today’s Gem
106 Today’s Gem
107 Today’s Gem
108 Today’s Gem
109 Today’s Gem
110 Today’s Gem
111 Today’s Gem
112 Today’s Gem
113 Today’s Gem
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118 Today’s Gem
119 Today’s Gem
120 Today’s Gem
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122 Today’s Gem
123 Today’s Gem
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127 Today’s Gem
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135 Today’s Gem
Gems for the Soul
136 Today’s Gem
137 Today’s Gem
138 Today’s Gem
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194 Today’s Gem
Now What Do You Do?
Reading Group Guide
Source Notes
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To my daughter, parents, my spiritual parents, my siblings, my extended family, my godchildren, KWC, Heaven 1580, VGR, BET, and my best friends (you know who you are)—you are my place of refuge and I love it.
Miseree Burke: I was in church with you in the late ’80s when I received my first prophetic word from Sister McBride. She told me God had given me the wings of an eagle so that I could rise above every storm. I didn’t understand it then. However, look what the Lord has done. I love you so much for letting God love me through you and your family. Thank you and I’ll never forget.
Juliet, Denise, Betty, Aleathea, and Renee: Thank you for helping me manage the dream. I could not do this without you.
Pastor Paula (Mama) Johnson: I am TOTALLY convinced that God put us together. We’re going forward from here together no matter what. I love you so much. (Mom) Jeannie Marshall and (Mom) Geraldine McInnis—I appreciate the way you love me on
your knees.
Pamela Crockett Esq., Dr. Regina Spellmon, Marilyn (Mom) Evans, Dr. Precilla Belin, Almetra Murdock, Lady Stacey Densmore, Mykel Trahan, Ty Adams, Elder Evelyn Turnbull, Rev. Miriam Wright, Lady Sheila Whalum, Pastor Sandy Maxwell, Pastor Sondra Julien, Tracy Bethea, Renee Thompson, Megan Godley, Niambi Jarvis, Al Collins, Sandra Chaney, Doris Cutler, Carlotta Peart, LaWanda Forte, Stacey Stanford, Allison Brown, and Carrie Ann Cummings—welcome to my rainbow! God did it and I’m grateful.
Leona Brown, Sandra Stubbs, and Robin Wiley: Nothing can bind you together like a hurricane, right ladies? I love my HFC family!
To the ladies who support I’m Every Woman and who attend Girl Talk each quarter—you are the best audience a girl could have. We’re in this together.
Last, but absolutely not least—Linda Gill, Glenda Howard, Guy Chapman, Kicheko Driggins, and Selena Spencer—thank you for embracing my gift and ensuring that God’s purpose for my life is fulfilled.
INTRODUCTION LETTER
I’m glad you made it to this point. If you read Gems for the Journey and are looking for more—here it is. If you are just joining us, welcome to one of God’s many “transformation stations.” If you read my first book and honestly embraced the process, you were stretched, challenged, provoked, encouraged and, most importantly, inspired to change. It’s okay if you didn’t read my first book. At some point, please read it so you can benefit from the wisdom of God that has already impacted multitudes. For now, simply get ready to exhale pain, exfoliate whatever is dead in your life and expect the best days of your life to begin right NOW.
NOW that you’re here…you must continue. You made it this far and God is so proud of you. You are in a season of divine arrangements and the fact that you are reading this book is an indication that God is leaning in your direction. It’s called favor. You did not make it this far to give up now. A friend of mine once told me, “God has given you grace to endure the journey until you can enjoy it.” So, walk like you have a fantastic future. Live like you know your destiny is divine. Talk like you believe it’s not over until God says so.
This is only possible by faith, which is the assurance of things hoped for, the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality. What God is doing in your life you have never seen before. There is no reference, there is no paradigm, and there is no model. You are the first. You are authentic. You are an original. You are an example of God’s intent to change the world. You are almost ready for the manifestation of something unbelievable and ridiculous. Don’t worry though—even though life may look like it’s working against you, in the end, it’s all for your good and for His glory.
Please believe me when I say that God is up to something “tailor-made” for you. A very dear friend of mine shared with me that allowing God to heal us is not enough. After the healing, God desires to make us whole to make us ready for what He already has ready for us. Let’s get moving because we have “MORE” work to do…yes, “we” have more work to do.
1 Today’s Gem
Sis, do you know you have the power to create? Yes, women are the incubators of life and the vessels God designed to bring forth children. But you have a birth canal on the opposite end of your body, too, your mouth. Your words have the power to create life or death; light or darkness; good success or bad success; victory or defeat; sickness or health. In her book, Your Life Follows Your Words, Darlene Bishop shares that your confession opens a door—either for God to work or for Satan to work. Honey, your miracle is in your mouth. Job 22:28 declares, “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
Journey Note
2 Today’s Gem
There is a line in a TLC song where they sing repeatedly, “The Girls Are Talking” and everyone knows that women can and do enjoy conversation. Proverbs 6:2 says, “You are snared with the words of your lips; you are caught by the speech of your mouth.” Proverbs 15:26 says, “But the words of the pure are pleasing words to God the Father.” Proverbs 21:23 states, “she who guards her mouth and her tongue keeps herself from troubles.” Proverbs 12:8 declares, “The tongue of the wise brings healing.” Words are important and very powerful. Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 that “our words will condemn us or make us free.” Be careful what you say from this point forward—your mouth is an overflow canal of what’s going on in your heart.
Journey Note
3 Today’s Gem
Welcome to another day! God is going to complete some things in your life. He is going to tie up some loose ends. The promise of your future is going to erase the pain of your past! As women, we feel very deeply the pain associated with feeling abandoned. Whether it was a father, a husband, a boyfriend, a friend—at best it can be described as feeling left alone, frightened, empty and hopeless. But Hebrews 13:5 states, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Girl, get excited—you are never alone. You are His woman—and there is nothing He won’t do for you!
Journey Note
4 Today’s Gem
Psalms 139:14 declares, “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well.” Okay, it’s another day and you still think you should be anything but what you are. Everyone else seems to be happier, smarter, richer and better off than you. It’s like they have a secret to success and you are still looking. But the answer is inside you. When you lack belief in yourself, you lack belief in God. The Father is a Master Artist and you are one of His finest creations. So embrace Hebrews 10:35–36—” Don’t throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
Journey Note
5 Today’s Gem
Life is full of trauma and drama. But life is also full of love, joy and peaceful moments. Don’t relinquish your right to wholeness and happiness during special occasions by focusing on what you don’t have. You have so much to be thankful for. Girl, get yourself together and listen for a moment! You may not have the money to buy all the gifts you want, but you have the gift of eternal life. You may not have family to love on you—but Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother and the hug you receive today is the Father’s gift of love to you. Today, take a deep breath, that’s a precious gift, unzip your soul and give God access to your spirit. In addition to the precious gift of His unconditional love, right now He says rest, be refreshed, be renewed, be restored!
Journey Note
6Today’s Gem
God is releasing revelation in the earth. This revelation knowledge is raising a Kingdom generation that is “no-nonsense.” This remnant of daughters are feminine warriors with an ear to hear what the Father is saying. These warrior women have tapped into their God-given femininity and nestled into a place of intimacy that restores order. Order restores authority. Authority releases an anointing to obey God. Today, sis, do like Jesus did in John 17:1—” Lift up your eyes to heaven and declare—Father, the hour has come.” For what? For the revelation to release a revolution!
Journey Note