Women of Destiny Newsletter
Handmaiden Edition
My Armour
Pastor Alana McDonald
Love of Jesus Family Church Jersey City, NJ
God bless you Women of Destiny!
I am excited about this year’s conference and I know God will
meet us once again. It’s time to ready your hearts, open your
ears, and receive what God has for you. Women of Destiny
(WOD), in 2016 we are celebrating 10 years of ministering to
women in the NY/NJ area. God has blessed this ministry over
the last 10 years, healed the sick, strengthened the weary,
and saved the lost.
As a woman of destiny in this season, I charge you to
embrace the reality that you are fearfully and wonderfully
made. It is declared in Psalm 139:14 that, “I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy
works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Each of you
are unique and there is no need to compare yourself amongst
yourselves.
As I was praying, I saw a hand raised before me and the Spirit
of the Lord would like for you to know that just as the imprint
on your hands is unique so are your talents, gifts, and the call
of God on your life. Not one imprint on a human is identical,
even in the case of identical twins. People are identified by
their fingerprints and the same can be said of your ministry
and call.
We are in a season where God will join you with people that
will support you and propel you into your destiny. Similar to
how God brought Mary and Elizabeth together, he will do the
same for you in this season. God is connecting WOD with
others for His purpose so that greatness is birthed from you.
Don’t pick up in this season what God has not given you. A
key phrase was just mentioned “don’t pick up.” Let God shift
and position you in your relationships.
As WOD, we must surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
It’s important that when we hear Him speak that we obey
Him. God is fine tuning us in this season so that we begin to
recognize when he speaks. He said in His word, “My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Many
have been infected by the world and overtaken with the
voices and spirit of this age. God wants to fine tune your
hearing so that you hear Him and apply what you have heard.
Volume 2 Issue 1
Your foundation in God must be unwavering. We must ensure
that there are no cracks or potholes in our relationship with
Him. We must apply what we hear and learn, as we strive to
appropriate the word of God. A firm and a solid foundation
must be established in you. Luke 6:49 says, “But he that
heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a
foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the
stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and
the ruin of that house was great.”
You must also know who you are in the kingdom of God.
Once you know who you are, then you will be less likely to
wear someone else’s armour. Saul offered David his armour
for the battle against Goliath. David’s relationship with God
gave him the assurance to know that “Giants do fall”. So,
David spoke it before it manifested. 1 Samuel 17:38-39
shows us that,
Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of
brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he
assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto
Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.
And David put them off him 1 Samuel 17:38-39.
You are the King’s daughter chosen for this generation, so
wear your own armour. Suit up in the word of God and be
fully furnished unto every good work. Bathe in His presence
and let God heal and equip you. Go forth, and be strong in
the Lord and in the power of His might!
I declare over you today that there is no feebleness or frailty
among the WOD, no lack, no jealousy amongst us, no
division, no sickness, no fear, no depression or oppression,
and no poverty. Let freedom reign from on high and liberate
Your women oh God. Take them to a new place and I declare
victory in new places for you. Trample the serpent that has
raised his head against you. Call upon the Lord and He will
arise and demonstrate His power for you. Be not afraid but
trust in your God. Your God is mighty and your God is
magnificent. I call forth the provision of God for your life and
ministry. It’s time to bear fruit in new places. It will be said of
you that once you were barren, but now you are fruitful.
June 24, 2016
Women of Destiny Newsletter – Handmaiden Edition
Time for Active Duty
Elder Valerie Smith

Ruth was gentle, humble and thankful to Boaz for the
favor, comfort, protection, and kindness he showed her
(Ruth 2:10,13).

Ruth had a teachable spirit. She heeded the wise counsel
of Naomi (and Boaz) and as a result became a part of the
genealogy of Jesus (Ruth 3).
Love of Jesus Family Church Jersey City, NJ
Woman of God - did you know that you are one of God's
Handmaidens? The theme of this year’s women’s conference
is God’s Handmaidens - Birthing a Generation for Greatness
and Exploits. When God created us, He created us to be
vessels that would receive, carry and release what He has
deposited on the inside of us – on demand, without
hesitation.
But what exactly is a handmaiden and what does it mean to
be God’s Handmaiden?
The two Hebrew words for
handmaiden – shiphchah and 'amah – both mean female
slave, or bondservant. It is used as a term of humility and
respectful self-depreciation in the presence of great men,
prophets and kings. To be God’s handmaiden is to be a female
slave who is devoted to God at the disregard of one’s own
interests. Today, the world balks at the word slave because
it’s associated with being an unwilling captive and reminds us
of a very dark period in our nation’s history. However, as
born-again believers who have been bought with a price, we
become willing captives who submit to and serve a Master
who is righteous, faithful, just, and true.
Let’s take a moment and look at two examples of
handmaidens in the Bible – Ruth (the Moabite) and Mary
(Mother of Jesus).
RUTH
In Ruth 2, we find Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth
returning to Bethlehem from Moab after Naomi buried her
husband and two sons. Ruth, even after losing her husband,
remained devoted to Naomi and left behind all she knew to
follow her and embrace her God as her own. One day, while
out gleaning grain for them to eat, Ruth catches the eye of
Boaz – Naomi’s kinsmen. Boaz inquires of her and when he
learns who she is, he considers her worthy of his favor,
protection and provision. What was it about Ruth that
warranted Boaz’ esteemed opinion of her?


Ruth trusted God. It was her idea to go to Boaz’ field to
glean after learning that Boaz was Naomi’s relative. She
believed that she would find grace in his sight and she did
(Ruth 2:2).
Ruth had a good name and was known for her good
works. Boaz knew of Ruth’s dedication to Naomi and that
she left behind everything to follow her – before ever
meeting her in his field. And he knew from his workers
how hard she worked to provide for their needs (Ruth
2:7, 11-12).
Volume 2 Issue 1
MARY
When God’s plan for Mary's life was revealed by the angel
Gabriel, Mary asked how it would come to pass given that she
was a virgin. Even though she questioned it because of a lack
of understanding, she never resisted God's plan (Luke 1:34).
Her trust and faith in God enabled her to immediately
surrender to the plan God had for her life as His handmaiden
– regardless of the cost (Luke 1:38). Mary was willing to risk
her fiancé, reputation, honor, and even life to ensure that
God’s plan for redemption would be carried out in this world.
And the end result?

Mary brought forth supernatural seed that was of God
and provided the one and only way for man to be
reconciled back to God (Luke 1:31-33).

God’s presence on Mary's life caused that which
appeared dead to come alive and leap (Luke 1:41, 44).

Because Mary believed, God moved and was able to do
everything He promised (Luke 1:45).

Mary was forever grateful to God and she praised Him
(Luke 1:46-55).
Ruth and Mary both illustrate that a handmaiden of God
knows her God, and because she knows her God, she also
knows her place. She has her own strengths and does exploits
(notable deeds, heroic acts). She says “God I’m yours; I
belong to you; I’m here; I’m ready for service; I’m at hand.”
She is selfless, yields to God, endures hardness as a good
soldier, nurtures and gives birth to the seed her Abba Father
has placed within her.
God is calling all of His Handmaidens into active duty. It is
time to know our God. It is time to yield to His plans and be
obedient to His Word. It is time to go where He leads. Only
when we fully relinquish ourselves to the glorious privilege of
being one of His handmaidens, will we find joy and
contentment like we've never known. Not only will our own
lives be changed, but we will also impact the world for the
glory of God.
June 24, 2016
Women of Destiny Newsletter – Handmaiden Edition
Handmade
Spoken Word
Charnette Phelps
I wanted to be the pretty one.
I wanted to be painted with pinks and purples
polka-dotted with glittery streaks of
highlighted gold and silver
accentuating curves given to me by the creator; covering the fifty
shades of gray that stained one heart because of adulterous acts
against my God.
He was jealous for me
but I wanted to be more.
I wanted to be the one that stood out;
the one that caught the eyes of passers-by
making them stop and stare like
Queen Sheba losing her breathe in a
moment's time because what was before her was beautiful.
I wanted to see me through her eyes.
I wanted to see beauty; wanted to see the table God prepared
before the presence of my enemies
only the road to the party where I would be displayed
was blocked by my own vanity.
But all I saw was me on that shelf pushed a half
of an inch forward and two centimeters to the left
so half of me blocked what others
would see behind my darkened soul
would go unnoticed
‘cause I adorned myself in beauty,
covered myself in paint,
varnished the outer me so good
that even a trained eye would see
how I shined. I deceived many to think that the price paid was
worth the time it took to disguise a pre-made vessel the world
threw away.
Deceived many
because what was seen was
a picture perfect display of handcrafted
pain disguised in a beauty that was only in the eye of
it's beholder.
A beauty was matched to
a decor I would never blend
with ‘cause I always wanted more;
wanted more until that half an inch and
two more centimeters to the left
one too many times
landed me crashing to the floor.
Shattering pieces of a life perpetuated
with cover-ups and quick fixes
that did nothing for this cracked foundation;
did nothing to hide scars covered
with pinks and purples, polka-dotted with glittery streaks of
Volume 2 Issue 1
highlighted gold and silver
accentuating curves given to me by the
creator.
But God knew.
He knew that sooner or later I'd run out of pinks and purples.
He knew that sooner or later the sparkling glitter would fade
exposing twenty years of pain hidden in cracks
of a foundation no girl could cover.
I was made up
to think that for me trouble would last always.
And the pain,
well it would follow me to an early grave that alcohol, sex and
drugs dug for me.
...and God knew.
He knew that eventually
His love would subdue even me.
So I yielded to the pain
of being centered by the
Epi-Center of all Creation.
Like sheep He gathered
every shattered piece of me.
He gathered what remained of the brokenness
played in my heart repeatedly.
He gathered and rejected me;
parts of me I allowed no man to see because
my shame was bigger than any name I could ever speak.
But He knew this.
He knew the life I
so desperately wanted would crush me.
He knew that while life was falling apart,
I was already on the potter's wheel of His heart
being molded together by drunken stupors
of painful regrets,
late nights and
early morning
warnings
of despair.
He knew the emptiness of my
heart's cry was for Him;
yet He was
already creating,
molding together,
handcrafting
the perfect vessel
on that very same shelf
in the back where darkness dwelled
against the wall
hidden
until the perfect moment that His handiwork
would be displayed in me
June 24, 2016
Women of Destiny Newsletter – Handmaiden Edition
Farewell Daughters of Destiny… For Now!
DEACONESS STEPHANIE AVIDJA
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Stephanie moved to the US in 2010, seeking a
different life experience. Within the first 5 months of moving here, she was randomly
invited to a church service at the Love of Jesus Family Church headquarters in Orange NJ
and it was here where she confessed Christ as her Savior and began her Christian walk. In
2012, she began attending LOJ Jersey City and has been a member ever since. After living
in the US for 6 years, Stephanie made the decision to return to Australia permanently and
will be leaving us next month (July 2016).
"I never imagined what God had in store for me when he bought me to the US - so much
more than I could ever have dreamed of! At LOJ Jersey City, I truly experienced the love of
God through Pastor Rich, Pastor Alana and the entire congregation. Although I felt like an
outsider at first, they all welcomed me with open arms and became a family to me in the
purest sense. Pastor Alana has mentored me and guided me these 4 years, being a shining
example of what it means to be a Woman of God and that it's possible to live the gospel. She
is a spiritual mother in every sense, full of wisdom and love. I will never forget my
experience here and will cherish the time I had and the wonderful people I met in my heart
always." ~ Stephanie
SISTER NELLY PEREZ
Born in Brooklyn NY, Nelly moved to Jersey City, NJ in 1979 with her family. She’s been
a member of the Love of Jesus Family Church of Jersey City for 6 years. She is relocating
to Charlotte, NC to be with her oldest daughter Tiffany who is about to give birth to her 7 th
grandchild. She will be leaving us next month (July 2016) as well.
WOMEN OF DESTINY MISSION STATEMENT
Women of Destiny is a ministry that proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ to women from all
racial and economic backgrounds. This ministry has been charged to inspire women to walk in
the love of God and exemplify Christ’s character. We are called to evoke women to walk in their
prophetic destiny.
WOD are called to be a part of the transformation process in the life of a believer and the
unbeliever.
Our mission is to cultivate and build courageous women who represent Jesus Christ the “King of
Kings” in the home, in the marketplace, in government and in the Church.
Volume 2 Issue 1
June 24, 2016