Who am I? For years I wrestled that question. I’ve got lots of titles: wife, mother, teta, founder,
entrepreneur, and ex-corporate VP of Marketing, but is that who I am? No, not really. Who I am
is a daughter of the King. My identity today is rooted in the knowledge of who Jesus says I am.

But that’s not how it’s always been; for years I was what others told me. I was born into a Muslim family of mixed background: Lebanese, Russian, Kuwaiti, Egyptian, Palestinian, Turkish. Before the age of 16 we had lived in and travelled on 4 continents and 14 countries. Who was I? I was a mixed breed, rootless, gypsy.

Growing up, my mother filled my life with creativity, hospitality, food and laughter, but also with fortune telling, curses and evil eyes. My father was an angry man and being an expressive strong-willed child full of curiosity and adventure, he continually disapproved of me. The traits I most strongly possessed as a child were a disastrous combination for anyone in a Middle Eastern home, let alone a girl.

My father’s response to my waywardness was anger, verbal abuse and physical violence. This was amplified by the fact that he had always wanted a first-born son. Who was I to my father? I was a girl, a disappointment, a risk to be controlled, something that had to be locked up from the world for fear that I would bring shame to his name.

At 18, two life changing events happened, my father died and I met Faye, a very old family friend. Faye called herself a “white witch” and I became her protégé. Under her tutelage I learned how to read tealeaves, candles, auras and many other things. She was my mentor, my teacher, and my second mom. I spent almost every weekend at Faye’s, where we did drugs, watched porn and she’d share her latest escapades and enchantments. I never thought anything of it, because to me it was just part of the teaching.

My life during those years was a steady diet of eastern mystical philosophy and wiccan practices. If you don’t know what Wicca is, it’s another name for Witchcraft or the Craft. And yes, they do actually believe in magic and in casting spells intended to bring about real changes in the physical world. As a practitioner of the occult, I became adept at reading people and alluring them using oils to cast blessings or curses, and tarot to weave stories about who they were, their past, present and future. If you’ve ever thought horoscopes to be a harmless party trick, I can tell you from experience it’s modern-day divination.

Who was I? According to Faye I was this beautiful, magical and powerful being. And this is exactly how the occult draws you in, not with the creepy and scary, but with the attractive and desirable. Remember, 2 Corinthians 11:14 says “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

In my third year in university, I met my present-day husband, Wil, who came from a Dutch Reformed Christian family, though he himself wasn’t a believer. Together we journeyed a path of unbridled debauched living until something completely unexpectant happened. About a year into our relationship, for reasons unknown to me Wil gave his life to the Lord. When he told me I laughed. The truth was I was deathly afraid of church, and it took everything in me to just sit in the back.

One night as I was alone in my apartment, I felt a heavy presence and dark shadow enter. Now being a student of the supernatural, I was accustomed to the spiritual realm, and I had never been afraid of it. But for the first time ever, I felt real fear. The kind of fear that causes your knees to buckle and sweat to break out all over your body. I felt like I was being choked by it.

As I huddled in the corner, I heard the words “Jesus if you’re real, help me” come out of my mouth, and instantly the heaviness was gone and the choking sensation lifted. I literally had a Psalm 40 experience; the Lord heard my cry and brought me up from the horrible pit that was engulfing me. At that moment I knew that Jesus was real, and I gave my life to him on the spot.

Wil and I started to attend his church and went through deliverance and inner healing with a dear pastor who literally loved us into the Kingdom. For me this meant forgiving my father and Faye and repenting over the many doors to the occult that had been opened in my childhood.

Fast forward many years, and I’m doing a client presentation one day, when I had what could only be described as a Psalm 40:6 moment, “my ears you have opened”. I heard myself speaking about identity, purpose, conviction and calling. Though I was talking about brands, it was as though I was speaking to the spirit of the people in the room, and I was seeing them transformed literally before my eyes. Today, my business is all about helping organizations and people that do good, to do even better, and I’m on a mission to transform more businesses into forces for good in this world.

God put seeds of destiny in me, and for years the enemy did everything to break, steal counterfeit and lure me down a different path. And while my story is nowhere near over, I can confidently say that I know who I am.

Who am I? I’m a daughter of the King. Redeemed, Reconciled, Restored and Released just as it says in Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news …”

And so, here are two encouragements I want to leave you with.

#1 Words have power.

This is a fundamental truth that is known well by the forces of good and evil. Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” This is no joke. What you speak will either bring about life or death.

In my past, I used words and stories to create strongholds and bondage in people’s lives. Now I use words to unlock identity and purpose in people’s lives and see them set free in Jesus’ name.

What you speak into the air about others and yourself, unconsciously or consciously, will activate something in the physical and supernatural. Choose to speak life.

#2 Nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom,

…and in fact what the enemy intends for evil, God will turn to good for those who love Him. Genesis 50:20 says, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

My curious, strong-willed and passionate nature were gifts and talents given by God, that the enemy stole during my childhood and youth and used to bring about harm and destruction in people’s lives. Now, redeemed and transformed in God’s hands I use them to create life-giving businesses and build up people in their identity and purpose so they can grow and thrive.

Your past - the things you did, or the things done to you - isn’t who you are.

You are who God says you are. You are a daughter of the King. His beautiful masterpiece workmanship, and in His hands, you are equipped and empowered to do extraordinary things. Let God ignite the seeds He’s planted in you and just stand back and watch what happens next. I promise you, it’ll be amazing, and way beyond what you can dream or imagine!