ORIGINS - Linda Godsey - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Linda Godsey and I have been friends for decades. We actually served on the support staff of the same church before both of us came to Gateway at different times.

What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?

I have served as a Freedom Pastor for the past 10 years at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. I recently left Gateway to pursue speaking and writing full-time. I have served in freedom for over 35 years and have a passion for seeing peoples lives changed as they discover their true identity in Christ.

I attended one of Lena Dooley’s writing classes around 2003/4 when God first spoke to me about writing a book. She did a great job of encouraging us to write with excellence and also motivated the class to dream!

Tell us about your family.

I have two daughters and sons-in-law and 6 amazing grandchildren, Corey, Kyle, Colson, Quinn, London and Owen. They are one of the primary reasons I wrote Origins! They give me incentive to leave a Godly legacy!

My husband Jim and I were married for 38 years. He passed away in 2006.

Have you written other nonfiction books?

Yes, my first nonfiction book was Letting Go (Seeing Regret from God’s Perspective) and was released in October of 2013.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?

Yes, I have a book in the rewrite stage that I wrote in 2004 but never published. It is on the subject of heart conditions outlined in the Bible. I also have one in my heart on the subject of fear that would incorporate many of the teachings I’ve done through the years on the subject.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

I love books and have way too many for the bookcases I own. I can’t resist buying them and do eventually read them. Enjoy having lunch with my friends and hanging out at Starbucks having a yummy coffee – and sharing each others lives.

Love the beach and get there every chance I can. Jim and I raised our children in Los Angeles and spent many weekends there and in San Diego with our children at the beach. Some days, the beach just calls my name! I can feel the sand between my toes, smell the salt sea air, and feel the moist breeze on my face.

You’re making me want to go back to the beach, Linda. Why did you write the featured book?

As a result of having ministered to hundreds of people through the years. There are times I would see breakthrough in a person’s life only to have them return in six months or so (or less) experiencing the same recurring issues. As we dug deeper into the root systems and generational bloodlines, they were able to identify family bondage, help them to hear and see truth more clearly (that is, come into agreement with God and out of agreement with darkness) and break the enemy’s hold.

To sum it up, people experienced deeper more permanent freedom after identifying generational patterns and bondage—and in many cases break generational curses (consequences) that have been in operation for years (sometimes decades and in some cases, hundreds of years).

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

I want my readers to recognize the fact that the lives our ancestors lived still affect us today—whether it be blessings are curses as outlined in Deut. 28.  Attending family reunions help us learn a lot about our tendencies and heritage. So many issues run in families such as poverty, anger, rage, bitterness, fear, shyness, gossip, sexual issues (perversion), adultery, etc.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book?

There are a number of books written on the subject of generational iniquity. Often people read these books but don’t know how to utilize the information. I feel that my book is especially helpful because of the activation exercises following each chapter. This book teaches individuals how to apply the principles outlined. It also teaches the reader how to connect with God and get insights and answers from the Holy Spirit that are often hidden from our view. In addition, many of the chapters cover extensive testimonies and stories of people (including yours truly) who have identified areas related to families of origin and gotten the victory over generational sin and iniquity.

Please give us the first page or two from the book.

Can you think of a trait in your family of origin that you dislike? Or, on the flip side, are there characteristics you really appreciate about your family? Chances are, you can identify both good and bad qualities in your family line. Most families have traits to be admired and desired, along with some we would like to sweep under the rug, never to be remembered again.

           
A woman came to meet with me some time ago. As she sat down, I asked her the usual question: “What brings you here today?” She replied, “Have you ever seen the television series Everybody Loves Raymond? Well, that is my family—total dysfunction!” We had a good laugh; but as she told me her story, I realized that she was telling the truth.

           

The majority of us have inherited both good and bad family characteristics. Occasionally someone will say to me, “I can’t think of a single good trait in my family.” Still others insist, “My family was a Leave It to Beaver family, and I can’t think of anything I would want to change.” Most of the time neither extreme is true. No family is perfect, and very few are deficient in every single area.

Bible teacher Beth Moore, in her book Breaking Free, wrote: “Between every unfaithful generation and faithful generation is one person determined to change.” Whether or not we break unhealthy generational iniquity and ungodly patterns is a matter of the heart. That’s where the battle is being waged—over the heart! No matter who we are or how we grew up, the question we all must answer is: Whom will we serve?

A Spiritual Eye-Opener

I remember a special insight God gave me one morning many years ago. My husband had left for work earlier than usual, so I had the house all to myself when I returned from taking the children to school. Sitting down at the dining room table, my Bible in hand, I began reading and felt drawn to Isaiah 58:12: Those from among you shall rebuild the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations.

Although Bible scholars say this passage is about the restoration and redevelopment of Jerusalem, I knew the Lord was personalizing it for me. That promise to Israel was predicated upon their returning to true worship that comes from a pure heart. Since their works didn’t match the claims of their faith. God wanted to change their hearts.

           

As I meditated on the passage, I saw in my mind’s eye (some would call it a vision) a country setting with an old, run-down house that sat on a large parcel of land. I saw a bulldozer lift the house from its pier-and-beam foundation. When it was raised, I could see all sorts of bugs, mold, mildew, and other gross things you would see underneath an old house that has been in place for years. That house clearly needed to be renovated, and I realized this picture, or vision, represented the spiritual restoration that needed to happen in my life.

Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

lindagodsey.com (in the process of updating)

Origins is available at Gateway Passages bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes and most Christian bookstores.

Thank you, Linda, for sharing this book with us. I'm eager to read it.

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