Injustice is a word no one wants to quote as part of their life story. Injustice is a stench that we fight to rid our society of. Injustice is an action that Christ has assured us as a body of believers He would avenge. We can therefore stand up under the pangs of injustice awaiting God’s movement on our behalf.
“Fear, Faith and Patience” is the first book in Felecia Killings fight for justice in a system that was designed to give her none. Felecia takes the reader on the journey of her walk with Christ from the innocence of childhood into the fields of spiritual warfare entering adulthood. The battles Felecia faced as a believer both exposed her weakness and frailties while at the same time deepened her relationship towards God her strength and victory.
The journey Felecia takes the reader on is one of compelling drama, fear, faith and patience. In reading “Fear, Faith and Patience” I found myself looking at the issues I currently faced. I was reminded our God is more than capable of handling everything that comes into our path. He is not slack in His promise to deliver nor is He unfaithful in His love.
“Fear, Faith and Patience” is a book that not only shares Felecia Killings true life story of injustice but it reminds the reader that God is and always will be for us even when the world stands against us. If God is for then in all actuality who can successfully stand against us?
I will be hosting a giveaway of “Fear, Faith and Patience” leave a comment below to be entered
Felecia so glad to have you hear talking about your book “Fear, Faith and Patience.”
Before we begin give us a little background on your upbringing and how it impacted/affected your life.
I grew up in a devout Christian home. Both my biological parents were pastors for the majority of my life—and still are now—and it was very important to them that their children grew up knowing the Lord. As a young child, I was fascinated with the various stories in the Bible. I had no doubt that God was real; and in a way, I feel that the innocent and pure relationship that I had with Him as a little girl is what kept me covered and protected even into my adult life. Although I am far from perfect, I strive for perfection because I know that the Christ in me can make all things possible. Even when hard times attack me, or I am being persecuted, abused, or mistreated, I know that God is there to provide exactly what I need. He is my Everything.
What is your story/inspiration behind the book “Fear, Faith and Patience”?
My inspiration behind this book comes from both my faith and my love for the scholars that I once worked with in the public school system. When I first began teaching, I never anticipated that what I would encounter would later be chronicled in a book. It wasn’t until a very hostile, racist incident occurred at our school in 2008 that stirred me to pen the events for future compilation. On one hand, I wanted to honor the students that helped bring dramatic social change to the school and the school district in this text; and on the other hand, I wanted to share with the public the need to allow their faith to become active as they engaged in earthly affairs. On a more personal level, I decided to publish this book, which had been “in the works” for 3-4 years, because I had endured a great deal of persecution, hostility, abuse, and animosity within the school system; yet I received little to no help during that time. I was a very popular teacher within the district and the community; and when I was confronted with a situation in 2010 that was so atrocious, I wanted to be able to give my side of the story on my terms. This book, and the subsequent ones, is my way of addressing all the mess that media and others put out there about me. It’s my way of fighting back to regain so much of what I lost—but the book goes into details about that.
What purpose are you hoping to accomplish with your book?
I hope to accomplish several things:
- First, I really want this book to get into the hands of the scholars that I once worked with. I believe that it’s important to recognize the godly efforts that our youth accomplished in their school. They were so brave and courageous as they took an issue as demonic as racism, and decided to speak out against it with hopes of changing the system.
- Secondly, I want to show the public—all my readers—that the things that go on in the public school system are not what they seem. There are so many problems that many dare not speak on because they are too afraid of the professional and social backlash that comes as a result of exposing those phenomena. I’m not just talking about racism, but also issues like sexual exploitation, extortion, and assault—not at the hands of teachers, but by the workings of students. It’s not easy to bring this topic to the light because we run the risk of public humiliation and law enforcement agencies that refuse to believe that such a thing actually occurs. This is a problem. So my purpose in writing the book is to show that not only does it happen, because it happened to me, but it continues to go unchecked and without repercussions. I know that my story and my voice will be added to the stories of others; and within time, I truly believe that God will cause our voices to be heard by the masses. Change is necessary; and to have an injustice of this magnitude go without any proper punishment is to perpetuate a system that is not concerned with equal protection and security for all.
Each chapter in your book starts off with scripture verses; how important is scripture/God’s word in your daily walk?
God’s Word is my life. Whenever I am about to make a decision concerning something important, I always ask the Holy Ghost for help. Whenever I am going through a hard time, the Spirit of the Lord would remind me of a passage of Scripture, which would minister to me immediately. I wanted that aspect to also be within my books because I want people to see that a real relationship with the Lord is not only possible, but obtainable. I speak to Him as much as I speak to anyone else, maybe even more. And it’s through that relationship that He has conveyed to me the things that He desires to do in the earth and through me.
Who is God to you and why do you feel there is importance/emphasis in acknowledging who God is in your life?
To ignore the impact that God has made in my life is to do a disservice to the One I love. Often times, people come to my Lord when they need help. But then as soon as He helps them, they turn their backs on Him and do things their way. That’s such a disrespect. The Lord is not only my Savior, but He’s my Friend, my Confidant, my Teacher, and more. And if I refuse to acknowledge where my help comes from, or from whom I receive wisdom and counsel, then I have essentially stepped into the arena of pride where I start to believe that my own intelligence and personality have brought me success. I refuse to do that to the Lord.
What have you come to understand on the topic of spiritual warfare and how to stand victorious under trial?
I always understood that we do not fight earthly affairs in the natural. Just because someone does something harmful to me, it does not mean that I have the right to retaliate in the natural. Instead, I must combat the spirit that is behind it all. This did not become real to me until I began working as a teacher in the public school back in 2006. For example, many teachers were jealous that a lot of students had connected with me, students that had been physically and emotionally threatening to other educators. They could not see why these same individuals would come to my class on time, adhere to the lessons given, complete the assignments I issued, and succeed in the class. But I knew why they did. It was because I chose to look at these individuals as God saw them. If I did have a problem with these students—most, not all—then all I had to do was handle it in prayer. It was simply a matter of asking the Lord, “What’s going on with this child?” And God would expose their situation. Some of the students had serious trouble at home; many were angry because their mothers were dying of cancer; the list goes on. And once God revealed the root of their problems, I would reach out to them and share that everything was going to be alright. My kids knew me as the teacher whom God talked to all the time because I was not afraid to say to them what the Lord was speaking. And they would confirm it. So for me, I was able to stand up during those difficult times of working with students because I did not handle them in the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
It was a totally different story when I had to deal with the adults and district officials. Rather than handling my hard times with them in prayer, I would give them a glimpse of what my flesh was capable of doing. And it was not pretty. The book goes more into details about that; but as I look back now, I can see that if I had allowed the Holy Ghost to take care of those individuals the same way that He did with my kids, then I believe that some things would have turned out differently. If anything, I want my audience to learn from my success as well as my failure.
What scripture or passage in the bible speaks to you the most?
2 Chronicles 20:20. It teaches us that if we believe in the Lord, then we will be established. If we believe in His prophets, then we will prosper. I’m all about success and prosperity, and this gives me the keys necessary to obtain that.
You have other books in component with “Fear, Faith and Patience; what can share about those books?
My second and third books will come out this July. They are a continuation of what I share in the first book. For the most part, the second text goes into more details about my criminal case that I was confronted with in 2010-2011. I formatted the book in a series of “letters to the Lord” or dairy entries. As I wrote the book, my only thoughts were on the many teachers who are placed in the same predicaments that I was in. All I kept thinking was, “I have got to do something to help other victimized educators receive equal protection under the law and in the schools.” And this book provides multiple accounts of what I did during that time to obtain the justice that I knew I deserved. I don’t know how much it will minister to the masses, but I do know that it will get into the hands of the right people so that real change can occur.
The third book, Bouncing Back, is geared towards Christians. It’s a book that will encourage them to never give up on the Lord; to understand that our trials reveal God’s sovereignty. In fact, that book helps Believers to appreciate rather than hate the trials they go through, because they will produce insurmountable results.
What advice would you give to this generation where injustice ‘seems’ to prevail?
The first thing they have to understand is that God loves justice; that’s why He sent His Son to redeem us from the curse of sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, we all fell victim to their punishment, and that was no fault of ours. So what did God do? He provided real justice to us by giving everyone the option to repent of their sins and accept His salvation. Talk about equity! So, this generation has to know that God will always avenge the righteous and their cause.
Secondly, in order to obtain justice, they must first make sure that they exercise truth and justice in their own lives.
And lastly, they can’t fight for justice through violence. They can’t war against spiritual matters in the flesh. They have to rely on the Holy Ghost. If they don’t know Him, then they won’t ever witness the justice that they so strongly desire.
If there is one word you could use to describe yourself right now what would it be?
A servant. That’s the greatest reward for me: to serve the needs of others because Christ served my needs.
Where can we find your books?
Readers can go to Amazon.com or other online book retailers. They can also visit my website at http://fearfaithpatience.weebly.com
If there is one excerpt you could share from your book what would that be?
This excerpt is from the book’s Dedication section:
“I want to dedicate this entire book to all those who desire to be grand in this world, and for those who aspire to make a change in our society. The greatest act that we can accomplish in life is not that we become famous and make a name for ourselves. Neither is it having our image in the spotlight. Rather, our greatest moments come to us when we perform one thing: service to mankind. We must understand that looking beyond our own selfish needs and seeking to serve those who have no voice and who have no hope are our greatest feats. Jesus, our great Hope and Savior, said that if any desire to be first in the kingdom, he must be a servant (Mark 9:35). The greatest act of servitude is to love—to show love towards our family, our neighbors, and yes, even our enemies. Our love for others will cause us to do what is necessary to help those in need. This is what makes us great. It should be the desire of our hearts that when we are gone from this earth, our legacy of love towards others remains engraved in society for the next generation to follow. God has given us this authority to love, and we must never neglect such great power. When we recognize, appreciate, and apply this God-given endowment, then and only then will we become change makers and world shakers.”
Thank you so much Felecia for sharing today it has been both a blessing and an honor.
