Living In the Shadow of Myself

The author uses the story of the biblical character Gideon combined with the imagery of shadows to take the reader on a journey from a place of low self-esteem and doubt to discovering destiny and purpose. She draws comparisons to Gideon from her own life experiences and leads the reader on a pathway to a clearer vision of self-awareness and discovery that comes from stepping into the light of God's purpose for our lives. Her personal narrative provides insight on how our view of self may be as distorted and fleeting as shadows on the ground and do not reflect the true object that casts the shadow. Then she leads the reader through a personal and spiritual journey that led her to a healthier view of herself and her purpose. The author stresses that life is a journey in which each one has the power to determine how the journey goes. The writer provides some practical steps that any person can apply to their lives to aid in their own self-discovery journey, encouraging every reader to bravely step out of the shadows into the marvelous light.

The author uses the story of the biblical character Gideon combined with the imagery of shadows to take the reader on a journey from a place of low self-esteem and doubt to discovering destiny and purpose. She draws comparisons to Gideon from her own life experiences and leads the reader on a pathway to a clearer vision of self-awareness and discovery that comes from stepping into the light of God's purpose for our lives. Her personal narrative provides insight on how our view of self may be as distorted and fleeting as shadows on the ground and do not reflect the true object that casts the shadow. Then she leads the reader through a personal and spiritual journey that led her to a healthier view of herself and her purpose. The author stresses that life is a journey in which each one has the power to determine how the journey goes. The writer provides some practical steps that any person can apply to their lives to aid in their own self-discovery journey, encouraging every reader to bravely step out of the shadows into the marvelous light. In addition to this basic premise of the book, the author introduces both the physical and metaphorical meaning of shadows and how these can be applied to understanding the distorted views we have of ourselves. Just as shadows are distorted outlines of the objects they represent, our personal shadows often come from what the writer describes as defining moments in our lives that created a thought pattern that extends beyond that moment in time. She explores various types of defining moments that are interpreted uniquely in the individual's mind. The author also explores the matter that shadows come from and how everyone is created on purpose and with a destiny that will cast light into the world. The author uses a journey perspective to describe her defining moments and how they had negative and positive impacts on her life. Walking you from the dawn to the midnight moments of her life, she expresses the moment she stepped into the daylight of learning her purpose and destiny. She aptly identifies certain qualities that she has which equip her to accomplish her purposes in life, then takes the reader on the steps she sees as beneficial for the reader to make their own journey out of the shadows into the light. It is not the author's intention to provide rules or guidelines for every person to follow, but to simply allow biblical texts, her perspective and personal reflection open the door for the reader to consider a path forward when confronting their own questions about purpose, self-image and/or fear issues. Although she writes from a Christian backdrop, she is hopeful that any person may be able to glean from her experiences and encounter their personal destiny and purpose by taking the journey she is sharing.

Sandra E. Ladson considers herself a South Carolina transplant, residing in Georgetown SC where she met her husband E.B. Ladson. She is a mother, grandmother and spiritual mother to others. She is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a pastor. She earned a BA in Human Resource Development from Limestone College, Gaffney SC and her MDiv from Columbia International University, Columbia SC. Her various secular jobs including retail sales, a boys home, child care and in the judicial system were the proving ground for ministry which provided a wide variety of experiences that help her intersect faith with real world situations. In addition to her pastoral appointments, she has been active in the Christian Education ministry and the AME Women In Ministry, serving in a variety of positions. Her focus in ministry is to encourage, empower and equip God's people as they engage in relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sandra Ladson has multiple creative interests and has combined her artwork with writings by sharing devotionals on her blog, "Random Thoughts of an Ordinary Woman" ( https://oridnarythoughts.com). She has penned op-eds for her local paper and a church periodical, Bible Studies for her local churches and has been journaling since before the age of ten. She has adopted a life Scripture since her time in seminary (2 Tim.1:7) that reminds her of her journey and encourages her to boldly pursue her dreams.