Keeping a Princess Heart: In a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World

Keeping a Princess Heart: In a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World

How can a woman live with hope . . . in the midst of reality? You were once a little girl, dreaming of "happily ever after" like a fairy-tale princess. But unlike the fantasy world of Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, reality has hit you hard. Living in the not-so-fairy-tale world of laundry, kids, carpools, and your sometimes not-so-charming prince, you wonder how your heart wil survive, because what you have isn't even close to what you hoped for . Hang on! Real hope is found in the tension between the two?in an invisible kingdom. This place is where you discover the true heart of a princess?one full of dreams, wonder, delight, and joy. With rich insights and compelling stories, Nicole helps you discover the timeless truths that can transform a woman's heart into the heart of a princess. You are recognized by the King, loved by the Prince, and promised the happiest "happily ever after" of all times. Nicole Johnson, author of Fresh Brewed Life, has a uniquely creative voice. As an accomplished writer, speaker, and actor, Nicole has performed in thousands of churches and venues over the last twenty-five years, including more than a decade of touring with the national conference Women of Faith. Nicole lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband and two children. Nicole writes regularly at www.nicolejohnson.org Keeping a Princess Heart in a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World By NICOLE JOHNSON W Publishing Group Copyright © 2007 Nicole Johnson All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8499-1881-0 Contents PROLOGUE The Princess in Pajamas..............................1CHAPTER ONE Once upon a Time .................................9CHAPTER TWO Why Fairy Tales Matter............................27CHAPTER THREE Castles in the Air..............................39CHAPTER FOUR Dungeons in the Dark.............................63CHAPTER FIVE The Invisible Kingdom............................89CHAPTER SIX You Are a Princess................................111CHAPTER SEVEN Someday My Prince Will Come.....................135CHAPTER EIGHT Happily Ever After..............................157WITH GRATITUDE.................................................183RECOMMENDED READING............................................185 Chapter One Once upon a Time Once upon a time ... we were little girls. By day we read from our books of fairy tales, and by night we dreamed of the way our lives would turn out. On Sunday nights we parked in our pajamas two inches away from the television. Tinkerbell would fly out waving her wand and putting fairy dust on all the letters on the screen, signifying that the magic was about to begin. The music would swell, and we would hold our breath with excitement as we watched our favorite stories unfold ... Cinderella arrived at the ball, and everyone recognized her as a true princess, and we just knew our day to go to the ball was coming ... Sleeping Beauty was sleeping beautifully, dreaming of her prince, and we dreamed of the day that our prince would come ... Snow White was singing as she got the dwarfs off to work, and we imagined humming a happy tune, getting our children off to school ... We dreamed of beautiful castles, knowing in our hearts that we would one day ride off in a white carriage and live happily ever after ... Do you ever wonder, What happened? Does it seem that somewhere among the prince, the kids, the laundry, and the carpool the fairy-tale company must have been bought out and is now bankrupt? Does it seem that life played a cruel trick on us? Most of us would openly acknowledge that what we ended up with is so very different than our dreams. It's not exactly like we really were Snow White or Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. But please, shouldn't there be a few recognizable parallels? This is where the voice of reason reminds us we can't compare our lives to theirs because they were fairy-tale women in very different times. Theirs would be totally different stories if they had to face what we do today. Walt's women wouldn't have it so easy if they had to make it in today's world. Can't you just see Cinderella on the Stairmaster trying to keep those thighs firm? She's out of breath, talking on her cell phone: "I'll be there as soon as I can, Charming. I have to finish my workout and then stop by the grocery and pick up the flowers for the table. Will the carriage be arriving at six?" What about Sleeping Beauty, propped up in bed on all her pillows, talking anxiously on the phone? "No, Mother, you didn't wake me. I can't sleep. No, I haven't heard from the prince yet, so don't ask me about it. Yes, I'm sure he's still coming." Or Snow White, sitting in a tangle of computer wires, writing the Christmas letter? "Sleepy is in the second grade now and stays awake through fourth period. We're so proud of him. Grumpy is taking his Ritalin, and it's really helping him." It would be interesting to watch each of them face some of our struggles and try to stay p