Come abide in God's love. | with Xochitl Dixon

Stephanie welcomes Xochitl Dixon for an inspiring conversation about the transformative power of faith, the significance of abiding in God, and the reality of God's love represented through colors and Scripture. Xochitl's dedication to celebrating diversity and promoting ethnic reconciliation is illuminated through her children's books. Her narrative and intent behind her books, such as "Different Like Me" and "What Color is God's Love," illustrate how she uses Scripture and colorful imagery to spark conversations about diversity, ethnic unity, and the value of God's love for all individuals. Her books are a testament to the power of storytelling as a tool for fostering understanding and embracing God's diverse creation.

Xochitl Dixon emphasizes the significance of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, enabling believers to serve one another and be filled with God's love. Her profound reflection on the spiritual concept of "be still" verses in Scripture resonated deeply, echoing the notion of finding peace and abiding in God's presence amidst life's challenges. Xochitl's personal journey of navigating chronic pain unleashes a profound message of resilience and faith. Her deep commitment to "be still" despite overwhelming pain serves as a powerful testimony of finding solace and strength in God's love. The transparency and vulnerability of her experiences resonate deeply, offering a source of hope and inspiration for those facing their own struggles.

Xochitl Dixon's journey and insights shared on Gospel Spice serve as a testament to the transformative power of faith, the abiding presence of God's love, and the potential for inclusive storytelling to foster unity and understanding. Her unwavering dedication to uplifting diverse voices and experiences through her work encapsulates the profound impact of faith in action.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK

This playful rhyming picture book invites young readers to discover all the ways God’s love can be displayed through a rainbow of colors.

All the colors displayed in this world that God made—

every glorious, fabulous, beautiful shade—

show how good God is and will always be.

But what is the color of love? Come and see!

God created all the colors in the world, and in each one, we can discover how great His love is for us and how we can let that love shine to others! With each turn of the page, the focus shifts to a specific color—orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, black, white, gray, brown, red, purple—and explores a different attribute and expression of love through its many shades.

MEET XOCHITL DIXON

Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon encourages readers through the ministries of Our Daily Bread and the ECPA bestseller God Hears Her, through her custom designs at Worship Expressed, and through her books, Different Like Me and Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace. Serving God with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, Xochitl loves Jesus, her neighbors, and readers like you!

Author Website/Blog: http://www.xedixon.com

Instagram: @xochitl.e.dixon https://www.instagram.com/xochitl.e.dixon/

Facebook Author Page: Xochitl E. Dixon https://www.facebook.com/Xochitl-E-Dixon-239776362714751/

YouTube Channel: Pause for Prayer https://www.youtube.com/c/xochitldixonauthorspeaker

A word from Xochitl:

“My name is Xochitl (So-Cheel) E. Dixon. I love Jesus and people! But that wasn’t always the case. I didn’t surrender my life to the Lord until I was thirty years old, after I stole my first Bible. Don’t worry. I eventually paid for it . . . two years later, as soon as I figured out that they weren’t free!

I’m a first generation Mexican-American who grew up in the 1970’s, torn between assimilation and the Chicano Pride Movement. My parents believed in God but never took me to church. I knew God existed, but I believed He was into punishing not loving His children. I spent the first few years of my childhood living with my immigrant grandparents, Papa Chato and Mama Luna, speaking Spanish and being told that I wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish in public, especially when I went to school.

My parents changed my name when I went to school because my first name, an Aztec name meaning Princess of the Garden, was too hard for teachers to pronounce. I don’t remember when my family stopped calling me by my real name.

As a child, I remembered loving books because I could escape the turmoil around me. My parents separated then got back together when I was in early elementary school, which led to my mother moving us away from our family in California to follow my father to Washington state for a fresh start. I hated everything about Washington and missed being away from my cousins, who felt more like siblings.

Once we were in our new home, I became a latchkey kid. My parents worked fulltime. So, I was at home alone or at the library. Though some bad things happened in my life. I can now see how God protected me from even worse things that could have happened. I can now see how He was calling me through some of the books He placed in my hands, before I even knew His name.

God taught me about prayer and faith through Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. God showed me the power of sacrificial love when I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

As a teen runaway, He protected and provided for me even though I still didn’t know Him or seek Him as I scrambled in search of myself, my purpose, my lost innocence, a place to belong, a place to call home. Though I had reconciled with my parents in some ways, moving back into their house wasn’t an option. So, as I prepared to graduate from high school, I planned to return to my grandparents home in California.

The week of finals, my Papa Chato died. My parents left me alone to take my tests and graduate as they attended the funeral with my younger sister.

When my mom returned from her trip and I turned eighteen, I asked her to help me fill out the paperwork so I could legally change my records and begin using my real name again. I applied to a university and vowed to leave my old life behind me.

That’s when I began reclaiming my identity!

The only problem was that I had no idea that the identity I thought I was reclaiming was not really who I was meant to be, who I was created to be . . . because I hadn’t even met my Creator.

I moved back to California in 1990, shortly after pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. I planned to go back to school after working a few months, but after I was a victim of a crime my life spun out of control.

I moved in with my Cousin Rose, the same cousin who felt more like a sibling when I was a little girl. I was filled with fear, anger, bitterness, and confusion. I was planning to live with Cousin Rose for a few months then move to Los Angeles, start school again, and get back track. That’s when I met Alan.

So much happened between that day and December 14, 2001, when I surrendered my life to Jesus. Alan and I have a beautifully diverse growing family.

Between the good and the bad of life on this side of eternity, Jesus remains the same and loves me through each day.

I’m looking forward to sharing His truth and love with You as He leads me to write and share each message He places on my heart. For now, I would like to thank you for being a member of my blog family.

This is where I want to be rooted in God’s Word while growing with God’s people!

With everything that I write, I want to share God’s truth and love, to get to know Jesus more and to make Jesus known more and more.

I want to celebrate diversity and inclusion, alongside my beautifully diverse family and my amazing service dog, Callie.

I cross cultural, generational, and international lines, by sharing biblical encouragement and Scripture-based prayers and seek to inspire the development of deeper, authentic relationships with God and others.

Living with chronic pain and fatigue isn’t always easy. But I have a heart filled with compassion for hurting people. I want to encourage others to inhale the God-breathed words of Scripture and exhale prayers and praises, while resting in the peace of God’s constant presence and walking with Spirit-empowered courage, joy, and enduring hope. I’d like to do this with you, because I know I can’t do this without God or your ongoing prayers and support.”

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

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