Below are the quotes from the Kindle version of this book. They are highlighted in “pink” in the Kindle version.
pg. ix – “Yearning for that God-appointed courier to illuminate our path… These couriers come equipped with powerful testimonies, unshakable faith, and a unique ability to remain anchored in their purpose – or promise… Edwina is that divine courier for me. She embodies the spirit of encouragement and unwavering belief in the potential of those around her.” – Viola Davis.
pg. ix – “Edwina’s connection to God is divinely appointed, and I know this firsthand because I have experienced the overflow of her faith.” – Viola Davis.
pg. ix – “Her journey underscores the idea that when you align with your purpose and remain open to the possibilities, incredible things can happen.” – Viola Davis.
pg. ix – “Edwina embodies that light – the friend sitting beside you in the car with a map on her lap as you navigate a long, winding road. She is there to remind you, ‘You’re going the right way… Just take this turn, and we’ll get there’.” – Viola Davis.
Prologue – Manifest Your God Dream
pg. 1 – “Is there a divine calling and an awe-inspiring God Dream over our lives that’s higher than our wildest imaginations? If so, what is the secret to discovering this grand vision and supernaturally manifesting it here on earth?”
pg. 1 – “From career opportunities and business ventures to marriage and motherhood, there’s hardly any major occurrence that has manifested in my life that was not prophesied first. While these supernatural declarations have been awe-inspiring and magnificent, they came with a cost: completely surrender my personal ambitions and plans to God, and discover His dream, the divine blueprint of what the Lord desired to do in and through my life.”
pg. 1 – “You see, your God Dream is so much bigger than you can imagine. It reaches beyond what you are hoping for – a fulfilling career, a loving marriage, financial abundance…”
pg. 1 – “Embracing God’s divine dream for your life requires trust and surrender, but in that act of letting go, we simultaneously open ourselves to a world of miraculous possibilities.”
pg. 2 – “Together, we will uncover your God Dream and put into practice both spiritual and practical success strategies that, when implemented, will change your life and stimulate your dreams to soar beyond anything you’ve hoped for. Once you’ve finished reading this book, you will have a tangible road map that will help you discover and manifest your God Dream.”
pg. 2 – “Whether you are a college student freshly charting your course in life or a mature adult ready for your second act, radiating in the deepest part of your being is a knowing that there is an abundant life waiting for you, filled with endless possibilities.”
pg. 3 – “God radically revealed and manifested His divine dream for my life, and I believe God is writing a beautiful, powerful, and inspiring story through you. May He clarify for you why you were born.”
Chapter 1 – From Harlem to Hollywood
pg. 5 – “…we finally stopped at the bustling red carpet in front of the iconic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.”
pg. 5 – “I’d finally arrived at the premiere of my movie Get Hard with Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell.”
pg. 5 – “I had indeed been here before.”
pg. 5 – “Ten years before the glitzy Hollywood premiere, I was living in low-income housing in New York City.”
pg. 6 – “I vividly recall one of my fateful trips to a Pathmark grocery store in Harlem. I scoured the aisles searching for discounts and was elated to stumble upon a supersale on canned vegetables.”
pg. 7 – “I wobbled through the streets for blocks and blocks, clutching the heavy plastic bags filled with my discounted delights.”
pg. 7 – “…the plastic bags I’d held on to so tightly for over an hour broke, surrendering under the pressure of the canned goods, and they scattered in every direction, taunting me as they rolled out of sight.”
pg. 8 – “In that moment, all I could do was stand in the middle of the street and cry. THIS CANNOT BE MY LIFE!”
pg. 10 – “I absolutely adored Oprah. I had a huge dream of meeting her one day. In fact, Oprah’s bright and beautiful face was on my own vision board.”
pg. 10 – “When I was sixteen years old, I began experiencing supernatural encounters that my family and I didn’t know how to explain. God began showing me vivid signs, visions, and revelations of things to come. I’d receive deep spiritual impressions and flashes into the future, and I was always shocked when I would see things unfold exactly the way God had shown me.”
pg. 10 – “But God’s voice rang so loudly in my spirit, and the messages became so clear that I’d know with absolute certainty that it was him. Over time my supernatural encounters heightened to the point that strangers started approaching me in the most unexpected places: on bustling sidewalks, during late-night taxicab rides, and in nightclubs, hotels, public parks, and even nursing homes, prophesying what was to come next in my life. People I’d never met before would grab my hand and fortell major events that would soon take place.”
pg.10 – “It became abundantly clear that the events of my life were not solely within my control; I had been called for a greater purpose.”
pg. 10 – “The prophecies almost always described a life that was the complete opposite of my present circumstances.”
pg. 11 – “I began journaling incessantly, writing these words down, praying about them, dreaming about them, envisioning them, and hiding them inside my heart. In a few years, I filled over twenty-five journals with insights, prayers, and revelations. The prophetic words these strangers uttered uplifted and encouraged me, and made me feel that perhaps God hadn’t forgotten about me after all.”
pg. 11 – “In some ways I felt helpless because I had zero idea how or when any of these things would actually manifest.”
pg. 11 – “I kept asking God to increase my faith and help me live to see the manifestations of all his promises. I asked for the Lord’s strength to persevere beyond my personal struggles, my professional rejections, my financial difficulties, and my feelings of loneliness. I asked God to help me see and believe the vision He had for my life and help me to stay encouraged long enough to prepare for it and run toward it.”
pg. 17 – “My heart was full of dreams, vision, and goals, but I finally realized that I simply could not manifest the promises God had for my life on my own. It was a holy partnership subject to God’s divine timing. I had to surrender to the process He called me to, even if I didn’t like it or how long it would take. I released the reins of my life and gave control back to God.”
pg. 17 – “I finally understood that my God Dream flowed from Him and would be manifested by Him, the true author of my story.”
pg. 17 – “Being a star is not just about wealth and fame. It’s about shining as a bright beacon of light in the midst of darkness and leveraging your influence – however large or small – to illuminate the path for others to follow. With this revelation, I poured my heart into serving others.”
pg. 21 – “From Harlem to Hollywood, you’re a star, congratulations!”
pg. 21 – “When I moved to LA, I lived with Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis and her incredible husband, Julius Tennon.”
pg. 23 – “…’we’re going back to Los Angeles.’ There was a pause. To my great amazement he said, ‘You can live with us!'”
pg. 24 – “The Lord has such an awe-inspiring way of turning our lives around, transforming our trials to triumphs, our poverty to prosperity, and our feelings of despair into overflowing joy.”
pg. 25 – “…wondering if God – and everyone else – has forgotten about you. Keep believing in God’s plan! Trust Him with your purpose, your dreams, your calling, your family, your finances, and the people you are called to impact.”
pg. 25 – “Like my journey from Harlem to Hollywood, God is behind the scenes crafting your divine story of miraculous manifestation, where your painful tests will become a glorious testimony for all the world to see.”
pg. 26 – “Just like in America’s Next Top Model, when God wants to bring new ideas, answers, and breakthroughs into the world, He elevates ordinary individuals to places of extraordinary influence, positioning them as bright new stars for impactful, global change. Instead of getting them ready with makeup and fancy clothes, God is behind the scenes shaping their hearts, vision, character, and purpose for the auspicious moment of their grand unveiling. His stars’ stages are set by refining their gifts, cultivating their talents, clarifying their callings, igniting their visions, deepening their spiritual lives, and strengthening their courage. And when it’s time, it’s time. …they explode as the world’s new stars… And I believe that you, my friend, are one of those stars.”
pg. 27 – “But I’m here to tell you that you, too, are a star. Well, listen. I didn’t feel like a star either. I was just a girl with a dream, trying to follow God. But when my camera suddenly snapped that prescient picture all by itself – FROM HARLEM TO HOLLYWOOD. YOU’RE A STAR. CONGRATULATIONS!!! – it kinda changed things.”
pg. 28 – “In one year’s time Esther soared from a life of lack to one of unspeakable abundance and was exalted to heights she could only have dreamed of. Talk about manifestation!”
pg. 29 – “So in that breathtaking moment in the souvenir shop when I encountered the glowing Esther star key chain, followed by my camera suddenly capturing this augural sign – FROM HARLEM TO HOLLYWOOD. YOU’RE A STAR. CONGRATULATIONS!!! – a wave of emotions washed over me. I was utterly astonished by the miraculous nature of all, and how in one supernatural moment, the Lord brought everything full circle that He’s shown me in my years of waiting. I felt enveloped by such a profound sense of love. This sign gently affirmed that God saw me. He knew me. He called me. And He had been walking alongside me during every step of my journey, even when, in my discouragement, I wondered if He was even there. The prophetic message on that billboard meant much more to me than the idea of becoming rich and famous in Hollywood. It confirmed that I had been walking in my purpose the whole time.”
pg. 31 – “Claiming your star power is not an act of vanity; rather, it’s your commitment to harnessing your light to make the world a better and brighter place.”
pg. 32 – “You were born to brighten your corner of the world, with a unique essence woven into your very DNA long before you entered your mother’s womb.”
pg. 33 – “Embrace this journey of discovery with an open heart, and trust that you were created for a higher calling.”