Author Archives: TateandTate

Today is Thanksgiving Day 2022! It so happens to be Bill’s birthday too. Every seven years Thanksgiving falls on the 24th and that is my dear husband’s birthday. So today we will celebrate both with lots of food and family. He will receive an overwhelming amount of birthday wishes and love from friends and family. God’s blessings and love overwhelms us at times, and we are truly better together! My purpose for writing this blog today is to differentiate between joy and happiness. Many things bring us happiness, but true JOY comes from knowing God and being content in all situations. The apostle Paul wrote about this in Philippians 4:11; “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am found in to be content.” Happiness is based on what is happening in the moment, while joy is based on your identity and authority in Christ. For we know that God is working ALL things for our good, so we must learn to rest in that promise (Romans 8:28; Gensis 50:20; Psalm 46:10).

I will close with a BIG Happy Birthday to Bill Tate! You are my promise from God. You and I are better together in every way! The girl you met in second grade when you were the new kid at Rogers is now your wife. Who would have thought that two people would reunite after over 40 years, fall in love, and serve God together! I love what God is doing through us.

God Speed!

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (ESV)

Amy Rylander.com Prophetic Artist

Every time that I look at prophetic art, it takes me back to the time (May 2021) that I was in a medically induced coma due to Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia trying to take me out. I was completely in the spirit realm and NOT at all in the physical realm. I saw angels hovering around my body and God’s presence hovering over my body in the form of a brilliant white light. The colors all around were neon and pastel and oh so very inviting. I experienced complete peace! I hope to have an artist paint my experience one day. However, this post is not about my experience in a coma or my journey to healing from APL, it is about mine, Bill’s, and Emilee McDaniel’s dreams and visions that God has given us. I hope and pray that these visions and dreams inspire you to ask God to give you dreams and visions and discernment from the Holy Spirit.

The year 2020 was significant in my spiritual journey. I had been crying out to God to lead me to a church that I would be both fed spiritually and used to help build His kingdom. God answered that prayer in a very unique way! A man that I went to school with and met in second grade (Bill Tate), reached out to me on Facebook. We talked about things of God and what was going on in our lives, but most importantly, he invited me to his church. I went to his church for the first time in January 2020, (Word Fellowship/Without Walls Ministries). God healed my heart from grief, heart break, and so much more! I found true freedom in the Spirit and new revelation from God in dreams and visions either directly or indirectly from Godly prophets and men and women led by the Spirit.

This dream is from March 13, 2020-I saw two scrolls floating in the sky. The scrolls then began to open, but I could not read the writing on the two scrolls. God spoke to me and said the Lamb is the Only one worthy to open and read the scrolls (Revelation 6:1-4). I believe that this dream is about us entering into tribulation. The first seal is opened, and the noise of thunder is heard, one of the four beasts says, “Come and see.” John saw a white horse and He (Jesus) that sat on the white horse had a bow, and a crown was given to Him, and He went forth conquering and to conquer. The second seal is opened, and John heard the second beast say, “Come and see.” And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat on the red horse to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. This is the discernment God gave me about these two scrolls. Anyone who rides on a white horse has authority and power. This is historically true in the calvary and military. JESUS, The Prince of Peace, rides in on a white horse to conquer! (Rev. 19:11). We do not need to fear the future and the events that may take place during the tribulation because HE is always for us and with us as believers! He sent down the Holy Spirit to guide us into ALL truth, be our comforter, teacher, helper, and advocate! (John 16:13). I do believe the Bible teaches about a Great Catching Away (Rapture I Corinthians 15:51), but I also believe that the church (remnant of true believers) will go through some of the tribulation (Matt 24:15-21, Rev. 7:14). I believe this will be a sifting of true believers. The second scroll is the beginning of tribulation. The red horse symbolizes blood and killing. God gave me discernment that the pandemic (COVID 19) was engineered by evil men (directed by Satan) to steal, kill, and destroy our PEACE (John 10:10). If you do not believe that there is a hidden narrative and agenda behind this “Pandemic” to instill fear in the hearts of people, then you truly need to seek God and truth. (Dream from God 3-13-2020 Teresa Tate)

This vision was given to Bill Tate in September 2022. I was at an early morning worship/prayer service at Word Fellowship/Without Walls Ministries. As I was worshipping, I saw a vivid vision of a treasure map with X marking the spot of the treasure. I immediately thought God was saying that there is more to discover about Him, but I then saw a sifting pan that people use to sift through the river silt for gold. I saw the sifting pan full of silt, dirt, and debris. However, the more it was swerved, the more gold was discovered, and it shined so brightly in the light! This is the discernment that God then spoke to my heart, “People and ministry can be messy! However, you must see the gold in people. The parts of them that reflect my character! The gifts that are specially given to them to help build the Kingdom of God!” (Vision from God-September 2022 Bill Tate)

Middle Drawing by Emilee McDaniel

This dream/vision was given to Emilee McDaniel in October 2022. I was standing and I could feel peace but at the same time I felt like I was a part of this place and my surroundings. When I looked up, an angel was rushing towards me in the sky. It was as fast as a comet! The angel was HUGE and it was diamond shaped and made of gold. There were eyes all over the angel, but one in particular was in the middle of the diamond shaped angel and it was a huge eye! Outside around the eye were smaller rubies that were all around each eye on the angel. Now the angel itself had dimension and shape but it was like an everlasting dimension without end. The wings around the angel were of light but without shape or figure. Almost as if they were see-through but you could see them move. The speed of the wings was fast! Each wing had SEVERAL EYES and red rubies surrounding each eye. Each wing also had this blue like glare all around each wing and behind the angel was like a glare within a portal (comet tail).

After having a short conversation with the angel, the angel gave me this warning, “People are running out of time!” The angel took me to the mountains and in the valley where I was once standing. There were many trees that had this beautiful glow; almost like a glowstick. This glow was coming from the fruit! I took a deep breath, and I could smell citrus and honey. The sweetest, most delightful fragrance! Much different from any kind of citrus and honey here on earth. This brought me great comfort because I knew that I would never hunger or thirst.

The angel and I stood at the top of black sand mountains. The angel went really fast toward the sky. The sky was orange and had so much light, but it was more like a brilliant sunset. Down in the valley there were NO SHADOWS! NONE at all! The fruit on the trees that I saw were orange and I knew that I could eat from the tree if I so desired. I then looked back toward the sky where the angel had once been and the light from the angel was a bright red and orange that almost matched the color of the sky. The angel looked at me and I knew in my heart that I wasn’t afraid and that I was in the presence of God and His people. I could hear voices off the other side of the mountain saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

I believe that God gave me this dream/vision to warn people that this is what is and always will be, BUT if you do NOT repent in the name of Jesus, then you will not be able to enjoy and delight yourself in the Kingdom. Lastly, the message from God is that we are all running out of time!

Most of us know when our car is out of alignment. The tires will either pull too far to the left or too far to the right. It takes more effort to keep your car in the middle of the lane. God is saying, “My son, my daughter, get in alignment with me.” In order to live in my full favor and blessings, you must live in Godly alignment.

What is Godly Alignment?

There are many scriptures that tell us about Godly alignment. I Corinthians 11:1-3 NLT- “I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” This is Godly alignment in your personal life and in the Church. Jesus Christ is the head, and the head of Jesus is God. When Jesus walked this earth preaching, healing, and setting people free from oppression, he did not say anything unless he heard from God the Father, and He did not do anything unless it would bring God the glory! (John 5:19 NLT-Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do ONLY what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”) Jesus was God in the flesh, but God the Father still guided his steps during His ministry on earth. We have that same spirit with us, but it is Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit was not sent down to earth until Jesus fulfilled the law (Matt.5:17) and entered into a new covenant with man (Acts 1:8 NLT- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Sameria, and to the ends of the earth.”) Jesus cried out to God the Father in Matthew 26:39 NLT- He went a little farther and he bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” This verse makes it evident that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. He felt suffering and pain just like we do. He knew the price He would have to pay for OUR sins. But Jesus trusted the Father’s plan to redeem mankind with his sinless death on the Cross and his resurrection. Jesus was in alignment with God the Father’s plan and purpose to redeem mankind from the consequences of sin. If Jesus did not say or do anything unless it pleased and brought glory to God, then how much more do we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and direct our steps. John 16:13 NLT- “When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into ALL truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” Holy Spirit will ONLY tell us what he hears from the Father. Godly alignment means allowing Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into ALL truth. The Bible is a spiritual book. Too many people read the Bible only with their logic and NEVER ask Holy Spirit to guide them into the deeper spiritual truths. There is new revelation daily in God’s Word. My husband and I will often read a familiar passage in the Bible and Holy Spirit will reveal new truths and a deeper spiritual meaning. It is called “hidden manna” or a Rhema word. Revelation 2:17 NLT- “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understand except the one who receives it.” This hidden manna or NEW revelations from God is deeper spiritual truths! If you want to go deeper with God and have new revelations of God’s nature and ways of His Kingdom…JUST ask HIM! Matthew 7:7 NLT- “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 5:6 NLT from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” Some translations read …hunger and thirst for righteousness. However, in our world today, I love this word JUSTICE. I believe that God’s people are crying out for justice! Godly alignment is allowing your spirit, mind, body, and will, which includes your emotions and feelings, to be surrendered to God the Father, live by the example of Jesus the Son, and be led by Holy Spirit our teacher, guide, and comforter.

Godly Alignment in the Family

Many families are repeating cycles of dysfunction. This is NOT God’s plan for families. The family unit (father, mother, children) is under attack by Satan. Degradation of the family is at the forefront of the enemy’s plan. Society is trying to replace the family unit with LGBTQ+ values. Christians, we must stand up for what is right! I recently learned that some denominational churches are splitting over this issue by allowing LGBTQ+ people to be pastors, youth pastors, worship leaders, and teachers. The Old and New Testaments both admonish us NOT to practice sexual sin. Leviticus 18:22 NLT- “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.” I Corinthians 6:18 NLT- “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” This includes ALL sexual immorality, and ALL sexual immortality is sin against God, but it will reap consequences against your own body. I believe we are seeing this with STDs, AIDS, HIV, and many other diseases. Godly alignment in the family unit consists of the husband being under the authority of his head, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and led by Holy Spirit (the Holy Trinity), the wife being under the authority of her head, first the Holy Trinity and then her husband, and lastly, their children being under the authority of God first and then both parents that operate in agreement with God’s plan. I want to define what Godly alignment in the family DOES NOT look like: children talking back or raising their voices at their parents (guardians or whoever is raising them), children arguing with their parents, parents wanting to be more of a friend than a parent, parents allowing a 10-year-old to have a cell phone without restricting access to the internet, Netflix account, or who and when he/she can call or text, parents allowing children/teenagers to decide if they want to go to church or youth group, parents spoiling their children with too many materialistic things while spiritual matters are not discussed and quality time together is traded for worldly pleasures (shopping, watching worldly movies or TV, sports), parents allowing children/teenagers to hang out with friends that they do not know OR go to sleepovers when they do not know the parents or who all may be there. These are just a few examples of ungodly alignment in the family.

Here are a few scriptures about God’s Plan for the family. Ephesians 5:21-26 NLT “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.” Ephesians 5:31-33 NLT “As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Ephesians 6:1-3 admonishes children to obey and honor their parents. It is the first commandment with promise of long life and things going well for them here on earth (Mark 7:10, Deut. 5:16, Matt. 15:4). Ephesians 6:4 NLT “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” Discipline out of anger or threaten children is NEVER God’s way. James 1:20 NLT “Human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.” I have used this verse with students who have a “hot temper”. I allow the student to take a few seconds to calm down and I have this verse written on a notecard. I hand the student the notecard. This strategy worked with students as young as 9 years old. If a 9-year-old can stop and ask God for help to calm down and NOT act or speak in anger, I know that adults can with the help and guidance of HIS Word and Holy Spirit.

How Does My Family Stay in Godly Alignment?

I believe it is NO coincidence that right after you read about Godly Alignment in the family in Ephesians 5 & 6, Holy Spirit penned these words through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6: 10-18 about putting on the whole armor of God. I know that is how we stand against the attacks of Satan, principalities, powers of darkness, and evil spirits that are coming against the family. Ephesians 6:13 NLT- “Therefore put on EVERY piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” The family must stand firm against all the darkness that this evil world is throwing against it. We cannot stand unless we put on EVERY piece of armor. Below is an illustration of the Whole Armor of God.

The Whole Armor of God

As most Christians know the book of John (Jesus’ beloved disciple) is full of the width, height, and depth of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. First, second, and third John also contain many verses that speak of God’s love for mankind. I John 5:1: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” (ESV) John clearly tells us that if we love Jesus, then we also love the Father. From the words of Jesus, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7 NIV) Jesus also said, “Truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) Love does not come from just a head knowledge, but from the heart. When the Bible speaks of the heart, it isn’t just talking about the muscle that pumps our blood. For example, Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV) When the Bible refers to the heart, it speaks of it as the center of our being. It encompasses the totality of one’s intellect, emotion, and volition-(the power of one’s will-Mark 7:20-23). The heart, I believe, is synonymous with our human spirit. Now that we have a greater understanding of love and the definition of the heart as it is used in God’s Word, let’s get back to our topic, “The Nature of God.”

God is LOVE!

Jesus Christ came to Earth to be a living example of the Father’s love toward us. (Romans 5:8 NIV-“God proved His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”) I John 4:8 commands all believers to love others, because God is LOVE! If you harbor unforgiveness, bitterness, and hatred in your heart, then you cannot KNOW God and you have not experienced HIS love. The agape kind of love is extremely difficult to describe, but when we read the Bible and allow Holy Spirt to guide us into truth, we begin to understand what a loving Heavenly Father we have (John 16:13). I could go on and on about the vastness of God’s love, however, I want to elaborate more on some of the other lesser-known attributes of our Mighty God!

God is JOY!

Recently, my husband and I went through a storm in our lives. During this storm, we held tightly to the hand of Jesus and relied on Holy Spirit to give us discernment about what decisions to make and steps to take. Throughout this season of our lives, God was faithful to sustain our JOY. Joy and happiness are NOT synonyms. Happiness is based on your circumstances or what is happening in your life at the moment. For example, if I am at my grandson’s football game and he scores a touchdown, then I jump up and down and yell out with happiness. This happiness is based on my circumstances. My JOY, however, is grounded and rooted in God. This joy will sustain me during life’s storms because I trust God to work EVERYTHING to my good (Romans 8:28 & Gen. 50:20). My diagnosis of APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) back in 2021 was a hurricane, BUT GOD sustained mine and my husband’s JOY throughout this journey to healing. God continues to use my husband and I to minister to others that are going through a health crisis or any other storm that life sometimes throws at us. Here are a few of my favorite scriptures that speak of God’s joy and fortitude: Psalm 27:1 NIV “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Isaiah 44:23 NIV “Sing for JOY, you heavens for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.” Romans 15:13 NIV “May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

God is PEACE!

Peace is an attribute of God’s Nature that we as believers need to exhibit and share with others. Our current world is full of discouragement, unrest, and strife. Jesus was called The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”) In the book of Luke, he admonishes us to trust God with every detail of our lives because he loves and cares about every detail (Luke 12:24-“Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much MORE valuable you are than birds!”). Strife and worry are tactics of the enemy to get you downtrodden and worn out. Trust, faith, and belief in the fact that God’s Nature is Peace, Love, and Joy and all three of these attributes should also be evident in the life of a believer.

God is FAITHFUL!

God has proven himself faithful throughout different seasons of my life. Even when I tried to run from him, I can look back and see how he protected me from harm and spoke to me to keep me safe. Great is His Faithfulness toward me! Deuteronomy 7:7 NIV “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” This verse speaks of the faithfulness of God to his chosen people. Today, anyone who confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord, will have eternal life. (Romans 10:17). We are his chosen people. He chooses us when we choose Him through Jesus Christ. After choosing Jesus, we are his beloved. Jesus sits at the right-hand side of God the Father interceding on your behalf (Romans 8:34). He is for US. God’s Nature is to be faithful to his chosen people. Matthew 22:32 NIV-“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but the living.” Once we accept Jesus as our sacrifice for our sins and confess Jesus as Lord of our lives, then we have eternal life and our spirit never dies. Our physical body will pass away BUT our spirit will never pass away. Our hope lies in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We also will be raised up and have an incorruptible body (I Corinthians 15:54 NIV-“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.”). Titus 1:2 NIV-“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” If we as believers and followers of Jesus Christ will also display faithfulness in all areas of our lives, then I believe that others will see God’s love demonstrated through us.

God is KIND!

I am grateful that I serve a God that is kind even when I do not always operate out of kindness. Jesus summed up all ten commandments in Matthew 22:37-39 NIV- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” These words of Jesus were directed at the Pharisees who were full of religious acts but lacked genuine compassion and kindness for others. If we have the heart of our Heavenly Father to see people the way he sees them and operate out of genuine compassion and kindness, then we would truly be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus. While I was teaching 5th grade, the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio was very popular. I decided to read it in order to find out if it was suitable to read to my 5th grade class. I fell in love with the character, Auggie Pullman. My heart was moved with the detailed description of his struggles with a facial deformity. He had been homeschooled through 4th grade and now his parents had made a tough decision to allow him to go to a public school. Since my students were the same age as Auggie and many of them had or were facing feelings of rejection or “not fitting in”, I found reading this book aloud to my students was a priceless tool in evoking meaningful conversations about how we should treat ALL people with respect and kindness. The underlying theme of this book is “Choose Kind.” Many people probably did not realize that this book ignited that movement. If you have children or grandchildren that are 8-14 years old, I highly recommend reading this book with them. It gained so much popularity that Hollywood made it into a movie also called Wonder starring Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, and Owen Wilson. I know that this book is off topic from our main focus of Biblical references of the kindness of God, however, I also know from first-hand experiences how impactful a well written book can be in the hands and minds of young people.

God is Full of GRACE!

Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament prophets and disciples of Jesus Christ spoke of the grace that God lovingly bestows on us. I know that quoting five verses here is a little much, but all five of these verses testify of God’s LOVE, GRACE, and KINDNESS toward mankind. Ephesians 2:5-10 KJV “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (for by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (NLT says we are his masterpiece! I love that!), created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” My pastor often speaks of “greasy grace”. This is the false doctrine that we can keep sinning and God’s grace will cover us. This is false teaching because if we LOVE God and truly encounter and understand how much he loves us, then it should grieve us to commit sin against our loving Heavenly Father. We, as believers should always be God conscious NOT sin conscious. This means that when you live a Spirit led life it will bring conviction and pull you to be more and more like Jesus every day. You should experience a yearning to honor and please God the Father more than any carnal desire. Over time, the believer will see that obedience reaps blessings and disobedience (sin) reaps consequences. I Peter5:10 NIV “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

God is Comfort!

As I am typing this blog, I just received a call that my Uncle Noel passed from this life into eternal life. He lived a good long life (82 years old), but we, as humans, still grieve loss. I have been in prayer today for the family for God to comfort their broken hearts. I want to tell you that God will bring comfort to your broken heart during the loss of a loved one, a divorce, a financial hardship, or anything difficult that we go through on this earth. I have experienced all of the above and most of you have too. God is waiting for HIS children to cry out to him and trust HIM to help us make it through these difficult times. He sees the BIG picture and allows some of these things to bring about a greater good in our lives and to save other people by our testimonies (Gen. 50:20; Rev. 12:11). Ultimately, it is our trust (faith) that pleases God (Heb. 11:6). II Corinthians 7:6 NIV “But God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” Paul is telling us that God will send people that are full of faith and hope to comfort us during our time of grief or suffering. Think about that…how many times have you felt downcast or lost a loved one and God put someone in your path to encourage you and truly show you the love of Christ. I often tell our youth group that there are NO coincidences, but only divine appointments when you are a child of God. II Corinthians 1:3 NIV “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort.”

God is Forgiving! God is Merciful! God is Patient! God is Good!

I will not go into detail about these attributes of God, but oh how essential every one of them is to God’s Nature. Without forgiveness, we cannot be reconciled back to God, without mercy, we would all face the penalties and consequences of all of our sins, without patience, God would give up on us, and OH the Goodness of God! It overwhelms me every day of my life! We are chosen to be a living example of God just like Jesus was a living example of God the Father. It is a daily walk, and we must surrender to HIS will and not our carnal desires. BUT OH, the joy, peace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness, and LOVE that will overwhelm you! All the riches in this world cannot buy this. I pray that you will encounter the height, depth, and width of God’s love in your own life.

God bless you and your family. God Speed!

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (ESV)

Both my husband and I have spent countless hours talking and ministering to people who have questions about their lives, their direction, their health, financial issues, marriage issues, and personal problems. The ministry is often about giving counsel, direction, and encouragement to those who are facing a time of need. However, if a believer continually needs others to give guidance, there will always be lack in their life. Abundant life cannot come from counseling. We were created to hear God and live by His Word. (John 10:27-“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. NIV)

The only source of abundant life, peace, health, and direction is the living Word of God. Until we are hearing God for ourselves, we will never enter into the exceeding, abundant life that God has purposed for us. Wise counsel is good for a new believer, but every believer should be dedicated to hearing God (Proverbs 1:5). How many mistakes could we have avoided in life if we had simply taken the time to listen for the still, small voice of God? Psalms 73:24, “You guide me with YOUR counsel and later receive me in glory.” This verse is clearly stating that God will guide us into truth and order our steps by His spirit. Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live.”

God created us with the capacity to hear Him. He is always speaking. We should always be listening. There are three ways that God speaks to His children. 1) He speaks through His written Word which is Spirit and Life. John 6:63-“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 20:30-31, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” 2) God is Spirit, and He speaks to our spirit. Romans 8:16-“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” 3) God speaks through the preaching of the gospel. Acts 2:36-38 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Often while ministering to people, I ask them, “What is God saying to you?” I am often met with a blank stare. Therein lies the problem. You cannot have faith and wisdom for your life if you are not hearing from God. You are left to your own finite knowledge and feelings. Many people are led by their emotions or what feels good or right at that moment. This more often than not leads to poor decisions that are not directed by God. Proverbs 3:4-5 admonishes believers to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, but in all of our ways allow HIM to direct our steps. God (the Good Shepherd) is the only voice that we can follow into green pastures (Psalm 23). So, you might ask, “How do we build our trust and faith in God?” Romans 10:17-“So faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.” Jesus is the Word, so if we love Jesus, we will love the Word. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” My friend, have you ever been in a place where you were seeking God for direction, or an answer and God spoke through His Word at just the right moment? This has happened to my husband and myself many, many times. When I was in a coma, doctors and nurses were telling my husband that I may not recover. BUT Bill heard from God that this was not unto death and that I had more assignments to complete here on earth. God gave me this exact same message while in a coma. My daughter was praying for me to come out of the coma by Mother’s Day. She believed that God would answer that prayer. I came off the ventilator and intubation the day before Mother’s Day 2021. God’s Word and His presence with me every day while I in the hospital (6 weeks) sustained me. I felt angels all around me and I know that the prayers of my church family and loved ones sent those angels to deliver quick healing to my body. That peace and Word from God while in a coma also sustained me throughout 7 months of Chemo and procedures. God has healed me of a rare acute type of leukemia (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia)! My husband and I are so thankful for the time we still have here on this earth to fulfill all that God has for us to do in order to bring His Kingdom down to earth. (Matt. 6:9-10)

God bless you and your family. God Speed!

• Local opportunity:
• McKissack Farms Encounter Aug. 27, 2022
• Meal at 6 pm-tacos
• Worship and service at 7 pm, bring lawn chairs
• James Nesbit, prophetic worship leader and artist.
• Childcare available
• For more info. http://www.mckissackfarmsencounter.com

God has proven to be our provider again and again. When my husband and I were married in December 2020, things were going well. I had a job as a principal of a Christian School and God blessed Bill financially at his new local Hearing Aid office. We found a home that we both knew was specifically picked for us by God (3 minute from his office and 6 minutes from our church). It was nothing fancy. The outside and inside looked the same as the day it was built (1972)! It was paneling in EVERY room, yellowed popcorn ceilings, and old appliances or none at all. It was ugly! BUT the land was full of life! It has a running creek, and a Spring House with water coming up from the ground that feeds three ponds. Wow! Did it have running water on the land. Me, a nature lover and my husband’s desire of finding land with running water was fulfilled with this property. We knew that this property was soon to be ours. The house on the other hand was in desperate need of a makeover inside and out.

Now let me tell you a little about what happened in the midst of our remodeling project. I became very sick and weak. On April 28, 2021, I woke up with several bruises on different areas of my body. I quickly dismissed them as bumping into things while we worked at the house. However, the extreme fatigue was not as easily dismissed. The next day, I woke up to twice as many bruises all over and petechiae, which is broken capillaries, characterized by small red dots that covered both my lower legs. That morning, I didn’t have the strength to stand in the shower. My husband got up and I showed him the bruises and petechiae and he ordered me to go straight to the doctor. He went to work, and I called the doctor and thank God, they got me in at 8:30 am. I remember being so weak as I drove myself there. I explained my symptoms and the nurse practitioner looked at the bruising and petechiae. She ordered blood tests. I passed out while the nurse was drawing my blood. I laid down there for 30 minutes or so and got up to try to get myself in my car to drive home. I remember reaching for the car door handle to close my door and it being so painful. The world I knew of newly wed bliss and remodeling our home was coming to a screeching halt! Nothing else mattered but crying out to God to give me strength and give us both direction. My husband came home about 20 minutes after I arrived back home to inform me that there were critical levels in my blood work and that we needed to go to the Emergency Room right away. I tried to tell him that if I just could get some rest that I would be fine. He asked me where my suitcase was, and he went to pack it for me. At that moment, I knew it was serious, however, I never thought I would get the diagnosis of cancer. Our local hospital tried to treat me, but my body would have a reaction to the platelets (mine were at 11 platelets and normal is 1,500 to 4,500). That explained the extreme fatigue. The doctors also gave me blood and tried to get my white blood cell count down and my hemoglobin up. But everything they did to treat my symptoms sent me backwards. The doctors began searching to find me a bed at a hospital that specializes in blood cancers. I was transferred to Huntsville Hospital on May 2, 2021. As soon as they wheeled me in a room, my body again went into shock. My heart and lungs were shutting down because my blood was not producing enough oxygen to sustain life. BUT thank you God that I arrived in time for a team of specialists to treat me! My husband of 4 months was faced with making a decision that no one ever wants to make. The doctor told my husband that in order to save my life, he needed to put me on a ventilator and intubate me. My husband asked for 5 minutes to pray and call our pastor to pray. Our pastor agreed and heard from God that Bill should do whatever it took to save my life. May 2, I was placed in a medically induced coma on a ventilator, intubated, and on a feeding tube. I know it was horrifying for my children, my family, and my husband to see me in that state. BUT God used this to not only save my life but to speak to me spirit-to-spirit. The realm that I was in was so peaceful! I saw angels hovering all around my body and a brilliant white light was hovering over my body from head to toe! My spirit was speaking directly to God! I asked God, “Where am I? Am I in Heaven?” God said, “No, you have more assignments on earth.” I said, “Then why are there angels all around me?” God said, “The prayers of the saints brought the angels to administer quick healing to you.” I then asked, “God please tell my husband and my daughter!” God said, “You and your husband are one flesh, so as I’m telling you, he is receiving revelation of your healing and that you will recover.” As for your daughter, her prayers will be answered because you will be able to breathe on your own and come out of the coma and off the ventilator before Mother’s Day. Every word God spoke to me was fulfilled. His Word does not return void Isaiah 55:11)! However, it is up to us to believe Him and NOT walk in fear. That “perfect peace” stayed with me and my husband throughout my hospital stay and 7-month journey to complete healing! I defied the odds in every way! I gained all my weight back. We prayed daily against the side effects that chemo treatments sometimes cause, and God was faithful to answer our prayers! Today, I continue to claim and walk in my healing! The medical field calls it total remission, but that would suggest that it might come back. I believe that I am healed today and forever! The stripes that Jesus took on his back to purchase mine and your healing will NEVER lose their POWER! I refuse to walk in fear of what might happen or give any of my valuable time to the enemy!

On our honeymoon, and it just so happened to be on my birthday too, we received a call from our realtor saying that our offer was accepted on this property! We both were thrilled and excited to get back home to plan out this massive undertaking. We were blessed that my husband’s best friend, Mack Dean, owns a painting company. We hired them right away to evaluate the best way to transform a LOT of paneled walls into brighter and updated walls. They also scrapped all the ceilings and repainted them. Just remodeling the ceilings made a major improvement. Next, the painters used 30 five-gallon buckets of spackling mud to fill in all the paneling groves, sand, and repeat as many times as it required to create a smooth sheetrock look. I was in total amazement! Everyone that visits us cannot believe that there is ugly paneling underneath. As we revisited our list of things that must get completed before we moved in, we realized that our list was longer than our budget. We cashed out a couple IRAs to complete the work. We discovered that if we cashed these out for needed home improvements, then we would avoid added penalties. We both agreed that this was a better approach than taking out a second mortgage. God provided the best and most trustworthy people to do jobs like kitchen cabinets (Shoals Cabinets), and floors and tile work (Bubba Letson), electrical work (Jerry Page), and lastly David Staggs and Zondra Kelly did a total bathroom remodel! What they did to bless us in a desperate time of need blew us away! I will talk more about that later in this blog.

I want to give you some scriptures about how God will provide for you when you trust him completely. Matthew 6:34, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Words of Jesus). Luke 12:22-24, “Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” Bill and I learned that worrying about our house that we so desperately wanted to finish remodeling, was not as important as my health. My health crisis brought about a level of faith and trust in us that all believers need to have all of the time. God knows our needs, so when we trust that HE will provide those needs, it is freeing! Bill and I are independent people. We have learned to work hard and provide for ourselves. However, God sent us loving people from our church family and friends in the construction/remodeling business to bless us beyond measure! I am in complete awe at how much GOD wants to bless and provide for His children. He loves us more than our human minds can comprehend. Romans 8:38, “And I am convinced that nothing can EVER separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Now back to how God sent so many of our church family and friends to help us during this time of need. Zondra Kelly and David Staggs worked on a bathroom that was gutted and donated their time and bought materials to get it completed and it is gorgeous! We tried to pay for materials, but they insisted God put it on their hearts to help us. Jerry Page donated his time and talents to rework and repair old outlets and install beautiful, recessed lights and fixtures. Bubba Letson and his son worked at our house on weekends and after work to help us get floors and tile work completed. Shoals Cabinets helped get our cabinets installed in a timely manner so that we could get moved in by the time I was out of the hospital (move in date-June 28, 2021). Our church family came out to mop and clean up the house before we moved in. Thank you just is not enough. Bill and I love each and every one of you that helped us during our time of need. I know that God was with us through our journey. He provided us with a loving and giving church family, family, and so many praying friends!

God bless you and your family. God Speed!

LOCAL EVENTS: September 24, 2022, at 6:30pm “Fan the Flame” at Word Fellowship Church (101 County Rd. 426 Killen, AL 35645). A time of food, fellowship, worship and praise to our Mighty God!

If you would like Bill and me to speak about how God is our provider and the wonderful things HE has done in us and through us, feel free to leave a request in the comments.

God is saying, “Fall in love with the Giver!” When someone gives you a gift that you have wanted for a long time, it is more cherished if you know the giver of the gift intimately.

For example, if my husband sells his boat and works odd jobs to make extra money in order to buy me a better car, then it means more to me than if a random person sees I have a need for a better car and donates one to me. Oh YES, I would be thankful to the random person, but knowing that my husband sacrificed his boat and his leisure time to earn the money to buy me a better car just is extra special!

God spoke to me and He said, “I am giving out more spiritual gifts to those who know me intimately. I’m equipping my remnant church to operate in the supernatural! Your ordinary lives are about to became extraordinary!” However, there are requirements. First, you must have an intimate, daily relationship with Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to purchase every gift and every spiritual Gift is based on grace (Romans 12:6) and love (I Corinthians 12:25;13:1,2). Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father interceding constantly on your behalf (Romans 8:34). Second, you must be led by Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (and daughters) of God.” The book of Romans is full of admonitions for us to walk and be led by Holy Spirit NOT our flesh or our carnal mind. (Romans 8 is about living in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit.) Lastly, after accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then being baptized both in water and in the Spirit, we learn how to daily surrender our lives to the guidance and direction of Holy Spirit (John 16:13) For example, in my life I have been a teacher, an administrator, and finally a principal. I felt that I was right where God wanted me as a principal of a Christian school. However, just because it looks logical and surrendered in the natural does not always mean that you are totally surrendered. God moved me out of that position and spoke to me loud and clear. God said, “Teresa, you know what you are good at BUT I want to make you great at what I want you to do.” This word met me at my confusion and brought so much peace to my soul. I replied, “Lord I surrender my plans for your plans.” May we all be about our Father’s business. Redeeming the time for the days are growing more and more evil. (Ephesians 5:16)

So as many of us are eagerly awaiting the Fall Season, I challenge you to fall in love with Jesus in a real and intimate way, be led by Holy Spirit, and totally surrender to His plans for your life. May you receive new revelations, visions, and dreams of your future in Him! God bless you and your family! God speed!