Welcome to "Hope Reignited," where inspiring stories of triumph and faith come to life.
Join us on a journey of hope as we delve into the lives of individuals who have overcome adversity and found strength in their faith.
From tales of resilience to moments of divine intervention, each episode will reignite your hope and leave you inspired. Tune in now and let these powerful stories transform your perspective.
Don't miss an episode - subscribe and start your journey to renewed hope today!
#HopeReignited #InspiringStories #PodcastCommunity
Come join us at our virtual events monthly. Visit our website to learn more.
Welcome to "Hope Reignited," where inspiring stories of triumph and faith come to life.
Join us on a journey of hope as we delve into the lives of individuals who have overcome adversity and found strength in their faith.
From tales of resilience to moments of divine intervention, each episode will reignite your hope and leave you inspired. Tune in now and let these powerful stories transform your perspective.
Don't miss an episode - subscribe and start your journey to renewed hope today!
#HopeReignited #InspiringStories #PodcastCommunity
Come join us at our virtual events monthly. Visit our website to learn more.
Dreaming of. So don't look away, cause these are the days. These are the days. Better get them while they come. We thought we'd never see them Come through the dark skies, but all the signs are saying it's looking up. But these are the days. These are the days. These are the days we've been dreaming of. Open your eyes, open your ears. I'm telling you why. You'll see heaven inhabit our pra praises. This is what we came for. Oh, singing the song of paradise, believing the good news is alive. This is the great jubilation. This is what we came for, what he came for. Oh, these are the days. These are the days. These are the days we've been dreaming of. So don't look away, cause these are the days. These are the days. Better get them while they come.
Speaker 1:We thought we'd never see the sun through the dark skies, but all the suns are saying it's looking up. These are the days. These are the days. These are the days we've been dreaming of. Oh, all the days we've been dreaming of. Oh, if it's not good, then it's not over. If it's not good, then it's not over. If it's not good, then it's not over. If it's not good, then it's not over. These are the days. These are the days, these are the days we've been dreaming of. So don't look away, cause these are the days. These are the days. Better get them while they come. We thought we'd never see the sun through the dark skies, but all the signs are saying it's looking up.
Speaker 2:These are the days.
Speaker 2:Oh, these are the days. These are the days we've been dreaming of Saturday, y'all. I'm so glad that we're able to pull some people together. We had an in-person. By the way, if you haven't met me before, I think the only person I'm not familiar with is Carolyn. Hello, carolyn, but if you were here in the Georgia area, we had a chance to meet up in person earlier this month, and so we wanted to just extend that opportunity to those of us who are not in there to just connect and check in. So I'm just going to lay out some of the welcome and then we're going to do, we're going to pray, because that's what we do we pray. So I'm just going to lay out, kind of the agenda for today, which is going to be very, very simple y'all. So obviously I'm going to I'm doing it now which is just welcoming everybody who's joining. So obviously I'm going to I'm doing it now which is just welcoming everybody who's joining.
Speaker 2:We are recording this because I always believe there's going to be and I know it happens to be true there's always a testimony that blesses somebody who's not here. So that is the nature of how God works. And, as that song was playing about. These are the days I have my Bible on my desk. So when I look this way, that's what I'm looking at, and it just happens to be open to Isaiah 55, verse four, and it says behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the people. So we are witnesses of God. We're witnesses of you know all that God is doing in our lives. I always ask God, you know, bless me so that I can be a witness to the peoples. So when they see me, they see your mercy, your goodness, your favor, your grace. That is real, right. Some of us need to just know that this is real. So I thank you, lord, for bringing us together and making us a witness to your people, regardless of what position you're in, whether you're a leader, you're a commander, whatever it is that he's going to use us as a witness to the people. So we have a couple of things that we're going to cover today.
Speaker 2:I'm going to give you guys some updates on some of the events and things that we have coming shortly in the chat. You'll see I've dropped the image, really. This is the live phone line starting May 2nd. It's open to the US and the UK and the UK, and so I just ask that you all just start sharing that to your networks. It's a phone call in line for 30 minutes on Thursdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Eastern time, and anyone you know anyone can call that line, and we have three praying sisters. Two of them are on this call, sharon and Carol Tracy being the third.
Speaker 2:So we're honored to serve you and come alongside you in prayer, and I'm speaking this because we're recording it and I need to release it. So if y'all are in the room, you're like I know this, this is for the other folks, so I got to let them know what's available, because this is a really good resource, but it's also a way of us coming out of the Facebook group, if you will, and extending and touching people in the world. That is a part of our charter. Go ye, therefore, and All right. All right, so let's go into prayer and then I'll touch on some of the other announcements and then I'm going to talk about what we're going to do today.
Speaker 2:So, father, we just thank you again for the opportunity to come before you. I thank you for this blessed Saturday. These are the days that we are coming to you, lord, with open hearts and open hands and open minds and open spirits. Lord God, I thank you. Holy Spirit, make your presence known among us today. Show up in a different way, lord God, so that we will sense that you are here, that you are leading even this get-together, this virtual get-together, as we're talking about soaring and wanting to do well for our families. Lord God, soaring through problems, soaring into solutions. Lord God, I thank you that we are being spirit-led. I thank you, lord God, for your Holy Spirit driving everything that we do. You are leading, guiding, you're partnering. This is your ministry, this is your time. We are your people. I thank you for coming alongside of us, lord.
Speaker 2:I thank you for those who have been called into obedience, lord God, that we've had to yield and give up some things that we thought were really meant to be ours, only to realize that obedience is yielding even greater and bigger rewards. So I thank you, lord God, for helping us, giving us the strength to be obedient in our calling, being obedient as children of God, being obedient to what the word says about us and not what the world says about us. Being obedient about how we speak to each other, being obedient in the way that we worship and spend time with you, being obedient in setting aside time for you, lord, but also being obedient in everything that you've shown us through your world, through the walk, being light and salt, lord, but also being obedient in everything that you've shown us through your world, through the walk, being light and salt, lord, god, being obedient to the kingdom of God, and I thank you for the obedience, the stripping off and the setting apart and all that you've been doing already this year for so many of us, lord God, who've been calling out to you special blessings and healing and deliverance and all of these things, but being obedient and being in alignment with heaven. I thank you for that, lord God, those who have been anointed, lord God, that this has been a season of change for so many of us who've moved into their purpose of worship, but really moved into the call and the assignments. And as I'm watching you extend those territories of the people under the sound of my voice, as I'm watching you turn things over, lord God, that you have shifted and changed in so many ways that we are aligning with that, and as you have anointed us in a different way. I even asked for God that this morning there'll be a special refresh, lord God, that you'll pour out your holy oil and do a refresh for those who are tired and exhausted on this path.
Speaker 2:Lord God, I ask that you will remind us that we are anointed by you, not by man. Therefore, what you say about us can never be removed by man. I thank you for reminding us that the Lord, you, are our shepherd. Lord God, your word says we shall not want. We thank you, lord God, for the holy oil that you pour over us in front of our enemies. And what do our enemies look like? In front of lack, in front of doubt, in front of evil things. Lord God, even in front of our enemies, you are blessing us.
Speaker 2:It is through your holy anointing that we are able to even come before you this morning. Oh God, I thank you for that. I thank you for your holy anointing on every person under the sound of my voice. Lord, they might've come in one way, but they'll go out another. They will come and understand that they carry the power of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:Lord God, I thank you that you will change mindsets and hearts and deliver us this morning, so we'll be aligned to the anointing on our lives, lord God and Father, finally being renewed and refreshed. Lord God, lord, for those eagles whose arms, the wings, are tired of flapping, lord God, I ask that there's even a refresh and a renewal, lord God, so the things that we have started we will finish. Father, I ask that you will send divine help, lord God, to help us along the way, to help us finish out the assignments that we've started, these assignments with our families, the assignments on our jobs, lord God, the assignments in our communities, wherever you have placed us, whatever you have charged us to do, lord God, that you will give us a renewal and a refresh this morning. I thank you, lord, that you have met us in this moment, in this place. Billions of people on this planet, billions of people on this earth, and yet you've sought to see about your sons and daughters, who join you this morning. We give you all the honor, we give you all the praise, we worship you. I worship you in spirit and in truth and I welcome you. I thank you, holy Spirit, for using this broken vessel, lord God, to get your word out. Amen. I thank you, lord God. I thank you for the release, lord God, and the relief. I thank you for your Holy Spirit, I thank you for your sacrifice and I thank you for your help. Lord, I pray that you will bless the rest of this session as we share testimonies of things that we've done and things maybe we have undone, lord God, things that we need, things that we're sharing with each other to help build each other up. I pray that every single testimony that I shared this morning will bless a soul that needs to hear it, that the words that we stand in need of will be uttered this morning, and that every word that comes from my mouth is what you say and not what I say. I thank you, lord, that you're opening our hearts for God to just receive you in full this morning. Lord God, so when we leave, we are leaving in joy and in peace, knowing that you are hearing and answering our prayers in Jesus' name. Amen, amen, amen.
Speaker 2:So now what we're going to do is we want to just have a conversation and just really tap in and check in and see how we are. And when we did the onsite, we did the onsite, we had a prayer. Our prayer went a little bit longer, got a little bit caught up, but we did prayer in person, and then what we did was we really just we went around the room and just asked folks to share you know, basically your personal testimony. For those I'd love to hear from you how did you even get connected into this group, this crazy group that you know? How did you get connected and what are the same things that you're seeing God work through you since you've been connected? Why?
Speaker 2:I want to hear this? Because others need to be encouraged. Like I said, you might be on this call and we're looking around the room saying y'all know why, y'all know how, but because we're going to share this with others. We want to uplift other people. There's something on something about your testimony that will help somebody else. So I don't want to call on people. I don't like calling people out, but I will call out Makisha for her to come up next and just share maybe even some of her testimony and her journey, and I hope that will encourage all of us. Let's just open this up and have a conversation. So, makisha, I'm going to turn over to you. Are you there? Did you step away? I think she stepped away. All right, then I'm going to turn it to Carmen.
Speaker 3:Oh, we, um, I need y'all to give me like two seconds, because I'm driving and I'm about to have to talk in two seconds. Give me two seconds, no problem.
Speaker 2:Ok, come on back Two seconds. Who wants to go next? I'm trying not to call people out. Please don't make me call you out. Sharon Moore, how are you doing?
Speaker 4:Good morning, I'm good. How are you all?
Speaker 1:All good.
Speaker 4:So testimony God is good. Oh Makisha's back, praise the Lord. So let's start off with Makisha, amen. Then I'll follow her, okay.
Speaker 5:You're on mute, makisha, makisha. My husband's car, stuck in front of the house, won't start. I'm like, really Like this is insanity. So he's like do we, do you have jumper cables? Like who use jumper cables?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's all right. I had to run down there. Um, what was the questions? So the question was uh, just your testimony. I was asking you know, how did people get connected to the group? How did you get connected? And just your testimony when are you, how are you doing? You know things like that.
Speaker 5:I got connected to this group, this young lady named Shelly Jeffcoat. We worked together maybe about three years ago, maybe about three years ago my manager, I was at a point of where I needed to figure out the next with the organization for 20 some years and I was just trying to figure out what was my next act and he was like, oh my gosh, I found the same person that you need to connect with, that has such a like spirit of yours and you will love her, she's great and all that stuff, and I'm just like OK, and so we made that connect three years ago and we've been like white on white. So it was crazy, because I knew it was probably going to be destined for us to connect anyway, because my daughter had already connected to them and we didn't even know that. Yeah, so God was going to make an intro anyway somehow some way. You know how strategically he is, so it was just that. And then two years ago, we started a prayer ministry at our job. We would get up at 7 am Starting this prayer ministry at work. Everybody wanted soldiers on the battlefield at work. You know how that is, because work be working and you need God to be guiding, you know what I'm saying. So we were like we need God to be guiding, you know what I'm saying. So we were like we're gonna be, we're gonna be on site, the soldiers battle up for this war at work. And then if God was like, uh, yeah, great idea, but not a God idea, right? Yes, because first of all, you know company's time trying to pray when I didn't ordain that.
Speaker 5:So we spun off from the group, from the uh work group, into this world of social media and, um, uh, it started off me sharing a me, uh, shelly and her sister-in-law, karen, karen, yep, and. And then we looked around. She said do you know? We have like 180 some people. I was like where did they come from? Like you know what I'm saying? But the amazing part of it, god said he would add to them daily.
Speaker 5:So we don't care, we're not chasing numbers, we're chasing impact and global impact and influence in Christ. Not for influence, for Shelly ministry or the Keisha show. We want to be ambassadors of Christ. Wherever we go in a marketplace, gym, wherever you're at, you want to be an ambassador. People are hurting, people are suffering. People need to see the Christ in you in the room when you walk into the room, the room shifts Right.
Speaker 5:So in order to have that, you have to be plugged into a source that has that type of power to generate, to shift things. So this is just a tough and power source. You plug in, then you go out into the world and do the calling that God has on your life. We ask that you serve in your ministry, at your church, local body. Go find you a Bible Belt church that's going to teach you, prune you and push you out there.
Speaker 5:But this is just a place where you can come in and when you need a little bit of oil you know iron sharpens iron we want to make sure that our our um swords not too sharp, that we cutting you, that you're going out there bruised with band-aids on right. We want to make sure our blade is right, on right where it's supposed to be, so that that's the purpose of come out of the wilderness ministry prayer group. And and that's where I'm at I'm just looking at God, like, wow, how do we get here? You know what I'm saying. It was just three people and we were like is this, are we hearing you right, or are we going crazy? Then we're like, nah, we can't be going crazy because people are starting to fall coming to this, so they must be crazy too. So that's.
Speaker 2:I love that and I love, I love your heart. Lakeisha has such a heart to serve. She's one of the few. So my, my sister-in-law, karen, that she's mentioning she has this, um, this joke and she's probably gonna watch this replay and be like you said that again, but she has this joke. She's tell people that I've been running for 20 years and just got caught up. But it is true, and I think when I, when I think about where God had us in the moment and and when we had to trust him in the disconnect, it was very uncomfortable. So my mom she's no longer with us. She passed in 2018.
Speaker 2:She was a teacher and a minister, and so part of the reason I never wanted to touch ministry was like I've seen the stuff, like I'm good. These people are crazy. You know, I didn't want, was always built to do more, and I watched God align women and men around me to help me do that. All for his glory, not for mine, right? And so I just want to encourage you that, whatever it is that he has charted you to do, he said this is your assignment. Then he also will send that help. This is light work for me. Before you know, before I came on, I've already been up, did my Saturday teaching. You know, I'm fully dressed, as you can see, I've already cleaned my house and I'm just popping on here. I got about three more hours of ministry work, but I'm not exhausted or tired. This is just joy. Exhausted or tired, this is just joy. So it is. It is because he gives the help, he sends angelic help to help you. He will send people alongside to confirm you know all these things.
Speaker 2:So I just encourage those of y'all who are going to listen to the recording that, as you're thinking about, or as God gives you something to do it. You know, maybe it's not at this level, right, you know, maybe you're not leading a ministry, but maybe your assignment is within your very family. You're the person that he said. You're the, you're the, you're the only one who's going to break the chains, and so he's calling you to be the intercessor for your family and the prayer warrior for your family, that even in that he's going to send help so that you can do that. He's not setting you up to fail.
Speaker 2:So I just thank God for Makisha and and and Karen, and really every single person on the sound of my voice, especially on this call because there's some women here when I really had doubt about my identity in Christ, which turns out to be what he built me to talk about identity in Christ and purpose, like that is my, that is, you know, that is my thing. But he had to peel me like an onion, like I keep saying in front of my helpers, so that they could come alongside and help build up. Why? Because all of us have been called to do something. So I honor you, makisha, I honor you Carmen, terry and Audrey and Tanya, because they have been in, the been in the gutter, gutter, right, they have been and seen through some things.
Speaker 2:So I want to make sure, as we're growing as a ministry, you have to honor the people who God sends to help you. You can't just skip past people. I honor Sharon and Carol and Tracy for the magnificent amount of work, the impact we're going to have with this prayer phone line. There's so many more things that's coming that you know we can't share yet. That's going to blow your wig off if you're wearing one. So many things, tanya, that is happening that literally I'm still trying to catch up. You know so many things that God is using this ministry and it just came out of a yes. So I just really encourage you to just say yes and let him kind of lead there. So thank you so much, makisha, and now I'm going to kick it over to Sharon. Now I'm back to Sharon good morning everyone.
Speaker 5:Uh, Carmen Terry don't y'all want to go first?
Speaker 4:No, Um, I have been up since 630. We have an engagement and so that's why you see the curlers in or the rollers in my hair. So I've been up like Shelly. But, um, I thank God for this ministry. I believe Tracy or Carol, I can't remember which one I think Tracy, uh, tracy sent me an invite, and so the first week that I attended I just love listening every week to everybody else talking, laugh and those types of things.
Speaker 4:And what Shelly has said is about herself is that I'm coming into. I am coming into myself. There are changes that are going on in my life. God is stretching me. It's not easy, it doesn't feel good. A lot of people may not understand, but I want to be and do who Christ has called me to be and to do what Christ has called me to do. And with that, with the stretching, I can't get to my next until I go through my now. So I know that what I'm going through is for my good, because all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. And so I have to be who I am and I don't want to be. I'm coming into me, I want to be me, regardless if people accept me or not, I'm going to be who I am, who God has created me to be, and either you're going to love me or you're going to leave me, which is still okay. So those are the reasons why I'm here, and I just thank God, I think, yeah, in order to get to my next, I have to go through my now. So that's all I have to say. I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 4:Carolyn, my mother's name was Carolyn, still is Carolyn, but she's no longer around. But, um, uh, so, um, welcome to the group. I think you will be encouraged. Uh, there will be weeks when, um, you know, like I said, I just like listening, because I go away encouraged, reminded of what God has said, um, even though, um, they pray and if you're into it, god will lift your spirit and your soul and your mind. So, to God be the glory and we're being focused on him. So that's all I have to say you dropped a whole word.
Speaker 2:Very nice, that is powerful. That is powerful. And, for those who don't know, we have live prayers Mondays at 6 30 AM, eastern. Um, all the information is in the Facebook streets, but, um, we do this, we do it on zoom, and then we also live stream that way, and then we also pray live Tuesday nights at 8 30 PM. We also put out the replay and there's still oil on it. So purpose of pushing it out is so that anyone at any time, can have access to these live prayers. And there's still oil on it. So purpose of pushing it out is so that anyone, at any time, can have access to these live prayers. And it's, it's structured and it's amazing. It's, it's really.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize I needed a lifestyle of prayer, but I did so. I thank God for that. So we're going to open it up. Anybody else who wants to jump, carolyn, you're welcome to to share for that. So we're going to open it up. Anybody else who wants to jump, carolyn, you're welcome to share as well. This is open to anybody, right? So you're welcome to share as well.
Speaker 5:So I want to say something about Ms Carolyn. Ms Carolyn came to the group through me. I've been knowing Ms Carolyn since Ariel was probably three or four, carolyn since Ariel was probably three or four. We went yes, we went to the same church raises praise and she sang on the worship team with us and I've seen her in many lights. She always definitely not talking about server.
Speaker 5:She would give her everything for God and in that process of giving her everything, you know how people take advantage of the gift and don't take care of the person right. They will continue to manipulate, use the gift but neglect the person. And so I saw that in Ms Carolyn's path and she moved away and moved to Miami or Savannah I think she went to both places. And you know, when Facebook came around and I saw her face again, we used to call her grandma. My daughter used to call her. That's how close it was that my Ariel would call her grandma and for to have such. You know, ariel has a grandma but also looked at Miss Carolyn as a figure in her life. And to this day, ariel is 24 years old and Miss Carolyn is still here. I know she's been through some storms and rain, a lot of loss, but I know God is faithful and I see that he's redeeming her and giving her strength to continue to run this race.
Speaker 5:So, ms Carolyn, I honor you. Thank you for trusting me to come to this group and I know it's not easy because we know that church hurt thing right Is real, and I just want the Holy spirit to just touch your heart, to know that it's people, it's not him. You know cause he has forsaken you. He said I will never leave you nor forsaken you. So I'm just grateful. I'm just grateful for see your face and I cannot wait to tell Kevin he's downstairs trying to get this daggone car to start, and tell him it's just crazy how the enemy works, but he gets no power and no glory. So we just I'm just honored to see your face and thank God that you're here and I just pray nothing but blessings on womanhood to you. And thank God that you're here and I just pray nothing but blessings on womanhood to you, miss Carolyn.
Speaker 7:Thank you, thank you. Can you hear me?
Speaker 8:Yes, okay, I couldn't tell.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you know I have missed Lakeisha and Kevin so much. They were so special to me when I was there in Atlanta. And, yes, actually I think she was my first grandchild. I'm not sure, but pretty close. I can't even think right now how old my grandkids are, but they're around the same age. I have all grandsons, let's see. The oldest one was born in 98.
Speaker 5:Yep and Yaria was born in 99.
Speaker 7:Okay, then she was born the same year as my second grandson, who I spent the most time with, spent the most time with and was there in golly up north. A little. It starts with coming. They were up and coming and now they're in South Carolina and, yes, I went to Savannah. I lost my job and I went to Savannah and then that didn't work and I lost that job and I ended to Savannah and then that didn't work and I lost that job and I ended up retiring. My sister convinced me to come to Miami to help my mother. I thought I was going to be six months to a year when I came down here and it's going on 15 years. I got stuck. Yeah, a lot of loss I had. I kind of got gypped out of being able to return back to Georgia when I wanted to.
Speaker 7:And then I met someone who the Lord, just it was a whirlwind, it was crazy. Yeah, it was a whirlwind. He was a non-practicing Jew when we met and he told me that he would go to church with me, but not to try to convert him, because if I did that then he'd be gone. And I mean, I wasn't even interested. You know, I figured well, he's a nice guy. But God said you're okay, you're okay, he's mine. He had the seeds had been sown in this man, but they had done them, they had tried to grow him themselves. And I flat out told him that wasn't my role, that my role was to live my life in the Lord and if he saw something that he liked, praise God, and if not, that was his problem. And what I left out was because, if not, I'll be gone. That's right. But I really felt like if I said that well, god checked me before I could, even it could get out, it was like no, that would be like manipulating. He would, he would probably take that as trying to manipulate.
Speaker 7:And that man, three months from the day we first spoke, we were married and within two months of that time and, like I say, I prayed about it and god said you're fine, he's mine, you can go, you can marry him. And within two to three months of that time he was a born again christian. Wow, and he was a better evangelist than me. We would meet people and practically the first words before he even prayed the sinner's prayer before. Oh, and, by the way, he was going to church with me, but before long it was no longer. I was going to church with him, wow. And he would meet people and say where do you go to church? You need to come visit us at our church.
Speaker 7:And I was in awe of what God was doing in this Jew who felt like he was non-practicing but he didn't practice a Jewish faith and he had turned his back basically on it, but he wouldn't step foot in a temple. But his heart was there and that man treated me the best of anybody in my whole life, except my grandfather. And when we were married four years, parkinson's took over and overnight he was bed bound overnight. But that man just kept on, kept on and he went to be with the lord just weeks before the shutdown and I praise god that he didn't have to suffer through COVID. But he completed me in a way that it was amazing to me and God was there all, every step, and I just praise God that I had that experience. So, and then I and my I lost my mother just six months before that.
Speaker 7:So it's been crazy and every time I think I'm going to get back up to Georgia, something happens. So in fact, I just turned 80 in February and my goal was to be there for my 80th birthday. Well, no more specific goals. Just when God's ready, I'll be there. Amen, and I can't wait to get up there. I can't wait to give Makisha a hug again. And Ariel, I have not seen that child in so long. I wouldn't recognize her on the street, but I want to see my granddaughter and I am just looking forward to coming back up there right now.
Speaker 7:I have I'm now in Hollywood. Uh, I had to move a few months ago and I. It was another crazy situation where God just put me in a situation where I moved in with another widow and we are just. She loves the Lord, and we have five cats between the two of us. We're the cat ladies, and I'm not able to attend church in person right now because I want to stay with the church that I've been with for the last few years, so I'm doing it online with them. But it has been crazy and God has just moved miraculously so many times and I can't wait until he miraculously moves me back up to god's country, because I'm tired of having to speak spanish all the time, although I do I do speak it, but down here here in hollywood it's not as bad, but uh, you know it.
Speaker 7:Just it's not American down here. When I get back up there, we're. You know, I just want to get back up there with you guys, so, but I'll probably go to the Savannah area again, but at least I'll be able to get to Atlanta more often.
Speaker 2:Wow, makisha is trying not to cry. She's trying to keep it together over there. That was that testimony that you just gave. I mean, it blessed me. I know it can bless a lot of people who need to hear real, true, life testimony of how God has been moving in your life, even through loss. So I, I bless you, I bless you. I bless you. I thank God for you. I thank God that he is adding onto your life that he's brought you. I thank God for you. I thank God that he is adding onto your life, that he's brought you here in this particular exact moment.
Speaker 2:There have been so many things that I've gone through in my life that was so horrible and painful and I've been like why are you doing this? God, don't you love me? And I understand now that some of that pain was so that I could just be witnessed to his glory. And I thank God for you because all of the pain and everything that you've overcome is already blessing people. You don't even know that in this room, in this chat, there's already some connections in here that I'm watching. It's like a spider web. So that Makisha, when she mentioned coming, my head just went to Tanya at Eastgate Church. Who's on this call? When you mentioned Florida, it went straight to Iris, who's on this call? You know, when you, when you mentioned loss, when you mentioned all those things, there are people on this call right now who are dealing with some of these things. So your testimony is blessing people literally on this call, including me as we speak. So I thank you for for doing that. I thank you for being open and vulnerable and sharing.
Speaker 2:We want you to come back to Georgia. You haven't. You'll have another granddaughter. Her name is Isabella. Isabella is connected to Ariel in the craziest way. It's just how God has knitted this thing together. So we are looking forward to you coming back to this side of town so we can just give you a hug. Yes, I can't wait. Amen, thank you for that. All right, who wants to go up? Go up next. Oh, and Audrey's in Florida too.
Speaker 5:Miss Shelly. I just want to praise Scott. She says she's 80. Praise Scott.
Speaker 7:I was like you're not 80, that's why I was looking Makisha probably saw on Facebook when I on my birthday I put guess who's an octogenarian? Had people saying, gee, I learned a new word. Or how old do you have to be to be an octogenarian? Had people saying, gee, I learned a new word. Or how old do you have to be to be an octogenarian? That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't look it, but so God blessed you with. I thank you, god, that we don't look like our circumstances, right, yeah?
Speaker 7:When I get my teeth again, which COVID took care of, um, maybe I'll even look younger. I feel snaggletooth. I hate it. I did not mind wearing masks, but you know we've thrown them away. Thank the lord amen amen.
Speaker 6:Hey, shelly, this is iris. Hey, I'll share just a moment. Yeah, um, yes, I came to this group through carmen, who was my mentor, through lexus, nexus and work, and I'm thankful for this group. There's so many times that we've been on the morning chats uh, every day and that just look over to my screen and go up that's perfect and play the song and get me through a moment. So I'm just really grateful for all the ladies that are on this group and that have prayed for me and have been there for me, and I'm grateful for Shelly and her vision and for all the sisters that come around her and support her.
Speaker 6:Amen, including Kyra, you're welcome, sweetie, and my goal is to have discernment In my younger years. Sorry, I'm dog sitting, my grand dog, hold on. And I'm great I see I'm praying for discernment because when I was 13, I left home to marry a man that was 13 years older than me, which was not a good decision because I didn't listen to the Lord. Then I left him at age 26. And between the two of us we had five kids. So it was really hard to be 26 years old, five kids and try to find a job in industry and life and things like that.
Speaker 6:And I was living in Miami, actually, and I moved Miami all by myself in a little pickup truck with a stick shift that my husband bought, said I'm going to buy this truck but you can't drive it because it's stick shift. I said, well, let me show you. So I learned how to drive a stick shift and me and two little children drove this little pickup truck from Miami to Tampa, where my mother was struggling with an illness and she was a nurse for many, many years and so she knew she was sick beforehand. So, um, short story is, before she passed away she sat there with a cigarette in her hand, not lit, of course, of course. And held my other hand and she says to me, no matter what life happens to you, no matter what life brings you. She says, trust the Lord and believe. And she says, no matter what happens, the world can take your house, your kids, anything away from you, but go back to school and get an education.
Speaker 6:So I did and boy, my husband and the kid's dad did not like that. He would siphon gas out of my car, flatten my tire, but thank god gave me the determination to survive and push forward. So my message to anyone out there that is struggling and there's, they don't know they can make it get strong. Put those angels around you and know that these ladies and god's got your back and he will carry you through the hard times. That's it amen.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's thank you so much, iris. That that was I'm trying. I'm trying not to like cry and fog up my glasses because I can't see you very well. I didn't know most of that about you, but my God, what a heart you have. You are. You are for real, for real, just an amazing, amazing, amazing woman of God. So I adore you, iris. Thank you so much, thank you.
Speaker 6:Thank you so much Just keep discerning, listen to God's word. You'll know where to go.
Speaker 2:Amen, thank you. Thank you so much discerning. Listen to god's word. You'll know where to go. Amen, amen, amen, all right, who wants to go?
Speaker 9:go next hey, shell, I'll go next. Hello, hello. So I think what was we're saying? Number one came to come out of the wilderness. Yeah, and I know mine happened with a chance meeting with Shelly at a work event last year. It almost feels like we've known each other forever, but it was just last year, mid last year actually. But it was just last year, mid last year actually, and it started with you telling me about a sister circle within the company and, as we always do, we tend to instinctually know another believer through conversations and through conversations. Then you made me aware of prayer group.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is totally separate. For those of y'all watching, there's a sister circle that is different than a prayer and worship circle and what you'll learn is you can't always preach Jesus to everybody. You got to separate and come different. So there's a whole thing. So that's what she's talking about.
Speaker 9:Right, and so you brought me in. Because, as soon as she's talking about Right, and so you, you brought me in because as soon as she's like, I was like I need it, I need it. I was in my my year. Last year was the year of transition. So I look at it as God really did ordain that meeting, that connection, cause I had told you I had been hearing your name, probably believe the year before, from other people at the company. I was like, oh, you need to connect with Shelly. And I'm like, who is this Shelly? And I was talking about my daughter graduating. You need to connect with Shelly. I'm like me and my daughter need to connect with Shelly. But we finally met. It was at that event. I was like this is the Shelly.
Speaker 9:But it came right on time because of the things that were had already started happening and then the things that were to come. Because it was just like some of us, we have that church home, but you you leave church on Sunday, so you need to surround yourself during the week with other godly things and other godly people. And it just you just helped give me that network of what I call praying sisters, praying brothers, that I could put something out and I would immediately have people to be able to pray. And then, you know, went even further because where we were with my churches and some people might not be aware but we had a pastor leave. So we're in the midst of searching for a pastor and I had just joined the ladies ministry and we had to do a conference and usually the pastor's wife, the co-pastor, led everything. So we're now a team that I just joined that year, like what do we do? And Shelly said yes to being a speaker and even right now we can't even really even say the totality of what that has started. Other things have happened since then and it's like there's more that we can see coming.
Speaker 9:But that one saying yes to just that one event is spanning so much and I do appreciate Shelly saying yes. Event um is spanning so much and I do appreciate Shelly saying yes. And you know, if you weren't able to see, be there at the conference. She did a phenomenal job. Um, if you don't know, she will be speaking Mother's Day at East Gates Church, so you're welcome to come. Get there early Cause, like I told her when they made the announcement she was coming. Like they say, oh, there was a pop in the church, so, um, it's just great and, um, that's my testimony of how I came here and why I just love all of you and I appreciate all of you being in my life oh, I appreciate and and so she won't say it.
Speaker 2:but Tanya is one of those, like I call her, like a silent soldier who just goes out and connects and does the work. She never, she doesn't ask for anything, ever at all. And I always I know I put people in an uncomfortable position because I'm always like there's no backseat, there's no trunk. If the Lord called you, you got to move up front. I'm not doing this alone, but she has been tested, tried, true tested, and watching him use you. But then I'm also watching him answer my specific prayers through you, which literally that's why I think yesterday and y'all will you know, we'll come and tell you more about what's coming but it made my brain like I was muddled, carolyn, you ever have like, uh, when you see the, the answered prayer, and you're literally like this for real, like this, this is really, this is real. So I literally still I don't pinch myself, I do, I just ping them go. Is this for real? Like, is this real? You gotta let me know I'm not in a dream, but watching him use you, make impact at Eastgate is remarkable, it's just and for those of us standing on the outside watching you blossom and lead and being trusted as an advisor at your church, and the way that you serve, never asking for anything. That's why we have to back you in prayer. That's why you have divine helper. That's what we're here for. So I honor you because you're helping my confidence.
Speaker 2:Now I'm a confident woman, but I need sometimes even to just be reminded that one it's real, that he really is using me, because I never feel like I deserve to be here. I just don't. I'm just like there's there's people who can speak much better than me. What are you doing, right? But I honor you because you have poured so much into my own life, impacted my family, my daughter, my husband, both my daughters, you know, I mean, it's just done so much. So I, um, I just want to make sure that you know that, that we truly, truly appreciate everything that you're doing. Even if you think no one sees what you're doing, you're actually. You're actually making bigger impact than you think, um, so we're watching you and we're following you.
Speaker 5:I do agree to that because even when, like when the, even with the meetup, it started off. It started off with you checking for the sister circle, right, yes, the library. And you went to roswell library. You were just on the go and you were just so like, so timely with it and and it was just like, oh, my god, this is what she liked to do, like she, I'm gonna let her. Oh, my God, this is what she liked to do, like she, I'm going to let her lead. You know, this is what she does. And so, and even when you came back with the library apparatus, I was just like, okay, this girl, okay, so you are very, you have the event coordinator wisdom to put things together on top of you, show up and you can, you like. Even when you spoke in the um, the um thing in your heart, I was like, oh, my god, like you like, yes, so, um, I'm just grateful to be able to be connected to you too. I mean, I, how did we connect? Do you even know?
Speaker 9:yeah, you're. You know, makisha, I'll be honest, you're one of the people that I put in a group like I have no idea how I connect with them, but I I am connected and I love them and it's very few people like you. I think I really I have one other friend like that and it's just that we just connect. We don't know how we really connect, talk and we check in sometimes just like we've always known each other. So it's probably through Shelly, but I cannot pinpoint the exact time.
Speaker 5:I can't put it together, but I'm telling you it has been phenomenal, it has been great.
Speaker 10:And.
Speaker 5:I'm grateful to God.
Speaker 2:Amen. But those of y'all who are listening, especially if you're in the Facebook group, connect Y'all. Like what are you doing? Share your testimonies. Don't just send your prayer requests, because we've taught you now prayer watch hours. We're arming you and equipping you so you can do this thing, but connect with each other. That's so important. That's why we have an event Every single month. We have events. It's free. It only costs you your time, right? So just come to the events and meet and fellowship and meet other people and then build relationships, because we need. We need this. Hi, carmen with the beautiful, how are you doing after last night?
Speaker 5:I'm carmen, I'm gonna get them, don't you worry. I really have to write down what they did for my Carmen. How dare them, so disrespectful, not allow you to win Uno and all the rules changing? You were supposed to be the winner. Don't worry, when I see them, it's on and pop. Your pop called out the Geico. Replay your pop. Your pop was real, like for real. I was like oh no, they didn't do this to Carmen.
Speaker 3:I showed my husband the picture they snapped of me when I was pouting. When I got home he zoomed in and was like, oh, you was pouting for real. He was like they did you dirty. I'm like yeah, they did me dirty. I'm already talking. Oh good, I mean, that's just so. I I don't even know where to start because there's just so many, just everything is so intertwined just from the conversations about connection and everything is just connecting just in this call.
Speaker 3:And let me just start with Makisha. When, tanya, when you said you don't know, she's just that kind of person. If everybody is looking at her face right now, just the glow, the smile, right, even if you don't know Makisha personally, you're probably looking at her like there's just something about this woman, right? My first connection with Makisha was actually before my connection with Shelly, but my connection with Shelly strengthened my connection with Makisha, which is, as I said, this is all just you know. But when we were in the office pre-COVID, I would see her walking around all the time and it was just something about her and I don't. I think I said something before. But, makisha, I think I stopped you and was like where do you go to church? Because she just had this spirit about her and I'm just like we were looking for a church and we just striked up a conversation.
Speaker 3:But, makisha, you are a beautiful person and you are my reminder. And for those of you in this call who know me, know me, I tell on myself all the time. I'm very transparent. I just be like I was thinking this and I did that. So you are my.
Speaker 3:You keep me grounded, makisha, just when I think about you, and I just want you to know that. So when something ugly inside of me stirs up, you are the one that I think of. Like you are always lifting people up, you're always smiling, you're always encouraging. Nobody will ever know that you're going through anything, if you're ever going through anything, because your focus is always on just lifting everybody else up and just, and it's not just a cheerleader thing, it's, it's deeper than that, and you are always my reminder to karma.
Speaker 3:Keep it together, love your sisters and brothers, because I mean, I just your face, like your face, is burned in my mind because that smile is so beautiful, um, and so I like your afro puff. So if you don't get to wash your hair today, I think you could. You could put a cute little headband, like shelly, and keep it moving when you serve tomorrow, because you're gonna be just fine. Um, but you are a beautiful soul and I got connected to shelly and the crazy thing is all of us have worked at Lexus. I don't even know how long, but right these connections are, just you know. So I got connected to Shelly a couple years ago and then, just like Tanya, she invited me to the sister circle and even then I was like, oh my God.
Speaker 1:I got invited to the sister circle.
Speaker 3:But then when she invited me to the prayer group, I almost fell out because that's a whole another level. Okay, I'm in the sister circle, meaning okay, but the prayer group, because y'all shelly very particular about who she invites in that prayer group. I have seen it, I'm like, and I know how to be quiet, I'm like, but this person ain't in the sister circle but not in the prayer group. So I learned very early to be quiet about the daggone, oh. And she invited me to the prayer group. I was just like, oh my gosh, um, and the crazy thing about that is, before she invited me to the prayer group I um, and my daughter talks about me all the time because I ain't got no friends, like I'm gonna be honest, but I ain't got no friends, um, and when I say friend I mean the true word of the friend. I have one, but she lives all the way in Seattle Washington, so I don't have a group locally that I call and be on the phone with. Like it's just me and my husband, my kids, right, and I kept saying that something is I have. We talk about connection.
Speaker 3:I had a serious disconnect, not even just from not having friends, but just a disconnect in my spiritual life, my walk with God. I just felt like I was a baby, still sucking on the bottle, when it came to my face and I just kept praying like Lord. I don't know what it is, but something is disconnected and I need connection. I don't know what you want me to do, I don't know, and then all of a sudden I'm getting invited to the prayer group and Shelly do what Shelly do? You try to stay in the back and she's pushing everybody to the front. All of a sudden, you speaking, you doing this, you doing that, and so that has been my journey. And I just want to say to Miss Carolyn and to Iris because Iris mentioned that I was her mentor, right, and Iris, I learned some things about you today that I didn't know and it just, it just touched my heart.
Speaker 3:And, ms Carolyn, oh my, it is so important for people. Shelly, would you say, don't swallow your testimony, because you don't know what sharing your like I'm not in a bad place right now at all, but the both of you just sharing your testimony it even just gets to the point where it just encourages you and strengthens you and it fills your bag. And when I say that, like when you're having your worst day, those memories that come back right like, oh, I remember Miss Carolyn said this, or this is what Iris went through, or this is how God blessed me in the past. You know you can reach in that bag and and get those those memories and recall how good God has been not just to you but to other people. So for you guys to be so transparent and share your story, it is so amazing. Please keep doing that, because you are filling us up. And I have to tell you, ms Carolyn, converting a Jew toa Christian girlfriend, you could drop the mic. Drop the mic. Drop the mic. God had him ready.
Speaker 3:Mic drop the mic, god had him ready girlfriend, drop the mic on that one, because we know how devoted that that, that that religion is, and it is ingrained in just who they are. So, girlfriend, drop the mic. So that's? That's.
Speaker 7:That's where I am I didn't have a thing to do with it, I was just there to watch.
Speaker 3:God used you, though. God made you the vessel. So, yes, he made you the vessel.
Speaker 7:I got to watch all those flowers bloom on that tree and all that.
Speaker 1:Yes. Oh my gosh the woman in fact, real quick.
Speaker 7:He was engaged Excuse me, he was engaged to a girl a while, not too very long before he met me, and she kept pushing him. He said bye, you don't push, let God do the work. God taught me that a long, long time ago. He told me in my first marriage, when my first husband was not and he was also raised in the church. You know, we were both raised in the church, but he was not looking at the Lord. But he was not looking at the Lord and my pastor told me he cannot sit on the throne of your home if he has to sit in your lap. Wow, that was 50 years ago and I remembered. So I had to keep my mouth shut. So remember that, ladies. That has made Makisha. Had I ever told you that before?
Speaker 5:Oh, ma'am, but I'm taking that to that on my heart. That was good, that was some good jewels, miss Carol, I'll tell you what?
Speaker 7:there's no way that Kevin would have to make his way into the throne because he wouldn't have to sit in your lap. You guys share that throne together. But no, that's what my pastor told me. And how can we ever sit in that throne? And I was. I was leading the family because he wasn't, but I had to learn to lead the family without sitting in that throne. So you know how, when we think of it that way, how in the world can we ever, if we want God to lead our family through our husbands, how could we do that? So yeah, that was a very that woke me up.
Speaker 2:That's powerful. We just dropped that one in the chat.
Speaker 5:That's a whole t-shirt I was just about to say that's a t-shirt exactly.
Speaker 2:Hey, let's do that oh my gosh, audrey, I see you're on. We we're going to run over time. I know we had this originally slated for an hour. If y'all can stay, that'd be good, and if you can't, we understand. But I want to make sure we give everybody a chance to speak, those who want to speak. So we'll turn over to Audrey. Good morning.
Speaker 3:Audrey is another one. Audrey is another one.
Speaker 11:Good morning, good morning. Good morning. I thank you for the opportunity and I just thank God for life every day for the refresh, restart. I came into the group. I've known Makisha for some years I think she and I have 20 plus years at the company and we go way back. And Makisha called me out some time ago and indicating that I'm one of those people that sit in the background and push people forward. And she saw that and she decided that it was time for me to time to push me forward.
Speaker 11:And at the time that she did that, I was probably at one of the lowest points in my life, simply because I had lost two brothers, and my oldest brother, who had just passed away, was my rock. He was, you know, everything to me. He was. He was the person that I would call whenever things were good, things were bad things, whatever it was. I mean to the point where on college football games, you know we'd be on the phone rooting for the different teams. You know basketball, we're on the phone talking about the different teams. So when he passed away, it was like my bottom fell. So when he passed away, it was like my bottom fell. It was at that time that the Lord tapped Makisha and Makisha tapped Shelley and then there was this connection built and through all of that I mean I will tell you, when my brother passed, I couldn't even watch basketball, I couldn't watch football.
Speaker 11:And over the last year, year and a half, the Lord has built me up and I never asked God to fill my holes, because I want to be able to reflect and share, and that's what he's doing to me. I feel like I have this uncommon faith, because that is what allows me to keep going and I get stuck sometimes, but allows me to keep going and I get stuck sometimes, but that's okay, because you know I think Iris was talking about the manual car and I always think about the fact that you know, if you're not shifting those gears properly, you can grind it out, and God never grinds us out y'all. He allows us to keep going, he allows the growth. So those holes that I have in my life are just those reminders that he's lifting me up. We keep filling that water and it keeps floating to the top because, at the end of the day, it really is about refreshing and renewing every day. I can watch basketball now, I can cheer on right. I can, you know, just have a conversation with God about my brother and about what he meant to me, you know. So, as I move forward, it's really, you know, trying to be there for the people in my life, because the way that God set me up is for my family first, because there's some stuff that's got to happen right, and so I'm just he's just continuing to add those layers of bricks and I am just, you know, so grateful for this group, for our prayer group and for the connection outside of the prayer group, because that connection, those, like you said, carmen, when you think about things you think about oh wait, shelly or Makisha or Tanya because the things that we share on those calls, those calls, it really does help us, it really does walk us through some of the sometimes, when you have a bad thought, it really does come to mind because he refreshes us.
Speaker 11:And he was like, wait, you know, think about what Sharon said to you, think about what Tracy said to you. You know, and that is what helps us to get through, even on the prayer channel, a chat, right, all of those things people may throw out, a prayer request, but you know what, sometimes it's like a self-reflection. So you've got to. You know, I'm just grateful that God is allowing us to just continue to, to move forward in everything that he's doing through this ministry, through the connections, and it's solid, it is absolutely solid. So I just want to you know, thank you guys, love you all.
Speaker 2:Oh, audrey, I knew you're going to make me cry Something. Um, y'all don't know that. I think probably only Tanya and Carmen and myself know. Um is last night when we went to ladies game night at Eastgate Church. Um, there was a speaker Debbie, right, tanya, what's her name and she was talking about connection. So as I I was sitting back here, I'm like we done brought connection. Holy Spirit has brought it back because this was some of what she covered last night was connection, how we connect into just you know, makisha she remind me so much of you because she was sharing her how God uses her in, like parking lots or, you know, stores or whatever, to just connect with people and just pray.
Speaker 2:And, audrey, as you're saying, connection, and he's showing kind of how we are intricately, we are tied, we are really intricately tied together. That that just hits home for me. Carmen and Tonya, because we sat through this message Before I went to this event. I was like Lord other than going, carmen and Tonya, because we sat through this message before I went to this event. I was like Lord other than going to support Tonya. I don't know why I'm going, but he was like you need to go and while I was there. There were things that he was showing me and I was like, ah, that's why, that's part of why I went. But now to this morning. This morning just keep me honest, tonya and Carmen we're literally seeing him play out the connection, and how important that is right. That is so amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and she talked about something Ms Carolyn brought up about not beating people over the head with Jesus. Yes, remember she was like you don't have to, so I picked up on that too.
Speaker 5:I'm like, wow, yeah and one thing you said. You said the hose. Think about the hose in jesus hands. It's a reminder, it's a reminder. So when you, when you brought that up, that's the first thing I thought about. I was like, oh, because, remember, when down thomas, he was like I won't believe it till I see the holes, you know the holes. It's just so I know that's the first place my heart went. I was like, ooh, the reminders of his sacrifice For the love that he has for us. That was good.
Speaker 11:That's right.
Speaker 2:Jesus.
Speaker 10:This has been amazing. You talk about connections and listening to everybody's story, um, I got connected to shelly is. Again, we work for a larger company. Well, I'm in a completely different division. Elsevier saw shelly in a presentation and the spirit kept saying you need to connect with her. I had no idea what I thought I was connecting with her about was how does she do all that she does? That was what I wanted to know. We didn't even talk about that. It was a whole. God had a completely different plan, connected us and then I ended up in the sister circle and then the prayer group and, to be honest, for me, because the prayer group was at six, 30 for everybody else it's five, 30 for me because I'm in St Louis.
Speaker 10:Yeah, I'm not a morning person at all, and my children mom, you're doing what and what time I I? I am not a morning person, but after Monday morning that's where I am. Unless there's for some reason I can't make it, and I've watched how this group has helped me. It's common, as you talked about, not having a lot of girlfriends around. I don't either. My kids are not even in the same state. My closest friend one's in California, one's in, actually in Atlanta, but I don't have that and I kept thinking God, what is it? And Shelly helped me remember that he sets us apart. We don't have to have huge groups of girlfriends, but we have the right ones at the right time.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 10:And, as Carolyn mentioned and as Audrey mentioned, about loss. The other day I was kind of beating myself up because I'm not in a place where I really want thought I would be in the scheme of life and I had to sit back and reflect and think about where God has brought me and I sat and realized that for almost 20 years my life was spent raising two kids, caring for my mom, dad and brother who were ill, and I was put on the back burner and didn't realize how I was put on the back burner. And so now I have a chance to be who God created me to be. Now I have a chance to be who God created me to be. Part of it's been, you know, the caregiving and dealing with grief and it's like why? Why me? Cause my family nucleus, I've lost all of them and so it's just me. And you know, audrey, I get it and you know I hear people talk about how they can do things with their families and it's like that's a hole for me. It's like I don't have that, but I've had to learn that I get to create my family and I get to choose who becomes a part of my family, and it's not necessarily biological, and I consider all of you my family and even though I'm in St Louis, it was such a blessing and God orchestrated it. They had a business trip and got to come to Atlanta and give hugs and it was just what I needed.
Speaker 10:My kids are like who's Shelly? He was talking about Shelly and Makisha. They're like wait, who? And I said I finally got to meet them. They were like, okay, but this group is amazing and the prayers you just don't even know and the, the nourishment, even though I'm not there physically, the energy that I get from times I get to connect, means so much and you have no idea how much I appreciate it and this is for me, it's special. Didn't even know this was happening Because I get to celebrate my birthday with all of you. It's on Monday and this means a lot to me.
Speaker 1:Happy birthday.
Speaker 10:Happy birthday it's like I was like God. I didn't know what I was gonna do. It's like see, god works it all out. We don't always know how, when or where. Amen. I am so grateful, all of you and the encouragement, and I know you're praying for me and I pray for you amen.
Speaker 2:Happy birthday. Terry is the one person when we had a shift in January, when Abba himself, sometimes, you know, sometimes it's.
Speaker 11:Lord.
Speaker 2:Jesus, and he shows up one way. Sometimes it's the Holy Spirit, he shows up one way, sometimes it's just Abba, and he's very, it's very different, you know for sure, for sure, when he shows up, because it's just different, it's just very, it's just very different. And I was, I was at a point in January, knowing, trying not to be obedient, just to be honest, I didn't want to do it. To be honest, I didn't want to do it, but I was. I realized I had, I was taking an easy route and handing off my assignment to someone else on Tuesdays and he's like that is never what I said, and so I battled with that. I tried to have Makisha talk me out of it when it was coming. The beatings came, you know, it came. Then it came to her because she, you know, all of a sudden was like no, you tell her what I said, and you, you know, it came. Then it came to her because she, you know, all of a sudden was like no, you tell her what I said. And you, you know. So we were getting it.
Speaker 2:And I remember having a conversation with Terry because of her, also because of her background in ministry and the fact that she comes from a stock of ministers, and I wasn't trying to do the M word, nor did I want to even say it, but I knew I had to be obedient, and so I went to her as an elder. Quite frankly, for me See, listen, I am connected to a church. This is not a floating ministry. You have to be tapped into, tapped back into right. You need to ask your pastors who's their pastor, ask your ministry leaders who's their pastor. You have to be be tapped back, you have to be connected to the body, and so I wanted to find out from an elder um, what this thing is and and how how to do it. And what she didn't do. Tell me to take the easy route. What she did do was remind me of my obligation, my obligation to God before everybody else, no matter what happened, no matter where we go.
Speaker 2:So I always honor Terry as that elder for me, because she really held me down. She held me, but I needed that. By the way, she is a part of the Methodist church. My mom was a Methodist minister. So when I tell you about these connections that are coming in, that's what I mean, about how literally, how strategic he is and how I know that we're doing the right thing. So I honor you, terry, because that conversation it was one of the ones that changed my life in January for real. Makisha can attest, makisha knows, she's my Jonathan, she knows everything. You have to have people you trust around you because some of these things that happen, that's happening. If two years ago, audrey said this was going to happen, I would have called her a liar.
Speaker 2:I'm just being honest, no way, right. And so now that we see where he's going, because he's literally opening the path and he's dropping people. So again for those of y'all who are watching that, you're wondering what to do with your purpose.
Speaker 2:If he told you to write a book, if he told you to go preach whatever it is. He told you to be a stay at home mom, if he told you to be whatever it is that he's told you to do, you really have to lean in and be obedient to that. The more you run away from it, the worse it becomes, and I honor you, terry, for that.
Speaker 2:Elder and leadership and accountability, because we needed that in January and everything shifted after January. Everything. I cannot remember December. I cannot remember it. I cannot remember anything before we shifted in January and the multitude of blessing and people that we reached you know, because our prayers they go out on the social media streets. It reaches thousands of people. So we bless you know, bless you for being obedient and being that elder for us and you know where we're going is going to be amazing. We're no longer being disobedient, we're not afraid of where we're going, we're just going to do it right, mekesha and we pray that each person alongside us facts we are going someplace and we're taking everybody with us because we're going to do it for his good.
Speaker 2:Everybody has to play a part. We're not just coming together just to hear ourselves pray. Every single person has to play a part. He gives me my 1%, he gives you your 2%. Everybody has to play a part. We're all involved in this kingdom, in his kingdom, right? And that's all we're doing. We're just playing our part and and you you know leveraging our relationships and our gifts and our talent so that I get to hear well done when I get to heaven. I don't know what he's going to say about y'all, but listen, I get there two words. That's all I want. That's it, that's it. And he knows that. That is that is my motive. Why is Shelly doing this? So I can hear those two words when I'm rested. That's it, Amen, All right.
Speaker 2:Did we miss anybody? I know we didn't hear from Carol, so, carol, thank you Okay.
Speaker 8:So good morning. Today's conversation is like exactly why I am so blessed to be a part of this group with the lady sharing and I'm encouraged and I learned so much. So I was um invited into this group by Tracy and um I've known Tracy for over 30 years, so there's the connection with that with Tracy, sharon and myself we were all stationed in England together, sang in the choir together, so we knew each other really well. But back in 2020, when COVID hit, I was teaching. So that was the last year I was able to teach. So when I didn't go back to work and it's my son is post-transplant, so that was why it's like I'm staying put, can't go back in the classroom I spent a lot of time in prayer, just you know, praying for the schools, praying for people, and I kept saying, after the next year went on and God was like no, can't go back to work yet the next year, god was like nope, not yet.
Speaker 8:So I just continued just to pray for people. Friends, I knew things, I knew that was going on, things I didn't know. I just lift people up in prayer and then I was like God, I feel like there's something more I'm supposed to be doing, but I don't know, I don't know what, so I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. And so when Tracy earlier this year invited me to this group, I was like oh, my word, like okay, god, this is what I needed, with these ladies and their wisdom and just learning from them. And I love the Tuesday. I don't get to do the Monday morning, but the Tuesday night I try to get on there when I can and I'm just always so encouraged. And so once the three Korean sisters came up and I said yes, sharon Moore said Carol, tracy I was like okay. Then, a couple of days later, I was like what have I gotten myself into? God was like what have you been myself into? And God was like what have you been doing for the past years? Like it's just going to another level, and I was like okay, god. Immediately I was like okay, okay, okay, I get it, I get it. So that's where I am.
Speaker 8:But this group is just really a blessing and I'm just so blessed to be here. I mean, that's all I can say. I'm so thankful to you guys in the beginning, being obedient to God, with not trying to push the group at work. You know how sometimes we can do be like no, this is all about God, it's gotta be right. I'm so glad you were obedient and moved it to this platform so that I could be invited in, because I never would have known about it had it not been for that. So thank you for your obedience, and that's really all I have to say. I'm just really blessed by you, ladies, your testimonies, everything. I'm so uplifted each week, thank you.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Thank you so much, carol Sharon, over there laughing. We're laughing because, first of all, I also want to honor the three praying sisters. Tracy isn't here and again it's recorded so she'll catch this. So I do want to do that because they said yes to something that, um, I I mean I say this, I'm not saying it to blow things up or anything. I'm not. I'm not, I'm not over hyping. I'm telling you that what he gave me, even the name, means something. It's not just three, you know, it's not just women praying. It's so much bigger than that.
Speaker 2:But when they said yes to this, I knew on the call when we were just meeting, that they were, they were going to do this, regardless of doubt, regardless of fear, regardless. They were going to do it because they were going to serve God. It wasn't a okay. Well, shelly said they were showing up because they knew that this. Now I did say but but this was a. This is something that they have been.
Speaker 2:They have literally been praying and organizing and preparing for this launch for months and I mean like literally meeting, praying together, testing. They have been doing that, fasting, all of that, and already I can tell you that he's so pleased. He's so pleased with what you have already done. You've already done so much and you don't even understand what you've done, just being obedient, and how you know. Again, I tell them look ain't the numbers. If a, if one soul calls in, then we pray for that one soul like nobody's business, because there's going to be days when we're the ones calling in. Let's just be honest. There's going to be days when we're going to be the ones tapping and saying, oh no, I need to tap in. Carol, we thank you for saying the complete yes, even though your physical might be like, oh no, your heart was already at yes. Sharon, thank you for leading.
Speaker 4:You're welcome, Carol. Tell them what you and Tracy said whenever shelly asked you something yes oh wait, about being in the background no, no, when you said you just can't help but say yes to shelly whatever.
Speaker 8:Oh yeah, care to say no, like I trust, I trust that she's hearing from God. So when she says this, I'm like okay, yeah, and it wasn't until we did that first meeting on zoom and I was like hold up, wait, this is a phone line, like I thought this was something. I could just be in the background just kind of saying you know, ladies, this is this, is it? And then I was like, oh, my word, like well well, miss Carol, you were doing it anyway.
Speaker 5:That's the part that's funny to me. Like you were doing it anyway. You know you were praying for people doing all this stuff and and you were praying for people doing all this stuff and you asking God what's?
Speaker 2:my next and he always confirmed it right. So he confirmed your prayer, which I wouldn't have known right Because I don't know. So he confirmed, he answered your prayer through this vehicle, which is why I shared it, and I was like, what do you think? I'm just being obedient, you're coming on this great train and that's that, that's it. But we're going to bless a lot of people and, like I said, it doesn't matter the numbers, it's just we have to do. There are spiritual things attached to our obedience right that we don't see in the natural. But already the work that he's done in your hearts, sharon and Carol, to serve. Already the work that he's done in your hearts, sharon and Carol, to serve, already the work that he's done with you has already shifted so many things and, my God, I'm so amazed at where we're going. So we're just going to do it. We're going to do it until he tells us not to and until we're no longer here and Carolyn, those calls are twice a day, 1 o'clock and 7 pm.
Speaker 2:In. Those calls are twice a day, one o'clock and 7pm. And I encourage you, while you're you know, while you're you know, retired or widowed or if you're anything, you can still call that number and we'd love to have you join us on those calls and if you could help us also get the information out, because we really want to get this out to help as many people as possible boys, girls, men, women, whatever. You don't know who's gonna need you know that that tap in for prayer and it's only 30 minutes and obviously it's confidential. It's on a phone, so we're not seeing anybody or anything like that.
Speaker 2:So, um, goodbye, audrey, she's moving her son out of the dorm. Goodbye, all right, all right. So I think we have, uh, we have everybody. I want to make sure just one do last, one, last round, to make sure that, um, anything that you wanted to share was shared. And then, makisha, I'm going to ask you if you could close us out in prayer and then we go do whatever we got to do. I got to work on some things for that school thing and come back to y'all with with the great news we have so many, we have so much good stuff coming y'all. So I'm going to be working on that this afternoon. So, did we miss anybody? Anybody else who wanted to share anything else before Makisha?
Speaker 3:I just wanted to share one more thing. I'm about to go to Walmart and buy me some Uno cards.
Speaker 5:Yes, go do it, Carmen, me some uno cards. Yes, go do it, carmen. Go do it in practice, because we will be visiting this again.
Speaker 8:Go ahead go ahead, carol oh okay, um, I just want to say to terry um, when you were sharing your story about your family and it's just your family, it just reminds me of the military families. And I have a friend that wrote a book that's called Moms in the Military and her name is Patricia Kyeen and her book talks to different women and their journeys in the military and how their families were away from families but how they made connections. But but you've already said that like you've made connections. But I think that'll be a great book for you to read because it's uplifting for people like me. Like my family is not here. My son has never been around for a long time. His cousins we know them from a distance. We go home we're 15 hours away from Georgia so he only gets to see them like twice a year. But you make families where you are, and so it's a beautiful book about the connections people make with other military families and how that becomes their family. Thank you so much. I bless you.
Speaker 4:Makisha, as we prepare to close, my goddaughter lost her mom on yesterday evening and she's not. She's an adult, married, um, but she's not handling it well. She's a woman of God, uh, loves the Lord, and so, um, I know I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, and I know I will be, you know, continuing to minister to her. But, um, I also look at her mom. Her mom was a beautiful soul and, um, it's like, oh my god, now I have to step in those shoes, and so, I just ask for prayer, not only for Brianna, but for myself as well, please thank you.
Speaker 6:Thank you.
Speaker 5:Okay, all right, michelle, you got anything else, you good?
Speaker 2:Sam, we're over to you.
Speaker 5:All right, father. God, we just thank you for this amazing day. Lord, we thank you for allowing us to come together in your presence. Lord, you said, where two or three are gathered in your name, that you are in the midst. So, father, we just thank you for taking the moment and opportunity, you looking over this world and you come in your present. Rest on us, lord. We just thank you, lord, for just loving us and touching our hearts and to connect with people, women across the globe or world. Lord, we just thank you for allowing people and women for us to be able to connect to God. We trust you that you are going to continue to touch each and every one of our hearts, god, as we go into the day of Saturday, father, god, we just ask that you send your ministry angels. We thank them for going ahead of us and clearing our path for today, lord, that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Lord, that this day will be productive and that you will get the glory. Continue to get the glory in this day, lord. We lift up all of our concerns to you, lord, for we know that you said we can cast our cares on you because you would take care of them. So, father, we lay our anxiety, our anxiousness, all the things that we're worried about, father, at your feet. Father God, we thank you that we know that you're going to look after each and every one of our concerns and they're going to be taken care of, father God. So, lord, we just thank you for Brianna, father God, she just lost her mother. Lord, it's a lot of loss, god, but we know, lord, that you will never leave us, never forsake us, even in the moment of loss, father God. So, father, we ask that you, right now, wrap your loving arms around the family, right now, who's lost their loved ones, lord, who needs a touch from you, father God, send people around them to just listen or just be there. They're helpers, father God, they're family members. So send people there, so we'll just be there and minister to them, and your angels, the Holy Spirit, wrap your arms around them. The lost Brianda.
Speaker 5:Father God, we pray for Ms Sharon as she steps into this new role. Father God, we ask that you continue to give your giant strength to be who you have called her to be in this role. Father God, we ask that you continue to give your giant strength to be who you have called her to be in this role, Father, god, we just thank you, father, for we know we can't do any of this stuff without you, lord, and we thank you for trusting us with you, lord, god, trusting us with allowing us to partner with you, father, we just thank you, father, god, lord, we just look to the hills, lord, which cometh our help, for and all our help comes from you, lord. So, lord, when we go into the workplace, we go to the gym, wherever we step our feet, to Lord, we want to be ambassador of Christ, lord, we want to be the light, lord God, we want to be the salt of the earth, lord God.
Speaker 5:So, as we plug into these connections, lord God, as we plug into the source which is you, father God, that we resonate the source and the energy that you plug into us, that we may be who you have called us to be in these areas of our lives, as a mother, as a wife, as a friend, as an aunt, as an uncle, whoever the role that we have, lord, we just want to resonate your light, lord God, that they may see you, lord, that they not see Makisha, that they not see Shelly, that they see you in your heart, father, god, lord, we just want to continue to thank you for your blessings, your many blessings, because you don't have to do it, god.
Speaker 5:You have done all you said. You have died on the cross for us. You have rose again, god. You don't have to do any of these things for us, god, but we want to say thank you, lord. We just want to thank you for all the things that you're doing and you're going to continue to do for each and every one of our lives. Lord, we want to continue to be a blessing. We want to continue to be that light and the salt around us on our jobs, everywhere we set our feet. Father God, we want you to be elevated and lifted high and you get the glory and your precious son Jesus name. We pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Amen, amen, amen. That's how you start a Saturday, because now I feel like I can start the day. Yeah, this was so good, thank you so much for waking up with us this morning and giving us your time, I know we went over, but, like I said, I didn't. I'm not a fan of cutting off testimonies. I believe you're not supposed to swallow it. So I thank you all for being honest and vulnerable and, miss Carolyn, thank you for adopting my daughter as your.
Speaker 7:Terry, I'm with you. I'm not an early and. Miss Carolyn, thank you for adopting my daughter as your own, terry, I'm with you. I'm not an early riser either. While that song was going on, I was running in there brushing my hair.
Speaker 5:Give Kevin my love. I will. I cannot wait to tell him that I saw you and we had an opportunity to connect. We just continue to pray. Many blessings for each and every one of you guys. Your day, just just go and as you do, your event, me sharing. The light shows up and you just do what. You, the giant, see. This is what, and this is what I was going to say when Miss Carolyn was, miss Carol was talking.
Speaker 5:You are another silent giant too. Yes, you, you don't. You, your heart is so um, so on, god, that you don't, you don't want any of the attention, but you, you're such a giant in this thing, you're such a giant in this place. He's like, no, such a giant in his face, miss terry's uh, his face, miss Terry, and Terry too. I saw you too, miss Terry. You're a giant and you're quiet. You have that quiet, gentle spirit. When I met you, I had to come see you. I was like this lady's taking a plane to Georgia. Bruh, you need to get up and put some clothes on and go see her, right, you know? So it's just an honor to even serve with you guys. God is so good.
Speaker 2:I'm done talking.
Speaker 5:I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:I'm going to stop the recording here. Just give me one second.