The Hope Hotline - The Hope Hotline | S01-54 | 07-21-23

Episode Date: July 25, 2023

Pastor Clover visits from The River Church of Fort Myers

Real Talk Hello everyone, welcome to the Hope Hotline. It is Friday. Thank you, Jesus. God is good. Because I'm ready. Now, some of you guys thought my special guest was my husband. And some of you might be disappointed. But I brought somebody better. Well, okay, since it's my husband, I can't say it's better. But it's equal. Because I love you. I love you too. Yes.

Okay, this is my girlfriend, Pastor Clover. She is from the River Church, Fort Myers. Hello, everybody. I brought her on here because she is a great testimony, and I think she is going to give you some great insight on things that she's not going to preach to you. Okay. Although she can preach, but a lot of times what helps us in life is hearing where someone else has been and going, okay, that person's no different than me. So if God will do it for them, he'll do it for me. Um, or, you know, for me, faith always increases when I hear somebody else's faith, right?

Same here. So stories are very important. Testimonies, God has given us testimonies for us when we're in the testing period. Yes. The testimony comes through, and we can actually use that to benefit someone else, or someone else's testimony will benefit us. And I'm just telling you, I mean, she's from, I grew up, I'm from, I'm from Florida. I was from here, actually, born in Sarasota.

But we're, we're close. We're close kin because her stomping grounds was my stomping grounds. Yes. Which is much alike. Yes. Which is very much alike. Yes. Which is pretty dang funny. So not that, I mean, our lives are different. But in some ways, you are very wiser at a very young age than myself.

And we've just gotten to the same place at the same time. But you're just a little smarter in some of the things you did. You weren't as wild as me. But still got to the same time but you were just a little smarter in some of the things you did you weren't as wild as me but still got to the same place I think I was wild but just in a short amount of time yeah but I think I stopped at an earlier age I stopped at 24 I stopped at 21 yeah well and I think yours was way shorter than mine but yeah it was yeah thank god now can you hear her or does she need to get closer? No, she sounds amazing. Perfect. Now, the great thing is, is I want to tell you this, which she has it. But at the end of it, I'm going to share with you.

She's going to be starting her own podcast. So she's here learning. Yes. That's what I wanted to do. Yeah, for our newbie. So when she said, hey, can I come and watch your podcast? I said, why don't you be on it? Because I love her story. I personally love her story. So I thought you might, you guys might get

some benefit from it as well, because it's blessed me, but first, before we get into it, hit it with the save the date. Tracy, now. Perfect. Oh my my gosh. That never happens for me. Oh, my gosh. That was perfect timing. Okay, so save the date. August 24th through the 26th, Ladies Conference. And you're coming for Friday night, right? I'm coming Friday and Saturday morning.

Come on now. All righty, girl. Friday night, yes. Yeah, Friday night. So I guess it's on the website, so I might as well tell. I'm speaking on Thursday night. Magalas is speaking on Friday morning. Pastor Dulles is speaking on Friday night. And then Saturday is a big surprise.

But put it on your calendars. I think there's over 100 people now registered. Wow. So keep her coming because I have a goal in mind. We are bringing some ladies. Are you really? Oh, yes, ma'am. Hi, diggity.

Come on now. How to support the sis. I have a number. Okay. Yeah. And if I don't meet it, I will kill everyone. You'll meet it. Foundation Church will no longer exist.

Ladies love conferences. So I believe you'll have a big time. We do. We love food. Food and just visiting. Seeing people and fellowshipping. Dressing up. Dressing up.

That's right, Logan. Looking fabulous. Looking fly. Logan will be a little bit bigger. It's so funny because Tommy's fight last night which he lost everybody for the record this mama ain't happy but life's that's the way it goes sometimes you gotta lose some to win some and you gotta learn from them so um so Tommy lost not good but Logan looked great last night. Logan was worried.

Turn it on. Turn on Logan really quick. I go over my time, Pastor Clover. I'm fine. I'm good. I don't have anywhere to be. Perfect. So Logan was worried that she'd look like fat and she wouldn't look like she's, not that being fat's negative, because I am losing weight from being Chunky Monkey, but in this case us on the

less us that have a weight problem right Tracy yeah uh-huh we're working on it yeah I'm a chunky monkey I'm working on it now Logan does not Logan's worked out for forever skinny but now she's like when I was skinny and I got pregnant with tommy i look like a beach whale i'm not kidding you i look like a beach whale i was the most swollen fat-faced individual you've ever seen in your life my nose spread everything spread your nose spread oh yes it did girl it was not it was your nose oh it was is so big. Oh, it was. Water was retaining in my nose. What?

Do you remember how you greeted me? Oh, are you going to come over here and tell everybody? No, Sarah is at the door. Oh. Okay, so Logan's walking away from the microphone. So I can't remember, but basically she was in a cute little dress. And I might have said, hey, fat mama or something like that. I don't know.

Are you fat or something? Get over here so you can say how I greeted you. Sarah can hold that door open. She's not an invalid. Okay. Okay. How did I greet you? Hi, Sarah.

I think you were like, hey, fat girl. Okay. That's what I thought. I think I said, hey, fat girl. Okay, that's what I thought. I think I said, hey, fat mama. All I heard was fat. It was immediately triggered. I don't know why. I don't know why that bothered you.

But here's the thing. She was trying to find an outfit because, I mean, Chris is hot. Okay, so she doesn't want to know. This is how I felt because Tom is hot. So I used to feel bad. I'm like, everybody's probably thinking, this poor guy. He's so good looking with this ugly, obese child. But until you start looking pregnant, you think everybody's going, pity date, pity marriage. What year was this?

Oh, when I was, that I was disgusting? No, the year. Oh, my God. 97. 1997. So they didn't have cute clothes at that time. Oh, no. Like, her dress, adorable last night.

And you actually could tell she was pregnant. I just called her fat mama because I got joy out of it. And you actually could tell she was pregnant. I just called her fat mama because I got joy out of it. But you could actually tell she was pregnant. Could you not, Tracy? Yeah. Yeah, she totally looked pregnant. I, on the other hand, did not. And until the maternity closed.

But it took me like six months. And I look like I drank a lot of beer. But that I was not pregnant I thought I look like I have like a beer belly and I only know that because I did have a beer belly once because I drank so much it ain't good it ain't pretty I need to see this oh it was not even Tom was like girl I know I Oh, no. Girl. I know. I was like, I don't know what to tell you. Can you put some makeup on?

Maybe do this. Makeup did not help. It didn't help? No, girl. But you're beautiful. I don't believe it. I was not. But I appreciate that.

Of course you are. I don't think you actually look bad, personally. But in my opinion. Crazy. You're crazy. No. And she also needs glasses in a mighty, mighty way. If you saw me back there.

Hold on. Now, like now is different. I can't really see it. I'm not telling you. Now it's different. But then it was a sight. Now that we lost all the men viewers. No, they're still here.

They're still here. Okay. Listen, when I tell you this, I say like, I have a lot of ladies that watch, but I also have a lot of men who watch. And there are so many men out there, especially the ones that come to this church. They're very strong. And God is,

I think he's birthing some amazing things in you to make you not only be the priest of your home that he's called you to be, and he's taking you to new levels in that aspect of ministry in your home. But I think God is also making you, in your mind, you're starting to think things about what would God have me to do? Where is ministry for me? And it may not be preaching the gospel. It may be leading a Bible study. Maybe it's just one-on-one ministry with different people. It might be in your workplace or it might be in your own business that you own. Whatever the case may be, I think she's going to be able to help you just because she's a girl doesn't mean that her story can't radically change because it's her story along with her husband's, but also yours.

So, first of all, you and your husband, Pastor River Fort Myers. Now, you started out at the river under Pastor Rodney. Correct. But where did you come from? Tell everybody where you grew up, what your life looked like. And listen, I know we do details. Yeah. And I'm going to, I don't really care if we go over.

But my main focus is where you're at now. So you can take as long as you want. But I want to get to the crux of where God has you guys now. Because that's really where most people need to get. Go ahead. Well, first of all, thank you for having me. Of course. It is definitely an honor and a privilege to be here.

I love you, girl. You're my friend, and I love you so much. So I don't take it for granted, so thank you. Well, when we first, I'll say, you know, we moved to Tampa in 2008. No, sorry. We got married in 2008. And then we felt the call to ministry. And, of course, we were linked up with Pastor Eric Mears, who is from Maryland.

His father has the church, Bishop Mears. And he knew of Pastor Rodney. He always talked about him. So and he knew of Pastor Rodney. He always talked about him. So he introduced us to Pastor Rodney. And so we began to watch his tapes and we began to watch all his ministry. And we just felt that pull, you know, for ministry. So in 2009, we were only a year married. We literally left everything.

We quit our jobs and we secured a hotel not a hotel but an apartment. Yeah. And but that's all. We didn't secure a job necessarily. My husband was in real estate so he you know what kind of sustained us for a little bit is he had some money that came in from. Oh yeah from the real estate. Yeah. So it came a little bit, maybe like a week or two after we left. Now, where did you leave from? We left from Maryland. Maryland. Yes, Annapolis, Maryland.

That's where we lived where you're. Yes. Come on now. Merlin. You have to say Merlin. Yes, right. You know, Merlin. Anyway, so we literally came, started Bible school in 2009.

I actually had a desire to just work for the church. I didn't want to be in ministry. Oh, so you wanted to be like a staff member and not pastor. I just wanted to be a staff, correct. I just wanted to be a staff member. We knew that we were called to ministry, but I wasn't necessarily thinking pastor, evangelist, or any of that. I kind of was leaning more towards evangelism just because I had a deep,

you know, cry for souls. And I just love seeing people get saved. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You know, that's kind of where it all, like, started from. It's seeing Pastor Rodney go, you know, around the world was like, yes, that would be great, you know. But I necessarily didn't want to preach.

I didn't want to do any of that. I just wanted to get the education and just, you know, kind of go from there. So we left. We started in 2009. We were believing God for jobs, and we were working these little odd jobs. And so about six months later, it was right before, you know, I was almost about to give up because the money was funny. Okay. It was acting a bit funny.

And, you know, you're living by faith and literally you think you know how to live by faith, but you don't actually know how to live by faith until you actually live by faith. That's right. So, you know, we didn't realize how dependent we were on our jobs, you know, for. That he was not your provider. Correct. Yes. Correct.

And so we were, you know, our car got repo, you know what I'm saying, stuff like that. Just, it is what it is. You know, you were just happy, you know, if somebody gave you a gift card for $25. Okay, I'm just going to be real with you. You were just excited about that. And so when we, you know, I was at a breaking point and I was like, did we miss it? Like seriously, because nothing was happening. This was six months. It was almost to my six months mark of starting school. Now here's the deal. I wasn't like getting any type of full-time work. So I said within myself,

you know what, I'm going to start volunteering with the helps department the helps ministry I said she seems like she's really having you know a tough time I want to you know maybe I can just volunteer because I actually volunteered I knew about all the helps I was actually a part of like every department at one point I probably only maybe didn't do like two or three but I knew all of them photography not photography but media productions all that so when I said that in my heart and then I went to Pastor Kate and I was like I don't know we might have missed it so she prayed with me and then soon after that the director for MOH said she was leaving and she thought of me and thought I'd

be the perfect perfect person for the job. Now, when you did helps, you volunteered. Did you look at that as like a seed to get a new job? No. No? No, no, no, no. That's not interesting. I genuinely wanted to know how the ministry operated.

I just genuinely personally like to help. So I'm just like one of those people, I want to learn new things, and I don't want to be restricted to just one thing. So I wanted to learn a lot. So that's why I was in a lot. And then, you know, I helped hospitality. I ushered. I watched the kids.

You know, I greeted. That's what Tom and I always say. Like if you want to, people always want to start at the top, and they never want to do, they don't want to do the dirty work. That's not how it works. They started me in the cafe, and I'm going to just be real with you. My sister don't like to cook, and I'm not about food, none of that. And that was at the time when they were actually cooking food in the cafe.

And I was just like, how are we going to work this out? Because I'm not a cook. I don't like being in the kitchen. Beans and franks, that's what I got to say. I had to check my attitude on it, though. I'm not going to lie, because I was, like cook. I don't like being in the kitchen. Beans and Franks. That's what I got to say. I had to check my attitude on it, though. I'm not going to lie, because I was, like, mad about it. I've talked to other people who got jobs there, and they were like, I don't want that job.

Yeah, I was just like, okay. But they did it. No, no, honestly, I checked my heart. Yeah, that's what they had to do. And I got it together, and I said, you know what? My husband actually liked to cook, so I worked a register and he cooked and so we made it like it was like you know our business in a sense oh yeah you kind of just get creative with your thoughts about this thing like okay Laura well I'll just make it into like if it was my business and you know and one thing I was just always I'm just

always about like although this was not necessarily I wasn't a pastor to church or I wasn't like on staff or anything but I always made sure that I was respectable to the church I honored the pastors and I um you know if I said I was going to do something I did it yeah follow through is huge follow through maybe that's why they called me and asked me because I was probably one of the biggest helpers. That's what people don't understand. I'm going to just say this. If you don't attend this church or you do attend this church, if you don't think people are watching, they're watching.

Because if it isn't me or Tom, it's other people that are on staff or other people that hold leadership positions. That's how people are um elevated in the church it's based on he who is faithful the little will be faithful with much exactly right and that is what will promote you um i say this um like the rule is no coffee in the in the sanctuary even though we have concrete for floor and i've literally had people say well my my wife is gonna sneak it in and i go well your wife won't ever move up in this church then you don't write on envelopes because that's money that's the church's money right you don't just write on it to take your notes and and discard it somewhere else people i know it's it people leave their trash in the sanctuary i know

this because guess who gets to help her daughter pick i mean my daughter has to clean this place with some other people but how you what you do things should be done in excellence and this is jesus's house you know this is god's house so we should take care of it you don't leave your drinks at the bottom you don't bring in anything other than water and if you can't do that god knows that you won't be promoted and you wonder why you don't go anywhere it's because you don't honor how you don't submit to the authority that you've been put under and yet you want to be put in a position well you reap what you sow why in the world would

we put you in a position where no one will submit to your authority because you've never submitted to somebody else we're not doing that because that would be stupid on our part but somebody in a position that no one's submit to your authority because you've never submitted to somebody else. We're not doing that because that would be stupid on our part to put somebody in a position that no one's going to listen to them. Hello. No, it's true. People don't think about that stuff, though. They don't. But that's super important.

You have to honor and be respectful. And even if you don't like what you're doing. Yep, even if you don't. You just change your heart. You check your heart. You get it together. You repent, turn around, and just, you know, get with the program, basically. You know, I think what it is is, you know, I got hired,

and it was basically like if you want the job, it's yours type situation. So I didn't even really have to kind of work for it. Then six months, I think six months later, my husband got hired. So I was director of HELPS. He was direct security manager. And so, which was interesting because at the time they said they didn't hire students. So I still put my resume in anyway. Yeah, because you might as well. What's the worst you can hear is no. You know. Who cares about no. Right. So, you know, this is the thing. I had a desire to be a part of that ministry because I believed in that ministry. And I, you know, I believe in what they were doing.

And so, therefore, you know, when the Lord did that, it was like, wow, Lord, you know, look at what you're doing. And it was the hardest job I've ever had in my entire life. Well, you know what? I will say this. She and I just went to lunch. In my entire life. Yeah. Listen, I can tell.

I mean, I can tell that it helped you because maybe I need to be over helps. Because we went out to lunch. What was it, last Saturday? Friday. Friday? No, was it Saturday? It was Saturday it was Saturday yeah okay so the waitress not nice actually quite rude quite rude you were so nice I looked at her and I go oh my gosh I I have to learn because seriously like I mean I am a nice person, but I'll only go but so far.

And then I'm like, listen, even though you're being rude, I'm being nice, so let's check the attitude. Now, you weren't like that at all. Because that's what I would say in a nice way, but I'd say that exact thing, like right there. I wouldn't change my wording. I'd just say it nicer. But at the same time, that's not, like, you were so nice. So maybe I need to be a director of house because that helps. Well, I realize there's more than what we're seeing because obviously I don't care. There's something internal going on. I don't care what more there is. Check the attitude. Well,

you know, that's how I feel. I have, but I gotta be better with so many different types of personality in all these years. And I've just learned how feel. But I got to be better. I have dealt with so many different types of personality. Same here, girl. In all these years. And I've just learned how to navigate through it. I need to learn that. I just don't give into it. I don't really care. Like, what's really going on, sis?

And that's what she did. She said, is there something going on here? Because we're not in any rush. We'll help you. I'm like, hmm. Yeah. I mean, obviously, I want to help everybody. So being in the helps was definitely more challenging.

But I can honestly say that the challenges actually molded me. It did more for me than I think ever, because I learned a lot about myself and I learned a lot about my my attitude you know it takes time as long as people don't throw hands like I can deal with you like you start throwing hands and I might throw them back you know what I mean I mean that's the reality of it is my reflexes are just kind of like that but I mean I'm not intentionally trying to go there so obviously I'm going to try to make peace as much as possible but moving forward you know we of course worked there um you know for quite some time and then this is funny because we were set to graduate our second year and you know at that time you can pick whether you want

to do internship or not and of course we had worked there you're kind of done with internship I worked here I didn't see I didn't necessarily see a need for it because I had worked it so in a sense in my heart I'm like we're we're leaving because even though I had settled everything, I was quite done with the people in a sense. Because people are just our people, you know? And so I was kind of ready to just leave and just travel.

And we were thinking maybe I'll go back into HR and then we'll travel here and there and preach. So I kind of was leaning on evangelism. And then the Holy Spirit starts telling me I'm going to be a pastor. And I literally rebuked the thought for a whole month. And the reason why I did is because a couple before us, I think that was in March, they were offered a junior pastor position, and we were close, and then after that, everybody started coming up to us and you're next,

and I was looking at them like, no, because I'm not coveting somebody else's position. I don't want to be a pastor just because they're a pastor, and I didn't want to be a pastor. I mean, that was just the reality of it. I didn't want to be a pastor. I didn't want to deal anymore with the people, you know, all those things. It is. It's tough. It is. It was very challenging. And so, you know, that was kind of where we were.

So we were, you know, basically I had turned in my resignation, and people, they never acknowledged it. That's something. The first time I did it, you know, one of the pastors came and prayed with me, and he said, well, are you, you know, go ahead. And then sent me back to my desk. So, you know. Like, you're not leaving.

Like, girl, get it together, you know. But the Lord was working on me. You know, there was some things that had to be worked out in me. So when the Holy Spirit started telling me we were going to be pastors, I was rebuking it, rebuking it, rebuking it. But it got so heavy that I started to think, this real so what do you think would have happened if because there's people that I would say the Lord's told them something to do why do you think it is that you didn't want to do it is it

because of the people is it is that mainly the reason why or is it I didn't want the responsibility I didn't want the responsibility I was great with helping you responsibility. I was great with helping you in the background. Let me be number two in a sense. Let me help you push your vision forward. There's no real responsibility there. I don't really have to totally deal with the people. That's why we wanted to be evangelists. Yeah, because you go in and you go out.

So there was a lot of, I think, just things on the inside of me that I had to work out because, you know. And two, I didn't necessarily see myself as a preacher or a teacher or, you know, or I like to counsel people. That was probably about the furthest thing I would say in ministry. So, you know, the Lord was really dealing with me I mean he was in my heart I mean like to the point where it was our anniversary and I'm in second hour of class and I hope people are don't take this wrong but I'm in second hour of class and literally like my head is like about to explode because the Holy Spirit is telling me you're going to be a pastor. And I finally said to him, this is in my head, all in my head, but I'm speaking to the Holy Spirit.

Okay, if this is your will, let it be. I released my will. If this is your will, fine, right? This is second hour. So it's my anniversary too. So we are about to go class over, because I'm not paying any attention to the class because I'm literally doing all this in my head. Yeah.

So about to go into third hour. And guess what? Pastor Rodney makes a surprise visit. And literally, all I told my husband was this, because I never told him I was dealing with it because you don't want to speak it. Right. Because then you give life to it. So I never spoke it. I never spoke it. That's what people, words mean something. I never spoke it, because I was, but the only thing I told him, I said, I think we're in transition. That's all I said. This was second hour.

So we leave, go to third hour. We're sitting in the hallway, and I asked him, can I go to TJ Maxx and skip class? Because I needed to clear my head. You know, it's our anniversary. Can I just, like, get something from TJ Maxx? And he was like, okay. And then I saw Pastor Rodney. I was like, okay, no, I'm not going anywhere.

Yeah, you ain't going nowhere if that man's coming in. He's coming in class to speak. And so I see him, and he's coming, but he's coming towards us. And literally he comes right to us and says, hey, guys, how you doing? We're like, good. And he's like, you know, the Lord's been putting my heart to make you junior pastors literally like in the next hour and that's how it works and people will think like if god's put something on your heart and then there is a sign like that that's not coincidence but a lot of people will reject it because of fear correct you cannot

think that was the root of it was fear. If you think that was the root of it, it was fear. Yeah, because you were afraid of responsibility. Yes. And also the people dealing with the issues. I just didn't want to deal with the people anymore. I just think so many times people, and the one thing I love is because one thing that I do love about your story is that the being faithful with a little takes you to faithful as much.

And I just I'm just telling you, I we're in a time and we're in a season where people have churches out there that people have got to rise up that are not weak and they have to be bold and get courageous to do something that is in, that is not in themselves. Yes. Because in your own mind, it's impossible. I sit there and I say, like, could you, I mean, I can't have pictured that we'd be where we're at, but God did because our steps are ordered. But what it did is it took Tom and I saying, okay, this scares us, but we know you called us to it, so we're going to have the courage to do it, and we're going to step out. And I want people, if we're going to change this world and if we're going to change

where we're at, then people are going to have to rise up, rise. Their spirits are going to have to take a new step. Doing the same old, same old is not acceptable anymore. We are not, we can't live like that. No. And I think God is looking for also humble hearts. You know, the fact that I probably didn't want the position. Yeah. Instead of craving it, instead of craving it, instead of having the ulterior motive of trying to get a position, you know, which was funny because I didn't know Pastor Rodney actually really knew us like that. I mean, of course, we're on staff, but, but you know we didn't really have close interactions with them of course in service but you know like we saw you on the worship team still at that time though because wait a minute nope no one knew I knew I can sing for two years

for the for a while because then you would have been at least in his space. That's why I say. Correct. So no. And when we, because of our jobs, we were, we literally were working during service a lot of time. So when we actually sat down, we were like in the back. Yeah. Chilling because we were like tired and we were just like, okay, now we can receive. Now you can soak it in. But my husband could never because he was on security. So he was always kind of like walking around of course we know pastor rodney knows everything obviously yeah but we just didn't have those close encounters so when you look at the couple that he chose before us i could see that she was in hospitality he was his armor bearer that made sense to me yeah for us that didn't make sense so I knew it was the Lord like I knew like that's Jesus

because you know obviously we had other plans we were literally like oh we're gonna go to Brazil because we got an invitation to go to Brazil we were trying to do some other things you know and the Lord was like nope you know this is what I've had you got to be obedient yep that's the thing but the humble part because there's so many people that think oh i'm just i'm just the one for the job if he if you use me you're lucky lord right it's like yeah nah you're the least yeah that god needs i mean even till this day i rely totally on the holy spirit yeah because i don't want to do anything in my flesh i don't want to do anything of my own self so i'm always like holy spirit i need your help when he, you are, when you are weak, he is strong, but it's

the other way too. Yeah. And I, I, um, so, you know, that happened. And then of course, um, moving forward, we served there, um, for nine years. And then when it was time, how long did you actually serve? Nine years. Nine years. Oh. So it didn't happen overnight for you? So you were saved and you started serving in ministry? And we were older. And it didn't happen within the year? Are you kidding me? Nine years.

We were older. Wow. We had to start off from scratch at the age of 31 or whatever age we were. I kid you not. I get so tired. Tired of people who get saved and within two years time frame feel like they should be doing something they have no ability to do. And how dare God make them wait. Right.

It drives me crazy. I learned so much. I learned so much. Like hands down, like the nine nine the full nine years we needed the full nine years everybody needs it any sooner it was it was perfect how it was God knew it and you know and honestly I'm gonna tell you this I never wanted to leave I know I never wanted to leave I know I that's one of the things it's comfortable cozy safe you're not totally responsible to even though you're a pastor but you're not like the lead pastor so that whole next step that's I mean another level of faith it, especially since there's security in staying financially on so many levels, not being the one.

And although the river sends you out, they don't. Listen, they send you out good. I'm not saying that they don't. But what I'm saying is they don't send you out where you're not going to still have to walk by faith. So that you, they will send you out, but you better know that you know that God, because they're not paying your way. They're not footing the bill. No, they're not. They're not.

And, you know, but that's a blessing, actually. That's the way it's supposed to be. It's such a blessing because if we would have had that, you know, our faith would have been stunted. You know, we would, you you know you kind of have that cushion and so you know you know thank god god is so intricate in how he does it we had actually bought a house two years prior and so when you know when the lord was dealing with us about leaving and starting the church which was of course another level for me yeah because my husband had

kept he brought it up to me like a while before. And I said, absolutely not. I don't want to start a church. What's in Fort Myers? We don't even know nobody there. You knew that's the crazy thing. Like what? Knew no one. Knew nobody. Nobody. God told them to go to Fort Myers. And this is, I'm just telling you, it's, it's a bigger thing. It, it's bigger than people know what God wants to do with them. I would have never imagined. No, but I'm just telling you, it might not be anybody watching this podcast right now,

and it may be a year or two down the road when somebody sees this, and I know it's going to speak to you because it will not make sense. No. It will not make sense, and that's when you're going to have to say, even though this, because it did not make, some things have never made sense to Tom and I when God's told us to do it. Yeah. But we did it anyway.

And he saw us through. And I'm just saying, to go to Fort Myers makes no sense whatsoever when you know not a soul. Well, you know, not a soul. Because it could have been easier for you to go back home. I've never been there. I didn't even vacation there. So what happened was I was just sitting in my room, and I was listening to actually like the service.

I was listening to a service on my phone, and I think I was folding clothes or doing something. And literally the Holy Spirit says, you never even considered it as soon as I heard that voice I knew exactly what he was talking about I knew exactly like hands down I was like I just kind of put my head down like okay and so I began to google Fort Myers I began to find out the demographics I you know because I was like I don't know it's a bunch of old people there like I'm trying to figure out what's going don't know. There's a bunch of old people there. I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Trust me.

There's a bunch of old people there. Is it cultural? Because my desire if I ever had a church would have a church that's very cultural. I don't want just a black church. I don't want just a white church. I want all nationalities. So I was trying to figure out what that realm was.

That's where like if you come like okay i again born in sarasota but from 10 to 24 i lived in the dc area right very multicultural i moved down here and i was like i've moved to whiteysville i literally said that to my mom i'm like i have moved to whiteysville what in the world am i living in my people not that i don't listen listen not that i like i love rednecks yeah i like regular joes i mean but but when you move when you leave a city that a metropolitan city and you move to country no old people no joke like in some ways it's like you know you ain't getting mugged because they can't hold the gun because it'll you know they're too weak but at the same time there's something to be said about leaving something like that and they're

it's very very different it is And this is the thing, though. I mean, I don't know if you agree. When the Lord actually sends you to that place, you get to a point where because it's his will, your heart aligns with it. 100%. And you're totally happy being where he placed you. I don't know. Like, I can't explain it. But every time I've just surrendered my will to his will.

And then as soon as I get there, I'm like excited, like I'm there, and so we started to, I said, well, okay, I told my husband, I said, let's go visit, let's check it out, because I need to get a feel for the place when I get there, I just, even though the Holy Spirit, I still had to, in my little head, had to kind of get, you know, get it together together so when we went here it was so interesting how this happened we visited twice the second time we visited when we left I didn't want to leave don't know why I just didn't want to leave and I felt in my heart like this pull like oh my gosh we're like that's where we we're like, that's where we're supposed to be. That's where we're supposed to be, which, you know, I mean, just months prior, I was totally against it

until the Holy Spirit spoke to me. And I think what it is, is once I know the Holy Spirit's in it, I'm good. Like, if I think it's like just us in our head, or we're trying to come up with something new or saying something like, and I'm not really like totally like thinking like this is the Lord, then I'm not going to move forward. But if I know it's the Lord, I'll jump. I'll just do whatever he tells me to do. And lots of people will not do that. The truth is, is a lot of people will still disregard that because they're saved. But you're saving and stuck.

That's the thing. Well, here's the thing. This is what the disconnect is. The disconnect is they don't really know him. Because if you know him, you'll know that he loves you. And then his plans for you is to what? Prosper. To give you a hope and a future.

So I always took it as if he's telling me to do this, then I'm going to prosper in it. He's with me. He's for me. So I can't fail. Yeah. The only way I'm going to fail is if I don't do it. That's my thing.

And I've told Tom this. I'm like, in the past when God's told us to do different things, I've said to him, if we don't do this, we will be miserable. Oh, yeah. We will be miserable because we know the difference. We know his voice. Yeah. We know him very well.

That's that I think saying that if you don't do something, it does. It does reflect how well you know the father and how well the scriptures that I was just listening to yesterday, it's the scripture about my sheep know my voice. And the thing is, is when you disregard his voice, then you don't know him that well, or, or, you know, or you don't fear him. Correct. Which, which is a whole, a whole nother ballgame. No, which is scary. I am most scared of being out of his will. Oh, I know. I don't ever want to be a place where I'm out of his will. And, you know, that is a scary place for me personally, because ever since I was shot, even though I did crazy things and, you know, live my life, I always had a reference for the Lord.

And I always acknowledged him. And he was also always is very close to my life. I always had a reference for the Lord and I always, um, acknowledged him and he was also always is very close to my heart. So, I mean, I literally was like age 12 laying on my couch home alone and literally like just talking to the Lord, like literally, like I was on like some psychiatry bed. Yeah. I was like, I was on the couch. That's what I was thinking. I was like, I'm on the couch with God. I'm just having it out. I'm just talking to him. And I literally would just talk to him like this is, this was our relationship. So throughout the years I have, you know, I think if I had to write my story, it would be a story of faith because everything that I've done in my life has been a faith walk. Cause your family, even growing up in your family it's not that your family it was

so bad it's not that it's just not like like what i grew up in a faith-based home to the same extent you didn't grow up in the same faith-based home that i did and you still do you know yeah and that's why people can always use their how they grew up as an excuse but i'm like that's a cop-out because there's lots of people no yeah didn't grow up i mean heather's a perfect example she didn't grow up as a believer she didn't grow up in a christian home or even in the most stable environment i mean she was loved don't get me wrong but at at the same token, neither did Travis. You know both of them. Yeah.

Sold out. Yeah. On fire for God, doing things for the Lord in ministry. Because we choose. It's a cop out. Yeah, we choose. You know, you have a choice, obviously. You know, I grew up in church, thank God, you know, because my parents instilled that in me.

But they went through a phase where they were living their life, and they were doing their thing, and they were, you know, so I was home alone, you know, a lot of things like that, and, you know, the Lord kept me through all of it, which, you know, that's amazing, because I'm so grateful, because there was a lot of things that I could have done that I actually didn't do. There was a lot of other things that I could have got into, like I didn't get into drugs, I didn't get into alcohol, you know, things like that. Because I was very headstrong and I didn't want anything to change me. Yeah, I mean, you owned a home in Maryland. I did.

At a very young age. Yeah, I did. Like you got a good head on your shoulders. I was very focused. And when I could get a job, I got a job. Like I was washing hair at like 15. Like I was ready to work. But, you know, those were, you know were just some things that the Lord was just,

it was grooming me to be a leader. As much as I wanted to be in the background. It's true. He always literally pushed me out. But see, naturally I am a leader because I necessarily won't wait for other people. I'll just go and do it and get it done, you know, which also can be a problem because then that can cause me not to be a team player. You know, listen, just so you know, everyone in this room are leaders and not team players. Everybody. Maybe that's why we get along.

Yeah. Listen, but listen to my left business owner, uh, Logan military and cop and then tracy business owner and ministry so look i mean in order yeah that's the mindset yeah i just you know it is what it is but fast forward is so you know we we did um because i know you want to get to now so i know that when we left um you know to start the church in fort myers that was even more leap of faith of course we we sold our home so you know after not initially yeah but a little while later we were able to get that money which helped you help us God knew all that timing when we first left we went to New York now my son was one when we left so go figure that A one-year-old.

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. That sounds miserable. Yeah. And you're thinking, like, okay, like, seriously, Lord? Like, is this the right? Because, you know, you'll look at all the natural things. Like, you know.

How am I going to provide for my baby? Yeah, I just have a one-year-old son. What are we going to do? So we actually left to go to New York to help a river church in New York first for a whole month on our own dime but that's seed planted and that's what people also need is God putting you in a position to plant seed to get you to the next thing and that's another thing that's why people need to examine all these things like it's a series of decisions yeah but the decisions are is this a seed that I'm supposed to plant to get me to the next place and people don't look at ministry or

not even ministry um they don't look at they just think I live day to day I get up in the morning the alarm goes off I go get dressed I get in the shower I go to alarm goes off, I go get dressed, I get in the shower, I go to work, I come home, I do the same routine, which a lot of time involves a little of God. Because by the end of the day, they're tired. So they turn on the TV to veg their mind out, to fall asleep to the TV, to get up, to go back into the bed to wait for the alarm clock to go off. That's not how God designed us, though. I mean, all of us in this room, to a certain extent, have lived that lifestyle, okay?

But that's not how God designed any of us. He has a purpose and a plan for each and every single one of us. And you have to look at each and every opportunity that comes your way and say, Lord, is this to get me to the next place for what you have called me to do? Whether it simply is greeting or ushering, and you've never done it before, and you're going to be like, okay, I'm going to do this. Well, listen, here we are going to start our church. Guess who was the greeter?

Guess who was the usher? Guess who was counting the money? I've been them all, too. Guess who was doing praise and worship? Been it all. I mean, you know what I mean? Like like you just do what you have to do that's right because you've done all the jobs because you were faithful to a little so you know you're faithful as much you can do it all and then we had one family and thank god for those fam that family my gosh blessing upon blessing and then they were just a multitude of talents I mean just a multitude

of talents and they helped us and it was amazing because you know they were just a multitude of talents. I mean, just a multitude of talents. And they helped us. And it was amazing because, you know, they were just, oh, my God. But he does. He sets you up. Yeah. He sets you up. So you go to New York. You do that. You plant your seeds and you come back to Florida.

Yeah. So we came. Yeah. So we had we secured our apartment, left to go to New York, came back a month later, had a couple of services in our living room. Done that before. And started with one family, then started with two for about a couple of weeks. And then the third family came and then we had a fourth family. And this is from not knowing one family in Fort Myers.

So we got hooked up with a lady at our church in Tampa. A lady at our church in Tampa said, my daughters are there. They've been driving down to Tampa for church. I'm pretty sure they're going to want to go closer. So she gave me one of the daughter's numbers and that's how it links. So I called her and say, Hey, we're here. If you would like to, you know, come and see us, or if you want to meet, you know, just because they don't know us. I mean, obviously they came to the river and they probably saw us, you know, of course, cause I'm singing on, you know, just because they don't know us. I mean, obviously they came to the river and they probably saw us, you know, of course, cause I'm singing on, you know, the worship team, but here it is. It's still kind of awkward and new, like, Hey, you want to join us in our living room? Yeah. When you came from Tampa with like thousands of people, I mean, that's, that's different.

That's different. And, and it, you know, you, you're kind of thinking like, man, I'm pulling people away from this amazing church to come in my living room. He don't care. Pastor Ronnie don't care. He's probably like, take them. No, no, no, no. They weren't necessarily solid members. They weren't members. They weren't members.

So they were just kind of like whenever they could, they came. So they weren't necessarily like a member because we of course didn't want to do that but they literally oh wow just they weren't consistent there was a lot of things happening and so they literally that's rough you know so it was good because now they were able to come and be consistent. You know what I mean? So because they weren't consistent and they weren't technically. Because it's a long drive, but that's rough. Which I understand.

You don't want to commit to something that's two hours away if you know you're not going to be there all the time. Truth to that. So, you know, I understood that. But, you know, bless their hearts, you know. So I was very thankful for that family. And, of course course that's kind of how it started in our living room and then you know we had like at least 20 kids in my son's room tearing it up and then I one day I was like I'm gonna do for whatever reason I thought on the bible study I'm gonna do the bible study for the kids. That's why you got to know to stay in your lane. I was in there and man, I was like, I actually like put out like at least three of them. Like, okay, you can, you can leave now. I'm done with you. Cause I was like,

I'm not dealing with you. You know? So it was just like one of those things that was like, okay, this is not working, you know? So for a while. So being a children's pastor is not your calling. No, no, no. And I love kids. I absolutely love kids, but I don't have the tolerance for bad behavior and I'll just put you out. And I do believe as a kids pastor, you need to have that grace and you need to learn how to minister to them, to help them and to cultivate them. So you don't always have to put them out. I did kids ministry. I didn't, you to answer. I did kids ministry. I didn't have a lot of grace. But I didn't put too many. I don't think.

I only put one kid out. I think it was Vanessa's son. Vanessa, you watch her. But she didn't. She didn't. No, yeah, sure. It was. He went to his daddy.

That never happened again um so but really i think that um i didn't have a lot of grace but i have a like uh i have a mean look and an iron fist not that i laid my hands on any of them before but like yeah it is very it's a gift i mean obviously it's a tough yes tough job and because especially today there's very little discipline in the home correct and that's so they come in voice in about an hour or two yeah they come in and they think I'm gonna act like I do at home yeah that ain't happening and that was you know that's the thing you just kind of like you know I need you to pay

attention and if you're not you're gonna leave because I'm you're just kind of like you know i need you to pay attention and if you're not you're going to leave because i'm you're not going to be a distraction because i'm talking to nobody else yeah so nobody else including my son you know i mean he was one at the time but you know what i mean it's different so my son has got you know put out of kid church a couple of times just saying but so i mean obviously a lot of the kids obviously I'm not like against people's kids because my son could be one of them you know what I mean so you know that's why I actually put him in pre-k but so he can kind of learn that structure but um you know we've we've done so many things just to kind of piggyback we've done so many things by faith in our lives and like I always share this story how you know before my son was even conceived,

we literally, I had the baby room set up. Yeah. Like who does that? But you know why I did that? Because January camp meeting of 2017, the Lord put in my heart to start the nursery. And I just said it literally, I'm in service. and I said this in my heart I want to start the nursery and then I just turned to my husband I'm like I'm gonna start the nursery he's like okay and so this is literally like in the middle of service just between me and my husband this was probably like a third Wednesday or Thursday two days later couple, we do not know. They know us. Obviously, they watch at the River Tampa. They come at the service, and they say, hey, we'd like to meet with you.

Now, I just got prayed for. I'm on the floor, so I'm trying to figure out. You're always on the floor. Oh, my gosh. She's like one of Tom's favorites. True facts. Oh, my gosh. He's like, okay, here comes the show.

Here's the show. Like Like she's fun to watch. I'm an easy target for the joy. Cause I'm naturally, you're like Heather. I'm naturally joyful. So I naturally laugh at everything naturally. So just imagine spirit, you know, I have seen it. I'm like, just, she's gone. I'm off. I'm out. Down for the count. Basically. So we literally was like on the floor. You know, we got prayed for and we were on the floor.

And, you know, so I've had many people come up to me and want to say stuff. And, you know. You have to be so careful with that. I don't know what they're saying. Or they hand me a note, a prophecy that doesn't make sense. I've thrown so many of those things away. Stuff like that. You You out of your mind. So I literally was like, okay, what is this? What do they want? And the Lord was like, I want you to talk to them. And I was like, okay. I said,

okay, just give us a minute because I had to get myself together. And I met him outside because it was a lot of people talking at the end of service. They met us outside and she's like I WAS TALKING AT THE END OF SERVICE. THEY MET US ASIDE AND SHE'S LIKE SHAKING WITH THIS ENVELOPE AND SHE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE WATCHING, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE THE OTHER DAY AND IT OPENED MY HEART TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING. SO WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THIS AND THE LORD TOLD ME IT'S FOR YOUR NURSERY AND IT'S JUST FOR YOUR NURSERY. AND I WAS LIKE... I LOVE THAT STORY. WHAT? THAT'S HOW GOD love that story. That's how God is, man. People just don't.

I just, I love, I love, I love that story, but I love how it just shows how God just cares about the little things. He does. He just, it's the little things that people don't think are significant to him. They are so significant, so significant. And and just he hears your heart like he knows he hears you um you know it's so special it really is and he'll give you the desire of your heart you know you just have to trust him and so like we've done i've done stuff you know and so here you are like because i knew specifically this was like again i don't do anything unless i know it's the so that's why i did start the nursery because I knew obviously if he's gonna bring this check for me to start the nursery you're having a baby

I better go ahead and just start and of course Isaac was born uh December of the same year so here we have it and I told the Lord I want a Christmas baby so there you have it oh and so there we go I love that now here's the thing, because we have like five minutes left. It goes fast. Yes. So this is the profound thing. How long have you had your church in Fort Myers? Four years.

Four years. You're about to go to two services. Correct. Like me and Tom would have killed for these numbers. Yeah. And we knew people in town because we'd started our church in town. Yeah. So we didn't go to a place where nobody knew us.

Yeah. Okay. Which is crazy, crazy cool. Thank you for putting that up. If you live in that area or whatever, please support them. It's huge um but um financially support you but also pray for your ministry people don't understand the the amount of spiritual attacks oh well i mean there's just so much that people don't understand that pastors go through yeah and walk through and responsible for everything.

Responsible for everything. Of course the Lord is, but you know, you feel that way too. Oh yeah. Big time. Big time. So, so you're about to go to two services after four years. How many, how many, how many people are, do you have a coming? Like you can't even fit some Sundays.

You can't fit everybody in there. You know, of course every Sunday is different. Oh, heck yeah. We got A, B, and C team at Foundation Church. A, everybody shows up. B, one half shows up. C, the other half shows up. And they all show up.

It's the A team. That's the way it is because people don't know how to be consistent with their walks with God. So they can't be consistent with their walk on Sunday. Yeah. I mean, they don't come to church. It's an option. People take vacations on Sunday instead of the weekday because they don't come to church. It is what it is. It's an option. People take vacations on Sunday instead of the weekday because they don't want to lose their money.

So anyway. Oh, yeah. That drives me crazy. Oh, yeah. Work comes first. God comes second. Hello. So, but yeah, it kind of fluctuates between like 130, 150.

So. We stayed at 130, 150. Like we fluctuated between 150. Well, we got to 150, 150 i think in our 10th year oh wow okay it might have been it might have been a little sooner than that maybe the seventh but let's just so that i for the sake of not being dishonest let's go with 10 yeah under exaggerate yeah i would prefer that my fishes are always the same size as what they were when they came out of the came out of the ocean but so 150 but i would say the last

five maybe it was earlier than that probably the last seven years it's been between 250 and 350 between but it definitely in four years was not at 150. I can promise you that. It's actually more than that because we have El Rio. El Rio's been going strong as our Spanish service at three o'clock. Oh my gosh I didn't even know you had that. We do. You ain't doing that one are you? No I don't speak Spanish it's all Spanish. Yeah but you sing Spanish. Yeah because I can read it. Oh I listen it goes up on the board. It's all Spanish. Yeah, but you sing Spanish. Yeah, because I can read it. Oh, listen, it goes up on the board. Oh, I love it. And I still can't read it.

Oh, I love it. I'm over there going, I'm speaking in tongues. I'm just speaking in tongues while I'm singing. Nobody knows the difference. I can sing it anytime because I can see it. I can read the words and I kind of know where their syllables in and how they do their syllables. So I'm good with that. Plus, I've heard it sung.

So I kind of musically, I can pick things up really quick. So that's just normal for me. But El Rio has, I think right now about 30. That's so good. So people out 180. That's so good. That's really good. So your church going strong after a short period of time from being obedient yes and what's

your next step this is the fun part hey listen i'm putting it out there now you're gonna have to do it i know so the podcast yeah which i've just came up with the name i just came with it is rooted and i actually changed the ministry name to root it it just i don't know what it was it was something about it because it's rooted and grounded in love. Yeah. And for me, I believe that, you know, one thing I would, I kind of aspire to see is actually Christians walk out love, their love walk. Because I feel like that is missing in the Christian ministry. I mean, just period. You know, like people will love you as long as you're popular

or they'll love you as long as you're, you know, good to them. But they won't love you through the times when you're having hard times. If you make one mistake, they will write you off. But they expect when they make the mistake, everybody's supposed to just not accept it necessarily, but walk it out with them give them some grace and still be by their side yeah so I mean that's something that I'm very passionate about you know because I'm I'm I'm one of those people that will stick with you I don't really said for that I don't I'm not looking for you to be the most popular thing.

I'm not going to stick with you just because, you know, if you have a bad day, I'm still with you. You know what I'm saying? I just know you're just having a bad day. Like the waitress. I'm not going to take it personally. You know what I mean? It's not about me. Yeah, I know.

I'm going to pray for you and I'm going to, you know, offer my assistance. And if you don't want it, I'll still just pray for you. You know what I mean? Obviously, we all go through stuff. It's how we handle it it's how we deal with it so the podcast is going to deal a lot with your attitude your actions you know how you live your life as a christian and just you know just walking in love period just you know that is something i've been okay i'm gonna put this in there but, but Pastor Hope is an answered prayer. And I tell this every time because I was believing for friends.

I was believing for even one. I was just like, Lord, just give me one friend. Because, of course, I have friends, but they're all in – the majority of my close friends are in Maryland. Just going to be honest with you. They're not here. So I was like, I need a friend here. I can't be friends with my members. You know, I can't technically because I need to be able to correct them

and rebuke them, and then if you get too close, they don't know how to handle them. But eventually, and I've told you this, which I didn't know you were going to say all this, but eventually, like, you will, I have told you this when we went out to lunch, you will have a Tracy. Yes. And you will have, like, it does happen. But I'm just telling you, it only comes with growth and the maturity of the person. Otherwise, it is not happening.

Hands down. Not happening. And I don't have that many. I don't. I mean, I have a lot of people in this church I love, just like you love all your people. Oh, I love all my people. I love them. I mean, obviously, I would love to be friends and do all these things.

But, you know, one thing, actually, being in ministry at the Tampa, that was something that was said, like, hey, you have to be very cautious and not to actually get too friendly because there may come a time when you're going to have to correct and, you know, they're going to take it personal because they just went to TJ Maxx with you yesterday. You know what I'm saying? Like, how could you? Oh, yeah. And you're not, you're not, I wasn't like, I couldn't say, hey, tomorrow we're going to take it personal because they just went to TJ Maxx with you yesterday. You know what I'm saying? Like, how could you? And you're not, you're not, I wasn't like, I couldn't say, hey, tomorrow we're going to meet with you about this

because I couldn't say it. You know, you can't say anything until the day of. You know what I mean? It's like a business situation, even though it's spiritual. The two of them merge. But I prayed for you, my sister. That's all I wanted to say. I prayed for a friend and, you know, although we just

knew friends, but I felt like I've known you, like, literally forever. I think it's just because our hearts are pure. Very similar. And we, very similar. And we can literally, we don't even talk every day. But when we see each other, we just, like, continue. And that, for me, that's great friendship because I don't have to talk to you every day oh I know I'm not gonna blow your phone up every day I will be honest with you anybody who's friends with me I'm like Tom I'm not the greatest friend I am a great friend I'm loyal yeah but if you expect to hear from me every day I'm I'm even

saying if you expect to see to hear from me once a week yeah'm, I'm even saying, if you expect to see, to hear from me once a week, it's not happening. No, I get it. If you're thinking that I'm going to be hanging out with you, it's not that I don't want to hang out with you. It's just this season in my life, like I don't hang around anybody. Like they all are all, all the time. They're all going out. They're all a part of this one group that is a Bible study that they've been, they've bound themselves really close together and accountability, super important, but they'll go off to the movies. They'll go off. I don't do that. I've been invited, but I don't do that. And it's not because I don't want to hang out with them. It's just the season that Tom and I are in right now, a lot of time, Tom and I are, we spend a lot of time together, a lot of spiritual things.

And that's, it's just a different place because of leadership. And it's not because that you don't want to have friends. It's just the time that you have is extremely limited and it doesn't reflect whether or not you love that person as a close friend or trust them it's just the time too because you know i understand i don't need a friend that i need to talk to every day like i just want a friend that when i do connect we connect like it's effortless like i don't have to work to i don't have to figure out what i'm going to say next you know what i mean that's oh yeah like i can just flow with you you can flow with me We connect. Like, it's effortless. Like, I don't have to work to, I don't have to figure out what I'm going to say next.

You know what I mean? That type of thing. Like, I can just flow with you. You can flow with me. Like, if I want to beat up the waitress, you'll hold me back. Yeah. You know, like, you know, we schedule something and then, you know, okay, we got things going on. Oh, I can't make it.

Okay, whatever. It's fine. I'm not mad. I don't care. You know, like, well, whenever. We'll figure it out later. You know, I'm not that type of friend.

You know what I mean? So, and I appreciate people that aren't that type of friends. You know, I don't want people like having that cold and needy and, you know, I don't do well with needy. Yeah. So, um, because I'm a very introvert, people don't actually believe that, but you're not at home. Oh yeah.

Well, you might be a home body, but you're, I'm a homebody, but you're not introverted. I don't want to talk when I'm at home. I'm not a phone person. I'd rather text you. Same here. Same here, but I think I'm an extrovert. Wouldn't you guys say I'm an extrovert? So, do you get...

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. What do you mean, so? Do you get... No, we're going to solve this. Do you get energized by being around people and you feel, like, energized? Or do you have to go home after you've been with a bunch of people? I have to go home. And you have to, like, reset.

So that's an introvert. Oh, I don't have to go home to get reset. So an introvert is somebody that doesn't get energized by people. That's Tom. I get overwhelmed. You can be an outgoing introvert like you probably are going into yeah all right then i care about the people yeah so for me i don't want to be i don't necessarily like to be around people and just be like this like i don't want that because that

sends off a certain vibe and people start like what's wrong with you are you stuck up are you yeah exactly i don't so i don't, I choose not to present that way. And I am a conversation, I care about people, so that's why I talk to people and I find out about them. But if I'm around too many people, like crowds, too much, you might find me on the side, chilling. Or I'll do that and then at the end I'm like I'm ready I'm ready to leave I you know and but the river of course Tampa is such a big church always around everybody you

know that kind of broke a lot off me so I didn't necessarily you know have a choice because I'm always around people yeah 100% but no let me ask you this about your podcast. Like, my podcast, you said you've been watching it recently. I have. So she could get the vibe. I'm getting tips. I be taking notes, like, okay, this is, I love this. You know, like, just.

What you love and what you hate? I love the fact that you guys, like, communicate. Yeah, I like that. Because, you know, I just, I feel like it's funny, of course. Yes. You know, I was watching um I think it was the mother's day oh yeah oh my gosh the mother and um Heather you were guys about to get in a conversation she was like yeah maybe we don't need to go there and I was like yeah she's like

I'm we just we just can't be changed the subject you know like but I just thought it was so funny I mean I just I love that interaction about, you know, the people in here. There's nothing that I don't like, actually. You know what's so funny, too? So I'm going to say this, and then I'll ask you a question. Because we're seven minutes over, and I really don't care. And people can tune me out. But here's the thing.

What I think is funny what i mean i've only like heard it's minor that people don't like they just want to hear me answer questions and they don't really want the interaction but on the whole people really do love the interaction you know what my mom said my mom said it's because my mom lives alone now, right? Since my dad passed, obviously, she lives alone. That's stupid. Well, not everybody knows that. That my mom lives alone? Oh, no, they do because she comes to this church.

I don't know that. Oh, that's true. Good point. The new people don't know that. Well, no, if my dad passed, though, of course she lives alone. Yeah, I know. But you said it like we knew. Oh, well, yeah. Thank you.

You're a good friend um so uh but she said that she loves watching it because of the interaction she's like it's like i'm in the room with you guys like i'm in my house by myself in my living room but i'm not alone yeah i'm in you guys are all there and so i feel like i'm a part yeah and i'm like oh my gosh i never thought about it like that yeah that's so true because now with the tom with the noises that's not me i know but i was cracking up because you were doing so aaron i know but it was like so hilarious because i don't like that he just did it like the whole time i don't like that that's the hope is gonna get him i don't like that i really no Pastor Hope is going to get him. I don't like that. He's going to be good. I really.

No, I know. I knew it. Aaron, it was so sweet. It's because Aaron won't. Aaron. Aaron. I mean, his parents attend here, and they're great. But Aaron also has a very good affection for Tom and I, like a parental affection.

So he's. I won't say he's up my husband's butt like there's no tomorrow, but he pretty much, his nose is brown. But he absolutely loves me too. So as a mother figure, he has a little bit of a problem. But as a son figure to a father-son thingy, like Tom's going to win all the time. I mean, because he's such a butt kisser to Tom, like a son would be. Do you know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah.

No, he was looking at you and Tom's like, no, no, go, go. And then he's like, okay, I got permission. I'm going to do it. I got the go ahead. He's going to go with Pastor Tom. All the time. Always, always. He even said to me later, I wouldn't have done it unless he told me I could. Yep.

Like, just like your kid would do. I'm like, shut up. Shut up up you're just waiting for the go-ahead of course i love your mom and i love your daughter they are the best hello hey guys norma's not watching right now norma's at bush gardens but my mom is she might watch the rewind yeah you'll see my mom soon um but yeah okay so let me ask you so what so you're it's Rooted and what's the dynamic of it? And then tell everybody like what your plan is and we're going to make sure that once you get it started, people tune into it. It's going to be good.

Are you going to have other people on there with you? Periodically. Not all the time. But it's going to be you teaching or what's it going to be like? I will be teaching and, um, it's basically going to be like? I will be teaching and it's basically going to be every Monday and Friday. And what I'm going to do is have twice a month, once or twice a month, I'm going to, it's going to be audio first. Yeah. Because that's what I can commit to. Okay. I can't commit to getting dolled up in all this every week. Not yet. Just got to be real with you.

Keeping it real. K-I-T. K-R-R. However, I will do pop-up podcast, which is going to be live. And so when I do the live ones, hopefully I'll have someone with me or I'll just be me or however you want to do it. Yeah, I know. I know you want me to go video, but I'm still.

Because video, I'm just going to tell you. I'm a visual person too. I like video personally better. But in all fairness, in all honesty, most all of my views don't come live. Wow. They don't. They come from downloads. Correct.

Tracy, put yourself on. Okay. They come from downloads. Correct. Tracy, put yourself on. Yeah, come on. Okay. They come from downloads. There. All right. So she can't, everybody, just so you know, she's not doing split screen like she usually does because there's two of us on the screen.

One of us were the cutoffs. Yeah. So can you tell me, explain like downloads and podcasts. Most people don't watch it. They listen to it, correct? Well, I mean, we do. We have a lot Most people don't watch it. They listen to it, correct? Well, I mean, we do. We have a lot of people that are watching it. We have like 1400 right now downloads of all times on our, um, audio only podcast. Um, and like, for example, like if we have, you know, eight people on YouTube right now, when we go back and look at the numbers,

there'll be like 70 people that watched it over time. So, and that can just be over a week time or two weeks. So yeah, it definitely live is in our biggest number overall, but a lot of people are downloading and that doesn't even mean listening. That means like people are literally downloading it onto their phone. Which is not the norm. Yeah, no, it's, it's a big deal. The downloads are not normal. The, They're usually the least of things. Right, just listening. Usually people are just clicking to play it.

I do more listen, too. Yeah. Just because I'm on the move. Yeah. But I'm just saying to you, listen, you've got to go to church anyway. So do it on the days you go to church. So, yeah, I'm dealing with that. So pray for me because i'm gonna pray

i'm just you change your mind on that i am i know you're honest i don't know just hope we started recording what is that you started just recording it we didn't go live right away what do you mean oh no she's not she's recording it with no video i know but I'm saying we started recording his video. No, that's not the same. But you could. She said she's gonna go live. I could. I could pre-record him. Yeah, right. That's what we did. You know what Sarah just said? Huh? Sarah said I go live and don't put any makeup on. And you do. But you look good. And I'm sure she would

too. But I'm just saying. You know, here's the deal. If you're gonna keep it real, just keep it real with how you look. I do. You know, I think I'm more conscious of my hair more than my makeup. Oh, my gosh. And I'm just going to be 100% Just straighten the daggum hair. I'll go without makeup in a minute.

But this hair, boy, I'd say sometimes I'll just be like, you know. But I know. If it's only twice a week, I think I can do it. Put the straightening comb and the daggum thing and get to work. I know. That's what I say. Just pray for me. I week, I think I can do it. Put the straightening comb and the dadgum thing and get to work. I know. That's what I say. Just pray for me. I am a pray.

Because I – God convict you. I just – I really don't want to go live. I know you don't, but you need to go live. I know. I'm pretty sure you do. So I know you do.

Yeah. And I'm going to keep on you until you do. Yeah, no. I am one of those people that don't – don't go back and hear myself I literally don't want to hear you'll be shocked though because I didn't want to watch myself but I don't want to watch myself but I will tell you watching and I do watch these podcasts and the reason I do is that's where perfection comes in correct and like I one of the reasons why I went back and answered a question a couple weeks ago gotta fix that um it's because I watched it because I had an inkling that I didn't like

how I did it and I had to go back and fix the question because I didn't answer it properly and even though you feel like you won't like watching yourself it will actually oh I know I would have to for sure you it won't bother you like you think it will I promise you it won't like watching yourself it will actually oh I know I would have to for sure you it won't bother you like you think it will I promise you it won't um but you need to because that's how things get better and um perfection always comes from self-analysis I'm a big I'm big on self not analysis of self-paralysis okay I think you can analyze yourself so much that you paralyze yourself to to do anything there's a healthy way to look at yourself and say and critique correct and that's what which i think that's probably where it roots from why i don't

because when i was younger, I literally had fear. I struggled with the insecurities and I struggled with the fear of speaking in public. I would never speak in public ever. I would never sing in public. Like all of those things that I'm doing now, I'm doing and I would never do it because I had so much fear about it, insecurities about it. So when I began to step in it, I didn't look back because I didn't want to get in my head about it because I just had to kind of say, listen, I was just led by the Lord.

If I crack the note, it is what it is. I'm just going to move forward. Like I didn't want to get so back into that place of caring what I said, what I did. So there's a balance to it, I know know so I have to kind of find that yeah you got to kick the devil right in the face and put in and get on video I try not that's what you need to do kick the devil right in the face and get on the video yes ma'am yes ma'am that's that's what I'm going to help you do Tracy's going to hook you up oh okay okay after I tell this news cuz I gotta tell this news come on because I don't know if people know this I don't know

what you're saying but this is this is pretty big I mean we're gonna have a video on this but this is pretty amazing what this is going and listening to the Holy Spirit and following what he says. Do you know where I'm going with this now? It's something to do with Tracy. So this goes along with you being on here, but then what we're going to do is after I tell the story, we're going to

just do the sinner's prayer. Let's do it. I'm going to let you do it because you're a soul winner. Literally, I don't care about anything else. I love this podcast winner. Literally, I don't care about anything else. I love this podcast, but I seriously really don't care about anything else because there will be a day when I go to heaven, and us three and Heather and everybody else that participates in this podcast,

we're going to get some crowns in heaven. Oh, for sure. Because I know. Even if it's not, people always think it's just right today but I've gone and watched podcasts that somebody's done years before or listened to messages of Kenneth Hagen that literally brought me to another place in my walk with God and he did that in the in the 80s like and that that recording wasn't put out but four or five years ago do you know I'm saying yeah so the word does not return void

and you don't know how long it'll go out and it'll and it's still be winning the lost and stuff but I would say this this is the craziest thing my girlfriend just called me two weeks ago and this is where listening to the voice of the Lord radically changes lives and changes things my girlfriend that lives in Tennessee called me up and she was telling me about how the the ministry that she's involved in the church that she's involved in does homeless ministry I'm not a big homeless person I'm gonna be honest with you I hope that doesn't offend anybody I'm not I'm not big listen I will I'm not big for the homeless I'm not a big homeless person as far as.

It's a true type situation. Listen, I will. What's it called when they get on your property and you have to. I'll trespass. I'll trespass your butt so fast your head will spin. I agree with that. 100%. But if you come from where we are, they're out there panhandling.

Oh, yeah. And they're getting in their Cadillacs and driving home. Most of them are rebellious, too. If they actually homeless, they're rebellious. Oh, 100%. If you've been married to somebody in the law enforcement, if you've lived in a metropolitan area, scammers. Oh, all of them.

Scammers. For sure. They'll take your money as fast as. And all they're going to do is go, not all of them scammers for sure they'll take your money as fast as and all they're going to do is go not all of them but like 90 of them i'll trespass your butt so fast so and we have them all around here and they do get trespassed yeah i don't care but but you know when you know when you know so she was telling me about how her church has a homeless ministry and they have 52 other churches in the area helping them they feed them they're like they're living a life they're living it so it's like it's she said you know you got your druggies

you got your standard homeless they they help them, but very limited. And then you got the ones that have literally been displaced. You got families that are, they can't afford, they're living in motel rooms because their home was destroyed from a flood. Now they don't have any money, but the house that they were living in, they didn't own. They're living in a motel room with like five kids and all the money's going to the motel room because in the area that they live in it's like here but she's so

expensive but like Tom says that's part of the plan you'll own nothing and be happy right they were making it so housing like around here at a one bedroom apartments $2,000 okay how can somebody be a blue-collar worker and live and it's just crazy so they they have a lot of they have a lot of elderly that are homeless that they help so they're their hopes were that she said we're trying to buy this land because we have an elderly woman have no place to live along with families we want to get them on their feet and then get them out into the community and back into their own lives. When she was telling me this stuff,

the Holy Spirit immediately said, you're helping her. And I'm like, yeah, but I don't like the homeless. I don't really want to help. No, I literally was like, what? Are you kidding me? I'm like, I am not hearing you, Lord. There's no way. It's Tennessee. No. The Lord's like, no, you're helping her. You're sending Tracy and someone and you got, she's going to help them with what God, what I'm trying to do for them. What God has a plan for them. You're going to help them. And I'm like, okay. And so I told her on the phone, I said, the Holy Spirit's telling me I'm sending our media team to help you. We're going to help you get a campaign to buy this land.

They had two pieces of land they were looking at, and they had no means to raise this money, but they needed video and stuff. So we ship Tracy and my daughter up there. They create this whole big, I mean, wonderful testimonies, vision, the whole thing. Someone comes into their church and says to the pastor, hey, for some reason, God's telling me I'm to not, I'm to sell this land to you, but for nothing. Like, I'm going to sell you the land. It's X amount of dollars. I'm not going, this is what it costs me. I can't give it to you but if you i'm not going to make money off of it whatever perfect piece of land but he's like i don't got the money so he sends out he sent the the pastor had sent out at the beginning of june everything that tracy had created and not was it last week or the week before i think it was think it was last week. Last week, somebody that had been sent the video back at the beginning of June,

finally opened the video up and watched everything that she had created, gave them 100% all the money that they needed to buy the land. Wow. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. That's where listening to the Holy Spirit. I mean, when I told Tom, Tom's like, I don't know. I said, listen, we're paying for it or whatever.

I'm just saying to you, I know the voice of the Lord. The Lord told me. Tracy even was like, I know 100% I'm supposed to go. Well, when I know how you feel about homeless people, I was like, oh, this is the real deal. That's what I was thinking. Pastor Tom should have been like, okay. Exactly.

I was like, this is real. I didn't like him either. That's true. He's not a big fan either. That's true. I mean, listen, they come into this church, we feed them, and we give them money. The two rules are you have into this church, we feed them, and we give them money. The two rules are you have to attend church, and you don't have to go back there and eat,

but you have to attend church because the seed has to be planted of how to get out of the circumstance you're in. We're not going to perpetuate bad. You have to give them the word, and the word is what changes the heart. So he's always been like, listen, and he meets with them. If you come to church every Sunday, I'm going to give you X amount of dollars every Sunday. Come to me after church. I'll give you the cash.

We've done that, and a lot of people leave. I mean, they don't survive. They all leave. They cannot be consistent. And then they come after church, and they say, can I get the money? And then you say, did you come to church? Because they know we know. They're like, no.

No, you're not getting the money. But the thing is, is the word does not return void. If you give them the word, it will radically change the heart and the mind. And they don't want that. They like staying in the position they're in. So I have no. I have no. I'm going back to what I was saying majority of them are rebellious so they're in a position for

a reason because first of all I can never see myself homeless and I'm gonna just tell you why because I don't sever relationships I have relationship with so many people that I know if I'm ever in that moment of like I need need a place to stay, I believe someone would open up their door to me. I didn't like, you know, do something to break all of these relationships or this trust with other people in my family. And then now like nobody wants to open up the door. So now I'm so stuck that I can't find my way through. But that's what.

The righteous will never be seen begging for bread. And it doesn't mean that a man has fallen from the sky it means that he'll make sure you're taking you're taking care of however he deems necessary which you could be staying with somebody but that those are the things that i strongly say to people listen to that still small voice those now they're they have the land they're putting these little houses on the property. And these women, these elderly women have a place to stay. Each of them will have their own place to stay. The pastor is moving out to this property.

He's selling his house so that he can go live on that property with them. So that they're safe out there. And then these other families. God is a big God. Yes, he is. It's amazing. All you got to do is God is a big God. Yes, he is. It's amazing. All you got to do is little things. And that was like, what, four days you going out there, Tracy?

Four days. Yeah, it wasn't even, yeah, it was like three. We were there. We filmed a bunch, and then we pretty much came home. Yeah. It was like three days. Yeah, three days. And they had a great time.

Yeah, we did. Her and Norma had a great time. We did. And God did some great things. So with that being said, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to do that. Listen to that still small voice. And it could be you don't recognize it, but your heart's beating out of your chest because you're like, I don't have what you're talking about.

Either you're saved and you don't have what we're talking about, which you can pray over that for people. Or you're not saved and you're like, my life stinks. I want that. And how do I get that? The first step is asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, right? Yeah, the first step is really confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It's not enough to just say it in your head. It's the confession.

Remember, life and death is in the power of the tongue. So when you confess it, you're speaking life. You're giving life to this situation. So you're saying, just, you know, I want to first say this. God loves you, and he has an awesome and wonderful plan for your life. So no matter what you've been through or what your history is or what your background is, he doesn't care. He loves you. It's agape love. It's unconditional, right? So it's not about you getting it right first. No, it's about you surrendering your life to him now and then allowing him to help you to make the changes. So listen, if you've never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,

or maybe you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you're not on fire for God, you know, on a scale from 1 to 10, you kind of burn it at a 3 and 4. You know, so you really need to begin to step out in faith in certain areas of your life, and you're not really totally surrendering your whole life to the Lord. So that's what I'm talking about. Or maybe you had a situation that rocked you. You know, maybe you got a divorce, maybe a child out,

maybe something happened and you felt like God was responsible and you've been angry at him. God loves you. God loves you. God is good, devil bad. Amen? So listen, I want to give you an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. So if you would like to receive Jesus Christ now in your heart, just repeat this prayer with me. Say, Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive me of my sin. Wash me. Cleanse me. Set me free.

Say, Jesus, I thank you that you died for me, and I believe you're coming back again for me. Say, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Give me a passion for the lost and a hunger for the things of God and a holy boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now declare this. Say, I am saved and I am forgiven and I'm on my way to heaven because you have Jesus in my heart. Amen. If you said that prayer with me, you know, let them know

because we want to know who's getting saved. We want to, you know, congratulate you. Welcome into the family. We love you. God loves you. Find a good church home, whatever area you're in. Find a church home. It's imperative. It is so imperative in your walk with the Lord. And you need to be around people who are moving forward. Amen. So find a good church home and get plugged in and just allow the Lord to you need to be around people who are moving forward. Amen. So find a good church home and get plugged in and just allow the Lord to do the work. He'll change you. You don't have to do a thing. He'll change you. You just got to be obedient and do it. Do it. Find the church home,

get plugged in and allow the Lord to do the rest. Thank you for joining us. I love you for being here. Thank you. Your podcast is going to kill it. Once we get more information, I'll make sure you guys know about it so you can tune in to her. And have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Sunday. Bye. Real talk. Real talk. you