S.P.I.R.I.T.

About the Book

As a very young child, I was raised in a household filled with doom, gloom, poverty, and shame…

And when I married at the age of sixteen, I was already steeped in a way of life as a female; whom were looked upon as less than a man. Only now, despair was added to my host of painful, negative emotions…

Nobody but God freed me from the house of bondage…

Now, here in my ladder years, I live in the house, my house of love, peace, joy, wholeness and prosperity; nothing broken and nothing missing in my spirit…

Thanks be unto Father God, Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

As far as I’m concerned, what Satan purposed for my destruction, the Lord purposed for my destiny! Glory!

With the leadership of the Holy Spirit in my life, and many of God’s blessings, my struggling opened the door for my writing, and my writing opened the door to my prayer life…

Now I had someone to talk with, I could express in my writing what I was truly feeling on the inside, when people’s words, mistreatments, and disappointments had hurt me…

No matter how insignificant their words were, or what they did or didn’t do, I could always tell God the truth about my hurt feelings. And He always allowed me to cry for as long as I needed to…

My tears were God’s way of washing away the hurt and replacing it with tenderness and love, putting me back together…

This was and is how I cope with life even today…My prayer life goes beyond pen and paper; I’m constantly talking to God in my mind throughout my day and night. This is who I am.

About the Author

These are the people and circumstances that contributed to my spiritual development:

Pentecostal Church, Early 1950s: I was seven or eight, and my uncle Willie Smith was a deacon in the church. I was placed in his care for my spiritual upbringing. I can recall Sundays kneeling on red cushion pillows at the church altar. Praying with the grown-ups for what seemed like hours. Back then, people stayed at church all day; we even had meals there. This is how my prayer life got started at such a young age. I can also recall learning Bible verses, so I could recite them in Sunday school. I even remember a group outing to the movies. The movie was about Satan, Adam, and Eve in the garden. The part about Satan stayed fixed in my young mind. Even today, I can call forth that mental image of him in the form of a tree.

Catholic Church, Holy Cross, Early 1960s: I married into a Catholic family. This is how I learned and developed a spiritual dialogue, through rosary beads and reciting my Hail Marys. Some time later, I got baptized and became very devoted to my studies and the Mass. I even brought my children up in the faith.

Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, Pastor Cymbola, Mid-1970s: A non-denominational church; this is where I learned how to worship and praise in a church setting. From this type of atmosphere, I was able to develop a personal and intimate relationship with Father God and Lord Jesus. I also got very involved with the church and its youth. After a while I became one of the Youth leaders and we were called the “Jet Cadets.” We went on youth trips as well as weekend retreats. I was even one of the youth speakers at the retreats.

Hour of Power, Robert Schuller, Early 1980s: I started watching my very first TV televangelist program. It taught me how to empower my spiritual knowledge. I read my Bible daily, and I purchased his books and tapes, which took my spiritual growth to the next level and began to write. Robert Schuller also opened the door to other TV televangelist programs such as:

InTouch Ministries, Charles Stanley, Late 1980s: My spiritual writings became very much a part of my daily life. It was my way of communicating with the Lord Jesus and coping with the pain of divorce and raising two young children on my own. Disappointment and heartache turned my writings into my ministry.

Mount Sinai United Christian Church, Pastor Brown, 1997: Another non-denominational church. In 1997 I moved to Staten Island after ten years of membership and service at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. God moved me to Staten Island right next-door to my daughter and her family. This was truly a blessing from God for the both of us. I continued to go back and forth to Brooklyn Tabernacle, but after a while, I became a member of this church. The praise and worship that I was taught at Brooklyn Tabernacle became my reputation at Mt. Sinai. I also became an active member in the Women’s Ministry and I joined the evangelist team for the nursing home. Plus, I got involved in teaching the youth ministry, Daughters of Ruth. And in 2000, I completed my book and I gave birth to it through the women’s ministry. I had it copyrighted through the Library of Congress. The title is S.P.I.R.I.T., which stands for Seek Personal, Intimate Relationships in Truth. I gave copies of it to some church members, and I sold copies to my coworkers, family, and friends. Mount Sinai Church provided confirmation of my entire spiritual knowledge and training.

Christ Abundant Life Ministry Church, Pastor Henry and Lara Emmanuel, 2004: Non-denominational. I’m just a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m at my new level of spiritual maturity. Also, the Holy Spirit prompted me to revise and recreate my book, S.P.I.R.I.T. I was obedient to the Holy Spirit’s instructions. I revised the title and most of the chapters from the 2000 version of the book that you are now reading. Christ Abundant Life Ministry is now my house of worship. I’m excited about what Father God, Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have in store for me. During my three years with Abundant Life Ministry, I was involved with the youth ministry. Even youths from outside our church participated in our youth ministry. Also, Pastor Henry Emmanuel taught us how to hear God’s voice, and our role as leaders in the Church. He gave us insight and helped us to understand the purpose of being a follower of Jesus Christ, doing His kingdom’s work. I was even among the few who were called out and anointed with oil during an honorary celebration.

Christian Pentecostal Church, 2007: I visited with my neighbor Agnes Waller and went with her to her house of worship. The Holy Spirit prompted me to move into another dimension in my walk with Jesus Christ. The Gospel Ministry at CPC took my spirit to an even higher realm, and after a few more visits, I joined the church. After one year, Jehovah God moved me into my promised land, filled with milk and honey. I had my own ranch-style home built from the ground up in South Carolina.

New Home A.M.E. ZION Church, 2008: I retired from the Board of Education after twenty-two years of teaching in elementary and middle Schools. By the grace of God, my daughter and her family and I made the move together to South Carolina. They, too, had their home built from the ground up, just around the corner from me. I love my new house of worship, Pastor Brown, Lady Pauline, and their family, as well as my loving Church family. I’m enjoining the good life here in my promised land. Praise be to Father God; this is a long way from Staten Island, New York. It just goes to show our Father in heaven is a big God, and He has good things in store for all His children who believe and trust His word and follow Jesus Christ, His beloved son and our Savior. I’ve already got involved with the elderly through the nursing home, as well as the youth ministry, and the evangelical ministry. Father God has already deposited in my spirit a vision for the elderly and the youth. I’m even in the process of moving my mother from a Brooklyn nursing home to one here in South Carolina. I’m so excited about getting involved in His kingdom work and helping souls come into the house of the Lord, as well as them giving Jesus Christ their heart and life. New Home House of Worship is where I intend to spend the rest of my life serving the Lord and doing His kingdom’s work. Praise be unto Jehovah God. What a privilege and honor to serve and obey the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!