Around July of 2007 I received a flier via email advertising a “Desire the Fire” women’s conference hosted by Pastors Gary and Julie Tussey. At that time I had never heard of them nor have I heard of anyone named “Tussey.”
The conference was held in Richmond, Ky., and I was in desperate need of a word and ministry. My best friend, Lavondia Browning, and I had been in a long hard battle for the past few years and we were at the end of our rope. We were tired mentally, physically and spiritually … we were truly exhausted to the point we were just ready to throw our hands up and just walk away from it all.
Lavondia agreed to meet me in Richmond and unbeknownst to me she was praying that the Lord minister to me and I was praying that the Lord minister to her because we were desperate for Jesus.
God opened doors for us to go to this free conference. When I called to make reservations, the receptionist told me the rooms were $95 a night but she would let me have them for $75 – now that is how God’s favor works!! We arrived at the hotel and we were blessed with the fact that someone paid for our rooms, even a meal -- More favor!! We knew at this point that God had a purpose and a plan for us at this conference.
Needless to say we went in as skeptics, with God’s favor upon us and we were enormously blessed. The word ministered to us was in season and was confirmation to what God had already spoken to us but had gotten buried by all the trials and tribulations we had faced that year.
We were refreshed! We were blessed! We were ministered too in a desperate time in our lives! The fire had been rekindled! More life was spoken into me during this conference by Pastors Gary and Julie then had been by my own pastors and family. We are living in a time were the calling and the gifts of others are often overlooked by jealously, envy and even the religious spirit -- not to mention our gender and race -- and because of that my pastors over the years never nurtured, mentored or respected the call or the gifts on my life.
On this particular Saturday, October 13, 2007, things happened in the spirit realm … a spiritual phenomenon if you will and a divine relationship was formed between total strangers. We entered that conference as skeptics and left knowing that Pastors Gary and Julie Tussey are the anointed of God and they are called to complete a mighty work in the Kingdom of Heaven! They are focused on God’s Kingdom and not “their” personal kingdom. They are called to equip, activate and release members of the Body of Christ (regardless of gender, race, creed or religion) with the proper tools so that they can build and advance the Kingdom of Heaven and take the land in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!