May 1, 2014

My Personal Testimony
You must be an angel! Is the response I often get when I introduce myself and give my first name (derived from the vocabulary word angel meaning divine messenger or messenger of God). Gosh, if I had a coin for every time I heard that over the years, I would be a rich women. As always, I smile graciously. The truth is every fiber in my body tells me otherwise.

Angele Tanyeri

Growing up, I was very blessed to live in a loving Christian home with two parents who are still madly in love with each other and an older brother whom I admire. Thinking back, however, I am not proud of my many indiscretions. From the young age of 5, when I turned the dials back of my Mickey Mouse watch so I could extend my play time with friends (then stood with my hands on my hips claiming my watch was broken) through my young adult life, I would continue to make some unwise, even reckless decision. Oh, when I think back to some of the things I wish I could have done differently. Perhaps some of you can relate. Thankfully, (I am convinced through the power of prayer) I accomplished those important milestones in life like attending college and excelling in a career; then found love, got married and was blessed with motherhood. It was then, in my late 20s, that I had my first aha! moment. Though I had always loved Jesus, attended church service on Sundays, and read my Bible ( okay, on occasion), I certainly didnt have a living, breathing, relationship with God. Once I became a mom, (and apologized profusely to my parents for all the heartache and aggravation I put them through ), my soul was awakened. I had this precious little life in my hands, a gift from God, given to me to care for, nurture, shape, guide and love. I was determined to right my wrongs and provide my child with the same spiritual foundation that I was given. The only way to do this was to dig deep in into scripture. I was committed to better understand what the unconditional love of my Heavenly Father really meant. From that moment, I wish I could say I ventured into spiritual bliss and my days were filled with sunshine and rainbows. Rather, sometimes it felt more like I was being swarmed by locusts and sleeping in a lions den. If I knew I had to continue to endure trials and tribulations in my life in order to be where I am today in my relationship with Christ, I probably would have run very fast in the opposite direction. As I matured in my walk, scripture started to jump out of the pages of my Bible. For example, John 16:33 clearly states, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Then

another, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). Then it happened! Okay, brace yourself, this is where it gets a little heavy. Now in my mid-30s, I had my second aha! moment. I had heard it many times before from my parents, but didnt understand what it really meant. The battle for my life began way before I was even a speck in my mothers womb. As my dad would say: If you could unzip the air, pull the two sides apart and peak your head through, you would see the constant battle going on around you. Now, not only is this still a clear and present danger for my life, but the lives of my children and husbandour family (the same applies to you, precious one)! See, the enemy hates that I love God. Worse yet, he despises the fact that I am spreading the seed of the gospel to my children and within my marriage. He is constantly at work trying to steal the life-giving Word sown in my heart and those in my family. It has been game on ever since! But I have learned that the enemy always overplays his hand! The victory comes when I realize I am helpless without God. Apart from Him, I cannot do anything! Knowing that I could have avoided much of my heartache if I had only embraced what it really meant to live in the spirit, sure would have made my life a bit easier. By Gods grace and power, I have learned to let go. God is always permitting what He hates, so that He can accomplish what He loves. Worthy is the Lamb, indeed! God is worthy of taking our future and making it look better than our pastpraise you, Lord! No one walks in the spirit by accident. Every single day, I make the conscious decision to follow His lead; making Him my priority. It is something I will work on until the day He calls me home. My life is not perfect, my journey is long and the road still has potholes. I cant even brag about my love for God because I fail Him daily; but I can brag about His love for me because it NEVER FAILS. I had no idea that I would have an opportunity to bless through my mess(age). Sometimes it is not until the floor has been pulled from beneath, that you learn to fly like an angel. I am an imperfect women living in an imperfect world, but I hope that you find Angel Dancing a place to come to rest and recharge then leave feeling encouraged and empoweredfor God is the Creator, I am only His messenger. Thank you for hearing my heart! I hope you continue to dance for the King with me! Amazed by His grace,
Angele

Scripture Inspirations for Angel Dancing: You turned my wailing into dancing Psalm 30:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. Psalm 149:3 He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelations 22:1