The Skin I'm In: An Intimate Journey With God

By Jewel Tyler

Join Jewel on her journey in "The Skin I'm In - An Intimate Journey With God" as you will discover how she overcame life's adversities through her relationship with God. The Skin I'm In is about an incredible journey of a woman who thought she had control of her life only to find out God had preordained plans and a different agenda. Those plans take her on a journey even she could not understand. Her life was anything but ordinary. She was abused, strung out on drugs, jobless, continual loss of close loved ones. Finally she hit rock bottom with no signs her life could be anything more than living in hell. She survives it all because of several visits from God and the development of their personal spiritual relationship. She is sharing her story for all to witness how she overcame all of the obstacles life threw her way through her relationship with God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jewel Tyler
• Release date: Aug 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301768066

Jewel Tyler

Jewel Tyler always knew she would become an author and the love of reading inevitably directed her path. A native of Washington, D.C., Jewel spent her younger years giving back to the community through a Youth Arts organization, Pamoja, she founded. She left D.C. in 1989 to pursue a fashion design career in Los Angeles, California. Jewel obtained her Doctor of Naturopathy degree in January 2015.Jewel spent the last twenty years in several successful fields. In the corporate world, she used her technical expertise as a Computer Application Specialist. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her into several successful business ventures. She opened a chain of Exclusively Yours stores on the east and west coast - featuring handmade aromatherapy products, clothing and jewelry. She continued her fashion design career in the entertainment world as an image consultant to new and existing recording artists which ultimately opened doors for her to become the President of WOG (Word Of God) Records, Vice President to KNTD Publishing and a manager of several recording artists. Jewel maintains several blogs online with subjects regarding spirituality, natural alternative healing and the empowerment of women. She is the founder of the ‘WakeUp Girlfriend’ group on Facebook; a discussion group focusing on how to overcome domestic violence and matters of the heart.Through everything, Jewel never lost the dream to write and when the Lord called her in 2005 to "put pen to paper" regarding her walk with him, she answered by penning her intimate journey with God in the form of a book. The Skin I’m In – An Intimate Journey With God is the first in a series Jewel has published.Jewel has received numerous certificates over the years as a guest lecturer for colleges and universities. Her awards include nods from the late Mayor Tom Bradley, Michael Woo as well as Maxine Waters in Los Angeles, for her successful fashion design business and youth outreach programs. Jewel was spotlighted in ‘Book Writing Magazine’ and also a guest on ‘The Write Stuff’ and 'In The Room At Noon' radio talk shows. Jewel has received a five star review from ‘Readers Favorite’ for The Skin I’m In.Jewel currently resides in Dallas, Texas. She attends Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship under the spiritual tutelage of Dr. Tony Evans. In Los Angeles, California, she was a member of Faithful Central Bible Church under Dr. Kenneth Ulmer.

Book preview

THE SKIN I’M IN

An Intimate Journey With God

by

Jewel Tyler

Smashwords Edition

This book is a work of non-fiction. Some names, characters have been changed.

Copyright © 2013 Jewel Tyler.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without permission of the publisher/author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

The publisher/author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content.

First Edition, April 2013

This book is available in print at most online retailers.

Visit the author website: www.jeweltyler.com/

Visit the book website: www.theskiniminbook.com/

email: [e-mail]

Cover image: Jewel Tyler

What others are saying about

The Skin I’m In – An Intimate Journey With God

This is an amazing read! I came across the book on my Kindle app in the UK and I have been deeply encouraged by sharing in Ms Tyler's life journey. I have cried and laughed I have shared her trials and her blessings. This book brings a new meaning to the Biblical phrase of taking up one's cross and following Christ. I highly recommend it! – Ms. W (Amazon Customer)

This book is an incredible journey of a woman who thought she had control of her life only to find out that God had preordained plans for her life. Plans that sent her on a journey even she could not understand. Jewel Tyler's life was anything but ordinary. She was abused, jobless, strung out on drugs, lost her home... She hit rock bottom with no signs that life could be anything more than living in hell. Yet she lived through it all and because of several visits from God she is sharing her story for all to witness. Such bravery. This is a book you will not want to put down. This is a story that had to be told. – Roxanne Richardson (Amazon Customer)

DEDICATION

First and foremost I dedicate this book to my Lord and Savior. Without my relationship with him I would have nothing to write.

David Tyler, Clayton Tyler, Jr. and Terry Tyler – I miss and love you always I know you are all with my Father in Heaven.

Henry Louis Tharps, Jr. my best friend for over 35 years, I miss you so much and I know you are with our Lord and Savior. The mission has been fulfilled that God commanded. Wishing you were here to see the final results.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PREFACE

THE JOURNEY

STORMY WEATHER

THE TRANSITION

THE WALK

DUST IN THE WIND

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DUST IN THE WIND EXCERPT

FOREWORD

Every day, a countless number of people faithfully come to realize the divine ability of the one true God to be the Savior that can, has, and will deliver every believer – of Jesus Christ – from the power of sin and its accomplice death. This is His grace that causes salvation. For another countless number of people, whom God has honored with the designation of Christian, there is, unfortunately, an air of insensitivity to the Divine God working in them. This working is His grace that causes a manifestation. Unequivocally, Christians are united in theology regarding the overarching greatness of God, the work of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, we have failed to equally embrace the truth concerning the desire of the Godhead to operate in us. We know God to be great; we struggle with the principle that He is equally as great through us. We embrace relationship with God and shun fellowship in the Spirit. Having the inherent power of God isn’t the same as operating in the power of God. Jesus’ choice to send the Holy Spirit wasn’t to simply fill you with the Spirit, but to empower you in the Spirit.

This isn’t new to this generation of believers; but has been a long time tactic of the enemy to get the believer to discount his God-given authority, thereby limiting his effect on the world. Sarai (Abram’s wife) considered her body to be frail and not useful for the task of being the mother of many nations. Facetiously, Moses knew more than God – that a prophet would have to be someone who didn’t have a stammering tongue. God even allowed the sinful tendencies of the harlot Rahab to work out for the good of His people – the children of Israel. Gideon held the notion that his pedigree was too weak for God to deliver a nation. The prophet Jeremiah determined that his age was a disqualification for God to work through him. Yet, he forgot that Samuel came to know the voice of God in his youth and that David was anointed king of Israel as a lad. Though he was discouraged in spirit concerning the success of his call, Ezekiel yet remains a great prophet of the Lord. In the strength of God, Nehemiah rose from being a cupbearer to a Persian king to being a wall-builder of the Divine King’s holy city. Should I dare cite an insignificant young virgin as having the worthiness of being the mother of Jesus; or do I have to remind you of the fishermen that became fishers of men? Is it even necessary to reminisce of the zealous Jew who became a Christian – jealous for God? Absolutely, it is! We mistakenly view God subjectively (from our point of view) rather than objectively (from God’s vantage point).

It is against the purpose of God to speak to you within the framework of your past, your weaknesses, your hurts, or your circumstances and situation. He doesn’t even speak to you within the blueprint of your agenda, your strengths, your perceived successes, or influences. He speaks to us all within the sphere of being the image of Himself. For from Jesus (the means of our strength) and through Him (the cause of our power) and to Him (the object of our authority) are all things accomplished (Romans 11:36). It is our Father who has taken the principle responsibility of gracing us with physical, animate, and eternal life (Acts 17:28). So, it is not us that speaks, but the Spirit of God that speaks through us (Matthew 10:20). We are not to think less or assume an insignificant position in regards to God’s choice to use us. We mistakenly think this way because we fail to realize that it is God who is giving us the capability to operate according to His will and to perform for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). The Holy Spirit is the super-abounding greatness of God resident (in us) and ready to recalibrate an atmosphere into one that is subject to His love, grace, and salvation. We are from God; we are His little children, and we are overcomers. As 1 John 4:4 says, ‘greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world’. Paul described it best when he exclaimed, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20 NASB)

Jewel Tyler’s wonderfully inspired writing is God’s reminder of His desire to use each of us as images of love. We are all members of the body of Christ – each with our own special gift (1 Corinthians 12). Our gifts are to be used in relationship to our assignment – assignments that I like to call fingerprint ministries (Ephesians 4). Your ministry is nothing like anyone else’s. However, God’s purpose for your life isn’t prophesying or speaking in other tongues, shepherding or teaching, evangelizing or healing. Nor is His purpose for you to have faith in His word or hope in the future He has prepared. Undoubtedly, these are all vitally important. But above all, His motivation and purpose is simply love (1 Corinthians 13).

Listen to God’s love in this memoir of Jewel Tyler’s life. It isn’t a story of how a Christian operated in her gift and how you can do the same. It’s a story of how God chose to operate in her and how He wants to do the same through you. He is an expert at getting the best out of the least. No matter your religion, regardless of your denomination, and in spite of your theology, love is a transcendent message. Love is the nature of God. God made us in His image. Therefore, love is the nature of man. This is why Jesus makes the didactic statement to love the Lord God with all your heart soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

In reading this memoir, as I do with all Christian literature, I’ve determined to put all bias side. In doing so, it has allowed me to know my true self – in Christ Jesus – regardless of The Skin I’m In. As I have been, I pray you are as blessed by her testimony.

Cornelius E. Ward, M.A., Ministries

Pastor-Teacher

PneuMan Ministries

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my extreme gratitude to the following: Anthony Tyler my brother but most of all my brother in Christ thanks for your input, love, prayers and support. Pastors Cornelius & Recquel Ward for providing the proper direction and encouraging me to be more transparent regarding my journey. Eric Webb thank you for the many nights of encouragement, prayers and most of all for my book cover concept, much love to you always! Many thanks to the following for assisting me at the beginning of the project: Iva Benson, Judy Williams and Diane Cuthbertson. Deon Plummer for the months of editing, discussion and prayers. Geena Thompson thank you for the revisions, comments and taking the time to pre-read the book. Roxanne Richardson thank you and God bless you for the extreme detail of editing, love you always! Kisha Bates thank you for all of your prayers, support and encouragement. Denise Morris, thank you for your support, editing, love and encouragement. Betty Williams my mother and love of my life, thank you for never giving up on me but always believing in me and encouraging me to achieve any goal in life, and for your prayers and words of wisdom. I would like to especially thank my sons: Gary Spencer, Ricky Hatcher and Dominic Hatcher for making me so proud of you and for all of your prayers, encouragement and support during those times I just wanted to throw up my hands and give up!

INTRODUCTION

The Skin I’m In – memoirs of my walk with God has been a journey within itself for me to write. It has been a therapeutic and enlightening experience for me in regards to my walk with God for the past 33 years. I have laughed, cried and in some instances, just got down on my knees to praise and worship the Lord for his unchanging and unmovable fervent love for me and my family as I have relived the chapters of the book. I have had many people that have volunteered to assist me with proofing the book, only to find them under spiritual attack and they walked away from the project.

A friend of mine invited me to vacation with her in the Grand Bahamas during the month of December in 2007. It was during this trip the Lord commissioned me to write this book. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was on the balcony early in the morning, the weather was beautiful, and my view of the clear light blue ocean was magnificent. I was listening to my iPod’s Gospel playlist, with hands lifted worshipping God, when the Holy Spirit spoke to me. I turned off the music with tears streaming down my face; the Spirit began to remind me of all of the blessings over the years, anything I had asked of the Lord He had provided, (good health, healings, salvation of people I prayed for, materialistic items, employment opportunities) just everything He had granted and made a way. It was made clear the Lord wanted me to share my life and my walk in the form of a book. I asked why? Then I began to debate with God, Lord I am not a writer, besides who wants to hear about my life? The events of my life were personal and intimate to me and you; and you want me to expose myself on that level?" You see to me it is quite different to meet someone I minister to, but God wanted me to share events of my life. I was not ready to take on this task and expose my life for the world to see. God said to me there are many who have had some of the same challenges and may be going through the same or similar situations in life. He was asking me to share this with possibly millions! And to show them how He, God the Almighty brought me through as my testimony to them. However, to lay my life before anyone who would choose this book and read it was going to be very different for me.

For so many years I was quite reluctant in even sharing I saw visions, or I knew things way before they were going to happen. Especially this day in time, when you would be considered delusional; or people may try to put you in the category of being a psychic. I have heard that too many times. Nevertheless, the bottom line was what was laid before me and in the manner it was presented I really did not have a choice. God made it clear, I have blessed you with everything you have desired, and this one thing I ask of you; you are refusing? The truth is the Spirit said until this is done anything else I try to touch or do would not be blessed. Believe me when I tell you, I fought with myself about this and attempted to start other projects. I watched my whole life shut down around me.

I came home from my vacation and started the book and then moved on to other projects; putting the book on the back burner of my priorities. I started working two jobs, and with the twinkling of an eye, I had lost my house, car, jobs, everything. I was unemployed for almost a year and a half but He kept me. I was not homeless or hungry and did not want for anything.

Finally, I surrendered while visiting a friend in Indianapolis. Right after my surrender I really only focused on the book, God started using me to minister to the people around me in Indy. He performed a miracle for a wonderful woman I met while I was there, I will be sharing her experience with you. So, here I am fully exposed to the point of being transparent sharing my journey of what brought me to God and what I have endured in the process.

It has been a wonderful experience writing this book. It has been a journey that has walked me through my past as God has brought back to my remembrance the spiritual warfare, miracles, visions and dreams He and I have shared. I used to believe my life was not different from everyone else’s. However, through the years as people have crossed my path and I have shared my life experiences as well as spiritual experiences. I have come to realize there are great majority out there who have not had the exposure to everything I have as it pertains to a spiritual walk with God. Taking this into full consideration I have met individuals and shared maybe one or two experiences but not everything. If I had a dollar for everyone that has said, you need to write a book about your life, I would have a nice savings account.

Some of the experiences in this book you may find unbelievable or even fictional but everything in this book is very true and did occur. I have to give God all of the glory because I made it through it all in my right mind. He saw favor enough in me to use me. There are not too many things I have not experienced or endured. However, I must say I thank God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for ALL things, which have occurred, in my life the positive and the negative. It is because of my experiences I have been able to minister to people from all walks of life no matter the age, gender, different religious beliefs or race.

There was a time in my life when I felt like a weirdo. I was afraid to share with people I could see what would be forthcoming; knew what a person was thinking or about to say; knew who was ringing my telephone before a caller ID was invented; and, knew who was knocking at my door without looking through the peephole. I also knew when someone was going to have a child and what the sex was going to be before the person even knew they were pregnant or had conceived a child.

I asked God to remove this from me, and I believed He had for some time, but in reality, it was just dormant. Once I opened myself to the Lord with no inhibition everything returned with even more powerful prophetic visions and dreams some have rendered massive devastation. Once again, I prayed it be removed. Then, I met a pastor that prophesied over me during a church service; this was also during one of my many difficult times in my life. When I met with the pastor afterward, he told me I had precious gifts from God and to embrace them. I asked God to forgive me, and welcomed the fact of how precious I must be for him to choose and use me the way He has.

I have finally accepted the Spirit behind this layer of flesh. Yes, The Skin I’m In!

"…I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you … These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the worlds gives to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…" (St John 14-17, 25-27)

PREFACE

Just before the Lord was to be crucified, He took the time to comfort His disciples so they would not be over troubled about His impending death. He understood the frailty of man, and in that knowledge He explained to them the provision He would make so they would not feel alone. After three years of walking with Jesus and seeing His awesome power manifested before their eyes, one can only assume they had grown accustomed to His protection and guidance during times of uncertainty. So, for the disciples to hear He was now about to depart from their physical presence, their hearts would most definitely grow troubled. Thus, the Lord sat them down and explained to them He would not leave them alone but rather send them someone who would comfort and guide them while He was away. The Lord used the word Helper, in describing whom He would send. In the Greek language, the word Helper actually means One who comes alongside to help.

How awesome is it to know the Lord would never leave us nor forsake us to this world system? The Lord had promised the Holy Spirit would come and He would lead and guide us unto all truth. Once we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we embark upon a Spiritual journey filled with Spiritual experiences, absent of the physical body of Christ, yet forever being led, instructed and protected by the Holy Spirit whom He left to us.

As I proceed into my personal Spiritual experiences and walk with Him, I must say without the Holy Spirit being alongside me to help me, I could have never made it this far. I exhort the readers any Spiritual experience shared in this book is a testimony to the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in my life on behalf of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you would take from my testimonies and life an understanding the Holy Spirit is forever present and ready to assist you. He will guide you through this world and show you things you can’t imagine existed. None of these testimonies is of any self-willed power but, rather an acknowledgement of the Power of the Holy Spirit working through me in His awesomeness.

"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it." Michel de Montaigne

THE JOURNEY

As I reflect back on how my walk began with God I have to first consider what brought me to the point of accepting Jesus in my life. As a young child, I attended church with my family. My grandfather Clayton was a Baptist minister; his son was my father. I was extremely close to my grandfather. He was a very loving man; he resembled Humphrey Bogart to me but with a receding hairline. I can recall during the riots in D.C., in the 1960’s, my grandfather being attacked on his way home from work because he was mistaken for a white man. When I think about those times, it still shocks me how much I can remember. I shared with my mother on several occasions, places and events I remembered. It amazed her because I was just a toddler in some instances. I could recollect memories from age two up to four years of age with clarity. As a toddler, granddaddy Clayton (that’s what I used to call him) would walk me around the house and teach me how to enunciate and spell objects he would point out to me. Granddaddy planted the very first seed of God’s existence in me. My grandparents lived in the projects of S.E., D.C. on 7th Street, near what is now called Capitol Hill. I remember visiting my grandparents and sitting in the kitchen with my grandfather as he settled into his evening after work. He would read the Bible to me as I ate Kebbler Fudgetown Cookies (the cookies were our little secret). After reading the Bible, he’d minister to me about what he had just read. Granddad had retired from being a pastor, but when the young people would gather outside of his window enjoying the coolness of the evening after a hot summer’s day, the minister in him (that hadn’t retired) would preach a sermon to those who were in the courtyard. My grandmother would become so frustrated she’d argue with him to stop, but he never listened.

When my grandfather passed from cancer of the throat and lungs, I was 10 years of age and didn’t fully understand death. Therefore, it did not make sense to me the day of his Wake; it was an all day event in the 60’s. I recall asking my mother repeatedly, When is granddaddy going to get up? Why is everyone coming to watch him sleep?" It really began to sink in when I would visit my grandmother after his death. I would sit in the kitchen missing him so very much. No more sermons, no more Bible lessons, and most of all no more Fudgetown Cookies.

As the years passed and I approached the adolescent phase of my life; my parents separated and my siblings and I were forced to move to a place my mother could afford as a single parent with six children; after spending our Thanksgiving in a homeless shelter. We moved to S.E. Anacostia, D.C. on ‘W’ Street. To some it was known as the hood, even though we lived one block from the Frederick Douglas home.

During those years, God and Church were not a major part of my life. We lived four houses away from a Baptist church, which sat on the corner of 13th and W Street. I can recall sitting on my front porch watching the people go to church on Sunday. Some would speak; others wouldn’t even look my way. Church was a very distant place, though it was so close.

While attending Kramer Junior High School or what is now referred to as middle school, I was introduced to cigarettes, then marijuana, and later to Bacardi Rum. I’d sip Bacardi on my way to the Panorama Room on Morris Road, on my way to party with "Chuck Brown and the Soul