The Wounded Healer Speaks: Corene Gardner's Journey to Authenticity and Purpose

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We dive deep into a transformative conversation with Prophetess Pastor Corene Gardner about her journey from insecurity to confident purpose. Her powerful testimony reveals how God took her through seasons of refinement to become the woman of influence she is today.

• Struggling with self-esteem and identity issues despite being active in ministry
• Finding freedom by moving to Tennessee and breaking free from religious constraints
• Confronting trauma directly instead of suppressing painful memories
• Balancing multiple callings as pastor, prophet, entrepreneur, and content creator
• Learning that submission in marriage means flourishing together, not diminishing yourself
• Discovering authenticity in ministry rather than mimicking others
• Building a hair care line and brand while maintaining spiritual leadership
• Understanding that healing is essential for effective ministry to others
• Recognizing that confidence develops gradually through intentional growth
• Embracing your uniqueness while maintaining spiritual foundations

Trust that God has already placed everything you need for success inside you. He's waiting for you to discover it and step confidently into your purpose. You've already won.

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, continue to press into your purpose!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, my name is Valeria Wright and this is
Pressed Into Purpose.
Let's meet today's guest.
Today's guest is ProphetessPastor Corrine Gardner.
Corrine Gardner is a passionateand visionary leader known for
her unwavering confidence,boundless energy and deep
devotion to God and His people.

(00:22):
With over 20 years of ministryexperience, she serves not only
as a pastor, but also as anentrepreneur, coach, mentor,
youtube content creator, socialmedia influencer and community
leader.
Corrine is joyfully married toApostle Gino Gardner, with whom

(00:42):
she has shared 22 years of loveand partnership.
Together, they are proudparents of their two beautiful
children, skye and Zion.
An Army veteran, corrine's lifeis a testament to resilience,
dedication and service.
She holds a bachelor's degreein human services with a

(01:04):
concentration in addiction, andis currently pursuing her
master's degree in clinicalmental health counseling at
Liberty University.
Corrine is the founder ofPampered Pretty, where she
recently launched her own haircare line.
She is also a licensed realtorin Alabama and she demonstrates

(01:25):
her commitment to empoweringothers in all aspects of life.
Known as the Wounded HealerProphet, pastor Corrine brings a
fresh and relatable perspectiveto the gospel of Jesus Christ,
bridging the gap betweengenerations and inspiring
healing and transformation forwomen worldwide.
With a unique call toentrepreneurship in the

(01:49):
marketplace.
She challenges others to expandtheir thinking, embrace
financial literacy and do thenecessary work to heal and step
into their God-ordained destiny.
Prophetess Pastor CorrineGardner is a true force for the
kingdom, a voice of healing andan innovative leader committed

(02:09):
to empowering others to thrivespiritually, emotionally and
practically.
Please help me welcome, pastorProphetess Corrine Gardner.
Thank you, welcome to thepodcast.
Thank you, I am so honored thatyou have chosen to be my guest
today.
I'm happy to be here.
Listen, listen, listen.

(02:30):
We just got to let the peopleknow we are on location in
Birmingham, alabama, okay, inthe Gardner residence.
I appreciate your willingnessto allow me and the podcast into
your home Absolutely Because,listen, I'm excited.
Podcast into your home,absolutely Because, um, listen,
I'm.
I'm excited about today'sconversation.
I'm excited about you know whatGod is, how God is going to

(02:53):
show up.
You know he will, you know.
So let's jump right into this.
Um, I have the.
I have the privilege of knowingyou for over 20 years at this
point, and I met you when youwere a mere what?
18?
Probably about 19 or 20.
Okay, all right, and listen, Ijust knew you as Gino's wife and

(03:16):
I said, oh, okay, gino got awife.
He went on to the military andgot a wife, but listen, over the
years, you are so much morethan just Gino's wife.
You are.
You are a leader, a friend, amother, a wife, a, an
entrepreneur.
Listen, all the things that I'veread, but I know, I know you to

(03:40):
be a true, genuine woman of Godand I appreciate, just I just
want to tell people I appreciateyour walk, I appreciate how you
show up in the space.
You know you meet a lot ofpeople, but the first day I met
you, I knew two things about youyou were serious Listen, that's

(04:03):
a hard fact, baby and you weregenuine Listen, that's a hard
fact, baby.
And you were genuine.
Thank you, and oh well, three,and that you love the Lord.
And so I just want to start offour conversation by asking you
this question as you look overyour life, how would you sum it

(04:27):
up to this point, my God?
How would I sum my life up tothis point, grace?
Okay, dig into that for me,grace.
Okay, dig into that for me,grace.
And if I could have a secondthing that I would say, I would

(04:48):
definitely say healed, Come on,come on, that's a journey.
You see, we're going to diginto that.
Yeah, okay, okay, it's been ajourney, yes, yes, a long
journey.
The woman that you see today,mm-hmm, it took a while to get
here.
It took a while, but I wasdedicated and determined to get

(05:10):
here by any means necessary.
And it means that come on, comeon, yeah, so, so, grace and
what was the second word, sorry,grace.
And he, that's the importantone.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, healed,healed.

(05:31):
So in order to be healed, therehave to be some wounds,
absolutely so.
You have been called thewounded healer.
Let's start, let's unpack that.
How did that come about?
God told me that he called me,he coined me that the wounded
healer.
One day I was going through somechallenges, like I normally do,

(05:52):
coming through my healingphases, going through my healing
journey, and I kept asking God,like, what is the purpose
behind all of this that I'mgoing through, the things that
I've seen, the things that I'veexperienced?
And God said because I'veanointed you to be the wounded
healer, meaning you're going tobe, you're going through so you
can help somebody else.

(06:13):
Come on, you have to journeythrough healing in order to help
others heal.
Yes, and how better way to doit through somebody that has
experienced it, because it's onething to talk about healing and
talk about going through things, but when you have lived it,
when you've been through thetrenches, it's a whole nother

(06:35):
testimony.
When you live the testimony soyou can see it in other people,
you can hear it in conversationswhen you're dealing with
someone that's broken or someonethat has gone through
situations that have broken.
Or if they're in pieces, youcan pick up on it because you've
been there.
Oh, yes, you know the language.
You know the facial expressions.
Yes, you know the heart posture.
Yes, you know the looks ontheir faces.

(06:55):
You know the words and thelingo that they speak.
That is coming from a woundedplace, yes, and so I'm very
sensitive to those areas, not tojudge, but just to push you to
heal.
Come on, listen, listen.
Don't you get me started tooearly now.
Don't you get me started tooearly.
I need my help earlier.
Listen, listen, listen, look,because I talked to your husband

(07:16):
a little while ago, okay, andlisten.
I ran about this show and Isaid we got to get your wife on
the podcast.
Yes, yes, and I said we got toget your wife on the podcast.
And now here you are.
You see what I'm saying he hasthat effect on me too.
He has that effect on me too.
He's a pusher.
I'm glad to be here, listen.
So let's go to the young Kareem.

(07:39):
Let's start where it allstarted.
So tell me about the youngKareem and what life was like
for you.
Young Kareem was fragile.
Young Kareem had lowself-esteem.
Okay, young Kareem didn't likeall of this melanin.

(08:02):
Okay, because I have big eyes,big lips and a big nose, and
then I'm dark-skinned.
But then then that was aproblem for me because I wasn't
comfortable in the skin that Iwas in.
Okay, okay, and I wasn'tnecessarily told you're
beautiful, you're beautiful justthe way you are.
You're enough, you know.
And so growing up, I had lowself-esteem.

(08:25):
I wasn't as confident as I amtoday.
That's why I said it was ajourney to get there.
And so young Kareem was veryunsure of herself.
But young Kareem knew deep downon the inside that you're going
to be somebody.
Come on, and it is.
You're going to be somebodyLike I, low-key, low-key,

(08:45):
high-key knew that I was goingto be famous.
Come on, come on.
It took me a while to come tothe realization.
It was like an out-of-bodyexperience.
You're experiencing life thisway, but inside you're a beast,
yeah, just waiting to come out,to be unleashed.
Just waiting to come out, yeah,but you just need somebody to

(09:08):
tell you that it's okay to beyou, that that it's okay.
It's okay to be different yes,it's okay that you're not like
everybody else.
It is it's okay that they don'tlike you.
It is it's okay because they'regoing to love you later, listen
, or either hate you even morebecause of where God is going to
take you See, ok, so until Icame to grips with that, uh huh.

(09:30):
And it wasn't until I Iintensified my relationship with
God that I was able to reallystart the process.
Ok, I still wasn't there, right, right, I mean, listen, that,
that, that this process, it'ssomething about the process, and
I feel like in life we'realways going through a process.

(09:51):
It's not just you go throughthe process and you all good.
Now it's time for the nextprocess, right, and the next
process the refining.
Come on.
The refiner's fire, come on,yes, listen, don't you do it
Okay.
Refiner's fire, come on, yes,listen, don't you do it Okay.
So, listen, yes, the refiner.
So, young Kareem had lowself-esteem.

(10:11):
Young Kareem was not excitedper se about the skin that she
was in Now.
When did that change for you?
That changed for me probablyabout seven years ago.
Shut up, yeah, are you serious?

(10:33):
Yeah, yeah, wow About 2015 iswhen, when the turnaround
happened for me.
Wow, the process it started whenI got saved.
Yeah, yeah, but that was yearsof process.
Yes, years of process.
That was me being saved, lovingGod, getting into the church,

(10:55):
getting serious about my walkwith God and then learning
myself as a woman.
But then I attached myself toanother woman and I attached
myself to her identity.
So now I'm somebody that I'mnot for 14 years.

(11:15):
Wow, because you are, you'relike.
Well, she seemed like she gotit together, right, this is my
example.
Maybe I should look like her,maybe I should act like her,
maybe I should act like her.
Be like her, okay.
And then I didn't have anyoneto say no, be you right, and
it's okay that you can be youand still be safe.
So it wasn't until about seven,eight years ago, wow, that I

(11:40):
came in contact with a leaderthat almost like, gave me
permission, yes, to be me, causewe need that.
Yeah, it's.
It's crazy that that, that weneed the permission, because God
has given us everything we needin the beginning.
But if nobody ever tells youright, you, you're great, just

(12:06):
the way you are.
You just need some refinement.
Yeah, like, don't change yourpersonality, right, don't change
.
You know your uniqueness, justrefine it, just refine it.
Wow, okay, so we got to unpackthis.
Yeah, because I know that'shard, that was shocking for you.
Yes, because you're like, waita minute now I've known you 20
years Exactly and you mean totell me, so that means that you

(12:35):
were Okay.
So, listen, I done messed youup.
Yeah, so that means that youwere a wife, a mother, a
military woman struggling withidentity.
Wow, now, so I know parts ofyour story.

(12:57):
So I want to, I want to ask aquestion about a part of your
story and then we can.
We can move forward, but I wantto.
I know that you became a um, achaplain in while in Iraq,
correct, yes, well, notnecessarily a chaplain.
I was still a lower enlistedsoldier, okay, and I asked God

(13:18):
told me okay, to ask thechaplain, okay, I could hold,
hold a service, and I was afraidat first.
I said, no, he's not going tolike, who am I?
I'm a female, first of allfemale, lower enlisted soldier
asking this major if I can starta service.
And God said ask him.
I've already prepared his heart.
So when I asked him, the firstthing he said to me is when

(13:40):
would you like to start?
No other questions.
When would you like to start?
No other questions.
When would you like to start?
Come on, okay.
So you were bold enough.
Yes, you were sensitive enoughto hear God.
You were bold enough to do whathe told you to do and ask what
he told you to ask to whom hetold you to ask it?
Right, and then you went outand did it, had no idea the

(14:05):
capacity of what I was doing.
Like, looking at it years laterI'm talking about 10, 15 years
later it was almost like anout-of-body experience because I
had just gotten really savedand dedicated my life to God
during that time.
So I was really zealous.
I was really on fire for GodJust had recently got married.

(14:25):
I was married on fire for God,just had recently got married.
I was married like six weeksand then deployed right, right,
right, right, freshly married,over in the sandy desert of Iraq
and I was bold enough and heardGod.
And God said do it.
And I did it.
But coming back years later, I'mlike, whoa, that was a lot, yes

(14:49):
, like literally having someonebuild me a baptism pool, fill it
up with water and I wasbaptizing people over in Iraq.
Wow, I was 19 years old, goahead.
No, no, you go ahead.
You had no idea of the capacity.
Like it's now, 10 years later,10 years ago, I'm like, wait, I

(15:12):
was really over there, like Istarted a church in Iraq and I
guess that's why, because I knewthat story.
I guess that's why I was soshocked a few moments ago when
you said you, you know, you justgot to this place of confidence
and you know, you know, beingokay with the skin you're in
less than 10 years ago.

(15:33):
So walk me through that.
I think, spiritually, I had anawakening.
Okay, like when God called me,he called me into ministry in
Iraq as well, okay, okay, toldme that I was a preacher and
that I was called to be aprophet.
Didn't quite understand thatlayer of what he had called me

(15:53):
to do, but I knew that I wassupposed to preach the gospel
over in Iraq and I did so.
But behind the scenes of whatthat looked like me discovering
myself as a woman, that wasstill a journey.
Okay, that was still a journeyfor me, okay, but I was
confident in what God had toldme to do, yes, but being

(16:15):
confident to wear my hair acertain way or to express myself
a certain way, being okay withbeing a content creator, being
okay with starting a bit, thingslike that, being okay with the
way I look and being able toexpress how I feel through the

(16:37):
way that I dress and not feellike if I wear something that
I'm not saved Listen, we'regoing to talk about that.
Because, listen, we're going totalk about that.
Because I was in my early 20s,looking 40.
You and me both, that's right.
I was just about to say thatwhen I met you, we was kids with
spirits Because, listen, Ithink I might have been 20, 20.

(17:01):
If you was 19, then I wasprobably 20, 21, somewhere,
somewhere in there.
Yeah, and baby, listen, I.
I was suited and booted likelong skirts, with the, with the
split up, slit up the back, withmy church scarf and my whole
suit look lime green, you know,and I don't forget that.
And the person and the purse,because, who, because, because,
who, not going to be coordinatedand holy, okay.

(17:24):
And when I met you, I said,okay, listen, she's saved for
real.
Okay, she's saved for real,okay, because that's what it
looked like back then.
Yes, that's what it looked like.
That was what they said you hadto look like if you was going
to be saved for real.
It wasn't just how you wereliving, it was how you were
looking.
Right, because I could havebeen living in shambles, but as

(17:52):
long as I had to look together,come on, I was in there.
Come on, now, look, let's talkabout that.
Let's talk about looking thepart, but not walking the part.
Right, right?
So, because I, I know not thatyou were perfect, because none
of us are, but you were on firefor God, absolutely Young woman,
on fire for God.
You entered the military, youhave gotten married and now you
are a young mother.

(18:13):
Yes, what does that look likebeing a wife and young mother in
the military, but then also now, because your first child is a
daughter?
Yes, what does that look likefor you and what does that
unlock in you when you have yourdaughter?

(18:33):
When I had Sky, I had alreadygotten out of the military.
I got out in 2004 when Ireturned back from Iraq and I
had Sky in 2006.
So motherhood was, for me, wasvery important because I was
determined to do it differently,to do it differently than how I
was parented.

(18:54):
So, going into motherhood, Iwas still broken.
Even after being saved a goodsix, seven years doing
everything that I did in Iraq,there was still some things in
me that I had to learn as a newwife, because the first year of
my marriage I was in Iraq, right, right.
So, coming back now, my husbandgets the brunt of my daddy

(19:19):
issues.
Yeah, okay so, because when I,my dad was addicted to drugs and
alcohol for the majority of mylife, okay, he did not get clean
until maybe three years beforehe passed, and he passed in 2015
.
Wow so Gino had to endure thosewounds early off in marriage

(19:44):
because I was not healed fromthat place.
So a lot of the arguments wereyou're not my dad, stop trying
to be my dad.
And he wasn't trying to be mydad, he was trying to be my
husband, but I didn't know thedifference Because you didn't
know what it looked like and Ididn't know what it looked like.
Okay so, parenting Sky.
I was really hard on Sky in thevery beginning and I regret

(20:07):
that now, like I have livedthrough regret with that for
many, many years, how hard I wason her in the very beginning,
because I'm a new mom fresh offthe sands of Iraq, ptsd, daddy
issues, a lot of stuff going on.
I don't know what that lookslike and now I'm trying to love

(20:31):
my child and not be my mom,gotcha.
So it was a lot of brokenness,a lot of pain and a lot of
internal, because where I was inlife at that moment, I was
almost in a tug of war with myidentity.

(20:52):
Okay, because I wanted to be whoI am, but I feel like I can't
because people won't let me.
Okay, dig into that for me,Ministry, ministry-wise.
I felt trapped.
I felt like I was in a box,like we were just talking about.
If I don't look a certain way,then my leaders have got not

(21:16):
gonna prove, they're gonna thinkI'm not saved.
I might get set down.
All of the above, all thethings.
I wouldn't dare put this redlipstick on, listen, because,
and definitely wouldn't thisoutfit was no ma'am, no ma'am,
no ma'am A red lip and someleather and some fishnet and the
blood of Jesus.

(21:36):
Okay, I've got to be Jezebel.
Okay, I got Jezi.
Come on, but see, there we areagain.
Won't let me be me, yeah, yeah,yeah, and me not being bold
enough and confident enough tosay I'm grown and I'm saved For

(22:01):
real, like I really love God.
I really love God.
Yes, if these fishnetsets gonnasend me to hell on a date night
with my husband, then, hey, Idon't know what.
I don't know what to tell you,because there was no way I
should have been in my early 20s, looking like I was 50.
Listen, I was talking to one ofmy girlfriends.

(22:21):
This was later in life,probably about 10 years ago.
We worked together and I waslike girl listen, I used to be,
I used to be shopped on thechurch.
And she was like, for real,what would you?
You know, where did you shop?
And I told her about the storethat I, no, no, it was, it was a
, uh, cat dog.
What was the name of the store?
Because they Evans.

(22:42):
I said, oh, I shopped at Evans.
Now see, evans was a placewhere, um, the, the older women
shop, you see, but my motherwould take me with her.
You see what I'm saying.
So I would go, we would go toEvans, and she would let me pick
some stuff out, right?
So I would, I would pick outwhat I thought was the young
things.
You know what I'm saying.
And, um, I said I'd be like, oh, this is, I'm cute, I'm doing

(23:06):
the thing right.
And she and I said I used toget compliments and everything.
And she said, valeria, how oldwere the people?
She said, because my grandmashopped at Evans.
I said, now, they had youngstuff.
She said, how old were thepeople that were complimenting
you?
And I sat and I thought aboutit and I said I guess there was
about between 40 and 45.

(23:27):
She said, I said, but I was, ohmy God, I was 18.
Wow, oh my God.
And it was at that moment, justabout 10 years ago, that I had
a epiphany.
Yeah, yeah, oh, you was likereal old.
I'm surprised my husband stayedwith me.

(23:49):
Listen, I remember, I remember Ihad this lavender suit.
Come on, come on, lavender.
I don't know if you rememberthat lavender suit, babe, I had
the shirt on the shirt.
It was almost kind ofsee-through, but it was covered.
Come on, it was covered.
And the lapel shirt, yeah, comeon.

(24:12):
And, babe, I had some lavendershoes.
See, that's what I'm.
Come on, listen, you had tohave the shoes.
That was matching the suit,baby, listen, hey, I remember
one day he said them shoes isugly.
I said, oh, not ugly.
I said, oh, let me go throwthem away.
Oh, that ain't it.

(24:33):
Oh, okay, my bad, cause you wasdoing it, cause I thought I
when I say I thought I was, Ithought I was doing it he said,
baby, them shoes is ugly.
It didn't even know.
Like stiletto heel, it was oneof them, block low heels two
inches.
I don't even think it was twoinches, but that's when I had to
really come to grips with it.

(24:54):
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,right.
And then what happened was itwas such a butterfly moment
because I can remember in mymind the moment I started to
transition into myself Okay,okay, let's talk about it
Because I went from one mindsetand not that it was a rebel,
like I'm just rebelling, oranything like that, but it was

(25:15):
like it was almost like Godshifted me into purpose, okay,
right on time, okay, and he knewthat I needed to go through
that journey so that I canminister to a sister that's
coming in, looking 85 and she's20.
So as I started to transition,I noticed that the ladies around

(25:36):
me took note and were inspiredby the journey Okay, and started
doing things outside of the boxtoo.
So it was almost like God hadme leading the charge of
deliverance, because some stuffyou just got to be delivered
from to say that ain't gotnothing to do with your
salvation.
Come on, your skirt is on theflow, but at the end of the day

(26:01):
it hanged you up.
Now, now, come on, now thatthing, listen, because if you
wearing a skirt but you the downto the floor, but, uh, when you
ain't in here, it's, it's, it'severywhere else, but at the
floor.
Okay, listen, what are we evendoing?
Okay, what are we even doing?
So I had to really come togrips with.

(26:25):
That's not who you are, this iswho you are, and be OK with
that.
Wow, wow, so, so I know thatyou so you're from Georgia met
the husband in Texas.
Yes, you, all you know, set uproots there and then, know, set

(26:49):
up roots there.
And then you moved from Texas toTennessee.
Yes, walk me through what wasgoing through your mind at that
point, cause at this, at thispoint, you had not had the, the
awakening.
It was along the process.
Okay, okay, so, talk, talk,talk me through that transition,
going through the UndergroundRailroad to get to freedom.

(27:13):
Wow, yeah, that's an analogy.
I felt like Harriet Tubman.
Wow, it was such a liberatingexperience.
I don't it's hard to explainunless you, unless you've been

(27:34):
there spiritually and physically, but Tennessee was freedom in
every area of my life, everyarea of my life.
Tennessee is where I became theKareem Gardner that you see now,
yeah, now that you say that Ican see it, wow, yeah, it was

(27:57):
like my awakening, yes, yes, andI felt like all the shackles
all the shackles of religion,because I'm not saying
everything that happened inTexas was bad, right, of course
not, because it absolutely wasnot.
I wouldn't be who I am todayspiritually, listen without that
foundation and the disciplineand the discipline of fasting
and praying and knowing the wordof God and being saved and

(28:20):
living for God.
I wouldn't be where I am todayif it was not for my Texas
experience, absolutely.
But I would not be the CorrineGardner that you know if it had
not been for me I had to gothrough Tennessee.
Listen, don't you stop.
It had not been for me.
I had to go through Tennessee.
Listen, don't you, don't youstop preaching over now.
Listen, because I know youListen, as Jesus had to go

(28:44):
through.
Listen, come on, I had to go, Ihad to go and it was almost as
if, as though that route it wasnecessary, it was needed and it
was right on time for where Iwas in life.
Yeah, because Minister Corrinewas birthed in Texas, okay, okay

(29:08):
, but Corrine Gardner wasbirthed in Tennessee.
Gardner was birthed inTennessee, so it was almost like
the little girl that we talkedabout earlier came to herself in
Tennessee, wow, wow.
But the two experiences worktogether.
Yes, because I needed thatfoundation of faith and to be as
disciplined as I am.

(29:29):
I had to do that.
But people, people look, a lotof women look at me and they're
like you're so confident.
What?
How are you so confident?
How are you the way that youare?
And I'm like.
It has been a journey.
Yes, I didn't just wake up andbecome Kareem Gardner.
Yeah, it was a journey ofself-love, discipline, learning

(29:53):
myself, healing from the thingsthat tried to break me, listen
and being okay with facing thedragon, being okay with
admitting that I'm wounded,being okay with admitting that
that hurt me and that affectedme.
Yes, and not trying to sweepthat under the rule.

(30:14):
No, I'm okay.
No, I was not Okay, I wasn'tthat.
I'm still living.
I still got scratches andbruises from some of that stuff.
Just because I'm moving on andI'm okay Doesn't mean it, it did
not affect me, it doesn't meanI don't have residue, and
sometimes we just learn how togo on, keep going with trauma.
But I was determined to facetrauma head on.

(30:37):
Okay.
Okay, so was because your, yourdegree is in don't don't let me
get it wrong Clinical mentalhealth counseling, mental health
counseling.
So is that what made you go intothat field or did something
else you know happen to make youhead in that direction?

(30:59):
I think it's a little bit ofboth.
Okay, because I've always.
People have always told meyou're a great listener, you
give great advice, but as aclinician, we don't give advice.
We create a space, a safe placefor people to have a
conversation, a space, a safeplace for people to have a
conversation, and so I lovetalking to people and unpacking
their stories, because I haveone too, and it's easy for me to

(31:21):
sit unbiasedly and listen toyour story and help you connect
the dots, because I had toconnect my own dots and finally
see.
That's why you're like this,this is why you got a little
control bone in you, because ifyou get that trauma disconnected
.
And so it's easy for me to helppeople unpack stuff, because I

(31:44):
had to do the work, got it, andas a therapist, we have to do
the work too, and so I'm very,very passionate about helping
people unpack stuff that theytry to sweep under the rug.
That underlining issues wherewe're having trouble connecting
with people.
We're having trouble withcommunicating effectively with

(32:05):
our spouses, with our friendsand family members, because we
haven't dealt with stuff thatwe're trying to keep moving
forward with.
But the baggage and the bonesare following us.
Listen and loud, they're loud,they rattling, they, what they
rattling, real loud.
You're like I'm good, hush,clank, clank, clank, clank.

(32:26):
I know I'm good, that don'tbother me.
Clank, clank, clank, clank.
Listen.
And at some point you have to,like you said, confront it head

(32:46):
on, deal with it, admit that itbothered you and then make a
decision that you're going to dosomething about it.
Right, I feel like a lot ofpeople finally get to the place
where they admit that there'ssomething wrong.
Finally get to the place wherethey admit that there's
something wrong, but not a lotof people take the next step to
say now I need to do somethingabout it and how do I do
something about it?
It's painful.
Well now, you're right aboutthat, digging up that stuff,

(33:08):
you're right Digging up thosewounds.
It is pain, it's a painfulexperience.
Our heart captures thosememories and it replays it, and
it's it's, it's, it's easier tojust push it to the back.
I've had people tell me thatthey don't remember their
childhood Cause they blocked itout.
They blocked it out.
It was so painful, something sotraumatic happened to the point

(33:30):
where they blocked.
They don't want to remember, sothey suppress the memories.
That's dangerous.
It is that something so painfulhas happened to you that you
block it out and you don't wantto think about it.
But it takes courage, it does.
It takes um intentionality tobe able to say let's talk.

(33:51):
Let me talk about this painpoint right here.
Yeah, because I realized thatthis has affected my marriage.
This pain point is sabotagingmy marriage, the way that I
handle my children.
This pain points.
I gotta address this as painfulas it is right, because if you
touch a wound when you, when youtalk about something that has

(34:14):
wounded you or hurt you, it'salmost like snatching the scab.
You're trying to heal it andyou snatch it right back off, so
it's best to just leave italone.
People say I'm just not goingto worry about that, I'm going
to just leave that alone.
But if you don't put noointment on it, if you don't
tend to it, then the scars aregoing to be much worse and

(34:37):
everybody's going to be likewhat happened to you, whereas if
you tend to it, if you properlytake care of it and just take
care of it, then it's not thatit didn't happen, but now you
can.
How do I want to put it?
Instead of informing your lifein a negative way, now it can

(35:01):
inform your life in a positiveway.
And you know, I've been throughsome things myself, traumatic
things myself.
And you're right, it is superduper painful to relive or
unearth something that youdidn't even realize was

(35:23):
triggering you or was causingyou pain.
Yeah, I had a experience.
It was so funny.
So I went to the chiropractorone time and and this was my
first experience with achiropractor and I went to the
chiropractor because my kneeswere bothering me Okay, so he's
doing the adjustment.

(35:43):
And about my third visit, hesaid there is a new technique
that I am practicing and I said,okay, he said it's homeopathic
and I was like, okay, I don'tknow what that is, but no, okay.
He said would you be okay withme trying this new technique on
you?
And I said, I suppose, becauseI'm nervous now.

(36:06):
Right, right.
So he took some drops Listen, Idon't know what these drops was,
listen, okay.
And he said he put themunderneath my tongue, listen.
And he said now take a deep.
He stepped behind me.
He said now take a deep breath.
And he started counting and hestarted tapping.

(36:29):
Listen, I don't even understand.
He got, he started countingfrom one and as he tapped,
tapped, tapped he.
By the time he got to six,something happened.
And he said what happened toyou when you were six?
I said say what now?
He said what happened to youwhen you were six?

(36:50):
I said I don't, I don't know.
He said just take a moment andthink about it, corrine.
Yeah, yeah, I had to thinkabout that thing.
Yeah, and what happened to mewhen I was six was my sister
almost died and I was standingthere looking at her in the

(37:13):
hospital bed in the ICU on lifesupport.
Wow, saying God, don't takeaway my best friend, mm.
Wow, wow, I was at thechiropractor.
Wow, that's powerful.
What that is powerful.
I said I ran up out of thatplace, sir, I'm going to have to
go.
I got to go Listen.

(37:34):
I ran up out of that place, sir, I'm gonna have to go.
I got to go listen.
I ran up out of that place.
I called my sister.
I said you ain't gonna believewhat just happened to me, wow.
And because my sisters were justone of my sisters is a
counselor and so she was goingthrough the process.
You know, because you know, ifyou're going to counsel others,
then you have to walk throughthat process, as you mentioned.
And then one of my othersisters had just started going

(37:54):
to therapy.
Because, you know, in ourcommunity come on, now, this is
new.
This is new that we, we go totherapy and that we, you know,
uh, deal with trauma, because inour community, for the longest
time, because of so much trauma,nobody had to.
You just got to move on, yougot to get over it, cause you

(38:15):
know what I'm saying, whathappens in this house stays in
this house.
And so when I got, I ran up outthat chiropractor and I had to
call my sister and I said hejust made me remember something
that I hadn't even, I didn'teven know it was there.
And when I told them about itthey were like, know, it was

(38:36):
there.
And when I told them about itthey were like, wow, that's
pretty deep, okay, so what yougoing to do about that?
And I was like, well, I don'tknow.
But at least I said I don'tknow.
But but, yeah, dog, um, um, I'mgonna have to really think
about this.
And that was my firstexperience with therapy wow,
through the chiropractor.

(38:56):
And I was like, if I can sitwith the chiropractor, because,
think about it, it makes sensewhen we're housing trauma.
It affects our body, it does, itshows up in pain, acheses,
mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Come on and talk about it.
My pastor says all the time,some of this dis-ease is

(39:19):
unforgiveness.
Okay, listen, period.
Yes, indeed, and so it'sunhealed trauma.
It's the things that we don'twant to talk about.
It's the things that we don'twant to allow God to uproot.
Right, ask me how.
I know, look, listen.

(39:45):
So when you first began toreally make the shift, what were
those beginning days, like?
I mean, what were theconversations that you were
having with yourself?
It started out a littleuncomfortable because it was
different.
I was operating outside ofmyself like it's okay, you can

(40:09):
do it.
I was like fly little bird.
I don't know if you remember thescene in what's Love Got to Do
With it.
That's one of my favoritemovies.
Ask Gina, I've watched it.
I can quote the movie withouteven watching it.
There's a scene in that moviewhere Anna Mae is getting ready
to go and perform on stage withIke for the first time, but

(40:31):
she's nervous.
Yes, that's me.
Okay, right, okay, okay.
So her sister Eileen says go on, anna Mae, you been practicing
in the bathroom enough.
Yes, yes, yes.
And then she took the mic andkilled it.
Listen, that's how that was forme.
Wow, like I coached myself,like you got it.

(40:53):
Yeah, you've been practicing inthe bathroom enough.
Yes, you've been practicingbehind the scenes enough.
Go, you can really live thisthing out.
You can live, you can be you,yes, and be okay.
You're still saved, still saved, you're still saved.
So now we have to talk about allthe many things that have been

(41:17):
birthed out of you reallydiscovering and walking into
Kareem Gardner, the pamperedpretty, the influencer, the
content creator, the um, the um,just the, the multiple
entrepreneur like you you're.
You have your hand in a lot ofthings and you don't just have

(41:41):
your hands in a lot of thingsjust to be doing a lot of things
.
You are successful in thesedifferent things that you've
done.
Now, I got to listen.
You didn't ask me for nocommercial, but I got to tell
y'all done that.
Now, I got to listen.
You didn't ask me for nocommercial, but I got to tell
y'all listen.
This body butter from PepperPretty.
If you don't have none, youbetter get some, because it'll

(42:01):
keep you, it'll get you nice andsoft, okay, you know, you know.
And smelling good too.
Okay, all right, amen, Uh,that's.
That's.
That was the unsolicited uh, uh, commercial.
Okay, pepper Pretty, parfaityou some.
Okay, um, praise the lord, soyou've got parfait.
You have shampoo andconditioner.
Tell me about these things.

(42:22):
Tell the people about thesethings, because I know about
these things.
Tell the people about them.
Yeah.
So I launched a hair care linebecause I've been natural since
2010.
I want to, and so I wanted tocreate my own product line
because of the strategies thatI've created for myself that

(42:43):
helped my hair grow and thrive.
I was natural for seven yearsand then I locked my hair.
Yes, you did.
You were my inspiration.
One of two great inspirations,thank you.
So I was great inspirations.
Uh-huh, thank you, listen.
So I was locked for seven yearsand I just recently last year,
in January, it's been a year Iconed out my locks.
My heart was broken, people, myheart was broken.

(43:03):
I was like, no, I mean, herlocks was down here.
I was heartbroken.
Anyway, carry on.
No, you good, I probably broke alot of people's heart, but my
lock journey was purposely done,okay, and once I felt as though
I had reached my journey ofdiscovery and loving myself,

(43:24):
because you know, when you gothrough that phase, listen,
listen to me.
Now you got to really loveyourself.
You do, because I used to be inthe mirror like babe, I look
okay, all right, babe, it's okay, because that hat do what it
want to do.
And I used to be in the mirrorlike man I look okay, all right,
man, it's okay.
Because that head do what itwant to do, okay, and you'll be
like it, don't go down, like itused to go down, and it's over
here and I want it to be overhere.

(43:46):
Them early locks yeah, I call itthe beautiful phase, everybody
call it the ugly phase, butlooking back on it and where I
was in life, I'm always evolving.
I don't ever feel as though Ihave arrived.
I always feel like I'm evolvinginto a deeper version of myself
, and so my log journey was apart of that elevation,

(44:10):
evolution, and so when I cut mylogs, when I combed them out, I
felt like I had reached a placein my journey, that what the
locks were designed to do, I didit.
Okay, as far as self-love,self-discovery, getting my
confidence back, All of thethings that people think are
cliche when it comes to the lockjourney, it really is a journey

(44:32):
.
It really is a journey to theself, love and appreciation, and
I felt as though I met thatjourney.
But along the way, I picked upa lot of tips to help people and
women take care of theirnatural hair.
So I created a natural haircare line and that was a that
was a part of my journey as well.
The pampered pretty parfait isa shea butter-based body butter

(44:57):
and hair cream that is designedto, of course, moisturize the
hair and skin, and so that wasthe beginning phases of me
evolving.
That was like 2015.
That's Tennessee version of me.
Notice that that was notbirthed in Texas, right?
I want to share this becauseand this just fell in my spirit

(45:19):
to share we, when we're tryingto walk out our purpose and be
who God called us to be and liveout dreams, we have to be on
the right soil.
We have to be in the rightplace to do so.
Yes, we have to be under theright leadership.
Yes, to be able to do that.
Yes, because it makes thedifference absolutely.

(45:41):
Had I tried to birth that inTexas, it would not have
happened.
It would not have happened.
So I had to be in the rightplace, in the right region, at
the right time, doing the rightthing in order for it to hit the
way that it is, yes, and then Iwent on from there to now.
I'm content creating.
Yes, you know what I'm saying.

(46:02):
Yes, I get.
I have over 8,000 subscriberson my YouTube channel.
I remember when you had under ahundred Listen and you said I'm
going to get to a thousandsubscribers.
That's what you said and I waslike okay, then, sis, all right.
And you was creating, and youwas creating, and you was
creating, and it was like everyhundred people, you was like,

(46:24):
yeah, I'm at 200, yeah, I bet,and I I ain't gonna lie to you I
was like I know she gonna getthere, but I don't know how long
it's gonna take her.
But, oh my goodness, I gotexcited every time you got to
the next hundred.
And now you at 8,000.
Wow, well, some people may saythat's not a, that's not a whole
lot, but it is a lot.
To me, that's a whole big deal.

(46:46):
Listen, that's a whole big dealto be at 8,000 subscribers.
Listen, and almost 9,000followers on Instagram.
Wow, wow.
So God is expanding my reach andmy influence, but the only way

(47:06):
that he was able to do that is Ihad to be me Authentically.
You and I have watched youblossom and spread your wings
and it has really been beautifulto see.

(47:29):
I didn't realize that all thosebeginning years, but when you
sit, now that you said it, I cansee it and I can see Tennessee
you coming out, breaking out theshell and then, by the time
listen, by the time y'all leftthere, you was flying, yeah,
yeah.
And so you came here.

(47:49):
It was just the Birmingham,it's just another part of the
journey and I mean I feel likeyou've always walked strong in
your ministry calling, but nowyou're walking strong in who God
has created you to be Totally,and I love it.
Thank you, I love that for youand I love that for me and I

(48:12):
love that for us.
Yes, because the more of usthat begin to walk in our't
salvation or being who you arein the marketplace.

(48:39):
God said you don't have tochoose, you can do both.
You can do both, and peoplewill try to box you in yes, they
will, and say, no, you need toconcentrate on the ministry,
don't worry about all that.
But if we don't bring themtogether, how are the
marketplace going to beinfluenced by the God I serve?
Exactly, exactly.

(48:59):
So God said you don't have tochoose, you can do both and do
them well and do them well.
You are, thank you, listen.
So you have.
So so you've got the pamperedpretty and you are a YouTuber
and an influencer.
And you are a YouTuber and aninfluencer and recently I have
seen your style videos, yourstyle inspo videos, as well as

(49:20):
these scents, honey, and listen,I ain't gonna lie to you,
you're always smelling good.
Okay, you're always smellinggood and I'm like you just be
mixing the things together and Ijust and I'll be like I ain't
finna do all that, but oh, myGod, she be smelling so good.
Look, y'all believe the hype.
She really do be smelling thatgood, thank you.

(49:41):
When she came home the otherday from a full day of work, I
hugged on her.
I hugged the neck because Ihadn't seen her in a while and I
was like, oh my goodness, shesmells amazing.
She really does smell amazing.
So listen when she tells you todo, when she tells you what you
need to do to make sure that youlayer in the scents and
everything.
Listen, listen to the woman ofGod.

(50:02):
Listen because she's trying tohelp you.
She's trying to help you.
We're saying you ain't doingall that, I ain't doing it.
Listen, I got on one fragranceright now, okay, and I only wear
fragrance every day.
You do Because I don't havetime for all that.
For me, that's like, as I'm inthe shower, I'm thinking about
the night before.
Really, I'm thinking about whatfragrance am I going to wear

(50:24):
tomorrow?
Really, wow, see, I don't be.
It ain't that deep for me, butI bless God that it's, I know,
but I bless God that he isgiving it to you.
You see what I'm saying?
Because I love.
I love that you are, you're ableto be authentically you, yeah,

(50:44):
you're able to be authenticallyyou in in the, not only in
ministry, but authentically youin your in, in, in your
appearance, and authenticallyyou in your uh, in, in, in your
um appearance, and authenticallyyou in really, every, every
aspect of your life.
So let me, let me, let's let'sswitch over back to the ministry
part of it.

(51:04):
So you are a co-pastor, you area um, you're a prophet, you're
a preacher.
Let's talk about that part andhow you have been able to
journey to get to a place whereyou were confident enough to

(51:25):
walk in, walk out all thosepieces of your calling.
So my husband and I have alwaysbeen in ministry together since
we got married.
We've always been in ministry.
But the beginning of it I wasalways referred to as Sister
Gino Say, who now, oh, wow, Iguess, I guess I did call you

(51:47):
Gino's wife.
Listen, sister Gino, sisterGino, sister Gino.
And for a while I was okay withthat.
Okay, I was good, standingbeside my husband, who was a
preacher, a powerful preacher,come on, still is A powerful
preacher, powerful teacher.
Yes, I was okay with that.
And to the Lord nudged me andsaid what about you?

(52:10):
You got something.
You ain't just a pretty face.
Come on, said what about you?
You got something.
You ain't just a pretty face?
You're not.
You're not just arm candy.
Come on, you got something inyour head too, like the old
people.
You said, listen, you ain't inyour belly, okay, okay.
And so I started tapping intothat thing.
And then, of course, you know, Iwent to Iraq preach, did my
thing, came back, led praise andworship.
I was a minister of music forabout 12 years, did that

(52:35):
passionately.
I love that, that is my passion.
I remember Listen.
And then my pastor startedallowing me to minister because
she knew I had did it over inIraq and so when I came back to
the state, she started allowingme to minister.
So that was a evolution as wellgoing through learning how to

(52:57):
preach the gospel, learning howto do it the way God gave it to
me and not try to sound likevaleria, come on, come.
Not using learned behavior inthe pulpit, but using authentic
holy spirit, led word and powerthat God has given me, and not
trying to sound like or mimic,cheryl Brady or Juanita Bynum

(53:18):
and you know all the greats thatwe hear yes, being OK with
being me, yes, and being OK withit, not sounding like everybody
else.
And then, when he refined theprophet in me, that was a whole
nother level, I'm sure.
But see, the prophet was notbirthed in Texas, it was really

(53:42):
actually birthed in Alabama,really, I mean.
But you were walking in theprophetic Well, okay, I guess
you was dabbling in it inTennessee, in Tennessee, yeah,
but so you're saying that youwere really.
I was trying to come to gripswith that.
Okay, like I hear, I see, Idream, I have open visions, yeah
, but I'm scared.
I'm scared of what I see.

(54:04):
I'm not to the point where I cansay, belia, the Lord is saying,
or the Lord wanted me to tellyou, I wasn't there yet.
I had to have a coach.
Yeah, shout out to my mentor,come on, the prophetess, kathy
Robinson.
All right, all right, come on,coached me, mentored me into who

(54:25):
you see today.
Wow, and through Holy Spirit,giving me boldness every time I
declare the word and somebodycome back and say you were spot
on.
How did you know that?
Yeah, yeah, and I give God theglory, absolutely, absolutely.
And so now I would say today Iam the most confident in my
gifts that I've ever been.

(54:46):
Hallelujah, most confident, yes, and it almost brings tears to
my eyes.
We had prayer this morning,intercessory prayer this morning
, with our team and I just weptbecause God was just speaking to
me so clearly and I just beginto reflect on God.
I thank you that I'm confidentin who I am and I'm not second

(55:09):
guessing anymore.
Now, do I have moments whereI'm like, lord, was that you, my
Lord, was that me or you?
Right, right, right, right,right, right.
Let me know when that's over.
I see it, okay, okay, I'malways walking with caution with
God.
Yes, yes, because I love Himand I fear God and I don't want
to get it wrong.
You know what I'm saying.

(55:30):
I'm not saying perfect, right,right, because I understand that
people's lives are on the line.
I was just about to saypeople's lives are at stake.
They are at stake.
See, I'm not doing this withyou.
I'm not doing this with youtoday, jesus, jesus.
So okay, I guess I'm asking youare we talking about your life

(55:53):
on the podcast?
I got to talk about that too,father, so literally, as you're
talking, right?
So it has made me reflect on avery recent conversation, a
couple of recent conversationsthat I've had, wow One with my
girlfriend that I've known foryears, and one with my sister,

(56:15):
girlfriend that we've known foryears, and one with my sister.
So I was cleaning out my officeabout two months ago and I was
going through I'm not the personthat cleans and just, you know,
throws stuff out, I'm the onethat let's look through this,
let's look through that.
So I came across some of my oldjournals Wow, from probably 15

(56:36):
years ago.
Wow, I was just reading throughsome of those.
I was like, okay, god, okay,wow, oh, wow, I've come a long
way.
Jesus, father, listen.
And I came across a passage thatI wrote God has called you as a
prophet, kareem.

(56:58):
I was like, say who now?
Because I don't remember that,you don't.
But I wrote it down.
Wow, I don't remember that, butI wrote it down fast forward.
I, my eldest sister, but Iwrote it down Fast forward.
I, my, my eldest sister is hasbeen called to the office of a

(57:19):
prophet, my and two, my twoother sisters.
They have the gift of prophecy.
Now, the gift of prophecy isvery different from the office
of a prophet.
So I knew, I, over the years, Iknew that I had the gift of
prophecy, but I don't rememberwriting down that God has called
me as a prophet, right, don't,don't remember that until I'm

(57:41):
reading it, a few months ago.
So I'm talking to my sister, theother a couple of weeks ago,
and she said and we're just,we're talking and I'm telling
her how God is stretching me inall these different areas.
And I'm just like, and I said,in every area, in every circle
that I'm in, you know, god isprovoking all my, all the, all
the people around me areprovoking me to righteousness.

(58:02):
And I was like I just, you know, I'm not mad, but I'm just like
, really, god, you just go, youjust go stretch me in every area
to do everything and all at thesame time.
That's what we do.
So you know, I'm an intercessorand I, you know, I'm a teacher
of the word of God and I knewthat God had given me the gift

(58:25):
of prophecy, but I had neverwalked in it, like not for real,
for real, like until I got towhere the church that I'm at now
and where you talk about, whereyou're planted, it, matters
Right.
So I remember we've been at thisparticular ministry for

(58:47):
probably, I guess, six, five,six years somewhere in there now
and, to be honest with you, Ididn't want to be there, I
didn't want to go there, becauseI said, lord, I know too many
people.
We know too many people.
I want to go somewhere wheredon't nobody know my name.
They don't know what I can dobecause I've been in ministry.
You know my whole life.
Listen, church, stop.
Listen.
I was lying.
Come on, tamela.

(59:12):
I was like listen.
I said God, I don't want, Iwant to go somewhere.
I don't want to do nothing, Ijust want to sit.
I don't need to be in nobody'sleadership, I don't even want
them to know that I know how todo nothing.
Okay, and I sat there for awhole year.
But I can remember, even in thatyear, very early on.
Now I'm like I'm I'mremembering this in real time as

(59:33):
I'm talking to you.
I remember sitting in the backof the church, cause that's why
I like to be in the back.
I don't.
I don't say I'm like to beupfront, like so he could pay
attention and and you know allthe things, he, he want to be
where the fire is.
I would rather be sitting inthe back somewhere.
So I remember sitting in theback and worship was, was going,
and God spoke to me and saidtell him that it's going to be

(59:57):
okay.
And I'm like tell who?
And I look, I turn around and Isee the man.
I'm like I don't know this man,I'm not telling him that, tell
him that.
I said it's going to be okay.
And I said I mean, but somebodyelse could tell him I don't,

(01:00:23):
that's how we do.
I don't know why you want me totell him.
But even in that small thing,when I find about the fourth
time he told me me, jesus, youknow what I went ahead and you
know, and at that point I wasexpecting something real
fantastic and big to happen.

(01:00:43):
You know what I'm saying.
Okay, god, I'm going to tellthe man that you said everything
is going to be okay.
I turned around, I tapped himon the shoulder and I said God
said everything is going to beokay.
And he said okay, okay, I waskind of deflated.
You thought he was going tofall out, glitz, out of the Holy
Spirit.
That's what I thought was goingto happen.

(01:01:05):
Okay, that did not happen.
But God was working on myobedience and so I see that now
you know what I'm saying Me andobedience.
So I've learned you know that.
You know obedience is betterthan sacrifice.
Yeah, I've learned.
You know that you knowobedience is better than
sacrifice.
But also I've learned that whenyou're not obedient the first

(01:01:25):
time, that is disobedience,absolutely.
And so that was challenging forme.
But to get back to the pointthat I was trying to make right,
because you know I'd just begoing off on tangents, no, you
could.
I didn't remember that until Iread it about the prophet, and
God called me to be a prophet.

(01:01:46):
And I'm sitting and I'm talkingto my sister a couple weeks ago
and she says, well, cause?
I said, well, yeah, you know.
Um, you, you know, god hasstretched me in all these areas.
And now they've asked me to,you know, pray at the altar and
stuff, and I don't know what topray.
I'm not that I don't know howto pray for people, because I've

(01:02:09):
I've been praying for peoplefor years.
Okay, I'm just more comfortableif I know exactly what it is
that you need to be praying beprayed for, needs to be prayed
for.
So I can, in my mind, to bepraying, be prayed for, needs to
be prayed for.
So I can, in my mind, hit thetarget Right.
But God is showing me that hasits place, right.

(01:02:30):
But then there's also a timewhere I just need you to depend
on me, right, and so I'm be.
As you were talking, I'mreminded of the stretch in this
area that I am currently in, andit is very uncomfortable,
absolutely.
So that was my very long way ofgetting to the question of how
did you deal with thatuncomfortability and move past
it?
Or is there a moving past it?

(01:02:52):
There's absolutely a movingpast it.
I think it's just leaning onHoly Spirit, recognizing that
it's not by power nor by might,but by my spirit, says the Lord.
So understanding that it's notabout us.
This walk that we walk is aselfless walk, and us being

(01:03:15):
uncomfortable is all a part ofthe territory, because if we
were comfortable, then we wouldthink it's us Now, that's us.
Now, that's true, we'll beconfident in our own ability.
But I always tell people whenyou're nervous, that's a good
sign.
Now you sound like my mama,when you feel like I don't know
about that.
Lord, now you're cooking.

(01:03:37):
But when you ever get up therelike oh, I got this, I'm finna,
kill them, I'm finna, kill them,I'm finna, kill this word.
The people of God, finna, getthis word.
Now, you in the flush, like theold people say.
Now you in the flush, sit ondown.
That ain't God, because aprophet told me many, many years
ago.
She said and this is aprophetic word that I got and

(01:04:00):
it's going to connect.
She didn't know me from Adam'sTom Camp, but she said God has
called you to be a prophet, butyour gift is not for the house
that you're in.
I was in Texas at the time andshe said and when God begins to

(01:04:23):
use you, if you have to thinkit's not prophecy, well, okay.
Then.
If you're spending time tryingto think about what you're finna
say or what you're gettingready to, that's not prophecy.
Wow, I train our prophets atthe church.
Well, the people with the giftof prophecy at our church.
What you're getting ready to,that's not prophecy.
Wow, I train our prophets atthe church.
Well, people with the gift ofprophecy at our church.

(01:04:45):
If you're thinking God ain'tspeaking, yeah, yeah, that's you
.
That's your own understanding,that's you.
Yes, so for me, theuncomfortability was almost like
comfort in knowing that God gotit.
Wow, I'm leaning on Holy Spiritbecause I don't know what to
tell these people.
I am clueless.

(01:05:07):
Listen, maybe some Sundays Iget up and I'll be saying, while
I'm getting dressed for church,and I'm literally telling them
I don't have anything to saytoday.
I wish you could hear my innerdialogue some Sunday mornings.
I'm not saying nothing, I'm noteven.
Am I going to work all day?
Yeah, I'm going to get up therebecause I'm going to help the

(01:05:28):
man of God.
I'm going to help the man ofGod, but I don't have it.
I just feel like I really don'thave anything to say.
Them be the days God used methe most.
Yes, because I be feeling like Idon't have nothing to say
because I don't know what totell people.
And I get in that atmosphereand God start and I start seeing
and hearing.
I'm like whoa, whoa and peopleat the altar and they're
standing there and Apostle G ispraying for them and the Holy

(01:05:51):
Spirit give me a word for thatperson in the moment.
And I'm like, ok, and he's whatI love about the way that we
operate in ministry.
We always hold space for eachother.
Ok, it's never been acompetition with he and I,
because we realized that we haveseparate giftings and we have
separate callings, but we workso well together and it's not

(01:06:13):
like, okay, I'm the dominantgift.
It's not that it's never beenjealous or he trying to squish
my gift or I'm trying to squish.
We work so well together andI'm always so grateful when he
opens up space for me.
There's never a moment inministry where he's like, all
right, I'm the only one that gotthe word.
You know, I'm the pastor.

(01:06:33):
It's never that and I'm sograteful that the men in our
ministry get to see that inaction and I'm so grateful that
the men in our ministry get tosee that in action.
It's important Because in thisregion it is a very male
dominated region where the womenthey just most of them sit and
look pretty on Sunday morningand I can do that.
Listen, yes, you can, and do itvery well.

(01:06:54):
Yes, you can.
But he understands the fire inmy belly.
Yes, he understands theanointing that's on my life.
Yes, the fire in my belly, heunderstands the anointing that's
on my life and he opens spacein every situation, every altar
call, every time we're in aministry situation.
You got anything.
I mean, I've seen it, I've seenit in action and I love to see
it, and it is a blessing to beable to witness, because not

(01:07:20):
everybody has that sametestimony.
There are some spaces where,whether it's the male, the man
or the woman, I'm the one thatGod doesn't call and you just
support.
You ain't got nothing.
I got it Right.
And it's like, wait a minute.
And what I love and what I seeall the time is and I'm going to

(01:07:44):
say this to the women a womanthat is fulfilled is a happy
woman.
Come on, say that again for thepeople in the back when a woman
is fulfilled, we can operate atour greatest capacity.
When we are fulfilledAbsolutely and I can't be, I
wouldn't be fulfilled if Icouldn't be everything that God

(01:08:05):
has called me to be, if I had tochoose, or if I had to come in
church and be silent, right,right, right and listen.
I'm going to tell you thisEarly in my marriage, I thought
that that's what I had to do.
I thought that I had to comedown, bring myself down so that
I could push him up because he'sthe, he's the leader, he's the

(01:08:26):
this, he's the that, and andalthough although he is the
leader and he should, he is thehead, because that's where God
has called him to be, that doesnot mean that I'm supposed to
push myself down.
And he even would say to mewhere is the like?
We, we had a frank conversationlike early in our marriage,
probably a year, two or three,cause we were just like this,

(01:08:48):
this ain't what we thought itwas going to be, like, this is
kind of trash, like you know,like for real, like the marriage
was not great.
And we had a conversation oneone day and it was like, and I
was like, well, I'm, I'm notdoing this, this and this,
because you know I'm trying tohelp you do this, this, this.
And he was like I didn't askyou to do that, that poet, I

(01:09:12):
never asked you to do that.
In fact, I was looking for theperson that I dated for them
three years that disappearedwhen we got married and I was
like, say what?
Now?
Say that again.
But I, but I, I thought I hadthought that submission meant I

(01:09:33):
have to dumb myself down or Ihave to push myself down so that
he can be great.
That's not what that means.
What that means, not what thatmeans at all At all, and all
that get and get understanding.
And a real man will tell youthat's not what that means.
Come on, come on.
A real man will push you toyour fullest potential and allow

(01:09:54):
you to evolve.
Yes, gino tells a story all thetime.
He said Kareem becomes a newwoman every year.
He told not one lie.
Wow, I evolve every.
It's feel like every six monthsI really do Wow, and it's not
like a, it's not a bad thing,it's this God grows me in
different areas and I starttapping into different passions

(01:10:17):
that I have, and what I loveabout being married to Gino is
he allows me to do that.
Yes, he creates space for me tobe and evolve and create and
and try stuff.
You know, because he's we're,we're adventurous.
Yes, anybody that can pick uptheir family and move to another
state more than once and don'tknow a soul in the state Listen,

(01:10:38):
that's adventurous.
And so the fact that I've donereal estate.
I'm in real estate, I'm in mymaster's program.
Now I do content creating, I'veworked at Sephora, all the
things that I'm passionate about, and I'm a first grade teacher.
Now, right, him not trying tosay now you're doing too much,
now you need to pick one thing.

(01:10:59):
You know what I'm saying.
And Now you're doing too much.
Now you need to pick one thingand sit down somewhere, be a
good wife.
You know what I'm saying.
He does not.
I'm so grateful that I have aman that says go get it.
Yes, same, same.
I have to say my husband hasalways encouraged me.
I love it.
He's always pushed me to be thebest that I can be.

(01:11:22):
Anything I ever told him Iwanted to do, he was like you
should do it, come on and youcan do it.
And recently we've been throughour ups and downs, but recently
he said to me he was like, youknow, even when I wasn't this is
what he said to me, even when Iwasn't.
This is what.
This is what he said to me,even when I wasn't trying to do

(01:11:43):
anything myself.
I always wanted you to be thebest that you could be.
He was like, even though I knowI wasn't being the best man or
the best husband, he was like Istill wanted you to flourish and
to win and to grow.
And when I look back over ourentire marriage, he ain't lied,

(01:12:04):
okay, he ain't lied and so it's.
I was like well dang, I mean,but I've been wanting you to be
the best that you can be.
And I mean, as as as of thelast few years, he has grown
into being, and flourished intobeing all that he can be.
And now he's walking it out.
Yes, and it's.
But I think about and I can'tlive in regret.

(01:12:26):
But I think about what if I hadshown up earlier as my
authentic self and not pushedmyself down?
Where would we be?
Wow, had I walked in myauthenticity early on in the
marriage?
But you know, I didn't.
It's OK, I made a differentchoice, but I'm doing it now,

(01:12:56):
but you're doing it now, and Ican see how God is moving in our
marriage as I step into allthat God has called me to be
like for real, for real.
The more I step into it, themore he steps into it, and I'm
just like, well, wow, it's likea partnership.
Gina and I have been married.
I was 19 and he was 21 when wegot married.
So we literally been togetherlong.
We've been together longer thanwe've been without each other.

(01:13:18):
Yes, yes, and we literally grewup together.
Yes, in the literal sense.
And it's so funny to think aboutbecause, thinking about those
early years and who we were thenand who we are now, yeah, I
said Ooh Lord, ooh, baby, I'm soglad, listen, I'm so glad that

(01:13:39):
God turned it.
Listen, listen, I'm so gladthat God turned it.
Listen, I was a fool.
Can I be honest?
You can be honest, can I behonest?
I was crazy.
I was crazy, but thanks be untoGod, oh God.
And I think about both of ourjourney to who we are today and

(01:14:00):
how we've matured, how wecommunicate now.
You know what I'm saying andhow we say okay, remember, I
used to.
Yeah, I remember that I ain'tlike that.
Listen, that was whack.
You know what I'm saying.
I was almost out of here.
Glad you got delivered, glad yougot that together, because you
was about to be homeless.
You know what I'm saying?

(01:14:21):
Stuff like that.
Yes, so I think we evolvedtogether.
Yes, as as couples.
You know what I'm saying.
When you got the right one, itdoesn't matter if we weren't
able to be our authentic self.
It's okay, because the journeycontinued and they created space
until we got ourselves together.
Come on, and just like Icreated space for him to gather

(01:14:44):
himself, he created space for meto gather myself, and I think
that's all a part of love andgrace with your partner and
being able to see them at theirworst, but being able to see
them at their best.
Yes, I'm looking at you at yourworst, but I can see the best
in you because it's listen, okay, now we, we need to.

(01:15:05):
I was about to turn the cornerso we could come on, turn it
down.
But, baby, listen, listen as we.
We need to talk about.
We need to talk about listen.
We need to talk about thismarriage piece and how it is our
responsibility as the wife tospeak life, listen, and I

(01:15:26):
learned a piece of that from you.
Praise the Lord, listen, becauseyou was speaking life out in
these streets and I didn't seeit.
I'm going to tell you thatright now Is this camera on.
I didn't see it, but I spoke ituntil I saw it.
Listen, you was out in thesestreets speaking life and I said
, oh, I said I don't know what Isaid about mine, but you know,

(01:15:52):
but I saw the potential Listen.
No, don't get me wrong.
I saw what you could be.
I saw what he could be, but Iwas like but he ain't God, I
don't see it.
I mean, I see what he could be.
Why he don't see it?
Because I wasn't speaking it.
I wasn't speaking what I saw.
Come on now, look now you gotme going back to the prophet.

(01:16:13):
See, you got to start at home.
Yeah, you got to start at home.
Yeah, if I can't call out whatI see in my house, how am I
going to go outside the housethat part and prophesy to
somebody else Come on, oh God,help me.
Holy Ghost, let me share thiswith you.

(01:16:33):
I can remember when Gino was aspecialist in the United States
Army, uh-huh.
And I can remember saying youwon't be that long.
Hmm, see, that doesn't fit whoyou are, mm-hmm.
So I saw the bigger picture.
I saw him at his rank that hewas when he retired Come on.
Also, when Gino was cuttinggrass, come on, working at bills

(01:16:59):
, uh-huh, like in his song,strapping Just to Make the Ends
Lean, strapping Just to Make theBills.
Listen, I saw him as thewealthy man that he is today,
come on.
So I knew it was only going tobe a matter of time before he

(01:17:20):
stepped into that full potential, the job that he has now.
I already saw that 15 years ago.
Wow, didn't know how it wascoming.
I said now, lord, I need you tohurry up.
Listen, come on, jesus, bringit to manifest, manifest it
right now.
But God said no, I'm not goingto manifest it yet because

(01:17:41):
there's still some things in youthat I need to do.
Listen, we got to get up offhere.
Okay, listen, we got, becausewe about to go a whole other
hour and we listen, I'm going tohave to have you back, yes,
ma'am, on the podcast.
I'm going to have to have youand your husband together on the
podcast Because, listen, we gotsome stuff to talk about that's
going to help the people,because we have helped the

(01:18:03):
people today.
I'm telling you I'm not y'all,I'm sorry, but we got to cut
this interview off because we'regoing to be here all night and
we got some other things to do.
So, but I listen, let's wrapthis up and tie this in a bow.
Let's wrap this up and tie thisin a bow.
And if you had to give advice toa woman who was trying to

(01:18:31):
understand or discover who sheis and who she is in God, what
would you speak to her?
What would you say?
I would say God has given youeverything you need to be
successful.
It's already on the inside ofyou and he's waiting on you to

(01:18:53):
discover it.
He's not going to allow outsideinfluences to tell you who you
are.
I know you're waiting onsomebody to say hey, you're
called, you're anointed, you'rea prophet, you're an evangelist,
you're a teacher.
God is not going to allow,because you have to trust what
he says about you.
His word concerning you is true, yes, and he wants to know that

(01:19:17):
you trust him and what hethinks and what he says about
you.
He wants to know that you trusthim and what he thinks and what
he says about you.
Dig deep.
Everything you need is alreadyon the inside of you.
Be confident that he that hasbegun a good work in you is able
to perform it.
Come on, you got this, girl wewon.

(01:19:38):
Come on, listen, listen and onthat note, listen, girl we won.
Come on, listen, listen and onthat note, listen, girl we won.
We are going to wrap up thisPrestige of Purpose podcast
episode.
I just want to say thank you,thank you.
Thank you.
Prophetess, pastor,entrepreneur, influencer, wife,

(01:20:00):
mother, daughter, sister, friendCorinne Gardner, thank you so
much for joining me today.
Thank you so much for your yes,thank you for being
authentically you.
Thank you for having thecourage to step out and be all
that God has called you to be,because, because you've done
that, now other people can seethat they can do it too.

(01:20:22):
So, listen, we will see y'allnext time on Preston to Purpose.
Until then, continue to beblessed.