Feb 27, 2023
Kimberly Hobbs
Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host,
Kimberly Hobbs, I'm the founder of a Women World Leaders. And
today, we are here to encourage you, to empower you to walk with
Jesus to find what that beautiful purpose is that God created you
for and use it because he did create you for a purpose. And one of
the things we love to do is bring guests on that share their story,
that can also help encourage you because possibly you can relate to
what they've gone through in their life, or hear about how they are
seeking God in their life and in their walk, which in turn helps us
and we just love what God does. Through these interviews that we
do. Today is Tammy Hansen, who is our guest welcome, Tammy.
Tammy Hanson
Hi! Thank you for having me.
Kimberly Hobbs
Of course, Tammy is from Orlando, Florida. And she is going to be
talking today about surrendering and it's not easy. It's not easy
to surrender. But we believe that every believer has received grace
gifts. So God says use them to serve one another, as faithful
stewards of the many colored tapestry of God's grace. That's First
Peter 410. And Tammy is going to be sharing today about some of her
gifts and what God has done in and through her life to allow her to
continue on in serving him. So I want to share a little bit about
who Tammy is. And Tammy Hansen is a single Christian walking with
Jesus for over 20 years. She holds a Master's of art in Biblical
Studies. She enjoys acting, and playing piano or drums on the
praise team at her church. She also enjoys Disney theme parks
traveling with her mom and friends and loves her two chihuahuas to
Keita and Coco. Tammy love learning to follow the example of Jesus
in the gospels. And she studied his life and how to love the
Father, and to love people. But she loved her career too. So today,
she's going to share a little bit about her story of 23 years in
the corporate world, and climbing that ladder of success that I'm
sure some of you can relate to. And that's where she saw that she
could be a witness for the Lord was in that time, and she's going
to talk a little bit about that time until something devastating
hit. So Tammy, do you want to share about that time in the
corporate world until you got that devastating news?
Tammy Hanson
Oh, yes. And I, having worked in the corporate world. Little did I
know that the Lord was gonna have me there for so long. But
anyways, when I first started out working at Publix corporate
headquarters in the retirement area, I was so eager to learn
everything about the retirement plans. And I started in at the
bottom level. And once I got my, my desk organized, and all my work
done, I always wanted to take on other tasks to learn other things
about the retirement department and grow. And little did I know
that and now especially looking back, having done that I never in
that 23 year career had to apply for a position in the retirement
department. They always came to me and asked me if I would like to
be promoted to whatever was next. And I'm I was just like, yes. So
with that being said, I did the same thing. Every time I was
promoted, I always learned my position, got really good at it, and
manage my time very well and did the same thing learned something
new about another level within the retirement department. So with
that being said, again, it happened again, they'd asked me if I
wanted to be promoted to the next level and so on and so forth. So
that kind of happened in my career. Working at Publix, and the very
last position that I had in the in the retirement department before
I started praying to the Lord about is this what you want me to do
for the rest of my life? If so, you're going to have to allow or
make something happen. For me to know that it's us speaking Lord. I
was promoted to one of the top positions within the retirement
department was titled The agent and the analyst on the retirement
plan at Publix supermarkets Incorporated. And if you know much
about Publix supermarkets, their retirement plan is one of the
biggest in the nation. It's an employee stock ownership plan. And
it's, it's owned by the employees and Publix gives you stock based
on your eligible wages. So with that being said, every year,
associates if you qualify if you met the criteria, you got paid
public stock shares in your retirement plan, which is a federal
retirement plan based on your eligible wages for that year. And
sometimes that can be 8.5% of your calendar year wages in stock and
then you have to imagine the the growth the growth year and if the
stock splits so the compounding interest on that. It's crazy. I
don't have the number in my head as far as what a stock if you were
to purchase stock way back when would it be would be valued at
today, but I can tell you this the numbers the the amount. It's
It's It's crazy. Good. So all that being said, I did I had a cush.
I had a cush position there the last few years working with Publix
until I started feeling a little stagnant in my position and just
started praying. But anyways, right in the middle of that career
with Publix, I were women. So I can say this, I started seeing the
signs of breast cancer, breast cancer, I just saw the signs not not
to be weird about I just saw the signs, like when I go for my
checkups this, that and the other to do your self examination. So I
was like, you know, maybe it is time to do that. But wait and do it
the right time, you know, after your monthly. So that one
particular month, when I started seeing those signs, I did the self
examination in the shower, because they said that's really a great
place to do it. And lo and behold, I'm like, Huh. So I found a knot
in. I waited, I was at first I was like no, you know, I was trying
to tell myself that no, this can't be. But I finally made the
appointment and went and found out that I was that I had stage two
actually was odd because I was like the size of the tumor. I was in
the middle of stage one and stage two. Anyways, I think they coded
at stage two, stage two breast cancer. But my doctor said if I
followed through with the protocol that he had put down for me,
after all the biopsies and everything that it's everything I would
survive. So I really liked this particular particular doctor a lot.
And a lot of people started coming saying you need to go get a
second opinion, second opinion. And I'm like, No, I really liked
this doctor. And I really like what he's about. So I stayed firm,
even though I had all these other people coming at me with you need
to go get a second opinion. I felt very confident in my decision to
stay with that doctor and all my other doctors were there anyway,
so I had to stay firm in my decision. And what I felt the Lord was
telling me to do. And so anyways, I I listened to that, and I stuck
with it. And I'm so thankful that I did because in the end, the
Lord took care of all the finances, because my health insurance and
foreign pharmaceutical insurance had changed. That year, they put a
cap on the pharmaceutical side. And Anyways, long story short, that
place Watson clinic Cancer Care gave me all the medication that I
needed, which was over 20 grand worth of self injected drug that I
needed in that time to boost my white and my red blood cells. So
that was a blessing and in my I was like Thank You, Lord, that I
listened to you.
Kimberly Hobbs
Amen. To me, and Wow. Thank God and thank God for your healing too.
And I'm just so grateful for that and I can't imagine that time.
You know, you going through that walking through that and working
again in the corporate world and having a lot of pressures hitting
you from that way. Because when you are way up the ladder, there's
a lot of responsibility that goes with that. And then you're
dealing with this devastating news. And I know that there's women
out there right now relating to you being in the workplace work
environment, but yet you're hit with such tragedy, and news like
that, you know, it rocks your world, almost to a halt. But so you
were struggling at that point with thinking about an early
retirement, surrendering that corporate job and you were concerned
about finances as well. And you were ready to step out in faith and
believe that God was going to catch you and carry you. But some of
our listeners right now, don't necessarily know you know how to
relate right there. But But you did. You took that step of faith,
you stepped out, and God took care of you in ways you couldn't
imagine, Tammy, and you shared that with me on a separate call. And
I just thought, wow, that is so amazing how he did take care of
you. And during that time, he used your grandmother in a profound
way, financially, emotionally. And can you talk about that time and
even how your life as an actress too came involved in that time?
Talk about that time?
Tammy Hanson
Yes, after after I'm actually listening to the Lord and
surrendering my will. Leaving my cush job. With Publix. I say Cush,
it, it was moments, but I think we're still all still blessed. When
we have a decent career no matter what, because it's just amazing
that we live in a country and that we can actually work in a
corporate world and have all these benefits, etc, etc. But anyways,
when I left the company I was so I was like, Okay, Lord, this is my
retirement, this is what I have. This is probably only going to
last me if I'm doing my numbers, right, about five or six years,
which is still a blessing, but I'm like, I thought this was for
retirement. And I'm not normally 47 I think I can't remember my
age. But anyways, so I built a home. I built a home for my
grandmother and I knew that she needed me. My grandmother raised me
my grandmother took care of I was a brat so she spoiled. She
spoiled me she but anyways, I thought it was her turn meaning my
turn to take care of her because she needed me. So I resigned from
Publix. And I said, Okay, Lord, not my will, Your will. Long story
short, I took my grandmother in, moved her in my home, got a room
all nice and setup. Just made it really cute for her and we had a
conversation. And she's told me, I don't want you to retire. I
don't want you to touch your retirement. I want to take care of
this. So my grandmother because she was blessed in those areas,
because she had my grandmother widowed, she found love twice and
widowed twice and her 88 years that she was on this earth. Both
husbands left her with nice pension and security at a little higher
than the average. So she took care of the mortgage and everything.
So I didn't have to touch my retirement. I was like it's beautiful.
Your god or something, you know, you know what you're doing? I'm
just saying that we all know that he knows a lot more than we he
knows further down than we do. But um, anyways, so I was like, Wow,
Lord. So in the midst of that, so I didn't have to worry about
finances, grocery, she took care of everything. Everything she even
spoke bought me. We went on road trips. She even bought me a few
things here and there, which I was like, Thank you, you know, she's
still spoiling me in my 40s she I the Lord also used her as
sandpaper in my life because I've never I'm uh, I'm divorced. I've
been divorced for over 20 years myself. I'm married very young, but
never had any children. So I've never had to take care of any human
being. So so I really didn't have like compat there were some fat
things I was lacking. So he definitely used my grandmother, and I
call it as sandpaper because I had some rough edges and still do
mean, but wow. He used her in her have found way in that area. And
also to as far as doing fun things in my life being an actress, she
brought that up. She's like, you remember when you used to do this?
And I'm like, yeah, she's I said, are you okay with me? She's like,
Yeah, so there was time, I could leave her an hour or two by
herself go take an acting class. And little did I know that it
would lead into much more. Today as far as acting?
Kimberly Hobbs
Absolutely, absolutely. Ladies, we don't know the plans that God
has for us. But he does have plans. And when you think about
surrendering your life at different times, like Tammy, she was hit
with breast cancer, she surrenders her life. But God was taking
care of her. She couldn't really focus in that part of her life
anymore in the corporate world. And she took that step of faith, to
leave it, and God says, for us to commit everything that we do to
the Lord, trust Him. And He will help you that Psalm 37 Five, I
love to share that verse all the time, because that's exactly what
you did. Tammy, you trusted him that he was going to help you and
grandma helped with? Well, you call her nanny helped you with your
finances helped you get into acting school helped you? There was
even more which we're going to talk about which was going to
college, but he was already on your financial needs before you even
retired or resigned for corporate because that's what God does. He
goes before us, he already knows the plans he has for us. So how in
the world did you get into getting your master's degree in Biblical
studies, that was later in life?
Tammy Hanson
That actually, when I was, I was still working it. I was still
working at corporate and I, we all know when we go to, it's great
to go to church. But when you don't, like I didn't learn, I was so
focused on playing music, that I was like, It's time to get up back
on a platform that I would listen it not. And I was terrible with
reading the Word. I admitted I was ignorant. For several years of
my going to church, even though I've been going to church for over
20 years, I was ignorant in the beginning. So on my I felt like the
Lord put on my heart to start going to school because the church
that I had been attending started giving classes, and you could
earn credit and earn a degree. So I was like, I'm gonna do this.
Oh, so um, when I felt like he put it on my heart to do I started
classes a little did I know, I'd be master's degree all these years
later. But I'm so thankful that I did it because I knowing knowing
more about the word and why we're even here in studying the life of
Jesus. And just really, even though I say I have a Master's, there
are people out there that have four and five masters. By the way, I
learned that I was like, what I'm like, I'm stopping at one.
Because keeping the main I'm sure I mean, that's just me, because I
already I understand I'm like keeping Jesus keeping the main thing,
the main thing and that's loving God and loving people and being
trying to do our best by following Jesus Christ, because Jesus
Christ was our example. He came here on this earth. And you can
read it in the four gospels, how he lived his life, here, and when
we keep the main thing, the main thing and then that is Jesus, I'm
like, I think I'm gonna stop here, Lord, with the Masters I've had,
you know, I'm thankful to have had the time to you know, take those
classes and learn why I'm even here and the whole story because the
whole Bible is just it leads all the way up to Jesus. It's all
about Jesus anyways, even though you have the old and the new. I
didn't know that I would not have known that had I not gone to
school, and praise God for church, I love church. But for me to
have learned what I've learned school was the way for me to go and
here I am with a masters and think thank God I'm, I've graduated,
couldn't live my life now and, and have a firm foundation. That's
the other thing is have a firm foundation, especially what I'm
called to do,
Kimberly Hobbs
Amen, amen. I love love, love that because, again, you weren't
necessarily planning that out but God already had a plan for your
life and he moves us, right he moves us in the directions that we
should go and we are in tune with him and you are surrendering Your
life for a purpose and God had you moving in that direction. And I
love that. So God was already on your financial needs your
emotional needs before you even retired or resigned from corporate.
And so I love that he had a plan for Tammy, he has a plan for you
ladies and He will take care of your future. There's a scripture
that says, show me the right path, oh, Lord, point out the road for
me to follow, lead me by your truth and teach me and God was
teaching Tammy, for you are the God who saves me all day long, I
put my hope in you. And that's what Tammy did. She put her hope in
God, that Psalm 24, four and five. So you have this master's degree
Tammy, where are you going with it? And what is God telling you to
do with it at this age in your life, because you are an older life,
you go and get your Masters at this age in life. So now now
what?
Tammy Hanson
I don't know. The what really is, I have peace about in my spirit
regarding my masters. I am called to work in both the secular and
the Christian film world. And for me to go in and be able to read a
script, whether it's family friendly, or versus a Christian script,
because sometimes there are Christian scripts out there that aren't
aligned with the word. And you have to be really careful. Not that
I'm perfect. Not that I catch everything. But I can say that right
now, because I did recently read a script that was Christian and it
wasn't aligned with the word and I was like, in I don't want I want
to have a firm, solid foundation. And I want to, even though I'm
gonna I mean, I'm not perfect, we're all going to make mistakes.
That's one of the main reasons why how my degree degree is going to
be used. I don't see myself as being a teacher, I just see myself
as going out in the world, just like Jesus's disciples did. And
being that disciple, and being who that person being an example of
Christ to whoever may come my way, you know, when we're on a set,
when we're learning a script, whether it's family friendly, versus
a Christian script, you have to be real careful with that. Because
when it's labeled, that you don't want to steer someone in the
wrong direction with beliefs in the way the word is extremely
aligned. Text contextually. Now, anyways, the main reason right now
unless the Lord changes it, and you know how he, the Lord does,
sometimes you're on you're going this way. And he might come in and
say, Nope, I want you to go this way. So that's another, that could
happen. But to be honest, right now, all I know is it's just going
to be used as far as me making the right decision and right choices
when I'm reading a script. Or when I'm in the presence of someone
that may or may not know the Lord or has a question about the Lord
and praying and hoping to lead them in the right direction
contextually.
Kimberly Hobbs
And I love that I love that he used your education and gave you
confirmation right away, even with this movie that came about and
you had to reject it, because it went contrary to what you now
know, because of your master's in Biblical Studies. Like, wow, God,
thank you, you know, even for that one moment that you did decided
not to take part in that. And so I respect you for that, Tammy, I
do or and it's hard. It's hard, because again, that's another form
of surrender, right ladies listening that, you know, I'm sure she
wanted that job. She wanted that money. She was excited. You get
excited when things come your way. But it could also be a test
lady. So be careful because again, God is going to test your heart,
your your, your surrender to him, and I am thankful that you chose
because of what you know, and God gave you that wisdom to discern
at that moment, and you chose the right the right thing to do. So,
in closing, let's talk to the woman right now who is facing her
surrender moment. Tammy, it may be a career that she has and she
wants to have kids and she's got to leave that career or maybe
taking a step of faith to serve God somewhere out there and it she
doesn't know Oh, she should take that step and do it because that's
going to require surrender. Or maybe she's leaving a broken
situation that's holding her captive. What can you share with her
in a minute of what she should do from your heart, just share?
Tammy Hanson
I would say just expect, you know, with confidence and know that
the Lord, His plan is so much better. Even though it may not look
the way we want it to look in the present in the here and now. Just
take one day at a time and pay attention to what he's saying to you
now. And if he's not speaking, he's just giving you peace and rest,
but he's not literally speaking to you audibly or confirming things
in your spirit. Just listen to remember the last thing that he told
you. That's what I hold, held on to. And even now in my life, same
thing. There are questions that arise because he's stretching me
now I think he's going to stretch us until the day of glory. Right?
And so for me, I'm having to hold on to the last thing that he
said, because he's making, he's allowing me to rest right now and
enjoy his presence.
Kimberly Hobbs
An amen for that. I love that he is and he's allowing you that
time. That's beautiful. And, and yes, Lady is just what she said,
you know, God's gonna show you and he says, For my thoughts are not
your thoughts. neither are your ways, my ways, declares the Lord,
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. And, ladies,
that verse has so much right there that, you know, why do we
continue to take control over our lives when God clearly says that
he knows more than we do. He's all knowing all powerful with Him,
all things are possible. So when you surrender, whatever that issue
is in your life right now that you're just holding on to so tight
that decision. Just remember that God's ways aren't your ways. And
when you trust Him and rely on Him for everything, when you go to
his word, he's going to take care of you. He's going to see you
through just like he saw Tammy through with providing her
grandmother who provided finances, who provided emotional help for
her when she needed her. At that time during breast cancer, and
then going to acting school and encouraging her to get back in God
took care of her all the steps, he's going to take care of you all
through the steps of whatever it is you're facing right now. Be
confident with that, know how much he loves you be patient, listen
to the right voice. And I love the scripture in Isaiah 3221.
Whether you turn to the left, or to the right, your ears will hear
a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it. Listen for
that voice. As we have to close out I just want to thank Tammy
Hansen for being our guest today. And Tammy, if there is any way
that the ladies want to reach out to you or watch some of your
movies or films, or how can they look for you
Tammy Hanson
Right now, on Tubi. I don't know if you're familiar with the
streaming to be TV. One of the movies that we did to bring
awareness to the human sex trafficking is called not for sale. I
have one of the lead roles and that it's streaming now on to BTV.
Also, I have Instagram and Facebook and Instagram. If you want to
follow me it's Tamizh live one to seven. And then on Facebook, I
have a page, Tammy Hansen actor, and you can follow that. And I
post when I have things that are completed, I usually post a link
on those two social media sites.
Kimberly Hobbs
That's wonderful. Thank you so much, and the ladies can reach out
to you there and ladies always know that any of our guests if you
would like to reach out further and you forget, you know, and you
just contact us we can help you through him and world leaders to
find who you're looking for. And Tammy is one of our women world
leaders I'm so grateful to say and she indict and Deanna Elaine,
who is another comedian, actress, faith based. They together do
some fun things for women, world leaders, and they're doing these
little short films. So if you're on our Facebook group, or yeah,
they're mainly shown on our Facebook group. It's about the voice of
truth magazine, which is our magazine that comes out quarterly. And
to me, in the end, do these cute little stints and their comedy.
It's kind of just so cute. But anyway, you can see a little bit of
their acting. And I do want to share about voice of truth magazine
while I'm on that, that ladies, this magazine is beautiful. It goes
out to the world digitally for free. We're in 70 countries, and
this magazine will bless you it comes out. Like I said, quarterly.
And we also have the printed version that is available through our
website, if you'd like to have it mailed to you. It's 100 pages
color, it's coffee, table quality, it's done with excellence for
our Lord. Every magazine contains the gospel message of Jesus. And
we are grateful for that because it's all about lives coming to
know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. And then this
magazine is to bless women, we don't have advertisements in it
anything this is truly to bless you. So if you would like a copy of
voice or truth, just go to www dot women world leaders.com. There
is also many other things on our website available for you daily,
we have the devotions. And we have events that come up we have
books that you can read or even be a part of if you are feeling led
to be part of this ministry in any way, one of the things we offer
is writing. You can write your story if God's given you a story in
one of our books. So think about it, pray about it. We'd love to
have you with us from wherever you are in the world. We have
leadership connect every third Monday of the month on Zoom. Ladies,
there's a lot to do in women world leaders if you would like to
join us and we would love to have you join us. But for now we have
to close thank you again Tammy Hansen for being our guest and
ladies from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders all
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beautiful day in Jesus