As I closed my eyes in prayer, I saw this striking image of an invisible hand uprooting a great tree. Dirt and dust clung to the roots as the invisible hand pulled it from the ground. Then I saw water, rushing through the weaves and tangles in the roots, washing away the dirt and dust, and leaving the tree, floating detached from its last remembrance of home. The tree hung mid-air, the wind blew between it's roots. Alone.
Then, with one, decisive action, the invisible hand plunged the tree with its roots, deep, into new ground. Blink. It was over.
In the Fall of 2015, the Lord had uprooted me. After a year of constant, grueling travel, with great success but even greater desolation, the Lord, violently pulled me out and away from everything familiar. I didn't release a Christmas record, parted ways with my management team and cancelled my Spring tour dates. I paid my debts, moved in with a friend, and entered into a season of prayer.
Packing my life into a Uhaul trailor and heading to Dallas.
From the time I woke up, until the time I fell asleep, I prayed. If I felt moved to call someone, I would call them. If I felt moved to go somewhere I would go, and I would pray. Looking back, it amazes me how grace-filled that time was. Though I wasn't working and had no income, I was not afraid. I was not anxious. I was just listening. And the Lord provided in abundance.
Many of you have been looking at my social media posts and I'm sure you're confused: Nashville, New York, Dallas, Baltimore, Dallas...where am I?
I've prayed a lot about sharing this story publicly...it's one that I've really only shared with close friends, families, and those involved. But I believe that now, it's time to share with you.
It was about 2 years ago, around this time, I first witnessed the wonders and supernatural miracles of God. Within the first week I watched as God healed a man with a torn ACL and a girl with a broken ankle - a few days later I watched in wonder as the name of Jesus helped a crippled man walk and removed 15 years of chronic pain. As I searched for answers and understanding, Jesus brought incredible people into my life. He brought those who could prophesy and others who could teach and some who could discern spirits.
I started talking to priests, friends, lay persons, skeptics...what does this mean? As I asked more questions, the Lord revealed more of His power.
I watched as Jesus worked in stage 4 cancer patients and made tumors disappear. He gave prophetic images and brought deliverance. And each time He worked, I witnessed the Kingdom grow. I witnessed conversion.
But then, I witness something that stirred so deeply and so profoundly in my heart that it changed everything. It was the realization that Jesus would work through ANYONE who asked. He didn't show partiality or preference. The concept that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit were reserved for only rare and very pious mystics was wrong.
As I shared the knowledge that I was learning with others, I watched them, almostimmediately begin to act, to the same degree, in the same signs and wonders that I too was witnessing. We were all acting in the charisms and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was spreading like a wildfire. The harvest was indeed plentiful.
So I researched. I studied. I learned. But even more, I prayed.
View from the round table at the Dunwoody Seminary.
On June 2, 2015, I met with a group of clergy, scholars and lay persons in the basement of the Dunwoody Seminary in New York, and finally shared the vision that Jesus had been growing in my heart during my months in prayer.
I dreamed of building a brick and mortar school of Discipleship - where students and catechist come to receive in-depth training on how to operate in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. Of a future, where it was ordinary for Catholics to prophesy over each other, and pray for miraculous healing, and for deliverance. Where a non-believer walks into a Mass and can not help but be moved to his knees, crying out, "Surely, God is in this place".
Under the supervision of a few faithful priests (most especially, Fr. Michael, my pastor), I've was given an opportunity to try to bring this vision to life. I was invited to Mary Immaculate Parish in Farmers Branch, Texas and was given permission to begin assimilating the collective teaching of the Catholic Church on the supernatural charisms of the Holy Spirit and to prototype a course to teach ordinary Catholics how to grow, mature and act in these gifts.
The Beta Class participates in round table discussions of Holy Spirit 101 in September of 2015.
The course was academic in nature, subdued and unemotional. Our first class began in August of 2015. By the end of the 5 week program, 39 of the 40 students were operating in the supernatural. I watched with wonder as these average, ordinary Catholics began to prophesy, heal, and deliver in the name of Jesus.
We did not teach individuals about one or two charisms we thought that they possessed, we did not divide them into groups based on ability and we did not teach anything that was in the realm of speculative theology. We taught with conviction that each member possessed the Giver the of the gifts and therefore, had the potential to yield to any and all charisms. We stressed docility and listening to the voice of God. We preached obedience and we taught only the approved teachings of the Church.
Photo taken the day we got the imprimatur from Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Diocese of Dallas.
In February of 2016, the curriculum received a nihil obstat andimprimatur. Today, the course, called Holy Spirit 101, is shaking up Farmers Branch, Texas. In less than a year, our monthly Nights of Healing have become the largest, regularly occurring Adoration/healing nights in
the Dallas Diocese. The Lord is working mighty wonders - bringing families together, curing the sick, casting out evil and growing the Kingdom of God.
Over 100 students have completed the course and now it's time we begin to share it with the world. In the next 6 months, we are looking at having prayer teams available after Mass, beginning a street evangelization ministry and developing 3-day weekend retreats to send students out on mission to share this knowledge with other Catholic Churches.
Some have called us charismatic. Others ask if we are part of the Renewal. But I say we are disciples. We are here to preach the message of Jesus Christ - of repentance of sins and salvation.
As for me, I am still writing music. I am still touring. I do not believe I will ever stop doing these things. However, I feel that the Lord has planted me here in Dallas with the Arise Ministry program.
Please, pray for Arise Ministry at Mary Immaculate. Pray for continued revival in the American Roman Catholic Church.
All my love, and I promise to write again soon,
Tori
To learn more about Arise Ministry at Mary Immaculate, visit:
www.ariseworshipministry.com