Your Transformational Coach with Dr. Leanne Goff

The Rewards of Perseverance: How Health and Faith Shaped Tiffany Howard's Life

Leanne Goff

Ever wondered how to triumph in the face of adversity? 

This week, I am reconnecting with Tiffany Howard and continuing her story from last episode (if you missed it, go take a listen).

Tiffany beautifully illustrates how she rose above hardship to not just survive, but to truly thrive. She reveals how an amazing health program drastically transformed her life, gifting her with a beautiful family and a world of opportunities.

Our focus then shifts to the overlooked aspect of health within the church community. Tiffany and I delve into the profound impact taking care of our bodies can have on our mind, finances, and wider communities. We discuss how the church's neglect of physical health can actually hamper individuals from fulfilling their God-given missions. The intimate conversation highlights the crucial role of momentum in personal growth and transformation.

Finally, we explore the transformative power of relationships, faith, and shared experiences. Tiffany and I candidly share how our businesses have served as platforms to share God's love with those who have been hurt by the church or have developed stigmas about it. 

As we close, we reflect on Tiffany's inspiring journey of generating wealth for community betterment, emphasizing the importance of embracing our roles as both priests and kings. Join us for this soul-stirring and life-changing conversation with Tiffany Howard.

Thanks for joining us today!

You can learn more about Leanne Goff Ministries by visiting our website: https://leannegoffministries.org/

Leanne’s latest book is available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Missionary-Millionaire-Transforming-Cultures-Priests/dp/195536213

You can also find her book on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Missionary-Millionaire-Audiobook/B0C9VYD6V6

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Speaker 1:

Hey friend, I'm Leanne Goff, you're a transformational coach. Every week I'm here to help you make radical progress in your spirit, in your mind, in your body and in your finances. Let's dive in, hey friend, leanne Goff, here the transformational coach, and I'm here to help you not just have a transformation in your spirit and your soul, but in your body and your finances as well. Because in my world, jesus said I desire to be healthy in spirit, soul and body, and then I tag on to that finances. My father is not poor. He's got streets of gold, pearly gates and Mary and Joseph. I know that they had enough money to pay for the hotel room that just wasn't in any room. So they had to go like she was on a donkey and it's like get this kid out of me and there's only a cave. So let's go do it there. They had money. So I look at my world. My father has abundance, not lack. So anyway, we talked about spirit, soul, body and finances on the transformational coach here.

Speaker 1:

So last week I had my incredible friend and mentor, tiffany Howard, with me and we actually talked about the spirit of endurance last week and she shared her story of disappointment, discouragement, pain, death. I mean loss, I mean a lot of different things shock, and she talked about how, through the spirit of endurance, she walked through all of a lot of life situations and came out on the other side not surviving, but thriving, and that's basically where we want to go today. It's going to be. What we're going to talk about today is the reward of perseverance, and because she endured by the spirit of God, she came out on the other side thriving, a winner, not a whiner, you know, just abundance, not lack. And so, tiffany, thank you for being back with me another week as we talk about the reward of perseverance. Thank you for being back.

Speaker 2:

Oh, you're so welcome. It's an honor to be on here and share with you guys.

Speaker 1:

We had such a good time last week and, guys, if you didn't hear Tiffany's story, go back to last Wednesday's podcast and listen. You will not regret it. You need to hear it. I said then I don't know anyone in my life that has probably endured more, more disappointments and heartache than my friend Tiffany Howard, and so, coming into this week, the reward of perseverance, I want her to share with us how. You know, tiffany, how, after you've walked through so many disappointments in life and you even talked about you know the challenge you had with your weight at one time, I think, being 318 pounds and you know gaining and losing. You know 100 pounds, I think, four times over, and starting at a very young age, being so heavy and going through the bullying and the whole bit. Friend, go back and listen to last week's. You're going to want to hear it.

Speaker 1:

And you walked through all of this and now, five and a half years later, you found this incredible not diet, but a health program that we're all a part of. It's transformed my life over the last four years and I'm so thankful that God brought this program into my life and I know you are too. But now, five and a half years later, because of your endurance, you have received rewards that are just absolutely amazing and you've kept the weight off. But there's so many other things like you got an amazing husband, incredible three daughters, but even the world that has opened up to you because of your yes, because of your yes to you, to your family and even, you know, being a health coach. What is that all done for you? Since we had our last podcast, Well, I'm just so thankful.

Speaker 2:

You know God has brought me through so many trials and hardships, but you know he's just so good and he has plans. And you know it's funny as I was journeying through some of the things that I shared on the previous podcast, I was in a place of brokenness and there were nights and days that I would just cry out to God in just. There were times that and I'm sure some of your listeners may have been here at Leigh Ann that you just feel like is God even there? Does he care? Is he listening? And it's funny now, looking back, I tell people I think God was that they're laughing at me. I really do Not in I don't care way, but in a way of saying like you have no idea what I have coming for you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I'm so thankful. You know, when we are going through things we see just like right in front of us, you know. But God sees the big picture, he sees the birds I view, and so, as we journey through these things, I think that God knows like he is setting us up for something that you know. The word says that everything that the enemy means for evil, god will turn for our good and I have seen that in my life as he has began to open doors. And you know, I appreciate things now in a way that I never would have appreciated them had I not went through what I, what I journeyed through, you know, through. I know you mentioned that, the program that I did lose weight and the program that we coach through that, you know, I thought personally I was starting a diet. I mean, let's be honest when you're trying to lose weight.

Speaker 2:

That's what I know. You probably thought the same thing we're starting to die, we're going to lose weight. But reality is I had no idea what God was going to do for our family through that, because now you know, I may have lost all my blood family, other than, of course, my children and my husband.

Speaker 2:

I may have lost my blood family, but God uses program to bring a whole new family into my life and I know, you know I say it all the time like our team is our family and these people I love and cherish so much and I think that, having not journeyed through what I did, I would not have appreciated them the way that I do now.

Speaker 2:

And with her, with our oldest daughter being so disabled, you know I appreciate life like every day is precious and even with our twins, who are completely normal, you know, because of what I deal with with our special needs daughter, every day that I have them I cherish, and so all the things that I would have taken for granted, even because our oldest daughter, she can't walk, she can't talk, she can't roll over. When our twins would do those things, it was, it was earth shattering to me, you know, because it was something that I didn't get, other than that. And God has just continued to open doors. You know he's been a blessing in our finances. You know I love what you said at the beginning of your podcast. We do serve a God. He is not a God of lack. He created everything and the word of God says that he desires to see his children prosper. That is biblical.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

And it is not. You know, I think so many times we've grown up and I'm not saying everyone has, but I grew up in an environment that you know you had to be poor to serve God, like you were supposed to give everything and live. You know, paycheck to paycheck, and maybe that wasn't exactly what was preached, but that's kind of what was what was coming across and I'm so thankful that God showed me that that is not his desire for his people, like why, you know, the Bible says that you know, as parents, we want to give the best our children, right, of course, our Heavenly Father, who loves us more than even we love our own children, he desires to give good gifts, to give us more. We would never want to give a snake to our kids, right? God wants to give us everything and that's his desire for our life, and I just am thankful that you know I was open to that and that God used something in my life being my health, something that I would have never, ever.

Speaker 2:

Isn't that how God works? So the thing that holds you in bondage your whole life, if you allow it, god can use that very thing to be the thing to set you free. I was in bondage to wait. My entire life. I felt captive to food. It was my addiction, and yet God turned that around, and now that's the very tool that he's used to help me set other people free and, in turns, set my family free. I'm free in my health and in so many other areas because I, because I went to God and I trusted him. And again, it didn't come overnight. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of hard work, but, man, it was worth it, and that's just. That's just the way our God is. That's his blessings.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's so interesting that you say that. Excuse me, you say that, tiffany, because my spiritual father, leif Hetlin, that I'm doing a podcast with, he's taught me over the last 16 years where you've been bit the hardest, you have the greatest authority. And it's interesting that you say that because I was fatherless and I have other podcasts with this. Excuse me, fran, I'm so sorry. I was fatherless, I didn't know my biological father and but I carry now, you know, basically a mantle, a spirit, to bring sons and daughters back to Father God as they're in my world, their dad, daddy God, I'm a father, ok, and to bring them back. So it's like I have an anointing, I have a almost an assignment to do that and really just give the enemy a black eye to go. You took me, I was fatherless, but you know what I'm going to bring, as many of God's sons and daughters all over the world I've been a 32 nations all over the world I'm going to bring them back to their dad. You know, because before he was ever God, he was ruler, creator, judge, whatever. Before he's ever got, before he ever ruler, creator, judge, he was a father. Before Jesus was ever a son, I mean Messiah, miracle worker or savior. He was a beloved son. That was their identity. Then Jesus died for the world. He, out of being a son, he became the savior, the Messiah, the miracle worker.

Speaker 1:

So I love that you said that, and because you were a bit really, really hard in regards to weight and having challenges with weight, and now you're helping so many people get set free, you know, and be a healthier person not just healthier, but be the best person that they desire to be. And and so I just want to, I just want to say thank you. I want to say thank you for saying yes to yourself to take back your health. I say all the time I tell people, oh my gosh, I am so thankful that this health program, not diet, because you said you died like all the time this health program came into my life. I don't know where I'd be today if it had not come to my life, and so you know having that point.

Speaker 1:

So, as you're helping other people get set free, what does that look like? We know it's not just in the area of weight. You know it's in their mind, it's in for me, a spirit, soul, but even in the finances. Statistics show that 41% of millennials are going to have to pay to bury their parents because there's no inheritance, there's no money, there's, and that's even in the church. There's something wrong with that dynamic. There's something wrong with the dynamic of I desire to be healthy and spirit, soul in the body. The church is really good at talking about the spirit and soul, but we're not talking about the body. What says you?

Speaker 2:

No, 100% agree. And you know, my husband and I, as I shared in the last podcast, we were pastors for over 20 years and we still are very involved in our church and in fact we and I know you agree, leanne, but in the business that we do it, in health we actually believe that this is our ministry and that the people who come to us are a church. They're a church people that were to speak life over. But I've always said that, you know, just again, growing up in ministry, we were in a ministry home. So was my husband, you know, we've just been around church people our whole life and that's the one area that I feel like the church never tackles. And I do believe that most of the time and while I of course, love, respect every pastor in the pulpit, so many times they're struggling and what you struggle with you cannot teach how to free other people. I mean, you can only free people and what you've been freed in. And so, because so many people in ministry struggle with weight, it's the one area that they don't touch. I mean, think about it, you know, and in the Jesus world, in the church world, you know, we tell people, you know, let's not turn to alcohol or drugs or all these things, but like, hey, let's bring on the potlucks, and you know all the things. Food is like the center of everything in the church world. And listen, I remember I loved a good potluck, you know, but it was every Sunday and we grew up in the country church, you know, where you had a potluck, like every Sunday after church, and food was what everything was surrounded by. And so I think that because the church, so many people in the church world, are struggling in their health, it's the area that they don't touch. And you know, of course that's not to say anything against the church. This is the world we live in today, but I do, just like you.

Speaker 2:

I believe that God desires that His people be healthy in every area of their life, and I don't believe that weight makes you more or less worthy, but I do believe that God does tell us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And when we're unhealthy, you know, I believe that God has such a calling on so many of our lives. But because we don't take care of our health, we can't fulfill the mission for the length of time that God wants us here on this earth. So if I don't take care of my health and I leave this earth early, there are lives that I could have impacted, and so I believe that it is so important. And what I also believe is what I found in my own life, and while I can't, you know, say this to be true for everyone, while I've seen it a lot, I do believe that when you take care of yourself and your body, it begins to overflow into other areas of your life. See, when Andy and I started this health program, we were unhealthy in a lot of areas. We were unhealthy in our body. We are unhealthy in our mind. We were unhealthy in our finances. We were even unhealthy as a pastor in community. What I found is that, as I began to take care of my body, I felt better. When you're unhealthy in your body, you feel measurable. You have no energy. What I found was I started to feel like a completely different person and it began to overflow into other areas of my life. As I got healthy in my body, then I really wanted to start to get healthy in my finances and start to get healthy in community and start to get healthy in my mind. I kind of believe anything you begin to get healthier in.

Speaker 2:

It's like momentum. Momentum takes a long time to create. It's like a train. Listen, I already told you I didn't graduate, I don't know all the statistics, but apparently it takes so much power to get a train moving but it only takes, like I don't mean, one percent of a hundredth or something to keep that same train moving. Now again, don't quote me on that. Look it up. There's like real statistics on that. But it's the same in our life. When we get going, and sometimes things take what seems like a long time to start, when we get that momentum going, say in one area like our health, then we start to see that it spills over into momentum and we start changing other areas of our lives. And that's what I've seen play out in helping others and as well as our life.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you know I'm thinking about something that you said my mind's going a lot different directions. I could go in, but I'm the flip of you. I never had an issue with weight, even after two children. I was lean, but I had an adrenal crash on June 22nd 2010. The adrenal glands make hormones and for a woman with those issues, it's not a good mix. And so I started packing on weight that I never had before.

Speaker 1:

And I was actually on my way to Pakistan May 2017, and I was in Dubai and God spoke to me. You need to get a hold of your weight. No, you need to get a hold of your health or you will not finish well. And the point is, we all have an assignment. It's our assignment with our families, it's an assignment for the kingdom of God, you know, and so many dynamics. We have assignments and, most like you're saying, a lot of believers, pastors, ministers I have so many of them say oh, I'm a stress eater, I'm a emotional eater. Well, my husband and I worked for Teen Challenge for 10 years and I gracefully say no, you're really an addict. Okay, it's just a legal addict. Okay, food, all right.

Speaker 1:

And so you know, when he told me to get a hold of my health. I said but, father, I don't wanna diet. Diets never work my friends and my family, they won't work for me. And so I never thought about it 800 number on the TV commercial or website or anything like that. And then, you know, I said you gotta show me what to do, because I didn't have no clue.

Speaker 1:

And then I started. I had friends of mine that were just like, thriving, getting healthy, glowing, losing weight, and they weren't doing some surviving, some diet. And again, I thank God that this program came into our lives. And so you know, I see, with the body of Christ, like you're right, you know, I'm a lead pastor of a church still in Ohio. I was actually senior pastor five and a half years and when I transitioned out two and a half years ago, one of our key elders been an elder there for years. He said, pastor, this is your new church, this group and people, tiffany, are walking through the doors of our business that will not walk through the doors of the church. Talk to us a little bit about that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm so passionate about that. I know. You know that. You know, in the church world today there's a lot of people who, sadly, have been hurt by the church. You know, I love the church, it's so needed and it's valued and I we're so involved in our church.

Speaker 2:

But there are people that have been hurt or they have a stigma around a church and they need Jesus but they won't come to it.

Speaker 2:

They won't come to the church and what we have found through our business and what we love so much, is that people will come to us for their health and God, and you know, same for you, god brings them in by the droves from places you would never expect, all over the world. You know, when we were a pastor in the local church, we could only touch the people who came to our church. I mean, yes, we have social media and things, but in reality it was mainly those in the church. But we found their business is God coming? People come to us. God sends people to us for their health from all over the world, but it is giving us literally a door to speak into their life, to speak Jesus over them, and so we so believe that this is a ministry and we have seen time and time again where people come to us for their health and they meet Jesus because, as you, know we're not ashamed of what we all believe.

Speaker 2:

And what I love, too, is that for most people, their health is a very it's just a sacred topic, it's not something they just talk to anybody about. And what I love is that when people come to us and we build relationship and we build that trust with them and they're willing to begin to open up about those really hard parts of their life regarding their weight, they start to open up to us about other areas of their life their families, their you know marriages, their relationship with Christ. And then what's also beautiful, and I know I shared with you, is that through this we create community and we have relationships with people, and so we get to be in their lives for a long, long, a long time, hopefully forever, and so we get to live Jesus in front of them. And there comes a point where we've seen so many times and say, you know, tell me more about this Jesus. You know, because we built relationship, we built trust with them and they, they, they trust us and they began to open up.

Speaker 2:

And we've seen in fact, I know that you know we had an event here at our house that you were at just a few months ago and we did a church service it was. It was a business event, right, we had people coming to speak to our leaders for business, but we had a church service on Sunday and we had someone give their life to the Lord here on our property. That's in our business. And I tell you that that meant more to me than anything else we've ever done in our business was to see someone going to make eternity and to come into the kingdom of God. I mean that meant more to me than anything.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you know, that's interesting because just last November in Cabo, a couple, young couple of 28 years old. They are in our organization and they're they told us from very beginning we're not direct coaches to them, we don't want to hear anything about religion, nothing about religion. And this couple probably walked through the doors of a church for wedding, our funeral in 28 years, that's it. They didn't want to hear anything, but we might. The way I approach things, Tiffany is again being an Esther, daniel, joseph, winning people's hearts. That's what you know. The church I shouldn't say the church, but I'm a pastor. I can do that. They go after people's minds. Well, if I can just change the way they think, instead of doing what Jesus did, I'm at the door of your heart knocking. If we can win people's hearts, then we begin to change the way they think. So we just loved on this couple for a year. Loved on them, loved on them, believed in them, helped them get healthy, etc.

Speaker 1:

And then last November, with about 350 coaches in Cabo, sunday morning in the swimming pool they prayed to receive Jesus. Their whole life is transformed. They came home. We don't have a Bible. I bought them a Bible. Then they get the Bible. Like, what do we do with it? We don't. In the nightstand I said, just pick it up. I walked them through that and now they're just, their whole life is is is transformed. And so here they came in to our health business to get healthy in their body and they're. We were getting healthy in their spirit and soul too. Where the church is, let's get you healthy in your spirit and soul, but they're not helping many be unhealthy in their body.

Speaker 1:

It's just sad to say it, but it's the truth. And then the other factor is you're right, we have so many people come into our community that are like I've never been a part of a community like this, ever. Sadly, it's a lot of people in the church, you know, and I'm like, okay, oh my gosh, you know, and there's some amazing churches out there, absolutely amazing churches, but just so thankful that this is just another tool that God is allowing us to use to help people get whole in every area of their life, not just fractured a hole here, but still fractured over there, you know. And so even in the area of finances, just the blessing, in the joy of helping people dream bigger and greater. Let's kind of in with that within what we get to do and helping people dream bigger. What does that mean to you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that is, that's huge to me. And I will tell you that. You know, in the church, money just makes you more of who you already are. Right, I remember being, you know, in the church and wanting to give and wanting to bless and being able to do it to some extent, but never to what I wanted. Right, Giving the last $20 I had to missionary or the last $50, or you know, there was such a desire to do more but there wasn't more coming in. And I will tell you that, you know, through finances Again, good people with money do great things, and I believe and I know, because the Lord to our tells us.

Speaker 2:

But the Lord desires to prosper his people and in doing so, then we truly can be the hands and feet of Jesus. You know, when you have no money and hear me, I was that person, so I'm not speaking, any of you listening, I was that person that I had no money but when you have no money, you cannot do a whole lot to be able to help the missionaries or the poor or the widows, all the things the word tells us to do. And so I think sometimes in the church role, we have that concept that to be a Christian, we have to have nothing. But reality is we can't do much with nothing.

Speaker 2:

But we can do a lot with a lot, yes, and I'm just thankful that God has really worked on my mindset around that and I've seen, as God has continued to bless people, the good things, the great things that they've been able to do, and I just want to encourage anyone on here you know, I don't know the avenue that God has for them but I want to encourage people to dream bigger Because, again, you do not serve a God of lack. He has such dreams and the thing is, I believe that he has something so beautiful, so big for every single person, because every child is his child. They are all. It's like my kids. I have three. I love them all the same and I want great things for all of them and I see such incredible visions, not more for one than the other. I don't love one more than the other, no, and that's the God that we serve.

Speaker 2:

You know me, and you and I and so many others that you've probably brought on here. We are not more valuable, more important, have more of what it takes. We just chose to walk into the destiny that God had for us, and that's a choice. God will never force us to do his will. He will never. That's the God that we serve. He wants to be in relationship with us. He does not want to be a tyrant forcing us to do things for him. No, that's not. That's not relationship, that's religion that God wants to have a relationship with us and so he has these great plans for us. But he will not force us into those plans. You know there's a quote that says you know, praise if it all depends on God. Work as if it all depends on you. And it's true. It takes both, you know. But I just want to encourage people like God truly has more for them. And I don't know.

Speaker 2:

You know most people who don't know how to dream. You know a lot of it is. Either you've had dreams crushed, right Like you've had things throughout your life. We've all had that. We've had things crushed. Maybe you've had people speak death over you. I mean I had teachers speak death over me. I had friends speak death over me. I know my teachers never thought I'd amount to anything.

Speaker 1:

I mean I even graduate.

Speaker 2:

You know they would think I'd amount to anything. But I had to come to a point where I had to say I can either allow what they said over me role my thinking or what my God says over me, and so I encourage as a believer. Do you know the word of God? Do you know what he says about you? Do you know the Bible tells you he has plans to prosper you? I mean, everybody knows that scripture. Yet we speak it but we don't believe it.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

And so it's getting what's in your head into your heart and claiming that, as a child of God, that he has more for you and your family and your future, and you may not see it. I will tell you six years ago, leanne, I had in a clue what God had for me. Now, I mean not even an ounce of a clue. I knew God had more for me, but I didn't have any clue how he was gonna do it, and I sure did not think he was gonna do it the way he did. That's how God is Like. He's gonna flip everything up, surprise, yeah surprise everything.

Speaker 2:

That's the God we serve. So I just wanna encourage people to dream and, you know, maybe start small, because here's what I believe about dreams Dream big, have a big dream, but sometimes that seems so far away to people. It's like what do you have control over? Right now that you can dream a little bigger and reach that dream and create, as you and I know, leanne. We say wins, create a win in your life, do something that's a little outside your comfort zone, but it's a dream that you can partner with God and create and create a win in your life. And when you do, you're gonna go. I can do the next thing, because I've never in my life dreamed to this level. It took me dreaming a little bit bigger, a little bit bigger, a little bit bigger. And once you've created a lot of those little dreams, you'll begin to dream like crazy dreams and you will know that they can come true when you partner with the Lord.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. That's so, so good. Tiffany and friend, I just first I want to thank you for joining us here today with Tiffany Howard, my incredible friend and mentoring coach. But you know what you may be going. Well, how do I start dreaming? How do I begin dreaming? Get around dreamers. That's what I do. That's what I've done over the last several years. In fact, if you know me, I've got on one side my spiritual father, leif Hetland, on my other side my spiritual son, josue Santiago.

Speaker 1:

These two men dream like nobody that I know, and I am pressed between them and so find dreamers, get around dreamers. If it's in your church, if it's wherever it's at, you know, just say, can I just have coffee with you? Would you teach me how to dream? I want to tap into how you learned how to dream, and that's a great way to start right there. And of course, you know Jesus was the greatest dreamer. God dreams over you. Even before you were created or born, he was. He was dreaming over you. He had such huge dreams for you and he wants to give you those dreams. Even David David dream. He built the. God allowed him to build the temple because it was already in David's heart as a dreamer before it ever was. You know, god ever released him to do it.

Speaker 1:

So anyway, tiffany, thank you so much for joining us. It was a pleasure having you here. Go back and listen to last week's podcast. You can hear the first part of Tiffany's story and this is the second part. Girl, I love you. I love you so much, I love Andy, I love the girls so much and I'm so thankful God brought you into our lives. This community is amazing. So all right, friend, have an awesome Wednesday, a great weekend, weekend, and we will see you next week. Well, we'll talk to you at least next week.

Speaker 1:

Lee-ann Goff, the transformational coach. Have you received your copy of my book Missionary and Millionaire Transforming Cultures as Priests and Kings? I wrote this book to help believers, god's sons and daughters, understand that he has given us, as Deuteronomy 818 says, the ability to generate wealth so that we can impact and transform cultures, communities, cities and nations. Jesus was priest and king, and I truly believe God intends for all of us to live out our assignments as priests and kings as well. Grab a copy of my book Missionary and Millionaire Transforming Cultures as Priests and Kings at Amazon or at liangoffministriesorg.

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