I heard Myles Munroe tell a story about an elephant named Kierra who was tied to a stake with a small rope. When Kierra was a baby elephant, she knew she was supposed to be free. She kept pulling and pulling at the rope tied to the stake, but she wasn’t strong enough to make herself free. As she grew older, Kierra became bigger stronger. She could have snapped the stake in two, Instead Kierra stopped trying to escape. She had already trained her mind that she would never be free.

    Before we have empathy and sympathy for Kierra, we must think of the times that we have limited ourselves. How often have we limited our belief system and built up internal bars and chains around our minds that God Himself cannot get through. III John 2 states that God desires that we prosper and live in health, even as our soul prospers. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. In other words, we will never live beyond our belief systems. Proverbs 23:7 says, “as a man thinks so is he.”

     For us to change the direction and trajectory of our lives, we must change what we think first. What we think on the inside will eventually change our circumstances in our lives for good or bad. One of the first actions that Dodie Osteen took when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer was post a healthy picture that she could constantly look at. She had to see herself well again before she became well on the outside.

     We must create visual images of ourselves before they manifest in our lives. We must see ourselves the way that God sees us through the eyes of faith. God tells us how He sees us in the Word of God (III John 2). However, it is up to us to meditate on the Word of God to prosper and have good success (Psalms 1:2-3 and Joshua 1:8). Let us continue to meditate and renew our minds (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23) until the Word of God becomes a reality in our lives!

Image Consultant | Beauty Expert | Creative Director | Empowerment Champion

Denitra Gregory is a licensed minister at Greater Life Ministries in Detroit, a creative entrepreneur, and a devoted encourager of women who is passionate about helping people recognize their God-given value and purpose. She regularly leads services at her church and has ministered and prayed with women across various gatherings and organizations. Through teaching, prayer, and authentic conversation, Denitra seeks to create spaces where women feel seen, strengthened, and reminded of God’s faithfulness in every season of life.

Professionally, Denitra is the founder of Unforgettable YOU, LLC, an image consulting company specializing in wardrobe styling, personal shopping, color analysis, and hair and makeup artistry for theather and film. Most recently, she and her husband launched Twelve 12 Coffee Co., a boutique coffee brand designed to create meaningful moments of connection and reflection—an extension of her belief that even the simplest moments can become opportunities for encouragement and community.

Throughout her career, Denitra has used creativity as a vehicle for empowerment. She launched the national “Brains Over Booty” campaign to celebrate the brilliance of women and curated Detroit’s Strolling Monologues, an annual Black History Month event honoring iconic African American women in history. Her creative work spans fashion styling, makeup artistry, and creative directing, with contributions to projects connected to Marvel’s Black Panther, Batman v Superman, and No Sudden Move. She has also served on the Detroit Opera House Wig and Makeup team since 2011.

A former social worker with a BA in Human Services, Denitra brings a heart for service, community building, and advocacy into everything she does.

Denitra believes that when women understand their worth in God, they begin to walk boldly in purpose and pour that same encouragement into others.

We started That Man Jesus Ministry to help women across the country grow in faith through online Bible study and meaningful conversations. Our journey began with a small group of friends and has grown to reach people nationwide.

We offer interactive Bible study sessions and host conversations about faith, life, and hope. Our events focus on making every voice feel welcome and heard.

As a non-denominational ministry, we bring people from all backgrounds together, making space for open minds and sincere questions, no matter where anyone is on their faith journey.