About Teila

Teila Tankersley is a freelance writer, wife and mother of six. Teila is co-author of the book, Torn Apart / Restored, and A Heart Held Ransomed. She is presently working on a bio of Beth Kraiss. Beth is Director of the largest disability ministries in the United States. The book will be titled, The Tapestry of my Life and the Golden Threads in Between.

Articles by Teila

Teila has written three articles on Changing Lives

1.    Thoughts of Suicide (After the night comes the dawn)

2.    God Never Asks Us to Do Anything Without a Reason and Without a Plan

3.    Greg, Dave and King Nebuchadnezzar What Do They All Have in Common?

A list of articles written by Teila

About Torn Apart / Restored

Torn Apart / Restored - an autobiography of a man torn apart by abuse, drugs, alcohol, violence, prison and divorce but who was restored by God’s grace, forgiveness and love. The book is the amazing life story of Darin Carroll. Teila is Darin’s sister and co-author of the book.

Read extracts from Torn Apart / Restored

Read Teila's mother's life story God Uses Our Life Experiences To Get Our Attention

Teila’s feelings as she saw her brother go to prison

“In high school I remember my best friend Christy calling me up one afternoon to tell me that she’d just seen my brother and Gloria, she said Darin had just shattered his car window, all I could think of was, they are at it again. They had a love hate relationship from the get go. This went on for years, so when I had heard that they had filed for divorce a part of me was relieved, finally I thought.

But, nothing prepared me for the day that my mother called to tell me to turn on the news. I watched in disbelief as the newscasters reported that my brother was being charged with manslaughter shocked, embarrassed and saddened my family did their best to maintain a good front but inside we were falling apart. My heart broke and as I sat in that court room my stomach was in knots, I wanted to embrace the family members who had just lost their mother, their sister their daughter. I wanted to reach my brother and get through to him, I wanted to embrace my sister in law, I wanted her to know we loved her but nothing I could of done at that time could of helped anyone.

In court the evidence showed that there was no gun powder on the victims hands nor on my brother’s hands but he had so many others charges against him that he accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to prison. My husband and my children did our best to try to send Gloria money to help with an occasional phone bill or a utility bill, and we tried to keep a little money on his books at the prison and we also ordered him Christian books and had them sent to the prison and we wrote him every day.

We prayed for Gloria, Chandra and Darin every single day from the night of the shooting continuing to that first year he was released from prison.  We also prayed for Maria’s children, our hearts went out to them.  If I could say one thing it would be that my heart goes out to every family member and friend who has a loved one behind bars it is a tough situation to be in. You feel for the victims and you still love your loved one behind bars. This experience changed us, my mother is now very active in Kairos and my daughter recently joined Daughters of Destiny a Christian ministry outreach.

As a family member there was nothing we could do for my brother for my sister in law, for my niece and for those poor children of Maria’s that would now grow up without their mother – except to pray. We didn’t have the money to meet their needs, we didn’t have the influence to open doors, we didn’t have the answers to fix the situation and we didn’t have the power to make things better for anyone.  My faith was my only sanity and prayer was my only hope.

Twelve years later I can say, I’ve witnessed God restore Darin and Gloria’s marriage, their family and their lives. God took a hopeless situation and created a miracle.  God is good and I can attest that God does hear our prayers.”