124: Sweetness and Surrender: The Healing Power of Honey and Faith | Nate Sheets

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: I AM HealingStrong
Episode: 124: Sweetness and Surrender: The Healing Power of Honey and Faith | Nate Sheets
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Jim Mann
Guest: Nate Sheets

In this episode, host Jim Mann sits down with Nate Sheets, creator of America's largest honey company (Nature Nate’s), former Christian ministry leader, and now a candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. They explore the intersections of entrepreneurship, faith, healing, and the miraculous qualities of honey—blending personal stories, biblical wisdom, and practical health knowledge. The episode is rich with insights on surrendering to God’s direction, the power of stepping into the unknown, and how small acts of faith can have life-changing impacts.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Healing and Mystical Qualities of Honey

• (00:00, 24:29) Nate explains honey’s unique properties:
  • The only natural food containing both a carbohydrate and a protein (from pollen).
  • Naturally antibiotic and antifungal, never spoils.
  • Instant absorption through the gums—lifesaving for diabetics in shock.
  • Contains pollen, which can help with allergies by coating the nerve receptors (pollen acts as a natural antihistamine).
  • Unlike processed sugar, honey provides a gentle, sustained energy curve.

"Honey is it in its entirety is very unique... you can literally survive on honey because it has both of those components in it."
— Nate Sheets, (00:00, repeated at 24:29)

• The shift in the honey industry:
  • Nate spearheaded the raw and unfiltered honey sector, responding directly to consumer desire through 17 years of direct feedback (his phone number was on every bottle).
  • The honey category grew from $300 million to $1.5 billion in U.S. annual grocery sales, most of it now raw and unfiltered (26:00).

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2. Faith and Serendipity: Surrender Versus Striving

• Nate’s path was never strategic or ego-driven:
  • Bought a beehive as a newlywed hobby; didn’t set out to build a honey empire.
  • Entered ministry simply by taking small, sometimes fearful steps—such as mission trips and evangelism training.
  • Cites Ephesians 2:10: “God created us as workmanship... for good works... that we should walk in them.”

“The things that, quote unquote, would be considered successful, I never really intended... It's almost like an Easter egg hunt trying to discover, ‘Alright, Lord, is this what You have for me?’”
— Nate Sheets, (07:33)

• Jim and Nate reflect on the “Moses syndrome”—God often uses the unlikely and uncomfortable to accomplish His purposes (13:29).

"God wants us desperate and dependent upon him... help me to learn how to be desperate for you and not being in desperate circumstances."
— Nate Sheets, (13:45)

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3. The Power of Obedience and Community

• Jim and Nate share stories of being propelled into roles (band, radio, ministry, entrepreneurship) through simple willingness, not necessarily superior talent nor ambition.
• Importance of community—how support networks and groups (like HealingStrong) play a vital role in healing and life direction.

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4. Lessons from Exodus: Divine Provision and Partnership

• Nate recounts how God provided for Moses:
  • The Israelites took gold from Egyptians; God later assigned Bezalel and Oholiab, skilled craftsmen whom God had already prepared.
  • Parallels to Nate’s life in how people and resources have arrived just when needed.

"He has provided the gold of the Egyptians, and he has provided Bezalel and Holyb..."
— Nate Sheets, (16:40)

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5. Call to Civic Impact: Running for Texas Ag Commissioner

• After selling Nature Nate’s, Nate seeks to impact public health and farming through politics, prompted by Rick Santorum.
• Passionate about improving food quality as many illnesses begin with what we eat.

“People are getting sick from the food that we eat, and we’re losing farming and ranching... I want to go make an impact in the lives of everyone in Texas.”
— Nate Sheets, (29:11)

• Advocates for believers to engage in public spheres, not just churches or traditional ministry roles.

“If the church is devoid of having a presence and a voice... then they're railing against that after those decisions are made, versus ... sending missionaries out into the world. We should identify, train up, equip, and send people out..."
— Nate Sheets, (31:34)

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6. Prayer Request for Guidance and Protection

• Nate humbly asks for prayer for:
  • Purity of heart and mind.
  • Protection for his family.
  • Wise counsel and accountability.
  • A servant’s attitude over pride as he enters politics.

“If I’m being vocal about wanting to go into this public spectrum and make a difference for God’s kingdom, Satan’s not going to just let me do that without... opposition... pray for my own purity, my family, wisdom, and a heart of servitude.”
— Nate Sheets, (32:31)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On entrepreneurial beginnings:
  "My dad ... was an engineer ... very non entrepreneurial. ... My brother and I are both very gregarious, charismatic entrepreneurs. ... It's funny how, you know, families wind up developing over time." (05:11)
• On humility:
  “The things I tried to make happen on my own, they never really worked. Then there were God’s ideas.” (07:22)
• On surrendering control:
  “I did the honey company for a decade and never really made any money. I just kept being faithful in it.” (10:18)
• On the hidden impact:
  “Those are the things that are never measured on this side of heaven, just because you really don’t understand the breadth of that.” (35:00)
• On adventure and uncertainty:
  “There are so many things ahead of you and things you don’t even know about yet, which is kind of exciting.” (32:13)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Nate's explanation of honey’s healing properties
• 07:33 — Surrender, discovery, and God’s workmanship
• 13:45 — Learning dependency on God through desperation
• 16:40 — Lessons from Exodus: Gold, Bezalel, and divine provision
• 24:29 — Deep dive into honey’s unique health and nutritional value
• 26:00–27:28 — How raw and unfiltered honey changed the industry
• 29:11 — Transition to politics: Call for public impact
• 31:34 — Christians and civic engagement
• 32:31 — Nate’s prayer requests
• 35:00 — The hidden impact of faithfulness in service

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How to Connect with Nate Sheets

• Website: natesheets.com
• Social Media: NateSheetsForTX or Nate Sheets for Texas on Facebook
• Email: [e-mail]

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This episode is an inspiring testimony to the power of small yeses, ongoing faith, and the beauty found in surrendering life’s direction to God—whether in business, ministry, or public service.

Transcript

[Nate Sheets]

Honey is it in its entirety is very unique. The way that your body processes it. It doesn't go through your GI tract. It actually goes through your bloodstream. And so if you're a diabetic, you can just put it on your gums, and it'll instantly start to take you out of a diabetic shock. It's naturally antibiotic. It's naturally antifungal. It never spoils, never goes bad. And so it's got medicinal purposes and values. Contains pollen. You ingest pollen. The pollen naturally produces histamine that coats the nerve receptors in your nose and ears and eye passages. And it's one of the only foods that has both carbohydrate. It is the only food that is natural, that has both carbohydrate and a protein in it. And you can literally survive on honey because it has both of those components in it.

[Podcast Announcer]

You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, a part of the Healing Strong organization, the. The number one network of holistic cancer support groups in the world. Each week we bring you stories of hope, real stories that will encourage you as you navigate your way on your own journey to health. Now here's your host, stage four cancer

[Jim Mann]

thriver Jim Mann, talking to somebody that's on one of my bottles in the kitchen. I'm talking about Honey. I mean, his name's not Honey. His name is Nate Sheets, but his face is on my honey bottle. What's up with that? How you doing, Nate?

[Nate Sheets]

Man, I am great. How are you today, sir?

[Jim Mann]

Great. Do we go. You go by Nate or Nathan, or does it matter?

[Nate Sheets]

Either one. Yeah, you know, I go by either. If we got Nature, Nate's Honey, we've got Nate. She's running for ag Commissioner. And then, you know, lots of people call me Nathan or Nate, so.

[Jim Mann]

All right. All right, well, I'll call you Nate because it's on my bottle.

[Nate Sheets]

Yes, sir.

[Jim Mann]

So, yeah, I was just listening to an interview you had with Kay Blackburn, who's the chairman of the board for Healing Strong, So I know all about you. I know everything about you. How did you know Kay?

[Nate Sheets]

Kay's sister? They're very close friends of ours. We homeschooled, and they homeschooled, and so our kids kind of were raised together, so it would be Kay's nephews. They're the same ages as my older boys. And then we all did scouts together, and so just, you know, we've been friends for, you know, well, over 25 years. And so just met Kay through her sister Kathy.

[Jim Mann]

Okay. Just all doing life together.

[Nate Sheets]

Yes, sir.

[Jim Mann]

And that's in. Was that in Arizona?

[Nate Sheets]

No, we live in. In Dallas. And so Kay's sister lives here in Dallas also.

[Jim Mann]

Oh, okay. All right. Yeah, I got it. Because, Sheila, because I think Kay lives in Arizona.

[Nate Sheets]

Yes, Yes, I think correctly. Yes, sir.

[Jim Mann]

Yes. My. My memory is getting worse every day, so ever since high school, I just haven't used it. Well, anyway, is that how you know about Healing Strong through K. Through sister?

[Nate Sheets]

You know, just to have kind of a. A sideline seat to watch just her own struggle with cancer and just the remarkable turn of events by her radically altering how she changed her diet and, you know, so really especially being in the honey world and in the food space and, you know, we just became more aware of just her story. And I talked with her a number of times, and this was before she ever had an involvement with Healing Strong. And so when she went over and started partnering with Healing Strong man, it just made total sense.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, there's some details that I didn't get in. In the interview I was listening to with Kay, so. And I'm kind of nosy. You talked about meeting your wife in college. Was that right?

[Nate Sheets]

Right after college? Yes, sir. Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

Okay. What college you go to?

[Nate Sheets]

I went to Texas State, which is in San Marcos, Texas. She went to Liberty University. And so she had moved to Dallas after she got out of Liberty, and we were both at the same church and. And met her in a sand volleyball court on a. On tax day, actually. April 15th.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. I take it by the smile that it was a good day for you.

[Nate Sheets]

It was. She. She. She thought I was irresponsible because I told her, I said, hey, I've got to go. I've got to go get my taxes and put them in the. Put them in the mailbox before midnight. She was thinking, why did this guy not file taxes a lot sooner?

[Jim Mann]

But.

[Nate Sheets]

But that's kind of been a bit of our theme in life.

[Jim Mann]

Yes. I totally relate to you. We found extension every year, so. Yeah, we totally get that one. But what was your. What was your major?

[Nate Sheets]

So study marketing. And in college, and my brother and I had started a pen and pencil company while I was in college. We did created mood pens and mood pencils, and so just was kind of a serial entrepreneur even. Even while in college. And my roommates owned a restaurant in downtown Austin and so was involved with them trying to help run that. And so I just have always kind of had this entrepreneurial bent.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. Is that something that runs in the family or Your parents were like that or.

[Nate Sheets]

No, actually, my dad was an Air Force colonel, and he grew up as a sharecropper in Nebraska, in Kansas. And so he went to the Air Force Academy, second graduating class. And my mom, her dad was a band director. So I grew up my whole life on Air Force bases. And my dad, you know, being in the Air Force and retired colonel, then went to go work for Lockheed in NASA. And he was just very non entrepreneurial. I mean, he was an engineer, aerospace engineer by training and background. My mom played the flute and in college. But we've got four of us kids. My two sisters are both accountants, finance, you know, very disciplined, you know, very in the box. And my brother and I are both very gregarious, charismatic entrepreneurs. And so it's funny how, you know, families wind up developing over time.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, that's always interested me because, you know, like, nobody in my family. I got a very large family. Cousins, aunts and uncles, and of course my parents, but nobody was an entrepreneur. And then when I was a senior in high school, my friend asked me to come help him clean a building, you know, as a janitor, you know, great job. But then I'm thinking, wow, there's someone who checks on me, and then there's someone who he answers to and. And then there's another person they answer to out in California, and I'm in Baltimore doing this. I was like, wait a minute, I'm doing all the work and everybody above me is making more money. Why aren't I just doing this for the. The building itself? Of course, I wasn't going to undercut them, but I thought, hey, I can go get my own accounts. And which is what I did. I thought, wow, this is so out of the box for me and my family. But it just made sense. I've never seen the success that you have come across in business. But still, there's something in me that, like, it just doesn't make sense to be the person doing all the work when, you know, God's given us all, all the ability to do that. My wife's the same way. She can't work for somebody else. She has to work on her own because she does everything better than any boss she's ever had. So I know it's crazy the things

[Nate Sheets]

that I've done throughout my lifetime. I always say that I've got Nathan's ideas, and those are in a box in my closet, and they didn't ever work. And then they were God's ideas and.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

You know, as I look back now I'm 56 years old and I look back throughout my life. I mean, the things that, quote unquote, would be considered successful, I never really intended. I mean, I went, I bought a beehive as a hobby in 1996 after Patty and I got married. And then that same year I went on a mission trip to Venezuela. And both of those decisions, one led into 12 years of full time Christian ministry and the other led into 30 years and creating the largest honey company in America. And so, but it was never like I had this grand vision of going out and starting a honey company or this grand vision of going into ministry and developing. I am second and a banjo cube. Just, you know, I, I, one of my life verses is Ephesians 2, 10. It says that God created us as workmanship in Christ Jesus for good works that he established beforehand that we should walk in them. And so to me, life is almost like an Easter egg hunt trying to discover, all right, Lord, is this what you have for me? Is this what you have for me? And culling through the things that are about Nathan and trying to find things that are about the Lord.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, that's, that's something I noticed about your story when I was listening to it, that you didn't like, buy, like you said, you didn't buy a beehive thinking, I'm going to conquer the world with honey. You just thought, hey, this seems interesting. And I believe God led you that way, obviously, but you just kind of did it as a fun hobby and then you allowed God to work through you. You didn't get in the way some. So often we get in the way thinking, okay, I'm going to make something really big out of this, so you know, I'm going to do this, and God, you know, please bless it. But instead you allowed God to work through something that you weren't even planning on that happening, right. And then it just kind of took off. And there's so much you can do with that. And I do want to talk about honey later on too, about the value of honey because it's such a healthy food. And also the other part was wanting to be in the ministry, which I was called in the ministry myself, but I never knew what it was going to be. And I just stumbled into radio, which is what I've done for 30 some years in the Christian radio. But it wasn't like, hey, you know, when I grow up, I want to be in radio and just, you know, change the world. But instead I, I just stumbled into it and God has used me in so many ways that I didn't even realize until I looked back at it and I hear people talk about it. To me it makes more sense when you look back and see I didn't do any of this. God did it all and I just happened to be there and he took me along for the ride. Is that how you feel?

[Nate Sheets]

Absolutely. You know, life is about really just trying to, try to see. I mean the old Henry Blackaby, you know, he had that book discovering God and you know, look for where God's at work and go and join them.

[Jim Mann]

Yes.

[Nate Sheets]

And, and I don't think that I even realized that God was at work there as much as I was just trying to do it to the best of my ability, be faithful. I mean I, I did the Honey company for a decade and never really made any money. I just, just kept being faithful in it. And then when I went into ministry full time, I never planned to go into ministry. I went on a mission trip to Venezuela after I was terrified. I had taken a, a class called Evangelism Explosion that teaches people how to go out and go share the gospel.

[Jim Mann]

Yes.

[Nate Sheets]

And I had led the first person to the Lord. I never led to the Lord. I, I was in the advertising agency business and, and shared the gospel with this 65 year old guy at lunch who was one of my advertising clients. And I, I'm sure I butchered the gospel because I was about six, eight weeks into the 16 week course and I come to the end of this gospel presentation and I look at Jim and I said, you wouldn't want to ask Jesus into your heart, would you? You know, a great assumptive clothes. And he said yeah, I would. And I was so blown away. And this to see the Lord allow me to be a part of seeing someone come to faith in Christ. And so I committed to be a trainer in the next session. And I realized on Sunday afternoon when we got to that class tonight when we go out and go do evangelism, I'm the guy front and center in front of that door. I started freaking out. I mean I started breaking out in a swe. And so I went to that class and I met the guy and the girl on my team and I said, hey, it's the first night, you know, let's just get to know each other tonight. We'll go out next Sunday. That was fine. The next Sunday, man, here came that stress and sweat again. And I go to the class and I said to the guy and girl, I said, hey, let's role play tonight. We'll go out next Sunday. And I'll never forget this guy goes, I thought we were supposed to do evangelism. I said, I'll get there, bro. Lay off me. So literally the next morning, the next morning, I'm in my office on my knees with my Bible open, and I'm just crying out to the Lord. And I said, God, you've got to help me get over this fear about doing door to door evangelism. And it was louder and audible. I mean, God just said, go on a mission trip. And I had remembered that Patty and I had supported a couple missionaries on staff with this ministry now called E3 partners. And I read this guy's newsletter. He's going to Columbia two weeks. So I got up, called him and said, hey, I feel like God wants me to go on a mission trip. Want to go with you? And he said, well, my trip got canceled, but this other guy, Mike Downey, he'll. He's going to Venezuela on Friday. This Monday, I don't have passport, shots, money, nothing. But four days later, I'm outside of Caracas, Venezuela, having no idea what this organization does and all that they do door, too. Evangelism and planning a church. And so, you know, it's. You see, even these. You know, I got involved in that evangelism class because I wanted to learn how to share the gospel. And I was new to Dallas and didn't have a lot of friends, and so I thought it'd be a good way to meet people also.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

And. And yet that just that little step of faith and wanting to see the Lord work in your life takes those little things. He takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

And so I just see his hand in that process. Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

It's kind of like the. The Moses syndrome, isn't it? Like, I'm not. I'm not good enough for this guy. I'd move on to somebody who's good at this. And it's when you feel like it's totally out of your wheelhouse, that's when you know you're in the right place, you know?

[Nate Sheets]

Yeah. I mean, God wants us desperate and dependent upon him. And, you know, my prayer throughout my. As I've gotten older in life is, lord, help me to learn how to be desperate for you and not being in desperate circumstances.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

Because I think too many times as I look back, it's like, you know, I'm getting my very wits in. I have no other. You know, I'm at The end of the road. It's like, okay, God, where are you? And I don't have to always make that, you know, the requirement for being passionate about wanting the Lord to be involved and be in charge.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, yeah. Otherwise, it's, it's so simple for us to get in the way and do things on our own when we really need to just be holding on to him onto his coattail, so to speak. And, and that's when things happen. I, I, I've just recently looked back, you know, I've always played bass guitar, you know, and I've always thought I'm just an average player, no big deal. But because of that, when I came to college, the best group on, on that university was the Southeastern University down in Florida. They lost their bass player, and they just happened to be helping me bring my base into my room. They go, hey, you want to try out? I'm like, oh, my goodness. And I'm going to make a fool of myself. I can't do this. But I couldn't get out of it. So I tried out. They loved it. I became. Within a month, we played the full chapel. The whole school knew me all of a sudden. Nobody knew me before that, except for the band, because I'm just kind of a quiet person. And then from there, another band heard me and they asked me to play for them. And it just kind of opened up the door for me, and I'm like, I'm just an average bass player and I have terrible stage presence. You know, I'm up there like bump on the log. And I'm not all over the place like they want you to be, but, but yet he's used that pretty much my whole life, putting me where I normally wouldn't be. We've been around the world and it's, I'm like, all because I decided to play bass one time, and I stuck with it. Never thought I was any, you know, any good other than average. And he can use anything. And it's, I don't see that, or usually people don't see that until you look back in your life, like, oh, there's that thread that he used all through there. Just something simple. That's incredible. Same thing with radio, which I stumbled into also. And I look at all the things I was able to do through radio and, you know, I knew I wasn't anything special. I wasn't like, hey, I'm just a superstar radio person. No, I just thought I always had the, the imposter syndrome, which so many of us have. That no matter what we're doing, if we're put in front of anybody, we thought, oh, I'm not the one for this. But I have that all the time. I still have that. It's terrible. But that's when, you know, God is working and you're not getting in the way as long as you keep doing it and don't give up because you think you're not good enough, because you're not by yourself.

[Nate Sheets]

Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

But obviously he created you, so you're definitely good enough.

[Nate Sheets]

Amen. Yeah.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, I. I went off on a tantrum there.

[Nate Sheets]

No. Just as I've gotten older, I think to. You start to notice a pattern in how God kind of works in your life. Or at least I have, you know, and I. I've seen, which I identify in Exodus, that whole journey that God takes Moses through. When. When they're leaving, you know, even starting at the burning bush, all the way to them being up on. On the. Where he's getting. Receiving the Ten Commandments and being told about, you know, building the tabernacle and all the implements go with it. But, you know, when. When was there at the burning bush, God said, tell the Egyptians to give you all their gold necklaces and earrings as you guys depart. And so this. This is before he'd even gone back to Egypt. And so they're getting ready to leave. And two more times God tells Moses to tell the Egyptians he gave you their gold necklaces and earrings. And it says. It says that the Israelites fleeced the Egyptian women, and they were smiling, and they adorned the Israelite children with the jewels and the. In the tapestry of the Egyptians, I see all these little Jewish kids muling through the desert with all that Egyptian swag on. And, you know, they get outside, and unfortunately, the very first thing they do with that gold is they build a golden calf, which is not what God's plan was for them. But now God's got Moses up on Mount Sinai and he's telling him about, you know, I want you to build the Ark of the Covenant, and I want you to build the tabernacle. And here are all the dimensions of the tabernacle. And I want you to build the ephod, and I want you to build the lampstand. And, you know, it's just Exodus 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. He just keeps layering on all these things that he wants Moses to do. And I've always got this visual image of Moses, like, drooping down his head as he's starting to be Overwhelmed, you know, with the amount of details that God's giving him. And then he says in Exodus 29, but don't worry, I've already sent old Holiab and Bezalel, the son of Ahsmuch, and I put all the creativity and craftsmanship in their heart to accomplish what I've called you to. I've given them the ability to carve wood and to weave with thread and to, you know, work with metals. And so, you know, as I look back in my life, the two things that I have seen time and time again of affirmation of this is God more so than Nathan is. He has provided the gold of the Egyptians, and he has provided Bezalel and Holyb. And he has, you know, provided those things in such a way that it's obvious that he's doing it because Moses wasn't out recruiting. He didn't have a headhunter looking for an artist to come in and build all that stuff. Yeah, God said he, they are already on the way. And yet God also entrusted him all of that gold, Egyptian gold, that they took that gold of little, probably Egyptian gods and melted it down, and that became the ark of the covenant that carried the ten Commandments, you know, and it's just an amazing thing to really see God's patterns of how he works in life. And it just makes it more exciting when you see those. That pattern start to take place.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, it's like he knows what he's doing or something. Let's go back to the bees. Why? What made you be interested in a beehive?

[Nate Sheets]

Well, I've always loved honey my whole life. And whenever people would travel, they bring me honey as a gift. And so when Patty and I met and we got married and we lived in an apartment in Plano, Texas, and she said, hey, this was in 1996 when we got married. And she said, we need a hobby together. And I was like, okay. And back then, they actually had the tv, Internet commercials, TV commercials about what the Internet was for. And they had this AT&T Internet commercial with this lady in a bee suit covered up with bees. And her boys were up in this tree house looking down at their mom. And the one kid looks at the other and says, see, I told you you can find anything on the Internet. And I was like, I always like honey. I went over and typed in beekeeping Dallas. And that pulled this little honey company, North Dallas Honey Company. And so I called this gentleman, asked if I could buy a beehive. He said, and so I hung up and I realized, oh, wait, we live in an apartment. So I called my mom and dad and asked them if I could put a beehive in their backyard. And so Fred, this 78 year old general contractor, retired, had started this little honey company in 1972. He had 100 beehives. 50 were just down the road from where I lived. So I go over on the weekends and I'd help Fred work his bees, just learn about beekeeping. It's fascinating. And. And he had cancer and had a hard time getting around. And he was in about 10 health food stores. So he'd asked me if I would help him and go put honey on the shelf and said, get up, 4 o' clock in the morning, go put honey on the shelf for him. And then Patty was a school teacher. And then we started going down to his house and bottling honey in his garage by hand. And we'd bottle it and label it, put a cap on it, put in the box. I put the box in the truck and I'd go deliver it the next morning. And so we did that for, I don't know, about six, seven, eight months. And in the summer of 1997, he said, hey, you want to buy the honey company? It's like, buy the honey company? Why would I want to do that? And I said, how much do you want? He said, $10,000. I said, I don't have $10,000. You guys all finance it. So I bought North Dallas Honey 1997 for $10,000 on terms. But I didn't buy the bees, I just bought the product side. And so I hired a beekeeper to bottle honey. And then I hired a small distributor to put it on the shelf because that's. That summer was the same summer I was volunteering for E3 Partners after I'd gone on that mission trip and January of that year. And so, you know, I'm volunteering at E3. I'm doing this little honey company. I started a ad agency. And then in the summer or in the fall of, of 1997, the guy that had led the mission trip that I had gone on was the founder and CEO of this ministry. And he said, hey, why don't you come on staff with us at E3? And I asked him, you have to raise support like missionaries do, right? And he said, yeah. And I was like, well, I'll pray about that. You know, we'll see.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah.

[Nate Sheets]

And so Patty and I started praying about it and felt like that's what God wanted us to do. And so we wound up Going and raising support and going on staff at this ministry for E3. And all the while I had the Honey Company on the side. So that was kind of how we, you know, got the honey company started with no real intentionality. You know, when we got into it.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. But God probably had an idea of what he wanted to do with that, right?

[Nate Sheets]

I think God had an idea. I'll tell you the. The two things that I did and I didn't realize at the time. One, I put my phone number on the back of every bot of honey and I that we sold. So from 1997 to about 2014, I had it on the back and I talked to literally thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

[Jim Mann]

Wow.

[Nate Sheets]

And what that really became was a 17 year consumer research project. And then I also put a scripture verse on the front label. I worked with this young lady named Jenny Ham, and Jenny said, hey, you should put a Bible verse on there. I was like, okay. And so, you know, without as much intentionality or thought. And so I put on there Psalms 119103. Thy word is sweeter than honey. And so that is probably the most talked about aspect of the honey company, more so than anything. And only two times have I ever had any complaints or pushbacks on it throughout the 30 years.

[Jim Mann]

Wow. Yeah. Honey comes up a lot in the Bible, doesn't it?

[Nate Sheets]

It does. It is prolific. Yeah. So obviously the land of milk and honey.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, Honey. I've heard it described as the perfect food. What do you. In your research, obviously you know a whole lot about honey. What is the value? What's the actual value of honey? I mean, can you have too much honey?

[Nate Sheets]

Well, scripture says that you can. So I've always kind of. I thought that was probably a translation issue. So. But, you know, honey is. It in its entirety is very unique. The way that your body processes it. It doesn't go through your GI tract, It actually goes through your bloodstream. And so if you're a diabetic, you can just put it on your gums and it'll instantly start to take you out of a diabetic shock. It's naturally antibiotic, it's naturally antifungal. It never spoils, never goes bad. And it, you know, and so it's got medicinal purposes and values as it contains pollen. You ingest pollen. The pollen naturally produces histamine that coats the nerve receptors in your nose and ears and eye passages. And so when airbound pollens try to connect, they're inhibited by that histamic coating. And so it really does help with allergenic properties of just doesn't have to be from your local area, it just has to have pollen in it. And so it's in, it's one of the only foods that has both carbohydrate. It is the only food that is natural that has both carbohydrate and a protein in it. And you can literally survive on honey because it has both of those components in it. And so the pollen obviously is the protein and then the fructose sucrose is the carbohydrate. And so, and then when you're, when you adjust it, it's not like normal sugar where you have a glycemic spike and then it comes down, it's a, it's a gentle rise and then stays up and then gently will come down. So it's a remarkable food product. And you know, we were a very fortunate to be involved in getting into honey. And then we, because of the 17 year research project, we created the raw and unfiltered sector of honey. And all honey starts out Ron filtered, but historically people would always process it and take the pollen out. So it would take longer before it would crystallize. But knowing what people were looking for because I had my phone number on the back, we created the RON unfiltered honey sector in 2012. And if you added up all of the grocery store sales annually across the United States, they were about $300 million in sales back in 2012 and had been flat for decades. You know, no real growth. But we launched the Ron and filtered sector of honey back in 2012. And today that 300 million dollar honey category is now 1.5 billion dollar honey category 12 years later and 1.3 billion of it is directly related to RON unfiltered. And so we just took, you know, what was a, you know, millennia old product and put it back to the way that God had intended it and focused on that and it completely changed everything for the honey industry globally.

[Jim Mann]

Wow. Yeah. You think of course there'll be honey in heaven. You think there'll be any of those orange labels up there?

[Nate Sheets]

If there is, it's going to have that scripture verse on it.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, he likes scripture. So maybe.

[Nate Sheets]

Yeah, I think it's God's favorite honey. I'm just being.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, well, obviously he's pretty pleased with it, I think because he's used this through your life and you don't, you no longer work there, right?

[Nate Sheets]

That's correct. So I sold at the end of 21. I never had any financial partners and it just had gotten too big for me to be able to continue to invest at significant levels and continue to grow. So I sold the private equity at the end of 21 and I was the CEO until November of 2020, 24, where they wanted to put more distance between Nate Sheets and Nature Nate the brand. And so they said just be on the board. And then I resigned off the board in the spring of 25 to after I talked to my buddy Rick Santorum, who's a politician who ran for president. We were in Washington D.C. and I was telling Rick that I spent 12 years in full time Christian ministry, did some crazy amazing things like launching I am second doing a van cube. Then I spent 14 years at doing the Honey Company and now I'm at this place. I'm like, all right, Lord, what do you have next for me? Where can I go and invest my life? And so Rick said I should run for ag Commissioner for the state of Texas. I was like, run for ag Commissioner? He said, yeah, you know, people are getting sick from the food that we eat and we're losing farming and ranching. And so I had gotten involved with K at Healing Strong even before this whole process that we had decided to pursue.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

And yet, as I have continued to go down this road, it's been. Been amazing to realize the impact that food has on our health, both positively and negatively. And so the reason why I stepped away from Nature Nates, you know, was to go make an impact in the lives of everyone in Texas. And so goes Texas, so goes the nest, the rest of the United States. And so really just trying to help clean up the food and fight chronic disease that is rampant in America and help farmers and ranchers not just survive, but thrive.

[Jim Mann]

Man, that's totally out of my wheelhouse. So that's. I'm glad there's people like you out there.

[Nate Sheets]

Well, down to mine too. I never, never thought I'd ever be in politics. But you know, it's been a, it's been a fun process. But listen, Jim, I mean, the same desire that I had to make an impact for God's kingdom and ministry, I went into business with that same desire. I wanted to make an impact for God's kingdom and business. And now I'm coming with the same desire to want to make an impact for God's kingdom in the public life, in serving, you know, Texas. And God cares. I mean, God created the institution of the family, the institution of the church, and the institution of government. And I think too Many times in, you know, the evangelical church world that sometimes the church views getting involved in politics is not spiritual. And, you know, and I think that we wind up fighting things in the, in the church space, you know, whether it's abortions or transgenderism and these things that, that policy decisions are made in the public sphere. But if the church is devoid of having a presence and a voice into that, then they're railing against that, you know, after those decisions are made versus viewing being involved politically, both locally and in your state, as important as sending missionaries out into the world, that we should identify, train up, equip, and send people out to go be in your school board and in your county board and your, your, you know, your city council, your hoa, you know, for that matter, and be involved in these public spheres to make an impact for God's kingdom and, and bring light into those spaces.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah. So, I mean, the thought is, especially when I was growing up and I was called in the ministry and thinking, well, to be in the ministry, you got to work for a church or a missionary organization. But I don't think God sees it that way. I think being in the ministry is being where you're placed and shining the light.

[Nate Sheets]

Absolutely. While you are going make disciples.

[Jim Mann]

Yes, yes. And you have quite a wide range of, throughout your life of different areas you're in. And I don't think you're finished. Obviously, you're still a young man.

[Nate Sheets]

I got a lot of energy.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, it's the honey is what it is.

[Nate Sheets]

That's right.

[Jim Mann]

Well, we're gonna, we're gonna close this up here soon. And there's so many things that are ahead of you and, and things you don't even know about yet, of course, which is kind of exciting, I realize. But where, where do you see things going? Obviously you just told us a little bit about it, but how, how about this? How about, how can we pray for you? That would support you.

[Nate Sheets]

Yeah. And I really appreciate that because when, when I say, hey, would you pray for me? That's not just a trite request.

[Jim Mann]

Right.

[Nate Sheets]

You know, the, the scripture says that, that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. And lions hunt by setting traps that zebras don't ever see, and then the lions spring it on them. And so if I'm being vocal about wanting to go in to this public spectrum specter space and, and, and make a difference for God's kingdom, Satan's not going to just let me do that without having, you know, opposition come at me. And so I'd ask that you would, you know, pray for my own purity of heart and mind, you know, lust of the eyes, lust of flesh and the pride of life is. Is the sins of all men. And so I do not want to succumb to any of those. And that. That the Lord would put a hedge of protection around my family, my wife and my kids, and. And that he would surround me with wise and godly counsel that would also hold me accountable and that would maintain a heart of servitude to our community. And not a prideful thought of, look at me, I'm in politics. And. And so I'm coming at this not because I want to be involved in politics. I'm really coming at this because I want to accomplish things that. That I feel just like what you guys are trying to accomplish, a healing strong, you know, of the mission of recognizing that God wants to use healthy living in spiritual life, you know, to bring physical healing and ultimately spiritual healing to a lost and dying world.

[Jim Mann]

Right. Wow. Yeah. And of course, thanks again for your hefty contribution to healing strong and partnering with us and, And. And help us to get the word out and support people with these groups. I. I have a group. It's another situation there. I was looking for a group because I had cancer. I had stage four cancer. They gave me a month or two to live, and now it's been 10 years and I forgot to, you know, praise the Lord. Yes. So I looked for a group. There wasn't any in Greenville, South Carolina, where I'm at. So then I thought, that means I gotta start one. And I'm not good at things like that. But I thought, well, I'll start one. And some. There's always someone who will step up because there's always people who want to lead. It's been five years. It's not. No one has stepped up, but they all love coming. So, yeah, I'm. Put that in God's hand.

[Nate Sheets]

Well, think of all those lives that you've touched, all those lives that you've just touched through your faithfulness and your obedience in that. And, you know, those are the things that are never measured on this side of heaven, just because you really don't understand the breadth of that. So thank you for what you do to make a difference in the lives of other people. And it's an honor to get to serve with healing strong and be, you know, an advisor and. And, you know, the money that we. The, you know, a little bit of money that we invested in there was to really try to help challenge other people and to see the incredible work that Kay and the team have done. You know, that they took that and they got, I think, three times more than they ever thought that they would ever get. And that was, you know, that was the purpose. And we're very pleased to see them do so well, because that's. And again, it kind of goes back to the earlier thing about Moses and Exodus. God provided the money, and God continues to bring alongside the Jim Manns of the world, also known as Bezalel and Holy Ab. And he's given you all the giftedness to be able to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. And so I look at that as exciting times ahead for how he wants to use Healing Strong.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, that's good. That's a good word. How can. How can people get a hold of you? Or are you trying to keep them from getting a hold of you?

[Nate Sheets]

No, you can go to natesheets.com that's our political space. And. And so. Or on social media, Nate Sheets for TX or Nate Sheets for Texas on Facebook. And so I'm pretty. I'm pretty easy to get hold of. Even my email is pretty simple. Nate sheets.com and. And so if anybody ever has any advice or encouragement, I'm always open and love to hear.

[Jim Mann]

Yeah, just don't look for your phone number on the bottle anymore because it's not there.

[Nate Sheets]

It's not. It's not.

[Jim Mann]

Okay. Well, Nate, I appreciate it. It was. It was an honor meeting you, and hopefully we'll cross paths at a Healing Strong event or something.

[Nate Sheets]

And you, too. Thanks, Jay. May the Lord bless you, brother.

[Podcast Announcer]

You've been listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, a part of the Healing Strong organization. We hope you found encouragement in this episode as well as the confidence to take control of your healing journey, knowing that God will guide you on this path. Healing Strong is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect, support, and educate individuals facing cancer and other diseases through strategies that help to rebuild the body, renew the soul, and refresh the spirit. It costs nothing to be a part of a local or online group. You can do that by going to our [e-mail] and finding a group near you, or an online group or start your own. Your choice. While you're there, take a look around at all the free resources. Though the resources and groups are free, we encourage you to join our membership program. At 25 or $75 a month, this helps us to be able to reach more people with hope and encouragement, and that also comes with some extra perks as well. So check it out. If you enjoyed this podcast, please give us a five star rating. Leave an encouraging comment and help us spread the word. We'll see you next week with another story on the I Am Healing Strong podcast.