Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery, I'm Cheri 00:00:11.26\00:00:13.30 your host and today we are going to look at change. 00:00:13.33\00:00:15.50 Some people will say I don't even know how to change, 00:00:15.53\00:00:20.09 I don't know what needs to be changed. 00:00:20.12\00:00:21.85 So today we will get what Jesus Christ does to get us 00:00:21.88\00:00:25.80 to a place where we except change and our very desires 00:00:25.83\00:00:29.16 will change so join us as we look at that. 00:00:29.19\00:00:31.18 I laugh when I think about when I came to Christ, 00:00:59.78\00:01:01.59 I was such a mess. 00:01:01.62\00:01:03.89 I was in a drug house trying to kill myself, had an 00:01:03.92\00:01:07.78 encounter with God and felt beyond a shadow of a doubt 00:01:07.81\00:01:13.72 that He could change my life and I needed to find 00:01:13.75\00:01:15.84 a place to recover. 00:01:15.87\00:01:17.14 So I end up calling the only person I know, the only 00:01:17.17\00:01:20.90 person I know that was fairly normal. 00:01:20.93\00:01:23.12 I had been homeless for 10 years, I had been on the 00:01:23.15\00:01:25.71 street for 10 years surrounded by addicts so when I say 00:01:25.74\00:01:28.86 fairly normal, it isn't even close to what some people 00:01:28.89\00:01:31.76 would think normal was, but I called them up. 00:01:31.79\00:01:34.01 I said you know I need some help desperately. 00:01:34.04\00:01:36.28 I need to find a place to recover. 00:01:36.31\00:01:38.38 When I met God in the drug house, I was trying to kill 00:01:38.41\00:01:41.01 myself and God never once told me Cheri you know what? 00:01:41.04\00:01:43.68 Now that you've got it, now that you understand I'm God, 00:01:43.71\00:01:47.01 I want you to clean up, I want you to stop doing drugs, 00:01:47.04\00:01:49.50 I want you to stop lying whatever, all He said to me 00:01:49.53\00:01:52.67 is that I absolutely adore you. 00:01:52.70\00:01:54.71 I adore you and I love you and I want to help you to heal. 00:01:54.74\00:01:58.05 In that it gave me the courage to stand up and say 00:01:58.08\00:02:01.20 you know what? I want to get away from this stuff, 00:02:01.23\00:02:03.68 these drugs and all of that. 00:02:03.71\00:02:05.08 So I called this person who has a sister who is a 00:02:05.11\00:02:08.79 Christian and says that I can stay at her house, right? 00:02:08.82\00:02:10.88 I drive, I don't know eight hours to get to her house. 00:02:10.91\00:02:15.43 I get to her house and I am withdrawing from drugs 00:02:15.46\00:02:18.66 because I don't realize I say no drugs and 00:02:18.69\00:02:21.36 I'm going to find a place to recover but I am not 00:02:21.39\00:02:23.81 right now in a good place. 00:02:23.84\00:02:25.81 In that He sets me in a place, in a Christian home with 00:02:25.84\00:02:30.47 somebody that is actually a vegan vegetarian and amazing. 00:02:30.50\00:02:33.76 And I always joke that this women was quite a bit older 00:02:33.79\00:02:37.19 than I am but she was a health nut. 00:02:37.22\00:02:40.20 So she was so healthy she would say we need to get out 00:02:40.23\00:02:42.88 side and in the sun and all that stuff. 00:02:42.91\00:02:46.19 We need to hike and I'm thinking I smoke three packs of 00:02:46.22\00:02:48.70 cigarettes a day, I'm a recovering heroin addict, I am 00:02:48.73\00:02:51.38 withdrawing from drugs and I'm thinking you go hike. 00:02:51.41\00:02:54.08 I'm actually okay, and I remember just being and it was 00:02:54.11\00:02:58.44 so funny but she loved and nurtured me and those things. 00:02:58.47\00:03:02.22 When I finally trusted her enough to really allow her to 00:03:02.25\00:03:06.38 teach me the Bible, to teach me about what God says, 00:03:06.41\00:03:09.03 she started teaching me different things and one of 00:03:09.06\00:03:11.54 thing she taught me was the story of Mary Magdalene. 00:03:11.57\00:03:14.27 Reading Mary Magdalena in the Bible for those of you that 00:03:14.30\00:03:16.81 don't know is a prostitute, right? 00:03:16.84\00:03:19.59 She was drug to Jesus feet and thrown at His feet and people 00:03:19.62\00:03:24.94 were saying, you know what was her crime she should be 00:03:24.97\00:03:27.28 stoned to death, she should be killed. 00:03:27.31\00:03:29.08 God doesn't do that, Jesus doesn't do that, He looks at 00:03:29.11\00:03:32.85 her with so much compassion that He really convicts them 00:03:32.88\00:03:37.67 as God does with us, of their sin, of their damage. 00:03:37.70\00:03:41.43 He says whoever doesn't have any sin throw the first 00:03:41.46\00:03:44.50 stone at her and we will condemn her to death. 00:03:44.53\00:03:46.90 We will stone her to death. 00:03:46.93\00:03:47.98 And pretty soon everybody walks away, she is so hesitant 00:03:48.01\00:03:51.66 to even look up at Him, and He just looked at her with 00:03:51.69\00:03:54.57 so much love and says I don't even condemn you. 00:03:54.60\00:03:56.42 I love you, go and don't hurt yourself anymore. 00:03:56.45\00:03:59.63 And when I heard that the first time, go and don't hurt 00:03:59.66\00:04:03.42 yourself anymore, that God is not saying go and be good, 00:04:03.45\00:04:07.38 go and don't embarrass Me, He is saying go and don't hurt 00:04:07.41\00:04:11.34 yourself, don't put all the stuff into your life, don't 00:04:11.37\00:04:14.57 let people abuse you, don't get lost in your addictions. 00:04:14.60\00:04:18.01 He is literally saying I just so love you. 00:04:18.04\00:04:20.72 She felt so much in love from Him that she followed Him 00:04:20.75\00:04:23.89 the rest of her life, the rest of her life she was so 00:04:23.92\00:04:26.16 dedicated to God and wanted to stand holy in the presence 00:04:26.19\00:04:30.12 of a holy God because of the love she felt from Him. 00:04:30.15\00:04:32.74 Not because He told her she had to, this is just her 00:04:32.77\00:04:35.57 response from that love. 00:04:35.60\00:04:37.11 The next story they tell me, and I love this one. 00:04:37.14\00:04:39.50 She tells me the story about the demoniac and says 00:04:39.53\00:04:43.83 a guy in the Bible and he is ugly, he is ugly. 00:04:43.86\00:04:48.52 He was like cutting on himself with stones. 00:04:48.55\00:04:50.75 He is beating people up, he's chained up and foaming 00:04:50.78\00:04:54.89 at the mouth and is filled with demons. 00:04:54.92\00:04:56.87 Did I tell you he is ugly, did I tell you I mean 00:04:56.90\00:05:00.40 he is ugly, ugly, ugly. 00:05:00.43\00:05:02.18 And the whole time she is talking I'm thinking what 00:05:02.21\00:05:04.96 happened to him, and she says again did I say that this 00:05:04.99\00:05:07.92 guy was ugly? I'm thinking you did. 00:05:07.95\00:05:10.37 And so she says ugly, filled with demons, cutting on 00:05:10.40\00:05:14.14 himself and people tried to chain him up and he would 00:05:14.17\00:05:16.03 break the chains, they were afraid of him. 00:05:16.06\00:05:18.24 I'm thinking the whole time, let me know what happened 00:05:18.27\00:05:20.62 because I think I dated that guy. 00:05:20.65\00:05:22.25 So she is acting like this is a guy that never has 00:05:22.28\00:05:26.23 existed, and I'm thinking you have never been on the 00:05:26.26\00:05:28.58 streets, you've never been in a lot of prisons because 00:05:28.61\00:05:31.08 there are people that are filled with demons. 00:05:31.11\00:05:33.07 There are people that are so filled with rage that kind 00:05:33.10\00:05:36.77 of stuff is normal and I want to know what happened. 00:05:36.80\00:05:39.87 She said Christ stood in front of him and everybody else 00:05:39.90\00:05:42.76 ran, everyone that Christ was with ran away. 00:05:42.79\00:05:46.21 But Jesus stood there and new that in the heart of heart 00:05:46.24\00:05:50.45 of this guy, he wanted to be normal. 00:05:50.48\00:05:53.10 He wanted to be well and Jesus set there and called 00:05:53.13\00:05:56.30 the demons out and rebuked them. 00:05:56.33\00:05:58.34 God got them out of this guy's life and the next time 00:05:58.37\00:06:01.00 people saw him he was sane and in his right mind. 00:06:01.03\00:06:03.81 That is absolutely incredible, this guy that was filled 00:06:03.84\00:06:07.46 with demons is now free and in his right mind, sitting 00:06:07.49\00:06:09.89 next to Christ. 00:06:09.92\00:06:11.05 And I love because Christ is getting ready to go somewhere 00:06:11.08\00:06:14.21 else because the town folks flip out because of all the 00:06:14.24\00:06:18.15 stuff that happened and asked Him to leave the region. 00:06:18.18\00:06:20.24 And this guy says can I go with you please? 00:06:20.27\00:06:22.81 And as I'm hearing this story I'm thinking I can so 00:06:22.84\00:06:25.74 relate to that guy. 00:06:25.77\00:06:27.35 I know that there are a lot of people I was on the 00:06:27.38\00:06:29.93 streets with that if they knew there was a God out there 00:06:29.96\00:06:33.17 that could bring those kind of changes, can take some 00:06:33.20\00:06:35.56 body from crazy to being filled with demons and having 00:06:35.59\00:06:38.72 all that anger and can bring healing into the life. 00:06:38.75\00:06:42.04 Not only healing where you are sane, he's got restored 00:06:42.07\00:06:46.28 sanity, I'm in my right mind. 00:06:46.31\00:06:48.18 All that anger for first-time in my life is gone and I'm 00:06:48.21\00:06:50.89 thinking Amen, Amen and as I looked at the Bible, as I 00:06:50.92\00:06:55.13 first of all left this woman's house, I have done recovery 00:06:55.16\00:07:00.30 she has taught me some things and I leave her house and 00:07:00.33\00:07:02.79 join a church and it was hysterical because I don't know 00:07:02.82\00:07:06.79 how to dress. I don't know how to dress, I don't know 00:07:06.82\00:07:09.31 how to talk, I don't know how to eat right, speak right. 00:07:09.34\00:07:13.13 I could read a little bit, maybe second grade level but 00:07:13.16\00:07:17.01 I was fairly illiterate. 00:07:17.04\00:07:18.31 I came running in the church, hello I'm here and 00:07:18.34\00:07:22.52 I love God and how amazing is that? 00:07:22.55\00:07:25.51 What was funny is that He loves me and I remember 00:07:25.54\00:07:28.76 coming in and the church I came into was very 00:07:28.79\00:07:31.74 conservative and very standoffish with my excitement 00:07:31.77\00:07:36.09 and definitely with the way I looked. 00:07:36.12\00:07:37.98 Because I came into a very conservative church I put every 00:07:38.01\00:07:41.02 single piece of jewelry that I owned on. 00:07:41.05\00:07:43.48 My best outfit was a little short skirt kind of thing. 00:07:43.51\00:07:48.12 I just thought I looked adorable and they didn't agree with me. 00:07:48.15\00:07:52.37 I was smoking three packs a day so I had billows of smoke 00:07:52.40\00:07:56.44 following me and I just showed up. 00:07:56.47\00:07:59.02 I was so in love with God, and I know that 00:07:59.05\00:08:02.34 He was so in love with me. 00:08:02.37\00:08:03.91 The response I got in the building was not, they weren't 00:08:03.94\00:08:11.18 as sure, they weren't as sure and it was so funny. 00:08:11.21\00:08:15.51 So I sat down and tried to behave and I remember for 00:08:15.54\00:08:18.64 a while I would come in and spray perfume all over because 00:08:18.67\00:08:22.91 I thought maybe they don't like the smell of smoke. 00:08:22.94\00:08:25.41 And remember I'd just come from homeless less so I don't 00:08:25.44\00:08:28.79 have a lot of money so the perfume was very cheap and 00:08:28.82\00:08:31.78 I was sprayed from head to toe and I would come in. 00:08:31.81\00:08:34.68 And what was interesting to me was the entire time 00:08:34.71\00:08:38.22 God was saying, I love you, I adore you, I think you are 00:08:38.25\00:08:43.86 beautiful and I will bring changes into your life. 00:08:43.89\00:08:47.26 So we talked about it, I was so used to being on the 00:08:47.29\00:08:53.18 streets, I was so manipulative, if I was uncomfortable 00:08:53.21\00:08:57.29 in any way, if I was unsure of myself in any way I have 00:08:57.32\00:09:01.19 and detachment disorder because of all the early 00:09:01.22\00:09:03.24 molest and that means I could leave in my head and be 00:09:03.27\00:09:06.16 somewhere else, or be someone else or whatever. 00:09:06.19\00:09:08.74 I was so adaptable that I could do that at the drop of a 00:09:08.77\00:09:11.96 hat, in fact in my recovery to learn to stay present was 00:09:11.99\00:09:15.10 a huge thing, I mean it was a huge thing. 00:09:15.13\00:09:18.46 So I ended up coming into the church trying to do the best 00:09:18.49\00:09:22.92 I could and someone told me at one point you know Cheri 00:09:22.95\00:09:27.88 the reason you are such a mess is that you are not eating 00:09:27.91\00:09:31.29 right, and I've got to tell you there is so much truth to 00:09:31.32\00:09:34.68 that, what we put in our body and how we take care of 00:09:34.71\00:09:37.55 our self is a big deal, it's absolutely a big deal. 00:09:37.58\00:09:40.31 But the way this person brought it across as very much 00:09:40.34\00:09:43.24 condemning, it wasn't brought across in love at all. 00:09:43.27\00:09:47.30 So I kind of took it like what do you mean? 00:09:47.33\00:09:51.69 It wasn't that I was molested since the day I was born 00:09:51.72\00:09:54.58 in homeless or 10 years and all that stuff, 00:09:54.61\00:09:56.76 I'm just not eating brown rice and I remember just 00:09:56.79\00:09:59.17 thinking how crazy is that? 00:09:59.20\00:10:02.10 I went to a class on how to eat right and I was in the 00:10:02.13\00:10:06.94 first row of this class because for one, I don't know 00:10:06.97\00:10:10.36 if you can recognize I am somewhat ADD. 00:10:10.39\00:10:13.26 So I am a little hyper and I am in the front row because 00:10:13.29\00:10:17.20 I do not want to miss anything, because if this is going to help 00:10:17.23\00:10:19.21 me survive I want to learn any thing I need to learn. 00:10:19.24\00:10:22.38 I got so hurt in this class because the only thing 00:10:22.41\00:10:26.39 that I got from it is that if I ever eaten or done 00:10:26.42\00:10:31.84 anything like eating wrong, or done something wrong to 00:10:31.87\00:10:35.34 my body I couldn't get it spiritually. 00:10:35.37\00:10:37.59 I'm sure that wasn't the message, but I got this 00:10:37.62\00:10:40.24 message and it felt like somebody was reaching into 00:10:40.27\00:10:43.35 my chest and pulling Christ out, literally pulling Christ out. 00:10:43.38\00:10:47.38 I was afraid and I ended up leaving and went home and I 00:10:47.41\00:10:51.08 was sobbing, snob dripping out of my nose sobbing and just 00:10:51.11\00:10:55.09 saying God this cannot be true because I can't survive. 00:10:55.12\00:10:58.12 I don't know what I'll do if God isn't real. 00:10:58.15\00:11:01.49 If your love for me isn't real, if I have no chance of 00:11:01.52\00:11:04.79 coming out of this I'm not sure what I would do. 00:11:04.82\00:11:07.22 And God gives me this, I hate to say vision because that 00:11:07.25\00:11:11.44 is an odd thing to say, but He gave me this vision of 00:11:11.47\00:11:15.39 what happened to me years ago and it really happened. 00:11:15.42\00:11:18.61 I was a drug house and waiting for a shipment of heroin 00:11:18.64\00:11:21.61 to come in and I was withdrawing. I was not in a good 00:11:21.64\00:11:26.40 place. When the drugs came in, I slammed the same amount of drugs 00:11:26.43\00:11:29.99 I've always slammed and it was too much. 00:11:30.02\00:11:32.28 The drug was more potent than what I have been used to. 00:11:32.31\00:11:35.37 I immediately overdosed, because when you inject drugs 00:11:35.40\00:11:38.42 the overdose is pretty quick, so I immediately overdosed. 00:11:38.45\00:11:41.74 I started seizing, I lost bowel and bladder control. 00:11:41.77\00:11:44.99 I started throwing up and the other addicts in the room 00:11:45.02\00:11:47.68 were trying to resuscitate me. 00:11:47.71\00:11:50.02 And this is really important, I'm sorry if it grosses 00:11:50.05\00:11:53.33 someone out, but they were trying to resuscitate me and 00:11:53.36\00:11:56.36 what God showed me in this prayer is what that looked 00:11:56.39\00:11:58.61 like at the time. 00:11:58.64\00:12:00.28 I don't know how He does that but that's what I felt like 00:12:00.31\00:12:02.47 He was showing me. 00:12:02.50\00:12:03.64 It was ridiculous watching other addicts trying to breathe 00:12:03.67\00:12:07.95 for you and that stuff. 00:12:07.98\00:12:09.15 As I threw up they were trying to clear my mouth of the 00:12:09.18\00:12:12.06 vomit and still breathe for me and it was disgusting. 00:12:12.09\00:12:14.36 I remembered that when I first got into praying I felt 00:12:14.39\00:12:18.26 horrible, I felt like I wasn't worth anything, that 00:12:18.29\00:12:21.43 I wasn't good enough, I wasn't eating right and I didn't 00:12:21.46\00:12:23.65 fit in this group of normal people. 00:12:23.68\00:12:26.42 I didn't fit in the church and I couldn't sit anywhere 00:12:26.45\00:12:29.09 else and I was panicking and now He is showing me this 00:12:29.12\00:12:32.12 vision that was absolutely disgusting. 00:12:32.15\00:12:34.38 In the vision I felt like I was there looking at it, 00:12:34.41\00:12:37.80 I could smell and feel what it felt like to be in that place. 00:12:37.83\00:12:41.20 They took me to the shower and were trying to put ice all 00:12:41.23\00:12:43.57 over me to revive me and those things. 00:12:43.60\00:12:46.05 All of a sudden I just felt like crying God, 00:12:46.08\00:12:49.45 what are You doing? This is not helping me feel better. 00:12:49.48\00:12:53.12 I remember that panic, that I am not feeling better and 00:12:53.15\00:12:56.45 He said something that changed my life forever, for ever. 00:12:56.48\00:13:00.35 He said to me really clearly through the Holy Spirit, 00:13:00.38\00:13:03.56 not a voice but through the Holy Spirit, Cheri I loved 00:13:03.59\00:13:06.93 you as much when you were laying on the floor of a drug 00:13:06.96\00:13:10.00 house, in your own feces as I do right now when you are 00:13:10.03\00:13:13.45 trying to be a Christian. 00:13:13.48\00:13:14.80 Do not make this a behavioral thing, I am your Father. 00:13:14.83\00:13:17.93 I love you, I loved you since the day you were born, even 00:13:17.96\00:13:21.31 in the womb I loved you and please don't mistaken that. 00:13:21.34\00:13:25.08 Do I not want you to not hurt yourself? Do I want you not 00:13:25.11\00:13:28.33 to damage yourself by this sin you bring in your life? 00:13:28.36\00:13:32.00 Yes, but that doesn't change my love for you. 00:13:32.03\00:13:34.19 Do I what you to eat right? Yes because it helps you 00:13:34.22\00:13:37.05 to reestablish your neural chemistry so you depressions 00:13:37.08\00:13:39.94 will lift and all that stuff. 00:13:39.97\00:13:41.42 Do I want you to drink water? Yeah and be out in the sun 00:13:41.45\00:13:43.93 and take good breaths and stuff that is all part of 00:13:43.96\00:13:47.01 recovery, yes that is it but don't mistaken that for My 00:13:47.04\00:13:50.42 love for you, I am your Father. 00:13:50.45\00:13:53.33 I absolutely adore you and when you get that I can bring 00:13:53.36\00:13:56.88 changes into your life that the very desires that you have, 00:13:56.91\00:13:59.77 the very things that are so second nature to you right now, 00:13:59.80\00:14:03.22 the manipulation and all that stuff you will so start to 00:14:03.25\00:14:07.66 begin to hate the things that you love now. 00:14:07.69\00:14:09.14 Love the things that you hate now that I am God and bring 00:14:09.18\00:14:12.70 Holiness into your life where you will long for that and 00:14:12.74\00:14:16.23 desire that, and that is all scriptural. 00:14:16.26\00:14:18.74 As I learned that, God how cool is He? 00:14:18.77\00:14:21.18 So stay tuned, we are going to meet some of the guests here 00:14:21.22\00:14:25.18 and I want you to listen to the stories of 00:14:25.22\00:14:27.72 Ron and Celeste Lee as we interviewed them as how God has 00:14:27.76\00:14:31.45 changed their lives and brought that into their life and 00:14:31.48\00:14:35.14 made Himself more real to them. 00:14:35.17\00:14:36.66 We want to introduce you to a beautiful book 00:14:41.90\00:14:44.27 Called 'Steps To Christ'. 00:14:44.31\00:14:46.07 Each program in this series is based on a different chapter 00:14:46.11\00:14:49.35 showing you how to become a Christian and 00:14:49.39\00:14:51.18 gain victory over your addictions. 00:14:51.21\00:14:53.38 'Steps To Christ' is our gift to you free of charge. 00:14:53.41\00:14:56.63 Just call us at: 00:14:56.66\00:14:58.32 Welcome back to Celebrating Life In Recovery, on this 00:15:22.70\00:15:24.98 segment I would like introduce you to Ron and Celeste Lee 00:15:25.01\00:15:27.26 and thank you so much for coming on the show. 00:15:27.29\00:15:31.22 You know that I love you guys. - we love you too. 00:15:31.25\00:15:35.11 Good, good, the first time I met Ron, and I have to tell 00:15:35.14\00:15:38.83 you this, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. 00:15:38.87\00:15:41.39 I am in Nebraska, we're doing I think a woman's retreat or 00:15:41.42\00:15:45.26 something but the men decided that they had to come. 00:15:45.29\00:15:47.69 So everybody comes and we had a great time. 00:15:47.73\00:15:52.12 As I met Ron, I instantly feel I bonded with you and have since 00:15:52.15\00:15:58.18 the day we met, and I said to Ron on the way out is that 00:15:58.21\00:16:01.81 you would be amazing in prison ministries. 00:16:01.84\00:16:05.10 So I'm wondering I know he's the elder of the church and 00:16:05.14\00:16:08.19 saying have you done prison ministries and do you remember 00:16:08.22\00:16:11.24 what you said to me? 00:16:11.28\00:16:12.52 I made some comment like I can't go there because of what 00:16:12.55\00:16:17.31 I would do? I'm like what? What would you do? 00:16:17.34\00:16:20.63 I think I responded to you I would smack somebody. 00:16:20.67\00:16:24.45 Yeah you said that, I'd probably smack somebody in the 00:16:24.49\00:16:28.86 face, Na-na-na-na and I started to laugh because that was 00:16:28.90\00:16:33.24 the funniest answer I had ever heard. 00:16:33.27\00:16:35.61 So I said do have some anger issues? And I think Celeste 00:16:35.65\00:16:40.37 just about fell off the chair, anger issues let me tell 00:16:40.41\00:16:44.69 you. It was that encounter, when we first met, and there 00:16:44.72\00:16:48.97 is not much more said about that. 00:16:49.00\00:16:50.56 A little while later I get a call from Celeste and go 00:16:50.60\00:16:56.87 over the call. 00:16:56.90\00:16:58.74 I think if this is the call you are referring to I was 00:16:58.77\00:17:02.20 ready to move out, I was done. - packing your bags. 00:17:02.23\00:17:05.44 I was like Cheri I can't handle this, I have been here 00:17:05.47\00:17:08.64 enough and I am not dealing with this anymore, 00:17:08.68\00:17:10.73 I'm out of here. 00:17:10.77\00:17:11.99 And what she was telling me is you don't understand, 00:17:12.02\00:17:14.44 this guy has a rage problem and you are right on, and all this 00:17:14.47\00:17:18.93 kind of stuff on the phone and I finally said to her, which 00:17:18.97\00:17:23.76 I think was amazing, is that if God could change it would 00:17:23.80\00:17:28.56 you stay? And there was silence. 00:17:28.60\00:17:31.51 Because at that time I didn't really think God could, 00:17:31.55\00:17:33.82 because I have been praying that for ever. 00:17:33.85\00:17:36.08 I was really at the decision point of can 00:17:36.12\00:17:39.62 I even still believe in God? 00:17:39.65\00:17:41.74 Because nothing is happening here, why should I still 00:17:41.77\00:17:44.27 believe in Him when nothing is happening? 00:17:44.31\00:17:47.07 I had really sat down and thought some of that through. 00:17:47.10\00:17:50.77 There was a point in the conversation I thought was 00:17:50.80\00:17:54.82 incredible when you are honestly saying even if it 00:17:54.86\00:17:58.67 changes right now I don't think I can step back in. 00:17:58.71\00:18:02.78 I just think I am so done, and at that point the only 00:18:02.81\00:18:06.85 thing I could think of is that both of you need 00:18:06.88\00:18:09.32 to be at my house. 00:18:09.35\00:18:11.03 Come over to the house, and its funny Ron because you 00:18:11.07\00:18:15.05 didn't think you would come. 00:18:15.08\00:18:17.95 No she didn't, she basically put me in a crisis and said 00:18:17.99\00:18:22.11 we have got to go today, this was a Wednesday afternoon. 00:18:22.14\00:18:26.23 She said we got to go today, and I said I've got a 00:18:26.26\00:18:28.77 contract that is signed and I have to be on the job Monday. 00:18:28.80\00:18:31.42 You're the boss, - yeah on Fridays. 00:18:31.45\00:18:35.11 So she said well I'll drive all Sunday to make sure 00:18:35.14\00:18:39.70 you get home, either we go or I'm gone. 00:18:39.73\00:18:41.90 I realized at that moment it was way past serious and 00:18:41.94\00:18:45.71 it was time, I knew I needed help but didn't 00:18:45.75\00:18:48.50 know what to do. 00:18:48.54\00:18:49.85 So we're going to step into this situation and its the most 00:18:49.89\00:18:54.03 amazing thing watching God, I love watching God. 00:18:54.06\00:18:56.64 I love the way He comes into our lives when it is hopeless. 00:18:56.67\00:18:59.60 When we absolutely don't think He can do anything and maybe 00:18:59.63\00:19:02.52 don't even want Him to do anything. 00:19:02.56\00:19:04.35 I don't even know if I believe in You anymore and 00:19:04.38\00:19:06.41 watching God step in. 00:19:06.45\00:19:08.69 Before we get started with your testimony, because they are 00:19:08.72\00:19:14.87 my favorite, my favorite, is I want to take you to John 3:8 00:19:14.91\00:19:20.18 In John 3:8 it talks about where Christ says "the wind blows 00:19:20.22\00:19:24.79 "wherever it wishes, you can hear the sound it makes but you" 00:19:24.82\00:19:29.35 "do not know where it comes from or where it's going. 00:19:29.39\00:19:31.90 "It's like that way with everyone born of the Spirit." 00:19:31.94\00:19:34.38 I never really got that until somebody said in a military 00:19:34.42\00:19:38.94 term, and Ron will appreciate this, is during some of the 00:19:38.98\00:19:42.64 major wars the Marines would come and they would land on 00:19:42.67\00:19:46.30 an island that was occupied by the enemy. 00:19:46.34\00:19:48.63 If they could get a hold on that island it was just 00:19:48.67\00:19:53.31 a matter of time before they could take back the territory, 00:19:53.35\00:19:57.61 take back the land. 00:19:57.65\00:19:59.29 I really believe in this God said just give Me a hold, 00:19:59.33\00:20:03.04 just raise your hand and get in the car and drive there 00:20:03.08\00:20:06.75 and God will wow you with what He does. 00:20:06.79\00:20:10.36 So you show up at my house and I'm only going to set up the 00:20:10.39\00:20:12.83 story and let them take it over. 00:20:12.87\00:20:14.41 You show up at my house, and I look at both of them and 00:20:14.44\00:20:18.17 they are both furious. They are both furious. 00:20:18.20\00:20:22.75 And they are furious at each other, their furious about 00:20:22.79\00:20:26.63 the trip and I can't even imagine being in the place you 00:20:26.67\00:20:30.41 are in and driving all the way with each other in a car. 00:20:30.44\00:20:35.49 And so you get to the house and I remember hearing first 00:20:35.52\00:20:39.57 of all your testimony Ron, and I want you to just talk 00:20:39.61\00:20:43.44 about where you come from the time before you were sent 00:20:43.48\00:20:47.27 to Vietnam, so start from childhood. 00:20:47.31\00:20:50.85 As far as I can remember, ever since I was raised in a 00:20:50.89\00:20:56.29 quote unquote Adventist home, my father was very abusive. 00:20:56.33\00:21:01.70 We were beat and my mother was very abusive verbally 00:21:01.73\00:21:05.12 mostly but also physically. 00:21:05.15\00:21:06.77 So that's set up a lot of anger and rebellion and I was 00:21:06.81\00:21:09.96 told I wasn't going to make it because I wasn't a doctors 00:21:09.99\00:21:13.00 kid and told later in my life I would make it because 00:21:13.04\00:21:16.01 I didn't go to college. 00:21:16.05\00:21:17.71 We were forced into you will read your Bible or your going 00:21:17.75\00:21:22.02 to hell, you will do this and all we did until I was arrested 00:21:22.05\00:21:26.28 down the road was read the Bible and do chores 00:21:26.32\00:21:28.88 no fun, no play, no love. 00:21:28.91\00:21:30.17 A lot of abuse, a lot of hatred, a lot of anger. 00:21:30.21\00:21:33.99 I developed a love of anger and hatred and pretty soon 00:21:34.02\00:21:38.58 I started hating everybody, teachers and parents, and cops 00:21:38.62\00:21:43.14 teachers and brother and it just escalated. 00:21:43.18\00:21:47.69 When someone talks about that much hatred that much anger in a 00:21:47.73\00:21:51.64 child it is unbelievable, we talked about it a little earlier 00:21:51.67\00:21:55.22 about the demoniac and his life was so out of control that 00:21:55.25\00:21:58.76 almost a demonic possession because of the anger. 00:21:58.80\00:22:02.54 I really believe that Satan just stays on you, just 00:22:02.57\00:22:05.50 stays on you, and when you talked about being arrested 00:22:05.53\00:22:08.43 what was that about? 00:22:08.46\00:22:09.97 I got involved in, we were very poor, and I got involved 00:22:10.01\00:22:15.93 with another friend in a homicide which involved a cowboy 00:22:15.97\00:22:21.86 and we made it and he didn't. 00:22:21.89\00:22:23.71 So I'm going to go there, he picked you up and you guys 00:22:23.75\00:22:28.47 decided to rob him or whatever and beat him up and 00:22:28.50\00:22:30.99 he ends up dying. And you were how old? 00:22:31.02\00:22:35.81 I was 17 getting ready to turn 18 so they were going to 00:22:35.85\00:22:40.20 try me as an adult and that led to some lock up time. 00:22:40.23\00:22:44.01 Not long because they eventually came down and offered me 00:22:44.05\00:22:48.06 military service, which they don't do anymore, military 00:22:48.09\00:22:51.54 service in exchange for dropping the felony for the rest 00:22:51.58\00:22:55.00 of your life. - and what year was that? 00:22:55.03\00:22:56.51 That was 1967. - so the military service was Vietnam? 00:22:56.55\00:23:00.87 And they sent me to Vietnam which now they taught me how 00:23:00.91\00:23:04.58 to kill a right way, if there's a right way and we know 00:23:04.62\00:23:08.26 there's not and that created more anger, 00:23:08.29\00:23:10.60 more frustration, and a hard heart. 00:23:10.64\00:23:13.76 You know what I think about that kind of thing and you 00:23:13.80\00:23:17.14 were at my house in first telling me this story, my heart 00:23:17.17\00:23:21.19 just broke for you because I picture this angry child now 00:23:21.22\00:23:25.20 in the service and being taught to kill. 00:23:25.23\00:23:27.78 Now drugs coming in and drinking coming in and all that 00:23:27.82\00:23:29.95 kind of thing being mixed in with that. 00:23:29.99\00:23:33.44 I felt at that point you must have been so lost in your 00:23:33.48\00:23:37.50 anger. - I was lost in my anger and the smallest little 00:23:37.53\00:23:41.52 thing would set me off. 00:23:41.55\00:23:43.31 I think I probably had the most article 15's of 00:23:43.35\00:23:46.03 anybody in my company. - what's an article 15? 00:23:46.06\00:23:48.67 It's a military discipline action where you forfeit your 00:23:48.71\00:23:53.06 pay, loss of rank and extra duty and pretty soon I think 00:23:53.09\00:23:57.95 when I was in a war situation making the five level of 00:23:57.98\00:24:02.55 rank that I had pay and overseas duty pay and combat duty 00:24:02.59\00:24:07.12 pay, I was only making $200 and something dollars, 00:24:07.15\00:24:10.73 $258 a month and so that lead into more drugs, dealing 00:24:10.77\00:24:14.29 and black-market situation. - to increase your income? 00:24:14.33\00:24:17.06 To increase my income so I could have more drugs and 00:24:17.10\00:24:19.77 more medication of covering up what you are actually doing 00:24:19.80\00:24:24.25 every day. - as you're telling me this story I was 00:24:24.28\00:24:28.36 paying attention to Celeste and your response to him. 00:24:28.39\00:24:32.78 And the response that I picked up on spiritually was see 00:24:32.81\00:24:37.16 how messed up he is Cheri? Do you know what I mean? 00:24:37.20\00:24:40.86 So I want you to tell a little bit because your 00:24:40.89\00:24:43.61 backgrounds are so different and I want you to tell 00:24:43.64\00:24:46.05 a little bit about your background and how you grew up 00:24:46.09\00:24:48.46 because it was different than his. 00:24:48.50\00:24:49.93 Yes I grew up in a Christian home, went to Christian 00:24:49.96\00:24:53.87 schools, was basically always a good girl and everything 00:24:53.90\00:24:57.90 had to look right, it was vitally important that the 00:24:57.93\00:25:01.69 presentation to the public, if you are having a problem 00:25:01.72\00:25:05.45 at home that was kept at home. 00:25:05.48\00:25:06.96 You never shared anything and everything always had to 00:25:07.00\00:25:09.51 look good to anybody else. 00:25:09.55\00:25:11.82 This sweet little girl ended up with him. 00:25:11.85\00:25:16.76 We are not going to get into all the years in between that 00:25:16.80\00:25:19.83 but I want to go there right now, just imagine out of 00:25:19.86\00:25:23.32 Vietnam in a few years have passed and you are still in 00:25:23.35\00:25:27.02 the middle of your anger and you meet this Adventist girl 00:25:27.06\00:25:30.69 and decide to get married. 00:25:30.72\00:25:33.04 Actually we met at a place I went to work for, I took a break 00:25:33.08\00:25:37.42 from the stucco trade and went to work for Loma Linda farms. 00:25:37.46\00:25:41.77 Celeste came to that area just for the summer with her 00:25:41.81\00:25:46.30 fiancé and she needed a job and we hired her at the fruit 00:25:46.33\00:25:50.49 stand to sell vegetables and produce and hay that we were 00:25:50.53\00:25:54.65 producing to pay taxes on the property. 00:25:54.69\00:25:57.15 One day I told her during lunch you would make somebody 00:25:57.18\00:26:00.74 a good wife someday. - never realizing it would be you. 00:26:00.78\00:26:04.10 Never realizing yes, then one day she kind of got things 00:26:04.13\00:26:07.12 going at the time clock, it was time to check out and it 00:26:07.16\00:26:10.05 was me and someone else there and she gave me a kiss. 00:26:10.09\00:26:12.95 That was like do you know what you are doing? 00:26:12.98\00:26:17.86 And so we broke the other guys heart eventually. 00:26:17.90\00:26:22.74 That was tough but that was love. 00:26:22.78\00:26:24.27 I had been in a situation where it was basically 00:26:24.30\00:26:28.20 infatuation and everybody in at school wanted this 00:26:28.23\00:26:31.30 particular girl and I ended up with her two kids later 00:26:31.34\00:26:34.89 and boom it was over five years before and this was kind 00:26:34.93\00:26:39.15 of a catalyst thing. - right and you were, and at that 00:26:39.19\00:26:42.51 point you had fallen in love and you hadn't seen any of 00:26:42.55\00:26:45.84 his anger at that point? - not that much, no. 00:26:45.88\00:26:50.92 So I want to hear what your take was on him. 00:26:50.96\00:26:55.93 Was he kind and sweet, because all we see is that when I 00:26:55.97\00:27:00.14 met him he wasn't angry at all, I didn't see any of that. 00:27:00.18\00:27:04.89 No, I wouldn't say that I was, I had always been fascinated 00:27:04.93\00:27:09.61 by somebody on the other side of the fence. 00:27:09.65\00:27:12.41 - he was the bad boy. - he was a bad boy and so I love 00:27:12.45\00:27:16.46 the bad boy and I do have to tell you that after we had 00:27:16.50\00:27:19.68 been together awhile and the first time he yelled at me, 00:27:19.71\00:27:23.75 it was incredible because my father had never raised his 00:27:23.78\00:27:27.79 voice at me in my entire life. 00:27:27.82\00:27:29.89 So it was like an experience I didn't even know what to do. 00:27:29.92\00:27:35.01 I mean it was totally unreal. 00:27:35.04\00:27:37.81 Okay so Ron did your anger, how did your anger look after you 00:27:37.84\00:27:43.64 guys started to get together in a relationship and all 00:27:43.68\00:27:47.11 that stuff? You are still having outbursts of anger? 00:27:47.15\00:27:50.55 I mean how did that look? 00:27:50.59\00:27:52.64 How did it look? - yeah! - probably not good. 00:27:52.67\00:27:55.88 That was a dumb question, it was I'm sorry. 00:27:58.19\00:28:00.09 I was still doing drugs and I was still not dealing with 00:28:00.12\00:28:04.92 some anger from the father issue and from Vietnam. 00:28:04.96\00:28:08.77 In fact I would do things like being in public and go right 00:28:08.81\00:28:12.89 up to an Oriental and had no bones about pulling a fork off 00:28:12.92\00:28:16.81 the table and slamming it, that was called an assault on 00:28:16.85\00:28:20.28 America and I knew that wasn't cool but I did know how to 00:28:20.32\00:28:23.72 deal with that type of hatred I had accumulated. 00:28:23.75\00:28:28.20 You know I want to make that clear because I think it is 00:28:28.24\00:28:31.56 incredible that you said the outbursts of anger's were so 00:28:31.59\00:28:34.88 out there, as far as even what anybody would think. 00:28:34.91\00:28:39.30 And you came from a home that everything had to look right. 00:28:39.33\00:28:42.52 Here is this guy doing things where you think that's not 00:28:42.55\00:28:45.71 right, you don't do that. 00:28:45.74\00:28:47.37 So I still looked good that was really important, because 00:28:47.40\00:28:51.00 I still looked good and he looked really bad. 00:28:51.03\00:28:53.59 It didn't matter what it was about, I mean one short 00:28:53.62\00:28:56.62 incident, I have a 57 Chevy pickup that I've restored. 00:28:56.66\00:28:59.98 It's a nice vehicle, a collectors item but I would slam 00:29:00.02\00:29:03.62 the windshield and break it, or bust the fender up if it 00:29:03.65\00:29:07.22 didn't run just right when I was tuning it up. 00:29:07.25\00:29:09.53 Then you have to go get another windshield and go get 00:29:09.57\00:29:13.16 another fender. - So far it has not come out on your wife 00:29:13.20\00:29:16.65 and employees and I remember you one time talking about 00:29:16.69\00:29:20.10 your employees and you ranted for a long time. 00:29:20.14\00:29:23.95 These are idiots, I'm like all of them so it came out 00:29:23.98\00:29:30.38 everywhere and one of the things I want to get to Celeste 00:29:30.42\00:29:36.78 is that I realize in the time you were at the house, 00:29:36.82\00:29:39.86 and as you were talking I realized how damaged you were 00:29:39.90\00:29:42.91 Ron, as far as your rage and how early it started. 00:29:42.95\00:29:45.75 How stuck you were in that but I also saw that wasn't in 00:29:45.78\00:29:49.38 your heart, which was really interesting to me that it was 00:29:49.42\00:29:52.98 not your heart and I felt that strong. 00:29:53.02\00:29:55.61 I all of a sudden realized Celeste, that you were so 00:29:55.64\00:29:59.84 codependent - and I was so angry at you. 00:29:59.87\00:30:03.36 Because this whole time I came to you, okay fix him. 00:30:03.40\00:30:07.58 And you were looking at him going I just feel so bad for 00:30:07.61\00:30:11.76 you, that must be terrible. 00:30:11.79\00:30:13.54 I'm going what! - and I turned around at one point to 00:30:13.58\00:30:16.91 Celeste and said, and the people watching I want you to 00:30:16.95\00:30:20.56 hear this, is Celeste I think because of your underlying 00:30:20.59\00:30:24.20 issues that you are at least 50% of the problem in this 00:30:24.24\00:30:27.82 relationship, maybe even 60%. 00:30:27.85\00:30:30.95 I thought she was going to cut my throat. 00:30:30.98\00:30:33.15 She was going to say you know what, are you crazy he is 00:30:33.18\00:30:38.13 so angry and I've tolerated so much for so many years, 00:30:38.16\00:30:43.07 what are you talking about? 00:30:43.11\00:30:45.01 Your reaction to that, explain a little bit about. 00:30:45.05\00:30:49.19 I was angry, I was furious - you are going to pack your 00:30:49.23\00:30:54.06 bags and leave my house. 00:30:54.10\00:30:55.63 Well I felt all my issues again which were rejection and 00:30:55.66\00:30:58.96 abandonment and all of that because here I came for help 00:30:59.00\00:31:02.26 and you are just rejecting me and abandoning me and 00:31:02.29\00:31:04.62 taking care of him, what's wrong? 00:31:04.65\00:31:08.07 I'm good, I'm a good girl, I did the right thing, I stayed. 00:31:08.11\00:31:12.70 Well not only I stayed but - I behaved, I tried to say 00:31:12.74\00:31:16.39 the right thing, do the right thing, look the right way 00:31:16.42\00:31:20.04 and all those things. 00:31:20.07\00:31:21.96 And you know what the reason I want to kind of get that 00:31:21.99\00:31:25.93 groundwork laid is that we spent some time together and 00:31:25.97\00:31:29.37 the only thing I can think of was you guys both want 00:31:29.40\00:31:32.80 really wanted to heal your relationship and that you 00:31:32.84\00:31:35.61 really needed to understand each other's issues, 00:31:35.64\00:31:38.38 where you came from. 00:31:38.41\00:31:39.79 Celeste I felt so sure if you can see any of this 00:31:39.83\00:31:44.21 underlying, I had to be perfect, be a good girl and take 00:31:44.24\00:31:48.36 care of everybody, and everybody has to behave, if 00:31:48.39\00:31:50.58 you can see some of that and surrender it to God 00:31:50.61\00:31:52.93 you could love Him in a way that would bring 00:31:52.96\00:31:55.25 life to the relationship. 00:31:55.28\00:31:56.99 So you guys leave to go take care of that and I would 00:31:57.03\00:32:01.51 like for you to tell your story, and both of you tell 00:32:01.54\00:32:05.88 your story about what God did from the time He stepped 00:32:05.92\00:32:10.22 in to restore your marriage. 00:32:10.26\00:32:11.97 Well the two tapes that you showed us there By Binding of 00:32:12.00\00:32:16.80 the Wounds Seminar interested us in going to see more to 00:32:16.84\00:32:21.60 get more help and get more tools. 00:32:21.64\00:32:24.20 So we went to Ron and Nancy Rockies seminar 00:32:24.23\00:32:27.30 - and before for people that don't know I showed them 00:32:27.34\00:32:30.27 some tapes about a marriage seminar. 00:32:30.30\00:32:31.95 The marriage seminar I showed them were some friends of mine 00:32:31.99\00:32:34.68 that are amazing, so they decided to actually go for a 00:32:34.72\00:32:38.50 week end - right? And I think it was the Sunday, 00:32:38.53\00:32:41.87 it's a two day thing when you first start it, if you go to 00:32:41.91\00:32:44.87 the Binding Wounds Seminar in person, it's a two day thing. 00:32:44.91\00:32:47.68 Sunday at noon we broke for lunch and I came out of there 00:32:47.72\00:32:51.43 and I had just explained loudly, these tennis shoes I am 00:32:51.47\00:32:55.35 wearing feel like air Jordan's times 10. I can do this. 00:32:55.38\00:32:59.78 I found this humongous weight just leave me and of course 00:32:59.82\00:33:04.19 that is just the beginning so now what do I do? 00:33:04.22\00:33:06.35 Let me interrupt because what is amazing to me about who 00:33:06.38\00:33:10.54 you chose to go see is that he had a tremendous rage 00:33:10.58\00:33:15.31 disorder, a tremendous rage disorder, this guy is a 00:33:15.34\00:33:19.62 marriage seminar is so enraged that he would take the 00:33:19.65\00:33:23.64 phone out of his house, put a pay phone in his house and 00:33:23.68\00:33:27.27 give his wife a quarter so she could make one call the 00:33:27.30\00:33:31.13 whole time he was at work. She had to walk a half a mile, 00:33:31.17\00:33:34.96 a quarter of a mile to get to a neighbor's house 00:33:35.00\00:33:37.03 and use the phone. 00:33:37.07\00:33:38.39 He would if dinner was ready at a certain time he would 00:33:38.43\00:33:41.45 throw fits and throw things, put holes in walls, scream, 00:33:41.49\00:33:44.48 yell, and leave and go to a restaurant if dinner 00:33:44.52\00:33:46.96 was five minutes late. 00:33:47.00\00:33:48.68 He said that he was on the way to the table but 00:33:48.71\00:33:51.39 not on the table he would be in enraged. So he really 00:33:51.42\00:33:54.47 knew what you were talking about what that kind of rage. 00:33:54.51\00:33:57.53 So God sent you into a place where you could 00:33:57.56\00:34:01.31 so relate to someone. 00:34:01.34\00:34:02.94 Well when we went back to that same seminar the second 00:34:02.97\00:34:05.91 time, there were many, many people in the audience and he 00:34:05.94\00:34:08.90 sees me sitting there with Celeste again and he says what 00:34:08.94\00:34:11.88 are you doing here? Is that you, Ron can I say something 00:34:11.92\00:34:14.83 about you in front of all these people? 00:34:14.86\00:34:16.78 I said sure I'd probably talked to them. 00:34:16.81\00:34:18.66 He said when you walked in here the first time he looked at 00:34:18.70\00:34:21.77 his wife and said look at this guy he just reeks with rage. 00:34:21.81\00:34:24.69 He won't last half an hour, he'll be out of here talking 00:34:24.73\00:34:27.67 trash all way up to the, he said look you are back again. 00:34:27.70\00:34:31.78 I now look at you and see radiance, your nickname was rage 00:34:31.82\00:34:35.86 and our talk that we go out and now do we call it 00:34:35.89\00:34:39.04 - from Rage to Radiance. And now we're good friends, 00:34:39.07\00:34:41.96 we've gone to Phoenix to visit and stay with them and 00:34:42.00\00:34:44.85 we love them to death. 00:34:44.89\00:34:47.03 Okay so God really brought you into a place where you 00:34:47.06\00:34:50.49 could see your issues, and we talked about change, 00:34:50.53\00:34:53.92 how God does that I don't even know. 00:34:53.95\00:34:56.62 He sets us exactly in the place we need to be with 00:34:56.65\00:34:59.43 exactly the people we need to be with and the Holy Spirit 00:34:59.47\00:35:02.86 starts moving in, you don't even see it, you just see a 00:35:02.90\00:35:05.81 change in the person's face, changing their anger and 00:35:05.84\00:35:10.14 the way they response to all those things. 00:35:10.17\00:35:11.24 And we're going to back to that. 00:35:11.27\00:35:12.24 What about your stuff Celeste that you have issues that 00:35:12.25\00:35:15.47 were different than Ron's, and when I said yours was 00:35:15.51\00:35:18.50 going to be harder or that yours was more of a problem 00:35:18.53\00:35:21.48 is because Ron's were so apparent. 00:35:21.52\00:35:23.32 If something has a broken arm is easy to see what to do 00:35:23.35\00:35:25.83 with that, if someone has rage and that kind of stuff, 00:35:25.86\00:35:29.12 but yours was all silent, it was all I am doing the right 00:35:29.16\00:35:32.38 thing. So what we're sure recovery like? 00:35:32.41\00:35:35.06 What did God do with yours? 00:35:35.10\00:35:36.69 It was really slow, first of all because it was like Ron 00:35:36.73\00:35:39.72 saw everything immediately because it was on the outside. 00:35:39.76\00:35:42.73 Mine was more like an onion peeling, just a little bit 00:35:42.77\00:35:45.71 at a time, a little bit at a time learning that. 00:35:45.75\00:35:47.86 I did hide everything, I did shut down, I was co-dependent 00:35:47.90\00:35:52.95 and all those things, but just very, very slowly because 00:35:52.98\00:35:57.47 I had been programmed for so long to not see any of that. 00:35:57.51\00:36:01.96 So when you talk about co-dependent 00:36:02.00\00:36:04.26 what do you mean by that? 00:36:04.30\00:36:05.72 It's because I'm thinking when I, a lot of people watching 00:36:05.76\00:36:10.56 are going to have codependency tendencies or 00:36:10.59\00:36:13.71 caretakers because they want things to look good and 00:36:13.74\00:36:15.62 those kind of things. 00:36:15.65\00:36:16.73 Yeah taking care of people, I always used to try take care 00:36:16.76\00:36:19.61 of Ron, if something was wrong in the business I would try 00:36:19.65\00:36:22.90 to fix it, I always made sure that we looked good even 00:36:22.94\00:36:26.16 though he was being a complete problem. 00:36:26.19\00:36:28.53 What ever, and it is all of those things and once I stepped 00:36:28.56\00:36:32.26 back from that and didn't own that it was my 00:36:32.29\00:36:35.09 responsibility to fix everything, he was perfectly 00:36:35.12\00:36:37.83 capable of doing it and did a much better job, but it's 00:36:37.87\00:36:40.63 just that we think we have take care of everything. 00:36:40.67\00:36:43.38 There will there were times when Celeste would call and 00:36:43.42\00:36:46.44 I would love these calls because she would call and just 00:36:46.48\00:36:49.26 the healing that was happening and the love that was coming 00:36:49.30\00:36:52.05 I back into the relationship between the two of them 00:36:52.08\00:36:55.64 as she realized, as you realized that I can't make him 00:36:55.67\00:36:59.33 better and I need to just relax about that and give that 00:36:59.37\00:37:02.99 responsibility to him. 00:37:03.02\00:37:04.37 As God was empowering you to actually change it was 00:37:04.40\00:37:07.54 amazing to me to watch you guys grow. 00:37:07.58\00:37:11.09 It was hard when you realized there was a lot of issues. 00:37:11.12\00:37:15.51 That I really did have a lot of issues. - yeah, yeah! 00:37:15.55\00:37:18.87 Yeah because I have been taught my whole life not to 00:37:18.90\00:37:22.19 look at those things not to see those. 00:37:22.22\00:37:23.85 A really good example is we were going to church one day, 00:37:23.88\00:37:27.86 and I was driving and he was over there talking to me. 00:37:27.90\00:37:31.96 This kind of Na-na-na-na kind of in a rage but he just 00:37:31.99\00:37:35.58 looked over and I thought I am so sick and tired of you 00:37:35.61\00:37:39.17 flapping your jaw and I slapped him. 00:37:39.20\00:37:41.58 I have never slapped a guy in my whole life and he just 00:37:41.61\00:37:45.43 turned around and ducked me. 00:37:45.46\00:37:47.02 And he has never raised a hand to me either and so I 00:37:47.06\00:37:50.11 pulled the car over, he took the keys and got out and 00:37:50.15\00:37:52.51 started walking down the road and someone picked him up. 00:37:52.54\00:37:55.53 I'm like whatever, somebody will be by that's going to 00:37:55.56\00:37:58.47 church and I'll get a ride with them, which I did. I went all 00:37:58.51\00:38:01.52 the way through Sabbath school, all the way through church, 00:38:01.55\00:38:03.46 Pot luck, singing band and never shed a tear. 00:38:03.49\00:38:06.01 Someone said while hi how are you and I am like fine. 00:38:06.05\00:38:09.03 Where's Ron? I'm not sure. I mean I wouldn't even 00:38:09.07\00:38:11.99 address what had happened that I had never even been hit 00:38:12.02\00:38:15.62 my life and now someone had hit me and I refuse to even 00:38:15.66\00:38:19.22 acknowledge that that had happened. 00:38:19.26\00:38:21.28 And what I think is amazing about a lot of folks in those 00:38:21.31\00:38:25.58 codependent relationships, somebody is an obvious problem. 00:38:25.62\00:38:29.57 Like I learned that somebody with an eating disorder could 00:38:29.61\00:38:33.53 have 35 codependent people working around them that 00:38:33.56\00:38:36.76 are running and trying to make them better. 00:38:36.79\00:38:38.49 It's like you have somebody that is actively acting out 00:38:38.52\00:38:41.90 and you have somebody quietly trying to fix it, but with 00:38:41.93\00:38:45.91 desperation and anxiety, with everything that comes with 00:38:45.95\00:38:49.76 it, and they are saying is they are at a point complete 00:38:49.80\00:38:53.54 denial saying what it is not supposed to be and physical 00:38:53.57\00:38:57.28 violence was no exception to that. 00:38:57.31\00:39:00.08 I think it is important to note here that the comment 00:39:00.12\00:39:04.51 that sparked me in the wrong direction and I accept full 00:39:04.55\00:39:08.57 responsibility for going that wrong direction was when she 00:39:08.60\00:39:12.59 said to me I don't have a problem, you do. 00:39:12.62\00:39:15.84 I could see that it was a 2 Way Street here and that was 00:39:15.88\00:39:19.67 more than I can handle and that doesn't make an excuse. 00:39:19.70\00:39:23.79 But what's amazing to me, what is interesting is when God 00:39:23.82\00:39:28.51 brings in change, is that everyone at the table, everyone 00:39:28.55\00:39:33.20 in the relationship God wants to heal and work with. 00:39:33.23\00:39:36.82 All of us and if we could get that, if we could get that 00:39:36.86\00:39:40.89 God has an opportunity to say do not trust yourself. 00:39:40.93\00:39:44.89 There is a place in the Bible where it says lean not to 00:39:44.93\00:39:48.08 your own understanding because you do not get the full 00:39:48.11\00:39:51.14 picture, you have to trust Me and every single thing. 00:39:51.17\00:39:53.65 You have to bring every single thing to Me in prayer. 00:39:53.69\00:39:56.80 And for people in recovery, any of us in recovery. 00:39:56.83\00:39:59.87 I'm speaking to any addict watching right now too, don't 00:39:59.91\00:40:03.72 trust yourself because you have years and years 00:40:03.76\00:40:07.33 dysfunctional relationships and your family dynamics, 00:40:07.37\00:40:12.36 I heard a saying one time as if a number of children or a family 00:40:12.39\00:40:17.84 was living by a polluted factory that polluted the air. 00:40:17.87\00:40:22.35 It actually brought in cancer or carcinogens or whatever 00:40:22.38\00:40:26.20 and the kids ended up being sick it would be real clear 00:40:26.24\00:40:30.02 that the factory was causing that. 00:40:30.05\00:40:33.06 But in some homes the pollution is language, verbal or 00:40:33.09\00:40:37.38 emotional pollution and the kids from early on learn a 00:40:37.41\00:40:41.67 language, and the language is so well learned. 00:40:41.70\00:40:44.75 You have learned a language as you were growing up that 00:40:44.78\00:40:48.08 caused you to want to fix everything, to look good all the 00:40:48.11\00:40:51.38 time, and be right and want him to be right. 00:40:51.41\00:40:53.87 Not so much for his own sake, but because this is what 00:40:53.91\00:40:57.30 couples should look like. 00:40:57.34\00:40:58.57 And this is how you are supposed to behave. 00:40:58.61\00:41:00.70 So now I think we have a real good picture that we are a mess 00:41:00.74\00:41:05.42 aye, we have a picture, and I watched God bring the Holy 00:41:05.46\00:41:11.73 Spirit into your relationship and do some changes. 00:41:11.76\00:41:14.87 So Ron first of all I want to ask you, one time we were 00:41:14.91\00:41:19.33 sitting together and I saw that you were still struggling. 00:41:19.36\00:41:23.51 Ron are you leaning on, can I teach you a little bit about 00:41:23.54\00:41:26.65 what I found out about the Holy Spirit that God says I 00:41:26.69\00:41:30.34 really want to give you a baptism of the Holy Spirit so 00:41:30.37\00:41:34.10 that you could not have to fight so much this struggle. 00:41:34.14\00:41:37.35 And you prayed for that God would bring the Holy Spirit 00:41:37.38\00:41:40.56 into your life, did that make you change for you? 00:41:40.59\00:41:45.06 It made a tremendous change. At first I was wondering 00:41:45.10\00:41:50.06 what, for what? But when you baptized us with the Holy 00:41:50.09\00:41:54.60 Spirit, ever since that time the desire has changed. 00:41:54.63\00:41:59.06 The constant awareness that Jesus loves me and wants me to 00:41:59.10\00:42:03.63 share that with others, and wants me to react properly to 00:42:03.66\00:42:08.16 no matter what the situation that comes up. 00:42:08.19\00:42:10.14 No matter what. I've seen some people now that have come 00:42:10.17\00:42:14.81 back to me later that witnessed situations that said in your 00:42:14.85\00:42:18.43 old self you would have climbed over the counter to that. 00:42:18.47\00:42:22.08 - and grabbed him by the throat. - just when I had been 00:42:22.11\00:42:25.83 3 and 1/2 hours away called and said to you that material 00:42:25.87\00:42:28.93 there, they said yes I'm sitting here looking at it and 00:42:28.96\00:42:34.43 drive there and it is not there and I went oh, okay. 00:42:34.46\00:42:40.21 So when will it be in? And one of my brother in laws was 00:42:40.25\00:42:44.82 sitting there watching that happen and he was blown away. 00:42:44.85\00:42:48.50 Later on he told me about it said I expected the cops 00:42:48.54\00:42:51.77 to be there in a couple minutes, and I said well was 00:42:51.81\00:42:55.00 it really worth it? 00:42:55.04\00:42:56.44 You go through these feelings and you cannot cry over 00:42:56.47\00:42:59.32 spilled milk, you got to go for it today, and if you make 00:42:59.35\00:43:02.17 a mistake you brush yourself off and keep going and say 00:43:02.21\00:43:05.00 Jesus just help me the next time to do it the right way. 00:43:05.03\00:43:08.46 The new highs, as ex-druggies of these we know that word, 00:43:08.49\00:43:11.88 the new high is doing it right. 00:43:11.91\00:43:13.74 - having God give you the ability to do it right 00:43:13.78\00:43:17.48 yeah it's not me, it's not me, I said that this morning 00:43:17.52\00:43:20.68 at the end of that show I give all the credit Jesus Christ 00:43:20.71\00:43:24.88 because I have a thing on my dresser that used to be on 00:43:24.91\00:43:28.82 our desk and it says I can do all things, but it doesn't 00:43:28.85\00:43:32.73 stop there. Through Him who strengthens me. 00:43:32.76\00:43:36.91 Now I have many incidents where that moment of impact or 00:43:36.95\00:43:41.86 the temptation is there again, whatever that is someone 00:43:41.89\00:43:45.68 has shared with me thank Him for the victory before 00:43:45.71\00:43:48.94 you even get it, when you do that it sends your mind to 00:43:48.98\00:43:52.47 Jesus to have victory and then that problem seems to just 00:43:52.50\00:43:55.95 vanish, not every time but it's a daily. 00:43:55.99\00:44:00.11 You don't do right every time but what is really nice 00:44:00.14\00:44:03.46 about as God moves us into a place where I can start turning 00:44:03.49\00:44:06.77 it over to Him and this is that I do it right more 00:44:06.81\00:44:08.51 than I used to. - right she called me one time when I 00:44:08.55\00:44:11.57 was on the way to work. 00:44:11.61\00:44:12.58 Three employees were not going to show and I needed them 00:44:12.59\00:44:15.87 there, her and I were struggling with an issue and I had 00:44:15.90\00:44:18.71 a lady in court for a year and a half that wouldn't pay 00:44:18.75\00:44:21.56 and eventually had to, so things were falling down again. 00:44:21.59\00:44:24.24 She calls and says what are you doing and I said singing. 00:44:24.28\00:44:27.00 She said what are you singing, I said I'm singing Just 00:44:27.04\00:44:30.42 When I Need Him Most, to choose to do things like that 00:44:30.45\00:44:33.80 sends your mine into a direction that is more 00:44:33.84\00:44:37.38 healing, more positive. 00:44:37.42\00:44:40.35 I was very much a negative person, and I had watched what 00:44:40.39\00:44:43.88 I done to my wife and it hurt. 00:44:43.92\00:44:46.61 But God is good and He rebuilds. 00:44:46.65\00:44:49.27 - He's reconciling both you to Him and each other. 00:44:49.30\00:44:52.75 Which is amazing 00:44:52.78\00:44:54.60 - and I would tell the world that I love this lady. 00:44:54.63\00:44:56.26 - that's incredible so I'm going to find out if there is 00:44:56.30\00:45:00.25 anybody that has any questions, I knew Christy you wanted 00:45:00.29\00:45:04.21 to ask Ron or Celeste a question, go ahead. 00:45:04.25\00:45:08.05 This is for Celeste, when Cheri had told you that you 00:45:08.09\00:45:15.66 were co-dependent and God really showing you in revealing 00:45:15.70\00:45:23.24 that to you, how exactly did you take that? 00:45:23.27\00:45:26.48 How exactly did you? 00:45:26.51\00:45:27.91 Do you know even though it is hard for you to finish this 00:45:27.95\00:45:33.10 the first time I met Christy I would have to say we were 00:45:33.13\00:45:37.35 doing an intervention with your husband who was a meth 00:45:37.39\00:45:41.71 addict, and talking with him and realizing that you were 00:45:41.74\00:45:46.03 not an addict and you have not acted out. 00:45:46.06\00:45:49.11 She was a nice girl, do you know what I mean? 00:45:49.14\00:45:52.11 Married to this guy that was out of control, and you are 00:45:52.15\00:45:54.32 pregnant or just had a child? 00:45:54.36\00:45:56.75 - yes I had just had my son and 00:45:56.78\00:45:59.10 he was like two weeks old when I found out my husband 00:45:59.14\00:46:01.47 was doing meth, so that was quite a shock. 00:46:01.50\00:46:04.11 So what was interesting to me was that even as we were 00:46:04.15\00:46:07.78 dealing with this one to one with her husband, I realize 00:46:07.81\00:46:11.40 that Christy you were enabling a lot of his behavior and 00:46:11.43\00:46:15.32 had to get some strength under you so that your family 00:46:15.35\00:46:19.20 wasn't destroyed, so how did you respond? 00:46:19.24\00:46:22.32 Well at first like Celeste, I don't think I told to but I 00:46:22.35\00:46:29.26 was mad, this guy he is a messed up one and I am a new 00:46:29.30\00:46:35.88 mom, a new bride and you go through a lot of emotions and 00:46:35.92\00:46:41.73 so that was new and then you find out your husband is 00:46:41.77\00:46:47.55 doing meth, I mean that is a shock. 00:46:47.58\00:46:49.64 You're like wait a minute, we came here to fix him and 00:46:49.67\00:46:54.67 now we are talking about me. It was like I don't get this. 00:46:54.71\00:47:00.62 But she was right, when I went home we didn't talk and I just 00:47:00.66\00:47:06.54 thought Cheri is right, I was so used to helping Terri 00:47:06.57\00:47:14.43 and being that crutch. 00:47:14.46\00:47:17.06 I would beg you please Terri get help because otherwise 00:47:17.09\00:47:23.42 you are going to destroy yourself, you're going to 00:47:23.45\00:47:26.05 destroy this family, you're going to lose your job, 00:47:26.09\00:47:28.65 we are going to be broke. 00:47:28.69\00:47:30.73 And at that time I quit my job. 00:47:30.76\00:47:33.02 - and this is unsafe for my children. 00:47:33.05\00:47:34.62 - so I begged and pleaded and please get help. 00:47:38.61\00:47:43.43 Because I have no background in drugs, I don't know how 00:47:43.46\00:47:51.12 this game works, so once he told me Chris you are very 00:47:51.16\00:47:58.78 much codependent - and so let me ask Celeste when 00:47:58.81\00:48:02.89 she is talking about her reaction to being codependent 00:48:02.92\00:48:07.12 and some of those things. 00:48:07.15\00:48:08.26 How did that strengthen you? How did that strengthen 00:48:08.30\00:48:11.24 your relationship with God? To understand that maybe 00:48:11.27\00:48:14.68 I have some issues that I could look at, maybe it is 00:48:14.71\00:48:18.08 not so out of control. 00:48:18.12\00:48:19.70 First of all I have to say it, it took a really long time. 00:48:19.74\00:48:22.55 Like a year and a half or something. It did take a long 00:48:22.58\00:48:26.28 time before I could see those things clearly because I had 00:48:26.32\00:48:29.99 lived in denial and my family dynamics had been everything 00:48:30.02\00:48:34.14 was okay for so long that I couldn't even see or 00:48:34.17\00:48:37.31 understand what that was. 00:48:37.34\00:48:39.94 As far as me relating it to God, I think I don't have to 00:48:39.98\00:48:45.93 fix everything now, like you say God is my Father, 00:48:45.96\00:48:48.95 He takes care of things and of one of the things that I have 00:48:48.99\00:48:53.07 learned to really live by is the only person 00:48:53.10\00:48:55.60 I can change is myself. 00:48:55.63\00:48:57.57 In the last couple months there has been a time or two 00:48:57.61\00:49:01.23 when Ron and I had a, I will just say issue, it wasn't 00:49:01.26\00:49:04.85 a fight, it wasn't anything like that 00:49:04.89\00:49:06.56 and I was really frustrated. 00:49:06.60\00:49:08.34 I came back to, I can only change myself and so I went 00:49:08.38\00:49:13.70 to my knees and say God what do you want me 00:49:13.74\00:49:16.26 to do different here. - Amen 00:49:16.30\00:49:19.29 What do you want me to change - 00:49:19.33\00:49:20.57 that is the most incredible thing is that 00:49:20.60\00:49:22.76 instead of saying I need to You change him, I need You to 00:49:22.80\00:49:26.01 fix him or what ever is to be able to come back and say 00:49:26.04\00:49:28.69 what is it that I'm doing and what can I look like at? 00:49:28.72\00:49:31.30 To me when you first said that to me on the phone I wanted to 00:49:31.34\00:49:34.40 reach over and kiss you on the face. 00:49:34.43\00:49:36.55 What an incredible step in growth. 00:49:36.59\00:49:38.64 And you know what, before I had finished praying he was 00:49:38.67\00:49:41.54 calling me back apologizing for what he just didn't 00:49:41.57\00:49:45.04 understand at all and I was like oh this is cool. 00:49:45.07\00:49:48.47 But it is really hard to let go, when you have your whole 00:49:48.50\00:49:53.35 life taken care of making the problem right and you don't 00:49:53.39\00:49:57.14 think of yourself as controlling you are only trying to help. 00:49:57.18\00:50:00.90 Controlling is someone who just, but you are only trying 00:50:00.94\00:50:05.51 to help. - right. So to let go of that is hard. 00:50:05.54\00:50:10.06 - it's absolutely hard. And I have to say for as 00:50:10.10\00:50:14.55 we look at how God changes us in a relationship where 00:50:14.58\00:50:18.86 you are committed to Christ or healing or change or 00:50:18.90\00:50:23.66 recovery is to really say God what is it about me that 00:50:23.70\00:50:27.45 needs to be different? What is it about me that is adding 00:50:27.49\00:50:31.21 to this? I have to even say as I watched you guys go 00:50:31.25\00:50:35.59 through this process, and it did take you longer because 00:50:35.62\00:50:38.28 yours wasn't as an evident and it wasn't as obvious. 00:50:38.31\00:50:41.94 But when I started getting this with my own relationship 00:50:41.98\00:50:45.41 with Brad, I'm married to a non-Christian and he hadn't been 00:50:45.44\00:50:48.61 a Christian for years and I am doing evangelism and he's 00:50:48.64\00:50:51.43 not even a Christian and I used to pray all the time God 00:50:51.46\00:50:55.40 fix him, fix him it's time and finally God said, take a 00:50:55.43\00:50:59.93 breath, fix your self and I've realized that in my saying 00:50:59.97\00:51:04.51 fix him I was not showing not being able to love or respect 00:51:04.55\00:51:09.06 him in a way that would allow the Holy Spirit 00:51:09.09\00:51:10.70 to stand him up. 00:51:10.74\00:51:12.30 So I started looking at myself and he was fixed within 00:51:12.33\00:51:15.13 like six months and not fixed where he doesn't have issues, 00:51:15.17\00:51:19.09 fixed where he is moving close to God and seeing that and is 00:51:19.12\00:51:23.41 responding to the Holy Spirit and so to be I think on this 00:51:23.45\00:51:27.46 show on change and recovery is to be able to look at not 00:51:27.49\00:51:31.47 only Ron the person with the obvious issues that is 00:51:31.50\00:51:34.79 exploding all over the place, but those around us that are 00:51:34.82\00:51:39.36 maybe quietly enabling and still feeling as lost. 00:51:39.40\00:51:44.10 But just quieter and God says if you give Me the 00:51:44.14\00:51:48.81 opportunity I will come in and bring peace. 00:51:48.84\00:51:52.00 There was another question out here, was that Pam were you 00:51:52.03\00:51:57.27 going to ask a question? 00:51:57.30\00:51:58.64 Yes I wanted to ask Ron is your anger completely gone, 00:51:58.67\00:52:02.89 or is it something you've learned to manage? 00:52:02.93\00:52:05.46 I think it would be more like something God has helped me 00:52:05.49\00:52:09.34 to learn to manage. 00:52:09.37\00:52:11.27 I had a little incident where one day it felt so different 00:52:11.30\00:52:15.14 not to explode, but that was my type of current drug so to 00:52:15.17\00:52:18.66 speak, so I had to explode I thought so I went up to the 00:52:18.70\00:52:22.15 closet and closed the door and let it rip. 00:52:22.19\00:52:24.96 I came outside and said now, the Holy Spirit has really 00:52:25.00\00:52:30.15 put on my heart the true meaning of love and there's two 00:52:30.18\00:52:35.29 feelings there, love and hate. 00:52:35.33\00:52:37.02 Love is so much stronger and I am making choices to do 00:52:37.06\00:52:41.46 different things like when I was furious one day at the 00:52:41.49\00:52:44.77 job I went over to the sand pile and I wanted to take 00:52:44.80\00:52:48.04 the shovel, that was my humanity. 00:52:48.08\00:52:50.18 Jesus said to me Ron, He talked with His voice and said 00:52:50.21\00:52:53.28 what does it really matter here that I make the dollar 00:52:53.31\00:52:55.85 that I showed and you should help me do that or that I 00:52:55.88\00:52:58.39 show you some different? 00:52:58.42\00:52:59.89 So I want to show you some different, and I start to tell 00:52:59.92\00:53:02.39 them how much I cared about what they did was good. 00:53:02.43\00:53:05.50 You know I like what you say Ron is set to actually hear 00:53:05.54\00:53:09.06 the Holy Spirit saying to you no Ron stop, take a breath 00:53:09.09\00:53:12.58 and this is what I want you to say. 00:53:12.61\00:53:14.04 What is really amazing to me is when you say that you feel 00:53:14.07\00:53:18.11 great. - being in tune with what that emotion has done 00:53:18.15\00:53:22.14 and saying I do not want to do that to my wife or other 00:53:22.18\00:53:26.14 people around me anymore. 00:53:26.17\00:53:28.14 I choose, and sometimes that is biting down and choosing 00:53:28.17\00:53:33.77 to not be negative and to put that energy into something 00:53:33.81\00:53:38.65 positive, for instance okay I'll go ahead and buckle down 00:53:38.69\00:53:42.91 a little harder on this project here because even though 00:53:42.94\00:53:47.13 these humans are not producing we need to get to a 00:53:47.16\00:53:50.72 certain point here and so I will show them an example 00:53:50.75\00:53:54.27 and let it be a positive example. 00:53:54.31\00:53:56.25 No it's not totally gone, there are still times there and 00:53:56.29\00:53:59.23 I'm still seeing some of it. 00:53:59.27\00:54:00.72 I will take a deep breath and come back in the house and 00:54:00.76\00:54:03.35 say we have to work this out babe right now. 00:54:03.38\00:54:06.18 We have to get this fixed. - I want to say I love you guys. 00:54:06.22\00:54:10.43 Thank you so much for joining us and we have to go now. 00:54:10.46\00:54:14.13 This has been amazing and I love to watch the changes 00:54:14.17\00:54:17.42 that God has made in your life. Absolutely amazing. 00:54:17.46\00:54:20.68 Amazing stories of real people in real situations discussing 00:54:26.58\00:54:29.96 issues that really matter. 00:54:30.00\00:54:32.03 A complete first season of Celebrating Life In Recover is 00:54:32.06\00:54:35.43 now available on DVD and can be ordered by calling 3ABN 00:54:35.47\00:54:38.80 or online at 3ABN.org hosted by Cheri Peters. 00:54:38.84\00:54:41.97 This season follows principles of the book 00:54:42.00\00:54:45.10 'Steps to Christ'. 00:54:45.13\00:54:46.70 See for yourself how God changed the lives of the 00:54:46.73\00:54:48.65 convicted and the accused and victims of terrible crimes. 00:54:48.68\00:54:51.73 You won't want to miss a moment 00:54:51.77\00:54:53.49 of these powerful interviews. 00:54:53.52\00:54:55.20 I've heard a lot of people say in their recovery, I know that 00:54:58.09\00:55:01.03 God loves me, I know that I'm forgiven but I also know 00:55:01.07\00:55:04.59 that I am a mess and I know that I stand up and fall down 00:55:04.62\00:55:08.11 and do the very things I don't want to do. 00:55:08.15\00:55:10.15 Paul says in the Bible I don't want to do this than I do 00:55:10.19\00:55:13.70 it, the things I want to do I don't do and he just breaks 00:55:13.73\00:55:17.47 down and cries oh wretched man that I am who's going to 00:55:17.51\00:55:21.21 save me from this body of death. 00:55:21.24\00:55:23.39 I want to say to anybody with those feelings is Jesus will. 00:55:23.42\00:55:26.83 He so knows us, I don't care if you stand up and fall a 00:55:26.87\00:55:30.41 hundred times, if you have to come weeping at His feet 00:55:30.44\00:55:33.97 just saying I'm asking you again to please change me. 00:55:34.01\00:55:37.86 Please forgive me, please teach me what it feels like to 00:55:37.90\00:55:41.73 respond to the situation in a calm way and not in anger. 00:55:41.76\00:55:45.54 Or like Celeste was talking about the issues of wanting 00:55:45.58\00:55:49.33 to be perfect and control the situation and 00:55:49.36\00:55:52.47 take care for everybody. 00:55:52.51\00:55:54.09 Teach me to allow You to take care of me and I think that 00:55:54.13\00:55:57.11 God says that it's going to take awhile because you are 00:55:57.14\00:56:00.09 so in a habit of doing something in anger. 00:56:00.12\00:56:03.60 You are so much in a habit of responding in a certain 00:56:03.64\00:56:06.71 way that I'm going to have to allow you to feel what it 00:56:06.75\00:56:09.99 feels like for the Holy Spirit to almost respond for you. 00:56:10.03\00:56:13.68 As I asked for the Holy Spirit in the situation where 00:56:13.72\00:56:17.76 He pours into me His Holy Spirit, I can feel that peace 00:56:17.80\00:56:21.32 and respond to that situation and everything in me says you 00:56:21.35\00:56:26.19 know, I like that, I like how that feels, I like how the 00:56:26.22\00:56:31.02 response is that people are actually getting healed 00:56:31.05\00:56:34.39 rather than running from Me in anger. 00:56:34.43\00:56:36.48 God says I will teach you, the very desires you have right 00:56:36.51\00:56:41.12 now will change those. 00:56:41.15\00:56:42.56 You will fall in love with things you don't like right now 00:56:42.59\00:56:45.15 and you will hate the things that you like. 00:56:45.18\00:56:47.05 As God changes you, no one will see the change start but 00:56:47.08\00:56:51.05 they see it in your reactions and they see it in your 00:56:51.08\00:56:54.97 face and they see it in your family and they see it around 00:56:55.01\00:56:57.31 the dinner table and they see it at church. 00:56:57.34\00:56:59.78 You have so much to give and the Holy Spirit is so ready to 00:56:59.82\00:57:05.35 bring in those changes that you will be surprised at 00:57:05.39\00:57:09.43 yourself, I don't care if you have been strung out your 00:57:09.46\00:57:13.09 whole life, I don't care if you've been depressed your 00:57:13.12\00:57:16.34 whole life give the Holy Spirit a chance and the Holy 00:57:16.37\00:57:19.59 Spirit will come into the situation and teach you what it 00:57:19.62\00:57:23.23 feels like to stand holy in the presence of a holy God. 00:57:23.26\00:57:26.83 Full of joy, full of hope and with my background, 00:57:26.87\00:57:30.14 I'm telling you, I absolutely love life. 00:57:30.17\00:57:33.88 I absolutely love the fact that I can step into a situation 00:57:33.92\00:57:39.27 and respond appropriately, most the time. 00:57:39.31\00:57:43.65 I trust God with that and the things I struggle with 00:57:43.68\00:57:47.73 I know that it is just a matter of time before He unfolds 00:57:47.77\00:57:51.74 that in front of me and allows me in a social situation 00:57:51.77\00:57:55.78 or any kind of situation to know exactly what is good 00:57:55.81\00:57:59.79 and what is not. 00:57:59.82\00:58:01.12 See you next time in Celebrating Life In Recovery 00:58:01.15\00:58:03.33