The following program
discusses sensitive issues
00:00:01.06\00:00:03.38
related to addictive behavior.
00:00:03.41\00:00:05.02
Parents are
cautioned that some material
00:00:05.05\00:00:06.86
may be too candid
for younger children.
00:00:06.89\00:00:11.77
Welcome to
Celebrating Life in Recovery.
00:00:11.80\00:00:13.55
I'm Cheri your host and today
00:00:13.58\00:00:15.20
we're gonna talk
about on faithfulness,
00:00:15.23\00:00:18.67
resentment and
the power of belief.
00:00:18.70\00:00:22.26
Come join us in the
café, it's gonna be amazing.
00:00:22.29\00:00:24.85
Welcome, you know,
this season we're doing--
00:00:53.11\00:00:55.40
we're going over the book
Celebrations as our main thing.
00:00:55.43\00:00:58.70
And it was really funny to me
00:00:58.73\00:01:00.43
because I'm looking
at this incredible stuff,
00:01:00.46\00:01:03.18
you know, like
you know Celebrations,
00:01:03.21\00:01:05.89
the book is
amazing, has some great stuff
00:01:05.92\00:01:08.04
and it have things that
acronym is C is choices,
00:01:08.07\00:01:13.25
E exercise and
liquids, environment, belief,
00:01:13.28\00:01:17.48
rest, air,
temperance, integrity,
00:01:17.51\00:01:20.15
optimism,
nutrition, social support.
00:01:20.18\00:01:23.36
And I'm thinking,
why didn't I cover that
00:01:23.39\00:01:24.97
like in season one and
so, so I feel like God said
00:01:25.00\00:01:28.24
because you were in rebellion.
00:01:28.27\00:01:30.77
It was no way you couldn't
cover that in season one
00:01:30.80\00:01:33.21
because I really thought that
I don't need all that stuff.
00:01:33.24\00:01:37.67
What I need is just
to stop doing heroin
00:01:37.70\00:01:39.77
or what I need is to work
on my insecurity, on my anger.
00:01:39.80\00:01:43.96
However, my whole
family has a generational thing
00:01:43.99\00:01:46.59
where we never felt good enough
00:01:46.62\00:01:48.89
and I need to work on
some of that kind of stuff
00:01:48.92\00:01:50.99
and I definitely need
to work on my relationships
00:01:51.02\00:01:52.92
because my poor husband,
00:01:52.95\00:01:54.38
he's from a more normal
family and I just like drama.
00:01:54.41\00:01:58.28
So I'm working on
all that kind of stuff
00:01:58.31\00:01:59.94
and when somebody
said, look at diet
00:01:59.97\00:02:02.37
and you should exercise
and may be drink some water
00:02:02.40\00:02:04.69
and I'm like whatever.
00:02:04.72\00:02:05.82
You know and I think
because of the rebellion in me,
00:02:05.85\00:02:09.51
that the
rebellion in me just said,
00:02:09.54\00:02:11.18
you know, I just push that aside
00:02:11.21\00:02:14.01
and now I'm years
into recovery man,
00:02:14.04\00:02:17.49
and you know I used
to be embarrassed to say
00:02:17.52\00:02:19.01
how many years but
over 30 years into recovery
00:02:19.04\00:02:21.59
and somebody out there I prayed
00:02:21.62\00:02:22.97
that you're standing up
and shouting for joy for me
00:02:23.00\00:02:25.55
because that's a long
time and it's incredible.
00:02:25.58\00:02:28.19
There are people
in families that just,
00:02:28.22\00:02:30.89
they just long for
their kids to get a day.
00:02:30.92\00:02:34.13
And so I'm 30
years into recovery.
00:02:34.16\00:02:36.75
Now I'm looking
at how much easier
00:02:36.78\00:02:40.72
would my recovery have been
00:02:40.75\00:02:42.48
if I would have
worked on somebody's issues
00:02:42.51\00:02:44.30
and so that's what
we're covering at this season.
00:02:44.33\00:02:46.49
And today we're on a topic
00:02:46.52\00:02:48.69
that a lot of
people kind of skip over,
00:02:48.72\00:02:52.73
or they do it in
a way that is not--
00:02:52.76\00:02:55.82
they do it in a way
that is kind of superficial.
00:02:55.85\00:02:59.45
So I'm going to
try to hit belief
00:02:59.48\00:03:02.37
'cause that's the word
00:03:02.40\00:03:03.96
where we are
right now is belief.
00:03:03.99\00:03:05.02
Anyway that we'll cover, we
cover it in a broader sense.
00:03:05.05\00:03:09.29
So belief is gonna be one thing.
00:03:09.32\00:03:11.21
It's definitely, you
know, belief in God, belief in--
00:03:11.24\00:03:14.79
there is a God that cares
about you that-- initial thing
00:03:14.82\00:03:17.31
that He can
restore you to sanctity.
00:03:17.34\00:03:19.28
There is a God that
not only delights in you
00:03:19.31\00:03:21.54
but really
delights in the fact that
00:03:21.57\00:03:23.68
He has a plan for you
00:03:23.71\00:03:25.01
I mean that-- He has
a plan for your life.
00:03:25.04\00:03:27.60
When I came off the
streets, I came off the streets
00:03:27.63\00:03:29.61
and I'm illiterate
and I'm heroin addict,
00:03:29.64\00:03:32.89
I've been on the
streets for ten years.
00:03:32.92\00:03:34.59
I was in a lifestyle that
if you could lie, manipulate
00:03:34.62\00:03:37.39
and rob somebody of
their entire mortgage payment,
00:03:37.42\00:03:40.05
people would be going
like give me five, good job.
00:03:40.08\00:03:42.73
You know, I mean, it really
was the whole different thing
00:03:42.76\00:03:45.48
and so I have a belief in a God
00:03:45.51\00:03:47.04
that says I can
rewire you, you know.
00:03:47.07\00:03:49.77
Wow!
00:03:49.80\00:03:50.83
You know, how
incredible is that?
00:03:50.86\00:03:52.96
I have a belief
in a God that says,
00:03:52.99\00:03:54.74
you know, what I can
feel you with my spirit,
00:03:54.77\00:03:58.19
with the Holy Spirit
and literally teach you
00:03:58.22\00:04:01.31
and mentor for you and
do all that kind of stuff
00:04:01.34\00:04:04.15
and I'm like how incredible.
00:04:04.18\00:04:05.65
So I have to have
that basic belief.
00:04:05.68\00:04:07.42
I have to have a belief there's
a way we can communicate.
00:04:07.45\00:04:10.15
You know, I want
to be able to say
00:04:10.18\00:04:12.05
is that I could talk to God.
00:04:12.08\00:04:13.98
I can pray,
00:04:14.01\00:04:15.50
I can open up the
Bible which for some of you,
00:04:15.53\00:04:19.05
you just think
that's lame or whatever.
00:04:19.08\00:04:22.16
But I'm telling you
00:04:22.19\00:04:23.52
there is something
alive about that book.
00:04:23.55\00:04:25.56
I mean, you can open
it up and it's so relevant
00:04:25.59\00:04:28.17
to where you're
going to that very moment.
00:04:28.20\00:04:30.69
It's just an incredible thing
00:04:30.72\00:04:32.45
but I have to
have belief in that.
00:04:32.48\00:04:34.53
And I'm gonna tell you a story
00:04:34.56\00:04:35.71
where it really hit me
hard that I was doing this talk
00:04:35.74\00:04:40.82
and I am at a
church and it's midnight,
00:04:40.85\00:04:44.46
I mean, you
know, we did the event,
00:04:44.49\00:04:46.72
the talk was
over about 9 o'clock.
00:04:46.75\00:04:48.82
And at 9 o'clock people
started doing one to ones
00:04:48.85\00:04:51.00
and we're praying together.
00:04:51.03\00:04:52.06
About midnight somebody
comes up to me and says,
00:04:52.09\00:04:54.97
Cheri, there is
a little girl here
00:04:55.00\00:04:57.49
that waited to talk with you.
00:04:57.52\00:05:00.36
And I thought a
little girl, you know
00:05:00.39\00:05:01.61
and I thought, you
know, how old she seems.
00:05:01.64\00:05:04.10
She said about ten and
I'm thinking about ten.
00:05:04.13\00:05:06.66
Are you kidding me?
00:05:06.69\00:05:07.84
So little girl
about ten years old
00:05:07.87\00:05:09.48
it's midnight, I'm
feeling bad for her parents
00:05:09.51\00:05:12.13
because, you know, she
probably kept them there.
00:05:12.16\00:05:15.23
And so I said, let's put
her in front of the queue.
00:05:15.26\00:05:17.14
Let's put her
absolutely she can come in
00:05:17.17\00:05:19.01
and so she
walked in to the office
00:05:19.04\00:05:20.88
and I'm in the pastor's office
00:05:20.91\00:05:22.21
and she was very tiny,
there's quite little thing,
00:05:22.24\00:05:24.39
she looked like a little cherub.
00:05:24.42\00:05:26.08
And, you know, how
some kids are like that,
00:05:26.11\00:05:27.37
you just look at them
00:05:27.40\00:05:28.43
and you'd say
you are so darling.
00:05:28.46\00:05:30.44
And I didn't want
to sit on the chairs
00:05:30.47\00:05:32.29
because I felt
like she was-- you know,
00:05:32.32\00:05:35.58
I was just so
much taller than her,
00:05:35.61\00:05:37.28
so I sat on the floor
00:05:37.31\00:05:38.56
and she sat on the floor with me
00:05:38.59\00:05:39.87
and she sat down and she said
00:05:39.90\00:05:43.23
I'm in foster
care and I thought, oh.
00:05:43.26\00:05:45.78
You know because everything
00:05:45.81\00:05:46.84
I just thought about
her is this little cherub.
00:05:46.87\00:05:48.71
I realize her life is
not as sweet as I thought.
00:05:48.74\00:05:51.15
It's not as easy as I thought.
00:05:51.18\00:05:52.68
She's probably gone through
some pretty tough things.
00:05:52.71\00:05:55.29
I'm in foster care she says
00:05:55.32\00:05:56.70
and my mom's in
prison for prostitution
00:05:56.73\00:05:59.58
and I thought oh, man.
00:05:59.61\00:06:01.75
And now I just want to hold her
00:06:01.78\00:06:03.41
'cause I don't know about
you, but I know that life.
00:06:03.44\00:06:07.12
I know what it
feels like to have
00:06:07.15\00:06:08.93
that twisted stuff
around you even as a child.
00:06:08.96\00:06:11.80
Her mom taught her
how to be a prostitute
00:06:11.83\00:06:13.99
when she was three
and four years old,
00:06:14.02\00:06:15.81
really groomed her to
00:06:15.84\00:06:17.48
because she got more
money for her than for herself
00:06:17.51\00:06:19.95
and so she talked
about that kind of stuff
00:06:19.98\00:06:22.07
and then she
looked at me and she said,
00:06:22.10\00:06:23.55
you know, I like your story.
00:06:23.58\00:06:25.88
And she said, I'm really
good at what I do, she said.
00:06:25.91\00:06:29.40
And I thought oh,
and then, you know,
00:06:29.43\00:06:31.63
and I'm just begging God.
00:06:31.66\00:06:33.67
God give me an
answer for this kid
00:06:33.70\00:06:36.42
because I really believe
she's good at what she does.
00:06:36.45\00:06:38.61
She goes in to foster care,
it's with an Adventist couple,
00:06:38.64\00:06:41.69
so very Christian couple.
00:06:41.72\00:06:43.87
And they put her in an
academy, a Christian school.
00:06:43.90\00:06:47.82
And she says I find all
the nasty guys right away.
00:06:47.85\00:06:51.25
And I started
to come on to them,
00:06:51.28\00:06:53.65
so I could get what I
want and she went on and on.
00:06:53.68\00:06:56.22
And I still don't know
what to say to her yet.
00:06:56.25\00:06:58.33
And so, finally God just gave me
00:06:58.36\00:07:00.39
what to say to her and I said.
00:07:00.42\00:07:02.82
I said you know Alvy,
00:07:02.85\00:07:04.35
do you think I was
good at what I did?
00:07:04.38\00:07:06.55
You know, do you think,
00:07:06.58\00:07:07.61
Alvy, I was on the
streets from the time
00:07:07.64\00:07:09.01
I was 13 years old
and survived 10 years.
00:07:09.04\00:07:11.28
Do you think I was
good? And she said, yep I do.
00:07:11.31\00:07:14.43
And I said, do you think
I'm good at what I do now?
00:07:14.46\00:07:17.42
I traveled all over the world.
00:07:17.45\00:07:19.20
I get to tell
people about recovery.
00:07:19.23\00:07:21.24
I get to tell them about the God
00:07:21.27\00:07:22.60
that's crazy about them.
00:07:22.63\00:07:24.38
I get to give them hope
that there is a different life
00:07:24.41\00:07:26.80
that they can step out
of all that kind of stuff.
00:07:26.83\00:07:28.62
Do you think I am good at that?
00:07:28.65\00:07:30.24
And she said, yes I do.
00:07:30.27\00:07:32.31
Because I mean, she just
experienced some of that.
00:07:32.34\00:07:34.81
And I said, Alvy, you
could be good at either one.
00:07:34.84\00:07:38.48
You could follow
your mom right to prison
00:07:38.51\00:07:40.89
or you can let God change you
00:07:40.92\00:07:42.63
and be really
good at that change
00:07:42.66\00:07:45.24
and she got it.
00:07:45.27\00:07:46.93
That quick.
00:07:46.96\00:07:48.11
I watched this kid get
it and I wanted to cry.
00:07:48.14\00:07:50.66
I wanted to grab God
and kiss him on the face
00:07:50.69\00:07:52.81
and say it's incredible
00:07:52.84\00:07:54.92
what you can do
with faith and belief.
00:07:54.95\00:07:57.53
And the fact
that we could change
00:07:57.56\00:07:58.96
and know that no
matter what has plagued us?
00:07:58.99\00:08:01.50
What has followed us?
00:08:01.53\00:08:02.82
What we're dealing with
that I know there is a God
00:08:02.85\00:08:06.76
that can change that completely.
00:08:06.79\00:08:08.97
And so today we're talking
about belief in a bigger sense.
00:08:09.00\00:08:11.64
I mean belief changes
what people do in surgery.
00:08:11.67\00:08:14.47
I mean you could
pray for somebody
00:08:14.50\00:08:15.71
across the country
that just had surgery
00:08:15.74\00:08:17.45
and there are studies
that say that they heal faster.
00:08:17.48\00:08:20.29
Shut up how cool is that,
not only did they heal faster
00:08:20.32\00:08:23.69
the person
doesn't even have to know.
00:08:23.72\00:08:25.56
They did studies
with the doctor that pray,
00:08:25.59\00:08:27.78
didn't even have a
Christian background
00:08:27.81\00:08:29.78
but just
praying, knowing I believe
00:08:29.81\00:08:32.66
that there really is a
God that response to that,
00:08:32.69\00:08:35.13
that the person
actually gets well
00:08:35.16\00:08:36.67
and does the recovery faster.
00:08:36.70\00:08:38.48
So belief is a big deal.
00:08:38.51\00:08:40.24
I'm gonna
introduce to you guest today
00:08:40.27\00:08:42.56
that had to hold on to a belief
that wasn't evident for years
00:08:42.59\00:08:49.93
before she got to smile.
00:08:49.96\00:08:53.69
So stay with us,
you're gonna love this story.
00:08:53.72\00:08:55.94