The following program
discusses sensitive issues
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related to addictive behaviour.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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You know, even
when I tell that story
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about Michel and
the strip club owner
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and my sister,
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I could remember
that moment of rage
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and there's a
part in me that says,
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"Man, I'm glad it came up
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because I didn't
know it was there
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and it allowed me to
look at this guy and say,
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you know what? I'm so sorry."
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But it also allowed
me to go to God and say,
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"Man, I had no idea
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that I had that
much bitterness and anger
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to a whole group of folks."
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And repent of that
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and God did
some amazing healing.
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It was absolutely amazing.
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So if you get
something that comes up,
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don't get freaked
out, just go to God.
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But I wanted to say
my next guest, Aaron,
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and I can't ever
pronounce your last name.
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Bekkela. Bekkela.
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And so I wanted... I love you.
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But did Michael
ever tell you that story?
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He did. What did he say?
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What was his perspective?
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He... I think,
probably similar to yours.
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Just awkward, uncomfortable.
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I think more than anything,
he focused on the end result
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and that it
worked out really well.
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I think it was his belief.
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It was amazing
to me at one point,
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when he stopped and said,
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"You know, I don't know
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if any of the club
owners said to you.
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Please forgive me."
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So I am on behalf of
anyone that hurt you,
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please forgive us.
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And then that, you
know, for God Himself
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to help me to realize
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that I needed to
let go of that anger.
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And it was just so powerful.
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It was the entire studio,
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you could see the
healing in the entire studio
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and him and I are
friends to this day.
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He went back and got
his degree as a pastor
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and is now working out there.
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So I want...
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Your story is a little
bit different than his.
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So tell us.
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First of all,
where did you come from?
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What was your
life like, growing up?
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You know, growing up, it was...
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For me I thought it was normal.
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I grew up in a house, my
mom was there all the time,
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my dad was there sporadically.
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But we had a house, I had shoes,
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I had friends at
school, what have you...
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It wasn't until my
adolescence when I realized,
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maybe this isn't so normal.
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At once I
realized what dad was doing
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and what the business was.
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So talk about the business
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'cause your family was
very successful, owned...?
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I don't even know how many.
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I couldn't even
tell you how many
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because it would
grow from one to the next,
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someone gets old and such.
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So, I mean, it
just kind of evolved
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or from one to the next.
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So, you never
numbered the strip clubs.
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The business, family business
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was dancers, bars,
that kind of thing.
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Right. He hadn't
tell I ever knew.
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That was from the
time I was a little kid
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until I
understood what they were,
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going through school and such.
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So yeah, that
was all I ever knew.
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I remember the first time
that I ever got any inclination
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of what was going on was,
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I went to work with dad one day.
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And what it was,
was he had bought a club
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and we were painting.
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So when I went in there, I
don't know if I was 10 or 12
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or how old I was but I
remember going in there
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and just thinking, that smell.
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Just that...
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The booze or the cigarettes
or the perfume or whatever.
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Just like really thick smell.
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And even in the
midst of painting, I mean,
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your paint fumes
there and stuff like that
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but, I mean, it was
just this really strong smell
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and so as I aged
and as I went on,
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it was things like
that where I realized,
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probably not
everybody knows that smell.
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Right. And so anyway, yeah...
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But I love what you're saying
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'cause you said, "You know what?
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As first, family
wise, this was normal.
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When you walked in my home,
you would see a normal family.
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Mom, dad...
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On the surface for sure. Okay.
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On the surface.
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As again as I got older,
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you know, lot
of it was coming to
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understanding
that dad's not home.
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He's gonna come home
maybe once or twice a week.
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It was very
difficult for my mom.
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As things went along,
I originally, I thought,
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"Man, mom, why don't you just,
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I mean,
everybody gets a divorce.
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Let's get a divorce
or whatever, you know."
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And my perception of my
mother from my adolescence
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to where I'm at
now, now it's like,
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"Oh, my. What an amazing person.
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Adorable and stayed there
for the rest of us, you know.
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And then they did
ultimately get a divorce
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but it was just a
real range of emotions
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going like through
the high school years
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and stuff like that.
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Did you ever feel
shame? Absolutely.
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Okay, 'cause for me growing up,
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I had that sense
of shame all the time.
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When did that happen for
you and what was it like?
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I think as I gained an awareness
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of what the business was
and what was going on and,
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you know, for my guy friends,
unfortunately, in our culture,
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it was pretty much cool.
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But I remember that
sense of embarrassment
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when you would meet somebody
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or sometimes
very active in sports.
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So, you know,
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I would get
exposed to a lot of people
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and so, "What do
your parents do?"
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Um, what do my parents,
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you know, and so
I would just say,
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"Oh, my dad owns a bar."
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And hopefully they
would leave it at that
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and not dig any deeper.
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And... but yeah,
once I never realized
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that there was
guilt and shame, even then
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but, oh, yeah,
absolutely, for sure.
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Always hiding.
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So do you know at one point,
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so you're successful
in school in the sports.
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The club and your academics
kind of weren't mixing,
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you were able to do both.
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At one point, you
started working in the clubs
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and so what was that like?
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You know, I worked
with dad a little bit
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and then there
was also my brothers
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as you mentioned Michael,
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there was two
other brothers as well.
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So, I mean, it was just
kind of tangled and everything
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or pretty
evident, they're outdoors
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and did a lot of
hunting and such,
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so that was just
part of the conversation,
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you know, and main
part of what we did.
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So, I mean, it was...
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Even if you weren't in the club
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or actually working there,
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there was still
an awareness maybe,
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would be the way to put it.
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So as far as me
actually starting to work,
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I had decided to
go a different road
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and spend a short
time as a police officer.
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No way. And, yeah.
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And it wasn't very long
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but went through a
few critical incidents
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and I did find I
performed well or whatever
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but it really made me look
as this is what I wanna do.
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Well, then I have my
father and my brothers sitting,
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waiting the whole time
like to essentially reel me in.
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And what a lot of
people don't understand
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and though didn't
understand that on any level,
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when I found Christ either,
is the money involved in clubs.
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The money involved in drugs,
the money involved in dance,
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you know, and the
sex trade industry
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or in that kind of
adult entertainment stuff
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is off the chart.
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It can be.
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It comes and goes
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but the overall
average certainly is well above
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what it should be
for the job that's done,
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that's for sure.
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So, yeah, once I...
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My brothers and my
dad kinda stepped in,
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"Hey, you wanna, you
just come work with us
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when I, you know, whatever."
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And
unfortunately, I made the choice
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to go ahead and do that
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and made the
decision to transfer then,
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so that would
have been roughly...
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Oh, mid twenties was when I...
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So mid twenties.
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And then if
this is too personal,
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you could just tell me
but for that kind of exposure,
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anything... I mean, did
you get lost in anything,
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sexual
addictions, any that stuff
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because, you know,
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and so visually the
things that you're seeing
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is not typically what a teenager
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or early twenties tends to see.
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You know, I think I
became pretty desensitized
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to a lot of things.
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I don't think I had
any addiction issues,
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any sexual
addictions or any drugs.
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I never really done any
drugs or anything like that.
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However, alcohol,
was where I found,
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would it be my
giochi, would be my escape,
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would be my...
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And I wasn't so
much with everybody else.
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It was just by myself.
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And that was
something I carried with me
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for the entire time I was there.
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I could imagine
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that you would be
very fair in your job.
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I think that when you came in
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and now start
working for the club,
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you're the manager there now.
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Just ran it like a
business? Yeah, for sure.
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You know, and again I
think part of our culture,
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that's part of it.
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The perception is
that of a, you know,
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the city individual or
this whatever, you know,
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and that's not
the way it is today.
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Today it's, you know,
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one of the biggest perpetrators
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has his Masters
degree in business, you know,
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and, I mean, it's a suit and tie
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or it's a
regular guy, so to speak.
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And yeah, I think, I
fit that more pretty well.
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I think I was very disarming
to a lot of other people
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that came in, you know,
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and it's funny you
mentioned that I had a...
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I had a, over social media,
00:09:11.51\00:09:13.98
a message I came through
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and it was one of
the girls, saying,
00:09:15.38\00:09:17.19
"Why have I never apologized."
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And so, of course, I
sent it back, you know,
00:09:19.39\00:09:21.76
and I'd let her know
through this whole process,
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that's almost like the
umbrella over all of it is,
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"Yeah, I'm sorry."
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Anyone's life that you effected
and then it was negative,
00:09:29.56\00:09:31.83
I mean, you know, as
you look back on everything
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it becomes very clear.
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So... It's a
whole different thing.
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But I love what you're
saying, is that at one point,
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people could say
this is a city thing
00:09:40.14\00:09:42.78
and these are kind
of really characters
00:09:42.81\00:09:44.91
that are kind of
almost carnival workers
00:09:44.95\00:09:47.82
and druggists or whatever
00:09:47.85\00:09:50.69
but now they
said, it is not true,
00:09:50.72\00:09:52.35
this is a business,
ran like a business,
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there is a lot of money in it.
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And so, what you're
saying is times have changed.
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Even the girls that are seduced
or drawn into the business
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are drawn into different reasons
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and they did maybe 30 years ago.
00:10:06.27\00:10:09.34
Oh, I think again
not to keep beating in,
00:10:09.37\00:10:11.17
but our culture
is changed, you know.
00:10:11.21\00:10:13.38
30 years ago, if you received
00:10:13.41\00:10:14.88
one of these
lingerie magazines in that...
00:10:14.91\00:10:17.85
Male, people
would have freaked out.
00:10:17.88\00:10:20.35
Well, now it is just like
a, just going through the...
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You know, I mean,
it's common place.
00:10:22.38\00:10:24.05
So, yeah, I think
they're very desensitized to it.
00:10:24.09\00:10:26.15
It's more accepted. So...
00:10:26.19\00:10:30.76
So you're working in the clubs.
00:10:30.79\00:10:34.63
At one point, you're
questioning all that.
00:10:34.66\00:10:39.50
How did that come about?
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Michael. Yeah.
00:10:41.14\00:10:42.74
Well, Michael would have
been, maybe the symbolic point
00:10:42.77\00:10:46.88
but again my mother.
00:10:46.91\00:10:48.24
I think that whole time
00:10:48.28\00:10:49.98
she herself kind of transitioned
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to a spiritual place
when the problems were...
00:10:52.38\00:10:56.52
'Cause it reached a point
while I was in high school,
00:10:56.55\00:10:59.02
where I would come home
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and my mother
would be crying or,
00:11:00.42\00:11:01.76
you know, and so that
would be part of the...
00:11:01.79\00:11:03.16
She's like, I
can't do this anymore.
00:11:03.19\00:11:04.53
Right, and I almost
wondered if she was waiting
00:11:04.56\00:11:06.96
until I was out of high
school, you know what I mean,
00:11:07.00\00:11:08.86
like what it was and maybe
my dad for that matter too.
00:11:08.90\00:11:12.90
But it anyway...
00:11:12.93\00:11:14.50
She was always there,
00:11:14.54\00:11:15.87
always kinda had that
nurturing nature to her.
00:11:15.90\00:11:18.41
Just a helping
personality, you know.
00:11:18.44\00:11:21.24
So there was always that
there but, yeah, Michael.
00:11:21.28\00:11:24.61
When we were up
hunting and we're sitting there
00:11:24.65\00:11:28.12
and he is like, "So I
got to ask you something.
00:11:28.15\00:11:29.82
I've never asked you do anything
00:11:29.85\00:11:31.19
but I'm asking
you to do something."
00:11:31.22\00:11:32.55
And so at this point,
00:11:32.59\00:11:33.92
he's already going
to school and everything
00:11:33.96\00:11:35.29
and so I'm sitting
here thinking, "Oh, my..."
00:11:35.32\00:11:36.66
He's found Jesus. "What
are you about to ask me?"
00:11:36.69\00:11:38.96
Right.
00:11:38.99\00:11:40.33
And so he just hands
me a Bible and he says,
00:11:40.36\00:11:42.66
"Will you just read this book."
00:11:42.70\00:11:44.53
You know, and it was...
00:11:44.57\00:11:46.13
I always think back
of Michael and I think,
00:11:46.17\00:11:48.50
"That was smart of you."
00:11:48.54\00:11:49.87
It's like, it's the number
one selling book, it's ever,
00:11:49.90\00:11:51.67
you know, like kinda,
trying to appeal to that,
00:11:51.71\00:11:53.98
the world beside of me
00:11:54.01\00:11:55.34
because that's
kind of who I was.
00:11:55.38\00:11:57.25
"Okay, fine.
00:11:57.28\00:11:58.61
Michael, I'll
read it," you know,
00:11:58.65\00:11:59.98
and I always joke with him.
00:12:00.02\00:12:01.35
I said, "Next time,
00:12:01.38\00:12:02.72
tell someone to
start in the New Testament,
00:12:02.75\00:12:04.25
so that it's, maybe
a little more relevant,
00:12:04.29\00:12:06.12
you're not
getting stuck with the...
00:12:06.15\00:12:08.56
But he did
anyway, he gave it to me
00:12:09.66\00:12:12.29
and I ultimately did read it.
00:12:12.33\00:12:14.50
You know, 'cause I can...
00:12:14.53\00:12:15.86
What's really
interesting is I even think of,
00:12:15.90\00:12:17.70
I see your mom and your mom
00:12:17.73\00:12:19.23
looking at these
beautiful boys and knowing that,
00:12:19.27\00:12:21.77
each one of her sons is
going to be lost in an industry
00:12:21.80\00:12:26.64
that she can't even,
00:12:26.68\00:12:28.81
she can't even
hold on to her husband
00:12:28.84\00:12:31.11
and now her
sons are going there.
00:12:31.15\00:12:32.68
I could imagine that
she panicked with that.
00:12:32.71\00:12:34.75
Oh, for sure.
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.12
And one of my sisters was
also a waitress and bartender
00:12:36.15\00:12:38.19
for a while.
00:12:38.22\00:12:39.55
So, yeah, it was
very difficult for her.
00:12:39.59\00:12:41.26
And so Michael comes out
00:12:41.29\00:12:42.62
and just some how
he's got to reach you guys.
00:12:42.66\00:12:45.13
Yeah, and he just...
00:12:45.16\00:12:46.70
He was smart about it,
00:12:46.73\00:12:48.06
he just kinda periodically
so, you know, did you read that,
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.43
you know, and so I did.
00:12:51.47\00:12:53.90
And...
00:12:53.94\00:12:55.27
You did, just
opened up the book.
00:12:55.30\00:12:56.64
Yeah. Page one, started reading.
00:12:56.67\00:12:58.64
And it took me a while
00:12:58.67\00:13:00.01
but I did read it and it was...
00:13:00.04\00:13:02.11
I think at first it
was just the history was...
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.58
I found it interesting.
00:13:05.61\00:13:07.05
If nothing else,
00:13:07.08\00:13:08.42
it was an
interesting reading that
00:13:08.45\00:13:09.78
and I kept reading and kept...
00:13:09.82\00:13:11.15
The different stories I
thought were interesting.
00:13:11.19\00:13:13.29
But for sure once I got...
00:13:13.32\00:13:15.22
I just gotta say.
00:13:15.26\00:13:16.59
And I'm trying to, I'm
trying to let this just kind of
00:13:16.62\00:13:18.89
play out like it
happened in your life.
00:13:18.93\00:13:22.03
But I just, I can't
imagine what have indeed
00:13:22.06\00:13:25.93
when you were
sitting there with a Bible
00:13:25.97\00:13:27.77
finding that interesting,
00:13:27.80\00:13:29.14
I think the angels rejoice it.
00:13:29.17\00:13:31.07
I think God himself
or going like, "Come on."
00:13:31.11\00:13:34.48
You know what I mean is this,
00:13:34.51\00:13:35.84
what an amazing
place for this man to be,
00:13:35.88\00:13:39.41
is that I'm in the Word of God.
00:13:39.45\00:13:41.75
It's not really...
00:13:41.78\00:13:43.12
Feels like it's
not effecting me much
00:13:43.15\00:13:44.59
but I'm liking the stories.
00:13:44.62\00:13:46.86
Oh, yeah.
00:13:46.89\00:13:48.22
And, you know, I think
that's the important part
00:13:48.26\00:13:50.13
as the Word of God, you know,
00:13:50.16\00:13:51.49
everything I had
learned to that point
00:13:51.53\00:13:53.63
or been taught or...
00:13:53.66\00:13:56.53
It was certainly
a very taboo subject
00:13:56.56\00:13:58.33
in my house with my
dad's history and such...
00:13:58.37\00:14:01.94
Bible?
00:14:01.97\00:14:03.30
Yes, anything Christian
was not welcome in our house.
00:14:03.34\00:14:07.54
So, and at this point in time
00:14:07.58\00:14:09.94
my dad is
essentially dying with cancer.
00:14:09.98\00:14:13.11
So, yeah, I mean, it was...
00:14:13.15\00:14:15.78
The way everything played out,
00:14:15.82\00:14:17.15
you know, by the
time I got to the gospels
00:14:17.19\00:14:19.75
and I was reading 'em,
00:14:19.79\00:14:21.12
I was pretty
well hooked, you know,
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.49
and Stacy and I, we
were transitioning, moving
00:14:22.52\00:14:28.06
and we received a
flyer in the mail.
00:14:28.10\00:14:29.96
And it was one of
the evangelistic series
00:14:30.00\00:14:33.13
or whatever.
00:14:33.17\00:14:34.64
I don't know if you know Hoyer.
00:14:34.67\00:14:36.00
Yes. Hoyer was
doing it, gifted speaker.
00:14:36.04\00:14:38.57
Very cool man.
00:14:38.61\00:14:41.08
And so we talked
about it... On prophecy.
00:14:41.11\00:14:42.94
Yes, and that was part...
00:14:42.98\00:14:45.41
When I was in the New Testament,
00:14:45.45\00:14:46.78
I'm reading about
00:14:46.82\00:14:48.15
and I'm trying to
connect these dots
00:14:48.18\00:14:49.52
and having a hard time
00:14:49.55\00:14:50.89
and then being
back in work and just,
00:14:50.92\00:14:54.06
I mean, it was just
a really crazy time.
00:14:54.09\00:14:56.93
So but we get this flyer.
00:14:56.96\00:14:58.89
You know, I have just
said because our whole season
00:14:58.93\00:15:01.43
is going through a
book on Victory in Jesus
00:15:01.46\00:15:03.90
and how amazing grace is
and Romans 2:4, when it says,
00:15:03.93\00:15:08.24
"Don't despise
the kindness of God,
00:15:08.27\00:15:10.17
or the forbearance of God."
00:15:10.21\00:15:11.54
'Cause as He's literally
taking you through the Bible
00:15:11.57\00:15:14.94
and you're
working in a strip club.
00:15:14.98\00:15:17.21
He is saving your
life and somebody,
00:15:17.25\00:15:19.05
if we go and like,
God doesn't do that.
00:15:19.08\00:15:20.48
Oh, yes, He does.
00:15:20.52\00:15:22.55
You know, and
you just have to say,
00:15:22.58\00:15:24.12
"God, how cool are you."
00:15:24.15\00:15:26.09
I mean, absolutely says,
00:15:26.12\00:15:27.96
"I'll be right where you're at."
00:15:27.99\00:15:29.76
Right, It gave me a
whole new perspective.
00:15:29.79\00:15:31.96
Everything that I
had been told or heard,
00:15:31.99\00:15:34.80
that's not at
all what I'm reading.
00:15:34.83\00:15:36.70
You know, and so when
that flyer came, I asked Stacy.
00:15:36.73\00:15:40.44
I said, "Well...
00:15:40.47\00:15:41.80
So, Stacy is your wife? Right.
00:15:41.84\00:15:43.61
Was a dancer in
the club? Correct.
00:15:43.64\00:15:45.81
And what is she thinking,
00:15:45.84\00:15:48.01
even with you
going through the Bible,
00:15:48.04\00:15:49.44
she must be
going like, "What's up?
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.38
What are you doing?"
00:15:51.41\00:15:52.75
She had a time in her
life, when she was younger
00:15:52.78\00:15:55.38
where that she would tell you,
00:15:55.42\00:15:56.75
were like her best years
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.12
when she was
younger with a grandma
00:15:58.15\00:15:59.75
she was staying with
00:15:59.79\00:16:01.12
and they would go to
Church and so for her,
00:16:01.16\00:16:04.53
she was really okay with it.
00:16:04.56\00:16:06.59
And so when we get
that flyer, I asked her,
00:16:06.63\00:16:08.50
"So do you think
we're gonna ignite
00:16:09.56\00:16:10.90
and then see it
00:16:10.93\00:16:12.27
or should we go or
should we, you know,
00:16:12.30\00:16:13.64
'cause I really wanted
to understand it better,
00:16:13.67\00:16:15.00
that was where I was at
00:16:15.04\00:16:16.37
and I wanted to
connect those dots, you know.
00:16:16.40\00:16:19.27
Daniel in the Revelation
and how does this all work and,
00:16:19.31\00:16:22.31
you know, so we ended up going.
00:16:22.34\00:16:24.85
And it was interesting.
00:16:24.88\00:16:28.72
I love what you
said to me one time about
00:16:28.75\00:16:31.25
this part of your journey,
is that walking in the church,
00:16:31.29\00:16:34.69
you were like
trying to hide your face.
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.12
Oh, yeah.
00:16:36.16\00:16:37.53
Like, I don't want
anyone to recognize me.
00:16:37.56\00:16:39.03
Well, yeah, and then
I stopped and I thought,
00:16:39.06\00:16:41.83
I don't see on a regular basis
00:16:41.86\00:16:43.77
is gonna be in
here and recognize me
00:16:43.80\00:16:45.83
but, yeah, for sure, I mean,
00:16:45.87\00:16:47.64
it's just like...
00:16:47.67\00:16:49.00
I just wanna understand
and then I wanna leave,
00:16:49.04\00:16:51.41
you know, and so
while we were in there,
00:16:51.44\00:16:54.38
is this tall pastor sees
us and it is, you just like,
00:16:54.41\00:16:58.21
"Stop looking at me
00:16:58.25\00:16:59.58
'cause now you're gonna
come talk to me, you know."
00:16:59.61\00:17:01.28
And so, yeah,
00:17:01.32\00:17:02.65
one of the pastors at the Church
00:17:02.68\00:17:04.02
that was putting on
the series is Jim...
00:17:04.05\00:17:06.05
Jim Moon,
00:17:06.09\00:17:07.42
he is a really
good friend of mine.
00:17:07.46\00:17:08.79
Yup, Jim Moon came
over and from there
00:17:08.82\00:17:12.19
then I met the
other pastor Roger,
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.36
and before I knew it...
00:17:14.40\00:17:15.96
So... Well, hold up.
00:17:16.00\00:17:17.33
'Cause I know
what Jim asked you,
00:17:17.37\00:17:18.97
what did he ask you
when he walked up to you.
00:17:19.00\00:17:20.84
Oh, the same thing.
00:17:20.87\00:17:22.20
It's just like when I was a kid.
00:17:22.24\00:17:23.57
So... Instead of,
what do your parents do?
00:17:23.61\00:17:25.41
So what do you do for a living?
00:17:25.44\00:17:27.64
And I literally turned and said,
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.01
"Will you wanna
sit down for a minute."
00:17:29.04\00:17:30.55
And so we sat down
and chatted about it.
00:17:30.58\00:17:33.78
See, you didn't
decide to hide from him.
00:17:33.82\00:17:36.99
No, no, I didn't, I just...
00:17:37.02\00:17:39.12
But a lot of it was
how he approached me.
00:17:39.15\00:17:41.06
I mean, it wasn't
this condescending,
00:17:41.09\00:17:43.79
you know, stiff necked like,
00:17:43.83\00:17:45.16
oh, well, thanks for
coming, you know, not at all.
00:17:45.19\00:17:48.03
I have never
seen him judge anyone.
00:17:48.06\00:17:49.66
No, no, he is...
00:17:49.70\00:17:51.03
He is perfect for that
too, for me to meet, you know.
00:17:51.07\00:17:53.64
So in the church building,
00:17:53.67\00:17:55.17
going through a
Revelation seminar,
00:17:55.20\00:17:57.24
finally being open with,
00:17:57.27\00:17:59.67
even your
background and nobody ignited.
00:17:59.71\00:18:03.11
Nobody. No, no.
00:18:03.14\00:18:04.48
Do you know what I
mean that it was all good.
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.11
Right, right, you know,
00:18:06.15\00:18:07.48
and then from there I met Roger,
00:18:07.52\00:18:08.92
who was also one
of the pastor there
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.25
and before all
was said and done,
00:18:11.29\00:18:16.36
the series ended and Hoyer
00:18:16.39\00:18:18.09
and I have stayed
friends since then,
00:18:18.13\00:18:19.53
we've hunted together and such
00:18:19.56\00:18:22.36
but then he left and
was going on, where...
00:18:22.40\00:18:25.83
I forget where he
lived it the time.
00:18:25.87\00:18:27.20
He's a little bit,
little bit everywhere
00:18:27.24\00:18:28.57
but then I met
Roger and ended up,
00:18:28.60\00:18:32.47
starting doing
Bible studies with Roger
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.38
while I was running the club.
00:18:34.41\00:18:35.74
Still running the
club. Still running the club.
00:18:35.78\00:18:37.98
And the reason I wanna say that
00:18:38.01\00:18:39.35
'cause I think it's
amazing to me is that the...
00:18:39.38\00:18:43.28
Man, I know people that
seven, eight, ten years.
00:18:43.32\00:18:47.66
God walked with
them in their journey
00:18:47.69\00:18:49.79
before they
started letting go of
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.49
some of the darker
stuff and God was so faithful.
00:18:51.53\00:18:54.93
And so to me, sometimes
we wanna jump in and judge
00:18:54.96\00:18:57.33
but God says, do not.
00:18:57.37\00:18:59.47
You will hurt them, you know.
00:18:59.50\00:19:01.70
And that's not
how any of them were,
00:19:01.74\00:19:03.37
all three of
those men were perfect.
00:19:03.41\00:19:06.91
They met me where
I was at every time
00:19:06.94\00:19:08.94
and there were
times where it wasn't
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.85
such a nice place to meet me.
00:19:10.88\00:19:12.31
It was...
00:19:12.35\00:19:13.68
Because...
00:19:13.72\00:19:15.18
While I had my mind, then I...
00:19:15.22\00:19:17.39
Stacy and I talked
about it, you know,
00:19:17.42\00:19:18.75
like what do you
wanna do when you grow up.
00:19:18.79\00:19:20.12
Well, what do we wanna
do with the rest of our life
00:19:20.16\00:19:22.09
because this is
not what we wanna do.
00:19:22.12\00:19:25.19
So we literally just sat down
00:19:25.23\00:19:27.40
and decided, well, if
we're gonna back to school
00:19:27.43\00:19:29.30
or what would we do and if...
00:19:29.33\00:19:30.67
You know, just like,
kinda like, you know,
00:19:30.70\00:19:32.30
big piece of paper, what
do we wanna do, you know.
00:19:32.33\00:19:35.37
And so I just... I
decided that day...
00:19:35.40\00:19:37.87
Well, both of us decided
00:19:37.91\00:19:39.24
we want to go back to school.
00:19:39.27\00:19:41.38
And so I was
gonna go back to school.
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.01
I applied for
school and was accepted.
00:19:43.04\00:19:46.75
We needed to kind of
sell the house on the hill
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.88
and scale things back.
00:19:48.92\00:19:50.25
Nice house. Yeah,
it was a nice house.
00:19:50.29\00:19:53.86
But scaling things back
anticipating this change
00:19:53.89\00:19:57.36
and then I wanted
to be legally severed
00:19:57.39\00:19:59.29
from the bars and everything.
00:19:59.33\00:20:01.00
I didn't want to have anything
to do with them anymore.
00:20:01.03\00:20:03.53
So applied for
schools, accepted,
00:20:03.57\00:20:06.94
had the house for
sale and was working
00:20:06.97\00:20:09.70
with one of the
bigger sharks in the tank,
00:20:09.74\00:20:13.24
I don't know how else to put it
00:20:13.27\00:20:14.61
that owns clubs.
00:20:14.64\00:20:15.98
Just thinking about
00:20:16.01\00:20:17.35
buying your clubs
out, buying it out.
00:20:17.38\00:20:18.71
Correct, correct.
00:20:18.75\00:20:20.08
And so everything was
going great, you know,
00:20:20.12\00:20:22.48
had it on a path where...
00:20:22.52\00:20:24.55
This is what we're gonna do.
00:20:24.59\00:20:26.12
I just have to say
00:20:26.15\00:20:27.49
'cause I think I kind
of met you before then
00:20:27.52\00:20:31.36
but I remember at one point,
00:20:31.39\00:20:32.73
sitting there
and listening to you
00:20:32.76\00:20:34.33
and talking about people
00:20:34.36\00:20:35.70
buying and
selling clubs and stuff.
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.17
And I remember
looking at you and thinking,
00:20:37.20\00:20:39.03
"Wouldn't it be funny,
00:20:39.07\00:20:40.80
if God just flipped one of these
00:20:40.84\00:20:42.47
and one of the
clubs become a church."
00:20:42.50\00:20:44.04
And I don't think that we ever,
00:20:44.07\00:20:45.47
it was just
something that I thought,
00:20:45.51\00:20:46.94
"Wouldn't that be so like God."
00:20:46.98\00:20:49.08
But this guy is
not gonna flip it,
00:20:49.11\00:20:52.11
he wants to
actually keep this...
00:20:52.15\00:20:53.48
He's gonna write a
check and it's done.
00:20:53.52\00:20:54.85
Yeah and a big check.
00:20:54.88\00:20:56.22
Yeah, for me at the
time, that was perfect.
00:20:56.25\00:20:58.95
I can start school now and then
just get the house, you know,
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.52
like that would
be fine, you know.
00:21:01.56\00:21:04.06
And because part of it for
me, much like with Michael,
00:21:04.09\00:21:07.06
I couldn't force my brothers.
00:21:07.10\00:21:09.60
I couldn't make them,
00:21:09.63\00:21:11.20
if this is what
they choose to do,
00:21:11.23\00:21:12.57
that's what they choose to do.
00:21:12.60\00:21:13.94
Right.
00:21:13.97\00:21:15.30
So for me it was
as much as I had,
00:21:15.34\00:21:17.91
the thought crossed
my mind too but I can't,
00:21:17.94\00:21:20.61
I couldn't force that
round pig in this world.
00:21:20.64\00:21:23.88
So yeah, everything
was going good and right
00:21:23.91\00:21:26.72
up until the time when
the guy that was gonna do,
00:21:26.75\00:21:28.82
decided he didn't
want to do it anymore.
00:21:28.85\00:21:30.92
And so the deal, so
to speak fell through
00:21:30.95\00:21:33.86
and I was accepted to
school I believe in 2013
00:21:33.89\00:21:37.96
and I didn't go back and
for a couple of years there
00:21:37.99\00:21:41.43
because it just threw
everything in a tale spin.
00:21:41.46\00:21:45.50
And you are saying,
"God, where are you?"
00:21:45.53\00:21:47.84
Very much so... Was quiet as...
00:21:47.87\00:21:50.84
You promised me. Right.
00:21:50.87\00:21:52.54
Well, for me and I don't know
00:21:52.57\00:21:54.54
how else to put
it other than like,
00:21:54.58\00:21:56.14
that wasn't part of the deal.
00:21:56.18\00:21:58.15
I'm doing this and
I'm that, now, you know,
00:21:58.18\00:22:00.78
I'm upholding
my end of the deal,
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.15
where are you?
00:22:02.18\00:22:03.52
I'm walking
away from everything.
00:22:03.55\00:22:04.89
Right. Where are you?
Where are you in all this?
00:22:04.92\00:22:06.25
You know.
00:22:06.29\00:22:07.62
And I think, I kind of started
00:22:07.66\00:22:08.99
telling you about it.
00:22:09.02\00:22:10.36
I had a moment where
00:22:10.39\00:22:11.73
I'm not a very emotional person.
00:22:11.76\00:22:13.80
And I had woke up one morning
00:22:13.83\00:22:16.97
and I had just
had it and I was...
00:22:17.00\00:22:19.57
I went and I sat
down in the shower,
00:22:19.60\00:22:22.07
I turned the
lights off and everything
00:22:22.10\00:22:23.74
and I was
literally just breaking down.
00:22:23.77\00:22:26.98
And I was really letting
God have it and just that.
00:22:27.01\00:22:31.01
I upheld my end of
the deal, where are you?
00:22:31.05\00:22:32.71
And very
colorfully letting Him know
00:22:32.75\00:22:35.72
that I wasn't impressed.
00:22:35.75\00:22:37.12
Right. And...
00:22:37.15\00:22:39.19
But as it continued, I remember
00:22:39.22\00:22:42.39
literally just
throwing my hands out
00:22:42.42\00:22:43.76
and telling Him, you do it.
00:22:43.79\00:22:45.19
Little more colorfully than that
00:22:45.23\00:22:46.56
but literally
those words, you do it.
00:22:46.59\00:22:48.90
So I got myself together
and I got out of the shower
00:22:48.93\00:22:51.90
and I just went
on with my morning
00:22:51.93\00:22:53.27
like I normally
would and I went out,
00:22:53.30\00:22:54.94
I turned the computer on
and there were three mails.
00:22:54.97\00:22:58.57
I don't remember
what the other two were
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.01
but part of the
conversation with God
00:23:01.04\00:23:04.91
was that I wanted Him
to make it very obvious.
00:23:04.95\00:23:07.08
I mean, like...
00:23:07.12\00:23:08.45
The direction. Right.
00:23:08.48\00:23:09.82
Like what do you want me to
do, where do you want me to go.
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.19
A big white board
with bright letters,
00:23:11.22\00:23:12.99
so I don't get this wrong
00:23:13.02\00:23:14.36
'cause apparently
I'm not doing this right.
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.66
And I found
that was the problem.
00:23:16.69\00:23:19.26
I'm not doing
this right. Absolutely.
00:23:19.29\00:23:21.53
And when I got out of the shower
00:23:21.56\00:23:23.03
and I told Him, you do it.
00:23:23.06\00:23:25.10
I came out, I...
00:23:25.13\00:23:26.47
Later, I gone on the computer,
00:23:26.50\00:23:27.84
I haven't talked to the college
in like a year at that point.
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.91
And one of the three
emails was from school.
00:23:30.94\00:23:33.48
Are you gonna
come to school or not?
00:23:33.51\00:23:34.84
We can only hold your
acceptance open so long.
00:23:34.88\00:23:37.45
And I remember just
sitting back thinking,
00:23:37.48\00:23:39.01
"Well, it's not a white
board and the bright letters
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.88
but it's black and
white, I mean, it's...
00:23:41.92\00:23:43.25
It's pretty clear.
00:23:43.28\00:23:44.62
And what are the
chances of that, you know,
00:23:44.65\00:23:46.69
because at that point of
time I'm still acting like,
00:23:46.72\00:23:48.52
is this Steven,
00:23:48.56\00:23:49.89
I said, you know,
what's going on here.
00:23:49.92\00:23:51.26
It's the hardest
thing, Aaron, and I know that
00:23:51.29\00:23:52.96
like you're
saying that, do the...
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.60
But the hardest thing is
that we are not in control.
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.87
That we've
tried to control it up
00:23:58.90\00:24:00.24
till this point
and it got us exactly
00:24:00.27\00:24:01.90
where we're at and
there's got to be a point
00:24:01.94\00:24:04.31
where we say to
God, "Okay, I am done."
00:24:04.34\00:24:07.38
When so many says,
"What is surrender look like?
00:24:07.41\00:24:09.51
What does it look
like to finally say,
00:24:09.54\00:24:11.71
"The best of what I
can do is not working.
00:24:11.75\00:24:14.48
You do it."
00:24:14.52\00:24:16.65
And then that was
just too, you know,
00:24:16.69\00:24:18.55
and I think I
started telling you
00:24:18.59\00:24:19.92
about my analogy
00:24:19.95\00:24:21.29
that I had in my head was that,
00:24:21.32\00:24:22.66
every morning I
would walk out there
00:24:22.69\00:24:24.03
and God would be like
00:24:24.06\00:24:25.39
sitting at the
table with a newspaper
00:24:25.43\00:24:26.76
and peer over and go, "Nope,
not ready yet and keep going."
00:24:26.80\00:24:29.26
And I'm sitting here alone...
He's not asking me a thing.
00:24:29.30\00:24:30.70
Wait a minute, I've done
this and I've done, you know,
00:24:30.73\00:24:32.83
like all these things
and it's not happening.
00:24:32.87\00:24:35.40
And after I read that
email because that was it,
00:24:35.44\00:24:38.67
I wanted to go to school,
we needed to get the house sold
00:24:38.71\00:24:41.34
and I needed to be legally
separated from the business.
00:24:41.38\00:24:44.65
And so when I read that,
00:24:44.68\00:24:46.01
I remember
sitting back and going,
00:24:46.05\00:24:47.48
"Well, that's one
other thing, you know,
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.25
and me and all my
boldness going, well,
00:24:50.29\00:24:52.45
we still have the house
and we still have," you know.
00:24:52.49\00:24:54.82
So at that point in time
00:24:54.86\00:24:56.46
we had actually just
listed the house again.
00:24:56.49\00:24:59.09
So we had people with...
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.33
This all occurred like
say a Tuesday or Wednesday.
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.57
And you were at your new place
and the other place was listed?
00:25:03.60\00:25:06.94
No, no, no.
00:25:06.97\00:25:08.30
We were still in
our existing house
00:25:08.34\00:25:09.67
and so I have that email
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.01
and the shower on the
same like Tuesday or Wednesday.
00:25:12.04\00:25:14.94
We listed the house, I
believe it was on a Thursday
00:25:14.98\00:25:17.85
and people came to
look at it Friday morning
00:25:17.88\00:25:20.45
and Saturday morning
00:25:20.48\00:25:21.82
and my realtor
called me Saturday morning
00:25:21.85\00:25:23.72
and he said and I assumed you...
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.32
'Cause he still had
to bring the fliers out
00:25:25.35\00:25:26.69
and stuff like that,
00:25:26.72\00:25:28.06
so I didn't
think anything other.
00:25:28.09\00:25:29.42
We had listed it
two summers previously
00:25:29.46\00:25:30.79
without a single offer.
00:25:30.83\00:25:32.69
So he calls me and
says, "That's it, we're done."
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.86
A full price, just done.
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.23
And so now I'm really
sitting there on road.
00:25:38.27\00:25:41.10
Okay, and so I called my brother
00:25:41.14\00:25:45.64
'cause, you know, being...
00:25:45.67\00:25:47.31
We weren't just
in business together,
00:25:47.34\00:25:48.68
we were all friends, you know,
00:25:48.71\00:25:50.05
we still get along very well.
00:25:50.08\00:25:51.41
And so I called not Michael
00:25:51.45\00:25:52.78
but one of my
other brothers, Rob,
00:25:52.81\00:25:54.38
and I told him, I'm like,
you're not gonna leave this
00:25:54.42\00:25:56.08
because he knew the
house had been listed
00:25:56.12\00:25:57.45
and hadn't sold
00:25:57.49\00:25:58.82
and he knew what I
wanted to do and such,
00:25:58.85\00:26:00.19
so I told him and he was like,
00:26:00.22\00:26:02.09
"Oh, well,
that's cool, you know."
00:26:02.12\00:26:04.89
He was like, "So what
about the business, you know,
00:26:04.93\00:26:07.86
'cause you're serious about,
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.23
you wanna go back
to school, you know."
00:26:09.26\00:26:10.60
Absolutely.
00:26:10.63\00:26:11.97
Well, yeah.
00:26:12.00\00:26:13.34
I told people if I
could reach their phone
00:26:13.37\00:26:14.70
and smack him in
the back of the head
00:26:14.74\00:26:16.07
and be like, "What part?
00:26:16.10\00:26:17.44
Don't you think I'm
serious about, you know."
00:26:17.47\00:26:19.57
And he says why I've
been thinking about something.
00:26:19.61\00:26:22.44
And I said, "Well, what's that?"
00:26:22.48\00:26:23.81
And he's like, "Well, what
if he own part of the building."
00:26:23.85\00:26:27.12
He says, "What if I
give you the building
00:26:27.15\00:26:30.52
and I know that's not enough,
00:26:30.55\00:26:31.89
so I'll like make some
payments to you or what,
00:26:31.92\00:26:33.42
you know, but you'll be
legally severed, you'd be at,
00:26:33.46\00:26:35.99
you know."
00:26:36.02\00:26:37.36
And I told, I said,
"Right it on a napkin."
00:26:37.39\00:26:39.86
So, I mean, in like
10 days, I went from...
00:26:39.89\00:26:43.67
Fine, you do it,
which I think was the key.
00:26:43.70\00:26:46.30
I think that was same
going, okay, sit down,
00:26:46.33\00:26:48.47
now we can talk.
00:26:48.50\00:26:49.84
And even 'cause...
00:26:49.87\00:26:51.21
I think we all go to
that place of surrender
00:26:51.24\00:26:53.27
but it's not a
surrender in words only,
00:26:53.31\00:26:55.91
it was a surrender to
the core of who you are.
00:26:55.94\00:26:58.48
I am screaming,
cursing, I am angry at God
00:26:58.51\00:27:02.25
and when I said, "You do it."
00:27:02.28\00:27:04.05
It was literally,
you do it. And so...
00:27:04.09\00:27:06.96
There is some
colorful language for sure.
00:27:06.99\00:27:08.32
And even when some
one says, you know,
00:27:08.36\00:27:10.59
I've said that
before, saying, you surrender
00:27:10.63\00:27:13.23
and actually surrendering
is two different things.
00:27:13.26\00:27:15.56
And so when I think
God says, you know what?
00:27:15.60\00:27:17.90
If you're serious
00:27:17.93\00:27:20.17
and you've given me
control of your life,
00:27:20.20\00:27:22.94
I'll show you
the plan that I have.
00:27:22.97\00:27:25.97
And He started
keep doing every way.
00:27:26.01\00:27:27.84
So, I mean, there
I am in like 10 days.
00:27:27.88\00:27:30.21
I'm going back to
school, the house is sold
00:27:30.25\00:27:34.45
and now I'm legally
out of the business.
00:27:34.48\00:27:36.82
Well, you know what?
And you know this is true.
00:27:36.85\00:27:40.22
When you and I talked,
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.59
I as a ministry and I
tried to raise funds...
00:27:41.62\00:27:44.26
Oh, yeah. We talked about it.
00:27:44.29\00:27:45.89
To buy that club
'cause I thought,
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.26
"Man, I wanna
turn it into a Church,
00:27:47.30\00:27:49.03
a media center to help people
00:27:49.06\00:27:51.10
and I talked to
everybody I could
00:27:51.13\00:27:53.13
and that was not God's
plan but what happened?
00:27:53.17\00:27:56.44
What was the plan?
00:27:56.47\00:27:57.81
Well, and that was just
it, you know, one of the,
00:27:57.84\00:28:00.34
maybe unique
stories or sub stories
00:28:00.38\00:28:02.74
or whatever to this was
00:28:02.78\00:28:04.15
while I was
still in the business.
00:28:04.18\00:28:06.45
I had a...
00:28:06.48\00:28:07.92
I don't remember her name,
00:28:07.95\00:28:09.28
I don't remember
really what she looks like,
00:28:09.32\00:28:10.82
I remember she had dark
hair and was probably around 20.
00:28:10.85\00:28:13.89
But the way the
club was laid out,
00:28:13.92\00:28:15.26
up in the front was
where there is an office
00:28:15.29\00:28:17.19
and many times when
there is a shift change,
00:28:17.23\00:28:19.33
we would do the
paper work up there
00:28:19.36\00:28:20.70
and often the girls
would come and sit up there
00:28:20.73\00:28:22.60
and wait for the ride
or what have, you know.
00:28:22.63\00:28:24.90
So while I was sitting
up there and she told me.
00:28:24.93\00:28:29.14
She says, "Aaron,
can I ask you something?"
00:28:29.17\00:28:31.57
And it's...
00:28:31.61\00:28:32.94
I felt like this
trick question like,
00:28:32.97\00:28:34.31
"Okay, what do you wanna
ask," you know, and she's like,
00:28:34.34\00:28:35.94
"Well, actually, I just
need to tell you some...
00:28:35.98\00:28:37.31
I promised my
mom and she said me
00:28:37.35\00:28:39.55
and some of the or she said her
00:28:39.58\00:28:42.05
and some of her lady
friends at the Church
00:28:42.08\00:28:44.32
have been praying for you."
00:28:44.35\00:28:46.92
And so I'm
sitting there, "Oh, my.
00:28:46.96\00:28:48.36
Don't ask me to go to Church,
00:28:48.39\00:28:49.72
like where is this headed,
00:28:49.76\00:28:51.09
you know, like
what's going on here,
00:28:51.13\00:28:52.46
you know, and she is like,
00:28:52.49\00:28:53.83
"No, I just promised
her I would tell you that,
00:28:53.86\00:28:55.20
so I told you that."
00:28:55.23\00:28:56.56
And I said, "Tell
your mom thank you."
00:28:56.60\00:28:58.53
I knew it was nice
gesture or whatever
00:28:58.57\00:29:00.07
but at that point
in my life it was like,
00:29:00.10\00:29:02.20
okay, yeah, that's great.
00:29:02.24\00:29:03.57
Will see you tomorrow morning.
00:29:03.61\00:29:04.94
Yeah, didn't
mean anything to you.
00:29:04.97\00:29:06.31
Right, or so I thought.
00:29:06.34\00:29:07.68
You know, and then I
remembered years later
00:29:07.71\00:29:09.34
and 'cause she
mentioned the church by name
00:29:09.38\00:29:12.01
and so after, you and
I have talked about that
00:29:12.05\00:29:15.42
and some of
those different things,
00:29:15.45\00:29:16.99
it's a huge Church in the area
00:29:17.02\00:29:18.79
like a congregation
of like 10,000 or 12,000
00:29:18.82\00:29:22.19
or something, I
mean, it's a big church.
00:29:22.22\00:29:24.36
And so I went
and I thought, Well,
00:29:24.39\00:29:26.70
I'll go talk to that
pastor and let him know,
00:29:26.73\00:29:28.76
you know, hey,
wanna your prayer groups
00:29:28.80\00:29:30.80
or what, you know,
00:29:30.83\00:29:32.17
just I don't know and so yeah,
00:29:32.20\00:29:34.27
one conversation led
to the other or whatever
00:29:34.30\00:29:37.04
and after I
approached him about it,
00:29:37.07\00:29:39.57
we started just kind
of fishing around with it.
00:29:39.61\00:29:42.38
What unbeknownst to
me at that point in time.
00:29:42.41\00:29:46.78
One of, like he's
number two pastor there,
00:29:46.82\00:29:49.22
I'm not sure there's
structure or whatever
00:29:49.25\00:29:50.82
but the lead pastor was
Derin, I talked with him,
00:29:50.85\00:29:55.39
what unbeknownst to me
00:29:55.42\00:29:56.99
Rob and one of the
other pastors, Mark,
00:29:57.03\00:30:00.03
were like this close to
come or approaching us there
00:30:00.06\00:30:03.26
at the club to
see if they could...
00:30:03.30\00:30:05.33
They wouldn't bother business
00:30:05.37\00:30:06.70
but they just wanted to come
and pray in the parking lot.
00:30:06.74\00:30:10.11
And so when I went
there and I talked to him
00:30:10.14\00:30:12.07
and then as things went on
and progressed or whatever,
00:30:12.11\00:30:15.64
one step kind
of led to the other
00:30:15.68\00:30:17.71
and before we knew,
00:30:17.75\00:30:19.48
we were kind of
formulating a plan like
00:30:19.51\00:30:21.52
how could we do this,
00:30:21.55\00:30:22.88
you know, I, of course,
had my grand scheme and idea
00:30:22.92\00:30:25.29
but, you know,
00:30:25.32\00:30:26.65
the long and short
of it was it happened.
00:30:26.69\00:30:29.09
I love the fact 'cause
you brought some pictures
00:30:29.12\00:30:31.26
of the whole
transition from this Church,
00:30:31.29\00:30:34.96
or this club, strip club,
00:30:35.00\00:30:37.07
been in this area
for how many years?
00:30:37.10\00:30:39.73
Since '89.
00:30:39.77\00:30:41.10
Since 1989, is
now transitioning...
00:30:41.14\00:30:45.04
Transitioned.
Into a House of God.
00:30:45.07\00:30:47.11
It's up and running.
00:30:47.14\00:30:49.31
I got to go a few weeks ago
00:30:49.34\00:30:51.31
and just stand in
the lobby and just think,
00:30:51.35\00:30:55.38
"Man, God, how amazing are you."
00:30:55.42\00:30:59.19
So in the very neighborhood
00:30:59.22\00:31:00.56
where people would drive by
00:31:00.59\00:31:02.72
and know that this
was destroying lives.
00:31:02.76\00:31:06.56
Now in that same neighborhood,
it's changing lives.
00:31:06.59\00:31:10.13
For sure. And
that's a lot of it too.
00:31:10.17\00:31:12.33
I mean, Rob's vision of it was,
00:31:12.37\00:31:16.14
he had gone to
a different church
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.57
away from his church
and that was just his...
00:31:17.61\00:31:20.24
He just...
00:31:20.28\00:31:21.61
He wanted to reach the ones
00:31:21.64\00:31:24.91
that nobody else
wanted so to speak.
00:31:24.95\00:31:26.35
He wanted the most
broken, the most...
00:31:26.38\00:31:29.55
That's where he was at,
you know, and if you go there,
00:31:29.58\00:31:32.29
I don't know if you were there
00:31:32.32\00:31:33.66
while there were
having a service,
00:31:33.69\00:31:35.02
I mean, he'll be up
there in a Harley shirt
00:31:35.06\00:31:36.73
or a Bronker shirt
00:31:36.76\00:31:38.09
or I mean, he has the
epidemy of greeting someone
00:31:38.13\00:31:40.76
where they are at.
00:31:40.80\00:31:42.13
Amen. And yeah, and was just...
00:31:42.16\00:31:44.10
I would like to
wait for questions
00:31:44.13\00:31:46.94
because after we
get a few questions,
00:31:46.97\00:31:49.14
I know that
Stacy, your wife is here,
00:31:49.17\00:31:51.21
there is a friend of mine here
00:31:51.24\00:31:52.57
that has struggled
with his own addictions,
00:31:52.61\00:31:55.61
I want to see if they
have any questions for you
00:31:55.64\00:31:57.35
but then I wanna
come back and say,
00:31:57.38\00:32:00.72
'cause now you are an
incredible man of God.
00:32:00.75\00:32:03.99
Raising the family,
you did go to school.
00:32:04.02\00:32:07.82
So I wanna kinda
cap all of that off
00:32:07.86\00:32:09.86
'cause it is an amazing miracle.
00:32:09.89\00:32:12.69
So I wanna open up and
I know that, first of all,
00:32:12.73\00:32:16.13
I'd like to talk with you Donald
00:32:16.16\00:32:18.33
because I know
that your struggle
00:32:18.37\00:32:20.50
has been in the area
that he's talking about,
00:32:20.54\00:32:23.84
so do you have any
comment or question for Aaron.
00:32:23.87\00:32:27.08
Aaron, I just wanna say,
00:32:27.11\00:32:28.44
praise God for
what you came over,
00:32:28.48\00:32:29.84
I used to be one
of those, I mean,
00:32:29.88\00:32:31.21
I would sit in the
seat and watch the dancers
00:32:31.25\00:32:33.68
and I'd actually
participate in those clubs
00:32:33.72\00:32:35.22
and how God brought me almost,
00:32:35.25\00:32:37.09
nearly destroyed me
and my sorrows going
00:32:37.12\00:32:39.32
and God showed me
where I was heading.
00:32:39.35\00:32:40.99
And I thought, if
we kept on that path,
00:32:41.02\00:32:42.36
I would have definitely
ended up some where horrible.
00:32:42.39\00:32:45.09
I knew I would end up in jail.
00:32:45.13\00:32:46.49
I could have been up there
and this is was just bad so,
00:32:46.53\00:32:49.00
I really wanna say,
I'm proud of what you did,
00:32:49.03\00:32:52.33
that takes a huge step to
00:32:52.37\00:32:53.70
and a commitment to
listen to God, trust Him
00:32:53.74\00:32:56.20
and know He's gonna
provide for whatever you need
00:32:56.24\00:32:57.97
and get you out of the
mess so, praise God for that.
00:32:58.01\00:33:00.84
Thank you Donald and Aaron.
00:33:00.88\00:33:02.38
Both Donald and his wife
were really lost in addiction.
00:33:02.41\00:33:06.85
And their whole transition
00:33:06.88\00:33:08.28
coming out of
those sexual addictions
00:33:08.32\00:33:10.29
and all of that stuff.
00:33:10.32\00:33:12.25
To me it was amazing
00:33:12.29\00:33:13.62
when they decided
to burn all their toys,
00:33:13.66\00:33:15.22
burn all the pornography
and let God have control.
00:33:15.26\00:33:18.79
So, you know, what do you...
00:33:18.83\00:33:21.03
Do you have anything to
say to him as some of the...
00:33:21.06\00:33:23.20
As a guy sitting in the seat.
00:33:23.23\00:33:25.70
You know, I do.
00:33:25.73\00:33:27.07
And I appreciate your words
00:33:27.10\00:33:28.44
but I think
00:33:28.47\00:33:31.44
it's easy to focus on
the women in a business
00:33:31.47\00:33:33.98
and justifiably so,
00:33:34.01\00:33:35.48
I certainly don't mean
anything other than that.
00:33:35.51\00:33:37.48
But I think in that gets
lost, the men that are in it
00:33:37.51\00:33:41.78
and to the path
that goes down too,
00:33:41.82\00:33:45.99
it's just as bad,
it's just as awful,
00:33:46.02\00:33:47.89
it's just as degrading...
00:33:47.92\00:33:50.23
The families
that were destroyed.
00:33:50.26\00:33:51.59
Absolutely, you know, pay
rent or for a kids birthday
00:33:51.63\00:33:56.26
or go the club or, you know,
00:33:56.30\00:33:59.03
I could tell you a
story about one man
00:33:59.07\00:34:00.74
in particular that...
00:34:00.77\00:34:02.84
The day I met him was
doing really exceedingly well
00:34:02.87\00:34:07.48
and the last I
heard about him was,
00:34:07.51\00:34:09.94
you know, where you were headed.
00:34:09.98\00:34:11.51
He did go to prison
00:34:11.55\00:34:13.31
and we're talking
about a family man
00:34:13.35\00:34:14.92
that literally blew everything
00:34:14.95\00:34:19.22
he had in and around the clubs
00:34:19.25\00:34:21.72
and stemming from the
clubs or whatever, you know,
00:34:21.76\00:34:24.53
and it doesn't mean
that happens to everybody.
00:34:24.56\00:34:26.23
But it happens. But it happens.
00:34:26.26\00:34:28.26
And it's so...
00:34:28.30\00:34:30.07
I'm happy that a
male would ask a question
00:34:30.10\00:34:33.00
because it's a big
part of it to you for sure.
00:34:33.03\00:34:36.20
I know, there is a part of man.
00:34:36.24\00:34:39.61
I'm sure a part of you,
00:34:39.64\00:34:41.01
there's sometimes
just wants to scream out
00:34:41.04\00:34:43.68
to anybody, I'm so sorry.
00:34:43.71\00:34:45.48
Oh, absolutely.
00:34:45.51\00:34:46.85
And that sense of, I'm so sorry
for the injury that I've caused
00:34:46.88\00:34:51.15
and literally knowing
that you have to surrender
00:34:51.19\00:34:53.36
that to God
00:34:53.39\00:34:54.72
because Jesus is the only
one that can pay that price.
00:34:54.76\00:34:56.86
You can't pay it. All I
can do is change my life.
00:34:56.89\00:34:59.59
Well, even
coming here, you know,
00:34:59.63\00:35:01.10
going back through
the pictures or whatever,
00:35:01.13\00:35:03.63
I'm years removed now
00:35:03.67\00:35:06.03
and it was like
putting on like a coat
00:35:06.07\00:35:10.47
of guilt and shame again.
00:35:10.51\00:35:11.87
Just kind of walking through it,
00:35:11.91\00:35:13.68
I'm okay with it
now in that sense
00:35:13.71\00:35:15.38
where I have a much
better grasp on it now.
00:35:15.41\00:35:18.41
But yeah, you know,
00:35:18.45\00:35:19.78
and then you hear
something like that for sure,
00:35:19.81\00:35:21.55
you know, you just...
00:35:21.58\00:35:22.92
Anyone's life for
you effected poorly,
00:35:22.95\00:35:24.69
yeah, I'm sorry.
00:35:24.72\00:35:26.42
But let's make
steps to make sure
00:35:26.45\00:35:28.86
it doesn't happen again.
00:35:28.89\00:35:30.23
Amen.
00:35:30.26\00:35:31.59
And even for, you know,
00:35:31.63\00:35:33.46
in the Bible when
there is a place where,
00:35:33.50\00:35:36.06
you know, Christ himself says,
00:35:36.10\00:35:37.63
"Can I change out
your filthy garments
00:35:37.67\00:35:39.33
and give you a
robe of righteousness,"
00:35:39.37\00:35:41.20
that we literally
are covered in this
00:35:41.24\00:35:43.41
robe of righteousness
00:35:43.44\00:35:45.21
and this is from all of our past
00:35:45.24\00:35:47.41
from anything
that has followed us
00:35:47.44\00:35:49.74
from generational stuff.
00:35:49.78\00:35:51.48
And so, I'm so proud
that you're here and Donald,
00:35:51.51\00:35:54.15
thank you so
much for that comment.
00:35:54.18\00:35:56.55
And Stacy, you
know, that I love you.
00:35:56.58\00:35:58.85
So Stacy, you're Aaron's
wife, do you have anything
00:35:58.89\00:36:03.49
that you wanna
add to what he said
00:36:03.53\00:36:04.96
or any comments for Aaron?
00:36:04.99\00:36:08.03
Possibly just make a comment
and say couldn't be more proud.
00:36:08.06\00:36:11.87
I was always so very proud but,
00:36:11.90\00:36:13.90
I mean, I...
00:36:13.94\00:36:15.27
Just when I feel like
00:36:15.30\00:36:16.64
I couldn't be more
proud of the husband
00:36:16.67\00:36:18.37
that I have, I am every day.
00:36:18.41\00:36:21.08
So because of who he
is and where he's come.
00:36:21.11\00:36:23.38
Absolutely.
00:36:23.41\00:36:24.75
How he responds to God. Yes.
00:36:24.78\00:36:27.32
How he responds
to you as you're...
00:36:27.35\00:36:30.09
He was always
good to me but, I mean,
00:36:30.12\00:36:32.09
this is just above and beyond.
00:36:32.12\00:36:35.06
You know, when you say that,
Stacy, most people would think,
00:36:35.09\00:36:38.33
"Oh, in that business,
00:36:38.36\00:36:39.69
he probably was
abusive and horrible
00:36:39.73\00:36:42.30
and this life is
probably good but you're saying
00:36:42.33\00:36:44.20
he was always a good guy.
00:36:44.23\00:36:45.57
Always up lifting,
always a good father.
00:36:45.60\00:36:49.60
But I think, you know,
00:36:49.64\00:36:52.77
you can't run a
business like that
00:36:52.81\00:36:55.14
and raise a family.
00:36:55.18\00:36:57.08
The two don't go
together, so, you know,
00:36:57.11\00:37:00.45
getting out of that
00:37:00.48\00:37:03.42
and then doing
something that you can,
00:37:03.45\00:37:05.32
when some may ask you,
"What do you do for a living?"
00:37:05.35\00:37:07.82
Or I was asked that
question all the time.
00:37:07.86\00:37:11.69
That was an uncomfortable spot
to be put in, to have to say,
00:37:11.73\00:37:15.56
"Well, you know," or a
dance around that kind of thing
00:37:15.60\00:37:19.47
and just not
answer it straight forward
00:37:19.50\00:37:22.30
but now I can
answer that question.
00:37:22.34\00:37:25.21
You know. Amen.
00:37:25.24\00:37:26.57
You know, I love you.
I love you too, Cheri.
00:37:26.61\00:37:28.81
You know, I love
you like a sister.
00:37:28.84\00:37:31.38
I feel the same way about you.
00:37:31.41\00:37:33.31
That is cool, so now
you've got people around you
00:37:33.35\00:37:37.59
including your wife.
00:37:37.62\00:37:38.95
This is I'm so
proud of who you are.
00:37:38.99\00:37:41.49
And so, you know, I know
that when you saw that email
00:37:41.52\00:37:44.43
and you're
talking about a, you know,
00:37:44.46\00:37:47.23
this is from a Christian college
00:37:47.26\00:37:50.17
and you were going to take what?
00:37:50.20\00:37:52.50
I got into counseling.
00:37:52.53\00:37:53.97
I got my Masters in counseling
and went through that program
00:37:54.00\00:37:57.34
which was really good too.
00:37:57.37\00:37:58.81
You know, what
that that cracks me up,
00:37:58.84\00:38:00.18
it cracks me up
'cause any club owner
00:38:00.21\00:38:02.54
that I ever worked
for, from 13 years old on,
00:38:02.58\00:38:05.95
they are good counselors.
00:38:05.98\00:38:08.95
'Cause we come in all stoned
and high and full of drama.
00:38:08.98\00:38:12.85
You have to talk astounding
00:38:12.89\00:38:14.22
and get us to work.
00:38:14.26\00:38:15.59
So you've been
counseling your whole life.
00:38:15.62\00:38:16.96
One of the questions on,
when the application was,
00:38:16.99\00:38:20.00
has anybody ever
told you, you should be.
00:38:20.03\00:38:23.23
And it was like,
"Do I have to tell you
00:38:23.26\00:38:25.33
who told me how
it should be be."
00:38:25.37\00:38:27.67
But yeah,
00:38:27.70\00:38:29.17
you deal with a lot
of things, I mean it.
00:38:29.20\00:38:32.24
You see a lot of 'em
00:38:32.27\00:38:34.18
not so good
aspects in life for sure.
00:38:34.21\00:38:37.81
And I love how
God does this with us
00:38:37.85\00:38:41.42
but when you start to
step into the education
00:38:41.45\00:38:45.39
and a different
job and counseling
00:38:45.42\00:38:47.52
and having a different
kind of hope for the future.
00:38:47.56\00:38:51.39
What was that relationship
like with you and God?
00:38:51.43\00:38:53.66
What did that
feel like? It was good.
00:38:53.70\00:38:56.20
It was just really liberating
to finally be doing...
00:38:56.23\00:39:01.04
One of the other
questions on that was, you know,
00:39:01.07\00:39:03.64
why do you wanna do this?
00:39:03.67\00:39:05.31
And for me it
was a simple answer
00:39:05.34\00:39:07.08
because I wanna become
the tool I was supposed to be.
00:39:07.11\00:39:10.55
And I wasn't really
sure what that looked like
00:39:10.58\00:39:12.25
at the time.
00:39:12.28\00:39:13.62
I wasn't sure,
00:39:13.65\00:39:15.35
I can't remember if
it was Jim or Hayor,
00:39:15.38\00:39:18.02
maybe even
Roger, one of 'em like
00:39:18.05\00:39:20.12
have we ever
thought about and like no.
00:39:20.16\00:39:22.69
I am not a pastor
sort of thing, you know.
00:39:22.72\00:39:24.89
And but I thought, yeah,
but I do wanna help people.
00:39:24.93\00:39:29.36
I do wanna... I
wanna make a difference.
00:39:29.40\00:39:31.43
I wanna do
something more, you know,
00:39:31.47\00:39:33.17
Stacy mentioned it
00:39:33.20\00:39:34.54
would being a family man
and I appreciate what she said
00:39:34.57\00:39:36.97
but I did my best
00:39:37.01\00:39:39.24
but at it's best it wasn't good.
00:39:39.27\00:39:42.18
When my daughter had
her career day at school,
00:39:42.21\00:39:46.82
that was pretty telling me.
00:39:46.85\00:39:49.15
And it was one of those
real wake up calls of like,
00:39:49.18\00:39:52.39
wow, if you...
00:39:52.42\00:39:54.02
This is wanting you,
00:39:54.06\00:39:55.39
"Dad, come and tell
'em what you're doing.
00:39:55.42\00:39:56.76
Come and present
that career day."
00:39:56.79\00:39:58.29
Yeah.
00:39:58.33\00:39:59.66
And, you know, as I
sit here and say about it,
00:39:59.69\00:40:01.03
I think about,
yeah, and that's her...
00:40:01.06\00:40:02.70
That awareness was
setting in for her too.
00:40:02.73\00:40:05.20
Just like it did for me
00:40:05.23\00:40:07.10
and now she doesn't
have to grow up with that,
00:40:07.14\00:40:09.34
she doesn't have to...
00:40:09.37\00:40:10.91
She doesn't have
to be part of that,
00:40:10.94\00:40:12.27
you know, for
her just therapist,
00:40:12.31\00:40:15.28
or, you know whatever,
I mean, it can just be...
00:40:15.31\00:40:17.08
Even now it's just
like, man, whatever.
00:40:17.11\00:40:19.65
For me that's huge. That's huge.
00:40:19.68\00:40:22.18
You ended up getting
the degree in counseling,
00:40:22.22\00:40:24.95
became a therapist.
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.32
Yup.
00:40:26.35\00:40:27.96
And so everything
00:40:27.99\00:40:34.90
in your family's changed,
00:40:34.93\00:40:36.26
everything in
your life is changed
00:40:36.30\00:40:38.33
and what's really fun for me
00:40:38.37\00:40:40.67
is your family
has always loved you.
00:40:40.70\00:40:42.77
Yes.
00:40:42.80\00:40:44.14
So they are proud of
you watching you stand up,
00:40:44.17\00:40:47.08
the club is flipped
00:40:47.11\00:40:49.11
and is now a
Church, the community,
00:40:49.14\00:40:52.15
everything is changed
00:40:52.18\00:40:53.68
and so again what
does that look like,
00:40:53.72\00:40:56.85
what does that feel like,
00:40:56.89\00:40:58.59
what kind of things
are you getting at work?
00:40:58.62\00:41:01.62
Do you have anything
that you say, you know,
00:41:01.66\00:41:03.36
what God gave me
this scripture or thus,
00:41:03.39\00:41:05.76
this thing that really
kinda solidified it for me.
00:41:05.79\00:41:09.63
You know, it's good.
00:41:09.66\00:41:11.80
But one of the
things in reading the Bible
00:41:11.83\00:41:14.87
for the first time 3
as a 36 or 37 year old.
00:41:14.90\00:41:18.41
I tried to meet people
00:41:18.44\00:41:20.41
where they're at
to the Nth degree.
00:41:20.44\00:41:23.04
I don't bring it up,
I don't know anything.
00:41:23.08\00:41:24.91
But if they do
00:41:24.95\00:41:26.28
and there is ways
you can bring it up.
00:41:26.31\00:41:27.65
I can't say that I
don't bring it up 'cause I do
00:41:27.68\00:41:30.35
but there is...
00:41:30.39\00:41:33.29
What I learned
from it was just that.
00:41:33.32\00:41:36.29
Especially in this culture,
00:41:36.32\00:41:38.39
you know, when I was growing up,
00:41:38.43\00:41:39.76
being the rebel
didn't mean going to church
00:41:39.79\00:41:43.06
but in this teenage
that's kind of what it is.
00:41:43.10\00:41:45.00
I mean, it's a really
sensitive subject, you know,
00:41:45.03\00:41:47.80
so but it's for
generally speaking,
00:41:47.84\00:41:49.17
yeah, it's been good.
00:41:49.20\00:41:50.54
It's certainly a much more
00:41:50.57\00:41:52.37
positive healing
sort of approach...
00:41:52.41\00:41:55.58
So what I'm hearing you saying
00:41:55.61\00:41:57.25
is that God for you
demystified the Bible
00:41:57.28\00:42:00.38
and made it very real
00:42:00.42\00:42:01.85
and when you actually
share that with someone,
00:42:01.88\00:42:04.49
it's not that
you share a scripture
00:42:04.52\00:42:06.72
but you share principles of God
00:42:06.76\00:42:08.89
that can make it
real not offensive
00:42:08.92\00:42:10.83
and meet some where they're at.
00:42:10.86\00:42:12.19
And so that's part
of your counseling.
00:42:12.23\00:42:13.73
Absolutely. I don't want...
00:42:13.76\00:42:15.10
I feel like people will ask
me, "So, you're a Christian."
00:42:15.13\00:42:17.93
And I have a really hard time
saying, "Yes, I'm a Christian."
00:42:17.97\00:42:21.07
Because I feel
like in our culture
00:42:21.10\00:42:22.44
that's like saying,
00:42:22.47\00:42:23.81
"So you're
favorite color is blue."
00:42:23.84\00:42:25.47
And to me it's
like that's a big deal,
00:42:25.51\00:42:28.64
to just to say it boldly,
00:42:28.68\00:42:30.01
"Yeah, I'm a Christian."
00:42:30.05\00:42:31.38
Well, what I would
say is I aspire to be,
00:42:31.41\00:42:33.48
I'll find out one day if I am.
00:42:33.52\00:42:35.75
Amen.
00:42:35.78\00:42:37.12
And so for me, I guess I take
more of a laid back approach,
00:42:37.15\00:42:40.22
you know, I think it's
been kind of effective though.
00:42:40.26\00:42:43.73
I think there's people
that I'm able to talk to
00:42:43.76\00:42:46.13
because of it,
00:42:46.16\00:42:47.50
that maybe wouldn't
be as open with others
00:42:47.53\00:42:50.37
or maybe not as open with
them right away, you know.
00:42:50.40\00:42:52.63
So then do you have an example?
00:42:52.67\00:42:54.37
Can you think of something,
00:42:54.40\00:42:58.11
so at time when
you saw that play out.
00:42:58.14\00:43:03.18
For sure.
00:43:03.21\00:43:04.55
I think a good
example would be, you know,
00:43:04.58\00:43:07.45
of an indirect
consequence if you will.
00:43:07.48\00:43:11.95
Well, I was going through...
00:43:11.99\00:43:13.32
Michael had,
00:43:13.36\00:43:14.69
Michel was out and
already doing his thing.
00:43:14.72\00:43:16.93
I was in that process
of and while that happened,
00:43:16.96\00:43:22.53
my other middle brother
Paul started having like...
00:43:22.56\00:43:27.17
He didn't know how to explain it
00:43:27.20\00:43:28.54
but he would go telling
to one of the other clubs
00:43:28.57\00:43:31.27
and he's like,
"Aaron, I can't do it anymore.
00:43:31.31\00:43:34.54
I get there and it's
all but a panic attack.
00:43:34.58\00:43:36.48
It's like, the best I can do
is go and sit in the office...
00:43:36.51\00:43:38.28
He can't even hardly
breathe. He couldn't do it.
00:43:39.35\00:43:40.95
He could not do it anymore.
00:43:40.98\00:43:43.15
He and his wife went
out to visit her family,
00:43:43.18\00:43:46.92
pretty sure they already
lived in Nevada at that point
00:43:46.96\00:43:49.79
and this is a
really short summary
00:43:49.82\00:43:53.23
and you have to understand
00:43:53.26\00:43:54.60
we're talking about a man
who'd been in the business
00:43:54.63\00:43:56.16
for the better part of 30 years.
00:43:56.20\00:43:58.20
And a very handy
guy, I mean, I...
00:43:58.23\00:44:00.74
Never did I worry about him
after he got out of the club
00:44:00.77\00:44:03.74
but that's a really
challenging thing to do
00:44:03.77\00:44:06.71
something like that
for that long, I mean,
00:44:06.74\00:44:08.54
for me I was getting a degree
and I was hopefully get a job,
00:44:08.58\00:44:10.88
you know, for him
here's where I want to back.
00:44:10.91\00:44:14.12
Well, he went out to Nevada
00:44:14.15\00:44:16.45
and put an offer in on a
house while he was out there.
00:44:16.48\00:44:19.39
And I don't
remember if it was like
00:44:19.42\00:44:20.76
right before he left or
when he got back or whatever
00:44:20.79\00:44:23.06
but he found
that it was accepted.
00:44:23.09\00:44:25.26
So now in about a 10
day period for him too,
00:44:25.29\00:44:28.06
he went from
helping run a club to
00:44:28.10\00:44:31.23
I'm not only quitting my
job, I'm leaving the State.
00:44:31.27\00:44:35.67
And so at the time
when that was happening,
00:44:35.70\00:44:39.11
him and I were in
communication and of course,
00:44:39.14\00:44:41.21
I just encouraged him
00:44:41.24\00:44:42.58
and he said
something to me that,
00:44:42.61\00:44:44.35
it even kinda chokes me upright,
00:44:44.38\00:44:45.71
earlier when I thought about it.
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.22
He says, "You know what, Aaron.
00:44:47.25\00:44:48.58
He looked up the town
that he was moving to.
00:44:48.62\00:44:51.02
He said I looked online,
00:44:51.05\00:44:52.39
there is 27 jobs there
and I need one of 'em."
00:44:52.42\00:44:54.82
Well.
00:44:54.86\00:44:56.19
And I was just
like, oh, my, you know,
00:44:56.22\00:44:57.56
'cause he has a little boy
00:44:57.59\00:44:58.93
and he wanted to
make sure that he...
00:44:58.96\00:45:00.30
You were like, "Friend, go."
00:45:00.33\00:45:01.66
Yeah, but, I
mean, just for him to...
00:45:01.70\00:45:03.03
I was like, "Oh,
that's so awesome."
00:45:03.06\00:45:04.40
So that left my one
brother Rob left in the business
00:45:04.43\00:45:07.17
and so I think the ripple effect
00:45:07.20\00:45:10.81
if you will or
if there is, I mean,
00:45:10.84\00:45:13.64
I was only the tool
that I wanted to be in it.
00:45:13.68\00:45:16.31
But I felt like God was able
to shine through with all that
00:45:16.34\00:45:19.15
and now today my other brother
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.55
through the midst of all of it
00:45:21.58\00:45:23.28
and it's kind of
an interesting part
00:45:23.32\00:45:24.92
why I still had
part of the building.
00:45:24.95\00:45:27.39
And that's how I was
able to go to that church
00:45:27.42\00:45:29.86
and talk with Derry
00:45:29.89\00:45:31.23
and everything
started going, you know,
00:45:31.26\00:45:32.59
because had I
just got off a bit,
00:45:32.63\00:45:33.96
that would have
never happened either.
00:45:34.00\00:45:35.33
Exactly.
00:45:35.36\00:45:36.70
And so when in the
midst of all of that,
00:45:36.73\00:45:39.27
my other brother finds
out he has throat cancer.
00:45:39.30\00:45:42.17
And is starting to have
some of these thoughts about
00:45:42.20\00:45:44.44
what do I...
00:45:44.47\00:45:45.81
And I said, "Roby,"
'cause he's like, "What I do,
00:45:45.84\00:45:48.08
if I get out of the
business, what am I gonna do."
00:45:48.11\00:45:49.54
This is all I know. Right.
00:45:49.58\00:45:50.95
And I looked at him and I said,
"Roby, what do you wanna do?"
00:45:50.98\00:45:55.65
For the first time, you
know, what do you wanna do?
00:45:55.68\00:45:58.39
Now what does dad want
us... What do you wanna do?
00:45:58.42\00:46:01.32
You know. And he was like, "Why?
00:46:01.36\00:46:03.06
Would like to
get out," you know,
00:46:03.09\00:46:04.53
and so that's one is like...
00:46:04.56\00:46:06.09
So what do you
think if, you know,
00:46:06.13\00:46:07.86
and then it kinda
started going in the direction
00:46:07.90\00:46:10.27
it ultimately
ended up in but so, yeah.
00:46:10.30\00:46:12.83
Right now, today none of us
are in the business anymore.
00:46:12.87\00:46:15.44
You know, when...
00:46:15.47\00:46:16.81
And I think that,
00:46:16.84\00:46:18.17
we really don't think that
when God steps into a family
00:46:18.21\00:46:22.34
or when God steps into our life
00:46:22.38\00:46:23.78
and somebody decide to
fight for the survival,
00:46:23.81\00:46:27.65
for the recovery,
00:46:27.68\00:46:29.02
we don't think
what's gonna happen
00:46:29.05\00:46:30.69
to everybody around us.
00:46:30.72\00:46:32.42
And it's not ours to think,
00:46:32.45\00:46:33.82
I think it would be overwhelming
00:46:33.86\00:46:35.69
but God does
says, "I promise you.
00:46:35.72\00:46:37.63
You start this battle
and everything will change."
00:46:37.66\00:46:42.56
And your family, I love...
00:46:42.60\00:46:44.90
Even hearing it 'cause I know
that everybody really change
00:46:44.93\00:46:48.44
or some in your family
that are still in the business?
00:46:48.47\00:46:52.14
No. No.
00:46:52.17\00:46:53.88
Nieces, nephews...
00:46:53.91\00:46:55.24
Nobody is in the
business anymore.
00:46:55.28\00:46:56.61
How crazy...
00:46:56.64\00:46:57.98
That doesn't mean that it
can't happen in this culture
00:46:58.01\00:46:59.61
or whatever, I mean,
00:46:59.65\00:47:00.98
you're saying
nieces and stuff like that,
00:47:01.02\00:47:02.52
I mean, it's...
00:47:02.55\00:47:04.75
They're...
00:47:04.79\00:47:06.12
At least they have
an example other wise.
00:47:06.15\00:47:09.22
Absolutely, we're
gonna take a break
00:47:09.26\00:47:11.43
but I want you to come back
00:47:11.46\00:47:12.79
because I wanted you
to talk about kind of
00:47:12.83\00:47:15.16
that's everybody wants to
have somebody they can blame
00:47:15.20\00:47:18.33
and somebody
that's in the sentence,
00:47:18.37\00:47:19.70
somebody that's making
in and somebody that's not.
00:47:19.73\00:47:22.47
God doesn't even
look at it that way.
00:47:22.50\00:47:24.37
Never has, never will.
00:47:24.41\00:47:25.84
So we're gonna be right back.
00:47:25.87\00:47:27.21
Stay with us,
Celebrating Life in Recovery.
00:47:27.24\00:47:29.34