Welcome Back! 00:00:14.71\00:00:15.68 I'm going to start out with 00:00:15.69\00:00:16.66 one of my favorite texts 00:00:16.67\00:00:17.64 I say this all the time 00:00:17.65\00:00:18.62 because I think they really are 00:00:18.63\00:00:19.60 all my favorite texts. 00:00:19.61\00:00:20.58 I want to start out with Proverbs 3:5 and for anybody 00:00:20.59\00:00:24.70 that is recovering from anything. 00:00:24.74\00:00:26.88 If you have any hang-ups, any junk that is just causing you 00:00:26.92\00:00:30.45 pain, any habit that you have, this is a good text for you. 00:00:30.49\00:00:34.06 It says in Proverbs 3:5, "trust in the Lord with all your 00:00:34.10\00:00:37.64 heart," well that makes sense. 00:00:37.68\00:00:39.10 Trust God, turned it over to Him. 00:00:39.14\00:00:40.53 Let Him do it. 00:00:40.56\00:00:41.53 "Lean not unto your own understanding," because your own 00:00:41.54\00:00:44.52 understanding got you exactly where you are at. 00:00:44.56\00:00:46.86 I could go visit people in jail and they will be all strung 00:00:46.89\00:00:50.70 out in jail facing whatever there is their prison term is. 00:00:50.73\00:00:54.46 They'll say you know what Cheri I am fine, and I look around 00:00:54.49\00:00:58.18 and thinking find does not look like that. 00:00:58.22\00:01:00.68 I even work with people that have their liver shutting down 00:01:00.72\00:01:03.08 and all that stuff, and they say you know what I have no 00:01:03.11\00:01:05.44 problems, I'm doing okay. 00:01:05.48\00:01:06.65 I'm thinking okay doesn't look like that. 00:01:06.69\00:01:09.58 So this one says, "lean not on your own understanding and 00:01:09.61\00:01:12.67 in all your ways acknowledge him," which is God, 00:01:12.71\00:01:14.92 "and he will direct your paths. " 00:01:14.95\00:01:16.51 He will take your foot and put your foot one 00:01:16.54\00:01:18.84 in front of the other. 00:01:18.88\00:01:20.19 For addicts we're in rebellion and think do 00:01:20.23\00:01:24.76 I want someone to do that? 00:01:24.80\00:01:26.08 Do I want someone to put one foot in front of the other? 00:01:26.12\00:01:27.91 Do I want someone to say when to stand up 00:01:27.94\00:01:30.64 and went to sit down? 00:01:30.67\00:01:31.65 Yes, absolutely, and I am not even saying that, 00:01:31.68\00:01:36.31 if it was for somebody that didn't taking care about you, 00:01:36.35\00:01:40.12 if it was someone that didn't delight in your recovery, 00:01:40.15\00:01:43.89 if it was somebody that didn't, 00:01:43.93\00:01:45.23 every single thing about God is for us. 00:01:45.27\00:01:48.57 Every single thing about His love is for us. 00:01:48.60\00:01:52.03 He wants us to laugh out loud and understand who we are. 00:01:52.06\00:01:55.14 Every single gift and talent we have, 00:01:55.17\00:01:57.02 He says let Me unfold that for you. 00:01:57.06\00:01:58.84 I was a heroine addict, strung out and illiterate and now I 00:01:58.87\00:02:01.82 travel the world, and I love life, and I have a family that 00:02:01.86\00:02:04.78 is amazing and it is all because God was so for me. 00:02:04.81\00:02:07.55 He said let me direct your path, don't be afraid of that. 00:02:07.59\00:02:12.46 7 says, Proverbs 3:7 says, "do not be wise in your own eyes," 00:02:12.49\00:02:17.33 and I am talking to you! 00:02:17.37\00:02:19.04 Somebody out there, you know who I'm talking to. 00:02:19.08\00:02:21.93 Do not think that you can figure it out. 00:02:21.97\00:02:24.24 I got every book on the planet. 00:02:24.28\00:02:25.73 I got all that kind of stuff and I could not get it. 00:02:25.77\00:02:28.07 "Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord 00:02:28.10\00:02:30.21 and depart from evil". 00:02:30.24\00:02:31.78 If you question what is evil, What do you mean by that, 00:02:31.82\00:02:36.24 ask God and then shut up and let Him tell you. 00:02:36.27\00:02:39.31 I used to think evil was somebody doing a Ouija board, 00:02:41.95\00:02:45.81 or terra cards, and God said no Cheri it's your lying. 00:02:45.84\00:02:49.67 I'm like, what! 00:02:49.71\00:02:52.04 So ask Him in your own life what does evil look like. 00:02:52.99\00:02:56.23 It may be a few have a religious addiction, or your 00:02:56.26\00:02:59.49 perfectionism, or your critical spirit, your evil may 00:02:59.52\00:03:02.72 look different than a heroine addict's evil. 00:03:02.75\00:03:04.96 A heroine addict's evil may be a needle, a syringe, 00:03:04.99\00:03:07.37 maybe the fact that he steals and plays people, 00:03:07.41\00:03:09.59 but everybody looks different. 00:03:09.62\00:03:11.08 So go and ask God, what does it mean to depart from evil? 00:03:11.11\00:03:14.25 Don't be wise in your own eyes and stay way from evil. 00:03:14.29\00:03:18.28 8 says, and this is cool, "it will be health to your 00:03:18.31\00:03:22.27 flesh and strength to your bones. " 00:03:22.30\00:03:24.36 If you get this it I literally will build you up. 00:03:24.40\00:03:27.61 There is another place and Isaiah 58 which is probably 00:03:27.65\00:03:31.58 my favorite text, I know I always say that but Isaiah 58 00:03:31.61\00:03:35.51 says you will be like a watered garden. 00:03:35.55\00:03:37.52 Everything about you will bring health to people, 00:03:37.56\00:03:40.53 Heath to your own bones but when somebody sits next to you 00:03:40.56\00:03:43.76 it will be like sitting next to someone in a watered garden, 00:03:43.79\00:03:46.96 with flowers blooming, air fresh and all that stuff 00:03:46.99\00:03:50.06 and I so want that. 00:03:50.09\00:03:51.46 God is saying, give it to Me, turn it over to Me and 00:03:51.50\00:03:57.39 I will change everything. 00:03:57.42\00:03:58.67 He will change everything in a way you just say 00:03:58.71\00:04:01.12 how cool are you! 00:04:01.15\00:04:02.70 How cool are you? 00:04:02.74\00:04:04.22 I want to introduce you to some friends of mine Dwight 00:04:04.25\00:04:06.48 and Deb, I want to say thank you for being on our program. 00:04:06.51\00:04:09.47 But before you say a word I want to say to the audience 00:04:09.51\00:04:13.12 some people have seen you before on 3ABN in a different 00:04:13.16\00:04:16.84 capacity with your Ministry a few times, a billion times 00:04:16.87\00:04:20.52 and I was a little bit afraid of having you on the 00:04:20.55\00:04:23.50 program for that very reason. 00:04:23.53\00:04:24.98 If people know you I want them to let that go, 00:04:27.15\00:04:30.37 I want you to just come out in your testimony. 00:04:30.41\00:04:33.59 How did you find God? 00:04:33.63\00:04:34.79 What was your walk like initially? 00:04:34.83\00:04:37.40 When did you decide to turn it over and let 00:04:37.43\00:04:39.80 Him actually direct your steps? 00:04:39.83\00:04:41.39 When did you fall in love with Him? 00:04:41.43\00:04:43.16 We are going to talk about that stuff. 00:04:43.19\00:04:44.85 That's great a lot of people that have seen me, 00:04:44.89\00:04:47.45 they just think when they 00:04:47.49\00:04:49.09 see somebody that has already 00:04:49.12\00:04:50.65 been converted and that is all they see, 00:04:50.69\00:04:53.71 they can't see anything else, but for me 00:04:53.75\00:04:56.71 it is very real and I have never forgotten that. 00:04:56.74\00:04:59.21 For me a started when I was just a child because 00:04:59.25\00:05:01.69 I wanted to do what was right. 00:05:01.72\00:05:03.12 I grew up in a nice Christian home, a good Christian home. 00:05:03.15\00:05:05.74 Your parents loved you through all that stuff? 00:05:05.77\00:05:08.42 Yeah they loved me, it was a very loving family and 00:05:08.45\00:05:11.66 my dad was very strict. 00:05:11.69\00:05:13.07 When he said jump I asked how high and I'm serious, 00:05:13.11\00:05:15.96 I'm not kidding. 00:05:16.00\00:05:16.97 As I went to church I learned the neat stories of 00:05:16.99\00:05:19.32 baby Moses, Daniel in the lion's den, David and Goliath, 00:05:19.36\00:05:23.63 and I loved that. 00:05:23.67\00:05:24.75 What cracks me up when you say that, the first thing I 00:05:24.78\00:05:28.15 remember learning how the first song, it was a song about 00:05:28.19\00:05:31.53 a guy looking for a cigarette butt, 00:05:31.56\00:05:33.76 because my dad was a bartender. 00:05:33.80\00:05:35.32 So not all kids get that, but you are saying you got that. 00:05:35.35\00:05:38.51 I got that and I think a lot of people of think when you 00:05:38.55\00:05:41.58 do get that is like an automatic shoo into Christianity. 00:05:41.62\00:05:44.61 It is not, because a lot of hurting people out there that 00:05:44.64\00:05:47.60 should know God and grew up going into churches but 00:05:47.63\00:05:52.69 they're hurting big-time. 00:05:52.72\00:05:54.60 They are hurting as much as the drug addicts are hurting 00:05:54.64\00:05:56.97 out there, because they don't have God either. 00:05:57.00\00:05:58.87 To me I don't care what you're doing, if you don't have God, 00:05:58.91\00:06:01.70 you don't have God. 00:06:01.73\00:06:02.88 You are saying that you saw some of that? 00:06:02.91\00:06:05.03 I saw some of that and the sad part about it is they 00:06:05.07\00:06:08.20 didn't mean it they thought they were safe, perceptions reality 00:06:08.24\00:06:12.27 I could see they weren't. 00:06:12.31\00:06:14.21 I decided at a young age that I did want to play church. 00:06:14.25\00:06:17.67 I figured that if I was going to do something it was going 00:06:17.70\00:06:21.09 to be real and God already knew about it so 00:06:21.12\00:06:23.71 I was very honest and I left the church. 00:06:23.74\00:06:26.29 I left the church as I got older. 00:06:26.32\00:06:27.95 Your parents were sending you to church school and 00:06:27.99\00:06:30.82 all that kind of stuff? 00:06:30.85\00:06:31.89 They did all that stuff, in fact Cheri the first Academy 00:06:31.93\00:06:35.99 I went to was called a church academy and I went there. 00:06:36.02\00:06:40.01 I did not want to go there, I went to public school 00:06:40.04\00:06:43.84 all my life and it was the first time, I was a Seventh-day 00:06:43.87\00:06:47.63 Adventist and we couldn't play the games on Saturday. 00:06:47.67\00:06:49.97 We couldn't go to birthday parties and so I grew up 00:06:50.00\00:06:52.27 thinking what's wrong with all this? 00:06:52.31\00:06:53.79 Why you can't do this you have to do that to be a Christian. 00:06:53.82\00:06:57.56 So when I went to Academy, they made me go and my mother 00:06:57.59\00:07:01.29 said Dwight, give it three months and 00:07:01.33\00:07:04.48 if you don't like it you can come back home. 00:07:04.51\00:07:06.15 I thought for sure I was coming home because I 00:07:06.19\00:07:07.76 want to play football and I can play on Thursday nights 00:07:07.80\00:07:09.95 for the first time in my life, I love sports. 00:07:09.99\00:07:11.89 I was in the dorm and I got to be friends with the kids 00:07:11.93\00:07:15.68 there, but my junior year, after going for three years, 00:07:15.72\00:07:19.44 I ended up getting kicked out of Academy. 00:07:19.47\00:07:21.70 If you can imagine. 00:07:21.73\00:07:22.70 How did you did get kicked out of Academy? 00:07:22.74\00:07:23.86 Well people can get kicked out doing different things, 00:07:23.89\00:07:26.51 but for me it was smoking pot, I learned to smoke pot, 00:07:26.54\00:07:29.44 I learned to drink, and I learned to swear at Academy. 00:07:29.48\00:07:31.74 What is really interesting is that a lot of times when 00:07:31.77\00:07:33.96 we think that somebody is going to church, going to Academy, 00:07:34.00\00:07:36.81 going to Christian school, that none of that is there. 00:07:36.85\00:07:39.09 That's right! 00:07:39.13\00:07:40.10 That's not, it may be a safer environment, but unless people 00:07:40.11\00:07:43.92 are real enough to look at the issues it's all there. 00:07:43.95\00:07:47.18 You know I think to be honest, people might disagree, 00:07:47.21\00:07:50.25 I think it is an unsafe environment many times because 00:07:50.29\00:07:53.30 we are supposed to be better. 00:07:53.33\00:07:54.53 So we are playing this churchy game that we are Christians 00:07:54.57\00:07:57.84 and we are going to a church academy and 00:07:57.87\00:07:59.34 my kids are going to grow up. 00:07:59.38\00:08:00.79 Many young people that have gone to Academy, 00:08:00.83\00:08:04.24 church academy's, are no longer in the church. Period! 00:08:04.27\00:08:07.60 So it wasn't safe for me I will tell you. 00:08:07.63\00:08:09.67 Let me tell you how I start out a presentation 00:08:09.71\00:08:11.67 at a church school. 00:08:11.71\00:08:12.68 And people hate this, I'm surprised that 00:08:12.69\00:08:15.97 I don't get fired sometimes. 00:08:16.00\00:08:17.26 I'll go in, my name is Cheri from 3ABN and pretty soon 00:08:17.29\00:08:20.56 you hear groans from the kids come because they think 00:08:20.59\00:08:23.83 that is too conservative, too churchy. 00:08:23.86\00:08:26.45 I say raise your hand if you're smoking weed yet, 00:08:26.48\00:08:28.71 or having sex with each other, or if you doing any of that 00:08:28.74\00:08:31.56 kind of stuff because I just need to know 00:08:31.60\00:08:33.04 who I am talking to. 00:08:33.08\00:08:34.21 They are like, I am so not raising my hand and pretty soon 00:08:34.24\00:08:38.51 they are giggling and I said okay so 00:08:38.54\00:08:40.04 we know who each other is. 00:08:40.08\00:08:41.64 We are going to be talking about all that stuff. 00:08:41.67\00:08:44.32 Raise your hand if you are cutting. 00:08:44.35\00:08:46.00 Raise your hand if you are suicidal. 00:08:46.04\00:08:47.62 Raise your hand if you are dealing with rage issues. 00:08:47.65\00:08:50.13 Raise your hand if your parents are divorced. 00:08:50.16\00:08:52.83 I mean all that stuff that people pretends does not happen. 00:08:52.87\00:08:55.46 Let's talk about that because I know there are kids like 00:08:55.50\00:08:59.00 you that are hurting and are hurting in the building. 00:08:59.04\00:09:03.20 I think a lot of times kids, like your going in which 00:09:03.24\00:09:07.39 really to me is great and honorable because they want 00:09:07.42\00:09:11.54 to relate themselves, something isn't working. 00:09:11.57\00:09:14.19 So here I am running around with all these kids and is not 00:09:14.23\00:09:16.64 working for them, most of them, and it is not working for me. 00:09:16.68\00:09:19.05 You're smoking weed your drinking? 00:09:19.09\00:09:20.48 I'm drinking, smoking weed and get kicked out. 00:09:20.51\00:09:23.41 I had gone back to public school, but some my friends 00:09:23.45\00:09:26.40 got kicked out with me, they went to another academy. 00:09:26.43\00:09:29.49 So I begged my mother and father, please just let me go. 00:09:29.52\00:09:32.32 I will be good this time and so they finally let me go at 00:09:32.36\00:09:34.83 the beginning of the semester and it wasn't but 9 weeks 00:09:34.87\00:09:37.31 and I was kicked out that academy also. 00:09:37.34\00:09:39.15 Same reasons? 00:09:39.19\00:09:40.19 Taking drugs that time, I wasn't smoking pot I was taking 00:09:40.23\00:09:42.81 drugs and at that point in time, I will never forget this 00:09:42.84\00:09:45.38 and I thank God for mothers that care for you 00:09:45.42\00:09:48.16 because I ran away. 00:09:48.19\00:09:49.94 I packed some stuff in my suit case. 00:09:49.97\00:09:53.19 There was this town student, that means he was from town, 00:09:53.23\00:09:56.03 that he went to school in the dorm and I opened the window 00:09:56.06\00:09:58.82 up because they were going to take me to the hospital 00:09:58.86\00:10:00.88 just take a urine sample from me. 00:10:00.91\00:10:02.31 I didn't want to do that. 00:10:02.35\00:10:03.64 So I said listen can you get me out of this place? 00:10:03.67\00:10:06.58 He said yeah man come on down, so I ran out the 00:10:06.62\00:10:09.50 fire escape and I took off. 00:10:09.53\00:10:11.05 I thought I better let my mom know. 00:10:11.08\00:10:12.34 Back then they had to pay phones, it was a little town, 00:10:12.38\00:10:14.95 I got on the pay phone and said mom, I'm not coming home. 00:10:14.99\00:10:17.80 She was just crying and she would not let me off that phone, 00:10:17.83\00:10:20.61 she said Dwight I love you, we all make mistakes. 00:10:20.65\00:10:22.49 I said that I had made too many, I have already gotten 00:10:22.53\00:10:24.63 kicked out twice, I have failed you, 00:10:24.66\00:10:25.96 and I am never coming home again. 00:10:25.99\00:10:27.22 But she would not let me of that phone and I went home, 00:10:27.25\00:10:29.54 but I did make one promise, I am not playing church anymore. 00:10:29.57\00:10:32.66 That is about the time I start going away from church and 00:10:32.69\00:10:35.34 getting out and started drinking, ended up going into 00:10:35.38\00:10:37.96 the service because again I think we all want to be special. 00:10:38.00\00:10:41.67 I believe that is true to any young person, or even as we 00:10:41.70\00:10:45.34 get older we want to be somebody. 00:10:45.38\00:10:46.94 I still wanted to be somebody. 00:10:46.97\00:10:48.46 So we're talking about you right now, 00:10:48.50\00:10:49.47 you wanted to be somebody? I wanted to be somebody. 00:10:49.48\00:10:51.40 You wanted to be special? 00:10:51.44\00:10:52.50 I didn't want to be a failure, I wanted to be somebody and 00:10:52.53\00:10:55.66 so I thought I was working for my dad in construction and 00:10:55.69\00:10:58.73 one-day about noon it was raining and I went into town and 00:10:58.76\00:11:01.77 went by this army recruit office sitting inside. 00:11:01.80\00:11:05.08 So I went in there and I wasn't about to join the service, 00:11:05.11\00:11:07.88 that was stupid, but I went in there. 00:11:07.91\00:11:09.86 He said what would you like to do in your life? 00:11:09.90\00:11:11.49 Well I'm thinking I don't want to go to school but if he 00:11:11.52\00:11:15.33 could get me a job over in Hawaii... 00:11:15.36\00:11:18.45 That would be so good! Wouldn't it? 00:11:18.49\00:11:21.51 I'm 17 years old, if I go to Hawaii I can learn to surf, 00:11:21.54\00:11:26.95 I can be on those nice beautiful beaches, 00:11:26.98\00:11:28.97 with all these nice young women, 00:11:29.00\00:11:30.14 get weed, get pot, and be a truck driver. 00:11:30.18\00:11:32.81 He said if I can get you to be a truck driver in Hawaii, 00:11:32.85\00:11:36.20 would you join? 00:11:36.24\00:11:37.21 I said absolutely, and you know what he did. 00:11:37.22\00:11:40.05 He said all you have to do now is take a physical, 00:11:40.09\00:11:42.96 and I went to Detroit, being in Michigan. 00:11:43.00\00:11:45.11 I took a physical exam and a written test and when I got 00:11:45.15\00:11:48.96 done there was this mean looking guy that came out in this 00:11:49.00\00:11:52.78 uniform and he had a beret on. 00:11:52.82\00:11:55.56 He came out and said, Hall, come in here. 00:11:55.59\00:11:58.95 So I walked in the office and thought I obviously was getting 00:11:58.98\00:12:03.77 in trouble and wondered what I did wrong now? 00:12:03.80\00:12:05.22 He said you know what, you passed not only your physical, 00:12:05.25\00:12:07.85 but you passed your written test with flying colors. 00:12:07.89\00:12:09.81 Of course that made me happy because 00:12:09.85\00:12:11.43 I hardly graduated from school. 00:12:11.47\00:12:12.96 He says we have a few jobs for some special people, 00:12:12.99\00:12:16.48 would you like to join? 00:12:16.52\00:12:17.70 He said I will tell you it is going to be tough, 00:12:17.74\00:12:19.09 but when we get done with you you'll no longer be skinny, 00:12:19.12\00:12:22.11 you will be lean and mean. 00:12:22.15\00:12:23.17 Of course there was that special thing, and I wanted to 00:12:23.21\00:12:25.43 be special so I joined the Airborne Rangers. 00:12:25.46\00:12:27.98 No kidding! 00:12:28.01\00:12:29.53 I lost my truck driving job in Hawaii, no surfboards, 00:12:29.57\00:12:32.05 the training was tough, but again it was because 00:12:32.09\00:12:34.85 I wanted to be somebody. 00:12:34.88\00:12:36.13 Exactly, and that is an elite group where you are built up. 00:12:36.16\00:12:42.22 Yeah but training is tough they teach you how to kill, 00:12:42.25\00:12:44.80 I mean you are the first to battle. 00:12:44.83\00:12:46.42 In fact when I got back from the physical in Detroit, 00:12:46.46\00:12:50.40 I went into the Army recruiting station office, 00:12:50.44\00:12:52.87 I don't remember the guys name, he said did you pass? 00:12:52.91\00:12:55.05 I said yeah I passed, everything turned out great, 00:12:55.08\00:12:57.19 but one problem. 00:12:57.22\00:12:58.35 He said what he is that? 00:12:58.38\00:12:59.74 I'm not going to go to Hawaii, 00:12:59.78\00:13:01.46 I am not going to be a truck driver. 00:13:01.50\00:13:02.61 He said what do you mean, what did you do? 00:13:02.65\00:13:04.57 I said I changed where I'm going. 00:13:04.60\00:13:06.78 He said, like what? 00:13:06.81\00:13:08.09 I said I'm going to be an Airborne Ranger, 00:13:08.12\00:13:10.01 I'm going to live the life of danger, I was so excited. 00:13:10.05\00:13:12.85 He said you've got to be kidding me? 00:13:12.89\00:13:15.08 I said why? He said let me show you a film! 00:13:15.12\00:13:17.57 I said fine and he punched in the film. 00:13:17.60\00:13:19.98 I was watching it, and it mentioned in battle the 00:13:20.01\00:13:24.20 Rangers had about an 11 minute life span on the average, 00:13:24.23\00:13:26.04 and I thought I'm not going to die, this is neat. 00:13:26.07\00:13:29.07 So when he got all done, we had jumped out of airplanes, 00:13:29.11\00:13:30.93 and he showed all the stuff and when he got then 00:13:30.97\00:13:33.08 he said what do you think about that? 00:13:33.11\00:13:34.31 I said man I can't wait. 00:13:34.34\00:13:35.61 I was excited because... 00:13:35.65\00:13:36.84 you were on the edge anyway and you wanted to be special 00:13:36.88\00:13:39.80 and all that stuff. 00:13:39.83\00:13:40.99 That's right, I wanted to be special. 00:13:41.02\00:13:42.21 I wasn't thinking about anything to do with God, 00:13:42.25\00:13:45.40 I just wanted to be special, I didn't want to be a 00:13:45.44\00:13:48.55 failure the rest of my life. 00:13:48.59\00:13:50.01 So I got into the service and really started drinking. 00:13:50.05\00:13:53.24 Isn't that interesting, with the religion, 00:13:53.28\00:13:55.77 that when you looked around and it looked like everybody was 00:13:55.81\00:13:58.72 failures, you are not happy in your life, 00:13:58.76\00:14:00.41 you believe this 100% but it hasn't reflected on anything. 00:14:00.44\00:14:03.97 So that wasn't a draw to you, but this was? 00:14:04.00\00:14:06.17 This was because it seemed real, I mean 00:14:06.20\00:14:08.04 I am going to do something that's real. 00:14:08.08\00:14:09.85 I'm going to do something that is truly successful. 00:14:09.88\00:14:12.05 I do not care how hard it is. 00:14:12.09\00:14:13.72 You know to be successful Cheri, especially young people, 00:14:13.76\00:14:16.82 it doesn't matter how hard it is. 00:14:16.85\00:14:18.57 It has to be real! It has to be real. 00:14:18.61\00:14:20.26 That was the thing with me is that it had to be real and 00:14:20.30\00:14:22.99 I didn't care what kind of training it was, I didn't care 00:14:23.03\00:14:26.33 what I had to do, all I wanted to do was be successful. 00:14:26.36\00:14:29.63 I did not want to play and be superficial for 00:14:29.67\00:14:32.89 the rest of my life. 00:14:32.92\00:14:33.89 So this was right on the edge, you were training hard, 00:14:33.90\00:14:36.99 you were drinking hard, hanging out with people that were 00:14:37.02\00:14:40.10 doing the same thing you are doing? 00:14:40.13\00:14:41.39 Exact same thing, but even then I knew I needed a Savior. 00:14:41.42\00:14:45.63 I did not know it in those words but I knew I wasn't happy, 00:14:45.67\00:14:49.28 I knew things were so missing in my life, and I remember one 00:14:49.32\00:14:52.89 night from the service I came home dead drunk. 00:14:52.93\00:14:55.53 I remember because you always bunk with somebody and that 00:14:55.56\00:14:59.52 person wasn't there, I went in my room, I got on my knees and 00:14:59.55\00:15:03.67 I remember folding my hands on the bunk bed there and just 00:15:03.71\00:15:07.79 said Lord I am a mess. 00:15:07.83\00:15:09.72 I know that there is a God out there, 00:15:09.75\00:15:11.37 but I don't know what to do. 00:15:11.40\00:15:13.66 I mean I might be lean and mean, but successful, everything 00:15:13.70\00:15:17.50 that I thought was successful it wasn't working so that night 00:15:17.53\00:15:21.30 when I was down on my knees I was just saying Lord, 00:15:21.34\00:15:23.98 I need your help. 00:15:24.02\00:15:25.94 You know we start bargaining with God, isn't that amazing? 00:15:25.98\00:15:28.81 Here I am bargaining with the Lord if you will do three things 00:15:28.84\00:15:31.64 for me, I'll change my life around. 00:15:31.67\00:15:33.61 So my first,- three things - three things. 00:15:33.65\00:15:36.88 It wasn't 10 or 15 just 3. 00:15:36.91\00:15:38.31 The first one was I said I want to a nice young woman, 00:15:38.34\00:15:41.56 somebody that would be a Christian that would help me out 00:15:41.59\00:15:44.77 Of course I have to say. 00:15:44.81\00:15:46.22 Let's think of God first, first of all I want to woman, 00:15:46.25\00:15:49.14 I want, that cracks me up. 00:15:49.17\00:15:51.66 But that's what I felt was the truth so I do have to cut 00:15:51.69\00:15:56.33 in here right now, that was with Deb, 00:15:56.36\00:15:58.23 and the Lord brought me to Deb on that situation. 00:15:58.27\00:16:02.11 Shortly after that? 00:16:02.15\00:16:03.67 Well after I got out of the service. 00:16:03.71\00:16:05.26 So it was probably a year or so after that, 00:16:05.30\00:16:07.72 that was the first prayer. 00:16:07.75\00:16:08.81 So after that I said Lord I want to learn to walk with You, 00:16:08.85\00:16:12.69 I have heard all the stories about Enoch walking with God, 00:16:12.73\00:16:16.54 and hear Moses is in the wilderness and he learns 00:16:16.58\00:16:18.85 to hear His voice. 00:16:18.89\00:16:20.16 Lord I don't hear Your voice, I believe You are there 00:16:20.20\00:16:24.01 but I just don't hear it so the second one was 00:16:24.04\00:16:26.36 I want to hear God's voice. 00:16:26.40\00:16:28.39 I want to be a real Christian, 00:16:28.43\00:16:30.06 I just didn't know what that was. 00:16:30.09\00:16:31.66 The third thing was, I want to get out the service early. 00:16:31.69\00:16:35.07 I had had enough of it. 00:16:35.11\00:16:36.27 I was finding people that were superficial in there now, 00:16:36.30\00:16:39.50 and it seemed like everywhere I was going, 00:16:39.53\00:16:41.37 people were not real. 00:16:41.41\00:16:43.08 I love the way you said that because there is lot of people, 00:16:43.12\00:16:45.59 I am from the world. 00:16:45.63\00:16:48.71 You know you want to say that in the Christian sense, 00:16:48.75\00:16:51.35 I didn't have any religious restrictions or any of that 00:16:51.38\00:16:53.94 kind of stuff. 00:16:53.98\00:16:54.95 Some body that have religious restrictions say you know what I 00:16:54.96\00:16:57.47 think they're more real out there I'm thinking who lied 00:16:57.51\00:16:59.95 to you I think people are people are people and until we really 00:16:59.99\00:17:04.64 engage in life we are going to be superficial. 00:17:04.68\00:17:07.83 It really takes a commitment to say you know what, 00:17:07.87\00:17:10.72 I actually want to be engaged with people around me, 00:17:10.76\00:17:13.58 and my spirituality with God. 00:17:13.61\00:17:15.69 I think that is right and I think so many people that are 00:17:15.72\00:17:20.02 watching the show, if they can realize it, 00:17:20.06\00:17:22.38 God only made one of you. 00:17:22.41\00:17:24.19 He did not make a thousand, He made one, 00:17:24.22\00:17:27.26 and you need to be who you are in the Lord. 00:17:27.29\00:17:30.26 Don't try to be like everyone else because I think we 00:17:30.29\00:17:32.45 get all messed up trying to be somebody that we are not. 00:17:32.48\00:17:34.98 Have you ever heard people say, I wish I was taller? 00:17:35.01\00:17:37.47 I wish I was shorter? 00:17:37.50\00:17:39.16 I wish I was skinnier? 00:17:39.20\00:17:40.79 I wish I had blue eyes instead of brown eyes? 00:17:40.82\00:17:42.58 I wish I had black hair instead of blonde hair. 00:17:42.61\00:17:44.34 We all want to be something 00:17:44.37\00:17:45.66 we are not, and once we 00:17:45.69\00:17:46.90 realize that God made me, 00:17:46.94\00:17:48.75 who He wanted me to be and we 00:17:48.79\00:17:50.53 trust in Him things start rolling off our shoulders. 00:17:50.57\00:17:53.68 Then we turn it over to Him and that's where 00:17:53.72\00:17:56.41 the starting point begins. 00:17:56.44\00:17:58.18 So you had the prayer, three things. 00:17:58.22\00:17:59.70 I had the prayer with three things, 00:17:59.74\00:18:01.15 I did get the first thing that happened, 00:18:01.18\00:18:02.47 I got out of service early. 00:18:02.50\00:18:03.65 How come? 00:18:03.68\00:18:04.87 Well I told my captain, that is another long story just 00:18:04.91\00:18:08.27 really shortly I really think things out if I am going to 00:18:08.31\00:18:11.03 go speak to someone I don't want to look like an idiot. 00:18:11.06\00:18:13.75 I can see you going up saying, 00:18:13.79\00:18:14.96 I'm sorry this is not working for me. 00:18:15.00\00:18:16.44 Well that is about what I said, 00:18:16.48\00:18:19.41 I just said this army is not for me and 00:18:19.45\00:18:22.74 I knew what the captain would say, 00:18:22.78\00:18:24.88 or I thought that I did. 00:18:24.91\00:18:26.02 That any way to make a long story short I did get 00:18:26.06\00:18:28.65 out of service early and I told them why. 00:18:28.69\00:18:30.92 I said I am taking orders from sergeants that have been 00:18:30.95\00:18:34.03 in here 10 years and they tell me to mop the floor and 00:18:34.07\00:18:37.29 then we had to listen, I might say we ought to strip the 00:18:37.33\00:18:40.52 floor before we wax it. 00:18:40.55\00:18:41.90 Then they say listen you are just a PFC so do what 00:18:41.93\00:18:44.56 I tell you and then the captain comes up and inspects the 00:18:44.59\00:18:46.55 place and it is a mess and says you should 00:18:46.59\00:18:48.71 have stripped the floor first. 00:18:48.74\00:18:50.19 I always told my captain, it is not working and he let 00:18:50.23\00:18:54.55 me out early and then right after that I meant Deb. 00:18:54.59\00:18:58.88 Where? 00:18:58.91\00:19:00.04 Back in Michigan because we are from Michigan and that's 00:19:00.07\00:19:02.38 where I meant Deb, that was a great thing. 00:19:02.42\00:19:05.34 But Deb were you Christian at the time? 00:19:05.38\00:19:08.27 Were you partying with him? 00:19:08.30\00:19:09.71 No, and no partying, no I just met him. 00:19:09.75\00:19:13.25 Didn't go to church. 00:19:13.29\00:19:15.65 So you had no religious background? 00:19:15.68\00:19:17.81 Not really, no. 00:19:17.84\00:19:19.49 So when I meant Deb that was an answer to my prayer, 00:19:21.86\00:19:25.06 but the last thing I said that I wanted to be real 00:19:25.10\00:19:27.87 Christian didn't even happen for a while after that. 00:19:27.90\00:19:31.17 I was still drinking and we ended up getting married 00:19:31.21\00:19:34.45 which was a great thing. 00:19:34.48\00:19:35.81 I told her that I would love and cherish her in sickness 00:19:35.84\00:19:38.66 and health and all that and I was starting 00:19:38.70\00:19:40.99 a business of my own at the time. 00:19:41.03\00:19:42.38 Trying to take care of Deb but we had no money, 00:19:42.41\00:19:45.73 I think many young people have no money. 00:19:45.76\00:19:48.68 Very active in the church. 00:19:48.71\00:19:50.17 So he introduced that to you, and you went back to church? 00:19:50.21\00:19:53.13 I went back to church but I still was not, at the time, 00:19:53.16\00:19:56.05 I was getting more active before I really gave 00:19:56.08\00:19:59.69 my heart to the Lord. 00:19:59.72\00:20:00.69 I was still drinking, it was amazing I could close the bar 00:20:00.70\00:20:03.73 down on Friday night, and there are so many things you 00:20:03.77\00:20:06.70 wouldn't do, some people may not understand this but, 00:20:06.73\00:20:09.28 there are certain things that a Seventh-day Adventist 00:20:09.32\00:20:12.14 you did or did not do like eating clean and unclean food. 00:20:12.18\00:20:14.94 So I would never, even in the service, even if I was starving 00:20:14.97\00:20:17.30 I wouldn't eat any pork, but I would drink. 00:20:17.33\00:20:20.26 That was not as bad as eating pork. 00:20:20.30\00:20:22.85 I would buy something on Friday night, 00:20:26.01\00:20:27.63 but would not buy it on Saturday. 00:20:27.66\00:20:29.25 Each just not even right but perception is reality. 00:20:29.29\00:20:32.88 What is really interesting to me is that until we actually 00:20:32.92\00:20:36.14 turned over to God we will set up our own rules and 00:20:36.17\00:20:38.74 we will follow those rules. 00:20:38.77\00:20:39.96 I remember, tell the story about the ham sandwich 00:20:39.99\00:20:42.08 when you ordered a ham sandwich. 00:20:42.12\00:20:43.64 Well that was a normal thing for me to do and he asked me 00:20:43.68\00:20:46.92 do you have to eat that? 00:20:46.95\00:20:48.69 I said no but you know 00:20:48.73\00:20:50.40 it is good, so he would say well and would start explaining 00:20:50.43\00:20:57.42 a few things and I would just say she show me in the 00:20:57.46\00:21:00.71 Bible were I can't eat a ham sandwich? 00:21:00.74\00:21:02.48 Just show me. 00:21:02.51\00:21:03.48 And so he took it to the Leviticus. Yeah! 00:21:03.49\00:21:05.84 I would show her. 00:21:05.88\00:21:07.78 And you are still drinking - oh yeah I was drinking a lot. 00:21:07.82\00:21:10.89 Then he would say you probably shouldn't be doing this, 00:21:10.92\00:21:13.96 or you probably should be doing that and 00:21:13.99\00:21:15.73 I was like okay show me that the Bible. 00:21:15.76\00:21:17.35 So he would show me that the Bible. 00:21:17.38\00:21:18.81 This is the funniest story ever. 00:21:18.85\00:21:20.21 You have got to say about what you are trying to 00:21:20.24\00:21:23.53 tell him how much he drank and asked if you could 00:21:23.57\00:21:26.82 have his cans for what? Tell that story. 00:21:26.85\00:21:29.86 Now we are very active in the church. 00:21:29.90\00:21:32.87 We were very active though, but he is drinking a lot. 00:21:37.09\00:21:40.81 I mean he would go out with my brother or couple of his 00:21:40.84\00:21:44.49 buddies and I would say why do you have to go out with them? 00:21:44.53\00:21:46.93 Why don't you want to be with me? 00:21:46.96\00:21:49.57 But anyway I remember asking him you know any beer cans 00:21:49.60\00:21:54.38 that you have can I have the money. 00:21:54.42\00:21:57.90 Yeah we didn't have no money. 00:21:57.93\00:21:59.45 He's like well you're not going to get very much, 00:21:59.48\00:22:02.18 I mean they are only $.10 a can. 00:22:02.22\00:22:03.48 I say can I have the money from the beer cans? 00:22:03.52\00:22:05.92 He said yes, and I said are you positive I can do whatever 00:22:05.95\00:22:09.60 I want with the money from your beer cans? 00:22:09.63\00:22:12.44 Yeah, no problem. 00:22:12.47\00:22:14.44 So I did - are you smart? 00:22:14.48\00:22:16.86 Because most alcoholics we do not know 00:22:16.89\00:22:19.09 how many beer cans we actually have. 00:22:19.12\00:22:21.25 He did not think he drank that much at home, 00:22:21.28\00:22:24.05 he might ride around with a couple guys, 00:22:24.08\00:22:26.34 but he did not really realize how much 00:22:26.38\00:22:28.60 he was doing at home. 00:22:28.64\00:22:29.93 So I would save the cans and I would take them and save 00:22:29.96\00:22:33.30 that money which did not take very long I go out 00:22:33.33\00:22:35.72 and getting new outfit. 00:22:35.76\00:22:37.23 Then he would come and say where did you get that outfit? 00:22:37.26\00:22:40.03 Like every husband says. 00:22:40.06\00:22:41.56 Yeah I was upset because here we had no money and women 00:22:41.59\00:22:45.27 normally have a lot more dresses than the men have pants 00:22:45.30\00:22:48.95 so I would say Honey we can't afford it. 00:22:48.98\00:22:50.66 Where in the world, we don't have any money. 00:22:50.69\00:22:52.30 She said it was from - beer cans I would save that money. 00:22:52.33\00:22:56.45 So what did you think when she said that? 00:22:56.48\00:22:58.11 Because if you get it at all you have to know that. 00:22:58.14\00:23:00.64 He didn't get it - he didn't get it? 00:23:00.67\00:23:02.49 I didn't believe it, what really changed was when she 00:23:02.52\00:23:07.43 was dragging out these big black garbage bags that would 00:23:07.47\00:23:11.71 be put in one of these big dumpsters, and it was filled 00:23:11.75\00:23:15.96 with beer cans and I said where have you been? 00:23:15.99\00:23:18.81 Where did you get those, you did not get those from home? 00:23:18.85\00:23:22.41 And every one of them. 00:23:22.45\00:23:24.07 I did not believe it at first, but it was true and 00:23:24.11\00:23:28.31 I thought I have a bigger problem than I thought I had. 00:23:28.34\00:23:30.18 So little by little with just break and denial. 00:23:30.22\00:23:32.64 Can we talk about the windowsill? 00:23:32.68\00:23:36.62 Sure! That would be embarrassing. 00:23:36.65\00:23:40.52 Now I think that was more a breaking stone for him. 00:23:40.56\00:23:44.04 He would come home late, or what ever, he didn't go out 00:23:44.08\00:23:47.53 and party a lot but he still will go out 00:23:47.57\00:23:50.72 especially with my brother. 00:23:50.75\00:23:52.24 But this one particular night he was standing at the 00:23:52.28\00:23:55.31 window and I had a candy dish there and I thought he was 00:23:55.35\00:23:58.35 unwrapping a piece of candy. 00:23:58.38\00:24:00.15 I realized what he was doing now is like Dwight, 00:24:00.19\00:24:04.70 you need to go to the bathroom. 00:24:04.74\00:24:06.46 He was peeing on the windowsill, a wide windowsill. 00:24:06.50\00:24:10.89 He thought he was in the bathroom? 00:24:10.93\00:24:13.16 He did not even know what was going on, 00:24:13.19\00:24:14.44 I kept saying go to bathroom, go to the bathroom 00:24:14.47\00:24:15.72 go to the bathroom. 00:24:15.75\00:24:16.72 Well he did go into the bathroom but 00:24:16.73\00:24:17.92 he came right back out and crashed in bed. 00:24:17.95\00:24:22.46 So I had to, it took me three huge towels 00:24:22.49\00:24:26.96 and had to soak all this stuff up. 00:24:27.00\00:24:28.95 I just threw it in the tub and the next morning 00:24:28.98\00:24:30.94 I said Dwight, I said you need to get yourself together 00:24:30.97\00:24:34.48 because this is what you did last night. 00:24:34.51\00:24:37.21 And he's like get out. 00:24:37.25\00:24:39.25 He is like angry, very angry, I did not. 00:24:39.28\00:24:41.53 I said you go and smell the towels. 00:24:41.57\00:24:43.70 I told her Honey I am not in the mood for jokes 00:24:43.73\00:24:46.23 I have a terrible headache. 00:24:46.27\00:24:47.69 Yeah I bet you do. 00:24:47.73\00:24:49.85 Don't be kidding me this isn't it time to joke, 00:24:49.89\00:24:52.31 talk to me later. 00:24:52.34\00:24:53.31 She said I am not kidding you, you go smell those towels. 00:24:53.32\00:24:55.19 They were definitely in there and I was livid. 00:24:55.23\00:24:58.62 So I'm just going to say right now because a lot of people 00:24:58.65\00:25:01.08 will say to me Cheri why do people have 00:25:01.12\00:25:03.08 to air people's laundry like that? 00:25:03.12\00:25:05.02 I'm thinking because it is lot of our laundries, 00:25:05.05\00:25:07.92 I lot of us are doing crazy stuff, 00:25:07.96\00:25:09.80 we are hiding drinking, we don't know how much we are drinking. 00:25:09.83\00:25:12.45 We are trying to play, we are trying to have 00:25:12.48\00:25:14.39 two different lives our professional life, 00:25:14.43\00:25:16.30 our church life, our home life. 00:25:16.34\00:25:17.98 I think for God when He says how am I going to heal 00:25:18.02\00:25:21.33 you if you can't even see the issues? 00:25:21.36\00:25:24.27 So the reason we are so blessed by you guys sharing 00:25:24.30\00:25:27.78 this kind of stuff, is that you had to see it before 00:25:27.82\00:25:31.27 you could even get well. 00:25:31.30\00:25:32.58 Anybody that is watching has to see it before 00:25:32.62\00:25:34.46 they can get well. 00:25:34.50\00:25:35.61 And I think we have to be honest, like I said I didn't 00:25:35.64\00:25:38.26 want to play church, and I did not want to be unreal. 00:25:38.29\00:25:40.87 You are all that at that moment? 00:25:40.90\00:25:42.82 I was all that, but I did not want to be. 00:25:42.86\00:25:44.43 I think most of us don't truly want to be that way, 00:25:44.47\00:25:47.08 but I didn't anyway. 00:25:47.12\00:25:48.44 But she was very patient, she tells lot of people, 00:25:48.47\00:25:53.51 a lot of people when I share my testimony come up to me 00:25:53.54\00:25:56.20 and say to Dwight I'm so glad you have bared your soul 00:25:56.23\00:25:58.85 and have been honest because 00:25:58.89\00:26:00.30 we have a lot in common and they will look at Deb and say, 00:26:00.33\00:26:03.00 honey I don't you put up with such a jerk all these years? 00:26:03.03\00:26:06.55 But she was patient, she loved me and knew that I loved her. 00:26:06.59\00:26:10.07 And you knew he was a good guy. 00:26:10.10\00:26:11.79 He just had to see this. 00:26:11.83\00:26:13.22 He just needed to grow up, and he's working on that. 00:26:13.26\00:26:18.08 But that was the starting of a changing in me, but Cheri 00:26:18.12\00:26:22.66 I became a vegetarian, I came back into to the church 00:26:22.70\00:26:27.18 through the health message because I was a terrible eater. 00:26:27.21\00:26:29.44 When did you mean by that? 00:26:29.47\00:26:30.44 We wouldn't always eat pork like I mentioned, 00:26:30.47\00:26:33.56 I had a terrible diet, I drink 15 to 20 cups of coffee 00:26:33.60\00:26:36.82 every day. I probably drink a 6 pack of Mountain Dew every 00:26:36.86\00:26:40.04 day, of course I was young and the basketball team. 00:26:40.08\00:26:43.05 I was doing a lot of things but eating terrible food. 00:26:43.08\00:26:46.55 I decided that wasn't right and somebody gave me a book 00:26:46.58\00:26:50.02 on health and I started reading it and I went to 00:26:50.05\00:26:54.18 health food stores and get other books. 00:26:54.22\00:26:55.81 I came back in through... 00:26:55.85\00:26:57.30 Did you get a bike? 00:26:57.34\00:26:58.43 I hate bikes Cheri so don't ever get me a bike. 00:27:01.18\00:27:04.87 I like a motorcycle, not a pedal bike, it's too hard, no! 00:27:04.90\00:27:09.07 Anyway I came back through that and 00:27:09.10\00:27:11.77 here was a scary thing for me. 00:27:11.80\00:27:13.47 So you can't even come out all that addiction stuff until 00:27:13.51\00:27:16.41 you start getting healthier, so that's where you are at? 00:27:16.45\00:27:19.05 I think that was the thing, and again I didn't know that 00:27:19.09\00:27:21.66 it clears your mind up and I didn't understand that 00:27:21.70\00:27:23.63 but God was with me. 00:27:23.67\00:27:24.79 I want to say this to the people to let them know, 00:27:24.82\00:27:27.52 God is with us, He never wants to let us go. 00:27:27.56\00:27:31.32 He says I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. 00:27:31.36\00:27:33.00 Even when you are acting like an idiot. 00:27:33.04\00:27:34.56 He didn't say that in the exact words. 00:27:34.60\00:27:36.05 He might have said that and I might not have been listening. 00:27:36.09\00:27:38.34 He is wooing us, He woos all of us 00:27:38.38\00:27:40.85 every single day, every moment of the day. 00:27:40.88\00:27:42.47 It is just that we are so far away sometimes that we 00:27:42.50\00:27:44.49 don't listen and so I always tell people that 00:27:44.52\00:27:46.80 I am not on plan A with God, I haven't been for years. 00:27:46.84\00:27:49.26 I'm on plan double-z, I've went through the alphabet 00:27:49.30\00:27:51.69 at least twice. 00:27:51.72\00:27:52.96 He loves me so much that when He sees me fail, 00:27:53.00\00:27:55.61 He says okay I'll work on the next plan, and start over 00:27:55.64\00:27:58.66 again and bring it back around to where I need to be. 00:27:58.69\00:28:02.23 So He is wooing us and that is what is happening to me. 00:28:02.27\00:28:05.77 The health message by studying I started eating 00:28:05.81\00:28:09.13 healthier and clearing up my mind and 00:28:09.16\00:28:10.91 the scariest thing for me was to quit drinking. 00:28:10.94\00:28:13.30 I was a complete vegetarian before a quick drinking beer. 00:28:13.33\00:28:16.64 Wasn't that the weirdest thing? 00:28:16.67\00:28:18.20 I was afraid that I would have to do?. 00:28:18.24\00:28:19.74 So what where you afraid of? 00:28:19.78\00:28:20.87 I will not have another beer my life. 00:28:20.91\00:28:23.06 I wasn't thinking day by day thinking, I like it, 00:28:23.10\00:28:26.24 I enjoy it and then I want to give up something that 00:28:26.28\00:28:29.39 I enjoy and I end up making excuses like, 00:28:29.42\00:28:31.37 church people are drinking Coke with all the caffeine in it, 00:28:31.41\00:28:33.95 and all the sugar and eating all the donuts and everything 00:28:33.98\00:28:36.49 and I just have a beer now and then. 00:28:36.53\00:28:38.28 It is not a big deal, but I knew in the depths of my 00:28:38.31\00:28:41.00 heart that this had to go but I seriously was afraid. 00:28:41.04\00:28:44.09 What if I was unsuccessful, what if it didn't work. 00:28:44.12\00:28:47.14 What if I didn't like who I was without this? 00:28:47.17\00:28:49.67 That's right absolutely scary, and I was scary. 00:28:49.71\00:28:52.83 Part of what I said I did not know how to socialize, 00:28:52.87\00:28:55.50 but give me a couple lines of Coke and 00:28:55.53\00:28:57.93 I could talk your head off. 00:28:57.97\00:28:59.07 Give me a beer or whatever, so what if I do not know who 00:28:59.10\00:29:02.67 I am outside of this? 00:29:02.70\00:29:04.02 That was my problem, I was so afraid because I have been 00:29:04.06\00:29:07.47 telling people I want to be real and I didn't want to play 00:29:07.51\00:29:10.89 church even though I've went to church I knew I was lost soul 00:29:10.92\00:29:14.27 I knew it was going to make heaven and I wasn't being a 00:29:14.30\00:29:16.17 hypocrite, I just felt if I, for me if I completely left 00:29:16.20\00:29:19.81 and never went to church maybe I would never come back. 00:29:19.85\00:29:23.42 So what made you finally give it up? 00:29:23.46\00:29:25.84 When did you finally say okay I'm done? 00:29:25.87\00:29:28.19 It was one Sabbath afternoon and they had a Bible series 00:29:28.22\00:29:34.81 going on and I was laying on the couch Sabbath afternoon 00:29:34.84\00:29:37.45 and the Spirit just spoke to me and said to me Dwight you 00:29:37.49\00:29:40.51 need to go to these meetings, but I had been to these 00:29:40.54\00:29:43.08 meetings a hundred times before, I'm not going to go. 00:29:43.11\00:29:45.61 I could not sleep. 00:29:45.65\00:29:46.95 I went and had a friend and his wife, 00:29:46.98\00:29:50.01 he was a manager for me. 00:29:50.05\00:29:51.96 I went to his house and it's still small voice was 00:29:52.00\00:29:54.53 saying you have got to go and ask this person. 00:29:54.56\00:29:57.02 I said they are not going to go, but I went and asked and 00:29:57.05\00:30:00.44 the guy, when I went in he offered me a beer and I took it. 00:30:00.47\00:30:03.82 Can you imagine I'm open up this beer and inviting. 00:30:03.85\00:30:07.08 I love that. 00:30:07.12\00:30:09.30 In fact it was Kenneth Cox, that was the evangelistic 00:30:09.34\00:30:12.01 series that I went to was a Kenneth Cox crusade. 00:30:12.05\00:30:14.32 So I'm opening this beer and asking this guy to go to a 00:30:14.35\00:30:16.89 crusade with me, but to make a long story short 00:30:16.93\00:30:19.56 he went to and that was last beer I ever drank. 00:30:19.59\00:30:22.18 I had nightmares for five years off and on. 00:30:22.22\00:30:24.74 The dreams were so real, that I was drinking and 00:30:24.77\00:30:27.62 taking drugs and going to parties, and they were real. 00:30:27.66\00:30:30.41 In my dreams I would say, this isn't a dream this is real. 00:30:30.44\00:30:33.16 Then I would wake up and thank the Lord. 00:30:33.19\00:30:34.56 Then to add on to the story a little bit like my whole heart 00:30:34.60\00:30:40.17 to the Lord, but I still do not understand. 00:30:40.20\00:30:43.34 I still did not fully turn it over and we ended up 00:30:43.37\00:30:47.26 moving way out in the boondocks in Montana where there 00:30:47.29\00:30:51.15 was grizzly bear, Moose, and elk. 00:30:51.18\00:30:52.65 I said if I cannot face God and know who He is and learn 00:30:52.69\00:30:57.85 listen to him like Enoch did. 00:30:57.88\00:30:59.67 Before we go there, before we go there are want to open 00:30:59.70\00:31:02.04 it up for questions because we are running out of time and 00:31:02.08\00:31:04.45 I want to make sure because I know there are people here at 00:31:04.49\00:31:06.82 the Café that want to ask you some things about 00:31:06.86\00:31:09.43 what you have said already. 00:31:09.47\00:31:10.45 Hold on about when you move to Montana because 00:31:10.49\00:31:13.19 that is a huge thing. 00:31:13.23\00:31:14.40 Okay I want to start with Geri, you had a question. 00:31:14.44\00:31:18.00 I can so relate to what you said earlier Cheri about 00:31:18.03\00:31:21.59 reading the books and doing it on your own, buying the 00:31:21.62\00:31:24.34 books getting the books, somebody's going to give you 00:31:24.37\00:31:26.91 the books so you can do this on your own, fake it till 00:31:26.95\00:31:29.92 you make it as we say in NANA and I tried to do that. 00:31:29.95\00:31:33.21 Like Dwight you said, you got the books on the health 00:31:33.24\00:31:36.47 food thing and you are going to do it and get to 00:31:36.50\00:31:38.85 where you want to be. 00:31:38.89\00:31:39.99 I just wanted to be normal, 00:31:40.02\00:31:41.24 it's like God can I please just be normal? 00:31:41.28\00:31:43.45 That is all I want is to be normal. 00:31:43.49\00:31:44.89 I wanted to be somebody and feel like I had a purpose and 00:31:44.92\00:31:47.66 I have done all those things and gone through all the steps 00:31:47.70\00:31:50.40 but I am still not sure that I have made it. 00:31:50.44\00:31:52.24 How do you know when you've gotten past that point you are 00:31:52.28\00:31:54.95 trying to do it on your own, how do you get to the point of 00:31:54.99\00:31:57.63 actually letting God and quit trying to fix yourself? 00:31:57.66\00:32:01.00 I do not know if I'm there yet? 00:32:01.03\00:32:02.54 Wow! What do you think? 00:32:02.58\00:32:06.76 I think it is a good question and I'm not sure you are 00:32:06.79\00:32:10.85 ever going to fully feel that you have got it made. 00:32:10.89\00:32:14.91 It's just done. 00:32:14.95\00:32:16.28 I think what you said when you were speaking before hand, 00:32:16.31\00:32:20.99 that you start a relaxing a little bit, because I do 00:32:21.03\00:32:24.21 believe the Bible says My sheep hear My voice and 00:32:24.24\00:32:27.39 I think the thing most of us, I have 00:32:27.43\00:32:31.22 a text Isaiah 30:15, it says in 00:32:31.25\00:32:33.14 quietness will be our strength. 00:32:33.18\00:32:35.04 When we are trying to 00:32:35.08\00:32:36.22 put things in a box, 00:32:36.25\00:32:37.32 us humans want give me a list of 10 things and 00:32:37.36\00:32:40.71 I will do them. 00:32:40.74\00:32:41.71 We have to get all that box and let God lead. 00:32:41.72\00:32:44.57 When you move to Montana one of the reasons you moved out 00:32:44.60\00:32:47.80 there was to get into a quiet place to break all that stuff. 00:32:47.83\00:32:51.00 Absolutely because I was losing my temper, 00:32:51.03\00:32:52.91 being a head elder and doing all these things. 00:32:52.94\00:32:54.78 I could give a Bible study and come home 00:32:54.82\00:32:56.45 and yell at my wife. 00:32:56.49\00:32:57.56 I knew that something was wrong because I was praying and 00:32:57.59\00:33:00.14 Lord said you are not taking time enough to be still 00:33:00.17\00:33:03.58 and know who I really am. 00:33:03.61\00:33:05.83 You are trying to do all these things to become a good 00:33:05.86\00:33:08.48 Christian and you are not leading Me lead, 00:33:08.52\00:33:10.25 and that is why we moved out there. 00:33:10.29\00:33:11.68 I think that is amazing and, Geri I have to say to you, 00:33:11.72\00:33:15.87 it was really strange one day I woke up and opened my eyes 00:33:15.90\00:33:19.44 and all of a sudden I thought I feel so incredible today. 00:33:19.47\00:33:22.97 Then I was thinking, is it my birthday? 00:33:23.01\00:33:25.75 And I was trying to figure out did 00:33:25.78\00:33:28.92 I just not remember what's happening today? 00:33:28.95\00:33:31.61 All of a sudden I heard the Holy Spirit say no Cheri, 00:33:31.64\00:33:34.51 this is what health feels like, and I thought 00:33:34.54\00:33:37.12 are you are kidding me. 00:33:37.15\00:33:38.77 So you are saying you want that feeling, 00:33:38.81\00:33:40.88 just that feeling of health? 00:33:40.91\00:33:42.38 What I realized is that as I rely on God, 00:33:42.42\00:33:46.36 as I totally realize that it is really His battle, 00:33:46.40\00:33:49.11 I'm not going to find the right book, 00:33:49.15\00:33:51.11 I'm not going to find the right steps, 00:33:51.14\00:33:53.03 I am not going to find any of that until I find God. 00:33:53.06\00:33:56.84 When I find God just say to Him, let me be quiet 00:33:56.87\00:34:00.61 in Your presence, let me ask for your Holy Spirit 00:34:00.65\00:34:02.95 every day, let me start leaning on You. 00:34:02.98\00:34:05.10 It's strange because every time I pick it up again, 00:34:05.14\00:34:08.56 every time I strive again, every time I frantically 00:34:08.59\00:34:11.94 searched to be normal, to be real and all those kinds of 00:34:11.98\00:34:15.39 things, I am often running on my own again 00:34:15.42\00:34:17.76 I will fall down in exhaustion and God says please 00:34:17.79\00:34:20.88 don't do it on your own. 00:34:20.91\00:34:22.61 Do not lean on your own understanding 00:34:22.65\00:34:24.01 like we covered in Proverbs. 00:34:24.05\00:34:25.74 Really learn to rely on Me. 00:34:25.78\00:34:27.40 When you were in Montana that was for both you and 00:34:27.43\00:34:30.34 Deb and your children were learning to totally 00:34:30.37\00:34:33.87 listen to God, slow down, cut the whole pace out, 00:34:33.91\00:34:37.34 look at your family am I doing the right thing at home even. 00:34:37.38\00:34:40.74 So many miss this point. 00:34:40.78\00:34:44.38 We want to do all these great things, we want to have 00:34:44.41\00:34:47.04 these steps, and I am not saying there aren't steps, but I am 00:34:47.07\00:34:51.35 saying that we can't put that in front of God. 00:34:51.38\00:34:54.12 With God all things are possible and He will teach you, 00:34:54.16\00:34:57.67 He said listen I will teach you, I will give you word behind your 00:34:57.71\00:35:01.08 ear, besides you, walk in My ways and you cannot do that 00:35:01.12\00:35:04.58 if you are so rushed, even with good things. 00:35:04.61\00:35:07.25 Like big church things, you have to have time with God. 00:35:07.29\00:35:10.13 My life changed drastically, it is another story. 00:35:10.17\00:35:14.02 God will do it. 00:35:14.06\00:35:15.57 We have a couple minutes, that is not a lot of time. 00:35:15.60\00:35:18.25 Deb do you want to say anything 00:35:18.29\00:35:20.04 more about your guys journey? 00:35:20.08\00:35:21.76 Because you guys have come from a long way. 00:35:21.80\00:35:23.87 Long way, I don't know what else you want to cover. 00:35:23.90\00:35:28.13 One thing you asked me before we were on, is being afraid. 00:35:28.16\00:35:31.90 We've got a couple minutes. 00:35:31.94\00:35:33.82 Real quick, I had a tendency of just being really afraid. 00:35:33.86\00:35:37.33 Before we move to Montana, once we move to Montana now we 00:35:37.36\00:35:41.23 have bears to contend with, I mean that is real, that's real. 00:35:41.26\00:35:45.09 Not only does the bear have an alcoholic husband, 00:35:45.13\00:35:48.00 but now you have physical fears? 00:35:48.03\00:35:52.11 And with little kids, she is worried about the children. 00:35:52.14\00:35:54.67 The kids would just come inside and sit down and 00:35:54.70\00:35:58.02 I would say what are you doing? 00:35:58.06\00:35:59.11 Oh the bear is back, because we have bears in our yard 00:35:59.15\00:36:01.60 all the time, any which does nothing to them. 00:36:01.64\00:36:04.46 I realized we were teaching them they have angels 00:36:04.49\00:36:07.45 and you are okay. 00:36:07.48\00:36:08.47 My son he was nose to nose with a bear and he comes in, 00:36:08.50\00:36:12.88 it says mom the Bears here, it was right here, 00:36:12.92\00:36:15.93 it was right here. 00:36:15.96\00:36:17.34 I was like Seth, what are you talking about? 00:36:17.38\00:36:19.93 The bear was right here and I finally realize Seth, 00:36:19.97\00:36:23.30 did you shut the door? 00:36:23.34\00:36:24.89 Because if you did not shut the door that means 00:36:24.93\00:36:26.94 the Bears coming in. 00:36:26.97\00:36:28.12 You know what he was not afraid, he was like yes 00:36:28.15\00:36:29.99 I shut the door, we don't want the bear in the house. 00:36:30.03\00:36:33.09 I think from that point that really helped me, 00:36:33.13\00:36:37.40 as a mom to say you know I don't have to be afraid either. 00:36:37.43\00:36:40.84 I have angels too. 00:36:40.88\00:36:42.02 So you were learning how to step into a real relationship 00:36:42.05\00:36:46.66 with God, you also were learning how to give up fears and trust 00:36:46.69\00:36:50.31 the God that you were raised with that you were learning 00:36:50.35\00:36:53.14 at the same time you that you were helping him 00:36:53.18\00:36:55.47 in his recovery. 00:36:55.50\00:36:56.55 I'm just glad that you shared all that. 00:36:56.58\00:36:58.85 We could do it least another couple programs on 00:36:58.89\00:37:01.53 just your own recovery process. 00:37:01.57\00:37:04.45 I want to say thanks Dwight and Deb for coming on 00:37:04.49\00:37:07.68 the program and thanks for sharing that. 00:37:07.72\00:37:09.13 You know that you can never drink, unfortunately? 00:37:09.16\00:37:14.68 That is right! Never! 00:37:14.72\00:37:16.19 That is right absolutely! 00:37:16.23\00:37:17.64 For anybody watching there is a point where we come 00:37:17.67\00:37:19.75 and finally let go and let God. 00:37:19.79\00:37:21.47 Sometimes He may just say things that you have used 00:37:21.50\00:37:24.95 your whole life you will have to give up. 00:37:24.98\00:37:27.52 We will pout and it takes us years to get it 00:37:27.56\00:37:30.03 but when we finally get it and life turns around. 00:37:30.06\00:37:32.23 I'm going to be right back were going to talk some more 00:37:32.27\00:37:35.02 so stay with us! 00:37:35.06\00:37:36.29