Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery 00:00:11.51\00:00:12.79 I'm Cheri and this is going into our sixth season 00:00:12.82\00:00:15.49 so today we are going to introduce you to all the 00:00:15.53\00:00:18.17 incredible guests we have had this season. 00:00:18.20\00:00:20.14 It's amazing and come join us in the café. 00:00:20.18\00:00:22.09 Hi I'm C. A. Murray and as Cheri said we are in our 00:00:50.27\00:00:53.31 six season, if you can believe that. 00:00:53.34\00:00:55.29 Six years, six seasons of letting people do their thing 00:00:55.32\00:00:59.68 and letting people talk about their problems and the 00:00:59.72\00:01:02.63 catharsis that comes from when you just lay it out 00:01:02.66\00:01:05.54 there, and the healing that comes. 00:01:05.57\00:01:07.40 It's amazing. - you know I need to do something before 00:01:07.44\00:01:10.15 we get into our season, I need to do something I know 00:01:10.19\00:01:12.83 you are not comfortable with, I need to pay you a compliment. 00:01:12.87\00:01:15.06 Oh great! Because I am so not comfortable with that. 00:01:15.09\00:01:18.64 But I want to give you flowers while you can still 00:01:19.87\00:01:22.01 smell them, because the other day we went to visit a 00:01:22.04\00:01:24.15 friend who you know has a diagnosis of cancer. 00:01:24.18\00:01:27.75 We went to cheer her up. 00:01:27.79\00:01:28.76 I saw you work with her and be very real with her. 00:01:28.77\00:01:33.23 We prayed together and had a wonderful time and when we left 00:01:33.26\00:01:36.63 there she felt a lot better about what she's going to face. 00:01:36.66\00:01:39.54 She has got to face some tough stuff, but we were there to 00:01:39.58\00:01:42.42 hold her hand and pray with her. 00:01:42.45\00:01:43.80 I wanted to say, because what people see on this set is the 00:01:43.83\00:01:46.41 real Cheri, you're like that on the set, you're like that 00:01:46.45\00:01:49.39 off the set and God has given you a special gift to pull out 00:01:49.42\00:01:52.32 the truth out of people in a very real way. 00:01:52.36\00:01:54.21 I want to thank you for that. 00:01:54.24\00:01:55.21 I've been watching you these six seasons that we have 00:01:55.22\00:01:57.44 been able to share a little bit, I want to say God's 00:01:57.47\00:01:59.68 Spirit is really with you on the set and it is a pleasure 00:01:59.72\00:02:01.22 to work with you. 00:02:01.26\00:02:02.28 Thank you, thank you C. A., and what is really amazing to 00:02:02.31\00:02:05.04 me about that is that I watch somebody that is growing 00:02:05.08\00:02:08.39 in the recovery, like you see them at first and think 00:02:08.42\00:02:11.99 you know what, how are you going to let God take over? 00:02:12.02\00:02:15.55 Are you going to let God do that? 00:02:15.59\00:02:16.75 Then you start to watch that and then when you say, would 00:02:16.78\00:02:20.13 you say, tell your journey on Celebrating Life? 00:02:20.17\00:02:23.80 Tell us what happened, who God is, and what your walk is 00:02:23.84\00:02:27.80 like now and you could see them just light up because 00:02:27.83\00:02:31.54 everything in their life has been so twisted and crashed. 00:02:31.57\00:02:34.84 Now they are going to say something to help someone else, 00:02:34.88\00:02:38.11 that is a part of the whole thing. 00:02:38.15\00:02:39.62 So you watch God do that healing here, and we only get to 00:02:39.66\00:02:43.49 see what is on the camera. 00:02:43.52\00:02:44.96 I almost feel sorry for the viewers sometimes because 00:02:44.99\00:02:47.71 as soon as the camera is off people are praying for each 00:02:47.74\00:02:50.37 other, people are holding each other up, they are talking 00:02:50.40\00:02:53.28 about one more thing and crying that they can't get over 00:02:53.31\00:02:56.15 this, somebody has given them advice, try this. 00:02:56.19\00:02:59.12 What happens behind the scenes is pretty spectacular. 00:02:59.16\00:03:02.02 What happens on the set is good too. - yeah it is! 00:03:02.06\00:03:05.12 You get to facilitate that and I need to say this, 00:03:05.15\00:03:08.18 there is only one Cheri Peters. 00:03:08.22\00:03:10.98 God sort of broke the mold and I don't know if the 00:03:11.02\00:03:14.08 world could stand two. 00:03:14.12\00:03:16.14 You know that's too funny. 00:03:16.17\00:03:18.12 You're a blessing for us, you really are. 00:03:18.16\00:03:19.86 You're funny, I have to just say that this season was fun 00:03:19.89\00:03:23.35 for me because there was a couple things that happened 00:03:23.39\00:03:27.64 to me this season, and I want to say preparing, I'm just 00:03:27.67\00:03:31.89 too flaky to prepare. 00:03:31.92\00:03:33.33 But as I am coming into this season and I knew it was 00:03:33.37\00:03:36.88 coming, we were doing prison ministries, traveling a lot, 00:03:36.91\00:03:40.18 and all of a sudden I had this major death in my family. 00:03:40.22\00:03:44.55 I just really, there was a part in me that said how am 00:03:44.58\00:03:48.88 I going to do this? 00:03:48.91\00:03:50.31 I went to God and was trying to process stuff knowing that 00:03:50.35\00:03:53.20 this is coming up, it was really a difficult time. 00:03:53.23\00:03:56.38 All of a sudden God reminded me, I didn't go back to any 00:03:56.41\00:04:00.62 addictions, I didn't lean that direction. 00:04:00.65\00:04:04.35 I didn't want to run an escape and that kind of stuff. 00:04:04.39\00:04:07.67 With all the stuff going on I wanted to celebrate that. 00:04:07.70\00:04:10.79 You know what for the first time in my life I can get 00:04:10.82\00:04:13.78 hit with things that would send people over the edge, 00:04:13.81\00:04:16.73 I'm not even close to the edge. 00:04:16.77\00:04:19.12 Because God said you're foundation is solid, you're okay 00:04:19.15\00:04:22.41 This is going to hurt, so this season I wanted to 00:04:22.45\00:04:27.06 really introduce that kind of concept that as you grow, 00:04:27.10\00:04:31.18 get things underneath you that are so strong that when you 00:04:31.22\00:04:35.26 get hit, because people think if I get hit, oh stop. 00:04:35.30\00:04:39.56 We live in a world and it's going to come in odd ways, 00:04:39.59\00:04:43.82 like it's going to come with a cancer diagnosis. 00:04:43.85\00:04:46.82 Or maybe a child acting out, with the husband you'll find 00:04:46.85\00:04:50.24 online porn, or with your own junk, I mean it is going 00:04:50.27\00:04:54.25 to come and when it comes, do I have enough in my own self, 00:04:54.28\00:04:58.09 with my relationship with God, that as it comes I can just 00:04:58.13\00:05:01.91 say, you know what? I'm going to get through this. 00:05:01.94\00:05:04.21 Pain is not going to kill me. - right, right! 00:05:04.24\00:05:07.19 A friend of mine told me years ago when I was going through 00:05:07.23\00:05:09.65 some stuff, and I say all the time I've got stuff, 00:05:09.69\00:05:12.13 and you've got stuff, everybody's got stuff. 00:05:12.16\00:05:13.82 Everybody gets a turn, nobody escapes, everybody gets a 00:05:13.85\00:05:17.74 turn, and you have found certainly that in helping others 00:05:17.78\00:05:21.64 you are yourself helped. 00:05:21.67\00:05:23.40 I mean it is a law. - Amen, and Amen! 00:05:23.43\00:05:25.60 When the Bible talks about, and you know I love the passage 00:05:25.64\00:05:28.69 where it says when tribulations come, not if they come, 00:05:28.73\00:05:31.48 but when they come don't back away from them too fast. 00:05:31.52\00:05:34.24 You really will find out who you are. 00:05:34.27\00:05:37.07 Sometimes I find out something, I think I never thought 00:05:37.11\00:05:40.28 I could get through this and then we go to dinner with 00:05:40.32\00:05:43.46 someone who is getting a cancer diagnosis, 00:05:43.49\00:05:46.26 or dealing with something is that I don't have to back away 00:05:46.29\00:05:48.50 from that because I have been through some of that and I 00:05:48.54\00:05:51.21 know what to say. 00:05:51.25\00:05:52.61 So it is like don't back away from things too quick 00:05:52.65\00:05:54.68 and let it play out in your life and really 00:05:54.71\00:05:57.69 develop who you are. 00:05:57.72\00:05:59.06 I love that that's John 16:33, in the world ye shall, 00:05:59.10\00:06:01.73 not might, not maybe, you shall have tribulation. 00:06:01.77\00:06:04.37 You know it is going to come. 00:06:04.40\00:06:05.49 So this season I want to share with you some of the guests 00:06:05.52\00:06:09.68 that we have had, some of them have been so amazing. 00:06:09.71\00:06:12.26 My most favorite is my husband is a fairly new Christian. 00:06:12.29\00:06:16.40 We've been married going on 22 years and he is amazing, 00:06:16.43\00:06:20.50 but he just now is giving it to God. 00:06:20.54\00:06:23.38 He is given it got in a way that he turned to me and said 00:06:23.41\00:06:27.02 I just want to show you how much I love you. 00:06:27.06\00:06:29.29 I'm thinking all right I'll love that. 00:06:29.33\00:06:31.56 So the first role in I want to say, my favorite one is my 00:06:31.59\00:06:36.45 husband Brad, talking about his testimony. 00:06:36.48\00:06:38.54 And speaking of Brad, I have to say this because we thought 00:06:38.57\00:06:41.83 he was a figment of your imagination. 00:06:41.86\00:06:43.69 We had never seen Brad before, heard about him for many 00:06:43.73\00:06:46.07 years and he actually came. 00:06:46.10\00:06:47.72 First of all he's a nice guy, loves the Lord and really 00:06:47.76\00:06:50.37 loves his wife, that is cool. 00:06:50.40\00:06:52.38 Watching his spiritual journey has been amazing to me. 00:06:52.41\00:06:55.45 For the first 14, 15 years of our marriage he could care 00:06:55.48\00:06:58.48 less about any of that. 00:06:58.52\00:06:59.66 I'm doing evangelism and all this stuff and God is telling me 00:06:59.70\00:07:02.83 someday he is going to step up and take spiritual 00:07:02.87\00:07:05.73 leadership not only of the Ministry, but of his home 00:07:05.76\00:07:08.59 and all that stuff. 00:07:08.62\00:07:09.73 I'm like, yeah right, because I'm not seeing it. 00:07:09.76\00:07:11.85 When he did, oh my goodness, it is amazing to me that he 00:07:11.89\00:07:16.28 literally is trying to win my heart, he's praying over the 00:07:16.32\00:07:20.68 home, and the family, and in the Bible. 00:07:20.72\00:07:23.38 So I wanted to share that, when a man steps up and takes 00:07:23.41\00:07:27.31 that role and their family it is absolutely amazing. 00:07:27.35\00:07:31.22 So it's fun that it gets to be my husband. 00:07:31.25\00:07:34.35 The next one that I want to talk about is a guy named 00:07:37.18\00:07:40.37 Reggie, I met him when I was doing prisons in Arkansas. 00:07:40.40\00:07:43.23 He is in prison Ministry, but he himself had been in 00:07:43.27\00:07:47.02 prison, in gangs, and just the way God got a hold of him, 00:07:47.05\00:07:51.21 right in the middle of almost getting killed, by just this 00:07:51.24\00:07:55.36 horrible fight when God gets his heart. 00:07:55.40\00:07:57.81 He steps into that, steps into his journey with God trying 00:07:57.85\00:08:01.89 to find out what recovery was all about. 00:08:01.93\00:08:03.92 He now has this family that is amazing so I wanted people 00:08:03.95\00:08:07.50 to meet the entire family. 00:08:07.54\00:08:08.97 I'd like to do a role ins with all of these, but the other 00:08:09.00\00:08:12.66 one is a guy named Aaron. 00:08:12.69\00:08:14.77 Aaron was another strung out, his parents were Christians and 00:08:14.81\00:08:21.65 Aaron been praying for him for ever. 00:08:21.69\00:08:22.99 One day he is just out of it totally, his heart is beating 00:08:23.03\00:08:26.77 and he thinks he is going to die. 00:08:26.80\00:08:28.02 He could just text on his phone, help me and sent it to 00:08:28.05\00:08:31.57 his dad and it changes everything. 00:08:31.60\00:08:33.76 So I would like you to do enjoy these role ins, man it has 00:08:33.79\00:08:36.56 been an amazing season with these guys. 00:08:36.59\00:08:38.81 But the path that God has walked me through, and the things 00:08:42.31\00:08:45.45 that He has shown me, both me and you have been nothing 00:08:45.48\00:08:48.58 short of miracles along the way. 00:08:48.62\00:08:50.27 So that part is really interesting, I think what's 00:08:50.31\00:08:52.85 really exciting for me is starting to really understand 00:08:52.89\00:08:57.02 what God intends for me as the man of the family, as the 00:08:57.06\00:09:01.16 head of the household. 00:09:01.19\00:09:02.81 - spiritual leader, - spiritual leader, yeah. 00:09:02.84\00:09:04.30 Understanding what that really is and what He is expecting. 00:09:04.33\00:09:08.42 As I start to take it that mantel on, assuming, that place 00:09:08.45\00:09:12.49 what happens to everything underneath me including what 00:09:12.53\00:09:16.54 happens to my relationship with you. 00:09:16.57\00:09:18.68 I didn't know this is going to take a toll on me but I 00:09:18.71\00:09:22.37 really wanted that relationship, especially with him, 00:09:22.41\00:09:26.04 with my father you know. 00:09:26.07\00:09:28.22 My mom was there and she did a whole lot of things for me 00:09:28.26\00:09:31.84 but that relationship with him, I wanted that. 00:09:31.88\00:09:35.07 I used to see kids, even in school, would come up with both 00:09:35.11\00:09:38.08 of their parents and stuff like that and I would just sit 00:09:38.11\00:09:41.33 there and stare, I wanted that relationship with my father. 00:09:41.36\00:09:44.55 One of the things that put things at a wedge for our 00:09:44.58\00:09:49.79 children was that because Gwen wanted to have a career and 00:09:49.83\00:09:56.95 the type of security she saw, she would say I'll deal with 00:09:56.98\00:10:04.06 the kids at a later age. 00:10:04.10\00:10:06.61 She couldn't deal with them when they were very young, 00:10:06.64\00:10:09.93 she said when they become teenagers. 00:10:09.96\00:10:12.17 Well by that time the tree has already grown and you just 00:10:12.20\00:10:16.83 can't bend it at that time. 00:10:16.86\00:10:18.67 So that became a real push and pull for us. 00:10:18.71\00:10:24.33 I love that, I have got to say that there were times in my 00:10:26.10\00:10:29.80 relationship with Brad where he literally got on his knees 00:10:29.83\00:10:32.83 in front of me and asked me to forgive him for the years 00:10:32.87\00:10:35.83 that he wasn't there spiritually. 00:10:35.87\00:10:37.50 As a woman I just wept like a baby, and nothing was fake 00:10:37.54\00:10:43.26 about that, he just wanted to say I'm sorry, 00:10:43.29\00:10:46.21 I just didn't get it. 00:10:46.25\00:10:47.70 I think for a lot of the people that you saw is that in 00:10:47.74\00:10:50.93 their life their walking around saying, I just didn't get it. 00:10:50.97\00:10:54.68 Like Aaron, and with his mom and dad just stayed faithful 00:10:54.71\00:10:58.38 in their prayers for him for ever. 00:10:58.42\00:11:00.27 He says to them constantly, I didn't get it and now he is 00:11:00.30\00:11:04.14 doing a Ministry, he's teaching people about health, 00:11:04.17\00:11:06.95 he's teaching people about how to get some solid ground 00:11:06.99\00:11:09.82 under them as far as their recovery, and he still is this 00:11:09.85\00:11:12.65 little gangster that has tattoos on his face. 00:11:12.68\00:11:14.62 When you look at him you think are you kidding me? 00:11:14.65\00:11:17.43 He is so in love with God, so in love with recovery, 00:11:17.46\00:11:20.16 there is a solidness about who he is and his whole family 00:11:20.20\00:11:25.28 stands behind him too, and it is incredible. 00:11:25.32\00:11:28.64 Look at Reginald, Aaron and wonder how these guys, 00:11:28.68\00:11:31.64 they don't look like gang members because God has done 00:11:31.67\00:11:34.35 such a great work in their lives and of course, Brad we 00:11:34.39\00:11:37.73 all wondered who is the guy that married Cheri Peters? 00:11:37.76\00:11:40.44 We wanted to meet the guy, off course having met him, 00:11:40.48\00:11:43.66 solid guy with a great testimony and it's nice to have 00:11:43.69\00:11:46.40 the whole family working towards one goal now isn't it? 00:11:46.44\00:11:49.91 Amen, and I think what God's goal is for us, in our 00:11:49.94\00:11:53.51 recovery, regardless of who we are, I not only want to 00:11:53.55\00:11:56.59 bring you to a place were you like being your own skin, 00:11:56.62\00:11:59.63 where you are going to be enjoying life and 00:11:59.66\00:12:01.01 you are getting it a being transform all that stuff. 00:12:01.05\00:12:04.01 We come from places where were we are lying, and 00:12:04.05\00:12:06.60 manipulating and running and playing everybody. 00:12:06.63\00:12:09.11 He said I would like to teach you not only how to connect 00:12:09.15\00:12:13.30 with Me, but how to connect with your family and have that 00:12:13.33\00:12:17.44 healthy thing in your home. 00:12:17.48\00:12:18.83 I mean it is huge because we think it is all about us and 00:12:18.86\00:12:22.24 recovery and God just wants to pan back and said you have 00:12:22.27\00:12:25.65 a generation that is going to follow you and all that is 00:12:25.69\00:12:29.42 important. - yeah, yeah, and Reginald has that whole family 00:12:29.46\00:12:33.16 all moving together, it's cool, singing together 00:12:33.19\00:12:35.63 working together and praying together. 00:12:35.67\00:12:37.33 You saw them what I brought them to church on 00:12:37.37\00:12:39.05 one of the Sabbath's and they were full of joy, full of joy. 00:12:39.08\00:12:43.56 Him and his little son doing an evangelistic series, 00:12:43.60\00:12:46.75 he's only 12 years old. - in a mall, that is so cool. 00:12:46.79\00:12:50.08 His whole idea was I think I can do that and his sister 00:12:50.11\00:12:53.78 being seven years old said something to me in church on 00:12:53.82\00:12:57.45 the Sabbath that they talked to me in church. 00:12:57.49\00:12:59.93 She said, I just didn't think God could use him, 00:12:59.96\00:13:02.37 he was eight of years old when he started. 00:13:02.41\00:13:04.17 I am thinking that this is from a gang member, this is the 00:13:04.21\00:13:08.09 children of a gang member. 00:13:08.12\00:13:09.67 I'm like God, how cool are You, I just want to kiss Him 00:13:09.71\00:13:13.05 on the face just and say. 00:13:13.08\00:13:14.64 I think we have no idea that God is capable of coming 00:13:14.67\00:13:18.35 into the worst situation and just bringing life and joy 00:13:18.39\00:13:22.03 and hope, which is amazing. 00:13:22.06\00:13:23.98 It is amazing and exciting, it really is. 00:13:24.02\00:13:26.96 And with this series, what was really interesting, 00:13:27.00\00:13:29.50 I learned about this season is that there was very little 00:13:29.54\00:13:32.55 teaching, because teaching was not a testimony. 00:13:32.59\00:13:34.88 You know that I introduce people right away and got them 00:13:34.91\00:13:38.79 up talking about their stories right away, and I didn't 00:13:38.83\00:13:42.49 even want to take time away from what you visually saw. 00:13:42.52\00:13:46.15 Because what you visually saw was the testimony, 00:13:46.18\00:13:48.95 they could not say anything, but you saw this health in 00:13:48.99\00:13:52.28 this life and joy, absolutely amazing. 00:13:52.31\00:13:54.68 The next role in I want to talk about is that I got sent 00:13:54.71\00:13:59.79 this book from Pacific press. 00:13:59.82\00:14:01.33 This book was about this guy that works for the police 00:14:01.37\00:14:04.97 department and he was the chaplain, but as I started to 00:14:05.00\00:14:08.57 research him, they called him the buzzard. 00:14:08.61\00:14:11.82 I thought buzzard, what is that about? 00:14:11.85\00:14:15.00 They said that if there was someone dead he was around 00:14:15.03\00:14:18.88 because he was gifted at being able to step into the pain 00:14:18.92\00:14:22.63 of someone, family members that lost someone with either 00:14:22.66\00:14:25.73 murder, suicide, or whatever and he was gifted at that. 00:14:25.76\00:14:29.55 So when he come in to talk about not only what he did as 00:14:29.59\00:14:33.29 far as for a living, but what his healing was that left 00:14:33.32\00:14:36.99 him with that gift, because what an odd gift. 00:14:37.03\00:14:40.16 - yeah, yeah it's incredible. 00:14:40.20\00:14:41.84 Several years ago Martin Weber and I did a panel together. 00:14:41.88\00:14:45.71 I made my presentation and then I just sat back and 00:14:45.74\00:14:48.49 listened to what he had to say, very, very powerful 00:14:48.53\00:14:51.24 and God has given him a unique gift. 00:14:51.28\00:14:52.94 And that was amazing, his gift came from his wounds. 00:14:52.98\00:14:56.08 That is where a lot of us don't know in our recovery and this 00:14:56.12\00:14:59.80 season especially I want to show that. 00:14:59.83\00:15:01.68 Most of our wounds, most of the darkest places in our 00:15:01.71\00:15:05.50 lives God brings us to a place of healing, and you think 00:15:05.53\00:15:09.29 He is going to take it from you. 00:15:09.32\00:15:10.97 There is a song that says, heal the wounds but leave the 00:15:11.01\00:15:14.41 scar, and the song refers that you think he's going to 00:15:14.45\00:15:17.48 take it but I'd like to leave that, because that is what 00:15:17.51\00:15:20.50 we are going to work with. 00:15:20.54\00:15:21.74 You can actually speak life into other people because of 00:15:21.77\00:15:25.30 that scar, that wound and that is what Martin Weber as 00:15:25.33\00:15:28.82 a child was so afraid all time. 00:15:28.85\00:15:31.22 Now he is walking into these incredible murder scenes 00:15:31.26\00:15:34.39 and he is not afraid and bringing that kind of hope 00:15:34.42\00:15:37.52 for someone else in their own recovery. 00:15:37.55\00:15:39.56 That term of you using your gifts from your wounds is a 00:15:39.59\00:15:42.53 fantastic concept and we are going to see that throughout 00:15:42.56\00:15:46.21 this year that God gives you victory over it, but leaves 00:15:46.25\00:15:50.10 just enough there to serve as a platform for your Ministry. 00:15:50.13\00:15:53.95 We see that here and it is a great thing. 00:15:53.99\00:15:55.64 The other group that we are going to talk about is my 00:15:56.84\00:15:59.19 favorite, I have had them on before, the Miracle Meadow 00:15:59.23\00:16:01.91 kids, these are kids that are in an alternative school. 00:16:01.94\00:16:05.46 Some corner pointed, some with horrendous issues and they 00:16:05.49\00:16:08.89 are trying to look at, what do I think about recovery. 00:16:08.92\00:16:12.54 Coming from these horrible backgrounds and a lot of times, 00:16:12.57\00:16:15.98 you know family dysfunctions and all that, they jump into 00:16:16.01\00:16:19.18 drugs at school, they are in gangs and all that and now they 00:16:19.22\00:16:22.70 are trying to look at, is it possible that God is bigger 00:16:22.74\00:16:26.19 than this and I can actually have a life? 00:16:26.23\00:16:28.12 And I love that, so just reintroducing some of the kids 00:16:28.16\00:16:32.62 from there, and it's not the same kids. 00:16:32.66\00:16:35.02 Because hopefully the kids from last time have graduated. 00:16:35.05\00:16:37.77 One in particular which was funny on this season, 00:16:37.81\00:16:40.97 I was talking to her and I didn't want to say it's been 00:16:41.00\00:16:45.41 three years isn't it time that you get it? 00:16:45.44\00:16:48.80 And finally she looked at me when I said something, 00:16:48.84\00:16:51.36 and she looked at me and said Cheri I'm staff now. 00:16:51.39\00:16:55.46 Oh good because I was thinking oh my goodness. 00:16:55.49\00:16:59.49 But what I really think about that as how God uses that 00:16:59.52\00:17:03.75 wound to do the Ministry and now she is working with the 00:17:03.78\00:17:07.97 very kids that she was, amazing stuff. 00:17:08.00\00:17:10.56 The last one is Tom and Vicki and you know them. 00:17:10.59\00:17:12.87 - oh yeah, yeah! 00:17:12.91\00:17:14.37 They work here at 3 ABN and have gone through so 00:17:14.41\00:17:16.77 much stuff as far as divorce and divorce recovery. 00:17:16.81\00:17:19.10 So enjoy this role in because each of the people here 00:17:19.14\00:17:23.62 are using what they have been through in order to help 00:17:23.65\00:17:27.32 the next person, so it is not only the recovery anymore, 00:17:27.35\00:17:30.98 it is how I'm going to use that to step out in the world 00:17:31.01\00:17:34.60 and speak life into someone else's life? 00:17:34.64\00:17:36.48 So here I am, the buzzard, venturing forth into these 00:17:39.42\00:17:43.47 deaths situations and I didn't go timidly, I went boldly. 00:17:43.50\00:17:47.52 This spirit of God came upon me and I realized that 00:17:47.55\00:17:52.33 Christ has conquered death. 00:17:52.36\00:17:54.65 It's a terrible thing it's an enemy, but it is a conquered 00:17:54.68\00:17:58.54 enemy, so we can storm the gates of hell. 00:17:58.57\00:18:01.80 We can go into these situations where people are suffering 00:18:01.83\00:18:05.40 the loss of their loved ones and we could bring them hope, 00:18:05.43\00:18:09.26 even though they are in the middle of shock and this is the 00:18:09.29\00:18:13.08 worst night of their life. 00:18:13.12\00:18:14.30 I'm going to be there for them and I'm going to be there 00:18:14.34\00:18:17.17 to represent God to them, and I will help them through that 00:18:17.21\00:18:20.89 night so that when day dawns and their friends wake up, 00:18:20.93\00:18:24.94 their pastor or priest wake up and the counselors wake up 00:18:24.97\00:18:28.95 they will be ready to connect with them. 00:18:28.99\00:18:31.05 But tonight I'm here for them. 00:18:31.09\00:18:32.78 When you meet a kid, for example when Caleb was fresh at 00:18:32.81\00:18:36.98 Miracle Meadows. We would back up constantly because he had a 00:18:37.01\00:18:40.99 way of life, I had a different idea as to where he should 00:18:41.03\00:18:44.69 be heading, and he was like, why are so interested in me? 00:18:44.73\00:18:48.13 He would use the meanest words, call me all the words 00:18:48.16\00:18:51.53 and tried push you right out his life. 00:18:51.57\00:18:52.97 Sometimes he would get in my face and we would have to 00:18:53.01\00:18:55.07 do pastor exchange sometimes, but the thing is working through 00:18:55.10\00:18:58.44 the kid and watching the kid until you're finished. 00:18:58.47\00:19:02.16 Two or three weeks after he understood what you were 00:19:02.20\00:19:05.06 saying, or are would get the picture and then we'd see 00:19:05.09\00:19:07.70 the kid marching at the graduation, they kid whose 00:19:07.74\00:19:10.31 parents had no hope for them. 00:19:10.35\00:19:12.19 Kid who was hooked on drugs, in an out of delinquent halls 00:19:12.22\00:19:15.87 and finally move forward, that in itself is a motivating fact 00:19:15.90\00:19:20.79 to be working with kids like those. 00:19:20.83\00:19:22.46 It's amazing, the day I was trying to, the first time I 00:19:22.50\00:19:26.22 wanted to end my life, right when I was planning to do this 00:19:26.26\00:19:29.20 someone knocked on the door and my dad shows up in the middle 00:19:29.24\00:19:32.15 of the day. A we started talking and I was telling 00:19:32.18\00:19:34.87 everything that was going on, and I think even made the 00:19:34.90\00:19:37.13 words I don't see any hope and he looked at me and said 00:19:37.16\00:19:39.35 you are trying to hurt yourself are you? 00:19:39.39\00:19:43.30 I didn't want to say yes. 00:19:43.34\00:19:44.90 He very clearly said you know you 00:19:44.94\00:19:48.93 have two kids and they need their dad so bad. 00:19:48.96\00:19:51.60 This is just stuff you're losing, 00:19:51.63\00:19:54.98 you can start all over and again. 00:19:55.02\00:19:58.29 I had also grown up in a kind of Christian 00:19:58.33\00:20:00.28 tradition where basic, this is what devastated me too. 00:20:00.32\00:20:03.17 If you get divorced you can no longer serve God. 00:20:03.20\00:20:06.93 It's out the window. 00:20:06.96\00:20:08.75 - a Lot people believe that. 00:20:08.78\00:20:10.01 A lot of people believe it and I was believing it too 00:20:10.05\00:20:12.95 until I had a very wise Christian woman pull me aside, 00:20:12.98\00:20:16.90 an incredible woman that pulled me aside, she was an 00:20:16.94\00:20:20.34 older lady and said to me, you know, He is going to take 00:20:20.37\00:20:23.73 this and uses for His glory. 00:20:23.77\00:20:26.65 You know Cheri, Martin Weber looked so professional, 00:20:28.34\00:20:30.53 he looks like he ought to be in a college, a guy named 00:20:30.57\00:20:32.73 the buzzard it shows what God can do. 00:20:32.77\00:20:35.04 I think it is amazing and even with the kids from Miracle 00:20:35.07\00:20:39.21 Meadows, as they stand up and talk about what their 00:20:39.24\00:20:42.53 journey is like, where they have come from, and some of 00:20:42.57\00:20:45.89 them are seriously gang issues and they are now looking 00:20:45.92\00:20:49.21 at how not to manipulate and how not to lie in 00:20:49.25\00:20:51.78 any of that stuff. 00:20:51.81\00:20:53.43 I love the fact that when they come and do these programs, 00:20:53.46\00:20:56.78 it may be that somebody said you know they're 00:20:56.82\00:20:59.02 not even there yet. 00:20:59.05\00:21:00.51 Our process of recovery is not about being there, I think 00:21:00.54\00:21:03.64 if the Bible is true, and I'm beginning to think it is. 00:21:03.67\00:21:06.59 If the Bible is true it's of the best of the best of us 00:21:06.62\00:21:09.51 are like filthy rags compared to God. 00:21:09.54\00:21:11.63 Compared what we will be at the end of all this, so it is 00:21:11.67\00:21:16.40 like that process of recovery, 00:21:16.43\00:21:18.19 I think is as critical. 00:21:18.22\00:21:19.91 Every step, every time I decide, like I said I'm dealing 00:21:19.94\00:21:25.37 with all these crises in my life and I'm not using. 00:21:25.41\00:21:28.18 Every time I decide that that is part of my recovery. 00:21:28.22\00:21:30.96 Being able to see that is amazing. 00:21:30.99\00:21:33.19 To recover and recovering like Tom and Vicky, they look so 00:21:33.22\00:21:36.85 whole, so healthy and are such good people now you wouldn't 00:21:36.89\00:21:40.48 know there was this kind of trauma in their lives. 00:21:40.52\00:21:43.13 When you go through a divorce and never come out clean, 00:21:43.17\00:21:46.70 you just don't. 00:21:46.73\00:21:48.12 The recovery is a testament of holding on to the arm of faith. 00:21:48.15\00:21:51.77 When Tom was talking up here, I just wanted the kill her, 00:21:51.81\00:21:56.07 and I'm thinking Tom I've known you for a long time, but 00:21:56.11\00:21:59.64 he said that rage that happens when you've been betrayed at 00:21:59.68\00:22:03.48 that level, and how do you then get to a point, like he 00:22:03.52\00:22:06.97 did in this interview, get to a point where you are 00:22:07.00\00:22:10.38 speaking words of comfort to the very person that betrayed you. 00:22:10.42\00:22:14.60 I love the fact that he said to her at one point, if 00:22:14.64\00:22:18.05 anybody tells you that you can't do something because of 00:22:18.09\00:22:21.44 this divorce, have him call me and I will give you a reference. 00:22:21.47\00:22:24.23 you a reference. 00:22:24.27\00:22:25.39 It was he got to that kind of healing and that is why I 00:22:25.43\00:22:28.17 think God is amazing, it is not in our own self that we can 00:22:28.20\00:22:30.99 give that healing, it is that God says that I will take you 00:22:31.03\00:22:33.93 to a place where you will forgive the very abusers in your 00:22:33.97\00:22:36.84 life and speak life into them a lot of times. 00:22:36.87\00:22:39.74 Not every time, but a lot of times. 00:22:39.77\00:22:41.51 And be whole in doing so, that is why we talk about 00:22:41.54\00:22:45.14 Celebrating Life In Recovery, that you are recovered and 00:22:45.18\00:22:49.36 recovering at the same time. 00:22:49.40\00:22:51.53 Every victory, every time you can call the name of your ex 00:22:51.57\00:22:55.01 or give it to the Lord, where they have a problem and you 00:22:55.05\00:22:58.99 can go to them and help them, that's recovery, that is been 00:22:59.02\00:23:02.93 recovered and recovering. 00:23:02.96\00:23:04.62 Not holding onto the anger and the bitterness and even 00:23:04.65\00:23:08.48 research is saying that holding onto that we get ourselves 00:23:08.51\00:23:11.95 physically sick, mentally sick and emotionally sick and 00:23:11.99\00:23:15.40 eventually we will relapse. 00:23:15.43\00:23:16.97 So God just says, get into the word. 00:23:17.00\00:23:18.94 I want to say, this season we are promoting 2 different things 00:23:18.97\00:23:22.81 We always have a book that we promote and one of them is 00:23:22.84\00:23:25.44 Shelley's new book 'Pressing into His Presence', 00:23:25.48\00:23:27.90 because we can't do any of this kind of journey, 00:23:27.94\00:23:30.33 this recovery journey, 00:23:30.37\00:23:31.89 without really pressing into the presence of God. 00:23:31.93\00:23:34.32 Learning how to say to God every day and I'm going to start 00:23:34.35\00:23:38.19 with knowing that You are going to walk me through this day. 00:23:38.23\00:23:41.67 You are going to teach me more this day, so that book was 00:23:41.71\00:23:45.70 I looked at it, how can you teach somebody to even pray, 00:23:45.74\00:23:49.70 I was glad that Shelley is bringing that book out 00:23:49.73\00:23:52.35 because that is one of them. 00:23:52.39\00:23:53.48 Another one and I have two Bibles here, because we always 00:23:53.51\00:23:58.32 look for other books, my husband has a Bible that's says The Book 00:23:58.36\00:24:03.94 He is just really straight- forward, where is my book? 00:24:03.97\00:24:08.68 So I have a recovery Bible that I like and in the recovery 00:24:08.72\00:24:13.39 Bible there are a Lot of them on the market now. 00:24:13.43\00:24:15.25 Goes through even people's testimonies, both through their 00:24:15.28\00:24:18.54 journey, and go to the 12 steps and all that stuff. 00:24:18.58\00:24:22.32 So get a Bible that you can hold onto because people can 00:24:22.36\00:24:27.91 tell you what God says and people can tell you what 00:24:27.95\00:24:30.07 this is all about 00:24:30.10\00:24:31.16 I think we can actually benefit every as we look at the 00:24:31.19\00:24:35.37 fact that God sings over us as we sleep. 00:24:35.41\00:24:37.99 Like it says in Zephaniah, or He has a plan for our life as 00:24:38.03\00:24:41.53 it says in Jeremiah, it says in John that I don't count 00:24:41.56\00:24:45.87 your sins against you and I'm thinking Wahoo, I need that. 00:24:45.91\00:24:49.73 There is another Bible that 3ABN offers that's amazing 00:24:49.77\00:24:53.27 to study Bible for people that literally have gone through 00:24:53.31\00:24:56.32 some of the recovery stuff and you have a sense of where 00:24:56.36\00:24:59.03 God is emotionally in your life and you want to go deeper. 00:24:59.07\00:25:02.83 Deeper is amazing because you start to realize that God has 00:25:02.87\00:25:06.48 been through history in the lives of people to get them 00:25:06.51\00:25:10.09 to stand up and just heal. 00:25:10.12\00:25:11.71 He does that in Nations, He does that in families and 00:25:11.75\00:25:15.29 He does that in individuals. 00:25:15.32\00:25:16.29 So the 'Bible' is one that we are promoting this season, and 00:25:16.30\00:25:20.00 the other one is 'Pressing Into His Presence'. 00:25:20.04\00:25:21.92 About learning to pray, what does that mean? 00:25:21.95\00:25:23.80 Learning to listen to the voice of God. 00:25:23.83\00:25:25.62 It is absolutely amazing when you start to learn 00:25:25.65\00:25:28.82 that, people can pull on you in different kinds of directions. 00:25:28.85\00:25:32.17 You can have all kinds of things hit you, but if I'm solid 00:25:32.21\00:25:35.83 in my heart towards God's heart I know He heart is towards me 00:25:35.86\00:25:39.45 I am going to be blessed. 00:25:39.48\00:25:41.27 So I want you to stay with us, we are going to come back 00:25:41.30\00:25:44.08 and I will show you more of the role ins, amazing who 00:25:44.12\00:25:46.86 has been on this season, but remember get that 00:25:46.90\00:25:50.02 foundation for yourself. 00:25:50.05\00:25:51.46 We will be right back so stay with us. 00:25:51.50\00:25:52.96