Welcome back, before the
break we were talking about
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your journey Amy, and how
you were really wooed by God.
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I mean it sounds like He
let you run in all different
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kinds of directions, but He
was really after your heart.
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He was and I'm so thankful,
He was like a relentless
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lover, He never gives up
until He can take that place in
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the heart, that's what He wants.
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You were asking me
Cheri, about prayer.
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How I learned to pray, it
was totally a new concept for
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me, one day, that first
week after I had been to the
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evangelistic series, I walked
outside of the house I was
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staying in, and I was
asking God to teach me, how do I
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pray? Are You really there?
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I have so much unbelief
and doubt and struggles even
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after I had just met Him.
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It was like I did not hear
His voice, but I had this deep
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sense of His presence.
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It was like His
hands went around me,
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and what was
broken came together,
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it was like He just
hugged me and said I'm here.
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What a love about that journey
for you is that the first
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thing you asked
was a prayer, teach me!
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Teach me! It is like being
able to say to God, I don't
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know anything, I'm
like a little baby.
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I don't know how to walk yet.
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I don't even know how to
connect with a God that spoke
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the universe into creation,
how do I connect with You?
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And then, do You hear me?
That is long before you get
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into the Bible and the
Bible says, I knit you together
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in the womb, I've
known you your whole life.
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I know how many hairs are
on your head, I really do think
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about you, and My thoughts
toward you are more numerous
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than the grains of sand.
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When I started finding all that
stuff, I was like who is this
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God? Do you know what I mean?
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So when folks are coming
into recovery, any group,
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a Bible group, 12-step groups,
any place that God brings
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you from, is that you really
have to know who He is and
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the fact that His thoughts
are numerous towards us.
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He thinks about us,
Isaiah 57:17 or 18 it says,
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I delight in your recovery,
I know all your garbage
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and I delight in that.
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It doesn't even
bother Me because I am God,
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and I want to heal you.
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So Lee you listen to Amy
and we know you know her story
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and have listened to her story,
so fill us in on your journey
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and how you guys met.
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Well I was born and raised
in England the first 10 years
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of my life and then we move
to Australia with our family.
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I didn't really have God in
mind, I wasn't grown up with
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the Bible and I didn't
know many of the Bible stories.
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I heard of Jesus and only
used His name irreverently.
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It wasn't until I was
in my teens. - Wait! Wait!
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I like the way you just
jump in, because you were a wild
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thing. - I was - I
know that. Still am!
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Yes I ended up quitting school
when I was 15 and I didn't
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really have any ambition.
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I played golf every
day and ended up as a dance
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instructor and that is
where I really found my need.
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It was at that point.
- because you were good?
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I was a professional born
dance instructor and I thought
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that was going
to fill that need.
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I found out pretty
quickly that was not the case.
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So you'd not only got into the
whole dance scene, didn't you
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as far as drinking, out
partying, that kind of thing?
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Yes, yes we did go out partying
and I couldn't understand
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because I would go
out with a friend of mine,
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and he would have a wonderful
time, and say how wonderful
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it was, but in my
heart I knew that was a lie.
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There was no joy in seeing
someone vomit up, you know.
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Or get drunk, it just
didn't make any sense.
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In your mind you said,
this cannot be all there is.
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Yes. - but you got into,
your journey led you to some
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New Age things yourself?
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Yes, like Amy I ended up
looking for the meaning of life.
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I went from different
books, studying 'ology's',
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anything with an
'ology' on the end.
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I was truly seeking and felt
my need of starting my whole
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life again, I wish I could
just erase it and go back in
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time, but then I
had no guidelines.
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How to make my life
any better than it was.
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So that is where the Lord
met me, is when I felt that
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need of change in my heart.
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Didn't you even teach for
a while? Did you teach that
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you can grab it all
yourself, and really do...
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Yes, I got involved
in the New Age movement.
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- I'm not letting you
skip by all this stuff.
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I'm big and I know so
much about you, wait a minute.
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Because what I like about
that, I know sometimes people
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want to skip over those things
in their lives and want to
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jump in and say I did
this and now I'm here.
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But I think all that
makes a difference, because you
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really did explore all that
to the point where I believed
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it enough, I want
to teach you this.
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Yes that is right, I
got involved in New Age.
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I started to go into programs
that try to make you feel
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better,
self-development programs.
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They try to take you back
in your past and try to make
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you feel that all the
power laid within yourself to
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change, and
sometimes it's very emotional.
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You would see yourself where
you were, but then you would
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be directed back to yourself
to try and get the power
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outside of yourself to change.
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So I really felt that it was
like drinking a cup of coffee.
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You get a high and
then you go down again.
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So you have to keep
going back for more.
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That was at a point where I
started to realize that this
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is not going to help, I
need something more than this.
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- So just like the
partying, like somehow this
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facade is good but
it is still not working?
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- that is right. - it is
still not working for me.
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You know it is interesting,
I feel that way sometimes
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when you drive through
Las Vegas and you see these
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casinos, and this is the
Taj Mahal, I know it's not the
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Taj Mahal, you know what I mean?
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I know that, so me and
emotional sense is what you're
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saying, is that I knew it
wasn't it, I knew that was
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a fa÷ade. - yes, I think
inside of you, you really want
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to believe that you can do it.
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You want to believe that
you can make yourself someone
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that you aren't, but -
somebody's got to do it.
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Yes. - do you know
what I mean, cause it's not
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happening. - exactly and I
got myself into the mess in
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the first place, so I
can't get myself out of it.
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Right, because I think
you really think when somebody
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does do that journey, and
does do those searches, it is
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almost like your heart is
crying, something has to work.
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Something has to change
this because right now the only
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thing I know, is
it's not working.
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I've got to have
hope in something.
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What's interesting is if
you don't have that spiritual
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background, if you're living,
like you said, in a very secular
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place that no one is really
speaking to you about God,
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so it is like all I
know is that I'm not there
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and something has to work.
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We hold onto everything,
anything that goes by you think,
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oh, that might work,
and you grab hold of.
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So going through all
that, how did you get to a place
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where all of a sudden you
start to look at spirituality
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and God becomes
what you're looking at?
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Well I turned the TV
on one day and I saw an
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advertisement for
archaeology seminar.
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It was on the pyramids, so
I thought great, I can learn
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more on the
mystery of the pyramids.
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So I headed off to town and
little did I realize that it
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was a Seventh-day
Adventist evangelistic series.
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- that is
funny! - that is funny.
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It's great information
but it was not what you were
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thinking? - and no, I
think if I would have known
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before I got there I
would have turned back.
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But the Lord knew I had to
be convicted that the Bible
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was true, coming from an
atheistic background, being
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raised up with a doubting
mind, I really needed to have
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that assurance that the
Bible is true to be able to
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understand more about
that, and the Lord knew that.
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So I would see night after
night, evidence from the Bible
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and what they had said,
past time and what it is today.
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That just blew me away, it
was like coming out of a dark
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hole, and they start talking
about this Hebrew prophets.
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I never even
knew a Hebrew prophet.
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I didn't even knew
what Hebrew was. - right!
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I thought these guys
know more than Nostradamus,
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I have to look into this
and the next thing I knew
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I had a Bible in my hand.
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I started asking questions
about Jesus, and life after
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death, and it was
just unbelievable.
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When the light goes on
and you have no previous
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background to that, and
someone can present the Bible
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and give you the
answers, that blew me away.
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When somebody says, I'm
searching, I'm looking at
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all this stuff, and
all of a sudden I see God
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and a light goes on.
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Let's say you're talking
to someone totally secular,
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has no idea what you
just said, why the difference?
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Why does that matter?
What was different before that
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happened and
after that happened?
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How did you feel physically
and mentally, did it matter?
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It did, it did, I
felt I had wasted my life.
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I felt emptiness in my
soul and nothing else could fill
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that need, and the
Lord knew I had to hang onto
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something, I had to
have faith in something.
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I believe God had to convince
me first intellectually,
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in order to have a heart
experience, where I can open
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myself to Him and
say, yes there is a God.
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I can pray to Him
because I know His word is true.
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- so it is almost like
Amy, you are saying, I ate.
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I had this eating
disorder to fill me up.
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It sounds like emptiness
was not about food for you,
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but it was very real
emptiness anyway? - yes.
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God all of a sudden said.
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There is these
tuggings on your heart.
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I remember the first time
I went to church feeling like
00:11:10.65\00:11:14.42
I could have the rocks fall
on me because everyone seemed
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so holy and
everyone was smiling,
00:11:18.22\00:11:21.79
they had this joy and love
and I noticed that instantly
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I just felt so unholy.
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- like I didn't have a
right to be there? - exactly.
00:11:27.63\00:11:29.96
I didn't even come back
because it was too much.
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You ever had an experience
where the world is too much,
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oh this is
overwhelming emotionally.
00:11:35.58\00:11:39.34
So that is what I
felt at that time.
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I'm glad you came
back. - eventually.
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So at this point you guys
still don't know each other?
00:11:46.28\00:11:50.08
No. - you are having
this spiritual experience.
00:11:50.11\00:11:52.27
You are falling in love with
God and turning things over.
00:11:52.31\00:11:55.81
You are having a spiritual
experience almost in the
00:11:55.84\00:11:58.19
same place, so how
did God finally say,
00:11:58.22\00:12:03.42
I want you guys to now meet?
00:12:03.45\00:12:05.57
Well it was about 11 years
after that, the Lord had to
00:12:05.60\00:12:10.77
take us on a different journey.
00:12:10.81\00:12:12.98
- What did you do in those
11 years? That's a long time.
00:12:13.01\00:12:17.23
For some reason I
thought you guys met right away,
00:12:17.27\00:12:19.46
but no. - no. - no!
00:12:19.50\00:12:21.56
It wouldn't have worked,
you can have the right love at
00:12:21.59\00:12:23.54
the wrong time, and
that's what happened.
00:12:23.58\00:12:26.24
- that's an incredible saying,
00:12:26.28\00:12:28.30
the right love
at the wrong time.
00:12:28.34\00:12:30.29
I think as you were
talking about recovery, I had so
00:12:30.33\00:12:33.36
much emotional damage
there was no way I was ready for
00:12:33.39\00:12:36.39
a relationship, I
was but 22 years old.
00:12:36.43\00:12:38.88
So I think that's one of
the reasons the Lord took
00:12:38.91\00:12:40.93
another 11 years before we met.
00:12:40.97\00:12:43.56
Okay, because now you're
recovering from the eating
00:12:43.59\00:12:46.98
disorder and all that
stuff, God is just walking you
00:12:47.02\00:12:50.38
into all that? - right, right.
00:12:50.41\00:12:52.94
Okay, so for you what
did you do in those 11 years?
00:12:52.98\00:12:56.53
Well I started getting
more involved in overseas
00:12:56.56\00:13:00.04
missionary work and so I
traveled to the Philippines,
00:13:00.07\00:13:04.02
Japan, and so we ended up
going to different countries.
00:13:04.06\00:13:09.22
Sometimes, it wasn't until
after met, we found out that we
00:13:09.26\00:13:12.52
actually been
to the same places.
00:13:12.55\00:13:14.82
- so criss-crossing each
other's paths all along the way.
00:13:14.85\00:13:17.34
- Yes! Exactly.
00:13:17.37\00:13:19.29
That is funny. - yes!
00:13:19.32\00:13:20.89
So there was this one
particular case, on the eve
00:13:20.92\00:13:23.47
before I met Amy, one of
8000 islands in the Philippines,
00:13:23.51\00:13:27.47
the very year before she
was at the same island, the same
00:13:27.50\00:13:30.89
house, the same church,
doing the same thing as I was,
00:13:30.93\00:13:34.31
but we never heard of
each other, it is just amazing.
00:13:34.35\00:13:38.33
That is really funny, so I
want to go back Amy, you said
00:13:38.36\00:13:43.13
you are a 220 pounds, so
God literally walks you into
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a place of health?
00:13:47.93\00:13:49.86
Well! - I like that well.
00:13:49.89\00:13:52.53
He knew I needed a
lot of rehab, a lot.
00:13:52.56\00:13:55.53
I look back on those
years and consider myself an
00:13:55.56\00:13:58.28
emotional rehab, but it's
in disguise because Jesus is so
00:13:58.32\00:14:01.57
kind that other people don't
know that's what He's doing with
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.27
you at so He put me in
different families, a lot of
00:14:04.31\00:14:08.35
Christian homes, and
they were healthy people.
00:14:08.39\00:14:10.44
They taught me how to
eat, how to cook, how to live
00:14:10.47\00:14:13.58
healthily for the body
and of course that affected me
00:14:13.61\00:14:17.42
emotionally just being nurtured
by families filling those
00:14:17.45\00:14:21.37
emotional voids that I had
not had as much as I needed.
00:14:21.41\00:14:25.29
So that's what He did
with me over those years,
00:14:25.33\00:14:28.40
and there were other things.
00:14:28.44\00:14:29.95
He put me with children,
and the children are such a
00:14:29.98\00:14:32.46
healing thing, working
with children so I became a home
00:14:32.50\00:14:34.77
school teacher for a number
of years, with the little ones.
00:14:34.80\00:14:37.03
I learned how they trusted
me, then I learned how to
00:14:37.07\00:14:40.20
trust in Jesus more
than it built me emotionally.
00:14:40.24\00:14:43.94
When you say that a lot
of folks will not understand
00:14:43.98\00:14:47.32
that, I worked with down
syndrome kids and it's the same
00:14:47.36\00:14:50.32
thing, they love me to
death, because they love you.
00:14:50.35\00:14:53.31
I told people at the end
of my shift, that I had snot
00:14:53.34\00:14:56.57
from head to toe, just from
being hugged on and all that
00:14:56.60\00:15:00.67
stuff, but it was like I
needed to be loved and to be
00:15:00.70\00:15:04.74
touched and those
kids just love you.
00:15:04.77\00:15:06.97
That's what He did for me
and I ended up thinking Lord
00:15:07.01\00:15:08.61
why did You could be with
children, because I am not
00:15:08.64\00:15:10.21
a teacher and I
don't know what I'm doing?
00:15:10.25\00:15:11.87
But the Lord was really
healing me, that's what He was
00:15:11.91\00:15:13.88
doing and I realized that later.
00:15:13.91\00:15:15.49
It's interesting to be
able to say, no matter where you
00:15:15.53\00:15:18.12
are at in your recovery
journey, once you turn it over
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.71
to God, it's trust
that He knows what you need.
00:15:20.75\00:15:23.86
We think we can run ahead
of Him, He is like this damage
00:15:23.89\00:15:28.18
is so deep that I want to
start bringing this damage out
00:15:28.21\00:15:32.46
so you can surrender it.
00:15:32.50\00:15:33.74
It sounds but that's
what He was doing with you.
00:15:33.77\00:15:36.76
During the time that was
using you Lee for Ministry,
00:15:36.80\00:15:39.61
did you feel that same thing
as you are getting a little
00:15:39.65\00:15:42.42
bit of healing, as
you were walking with God.
00:15:42.46\00:15:45.99
I felt I was getting to the
point where I started to have
00:15:46.03\00:15:50.57
emotional needs for a wife,
even though I was involved in
00:15:50.60\00:15:54.04
Ministry and there was still
a little emptiness I guess.
00:15:54.07\00:15:57.47
Something that probably
Adam felt, when he saw the
00:15:57.51\00:16:01.85
creatures, that they had a pair.
00:16:01.88\00:16:04.34
So even though my
heart was in Ministry,
00:16:04.38\00:16:07.16
I still felt that
longing for a partner,
00:16:07.19\00:16:09.94
and I prayed for several years.
00:16:09.98\00:16:12.15
If I remember you made a
list? - That's right, yes.
00:16:12.18\00:16:16.45
So talk about that,
because that was funny to me.
00:16:16.48\00:16:20.68
I thought women did that, but
then I started asking men after
00:16:20.72\00:16:24.29
you shared that with
me, some men do that?
00:16:24.33\00:16:26.51
Yes they do. - that was cool.
00:16:26.55\00:16:28.62
Well I didn't think there
was enough ladies on the planet
00:16:28.65\00:16:30.83
to meet my list, I
thought I was asking too much.
00:16:30.87\00:16:33.92
I really want someone
that was like Rebecca,
00:16:33.95\00:16:38.11
you know willing to go
anywhere, because the Lord kept
00:16:38.14\00:16:40.58
taking me different places,
and I did know the next year
00:16:40.61\00:16:43.01
where are was going to go.
00:16:43.05\00:16:44.28
So I needed a lady that was
willing, by faith, to just go
00:16:44.32\00:16:48.70
anywhere the Lord had called me.
00:16:48.73\00:16:50.69
- just to pick up
whenever you wanted to pick up.
00:16:50.73\00:16:53.06
Yes, exactly. - you
wanted her to be what else?
00:16:53.10\00:16:55.36
I wanted her to be a
medical missionary, needed to be
00:16:55.39\00:17:01.80
reasonably tall, and
someone who could complement my
00:17:01.83\00:17:07.16
Ministry, like music
which Amy is very gifted with.
00:17:07.19\00:17:12.52
What is funny and I have
to stay with the fact, so your
00:17:12.56\00:17:17.29
prayer ended up being, and
I want some people that are
00:17:17.33\00:17:21.16
watching and do not know
how to pray yet, so the prayer
00:17:21.20\00:17:24.67
for you was to even trust God
with whom you are going spend
00:17:24.70\00:17:28.14
the rest your life
with? Those kind of things.
00:17:28.17\00:17:30.68
So you're being
able to ask God for that.
00:17:30.72\00:17:33.44
So now I am dying,
how did you guys meet?
00:17:33.47\00:17:36.16
I've been
saying that, so please.
00:17:38.00\00:17:40.35
Can I fill you
in a little on this?
00:17:40.38\00:17:42.67
He just mentioned
Rebecca, that's the Bible story,
00:17:42.70\00:17:46.09
Rebecca and Isaac, that
you find in Genesis first book
00:17:46.12\00:17:49.47
of the Bible, chapter 24.
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.18
For seven years I loved
that story and prayed over that
00:17:51.21\00:17:54.52
story, I said, wouldn't it be
wonderful if Jesus could make me
00:17:54.55\00:17:57.86
a Rebecca, because Jesus
brought Isaac into her life.
00:17:57.90\00:18:01.09
Before she even met him
she knew she was going to marry
00:18:01.12\00:18:05.30
him and I wanted Jesus
to arrange a marriage for me
00:18:05.34\00:18:08.48
because I had had so
many broken relationships.
00:18:08.52\00:18:11.70
I said the one I'd
choose, it is not going to work,
00:18:11.73\00:18:14.84
but if Jesus chooses for
me, He'll give me the one I can
00:18:14.88\00:18:17.38
love more than the
one I choose for myself.
00:18:17.42\00:18:19.67
So I finally got to that
point at 32 years of age were
00:18:19.70\00:18:22.88
I felt, I reconciled and
wanted Jesus' will for me.
00:18:22.91\00:18:26.02
So I claimed that I wanted
to be like Rebecca, and I have
00:18:26.05\00:18:29.20
learned, if you claim the Bible
enough, Jesus will fulfill it
00:18:29.23\00:18:32.34
in your life, He will give
you the desire of your heart.
00:18:32.38\00:18:35.24
So I was praying for
this for seven years.
00:18:35.27\00:18:37.56
When I was living in
new York city after 9/11,
00:18:37.60\00:18:39.82
when the Trade Towers
came down, I was up there were
00:18:39.85\00:18:42.31
some of the rescue efforts.
00:18:42.34\00:18:44.00
I have been praying specifically
for a husband and I felt
00:18:44.03\00:18:47.40
the strong sense of calling
now from Jesus that He was
00:18:47.44\00:18:50.30
going to bring me a husband
and here I am in New York.
00:18:50.34\00:18:53.17
Where is he Lord?
00:18:53.21\00:18:54.75
- with millions of
people walking around.
00:18:54.78\00:18:57.81
I'm thinking okay
Lord, I'm going to trust You.
00:18:57.85\00:19:00.11
I felt like He
was saying wait a bit
00:19:00.14\00:19:02.19
longer Amy, just wait.
00:19:02.23\00:19:03.82
Then after coming back
from church one day, I have been
00:19:03.85\00:19:06.52
praying with a friend of
mine about this particular
00:19:06.55\00:19:09.74
desire and when I got
home I had a phone call from my
00:19:09.77\00:19:12.50
friends down at the Wildwood
life Center, and they had
00:19:12.54\00:19:15.24
just spent the Sabbath with Lee.
00:19:15.27\00:19:17.03
He had just
arrived at the center.
00:19:17.06\00:19:18.75
They said Amy, we're convicted
that this is the husband you
00:19:18.78\00:19:21.94
need to come back, he's the one.
00:19:21.97\00:19:23.86
- Not that they wanted
to set you up on a date.
00:19:23.90\00:19:27.20
Hey, your husband is here.
00:19:27.23\00:19:29.52
That's right, and the thing
of it was this lady was not a
00:19:29.56\00:19:33.36
matchmaker, she was a serious
praying Christian lady who
00:19:33.40\00:19:37.26
mentored me and I really took
her opinion as being worthy.
00:19:37.29\00:19:40.73
You know what, like Sarah
when she heard should was going
00:19:40.76\00:19:43.84
to have a baby, I just laughed,
because Sarah was 90 years
00:19:43.88\00:19:46.93
old to have a baby.
00:19:46.96\00:19:48.30
I felt wow, is
this really happening?
00:19:48.33\00:19:50.39
I knew deep in my heart Jesus
was calling me to go and marry
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.33
him, so she gave me all the
statistics that she had found
00:19:53.36\00:19:56.42
out about him and it turned
out that his life was very
00:19:56.45\00:19:59.12
similar to mine, all the
places we have been crossing for
00:19:59.15\00:20:01.98
years and I was convicted I
needed to leave New York and go
00:20:02.01\00:20:04.81
back to Georgia
and meet this man.
00:20:04.84\00:20:07.28
- so you ended up going to
Wildwood, what did you guys
00:20:07.31\00:20:10.26
think when you met each other?
00:20:10.30\00:20:12.42
Because when God arranges that,
it's not like the world and
00:20:12.46\00:20:16.46
you get fireworks that
go off, and all of a sudden!
00:20:16.49\00:20:21.14
It is not all that and
that is where I think we get so
00:20:21.17\00:20:25.78
tripped up, is that
love is more real than that.
00:20:25.81\00:20:29.06
- Yes, when I first saw
Lee I was sitting at the nurses
00:20:29.09\00:20:32.79
station there at the hospital
and I knew this was the man
00:20:32.82\00:20:36.48
that my friend
had told me about.
00:20:36.51\00:20:38.34
I got very nervous, and
when I looked at him I thought
00:20:38.38\00:20:41.17
ought oh! I think
God made a mistake.
00:20:41.20\00:20:44.05
Because he is not my type,
that was my initial reaction and
00:20:46.35\00:20:49.59
I'm sorry about that, but like
you say there were no fireworks,
00:20:49.63\00:20:52.84
there is no
chemistry, nothing like that.
00:20:52.87\00:20:55.55
And he felt the same. -
plus I had an interest for
00:20:55.58\00:20:57.90
another lady at the time.
00:20:57.93\00:20:59.97
But I do remember that morning,
dressing up and cleaning my
00:21:00.00\00:21:03.81
fingernails knowing that she
was going to come, even though
00:21:03.85\00:21:07.62
I had an
interest for someone else.
00:21:07.65\00:21:09.31
As soon as I saw her I knew
this was a lady that my friend
00:21:09.35\00:21:14.05
had told me about, but there
was no interest, there was no
00:21:14.08\00:21:18.74
chemistry, sparks
or anything like that.
00:21:18.78\00:21:21.13
The Lord had to change my heart.
00:21:21.16\00:21:24.68
- right, did you say to
God, I hear what You are saying,
00:21:24.71\00:21:29.81
but I don't get it
because I don't get it.
00:21:29.85\00:21:33.13
You are going to
have to change something.
00:21:33.17\00:21:36.41
Did you guys say that out loud?
00:21:36.45\00:21:38.58
- I did, yes and to
back up a little bit.
00:21:38.61\00:21:42.43
I had asked the Lord to
help me with courtship and the
00:21:42.47\00:21:45.68
Lord said He was going to
help me and I assumed it was for
00:21:45.72\00:21:48.90
the other lady and did
not realize it at the time.
00:21:48.93\00:21:52.24
When I started to get more
interested and started talking
00:21:52.28\00:21:57.02
to Amy, I realized that she
had all the qualities plus more
00:21:57.06\00:22:00.91
and that I needed. - your
list. - exactly! The only thing
00:22:00.94\00:22:04.76
missing was my heart, engaged.
I knew that had to be there
00:22:04.79\00:22:08.57
for me to go forward.
00:22:08.60\00:22:10.44
I remember that I went down
to Texas to do a health program.
00:22:10.47\00:22:13.95
I was watching 3ABN.
00:22:13.99\00:22:15.52
Funny enough! I was convicted
at that time to pray that
00:22:15.55\00:22:19.29
God would change my
heart and I prayed that prayer.
00:22:19.33\00:22:22.32
I said Lord, if this is
the one You have chosen,
00:22:22.36\00:22:25.32
please change my heart.
00:22:25.35\00:22:27.67
As soon as I prayed that
prayer, before I even saw her
00:22:27.70\00:22:31.87
again, He had changed my heart.
00:22:31.90\00:22:34.21
He put those
feelings in my heart for her.
00:22:34.25\00:22:37.53
- when you saw him again,
did you know that was there?
00:22:37.56\00:22:41.02
I did,.
00:22:41.06\00:22:43.14
- it's just you can feel it.
00:22:43.18\00:22:45.20
It's funny you asked me
because before he went to Texas
00:22:45.23\00:22:48.04
I could see he was not
interested in me and that he was
00:22:48.07\00:22:51.31
interested someone else,
and I'm not interested in him.
00:22:51.35\00:22:54.30
So I said Lord, there's
three miracles we need here to
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.25
change me, to change
him, and the other lady.
00:22:57.29\00:22:59.40
The funny thing was that
the Lord spoke to me while I was
00:22:59.44\00:23:02.21
in my kitchen, sometimes
He would just give me a clear
00:23:02.25\00:23:05.79
word, and it was in Romans
chapter 4, it says, Abraham
00:23:05.82\00:23:09.33
was fully persuaded
that what God had promised,
00:23:09.37\00:23:11.78
He was able to perform
and the Lord showed me it was
00:23:11.82\00:23:15.29
about Him and not about me,
it wasn't about me attracting
00:23:15.33\00:23:18.16
him or pulling him like
the old methods of the world,
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.07
but it was about God's
glory and what He wanted to do.
00:23:21.10\00:23:23.94
So He would do it, it
was like He was saying,
00:23:23.97\00:23:25.80
stand still Amy, just watch Me!
00:23:25.83\00:23:27.67
Then he came back from
Texas, and I could see the way
00:23:27.70\00:23:30.87
he looked at me, and
the way he related to me,
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.95
that there was a change.
00:23:32.98\00:23:34.29
When he looked at the
other lady it was gone.
00:23:34.32\00:23:36.61
God, as you say,
has a sense of humor.
00:23:36.65\00:23:39.09
I remember, He put me in charge
of doing a little concert.
00:23:39.12\00:23:42.44
There was Amy and the other
lady that I had the interest
00:23:42.48\00:23:45.77
for right at the same time.
00:23:45.80\00:23:47.40
She was playing a violin
and the other lady was playing
00:23:47.44\00:23:50.88
a flute, and I thought God
what are you doing by putting
00:23:50.91\00:23:54.32
these two ladies
up in front of me?
00:23:54.36\00:23:56.52
I knew, the Lord was
hitting me on the head,
00:23:56.56\00:24:01.62
saying this is the one.
00:24:01.65\00:24:04.38
So what was really incredible,
and I'm so proud about God,
00:24:04.41\00:24:11.15
is the fact that
He knows us so much.
00:24:11.19\00:24:15.88
He says I know that even in
your healing where you would
00:24:15.91\00:24:18.99
choose this, you have always
chose that and it always has
00:24:19.02\00:24:22.07
gotten you in trouble.
00:24:22.10\00:24:23.41
So I am going to actually
try to get you to trust Me
00:24:23.44\00:24:26.72
even in making those choices.
00:24:26.75\00:24:28.42
When we do, because you
guys have been married how long?
00:24:28.46\00:24:32.79
Seven years. - you have a
child and a Ministry that you
00:24:32.83\00:24:37.13
do together and
all those things.
00:24:37.17\00:24:39.29
I'm going to break and just
ask a question, but then when
00:24:39.33\00:24:42.22
we come back for the close,
I want you to come with us
00:24:42.25\00:24:45.11
and share a little
about the Ministry.
00:24:45.14\00:24:47.27
So let me find out, first of
all we have some questions in
00:24:47.31\00:24:51.61
the café, Heidi
you had a question.
00:24:51.64\00:24:54.54
I did, yeah Amy, I was
wondering about your eating
00:24:54.57\00:24:57.42
disorder, when you were talking
about living with families
00:24:57.46\00:25:01.73
that was helping you healing,
how did you really do that?
00:25:01.77\00:25:05.62
I mean I struggled sometimes
with eating things to fill my
00:25:05.66\00:25:09.48
heart up, how was it
that you still work with that?
00:25:09.51\00:25:14.34
I think basic for recovery from
eating disorders is that we have
00:25:14.38\00:25:19.45
to know that Jesus fills that
void and allow Him to fill it.
00:25:19.48\00:25:24.52
Really not trying to
fix ourselves because
00:25:24.56\00:25:27.89
we can't fix ourselves.
00:25:27.93\00:25:29.64
Just a Bible text I would
like to share with you is from
00:25:29.68\00:25:33.16
Colossians 2:10 where it
says, ye are complete in Him.
00:25:33.19\00:25:36.52
We really are, and what
that is saying is that we are
00:25:36.55\00:25:39.81
accepted, God accepts us and
He receives us so that He might
00:25:39.84\00:25:43.78
help us, change us, clean us
up, take away our addictions.
00:25:43.81\00:25:47.33
We do not have to take them
away before He will accept us.
00:25:47.36\00:25:50.85
I think a lot of the root
eating disorder problems is
00:25:50.88\00:25:54.46
issues of acceptance
and are we really loved.
00:25:54.49\00:25:57.72
That is why we are doing it.
00:25:57.75\00:25:58.88
- Are we really good enough?
00:25:58.92\00:25:59.98
Right, are we good
enough for God to receive us.
00:26:00.02\00:26:02.29
The fact is He says, I already
receive you and love you.
00:26:02.33\00:26:05.11
Really understanding that
is the basis, and that is what
00:26:05.15\00:26:08.07
those families were able to
teach me, practically by their
00:26:08.11\00:26:10.74
love for me that they showed
me I was a accepted as I am.
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.60
You know I was overweight
and messed up and emotionally
00:26:13.64\00:26:16.43
a wreck, they accepted
me and that was the basis.
00:26:16.47\00:26:20.28
I have to even go
further, because I think we make
00:26:20.32\00:26:24.09
a statement but
it sound so easy.
00:26:24.13\00:26:27.14
You are saying, that their
day in and day out acceptance
00:26:27.18\00:26:31.03
was what got to you.
00:26:31.07\00:26:32.12
I remember there was are
woman Heidi, who had an eating
00:26:32.16\00:26:35.15
disorder, she was a girl 19
years old they came to work at
00:26:35.18\00:26:37.70
our Ministry and I was
trying to do that for her just
00:26:37.74\00:26:42.40
acceptance, but she become
in and she had eaten and taken
00:26:42.44\00:26:47.07
laxatives and
she was throwing up.
00:26:47.10\00:26:49.10
The bathroom was by the office,
so sometimes there was some
00:26:49.13\00:26:51.93
intense stuff going on,
at one point she came out and
00:26:51.96\00:26:55.99
I said, if Jesus came back
right now would you be accepted?
00:26:56.03\00:27:01.69
She started crying, she
had this horrible morning,
00:27:01.73\00:27:06.77
she's in the middle of all
her addictions and she said no.
00:27:06.81\00:27:09.83
She cried and cried and cried.
00:27:09.87\00:27:11.91
I said, then, you
don't know who God is.
00:27:11.94\00:27:14.26
It's really simple to
say that, really asking the
00:27:14.29\00:27:19.39
Holy Spirit to
show you how loved am I?
00:27:19.42\00:27:22.08
How accepted am I? It is
not just that I know what verse
00:27:22.12\00:27:26.90
to go to, but I know that I
beyond a shadow of a doubt, I am
00:27:26.94\00:27:30.78
loved by God, that His heart
is for me, that in the middle
00:27:30.81\00:27:34.61
of my worse acting
out, God says my heart
00:27:34.65\00:27:38.00
has not changed to you.
00:27:38.04\00:27:39.62
I think that as soon as we
start to get that in a fuller
00:27:39.65\00:27:42.28
sense, then I can recover.
00:27:42.31\00:27:45.29
Because I am not recovering
for any other reason then that
00:27:45.32\00:27:47.97
I am recovering in His
love, because of His love,
00:27:48.01\00:27:50.96
not to get His love.
00:27:51.00\00:27:52.98
- Exactly, - exactly -
it is a huge difference.
00:27:53.02\00:27:56.26
It is hard to say that to
the depth that it is, it's like
00:27:56.29\00:28:00.07
everything sounds trite
almost, but I wanted to say it
00:28:00.10\00:28:03.52
really is about understanding
that God says, in My love
00:28:03.55\00:28:07.30
you will heal and I will
actually give you the skill
00:28:07.33\00:28:11.05
to do that, or the
tools you need to do that.
00:28:11.08\00:28:14.29
I just need you to
learn how to rest in it.
00:28:14.32\00:28:17.49
Right, exactly.
00:28:17.53\00:28:19.65
Eating disorders are huge,
is just huge because it is like
00:28:19.68\00:28:23.76
what I know and
sets my endorphins off.
00:28:23.80\00:28:26.85
It is what gives me
peace and all that stuff.
00:28:26.88\00:28:28.87
I'm going to go ahead and break
now, because I want to come
00:28:28.91\00:28:33.51
back and I want you to talk
about who you are in Ministry,
00:28:33.54\00:28:38.11
what does that look like?
00:28:38.14\00:28:40.70
I know that your prayer Lee
was to find somebody to be in
00:28:40.73\00:28:43.48
Ministry with, and I know
you guys are doing incredible
00:28:43.51\00:28:45.90
things because you have done
incredible things in my life
00:28:45.93\00:28:48.28
with just what you
have done over at Wildwood.
00:28:48.32\00:28:50.71
So we are going to go ahead
and take a break because again
00:28:50.75\00:28:53.35
I have to say, God doesn't
just clean us up to clean us up.
00:28:53.39\00:28:56.49
That would be incredible, if
He said, how clean you up and
00:28:56.53\00:28:59.89
you can sit happy in a pew
somewhere and just be smiling.
00:28:59.92\00:29:03.25
He says no, I actually
want to give you a life.
00:29:03.29\00:29:05.94
I have seen almost every
country, it is fun His plans for
00:29:05.98\00:29:10.62
us and I know for Lee and
Amy He had incredible plans for
00:29:10.65\00:29:15.26
us, so we will be
right back, stay with us.
00:29:15.29\00:29:17.27