3ABN Network is pleased to
bring you something better,
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a faith inspiring
picture of a loving God
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from the Book of Hebrews.
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Welcome to 3ABN's
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Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting.
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Now, these days,
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we have the little
Bible with us all the time,
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no matter where we go.
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It's like having a
whole library with you.
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I want to direct
you to Matthew 24,
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starting at the end of verse 3.
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And the disciples
were saying to Jesus,
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"Tell us, when
shall these things be?
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What shall be the
sign of Thy coming,
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and the end of the world?
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And Jesus answered,
and said it to them,
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'Take heed that
no man deceive you.
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For many shall
come in My name, saying,
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'I am Christ, '
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and deceive many.
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And you shall hear of
wars and rumors of wars."
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We certainly heard those.
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"See that you be not troubled,
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for all these
things must come to pass,
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but the end is not yet.
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For nation shall
rise against nation,
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and kingdom against kingdom.
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And there shall be famines."
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We certainly see
those in different places
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around the world.
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"And pestilences, like COVID-19,
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and earthquakes
in diverse places.
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All of these are the
beginning of sorrows.
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Then shall they
deliver you up to be afflicted?
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How many people
are being tortured?
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How many people
are being persecuted?
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Not just around the world,
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we used to say around the world.
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Now it's happening right here
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in the United States of America.
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"You shall be
afflicted and shall kill you.
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You should be
hated of all nations,
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for my names sake.
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And then shall
many be offended."
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We know about that, don't we?
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Political correctness, wokeness,
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offending everybody
got to have safe spaces
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to live in.
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"And shall betray one another
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and shall hate one another."
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Boy, if that doesn't sound like
the time that we're living in,
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I don't know what does.
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But it's not a
time to be fearful.
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You know, fear can cause us
to do a lot of strange things.
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I remember when
I was a youngster,
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I was deathly afraid of dogs.
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And it really altered my life.
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Because I would
be going to school,
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and there would be a dog.
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And I would turn around
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and go all the way
back around the block
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and sometimes be late to school
because of that silly dog.
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The dog wasn't silly, I
was the one that was silly.
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Because a man told me
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after hearing
about my phobia of dogs,
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he says, "Dogs
will not bother you
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if you're not afraid of them.
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Don't manifest
any fear whatsoever."
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I said, "Really?"
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He said, "Yeah, absolutely.
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This is guaranteed."
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So I said, "Okay."
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So there was this dog.
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His name was Rusty.
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And Rusty was a mean
dog and he chased people
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and nobody liked to go down
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near that part
of the neighborhood.
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I said, "I'm going to
try this out on Rusty."
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So I bravely go
walking down there
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and Rusty's looking.
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He's like, "I
can't believe this,
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home delivering my mail."
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He could not believe it.
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And as I walked
right by where Rusty live,
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he came running out
barking and snarling.
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And I said this was a mistake.
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But he ran right up to my leg.
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And then he stopped.
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And he went back to the porch.
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He didn't bite me.
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And, you know,
that was the last time
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Rusty bothered me.
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I would walk by
there, anytime I wanted.
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Rusty knew I
wasn't afraid of him.
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He didn't bother me anymore.
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Isn't that
interesting how that works?
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You know, when we
put our faith in God,
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is there anything
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that we really
need to be afraid of?
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Something to think about,
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because who
really is in control.
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But I was also afraid
of non-physical things.
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I was afraid of failure.
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Because as a
youngster, I was kind of dumb.
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Or at least
everybody thought I was dumb.
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Let's put it that way.
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They were always
calling me names.
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And the teachers
didn't think I was smart.
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My classmates
didn't think I was smart.
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I didn't think I was smart.
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The only one who thought
I was smart was my mother.
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She was always saying,
"Benjamin, you are smart boy.
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You're much too smart to be
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bringing home grades like this."
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I brought them home anyway.
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But she was always saying that,
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she was always
being encouraging.
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But she didn't know what to do.
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But, you know, my mother,
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even though she had less
than a third grade education,
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had gotten married at age 13
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discovered that her
husband wasn't bigamist.
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She believed in God.
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And she asked God,
to give her wisdom.
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What could she do
to get her young sons
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to achieve in life?
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And God gave her the wisdom.
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At least in her
opinion, my brother
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and I didn't think
it was wise at all,
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I mean, turning off the
TV, making us read book report,
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me read books and
write reports for her.
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And in today's world,
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we probably would have
called the Social Services
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on our native
carried away in handcuffs,
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but in those days,
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you had to do what
your parents told you to do.
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And I started
reading those books.
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And even though I
didn't want to do it,
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after a relatively
short period of time,
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I began to enjoy
reading those books.
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Because when you read books,
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you have to use
your imagination.
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And it actually
becomes extremely interesting,
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as opposed to looking at
somebody else's imagination.
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Made a big difference.
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And in the space
of a year and a half,
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I went from the
bottom of the class
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to the top of the class,
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much to the consternation
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of all those
people used to laugh
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and call me dummy.
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And interestingly enough,
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you know, we lived
just on the other side
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of the railroad tracks,
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there was white on one
side, black on one side,
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and we live on the
white side of the tracks,
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so we had to go to
white elementary school
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and junior high.
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So it was interesting,
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because the
teachers really didn't expect
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much of me anyway.
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Because they didn't think
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that the black
kid would do well.
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So no one was really
pushing me other than my mother.
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But other white kids
had seen this transition
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occur in me
going from the dumb kid
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to the smartest
kid in the class.
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And they accepted it,
it was fine with them.
00:08:10.42\00:08:13.72
But in the eighth grade,
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they would give
out a special award
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at the end of the
semester to the young person
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with the highest
academic achievement.
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And I was thinking
it's going to be me.
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And you would
take your report card
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to every teacher
and they would mark it
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and give it to you
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and you take it
to the next teacher,
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and I was all the
way to the last class
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and I had all A's,
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this was going to be a breeze.
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My last class was banned,
and I was good and banned.
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So I knew that was an A.
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The turkey gave me a C.
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He wanted to
ruin my report card.
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He wanted to make sure
I didn't get the award.
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To his chagrin, it turned
out that ban didn't count.
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So I got the award anyway.
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And interestingly
enough, at the award ceremony,
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one of the teachers got up
and berated all the other kids.
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"How could you let a black boy
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be number one in the class?
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You children are not
working hard enough."
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It was very
embarrassing to most of them.
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And the kids were just
sort of looking at her.
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And they were
making a crazy symbol
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and pointing to
her because they knew
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that I legitimately
had earned that award
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and they had no problem with it.
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But isn't it interesting
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how people have
misguided concepts
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of what should be happening?
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And the question is,
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how do we react
to people like that?
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And if you go there,
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if you go to
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Micah 6:8,
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it says, "He has showed thee,
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O man, what is good,
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and what does the
Lord require of thee,
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but to do justly."
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What does that
mean to do justly?
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It means to treat people
fairly and to love mercy.
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Even when people
have done you wrong,
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you don't have
to do wrong to them.
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And to walk humbly with thy God.
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He has given us instructions
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for how to react to situations
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like the one that I
faced in the eighth grade.
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But it wasn't the
end of my problems.
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I also hated poverty.
00:10:54.72\00:10:58.05
You know, some people hate rats,
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and some people hate roaches,
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some people hate
centipedes, snakes.
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I hated poverty.
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I couldn't stand it.
00:11:07.33\00:11:09.10
That is,
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until I started
reading those books
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and reading about entrepreneurs,
00:11:13.64\00:11:16.37
and scientists, and
surgeons, and explorers,
00:11:16.40\00:11:19.64
and people of
great accomplishment.
00:11:19.67\00:11:24.15
And seeing how they were able
to take control of their lives.
00:11:24.18\00:11:27.85
And I began to recognize
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that the person
who had the most to do
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it what happened to me was me.
00:11:31.99\00:11:35.26
What did I want to do?
00:11:35.29\00:11:37.29
What did I want
to take advantage
00:11:37.33\00:11:38.89
of that was in my environment?
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And what a difference it made.
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.60
And I began to
recognize that poverty
00:11:43.63\00:11:46.80
was something that
I had control over.
00:11:46.84\00:11:48.97
I didn't have to be
poor if I didn't want to,
00:11:49.00\00:11:50.81
I could change
that, based on the energy
00:11:50.84\00:11:55.81
that I was willing to put forth
00:11:55.84\00:11:59.11
to chase my dreams.
00:11:59.15\00:12:02.02
And at that point, I
didn't mind poverty anymore.
00:12:02.05\00:12:05.15
I'm still poor, I
had a different attitude.
00:12:05.19\00:12:09.12
Because I knew
00:12:09.16\00:12:10.49
it wasn't a permanent situation.
00:12:10.53\00:12:14.40
Isn't that the
reason that God gives us
00:12:14.43\00:12:16.36
these amazing brains
that He has given us,
00:12:16.40\00:12:20.94
so that we can think
through situations like that,
00:12:20.97\00:12:23.87
we can analyze situations.
00:12:23.91\00:12:25.57
You know, if you
look at an animal's brain,
00:12:25.61\00:12:29.91
and you compare
that with a human brain,
00:12:29.94\00:12:33.82
it looks very similar.
00:12:33.85\00:12:36.42
Except the animal
00:12:36.45\00:12:39.69
has a very developed midbrain.
00:12:39.72\00:12:44.63
And the midbrain is an
area that allows you to react.
00:12:44.66\00:12:47.73
Have you notice how fast animals
00:12:47.76\00:12:49.36
can react to things?
00:12:49.40\00:12:52.23
But they have
relatively small frontal lobes.
00:12:52.27\00:12:55.20
On the other hand,
00:12:55.24\00:12:56.57
people don't have that
well developed midbrain.
00:12:56.60\00:12:59.97
But they have these
gigantic frontal lobes,
00:13:00.01\00:13:03.68
where you engage in processing
00:13:03.71\00:13:07.75
of intellectual material
00:13:07.78\00:13:10.89
from where you're able to plan
00:13:10.92\00:13:14.32
what you're
actually going to do,
00:13:14.36\00:13:16.46
based on what
you've seen before.
00:13:16.49\00:13:19.86
It's kind of interesting.
00:13:19.89\00:13:21.93
Right now, we live at a time
when people are pushing forth,
00:13:21.96\00:13:27.90
things like critical race theory
00:13:27.94\00:13:31.01
that say,
00:13:31.04\00:13:33.21
you ought to look
at somebody and react
00:13:33.24\00:13:38.08
to their
physical characteristics,
00:13:38.11\00:13:41.18
which they have no control over
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.12
as opposed to their character,
00:13:44.15\00:13:48.12
which they have a
lot of control over.
00:13:48.16\00:13:50.93
But to analyze their character,
00:13:50.96\00:13:52.59
you need those frontal lobes
00:13:52.63\00:13:56.16
to see what color they are,
you just need your midbrain.
00:13:56.20\00:14:00.10
So what they're saying is,
00:14:00.14\00:14:03.34
you should act like an animal
00:14:03.37\00:14:06.54
and not like a being
00:14:06.57\00:14:10.51
that was made in
the image of God.
00:14:10.55\00:14:14.78
That right there tells you
that it is on the wrong track,
00:14:14.82\00:14:19.59
when we're looking
at things like that.
00:14:19.62\00:14:23.56
And where do we
get courage from?
00:14:23.59\00:14:26.36
Courage is so important
00:14:26.39\00:14:29.90
in a society
that has decided that
00:14:29.93\00:14:34.74
if you don't act the
way you're supposed at,
00:14:34.77\00:14:39.21
we're going to punish you.
00:14:39.24\00:14:41.38
We're going to
restrict what you can do.
00:14:41.41\00:14:44.58
We're going to cancel you.
00:14:44.61\00:14:46.95
We're going to hurt your family.
00:14:46.98\00:14:50.05
Now how in the world
00:14:50.09\00:14:51.42
is somebody supposed to
live in a society like that
00:14:51.45\00:14:55.72
and feel free?
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.26
And that's where
courage comes in.
00:14:58.29\00:15:02.00
You know, I can
remember a situation
00:15:02.03\00:15:05.37
that really
required a lot of courage
00:15:05.40\00:15:07.34
on my behalf.
00:15:07.37\00:15:09.17
When I was a
neurosurgery resident
00:15:09.20\00:15:12.11
at Johns Hopkins,
00:15:12.14\00:15:14.98
and there was a
national conference,
00:15:15.01\00:15:17.15
neurosurgery
conference going on.
00:15:17.18\00:15:18.78
So almost all
the faculty members
00:15:18.81\00:15:21.72
had gone off to
Boston to this conference.
00:15:21.75\00:15:25.59
The one that was left behind
00:15:25.62\00:15:27.19
in case there were
some significant emergencies
00:15:27.22\00:15:32.79
was the one we were
supposed to reach out to
00:15:32.83\00:15:34.76
if something happened,
00:15:34.80\00:15:36.13
and I was on call and a
young man was brought in,
00:15:36.16\00:15:40.30
a teenager who had been beaten
00:15:40.34\00:15:42.67
with a baseball bat.
00:15:42.70\00:15:45.17
And he was unconscious.
00:15:45.21\00:15:49.21
His head was bleeding.
00:15:49.24\00:15:51.21
He had hemorrhages in his brain,
00:15:51.25\00:15:53.45
the brain was swelling,
and he was going to die.
00:15:53.48\00:15:58.45
And the only chance of
survival that he would have
00:15:58.49\00:16:02.26
is if you took out
part of his frontal lobe
00:16:02.29\00:16:05.69
and part of his temporal
lobe along with the blood clot.
00:16:05.73\00:16:10.40
Well, you know,
that's a complex operation.
00:16:10.43\00:16:15.00
Not an operation
I'd ever done before.
00:16:15.04\00:16:18.31
I'd seen it done before.
00:16:18.34\00:16:21.01
But I couldn't
do anything about it
00:16:21.04\00:16:23.78
without an attending physician.
00:16:23.81\00:16:26.21
And we couldn't reach
the attending physician.
00:16:26.25\00:16:29.72
And the paging operator
00:16:29.75\00:16:31.09
couldn't reach the
attending physician.
00:16:31.12\00:16:33.82
And the young man was dying.
00:16:33.86\00:16:37.43
It's illegal for a resident
00:16:37.46\00:16:39.19
to take them to
the operating room
00:16:39.23\00:16:41.10
without an attending.
00:16:41.13\00:16:43.70
I had to make a decision.
00:16:43.73\00:16:46.30
Shall I risk my career
00:16:46.33\00:16:49.47
and take him to
the operating room?
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.01
What if it
doesn't come out okay?
00:16:51.04\00:16:54.04
And I've never even
done this operation before.
00:16:54.08\00:16:59.11
Or should I take him
00:16:59.15\00:17:03.55
and risk everything?
00:17:03.59\00:17:05.92
And I prayed.
00:17:05.95\00:17:08.06
I said, "Lord, help me to do
00:17:08.09\00:17:11.29
the right thing."
00:17:11.33\00:17:14.40
And, you know, after
I prayed that prayer,
00:17:14.43\00:17:17.70
I felt so calm.
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.94
And I said, "We're
taking him to the OR.
00:17:20.97\00:17:24.84
We took him to
the operating room.
00:17:24.87\00:17:27.61
And, you know, I
remembered everything
00:17:27.64\00:17:31.01
that needed to be done
00:17:31.05\00:17:32.38
to do that operation correctly.
00:17:32.41\00:17:34.52
He did fine.
00:17:34.55\00:17:35.88
In fact, today, that
young man is a psychologist
00:17:35.92\00:17:38.72
helping other young people.
00:17:38.75\00:17:42.12
But not only did I
not get in trouble,
00:17:42.16\00:17:46.06
you got a lot of praise
00:17:46.09\00:17:48.16
for having the
courage to do what was right.
00:17:48.20\00:17:53.54
And, again, where's
that source of strength,
00:17:53.57\00:17:57.84
that source of courage.
00:17:57.87\00:18:00.31
It comes from God.
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.61
It helped me in a
lot of situations.
00:18:02.64\00:18:04.45
I remember there
was another situation
00:18:04.48\00:18:06.15
where a young man
had something called
00:18:06.18\00:18:11.59
Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome,
00:18:11.62\00:18:13.69
which causes these
very vascular tumors
00:18:13.72\00:18:16.36
to form in your brain.
00:18:16.39\00:18:20.26
And this young man
had formed one right
00:18:20.30\00:18:24.83
in the middle of his brainstem,
00:18:24.87\00:18:28.77
an inoperable situation,
00:18:28.80\00:18:32.07
and none of the
adult neurosurgeons
00:18:32.11\00:18:35.78
would touch him
with a 10-foot pole.
00:18:35.81\00:18:39.15
Well, unfortunately, for me,
00:18:39.18\00:18:40.88
it turns out that his wife
00:18:40.92\00:18:44.22
was a pediatric
neurosurgery nurse.
00:18:44.25\00:18:47.89
So I couldn't get away from her.
00:18:47.92\00:18:50.46
She said, "You
gonna have to operate
00:18:50.49\00:18:52.46
on my husband?"
00:18:52.49\00:18:54.90
And I said, but he's an adult.
00:18:54.93\00:18:56.77
I'm a pediatric neurosurgeon.
00:18:56.80\00:18:59.37
And she says, "Well,
he acts like a child."
00:18:59.40\00:19:01.84
But, you know, I
just couldn't get away
00:19:01.87\00:19:05.21
from she kept after me.
00:19:05.24\00:19:06.57
And I finally said, "Okay.
00:19:06.61\00:19:09.71
I will go and talk to him."
00:19:09.74\00:19:12.48
And I went over to talk to him,
00:19:12.51\00:19:13.95
and I said, "Craig, this tumor
00:19:13.98\00:19:18.59
is in the middle
of your brainstem.
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.96
The brainstem is
like a coaxial cable.
00:19:21.99\00:19:24.33
There's nothing in
there that isn't being used."
00:19:24.36\00:19:28.90
And I said, "If I try
and take the tumor out,
00:19:28.93\00:19:33.27
there is at least a 50/50 chance
00:19:33.30\00:19:35.90
that you will die on the table."
00:19:35.94\00:19:39.81
And he said, "Doctor,
00:19:39.84\00:19:44.05
if you don't take the tumor out,
00:19:44.08\00:19:45.55
there's 100% chance
that I'm going to die.
00:19:45.58\00:19:48.15
So I take 50/50 any day."
00:19:48.18\00:19:51.55
I said, "You know
that's a very mature attitude."
00:19:51.59\00:19:55.29
I took him to the operating room
00:19:55.32\00:19:56.99
and went down to the
brainstem area there.
00:19:57.03\00:19:59.89
All these blood vessels,
00:19:59.93\00:20:01.76
new blood vessels that
had grown into that area
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.37
in response to the tumor,
00:20:04.40\00:20:06.27
worked away through them
all and got to the surface
00:20:06.30\00:20:09.04
and made a very
tiny hole over the area
00:20:09.07\00:20:12.64
where I felt that
the tumor was located
00:20:12.67\00:20:17.21
and then stuck a probe in there
00:20:17.25\00:20:19.41
to just see if I
could feel for a difference
00:20:19.45\00:20:21.92
in consistency.
00:20:21.95\00:20:23.89
And when I met that
difference in consistency,
00:20:23.92\00:20:27.19
I put in us very tiny
force up under the microscope,
00:20:27.22\00:20:31.83
grab the edge of the tumor,
00:20:31.86\00:20:34.60
started delivering it,
00:20:34.63\00:20:36.43
while pilling the surface away
00:20:36.46\00:20:39.77
from the other
tissues around it.
00:20:39.80\00:20:42.87
And as I was
gradually and very slowly
00:20:42.90\00:20:47.94
delivering this tumor
through this very tiny incision,
00:20:47.98\00:20:53.72
the evoked potentials went flat.
00:20:53.75\00:20:56.32
Those are the
electrical impulses
00:20:56.35\00:20:58.39
that come from the
brain to the brainstem.
00:20:58.42\00:21:02.42
An anesthesiologist
said, "He's dead,
00:21:02.46\00:21:05.26
you may as well
stop the operation.
00:21:05.29\00:21:06.76
You killed him, I told
you, you were going to kill him.
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.66
And he's dead."
00:21:08.70\00:21:10.73
Because, obviously,
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.10
he wasn't a big
fan of this operation.
00:21:12.13\00:21:15.97
But we continued,
got the whole thing out.
00:21:16.00\00:21:21.01
The evoked
potentials remained flat.
00:21:21.04\00:21:24.48
There was a sense of
depression in the room,
00:21:24.51\00:21:27.42
because we knew that
he was probably dead.
00:21:27.45\00:21:32.95
But close them up,
sent him to the ICU,
00:21:32.99\00:21:35.76
intubated, comatose.
00:21:35.79\00:21:40.86
And the next
morning, when I came in,
00:21:40.90\00:21:45.00
he was sitting up in the bed
00:21:45.03\00:21:46.37
that they've excavated
him and he was telling jokes.
00:21:46.40\00:21:51.01
Now, I
recognized at that moment,
00:21:51.04\00:21:56.18
that that was God.
00:21:56.21\00:21:58.75
He gave me the courage,
and He showed me what to do.
00:21:58.78\00:22:02.72
But, you know,
sometimes there comes a point,
00:22:02.75\00:22:06.02
no matter what's going on,
00:22:06.05\00:22:07.39
you just have to
put it all in His hands.
00:22:07.42\00:22:11.16
And when I've done that,
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.86
He always comes through.
00:22:13.90\00:22:17.77
And He never
puts us in a situation
00:22:17.80\00:22:19.70
from which He cannot
and will not deliver us.
00:22:19.73\00:22:25.41
And it gives you
a sense of peace.
00:22:25.44\00:22:30.15
You know, it's
sort of what David
00:22:30.18\00:22:32.85
in the Bible was missing
00:22:32.88\00:22:35.62
when he strayed away from God.
00:22:35.65\00:22:39.22
You know, he started
out on the right pathway,
00:22:39.25\00:22:43.16
as a shepherd
boy, depending on God,
00:22:43.19\00:22:46.19
allowing him to
kill a lion and a bear
00:22:46.23\00:22:50.77
and protect the flocks,
00:22:50.80\00:22:54.04
giving him the courage
00:22:54.07\00:22:56.91
to face Goliath the giant,
00:22:56.94\00:23:01.58
to slay him and to
do many other things,
00:23:01.61\00:23:06.35
but then he wandered away.
00:23:06.38\00:23:10.52
He started depending on himself.
00:23:10.55\00:23:12.29
He started catering to
his own selfish desires.
00:23:12.32\00:23:17.99
And he was the king.
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.90
He had riches, he had honor,
00:23:20.93\00:23:24.23
he had all the
things that you could want.
00:23:24.27\00:23:28.74
But it wasn't good enough,
00:23:28.77\00:23:32.11
because he didn't have
God and he came back to God.
00:23:32.14\00:23:37.11
And he said,
"Create in me a clean heart,
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.75
O God, and renew a
right spirit within me.
00:23:39.78\00:23:43.45
Cast me not away
from Thy presence
00:23:43.49\00:23:46.86
and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me.
00:23:46.89\00:23:52.03
Restore unto me the joy,
00:23:52.06\00:23:56.56
the joy of Thy salvation."
00:23:56.60\00:23:59.77
That's what he was missing.
00:23:59.80\00:24:02.27
"And uphold me
with Thy free spirit.
00:24:02.30\00:24:05.77
Then will I teach
transgressors thy ways,
00:24:05.81\00:24:08.41
and sinners shall be
converted unto thee."
00:24:08.44\00:24:12.51
You can have
everything in the world.
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.98
But if you don't have Jesus,
00:24:16.02\00:24:18.49
if you don't have
the joy of His salvation,
00:24:18.52\00:24:22.02
it's not good enough.
00:24:22.06\00:24:24.56
We have to always remember that,
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.60
in times of joy,
in times of sorrow,
00:24:27.63\00:24:31.20
in times of plenty
and in times of need.
00:24:31.23\00:24:35.67
He is in control.
00:24:35.70\00:24:37.04
I remember there was
a case in South Africa,
00:24:37.07\00:24:41.68
of conjoined twins.
00:24:41.71\00:24:43.04
They were joined at
the back of the head.
00:24:43.08\00:24:46.11
Similar to the case
00:24:46.15\00:24:47.92
that had gained
great fame for me.
00:24:47.95\00:24:51.45
And, you know, they
obviously want me to come over
00:24:51.49\00:24:55.72
and help with that case,
00:24:55.76\00:24:58.09
but the kids were deteriorating,
00:24:58.13\00:25:01.10
very, very quickly.
00:25:01.13\00:25:03.30
So had to be done under
semi-emergent conditions.
00:25:03.33\00:25:08.77
And we were in
the operating room
00:25:08.80\00:25:13.27
doing the separation,
00:25:13.31\00:25:15.21
got to the part
where we had to put them
00:25:15.24\00:25:17.71
on hypothermic arrest,
00:25:17.75\00:25:19.18
which meant the cardiac surgeons
00:25:19.21\00:25:20.75
had to go in.
00:25:20.78\00:25:22.48
And, you know, cool
the, the temperatures
00:25:22.52\00:25:26.32
until the heart stop,
pump all the blood out.
00:25:26.35\00:25:29.09
And then we would be able to do
00:25:29.12\00:25:32.03
the critical
part of the operation,
00:25:32.06\00:25:33.46
and then they would
start the hearts back off
00:25:33.50\00:25:35.50
after pumping blood
back in and warming it up.
00:25:35.53\00:25:38.80
Well, it turns out
00:25:38.83\00:25:40.17
that as they
exposed one of the heart,
00:25:40.20\00:25:43.07
they could see that
it was not functional.
00:25:43.10\00:25:46.71
And then they
figured out the reason
00:25:46.74\00:25:49.21
that the kids had
been deteriorating,
00:25:49.24\00:25:51.95
it's because one of them
00:25:51.98\00:25:53.48
was doing the
pumping for both of them.
00:25:53.52\00:25:56.69
And as they grew,
00:25:56.72\00:25:58.69
it became more
and more difficult
00:25:58.72\00:26:00.36
for that one heart to be
able to pump for both of them.
00:26:00.39\00:26:03.73
So they were going
into congestive failure.
00:26:03.76\00:26:07.80
So it was clear
00:26:07.83\00:26:09.23
that that one
wouldn't be able to survive,
00:26:09.26\00:26:10.97
but we were able to
complete the operation.
00:26:11.00\00:26:13.50
And the other one
seemed to be okay,
00:26:13.54\00:26:17.27
for the first day,
00:26:17.31\00:26:19.64
then that one
started having seizures
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.61
and all kinds of problems.
00:26:21.64\00:26:24.51
And over the course
of the next day, died.
00:26:24.55\00:26:29.05
And it turns out that one
00:26:29.08\00:26:31.19
didn't have any kidney function.
00:26:31.22\00:26:33.76
The one that
didn't have heart function
00:26:33.79\00:26:35.79
had the kidney function,
00:26:35.82\00:26:37.16
the other one
had other function,
00:26:37.19\00:26:38.53
so they were symbiotic.
00:26:38.56\00:26:39.89
They couldn't live apart,
00:26:39.93\00:26:41.36
and they couldn't live together.
00:26:41.40\00:26:44.57
And I remember as
I was travelling back
00:26:44.60\00:26:46.60
to the United States,
00:26:46.63\00:26:47.97
after the
operation, I was so depressed.
00:26:48.00\00:26:52.11
And I was thinking,
anybody could have failed,
00:26:52.14\00:26:54.78
I didn't have to
come all the way over here
00:26:54.81\00:26:56.28
and get involved in this case.
00:26:56.31\00:26:59.48
Lord, how did You
get me involved in a case
00:26:59.51\00:27:04.25
that didn't turn
out the right way,
00:27:04.29\00:27:07.06
this is just horrible.
00:27:07.09\00:27:09.99
But I was
thinking more about me.
00:27:10.03\00:27:13.80
See, that was the problem.
00:27:13.83\00:27:16.70
Because three years later,
00:27:16.73\00:27:20.17
there was another
case, case from Zambia,
00:27:20.20\00:27:24.81
of vertical craniopagus twins,
00:27:24.84\00:27:26.94
they're joint at
the top of the head,
00:27:26.98\00:27:29.28
facing in opposite directions,
00:27:29.31\00:27:31.11
something we call
a type two vertical.
00:27:31.15\00:27:34.25
There had been 13 attempts
00:27:34.28\00:27:35.62
to separate twins
like that previously,
00:27:35.65\00:27:37.85
none of which
had been successful.
00:27:37.89\00:27:41.09
And, you know, I was asked
to be involved in that case.
00:27:41.12\00:27:45.86
And we brought the case
00:27:45.89\00:27:48.00
to South Africa.
00:27:48.03\00:27:52.37
And interestingly enough,
00:27:52.40\00:27:54.40
we were able to
reassemble the team
00:27:54.44\00:27:56.71
that had worked on
the previous failure.
00:27:56.74\00:28:00.51
All the equipment
that had been imported
00:28:00.54\00:28:02.91
for that was still there,
00:28:02.94\00:28:05.15
the training was still there.
00:28:05.18\00:28:08.05
And that turned out
00:28:08.08\00:28:09.42
to be the very first
complex craniopagus case,
00:28:09.45\00:28:14.79
where a separation
was successfully done
00:28:14.82\00:28:17.53
with no neurological deficit.
00:28:17.56\00:28:21.13
That would not have happened
00:28:21.16\00:28:23.87
has we not failed
on the previous one.
00:28:23.90\00:28:27.64
The previous one
was going to die anyway.
00:28:27.67\00:28:31.17
But the Lord used
that to prepare the way
00:28:31.21\00:28:35.08
for one that would
be extremely successful.
00:28:35.11\00:28:37.88
You see, we come sometimes
don't see the whole picture.
00:28:37.91\00:28:41.78
God plays the long game.
00:28:41.82\00:28:43.99
We play the short game.
00:28:44.02\00:28:45.72
Sometimes we get
very disappointed
00:28:45.75\00:28:47.56
because things
haven't gone the way
00:28:47.59\00:28:49.16
we want them to go.
00:28:49.19\00:28:51.19
That's when we need to just say,
00:28:51.23\00:28:53.40
"Lord, it's You.
00:28:53.43\00:28:57.07
It's all about You.
00:28:57.10\00:28:59.13
It's not about me."
00:28:59.17\00:29:01.17
Recognize that He is
completely in control.
00:29:01.20\00:29:05.47
That's what we need to recognize
00:29:05.51\00:29:09.11
about our nation right now.
00:29:09.14\00:29:13.08
Our nation which was formed
00:29:13.11\00:29:17.62
under Judeo-Christian values,
00:29:17.65\00:29:23.02
values like love your neighbor
00:29:23.06\00:29:28.30
instead of cancel your neighbor
00:29:28.33\00:29:31.77
and try to help
people, not try to hurt people.
00:29:31.80\00:29:37.57
You know, how do we get
into a situation like that?
00:29:37.61\00:29:42.41
A situation where
we try to force people
00:29:42.44\00:29:46.01
to do our will if we have power.
00:29:46.05\00:29:50.19
Those are not things that
this nation was known for.
00:29:50.22\00:29:54.22
It's not the reason that
so many people came here,
00:29:54.26\00:29:57.26
and our nation was known
as a nation of communities
00:29:57.29\00:30:02.60
where people worked together,
00:30:02.63\00:30:03.97
people who had
different talents and skills.
00:30:04.00\00:30:07.80
Why were they
able to be successful
00:30:07.84\00:30:10.57
in far out of the way places
00:30:10.61\00:30:14.44
and remote states?
00:30:14.48\00:30:17.31
Because they knew
how to work together.
00:30:17.35\00:30:20.88
They didn't have to
all believe the same thing.
00:30:20.92\00:30:23.72
That was not necessary.
00:30:23.75\00:30:25.82
What was necessary is
for people to work together.
00:30:25.85\00:30:31.56
You know, it's
Jesus who originally said,
00:30:31.59\00:30:34.10
"A house divided
against itself cannot stand."
00:30:34.13\00:30:39.23
Abraham Lincoln later said that.
00:30:39.27\00:30:43.30
And it's absolutely true.
00:30:43.34\00:30:46.34
You take a nation,
00:30:46.37\00:30:48.31
as strong as the
United States of America,
00:30:48.34\00:30:54.22
too strong to be brought
down by Russia, or China,
00:30:54.25\00:31:00.02
or North Korea, or
Iran, or any other place,
00:31:00.06\00:31:05.26
but easily destroyed
00:31:05.29\00:31:08.56
by its own people
00:31:08.60\00:31:11.57
who have been
manipulated into believing
00:31:11.60\00:31:13.84
that they are
each other's enemies
00:31:13.87\00:31:16.97
when they're not
each other's enemies.
00:31:17.01\00:31:20.24
That's the real shame.
00:31:20.28\00:31:23.04
I think that's
where it requires courage,
00:31:23.08\00:31:27.68
courage to
point out those things
00:31:27.72\00:31:31.02
that are creating the problems.
00:31:31.05\00:31:35.26
You know, we have
groups saying that
00:31:35.29\00:31:39.79
this group takes
primacy over this group.
00:31:39.83\00:31:43.70
Black lives matter.
00:31:43.73\00:31:46.80
Black lives do matter.
00:31:46.84\00:31:48.40
But you know what?
00:31:48.44\00:31:49.77
Jesus Christ died for all lives.
00:31:49.80\00:31:52.34
There is no life that
doesn't matter to Him,
00:31:52.37\00:31:55.61
from the least to the greatest.
00:31:55.64\00:31:59.61
That should be
our cause as well.
00:31:59.65\00:32:04.82
Now, we live in a nation
00:32:04.85\00:32:08.16
that has a lot of
different people in it
00:32:08.19\00:32:10.76
from different backgrounds.
00:32:10.79\00:32:12.49
There's no question about that.
00:32:12.53\00:32:15.30
But some people want to
make that into a problem.
00:32:15.33\00:32:20.17
Is it really a problem?
00:32:20.20\00:32:23.00
I mean, how many
people for instance
00:32:23.04\00:32:26.27
would want to go to
the National Aquarium
00:32:26.31\00:32:31.31
if every fish was a goldfish?
00:32:31.35\00:32:33.92
Really wouldn't be that
interesting, wouldn't it?
00:32:33.95\00:32:35.62
It certainly
wouldn't be worth paying for.
00:32:35.65\00:32:38.25
Who would want to
go to the National Zoo
00:32:38.29\00:32:40.86
if every animal was
a Thomson's gazelle?
00:32:40.89\00:32:44.09
Wouldn't be that great.
00:32:44.13\00:32:46.53
Who would want a
beautiful bouquet of flowers
00:32:46.56\00:32:49.20
if everyone was identical?
00:32:49.23\00:32:51.87
It's pretty, but
it's not as pretty as one
00:32:51.90\00:32:53.80
that is carefully orchestrated
00:32:53.84\00:32:56.20
with lots of different things.
00:32:56.24\00:33:00.61
And who would want
to get up in the morning
00:33:00.64\00:33:02.34
if everybody
looked exactly like you?
00:33:02.38\00:33:05.18
In some cases, that
be a national disaster?
00:33:05.21\00:33:07.48
So we should be very
pleased that God was kind enough
00:33:07.52\00:33:13.25
to give us variety.
00:33:13.29\00:33:15.82
And what is it
that makes a person
00:33:15.86\00:33:18.99
who they are?
00:33:19.03\00:33:21.70
Is it the color of their skin?
00:33:21.73\00:33:25.30
Is it the quality of their hair?
00:33:25.33\00:33:28.54
Is it the shape of their nose?
00:33:28.57\00:33:31.94
Or is it their brain?
00:33:31.97\00:33:35.08
And see, that's why we
have those big frontal lobes.
00:33:35.11\00:33:39.08
You know,
00:33:39.11\00:33:40.45
Dr. Martin Luther
King was on to something
00:33:40.48\00:33:42.68
when he said he
dreamed of the day
00:33:42.72\00:33:47.02
when people would be judged
not by the color of their skin,
00:33:47.06\00:33:51.36
but by the content
of their character.
00:33:51.39\00:33:55.73
And we find
ourselves in a situation
00:33:55.76\00:33:57.57
where people are teaching
exactly the opposite now.
00:33:57.60\00:34:02.70
It takes courage to
stand up against that,
00:34:02.74\00:34:07.71
to speak out against that,
00:34:07.74\00:34:10.71
because you will be attacked.
00:34:10.75\00:34:14.32
No question about that.
00:34:14.35\00:34:16.89
You know, in
the Book of Timothy,
00:34:16.92\00:34:22.12
2 Timothy
00:34:22.16\00:34:25.39
and it's the third chapter
00:34:25.43\00:34:31.27
and 12th verse.
00:34:31.30\00:34:34.14
It says, "Yea,
00:34:34.17\00:34:38.17
and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus
00:34:38.21\00:34:43.98
shall suffer persecution."
00:34:44.01\00:34:48.62
What do you think that means?
00:34:48.65\00:34:51.89
You know, there is some people,
they see things going on.
00:34:51.92\00:34:57.76
They don't say anything.
00:34:57.79\00:35:00.26
They just kind
of hide in a corner,
00:35:00.30\00:35:02.66
put their head down,
00:35:02.70\00:35:04.03
and hope nobody
calls them a nasty name.
00:35:04.07\00:35:08.00
Is that what we're called to do?
00:35:08.04\00:35:10.77
Or are we called to stand up
00:35:10.81\00:35:15.84
for those
00:35:15.88\00:35:18.15
who are in a
difficult situation?
00:35:18.18\00:35:21.25
If you go to the
Book of Proverbs,
00:35:21.28\00:35:25.82
and you go to
00:35:25.85\00:35:27.19
24:10.
00:35:27.22\00:35:33.03
It says, "If thou faint
in the day of adversity,
00:35:33.06\00:35:38.40
thy strength is small.
00:35:38.43\00:35:42.10
If thou forbear to deliver them
00:35:42.14\00:35:45.71
that are drawn unto death,
00:35:45.74\00:35:48.51
and those that
are ready to be slain,
00:35:48.54\00:35:50.68
if thou saith,
behold, we knew it not,
00:35:50.71\00:35:55.55
doth not he that
pondereth the heart consider it?
00:35:55.58\00:35:59.75
And he that keepeth thy
soul, doth not he know it?
00:35:59.79\00:36:03.29
And shall not he
render to every man
00:36:03.32\00:36:06.86
according to his works?"
00:36:06.90\00:36:10.13
In other words,
00:36:10.17\00:36:12.50
bad things are
happening to people.
00:36:12.53\00:36:16.04
You can't just
sit around and say,
00:36:16.07\00:36:18.41
I don't know about them,
00:36:18.44\00:36:19.81
close my eyes, not my
business, I don't care.
00:36:19.84\00:36:24.81
The Bible says, "That's
not what you should be doing."
00:36:24.85\00:36:27.12
It says, "If you do that,
00:36:27.15\00:36:29.58
God knows that you did that
00:36:29.62\00:36:32.29
and holds you responsible."
00:36:32.32\00:36:36.39
But some people
say, "But if I do that,
00:36:36.42\00:36:38.86
then I put myself
in a line of fire,
00:36:38.89\00:36:42.43
then I may be persecuted."
00:36:42.46\00:36:44.93
Yes, that's absolutely true.
00:36:44.97\00:36:47.87
But remember this.
00:36:47.90\00:36:50.77
Even if people say
nasty things about you,
00:36:50.81\00:36:53.51
or persecute you
even put you in jail,
00:36:53.54\00:36:55.34
or even kill you.
00:36:55.38\00:36:59.25
What is that inconvenience
against the backdrop
00:36:59.28\00:37:04.09
of eternity with crash?
00:37:04.12\00:37:08.06
That's what Paul
was talking about.
00:37:08.09\00:37:09.86
He says, you
know, it's like dung.
00:37:09.89\00:37:13.50
Don't even think
about that stuff.
00:37:13.53\00:37:15.43
It's so insignificant
compared to the glory
00:37:15.46\00:37:20.40
thy will
experience with the Lord.
00:37:20.44\00:37:24.01
Doesn't mean you should go
out and look to be persecuted.
00:37:24.04\00:37:27.81
Don't try to be persecuted.
00:37:27.84\00:37:30.21
But it does mean,
00:37:30.25\00:37:32.41
we have a responsibility to do
00:37:32.45\00:37:37.39
what is right.
00:37:37.42\00:37:39.25
And when we see
00:37:39.29\00:37:41.06
liberty being challenged,
00:37:41.09\00:37:46.06
we need to deal with it.
00:37:46.09\00:37:49.36
And you look at something
like freedom of speech,
00:37:49.40\00:37:55.07
one of the key tenets
00:37:55.10\00:37:59.41
of our Constitution,
00:37:59.44\00:38:01.71
and the Bill of Rights.
00:38:01.74\00:38:04.51
One of the things that
attracted so many people
00:38:04.55\00:38:08.55
from the shores of
00:38:08.58\00:38:09.92
so many distant
lands to America,
00:38:09.95\00:38:15.02
they want it to be free
00:38:15.06\00:38:18.36
to live the way
they wanted to live,
00:38:18.39\00:38:21.50
to say what they want to say,
00:38:21.53\00:38:23.80
to pursue the careers
00:38:23.83\00:38:25.17
they wanted to career to pursue,
00:38:25.20\00:38:29.90
without somebody
stepping on them all the time
00:38:29.94\00:38:33.31
and telling them
what they had to do
00:38:33.34\00:38:34.94
and what they couldn't do.
00:38:34.98\00:38:39.48
And particularly
what they could say
00:38:39.51\00:38:42.28
and what they couldn't say.
00:38:42.32\00:38:45.69
That's why the whole
concept of political correctness
00:38:45.72\00:38:49.12
is so evil.
00:38:49.16\00:38:51.33
It's really antithetical
to our First Amendment.
00:38:51.36\00:38:56.50
And when it is enforced
00:38:56.53\00:38:59.47
by big tech and the media,
00:38:59.50\00:39:04.74
by isolating
people, by canceling people,
00:39:04.77\00:39:10.38
by destroying
people's livelihoods.
00:39:10.41\00:39:15.08
And the government
does nothing about it.
00:39:15.12\00:39:18.05
It's complicit.
00:39:18.09\00:39:20.56
Then it is exactly the same
00:39:20.59\00:39:22.29
as if the government
imposed that themselves.
00:39:22.32\00:39:27.80
And I think
there's a responsibility
00:39:27.83\00:39:31.47
to resist a situation
00:39:31.50\00:39:36.04
where people's rights,
00:39:36.07\00:39:38.37
their fundamental rights,
00:39:38.41\00:39:40.51
which is our Declaration
of Independence states,
00:39:40.54\00:39:45.88
those rights come from God
and not from the government.
00:39:45.91\00:39:51.85
And therefore,
those who are godly people
00:39:51.89\00:39:56.99
will protect the
rights not only of themselves
00:39:57.03\00:40:00.30
but of others that
are being challenged,
00:40:00.33\00:40:04.63
and that are being taken away,
00:40:04.67\00:40:07.47
and will not be fearful
in the process of doing that,
00:40:07.50\00:40:12.84
recognizing always
00:40:12.87\00:40:17.15
that God is in control.
00:40:17.18\00:40:19.78
You know, I remember a situation
00:40:19.81\00:40:24.15
in which had a little girl
00:40:24.19\00:40:25.52
whose little baby
whose head was not growing.
00:40:25.55\00:40:30.93
And her brain was
progressively being compressed,
00:40:30.96\00:40:34.36
and we had to do an
operation to expand the skull.
00:40:34.40\00:40:38.83
And during the
process of that operation,
00:40:38.87\00:40:43.27
she started hemorrhaging.
00:40:43.30\00:40:46.54
And it was a very,
very significant hemorrhage.
00:40:46.57\00:40:50.18
And then her heart stopped.
00:40:50.21\00:40:52.91
And then she had
to be resuscitated
00:40:52.95\00:40:55.28
in the operating
room for several minutes.
00:40:55.32\00:40:58.45
And we were not able to
get her heart to start back up.
00:40:58.49\00:41:02.56
And the
anesthesiologist was saying,
00:41:02.59\00:41:04.83
I think we should call
it, I mean, we've lost her.
00:41:04.86\00:41:08.26
That's the end of the case.
00:41:08.30\00:41:09.63
And I just
couldn't, couldn't let her go.
00:41:09.66\00:41:13.74
I should know, let's keep going.
00:41:13.77\00:41:15.57
We went another five minutes.
00:41:15.60\00:41:18.01
Still nothing,
00:41:18.04\00:41:19.37
another five minutes after that.
00:41:19.41\00:41:20.74
But then we got
a little heartbeat.
00:41:20.78\00:41:23.81
And, you know, a
little epinephrine
00:41:23.85\00:41:25.95
and a few other things,
00:41:25.98\00:41:27.32
and her heart
started beating again.
00:41:27.35\00:41:30.62
And we were able to
get things closed up
00:41:30.65\00:41:32.95
and take her to the ICU.
00:41:32.99\00:41:34.32
But at that point,
00:41:34.36\00:41:38.13
she had no neurologic exam.
00:41:38.16\00:41:42.03
Brain dead, flat wave.
00:41:42.06\00:41:45.73
And I remember her father.
00:41:45.77\00:41:51.11
And he was a Christian.
00:41:51.14\00:41:53.64
And he said, "Doctor, is there?
00:41:53.68\00:41:55.91
Is there even a small
chance that she might survive,
00:41:55.94\00:42:01.08
and that she might wake up?"
00:42:01.12\00:42:04.92
He said, "One in 10 maybe?"
00:42:04.95\00:42:06.32
And I said, "No."
00:42:06.35\00:42:07.69
He said, "One in 100?"
00:42:07.72\00:42:09.06
I said, "No." He
said, "One in 1000?"
00:42:09.09\00:42:10.43
"No."
00:42:10.46\00:42:13.03
And then he and I
challenged each other,
00:42:13.06\00:42:16.30
to see who could
pray the hardest,
00:42:16.33\00:42:19.23
because that
would be the only chance
00:42:19.27\00:42:21.07
that she had.
00:42:21.10\00:42:23.74
And, interestingly enough,
00:42:23.77\00:42:28.91
over the next 12 hours,
00:42:28.94\00:42:33.18
she began to have some function,
00:42:33.21\00:42:34.78
her pupils started working.
00:42:34.82\00:42:37.12
Everybody was
talking about this,
00:42:37.15\00:42:38.89
she woke up.
00:42:38.92\00:42:40.79
It was unbelievable.
00:42:40.82\00:42:44.13
But then, she started
having pulmonary problems.
00:42:44.16\00:42:49.33
And portions of her
lungs began to fail.
00:42:49.36\00:42:53.27
And the
pulmonary specialists came
00:42:53.30\00:42:55.17
and they looked and
they said, "She's going die.
00:42:55.20\00:43:00.18
We're not going to
be able to save her."
00:43:00.21\00:43:02.78
Interestingly
enough, that next day,
00:43:02.81\00:43:07.52
I was supposed to go to Ohio
00:43:07.55\00:43:08.92
to speak at one of
the medical schools.
00:43:08.95\00:43:12.05
And early that morning,
00:43:12.09\00:43:15.32
my youngest son had
a severe asthma attack.
00:43:15.36\00:43:19.49
Rick had to be taken by
ambulance to the hospital.
00:43:19.53\00:43:23.13
All of this is going
on, while this kid is dying.
00:43:23.16\00:43:27.04
And I get a call
from one of the nurses
00:43:27.07\00:43:30.91
saying the last part
of that lung is failing.
00:43:30.94\00:43:36.38
And would you like to come
in and speak to the parents?
00:43:36.41\00:43:39.01
Well, I couldn't
00:43:39.05\00:43:40.38
because I had to
get to the airport.
00:43:40.42\00:43:42.48
And I, I called
when I got to Ohio,
00:43:42.52\00:43:47.82
to speak to the parents
00:43:47.86\00:43:49.19
because I figured the
baby was dead by then.
00:43:49.22\00:43:52.29
And they said, "No, the
baby's still hanging on."
00:43:52.33\00:43:56.97
And, you know, I
got back the next day.
00:43:57.00\00:44:01.37
And in fact,
00:44:01.40\00:44:02.77
the lungs are
starting to repair themselves.
00:44:02.80\00:44:06.78
But now the neurologist,
00:44:06.81\00:44:09.24
and the rehab people
had come by and they said,
00:44:09.28\00:44:14.85
"The baby can't
see, the baby can't hear,
00:44:14.88\00:44:18.45
has lost most
neurological function.
00:44:18.49\00:44:21.09
There's really
not even much point
00:44:21.12\00:44:23.22
in sending her to a
rehabilitation facility."
00:44:23.26\00:44:27.00
And I had to go to California
00:44:27.03\00:44:28.63
to do some stuff with the NIH.
00:44:28.66\00:44:31.50
And when I got back,
00:44:31.53\00:44:34.74
first thing I did was
go into that baby's room.
00:44:34.77\00:44:38.81
And the baby looked at me
00:44:38.84\00:44:40.18
and followed me with her eyes.
00:44:40.21\00:44:42.58
And the baby
could obviously hear
00:44:42.61\00:44:44.31
and it turns out
that the rehab people
00:44:44.35\00:44:46.35
and the neurologist were right,
00:44:46.38\00:44:47.95
she was not a candidate
because she was perfectly fine.
00:44:47.98\00:44:51.75
And you know what?
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.86
What that told me again,
00:44:53.89\00:44:56.93
who is in charge?
00:44:56.96\00:45:00.53
No matter what is
going on in our lives,
00:45:00.56\00:45:04.10
who is actually in charge?
00:45:04.13\00:45:09.30
I remember the case of
a little girl from Denver.
00:45:09.34\00:45:15.18
And she was having seizures,
up to 130 seizures a day,
00:45:15.21\00:45:19.65
they would do everything
00:45:19.68\00:45:21.02
they could to stop the seizures.
00:45:21.05\00:45:22.85
They even put her in a
kind of barbiturate coma
00:45:22.88\00:45:26.19
for two weeks.
00:45:26.22\00:45:28.69
Figured if they
could just keep her sedated
00:45:28.72\00:45:32.79
and then let the brain
rest, it would be okay.
00:45:32.83\00:45:37.03
But after two weeks went by,
00:45:37.07\00:45:38.60
and they lifted the sedation
00:45:38.63\00:45:40.04
and the seizure
started right up again.
00:45:40.07\00:45:42.97
And, you know, I
was contacted to see if
00:45:43.00\00:45:47.81
I would consider
doing an operation
00:45:47.84\00:45:51.15
called cerebral hemispherectomy,
00:45:51.18\00:45:53.38
something that had been done
00:45:53.42\00:45:55.28
in the past and
had fallen out of favor
00:45:55.32\00:45:57.22
because of the high
morbidity and mortality
00:45:57.25\00:46:00.56
associated there with.
00:46:00.59\00:46:03.32
And, you know, I
did some studying
00:46:03.36\00:46:06.93
and concluded that
maybe there was some things
00:46:06.96\00:46:12.27
we could do differently
00:46:12.30\00:46:14.77
than had been done before.
00:46:14.80\00:46:16.20
Maybe there were some techniques
00:46:16.24\00:46:17.84
that had improved,
00:46:17.87\00:46:19.21
and some materials
00:46:19.24\00:46:20.84
that might make
this feasible now.
00:46:20.88\00:46:24.28
And I remember
00:46:24.31\00:46:25.65
when I was
talking to the parents,
00:46:25.68\00:46:27.02
and they said, "Doctor,
00:46:27.05\00:46:28.38
have you ever done this before?"
00:46:28.42\00:46:29.75
And I said, "No."
00:46:29.78\00:46:31.12
And I said, "But
I've studied the issue.
00:46:31.15\00:46:35.29
And I think
there's a good chance
00:46:35.32\00:46:37.66
that it might work."
00:46:37.69\00:46:39.63
What did it take
for those parents
00:46:39.66\00:46:42.80
to trust this young neurosurgeon
00:46:42.83\00:46:47.57
to do something so radical?
00:46:47.60\00:46:51.04
It's pretty
amazing to me that they,
00:46:51.07\00:46:54.01
they did that, but they did.
00:46:54.04\00:46:57.15
And the operation
was very difficult.
00:46:57.18\00:46:59.48
The brain was swollen,
there was a lot of bleeding.
00:46:59.51\00:47:03.52
We had to do
massive transfusions.
00:47:03.55\00:47:07.29
And she didn't
wake up immediately.
00:47:07.32\00:47:11.63
But she did within a
matter of a couple of hours.
00:47:11.66\00:47:16.77
And the parents
were by the bedside.
00:47:16.80\00:47:20.37
And she said,
"Mommy, Daddy, I love you."
00:47:20.40\00:47:23.07
They were like on cloud nine.
00:47:23.10\00:47:26.91
And she made a
tremendous recovery.
00:47:26.94\00:47:31.65
She was very
photogenic, as was her mother.
00:47:31.68\00:47:36.65
And, you know, they got
a lot of media attention.
00:47:36.69\00:47:40.02
The story was
broadcast far and wide
00:47:40.06\00:47:43.46
about hemispherectomy,
00:47:43.49\00:47:45.53
there's little girl
living with half of brain
00:47:45.56\00:47:47.50
and doing well.
00:47:47.53\00:47:49.56
And that encouraged others.
00:47:49.60\00:47:52.27
And pretty soon,
00:47:52.30\00:47:53.90
you know, we were doing
a lot of hemispherectomies.
00:47:53.94\00:47:58.17
And I remember at
a press conference,
00:47:58.21\00:48:03.08
and they were the first
14, 13 of them were girls.
00:48:03.11\00:48:08.95
And one of the reporters said,
00:48:08.98\00:48:11.25
"Does this only
work in women and girls?
00:48:11.29\00:48:14.99
Why is it that 13 are
girls and one is a male?"
00:48:15.02\00:48:19.03
And I said, "Well,
00:48:19.06\00:48:21.40
women only use half
of their brain anyway."
00:48:21.43\00:48:25.70
Telling a joke, of course.
00:48:25.73\00:48:27.67
And one of the
female neurologist said,
00:48:27.70\00:48:31.17
"No, that's not correct."
00:48:31.21\00:48:33.91
She said, "Women only
need half of their brain
00:48:33.94\00:48:36.95
to be as smart as men."
00:48:36.98\00:48:42.38
But then, we had a lot of fun.
00:48:42.42\00:48:43.79
But, but the key thing
00:48:43.82\00:48:45.79
was that first case,
00:48:45.82\00:48:50.29
which required a lot of courage,
00:48:50.33\00:48:51.83
and a lot of study,
00:48:51.86\00:48:53.93
opened the
pathway for many others,
00:48:53.96\00:48:58.37
who had very
difficult situations
00:48:58.40\00:49:00.50
to get them resolved.
00:49:00.54\00:49:02.84
And now that
operation is a common operation
00:49:02.87\00:49:07.44
that's done by virtually
all pediatric neurosurgeons.
00:49:07.48\00:49:11.78
But the Lord
opened that pathway up
00:49:11.81\00:49:16.58
in a way that I
would not have expected.
00:49:16.62\00:49:21.09
By the same token,
when I left medicine,
00:49:21.12\00:49:25.66
and came into government.
00:49:25.69\00:49:29.66
I also ran into a
lot of resistance.
00:49:29.70\00:49:34.10
Because there was a...
00:49:34.14\00:49:35.84
which surprised me.
00:49:35.87\00:49:38.17
There were a lot of
people in Washington
00:49:38.21\00:49:41.44
who didn't want to get
people out of dependency.
00:49:41.48\00:49:45.18
And I want, I should,
everybody should agree
00:49:45.21\00:49:47.65
with these things
that will help people
00:49:47.68\00:49:50.32
move up the
ladders of opportunity
00:49:50.35\00:49:52.09
and become, you
know, independent.
00:49:52.12\00:49:56.42
And it was very difficult,
00:49:56.46\00:49:59.56
but we were able to
get several things done,
00:49:59.59\00:50:02.43
including envision centers,
which comes from the Bible.
00:50:02.46\00:50:06.10
Proverbs 29:18,
00:50:06.13\00:50:08.67
"Without a vision,
the people perish."
00:50:08.70\00:50:11.77
We take all these
federal agencies, 13 of them,
00:50:11.81\00:50:16.38
combined with state
agencies, local agencies,
00:50:16.41\00:50:19.75
faith, faith
organizations, nonprofits,
00:50:19.78\00:50:23.75
and amalgamate the
services that they provide,
00:50:23.79\00:50:26.96
and put it all under one roof.
00:50:26.99\00:50:29.96
So that that teenage mother
00:50:29.99\00:50:33.73
of two had a place
00:50:33.76\00:50:36.83
where she could go and
be able to get childcare.
00:50:36.87\00:50:42.27
At the same time, find
out how to get her GED.
00:50:42.30\00:50:46.34
And after that, be able to
get some additional training
00:50:46.37\00:50:48.88
so she can become independent,
00:50:48.91\00:50:51.15
and subsequently
teach that to her children.
00:50:51.18\00:50:55.12
That's the only way you
break these growing patterns
00:50:55.15\00:50:58.19
of dependency.
00:50:58.22\00:51:00.32
Those are the kinds of things
00:51:00.36\00:51:01.92
that we have to
start thinking about
00:51:01.96\00:51:04.16
in this nation
00:51:04.19\00:51:05.53
in which we live.
00:51:05.56\00:51:08.06
And perhaps most important,
00:51:08.10\00:51:11.47
and one I want to close with...
00:51:11.50\00:51:12.97
Is we have to seek God.
00:51:16.04\00:51:19.34
We have to seek Him now.
00:51:19.37\00:51:22.48
Times are
difficult that we live in.
00:51:22.51\00:51:27.18
And if we don't have Him,
we're not going to make it.
00:51:27.22\00:51:31.72
And here we go.
00:51:31.75\00:51:34.39
Yes.
00:51:34.42\00:51:36.29
Isaiah 55:6,
00:51:36.32\00:51:39.66
"Seek ye the Lord
while he may be found,
00:51:39.69\00:51:44.57
call ye upon him
while he is near:
00:51:44.60\00:51:49.87
Let the wicked forsake his ways,
00:51:49.90\00:51:51.54
and the
unrighteous man his thoughts:
00:51:51.57\00:51:54.51
and let him
return unto the Lord,
00:51:54.54\00:51:56.14
and he will have mercy upon him,
00:51:56.18\00:51:58.75
and to our God,
00:51:58.78\00:52:00.85
and he will abundantly pardon."
00:52:00.88\00:52:05.12
We have such a
gracious and accepting God
00:52:05.15\00:52:10.26
who has
everything under control.
00:52:10.29\00:52:13.36
We don't need to worry
00:52:13.40\00:52:15.03
about all this horrendous stuff
00:52:15.06\00:52:17.57
that we see going on around us
00:52:17.60\00:52:20.14
every single day.
00:52:20.17\00:52:23.71
All we have to
do is trust in Him.
00:52:23.74\00:52:27.08
He will take our fear away.
00:52:27.11\00:52:29.51
He will give us courage.
00:52:29.54\00:52:31.51
He will direct what we're doing.
00:52:31.55\00:52:34.08
All we have to
do is what is right.
00:52:34.12\00:52:37.52
And let me close with a prayer.
00:52:37.55\00:52:40.32
Kind Father in
heaven, You are so gracious,
00:52:40.36\00:52:44.49
You are so good, You're so kind,
00:52:44.53\00:52:46.70
You're so generous.
00:52:46.73\00:52:49.50
And yet sometimes
we forget about You,
00:52:49.53\00:52:52.97
and sometimes we neglect You.
00:52:53.00\00:52:55.74
Help us to seek You
00:52:55.77\00:52:59.64
while You may be found
00:52:59.67\00:53:02.44
that You might use
us all in a specific way
00:53:02.48\00:53:05.61
that You have ordained,
00:53:05.65\00:53:09.12
that we may bring eventual peace
00:53:09.15\00:53:13.89
and prosperity
00:53:13.92\00:53:16.36
and the
conditions that are right
00:53:16.39\00:53:20.16
for Your triumphant
return in Jesus' name.
00:53:20.20\00:53:24.20
Amen.
00:53:24.23\00:53:25.57
Glory be to the Father
00:53:40.45\00:53:44.99
And to the Son
00:53:45.02\00:53:49.42
And to the Holy Ghost
00:53:49.46\00:53:56.06
As it was in the beginning
00:53:56.10\00:54:01.44
Is now and ever shall be
00:54:01.47\00:54:07.68
World without end
00:54:07.71\00:54:11.65
Amen, Amen
00:54:11.68\00:54:17.65
Holy, holy, holy!
00:54:42.98\00:54:48.95
Lord God Almighty!
00:54:48.98\00:54:54.42
Early in the morning
00:54:54.46\00:54:59.79
Our song shall rise to thee
00:54:59.83\00:55:05.80
Holy, holy, holy
00:55:07.00\00:55:12.97
Merciful and mighty!
00:55:13.01\00:55:18.75
God in three persons
00:55:18.78\00:55:24.95
Blessed Trinity!
00:55:24.99\00:55:30.96
Holy, holy, holy!
00:55:39.97\00:55:45.94
Though the darkness hide thee
00:55:45.97\00:55:52.08
Though the eye of sinful man
00:55:52.11\00:55:57.92
Thy glory may not see
00:55:57.95\00:56:03.93
Only thou art holy
00:56:07.50\00:56:13.40
There is none beside thee
00:56:13.44\00:56:19.37
Perfect in power
00:56:19.41\00:56:25.35
In love, and purity
00:56:25.38\00:56:31.35
As it was in the beginning
00:56:42.90\00:56:48.24
Is now, and ever shall be
00:56:48.27\00:56:54.41
World without end
00:56:54.44\00:56:58.58
Amen, Amen
00:56:58.61\00:57:02.58
Holy, holy, holy!
00:57:05.92\00:57:11.46
Lord God Almighty!
00:57:11.49\00:57:17.13
Oh thy works
shall praise Thy name
00:57:17.17\00:57:22.17
In earth and sky and sea
00:57:22.20\00:57:28.54
Thousand saints and thousands
00:57:28.58\00:57:34.05
Bowing down before thee
00:57:34.08\00:57:39.02
You art
00:57:39.05\00:57:40.46
Yes, You art You art
00:57:40.49\00:57:46.03
And evermore
00:57:46.06\00:57:50.37
Shalt be
00:57:50.40\00:57:56.37
Amen!
00:58:00.28\00:58:06.28