[pensive piano music]
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>> Hello and welcome to It Is
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Written Canada.
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Thank you for joining us.
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Too often our secular culture
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paints God completely out of
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the picture and has an
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overpowering influence on the
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choices that we make.
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>> This was the case for our
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guests, two sisters, Melissa
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Chamberlain and Christina
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McSwain, who, although they
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loved the Lord and went to
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church and attended a
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Christian school, found
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themselves sucked into a
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culture and influences that
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gradually drew them away from
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their childhood faith and into
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a self-destructive lifestyle.
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Christina and Melissa, welcome
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to It Is Written Canada.
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>> Thank you, it's nice to
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be here.
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>> So, Christina and Melissa,
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can we start with how you grew
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up and how you drifted away
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from the spiritual influences
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of your childhood years?
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>> So we grew up in Oshawa,
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Ontario, Canada and we did
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grow up in the Adventist
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school and, you know, our
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grandma was a really big
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influence on us when it came
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to being a Seventh-day
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Adventist.
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She did teach us how to keep
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the Sabbath and it was just in
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our own homes, we didn't keep
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the Sabbath and we had a lot
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of poor influences in our
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home, we watched television a
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lot and things like that and
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so we just kind of drifted
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away, we stopped going to
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church early on in our
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childhood and we, like,
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television and musicians and
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things like that just became
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our idols instead of Jesus.
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>> How did you feel about your
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relationship with Jesus, like,
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you went to a Christian
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school...
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>> Yeah, so we did love Jesus
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when we were children and we
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used to resolve that we would
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die for Him one day and, you
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know, those influences around
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us took over and we ended up
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straying away from those
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convictions.
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>> I guess it's kind of like
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we forgot about Jesus.
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All those things kind of
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replaced our feelings for Him,
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but I would say that those
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feelings were still there in
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our hearts 'cause I did give
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my heart to Jesus when I was
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young, but those things kind
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of-- those snares that we fell
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into just blinded us to what
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we knew and loved about Jesus.
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>> What was it like in your
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home between your parents?
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>> Um...not good.
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They did end up getting
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divorced when I was eight
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years old so that definitely
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was difficult to deal with as
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a child, of course.
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>> So at what stage did you
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start drifting away?
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>> Um...probably in our teens,
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right, like for me it was my
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teen years.
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I did love Jesus up until I
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was like twelve or thirteen, I
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continued loving Him, but I
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just got pulled into a bad
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lifestyle 'cause different
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people came to our school that
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were more worldly and kinda
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got influenced by them and we
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became closer to those people
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than the ones that were
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Adventist and, like, the good
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influences, so the world
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started seeming more appealing
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and it pulled us away.
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>> And I would say it started
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when we did stop going to
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church, too, it was-- we were
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young children when we stopped
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going to church 'cause our
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parents stopped going so we
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kinda just followed that
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example even though our
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grandma was still going and
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she would invite us to church
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and things like that, it
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just-- we just ended up
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drifting away and then as the
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teenage years came, school
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became more difficult.
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I personally lost my
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concentration in school and I
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ended up dropping out before I
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even finished high school.
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>> Me as well, yeah.
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>> All I wanted to do was just
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watch music videos all day,
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you know, watch movies, listen
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to the rock music and those
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musicians definitely became a
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big idol for me.
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I'd go to concerts all the
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time, things like that.
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[MELISSA] Yeah, there was really
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no government in our home after
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our parents separated so we
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pretty much took care of
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ourselves.
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>> So you were in control of
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yourselves.
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What brought you back to
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the Lord?
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[CHRISTINA] So in 2009 I met my
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husband and then 2013 we had
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our daughter, Siobhan, and
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in 2017 she started school and
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I had determined that I would
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send her to the same Adventist
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school that I went to as a
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child and it was because-- my
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reasoning at that time was
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because I trusted everybody
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there.
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And so when she did start the
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school, memories from my
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childhood started coming back
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when I went into that school
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with her.
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So I heard a song that I heard
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from my childhood that
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actually reminded me of my
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love for Jesus as a child and
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I believe that the Holy Spirit
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started using that to
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influence me and soften my
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sinful heart at that point.
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And then shortly after that,
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very shortly, it was the same
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month, my sister texted me and
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and she texted me saying,
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"Jesus is coming soon, you
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need to get the Sabbath off,"
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and so I looked at the text
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kind of confused at first
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because she had been living
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the same sinful lifestyle I
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had and was not keeping the
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Sabbath herself at all.
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So I texted her back and I was
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like, "Well, what do you
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mean?"
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I was like, "First of all, we
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do have time still, why don't
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you think we have time before
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Jesus comes?"
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[MELISSA] Well, yeah, I told
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her, "How do you not see that
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this is different now," 'cause
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I had been getting these
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convictions when I was
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pregnant because I think my
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mind was clear because I was
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no longer drinking or smoking
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and so the Holy Spirit was
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able to reach me and He kept
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using everything that I knew
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for some reason, bringing back
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Bible verses that I didn't
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even know were there, like,
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"Woe to those who are pregnant
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or to those who are
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breastfeeding in those days,"
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and I was wondering, like,
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what was going on.
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I thought maybe I was having
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anxiety or something 'cause I
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had had anxiety in the past,
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but I started to recognize
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that it was the Holy Spirit
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calling me so I realized, you
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know, time is short, we need
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to wake up.
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And so I was trying to tell
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anybody I could that Jesus was
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coming soon, I even told my
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atheist husband and he acted
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like I was crazy and I was
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like, "I need to tell
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somebody," so I texted her
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because I was like, "She
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thinks the same as me so maybe
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she'll get it."
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[CHRISTINA] And it took her
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saying it again where she said,
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"No, how do you not see this
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time is different?
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The natural disasters are
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increasing, all the birth
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pains are getting closer
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together," she remembered that
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from the Bible from our
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childhood and so she said that
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to me and then I had a
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conviction at that point that
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it was true and that I did
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need to start getting the
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Sabbath of and that Jesus was
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definitely coming again soon.
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>> Christina, did you follow
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up, like, did you get the
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Sabbath off work?
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>> Yeah, so at that point I
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followed my conviction and I
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asked my boss for the Sabbath
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off and at this time I was in
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a management position and I
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had been there for 13 years
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and so if you think about it,
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that is kind of something that
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an employer might think,
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"Well, after 13 years she's
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now asking for the Sabbath."
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But, you know, this employer
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accommodated my request and
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they gave me the Sabbath off
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so I did start going back to
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church every Sabbath and
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that's where my journey back
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to the Lord began.
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>> The Lord was really leading
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you because even your employer
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giving you off the Sabbath
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after so many years...
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>> Yeah, exactly.
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>> It was a miracle, you know,
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so you knew God was in
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control here.
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>> Yes.
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>> So can you tell us about
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your mother getting cancer and
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how that influenced your
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lives?
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>> Yeah, so she came and she
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told us that she had cancer
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which was actually the same
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month that Siobhan started
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school and Melissa sent me
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that text.
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And, yeah, so that happened
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all at the same time and so
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when she told me that she had
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cancer and the type of cancer
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that she had, I was convicted
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to stop eating meat right away
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and the reason is because I
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had recently read an article
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saying that meat, particularly
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red meat, is one of the number
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one causes of cancer,
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particularly for this cancer
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that she has.
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And so that was the last day
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that I ever ate meat.
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So our mom, she had to go
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through treatment and they had
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told her that, you know, they
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were gonna have to do surgery
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and all these things and it
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was gonna be life-altering,
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but--
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[MELISSA] And they also told
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her they would only be able to
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shrink the cancer about 50%
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and then they would have to
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do surgery.
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>> Yeah.
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>> So they-- we talked to her
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about the meat-eating and she
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actually got convicted to give
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up the meat as well and when
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she gave up the meat, she
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started following the
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treatments and everything and
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she actually surprised the
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doctors 'cause when they went
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to do the checkup, the tumour
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was completely gone so she was
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very thankful for that.
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>> Yeah, so she didn't have to
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have surgery.
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The treatment just shrunk the
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tumour and it was, yeah,
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completely gone.
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>> Two miracles, three
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miracles in one month.
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God was speaking to you.
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That is incredible.
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>> And using all those things
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together to lead us all back
00:10:30.36\00:10:31.43
to the Lord.
00:10:31.43\00:10:32.73
>> Mm-hm, our whole family.
00:10:32.73\00:10:34.00
>> So what other lifestyle
00:10:34.00\00:10:35.43
changes did you make
00:10:35.43\00:10:36.93
personally?
00:10:36.93\00:10:38.07
>> Well, for myself, I had
00:10:38.80\00:10:40.84
always struggled with appetite.
00:10:40.84\00:10:43.57
In my childhood I had
00:10:43.57\00:10:45.64
struggled with over-eating.
00:10:45.64\00:10:47.64
I had always tried different
00:10:47.64\00:10:49.34
diets that never worked and
00:10:49.34\00:10:52.05
all the way up, even after
00:10:52.05\00:10:53.82
I'd met my husband, I was
00:10:53.82\00:10:55.58
trying all sorts of crash
00:10:55.58\00:10:57.09
diets and, you know, I did
00:10:57.09\00:10:59.89
manage to lose about 40 pounds
00:10:59.89\00:11:02.42
before I became pregnant with
00:11:02.42\00:11:04.13
my daughter, and-- but after
00:11:04.13\00:11:06.19
pregnancy I gained it all
00:11:06.19\00:11:07.60
back again so after giving
00:11:07.60\00:11:09.10
birth to my daughter, I was
00:11:09.10\00:11:10.70
nearly 300 pounds.
00:11:10.70\00:11:12.47
I didn't want to be that
00:11:12.47\00:11:14.64
heavy, I wanted a solution and
00:11:14.64\00:11:17.37
so when I did come back to the
00:11:17.37\00:11:19.41
Lord, I noticed that anytime I
00:11:19.41\00:11:23.35
tried to read His word, my
00:11:23.35\00:11:25.15
mind would be foggy and I
00:11:25.15\00:11:26.68
wouldn't be able to understand
00:11:26.68\00:11:28.05
what I was reading in His word
00:11:28.05\00:11:29.35
and I prayed and asked the
00:11:29.35\00:11:30.79
Lord how I get close with Him
00:11:30.79\00:11:32.55
if my mind is so foggy and He
00:11:32.55\00:11:34.42
led me to the health message.
00:11:34.42\00:11:36.83
And so I started studying
00:11:36.83\00:11:39.13
about how to eat healthier.
00:11:39.13\00:11:41.16
I had already given up meat,
00:11:41.16\00:11:42.66
of course, at that point, but
00:11:42.66\00:11:44.03
I gave up alcohol, I gave up
00:11:44.03\00:11:45.63
caffeine, and I gave up, well,
00:11:45.63\00:11:48.77
I had given up tobacco a few
00:11:48.77\00:11:50.31
years ago.
00:11:50.31\00:11:51.77
When I say "give up," I don't
00:11:51.77\00:11:53.31
mean that immediately I was
00:11:53.31\00:11:54.91
able to to say, "OK, this is
00:11:54.91\00:11:56.58
done," like I was with the
00:11:56.58\00:11:57.98
meat, it was a little bit
00:11:57.98\00:11:59.31
harder, particularly with
00:11:59.31\00:12:00.75
caffeine.
00:12:00.75\00:12:01.72
So one day I was studying and
00:12:01.72\00:12:03.65
a question popped into my mind
00:12:03.65\00:12:05.52
and it said, "Why did Jesus
00:12:05.52\00:12:06.69
fast in the wilderness?"
00:12:06.69\00:12:08.39
And I was like, "Yeah, why did
00:12:08.39\00:12:09.89
Jesus fast in the wilderness?"
00:12:09.89\00:12:11.43
So I looked it up and what it
00:12:11.43\00:12:13.86
said was, "The Lord endured
00:12:13.86\00:12:15.83
the fast in the wilderness."
00:12:15.83\00:12:17.83
He knew the hold that appetite
00:12:17.83\00:12:19.30
would have on the human race
00:12:19.30\00:12:20.64
and He knew that we would
00:12:20.64\00:12:23.64
choose indulgence of appetite
00:12:23.64\00:12:26.44
and it would actually replace
00:12:26.44\00:12:27.78
God in our lives.
00:12:27.78\00:12:29.51
And then I read that we can
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.18
overcome our appetite through
00:12:31.18\00:12:33.05
Jesus because He already went
00:12:33.05\00:12:34.82
through that fast in the
00:12:34.82\00:12:36.85
wilderness for us and He
00:12:36.85\00:12:39.75
overcame on the point of
00:12:39.75\00:12:41.36
appetite so that we could
00:12:41.36\00:12:42.86
overcome through Him.
00:12:42.86\00:12:44.43
So I now was able to overcome
00:12:44.43\00:12:47.86
my eating habits through Jesus
00:12:47.86\00:12:49.36
and I grabbed onto that
00:12:49.36\00:12:50.70
promise really quickly because
00:12:50.70\00:12:52.13
of how badly I wanted out of
00:12:52.13\00:12:53.77
the trap of my obesity and so
00:12:53.77\00:12:58.94
I started prayerfully changing
00:12:58.94\00:13:00.64
my eating habits and asking
00:13:00.64\00:13:01.94
Jesus to help me every time
00:13:01.94\00:13:03.28
I'd get tempted.
00:13:03.28\00:13:04.45
So it started with the caffeine
00:13:04.45\00:13:05.98
'cause that was a struggle so
00:13:05.98\00:13:07.42
I'd asked the Lord-- any time
00:13:07.42\00:13:08.88
I was tempted, I'd say, "Lord,
00:13:08.88\00:13:10.19
please take this temptation
00:13:10.19\00:13:11.82
from me," and each time I
00:13:11.82\00:13:13.79
would resist, I would get
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.22
stronger for the next time.
00:13:16.22\00:13:18.46
And, you know, there's
00:13:18.46\00:13:20.26
sometimes setbacks, I would...
00:13:20.26\00:13:22.13
give in and then I would have
00:13:23.67\00:13:26.27
to struggle harder the next
00:13:26.27\00:13:27.67
time, but I learned that, I
00:13:27.67\00:13:30.04
learned that I had to struggle
00:13:30.04\00:13:31.67
harder when I gave in so I
00:13:31.67\00:13:33.44
stopped giving in so easily
00:13:33.44\00:13:35.81
and I would fight harder with
00:13:35.81\00:13:37.55
Jesus and He helped me gain
00:13:37.55\00:13:40.12
the victory over those things.
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.35
>> So what does that look
00:13:43.22\00:13:44.95
like, fighting harder with
00:13:44.95\00:13:46.55
Jesus?
00:13:46.55\00:13:47.82
>> More prayer, so asking the
00:13:47.82\00:13:50.49
Lord to help you resist the
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.73
temptation because He has
00:13:53.73\00:13:55.73
great power to help us come
00:13:55.73\00:13:58.43
out from under the power of
00:13:58.43\00:13:59.80
the Enemy, which is Satan.
00:13:59.80\00:14:01.50
Satan's power is so great and
00:14:01.50\00:14:05.54
he has a hold on us.
00:14:05.54\00:14:07.98
We in our own strength can't
00:14:07.98\00:14:10.21
defeat Satan's power, but
00:14:10.21\00:14:12.25
Christ has a power greater
00:14:12.25\00:14:14.08
than Satan's power.
00:14:14.08\00:14:15.75
And so when we turn to Jesus
00:14:15.75\00:14:17.62
and we ask for help, He can
00:14:17.62\00:14:19.45
take us out from under Satan's
00:14:19.45\00:14:21.19
power and so that's the only
00:14:21.19\00:14:23.06
way that we can do it, we
00:14:23.06\00:14:24.69
can't do it on our own.
00:14:24.69\00:14:25.99
>> So, Melissa, can you tell
00:14:26.76\00:14:28.50
us about the struggles that
00:14:28.50\00:14:30.20
you were experiencing?
00:14:30.20\00:14:32.03
>> Yeah, so when I had Emilia,
00:14:33.03\00:14:35.84
my first daughter, I obviously
00:14:35.84\00:14:38.11
gave up drinking and smoking,
00:14:38.11\00:14:40.71
but I had an addiction to
00:14:40.71\00:14:42.78
those things, but when I got
00:14:42.78\00:14:44.58
pregnant I gave them up and
00:14:44.58\00:14:46.25
after I gave birth to her, I
00:14:46.25\00:14:47.85
was looking forward to going
00:14:47.85\00:14:49.38
back to those things and so I
00:14:49.38\00:14:50.65
did continue on that path
00:14:50.65\00:14:51.95
after having my first
00:14:51.95\00:14:53.46
daughter, obviously it wasn't
00:14:53.46\00:14:55.32
as crazy as it before, but I--
00:14:55.32\00:14:58.46
and I also had an awareness of
00:14:58.46\00:14:59.96
how bad it was 'cause I would
00:14:59.96\00:15:01.43
shamefully hide it from her, I
00:15:01.43\00:15:03.10
didn't want her to ever see me
00:15:03.10\00:15:04.30
smoke and I did say a silent
00:15:04.30\00:15:06.23
prayer at that time that,
00:15:06.23\00:15:07.90
you know, "Lord, please help me
00:15:07.90\00:15:09.64
to stop smoking, I don't want
00:15:09.64\00:15:10.91
my daughter to see me
00:15:10.91\00:15:12.14
doing this."
00:15:12.14\00:15:13.41
And then when I got pregnant
00:15:13.41\00:15:14.61
with my second daughter is
00:15:14.61\00:15:16.04
when I got the conviction to
00:15:16.04\00:15:17.41
come back to the Lord and so I
00:15:17.41\00:15:19.11
was no longer looking forward
00:15:19.11\00:15:20.95
to doing those things after
00:15:20.95\00:15:22.35
giving birth to my second
00:15:22.35\00:15:23.89
daughter and when I continued
00:15:23.89\00:15:27.39
on that path with the Lord, I
00:15:27.39\00:15:29.02
had to start overcoming those
00:15:29.02\00:15:30.83
things and I didn't right
00:15:30.83\00:15:32.29
away, unfortunately.
00:15:32.29\00:15:33.53
I gave up smoking right away,
00:15:33.53\00:15:35.10
but the drinking I still drank
00:15:35.10\00:15:36.60
a little bit here and there
00:15:36.60\00:15:38.87
with my husband and, you know,
00:15:38.87\00:15:40.87
I was trying to read Prophets
00:15:40.87\00:15:42.60
and Kings at that time and I
00:15:42.60\00:15:44.37
was looking forward to reading
00:15:44.37\00:15:45.77
it that night and my husband
00:15:45.77\00:15:47.04
asked me, you know, "Let's go
00:15:47.04\00:15:48.11
out and drink rum on the
00:15:48.11\00:15:49.64
porch," and so I had gone out
00:15:49.64\00:15:51.15
to drink with him and I just
00:15:51.15\00:15:52.48
got this terrible guilt
00:15:52.48\00:15:53.92
feeling in my gut, I was like,
00:15:53.92\00:15:55.15
"I need to stop doing this, I
00:15:55.15\00:15:56.55
can't do this anymore."
00:15:56.55\00:15:57.72
So I worked up the nerve to
00:15:57.72\00:15:59.29
tell my husband, who was an
00:15:59.29\00:16:01.16
atheist, you know, "I can't do
00:16:01.16\00:16:03.19
this anymore, I need to get
00:16:03.19\00:16:04.63
back-- get closer to the
00:16:04.63\00:16:05.99
Lord."
00:16:05.99\00:16:07.40
And he understood, thankfully,
00:16:07.40\00:16:09.86
'cause, you know, he did know
00:16:09.86\00:16:11.40
me prior to having kids and me
00:16:11.40\00:16:12.70
and him actually bonded
00:16:12.70\00:16:14.60
together over our drinking.
00:16:14.60\00:16:16.57
I used to drink, like, five
00:16:16.57\00:16:18.01
times a week and I would get,
00:16:18.01\00:16:19.57
like, so drunk that I would
00:16:19.57\00:16:20.91
fall asleep type drunk, like
00:16:20.91\00:16:22.38
it wasn't just light drinking,
00:16:22.38\00:16:23.95
it was like a real problem
00:16:23.95\00:16:25.61
that I had so thankfully the
00:16:25.61\00:16:27.35
Lord was able to take that
00:16:27.35\00:16:28.68
away from me pretty easily
00:16:28.68\00:16:31.12
after I surrendered it, so I
00:16:31.12\00:16:32.75
did have to surrender it to
00:16:32.75\00:16:34.36
Him and come to that choice
00:16:34.36\00:16:36.39
myself.
00:16:36.39\00:16:37.53
>> Did you ever have problems
00:16:37.53\00:16:38.96
with eating as well?
00:16:38.96\00:16:41.80
>> Yeah, so I struggled with
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.43
body image my whole life, I
00:16:44.43\00:16:46.70
starved myself and I just had
00:16:46.70\00:16:48.54
this terrible relationship
00:16:48.54\00:16:50.14
with food, I hated food and so
00:16:50.14\00:16:52.17
my struggle with food was kind
00:16:52.17\00:16:53.88
of the opposite of hers where
00:16:53.88\00:16:55.21
I really just didn't wanna eat
00:16:55.21\00:16:56.54
it, I didn't-- I thought it
00:16:56.54\00:16:58.01
was bad and after I came back
00:16:58.01\00:16:59.61
to the truth, you know, I had
00:16:59.61\00:17:01.08
to surrender vanity and all
00:17:01.08\00:17:02.48
those things and just
00:17:02.48\00:17:03.79
redevelop my relationship with
00:17:03.79\00:17:05.35
food and so now I see it so
00:17:05.35\00:17:07.26
different, I see it as
00:17:07.26\00:17:08.69
something that nourishes me
00:17:08.69\00:17:10.09
and heals me and so, yeah,
00:17:10.09\00:17:12.16
I've made a lot of changes in
00:17:12.16\00:17:13.53
that regard as well.
00:17:13.53\00:17:14.96
>> So when you hated food that
00:17:14.96\00:17:16.30
means that you would starve
00:17:16.30\00:17:17.60
yourself?
00:17:17.60\00:17:18.60
>> Yeah, I could go for like
00:17:18.60\00:17:19.77
10 days at a time without
00:17:19.77\00:17:21.14
eating and then-- but then I
00:17:21.14\00:17:22.64
would bounce back and, like,
00:17:22.64\00:17:24.27
eat too much and then I would
00:17:24.27\00:17:25.87
go back to starving and, like,
00:17:25.87\00:17:27.61
it was a big struggle I had,
00:17:27.61\00:17:29.68
yeah, I wanted to be really
00:17:29.68\00:17:31.51
thin and now that I see how
00:17:31.51\00:17:33.55
really thin people look, like
00:17:33.55\00:17:34.95
anorexic people, I'm like,
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.15
"Why was I thinking that?"
00:17:36.15\00:17:37.32
Like, I would aim to look like
00:17:37.32\00:17:38.55
a skeleton, that was like my
00:17:38.55\00:17:39.99
dream, but the Lord changed my
00:17:39.99\00:17:41.72
whole way of thinking.
00:17:41.72\00:17:43.06
>> So you and your husband
00:17:43.99\00:17:46.23
kind of bonded over drinking.
00:17:46.23\00:17:48.30
>> Yes, we actually go drunk
00:17:48.30\00:17:50.03
on our first date and we would
00:17:50.03\00:17:52.30
drink every night together, it
00:17:52.30\00:17:54.14
was like the thing we would do
00:17:54.14\00:17:56.47
and when I got pregnant with
00:17:56.47\00:17:57.84
my daughter, he promised he
00:17:57.84\00:18:00.11
would stop drinking, but, you
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.64
know, he couldn't do it in his
00:18:01.64\00:18:02.91
own strength so there was a
00:18:02.91\00:18:04.35
lot of conflict there, but as
00:18:04.35\00:18:06.38
my influence started
00:18:06.38\00:18:08.98
impressing upon him when I
00:18:08.98\00:18:10.45
came back to the Lord, he has
00:18:10.45\00:18:11.99
now given up drinking, he
00:18:11.99\00:18:13.29
hasn't drank in over a year now
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.72
and he also quit smoking as
00:18:15.72\00:18:17.26
well so I'm very thankful for
00:18:17.26\00:18:18.83
that as well.
00:18:18.83\00:18:19.89
So the Lord's working on
00:18:19.89\00:18:20.96
him, too.
00:18:20.96\00:18:21.76
>> And I understand he's been
00:18:21.76\00:18:22.96
doing Bible studies.
00:18:22.96\00:18:23.97
>> Yes, he actually did Bible
00:18:23.97\00:18:25.13
studies with me for about a
00:18:25.13\00:18:26.33
year and he no longer is
00:18:26.33\00:18:29.04
atheist, he does believe in
00:18:29.04\00:18:30.97
the Lord, he just doesn't know
00:18:30.97\00:18:32.57
yet how to develop that
00:18:32.57\00:18:34.11
relationship so we're still
00:18:34.11\00:18:35.34
praying for him and...
00:18:35.34\00:18:36.88
>> And, Christina, did you
00:18:37.18\00:18:38.85
also struggle with alcohol?
00:18:38.85\00:18:40.58
>> I, yeah, before my daughter
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.28
was born, I had similar
00:18:42.28\00:18:44.29
struggles as Melissa with
00:18:44.29\00:18:45.79
alcohol and I could drink
00:18:45.79\00:18:48.82
really strong alcohol, I used
00:18:48.82\00:18:52.33
to drink Jack Daniels and
00:18:52.33\00:18:54.46
tequila would be my main drink
00:18:54.46\00:18:56.33
of choice, mixed together, and
00:18:56.33\00:19:00.20
I basically had a stomach of
00:19:00.20\00:19:01.60
steel where I could just
00:19:01.60\00:19:03.07
handle anything.
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.01
I just didn't feel anything,
00:19:05.01\00:19:06.74
right, so...
00:19:06.74\00:19:08.61
So yeah, I had those times as
00:19:08.61\00:19:09.94
well, but when my daughter was
00:19:09.94\00:19:11.85
born, it did help me stop that
00:19:11.85\00:19:15.82
heavy drinking and then I kind
00:19:15.82\00:19:17.45
of just moved into red wine in
00:19:17.45\00:19:19.05
the evening.
00:19:19.05\00:19:20.69
>> So you struggled with
00:19:20.69\00:19:22.22
eating, how did your daughter
00:19:22.22\00:19:24.56
relate to that, like did you
00:19:24.56\00:19:25.83
feed her well?
00:19:25.83\00:19:27.40
>> I did, I did my best to
00:19:27.40\00:19:30.37
feed her as best as I could.
00:19:30.37\00:19:31.90
It was easier for me when she
00:19:31.90\00:19:33.20
was still a baby.
00:19:33.20\00:19:34.57
I did nurse her for three
00:19:34.57\00:19:35.97
years and that definitely
00:19:35.97\00:19:37.27
helped with her health and her
00:19:37.27\00:19:38.71
immunities, she was not
00:19:38.71\00:19:39.84
ever sick.
00:19:39.84\00:19:41.78
And I also, her first foods
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.21
were very healthy, I fed her
00:19:43.21\00:19:44.91
avocado and all those things,
00:19:44.91\00:19:48.28
natural foods.
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.39
But as she grew and she
00:19:50.39\00:19:52.95
started wanting to mimic me
00:19:52.95\00:19:54.96
and wanting to eat the things
00:19:54.96\00:19:56.42
I ate, it then became harder
00:19:56.42\00:19:58.59
to keep her on track with
00:19:58.59\00:19:59.89
eating healthy.
00:19:59.89\00:20:01.20
So I would give her healthy
00:20:01.20\00:20:02.46
things, but also she would
00:20:02.46\00:20:03.70
want what I was eating, too,
00:20:03.70\00:20:04.87
and so she started developing
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.70
those wrong habits as well.
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.70
So I was trying to keep her
00:20:08.70\00:20:10.24
from it the best I could in my
00:20:10.24\00:20:12.04
own strength, but of course I
00:20:12.04\00:20:13.91
needed the Lord to help me.
00:20:13.91\00:20:15.94
>> You had influences on your
00:20:15.94\00:20:18.45
husbands, on your children, on
00:20:18.45\00:20:20.28
your mother, what about
00:20:20.28\00:20:21.62
your dad?
00:20:21.62\00:20:22.68
>> Our dad was very influenced
00:20:23.82\00:20:25.85
by us.
00:20:25.85\00:20:27.02
It actually started with
00:20:27.02\00:20:28.69
Facebook, I was posting quotes
00:20:28.69\00:20:30.56
about the Lord coming soon and
00:20:30.56\00:20:32.03
things like that and he was
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.43
kind of separated from us at
00:20:33.43\00:20:34.56
that point, he kept his
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.03
distance because he was an
00:20:36.03\00:20:37.90
alcoholic and he was still
00:20:37.90\00:20:40.17
drinking and trying to keep it
00:20:40.17\00:20:41.94
from us, I guess, and so when
00:20:41.94\00:20:43.57
we started posting those
00:20:43.57\00:20:44.91
things, I think the Lord
00:20:44.91\00:20:46.17
started softening his heart
00:20:46.17\00:20:47.64
and he started wanting to, you
00:20:47.64\00:20:50.75
know, turn back to the Lord.
00:20:50.75\00:20:52.25
He always loved Jesus as well.
00:20:52.25\00:20:54.05
When we were kids, he used to
00:20:54.05\00:20:55.42
always say prayers with us
00:20:55.42\00:20:56.79
and, you know, he loved
00:20:56.79\00:20:58.45
the Lord.
00:20:58.45\00:20:59.55
So I think our influence just
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.22
brought him back to that
00:21:01.22\00:21:02.66
realization and, you know, we
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.06
were praying for him, he was
00:21:04.06\00:21:05.73
praying for a way out, and
00:21:05.73\00:21:08.20
something did happen to wake
00:21:08.20\00:21:10.10
him up and he ended up
00:21:10.10\00:21:11.73
surrendering to the Lord and
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.27
the Lord took alcohol from him.
00:21:13.27\00:21:14.77
All he had to do was
00:21:14.77\00:21:15.97
surrender it.
00:21:15.97\00:21:17.37
He asked the Lord, you know,
00:21:17.37\00:21:18.61
"Take this from me, I'll
00:21:18.61\00:21:19.91
surrender to You, I'll do
00:21:19.91\00:21:20.88
whatever You want,
00:21:20.88\00:21:21.74
just help me."
00:21:21.74\00:21:22.98
>> And then to stay on track,
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.35
he started reading his Bible
00:21:24.35\00:21:26.25
every day and he read Steps to
00:21:26.25\00:21:28.25
Christ and a bunch of books
00:21:28.25\00:21:30.29
that helped him draw closer to
00:21:30.29\00:21:31.79
Jesus and learn about the Lord
00:21:31.79\00:21:33.62
more and more.
00:21:33.62\00:21:35.09
>> So, Melissa and Christina,
00:21:35.76\00:21:37.76
you are both very good cooks
00:21:37.76\00:21:40.53
and Mike and I know because we
00:21:40.53\00:21:42.20
have tasted your delicious
00:21:42.20\00:21:44.07
food.
00:21:44.07\00:21:45.27
Were you always good at
00:21:45.27\00:21:46.77
preparing food?
00:21:46.77\00:21:48.64
>> No... [laughs]
00:21:48.64\00:21:50.24
Not at all.
00:21:50.24\00:21:51.41
Before I came back to the
00:21:52.54\00:21:53.81
Lord, I would just order food
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.08
all the time and never
00:21:55.08\00:21:56.51
bothered with cooking.
00:21:56.51\00:21:57.95
It was when I was wanting to
00:21:57.95\00:22:00.95
eat healthier that I learned
00:22:00.95\00:22:04.05
how to prepare food and I had
00:22:04.05\00:22:06.32
to do it very prayerfully and
00:22:06.32\00:22:08.09
there was a lot of mistakes
00:22:08.09\00:22:09.69
made and a lot of learning to
00:22:09.69\00:22:11.33
be done, but the Lord helped
00:22:11.33\00:22:12.99
us both become good cooks.
00:22:12.99\00:22:15.40
There's a way to make
00:22:15.40\00:22:17.43
healthful food taste amazing,
00:22:17.43\00:22:18.93
you don't have to have
00:22:18.93\00:22:20.54
stimulating, harmful foods to
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.54
have your food taste good and
00:22:22.54\00:22:24.07
have you relish your food.
00:22:24.07\00:22:25.41
So the Lord, what He did is He
00:22:25.41\00:22:26.91
taught us to replace all
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.58
harmful articles of food with
00:22:28.58\00:22:30.25
healthful articles of food.
00:22:30.25\00:22:32.01
And so we eliminated
00:22:32.01\00:22:33.72
everything out of our diet
00:22:33.72\00:22:35.32
that's stimulating or harmful
00:22:35.32\00:22:37.02
in any way and we applied that
00:22:37.02\00:22:38.75
to our cooking.
00:22:38.75\00:22:40.16
>> So you also started a
00:22:40.16\00:22:42.19
business where you're selling
00:22:42.19\00:22:43.79
your food and making meals for
00:22:43.79\00:22:45.33
other people.
00:22:45.33\00:22:46.36
>> Yes.
00:22:46.36\00:22:47.76
So we have a health kitchen,
00:22:47.76\00:22:49.10
it's called Country Carob
00:22:49.10\00:22:50.37
Kitchen, and we sell
00:22:50.37\00:22:53.00
plant-based baked goods like
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.10
plant-based cheese cakes and
00:22:55.10\00:22:57.51
date squares and carob tarts
00:22:57.51\00:22:59.31
and things like that.
00:22:59.31\00:23:00.98
We don't sell chocolate or
00:23:00.98\00:23:02.48
anything.
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.01
We've replaced the chocolate
00:23:04.01\00:23:05.55
with carob and we also sell
00:23:05.55\00:23:09.48
bread and there's a-- we sell
00:23:09.48\00:23:12.79
meals as well,
00:23:12.79\00:23:14.09
healthful meals.
00:23:14.09\00:23:15.49
>> So you also have a media
00:23:15.49\00:23:16.93
ministry called Overcoming
00:23:16.93\00:23:18.13
Through Christ.
00:23:18.13\00:23:19.63
You started some big things,
00:23:19.63\00:23:20.93
was that kind of scary
00:23:20.93\00:23:21.93
for you?
00:23:21.93\00:23:23.80
[CHRISTINA] Everything is scary
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.33
unless you depend on the Lord.
00:23:25.33\00:23:26.47
[laughs] So...
00:23:26.47\00:23:27.84
[MELISSA] Especially for us.
00:23:27.84\00:23:29.00
[CHRISTINA] Yeah, so we just
00:23:29.00\00:23:30.14
let the Lord lead with that.
00:23:30.14\00:23:31.71
By nature, I don't get up
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.21
there and speak in front
00:23:33.21\00:23:34.28
of people.
00:23:34.28\00:23:35.64
It's definitely something that
00:23:35.64\00:23:36.88
the Lord leads me to do and He
00:23:36.88\00:23:39.68
had us start that ministry
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.42
and, you know, He wants us to
00:23:41.42\00:23:43.15
share what we know, He wants
00:23:43.15\00:23:44.79
us to share with people what
00:23:44.79\00:23:46.65
He's done for us and no matter
00:23:46.65\00:23:49.09
what our feelings are, we
00:23:49.09\00:23:50.86
should go ahead and do what
00:23:50.86\00:23:52.36
the Lord would have us do
00:23:52.36\00:23:53.70
'cause it brings glory to Him.
00:23:53.70\00:23:55.06
>> What I like about the two
00:23:55.06\00:23:56.63
of you is you're sisters, but
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.07
you pray together.
00:23:58.07\00:23:59.30
Like, if you're struggling
00:23:59.30\00:24:00.77
with something or you get an
00:24:00.77\00:24:02.44
idea and you're just like,
00:24:02.44\00:24:03.91
"Ahh! Should I do this?" you
00:24:03.91\00:24:05.41
kinda call each other and you
00:24:05.41\00:24:06.68
say, "Hey, can you pray with
00:24:06.68\00:24:07.71
me about this?"
00:24:07.71\00:24:08.74
>> Yeah.
00:24:08.74\00:24:09.91
Yeah, we do do that and, you
00:24:09.91\00:24:11.48
know, we're getting a lot
00:24:11.48\00:24:12.75
better at doing that.
00:24:12.75\00:24:14.62
There's still a work in
00:24:14.62\00:24:16.32
progress in some areas, but
00:24:16.32\00:24:18.02
definitely if I get a
00:24:18.02\00:24:19.65
conviction on something then
00:24:19.65\00:24:21.12
I'll say, "Melissa, you should
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.09
also pray to the Lord and ask
00:24:23.09\00:24:25.66
Him about it as well," so that
00:24:25.66\00:24:28.30
she's on the same page and
00:24:28.30\00:24:29.60
things like that.
00:24:29.60\00:24:30.80
>> And how do you feel about
00:24:30.80\00:24:31.93
that, Melissa, do you get ever
00:24:31.93\00:24:32.80
offended?
00:24:32.80\00:24:33.80
>> No, no, not at all.
00:24:33.80\00:24:35.30
It works out for us 'cause,
00:24:35.30\00:24:37.07
you know, I get some
00:24:37.07\00:24:38.27
convictions that I have to say
00:24:38.27\00:24:39.51
the same thing to her about
00:24:39.51\00:24:40.68
and, you know, it just goes
00:24:40.68\00:24:42.18
both ways.
00:24:42.18\00:24:43.08
>> Final question, a Bible
00:24:43.08\00:24:44.51
text, do you have a favourite
00:24:44.51\00:24:45.75
Bible text or one that really
00:24:45.75\00:24:47.22
motivates you?
00:24:47.22\00:24:48.72
>> Yeah, so Matthew 6, verse
00:24:48.72\00:24:50.65
33 has really helped to change
00:24:50.65\00:24:53.36
my own life, it's...
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.66
The first time I heard this
00:25:01.30\00:25:03.30
verse is when I came back to
00:25:03.30\00:25:05.17
the Lord and I was actually
00:25:05.17\00:25:06.84
attending a meeting at the
00:25:06.84\00:25:08.44
church and this verse came up
00:25:08.44\00:25:10.14
on the screen.
00:25:10.14\00:25:11.51
My mind was cloudy at that
00:25:11.51\00:25:12.77
time, I didn't fully
00:25:12.77\00:25:14.28
understand it at the time, but
00:25:14.28\00:25:15.61
when I read it and tried to
00:25:15.61\00:25:17.51
understand it, it convicted my
00:25:17.51\00:25:19.28
heart of my sinful nature and
00:25:19.28\00:25:21.08
I knew I had to change and
00:25:21.08\00:25:23.42
seek the Lord and I was like,
00:25:23.42\00:25:25.45
"How could I ever put the
00:25:25.45\00:25:27.36
kingdom of heaven first before
00:25:27.36\00:25:28.79
these things that I'm in?"
00:25:28.79\00:25:30.39
Like, even just thinking about
00:25:30.39\00:25:32.16
my job, like, how could I put
00:25:32.16\00:25:34.10
that first?
00:25:34.10\00:25:35.26
And so I was just really
00:25:35.26\00:25:36.87
trying to understand and
00:25:36.87\00:25:38.47
understand what it meant.
00:25:38.47\00:25:39.87
And so I went home and I
00:25:39.87\00:25:41.37
prayed and I asked the Lord to
00:25:41.37\00:25:42.70
forgive me of all my sins and
00:25:42.70\00:25:44.14
to help me get closer with Him
00:25:44.14\00:25:46.07
and to do everything He could
00:25:46.07\00:25:47.61
to get me to heaven and from
00:25:47.61\00:25:50.91
there on I just kept seeking
00:25:50.91\00:25:53.01
the Lord and His righteousness
00:25:53.01\00:25:54.88
and seeking to do exactly what
00:25:54.88\00:25:57.15
His will is in all things and
00:25:57.15\00:26:00.19
it's definitely working out.
00:26:00.19\00:26:01.96
>> So, Melissa and Christina,
00:26:03.16\00:26:05.26
we have come to the end of our
00:26:05.26\00:26:07.13
program, but before we let you
00:26:07.13\00:26:09.60
go, Christina, I wonder if you
00:26:09.60\00:26:11.60
could pray for our viewers.
00:26:11.60\00:26:14.04
There might be some that are
00:26:14.04\00:26:15.64
watching that are struggling
00:26:15.64\00:26:17.37
with alcohol and tobacco and
00:26:17.37\00:26:21.78
maybe even over-eating or
00:26:21.78\00:26:24.88
under-eating, an eating
00:26:24.88\00:26:26.58
disorder, I wonder if you
00:26:26.58\00:26:28.42
could pray that they will be--
00:26:28.42\00:26:30.59
gain victory in Christ just
00:26:30.59\00:26:32.35
like you and Melissa have.
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.96
>> Yes, of course.
00:26:34.96\00:26:36.59
Dearest most precious heavenly
00:26:38.39\00:26:39.73
Father, I thank You, Lord, so
00:26:39.73\00:26:41.36
much that we were able to be
00:26:41.36\00:26:43.33
on It Is Written and share
00:26:43.33\00:26:45.47
with the viewers what You've
00:26:45.47\00:26:47.34
done for us and how You've
00:26:47.34\00:26:49.50
helped us to overcome.
00:26:49.50\00:26:51.64
Father, I ask that You please
00:26:51.64\00:26:53.51
bless the viewers and anybody,
00:26:53.51\00:26:55.28
Lord, that's struggling with
00:26:55.28\00:26:56.91
any of these things that we've
00:26:56.91\00:26:58.45
spoke about.
00:26:58.45\00:26:59.95
It's only our characters,
00:26:59.95\00:27:01.62
Lord, that we bring with us to
00:27:01.62\00:27:03.22
heaven and, Father, just, I
00:27:03.22\00:27:04.95
ask that You please prepare us
00:27:04.95\00:27:06.62
and help us, Lord, to be ready
00:27:06.62\00:27:07.96
for Your kingdom.
00:27:07.96\00:27:09.59
I love You so much.
00:27:09.59\00:27:10.93
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
00:27:10.93\00:27:12.63
>> Amen.
00:27:12.63\00:27:14.03
Melissa and Christina, thank
00:27:14.03\00:27:16.23
you very much for coming on
00:27:16.23\00:27:17.67
It Is Written Canada.
00:27:17.67\00:27:19.13
[BOTH] Thanks for having us.
00:27:19.13\00:27:20.37
>> Friends, freedom of choice
00:27:23.17\00:27:25.07
is one of the most precious
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.88
gifts God has entrusted to us.
00:27:26.88\00:27:29.38
Unfortunately, we too often
00:27:29.38\00:27:31.61
make poor choices which may
00:27:31.61\00:27:33.58
lead to destructive habits
00:27:33.58\00:27:35.32
that enslave us, damage our
00:27:35.32\00:27:36.92
health, and even ruin
00:27:36.92\00:27:38.75
our lives.
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.09
>> Our free offer for you is
00:27:40.62\00:27:42.72
the special Steps To Christ
00:27:42.72\00:27:44.29
Recovery Edition.
00:27:44.29\00:27:45.89
This powerful book includes a
00:27:46.53\00:27:48.56
12-step recovery program,
00:27:48.56\00:27:51.10
empowering you to overcome
00:27:51.10\00:27:53.37
harmful habits and addictions.
00:27:53.37\00:27:56.10
Above all, you will come to
00:27:56.10\00:27:58.24
know Jesus Christ, the only
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.38
One who can heal and restore,
00:28:00.38\00:28:03.35
strengthen and encourage, as
00:28:03.35\00:28:06.11
well as bring true balance and
00:28:06.11\00:28:08.02
meaning to your life.
00:28:08.02\00:28:10.42
>> You, too, can experience
00:28:11.65\00:28:13.02
the fullness of life found in
00:28:13.02\00:28:14.46
the words of Jesus when He
00:28:14.46\00:28:15.96
said, "It is written, 'Man
00:28:15.96\00:28:17.56
shall not live by bread alone,
00:28:17.56\00:28:19.09
but by every word that
00:28:19.09\00:28:20.50
proceeds out of the mouth
00:28:20.50\00:28:22.06
of God.'"
00:28:22.06\00:28:23.63
¤¤
00:28:23.63\00:28:54.00