Hi, I'm Dr. Kim and
welcome to "Live to Be Well"
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Today on our program
we're going to be discussing
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unconditional love, but
we can't discuss that without
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recognizing God the
Father... how He gave His only
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begotten Son on
Calvary to die for our sins.
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Today my special guest
is here to talk about his
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unconditional love that
he shared with his father
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who recently passed away.
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I want to take this time
to welcome "Brandon Dent"
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Welcome to "Live to Be Well"
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I'm happy to be here.
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I know a lot has been
going on in your life,
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but I want to just
take it step-by-step...
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can we do that? Sure!
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You know, we've
met as children at the
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"Burns Avenue Seventh-day
Adventist Church." That's right!
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And on Burns on the east
side of Detroit. That's right!
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And we attended the same school,
"Davison Warren Academy,"
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the same youth choir;
we ran around the church
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getting trouble - that was
you, that was not me, okay?
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Yes, I'm guilty
as charged. Alright.
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And our families all intertwined
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served this
church. That's right.
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And Marshall T. Kelly was
our Pastor... you know it takes
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everything to
serve the Lord. Yeah
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So we came up with such a
strong foundation in the church,
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but what I'm seeing
today, Brandon, is that
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a lot of our
youth that we grew up
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with are no
longer in the church.
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We can count on
one hand how many of us
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are still in the
church with you and I,
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and as we grew up together
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and we are still here
serving the Lord. Yes we are.
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Let's talk about who
Elder Brandon Dent is.
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He's a son, he's a husband,
a father, a grandfather,
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an engineer, a
teacher educator, a friend,
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just a phenomenal man of God.
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So let's talk about
the journey of who you are,
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and the testimony that will
lead into what you have gone
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through in the
last couple of weeks.
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Yeah well, you know they
say that you are the sum total
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of your experiences - so
when I was a kid, I used to
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hear these long bios of
great speakers and Ph.D.'s,
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and you know,
folk like yourself.
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Oh, is that right.
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And I used to think, "Wow,
how did they become all that?"
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And, of course, having
lived a little bit of life,
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I realized that it's just a
layering of things over time.
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You don't fly to
positions of prominence,
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you walk the
beaten path, you know,
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and then when you do it
that way, you know the way...
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You know how you got
there and you're able to
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sustain yourself there -
so it takes the pressure off
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when you realize, "I don't
have to be all of that today."
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Today what I have to do is be
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what God has called
me to be today and then
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tomorrow something else,
but as you go through these
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experiences, you keep building
and building and that really
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is what makes up the journey.
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Why are you a Seventh-day
Adventist still in this
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time that we live in and
you didn't leave the church.
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You're still here... an
elder, minister of music.
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You've served many
positions in your church.
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What keeps you close to
the church and close to God?
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Well, I learned something
very important from my brother,
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Cedric Dent, and we were
talking about marriage...
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And he said, "You know,
what makes me and my wife
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work is that we're
afraid of each other." Laughter
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He said, "We're
afraid of each other."
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He said, "She knows what
not to do to me and I know
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what not to do to her and
we respect those boundaries."
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So I guess I'm afraidy cat.
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I'm afraid to disrespect
the only hope and stay
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that I know - God.
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Now, it does take some
education to learn to appreciate
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who God is. That's right.
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And what He is... He
is, you know, in Him we
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move - we have our
being. That's right.
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So if someone is teaching
you that, which my parents
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did do, then you reach a point
where you have to reconcile
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all of that
that they put in you.
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And for me, it was an
understanding that I cannot
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exist without Him.
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And even though all of
the structure that the church
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and what a young person thinks
being dedicated to God brings
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can sometimes not feel good,
still in the back of my mind,
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the alternative was
worse... being without God,
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not being able to be all
that He would call me to be.
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I'm so excited because, you
know, you went into the field
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of engineering - I have
another connection because
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you were my daughter's
math teacher and even now,
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tutoring her and I
remember getting phone calls
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Arthur and I - "Kim, Erin
needs a little bit of fire."
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"Kim, I put her at the
front of the classroom."
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"Kim, Arthur" - I mean you
were relentless to make sure
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that Erin got
everything she did.
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Help me to understand, Brandon,
how you were in corporate
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America as an engineer
and then becoming an educator
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in Christian
education. Right, right.
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Well, I became an engineer
because it was a natural for me.
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I was always taking things
apart trying to figure out
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how things work,
reading the make and do books
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in elementary school and I
knew well before high school,
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that I want to be an
engineer, and so I went to
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"Cass Technical High
School" here in Detroit,
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a renown technical
school and college prep,
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and I graduated as valedictorian
of the vocational school there.
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Wow, I didn't know that.
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Yes, I was ranked third out
of about a thousand students.
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Out of a thousand students?
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About a thousand
students in my graduating class,
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I was ranked third and it
set me up to go to engineering
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school at the
University of Michigan.
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So, you know, God had
given me that understanding
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early on that this is the
path for you and from there,
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I went into an
engineering career
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in the automotive industry.
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Now your second question
is: "How do you walk away
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from all that?" Yes
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And how long were
you in corporate America?
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I was in corporate
America about 28 years.
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Really? Twenty-eight years.
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So how do you
walk away from that?
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You know the money...
you know, you know the
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status that it brings. Right
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I mean, I'm going to
throw some numbers out there
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because it's really
not about me, and you know,
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it really glorifies
what God did for me. Yes
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I started my career
in the mid 80s at about a
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$36,000 a year -
$37,000 a year salary which
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which was pretty
big money back then.
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Back then - yes. Okay
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But I ended the career
at about $200,000 a year,
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and it was more money
than I had ever imagined
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that I would make.
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So now is the power
of your question... Yes
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"How do you walk
away from that?" Okay?
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I remember there was a
point where that $200,000 hook
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was in my nose and I
couldn't get off the hook.
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Couldn't get off the hook...
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I had really become
obsessed with having plenty.
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But at the same time, I
did not realize that it was
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competing with my
spirituality because I was
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still minister of music;
I was still working for the
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church; I was still
working in youth ministries;
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I was still
running Pathfinders...
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I had all of that going
on and so I think the devil
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was using that to make me think,
"Spiritually, you're okay."
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But the light went
on pretty bright one day
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when I was in my office and
a person came into my office
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and said, "You're
not supposed to be here."
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And I said, "What are you
talking about, I work here?"
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He said, "Isn't
this your Sabbath?"
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And I said, "Oh, it's the
sunset?" It was Friday. Oh my!
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I walked out of my office
and I looked out of the window,
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it was DARK! It was dark...
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Your coworkers knew!
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My coworkers knew because
I actually had a Bible class
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at lunchtime and I
taught the Sabbath.
00:09:06.17\00:09:08.64
And I felt so bad and I
looked at this guy and I said,
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"I've been a bad
witness, I'm so sorry?"
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He said, "No, no, I'm...
you know, it doesn't mean
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anything to me, I think
it means something to you,
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I just thought
I'd let you know."
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And so when he
walked out of my office,
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the Holy Spirit said to me,
"I know you did not intend to
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violate My Sabbath,
you were caught off-guard,
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but do understand,
Brandon, even though you don't
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intend to miss out on
heaven when I come again,
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you're going to be sitting
right here caught off-guard...
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...My, my, my... And
you're going to miss it."
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And I said, "Then Lord,
get me out, get me out."
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And I began to pray,
"Lord, how do I walk away,
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how do I make this transition?"
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And I made that transition
in 2010 which was at the lowest
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point in the recession in
the auto industry in this area.
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So that meant if I walked
away, there were chances that
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I would be
unemployed for a long time. Yes
00:10:02.80\00:10:06.37
So I wasn't going
to just do that...
00:10:06.40\00:10:08.17
So I said, "Lord,
You're going to have to help me
00:10:08.20\00:10:09.94
migrate to the next
thing that you have for me."
00:10:09.97\00:10:12.67
But what about your wife...
when you went home and you
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told her what had
happened, what was her
00:10:16.21\00:10:19.01
feedback about that?
00:10:19.05\00:10:20.72
Well, she was obviously
concerned, she was wondering
00:10:20.75\00:10:23.12
"Well what are we
gonna do, what's next?"
00:10:23.18\00:10:25.29
And I said, "I'm
gonna run my own engineering
00:10:25.32\00:10:27.42
consulting company" which I
did do for quite a few years,
00:10:27.46\00:10:32.83
and I think that she trusted the
fact that if God was leading #1
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and #2, He had gifted me
with a lot of good financial
00:10:37.87\00:10:40.74
abilities that
somehow it's gonna find a way
00:10:40.77\00:10:43.47
to work and partnership
with God to make sure that
00:10:43.51\00:10:46.21
we would be okay. Yes
00:10:46.24\00:10:47.61
You know, I'm a hands-on
type of guy, I'm an engineer,
00:10:47.64\00:10:51.91
I like to work out
solutions and she has seen me do
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that for 30 plus years.
00:10:55.42\00:11:00.69
How many years you all
have been married? 32 years.
00:11:00.72\00:11:02.62
Thirty-two
years, congratulations.
00:11:02.66\00:11:04.66
So that gets me a little
bit of a resume with her.
00:11:04.69\00:11:08.30
Right, right -
you can trust that.
00:11:08.33\00:11:09.66
That's right. Okay, you know...
00:11:09.70\00:11:11.30
So then what happened?
00:11:11.33\00:11:13.67
Well, I had a client call me and
say his check had not cleared.
00:11:13.70\00:11:20.11
so I was working in my
yard, I was working from home.
00:11:20.14\00:11:23.95
I was living the life
that I had always dreamed of
00:11:23.98\00:11:26.35
because I was working like
a dog in corporate America.
00:11:26.38\00:11:29.02
And so I said, "Okay,
I'll go and I'll check my inbox
00:11:29.05\00:11:33.72
and see if we have it."
00:11:33.76\00:11:36.22
We had the check,
I took it straight to
00:11:36.26\00:11:39.93
the bank and I deposited it.
00:11:39.96\00:11:42.20
While I was standing in
the bank lot, the Lord told me
00:11:42.23\00:11:46.70
... He focused my eyes on a
training center that prepared
00:11:46.74\00:11:51.61
kids for ACT and SAT and
He said, "I need you to go
00:11:51.64\00:11:55.51
over there and
teach math and science."
00:11:55.54\00:11:58.41
And I said, "Where
did that come from?"
00:11:58.45\00:12:00.82
You know, it's not on
my radar and then the voice
00:12:00.85\00:12:06.72
said again, "I
need you to do this."
00:12:06.76\00:12:08.69
And I was like, "Ah nah, that's
just me THINKING to myself
00:12:08.72\00:12:13.26
about stuff that
really I'm not interested in,"
00:12:13.29\00:12:15.76
and when I said that...
that's didn't make sense.
00:12:15.80\00:12:18.13
We don't tell ourselves stuff
that we don't want to hear.
00:12:18.17\00:12:22.00
If you're hearing
something and it's not you,
00:12:22.34\00:12:25.04
it's either God
or it's Satan, okay?
00:12:25.07\00:12:28.24
And Satan is not going to tell
you to do something positive
00:12:28.28\00:12:30.48
like train young
people That's right!
00:12:30.51\00:12:32.35
And so then I knew, I
said, "Okay Lord, I'm in a muddy
00:12:32.38\00:12:35.58
T- shirt and jeans, let me go
home and get myself fixed up."
00:12:35.62\00:12:40.32
And the voice said, "I want you
to go just like you are." Go now
00:12:40.36\00:12:42.72
And I said, "Oh that
will work, cause they won't
00:12:43.43\00:12:46.59
take me like this." Laughter
00:12:46.63\00:12:48.33
And I went over there and
they took me! And they took you.
00:12:48.36\00:12:51.37
And I couldn't figure
that thing out, I scratched
00:12:52.37\00:12:54.57
my head all the way home.
00:12:54.60\00:12:56.64
And so I did that for about
2 years and then in the middle
00:12:56.67\00:13:01.01
of the school year, Christmas
break, I got a call from my
00:13:01.04\00:13:06.61
local Adventist Academy,
Peterson-Warren Academy,
00:13:06.65\00:13:09.18
and they said, "Our math
teacher will not be returning
00:13:09.22\00:13:14.29
in the New Year - we don't
have a high school math program.
00:13:14.32\00:13:18.49
We know that you
have engineering degrees
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.33
and you're competent in math
and the state will accept that,
00:13:21.36\00:13:25.80
and allow you conditionally
to teach math." Yes
00:13:25.83\00:13:29.50
"We can get the other
credentials that you need
00:13:29.54\00:13:35.04
conditionally."
00:13:35.08\00:13:36.58
And I said, "Lord, why are these
people trying to get in the way
00:13:36.61\00:13:41.95
of me building my business?"
00:13:41.98\00:13:43.85
Now I did what you said
and I went to this other place
00:13:43.89\00:13:47.26
and I started doing this
tutoring, but I can't keep
00:13:47.29\00:13:49.49
adding that because
that's gonna crowd out
00:13:49.52\00:13:50.99
my business and
this is how I live. Right
00:13:51.03\00:13:52.43
And the Holy Spirit
said, "I only sent you there
00:13:52.46\00:13:56.10
to prepare you for this call."
00:13:56.13\00:13:59.80
So I took the call
and I've been there
00:13:59.83\00:14:03.47
what 5 years? Five years.
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.91
Five years later, gave me
the opportunity to get a better
00:14:05.94\00:14:10.81
relationship with Erin
and you mentioned, you know,
00:14:10.85\00:14:18.52
getting the call and I had
to put her in the front of the
00:14:18.55\00:14:20.62
the class sitting next to me
and this, that and the other,
00:14:20.66\00:14:23.09
but what you probably did
NOT know is that I was that
00:14:23.12\00:14:27.00
same student back in the
day, my desk would start off
00:14:27.03\00:14:30.83
in the rank and
file like everybody else,
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.83
and it took each teacher
every year about 2 weeks to
00:14:32.87\00:14:35.87
figure out that my desk
needed to be next to theirs.
00:14:35.90\00:14:38.24
And so, I got it, I got Erin
and I was able to pour into her.
00:14:38.27\00:14:43.31
So what I loved about
it was, when Erin was away
00:14:44.35\00:14:46.75
in boarding school,
how we reached out to you.
00:14:46.78\00:14:49.42
She was having
difficulty in her math class,
00:14:49.45\00:14:52.25
and she took the exam
because you assisted her.
00:14:52.29\00:14:55.19
Then they accused her of
cheating and they wanted her
00:14:55.22\00:14:58.29
to take the entire exam
over again and we reached out to
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.80
you once again and you
said, "No, have them give her
00:15:01.83\00:15:05.27
a few questions; show the work
because we didn't understand
00:15:05.30\00:15:08.84
why they didn't
even require the work,
00:15:08.87\00:15:11.17
but each teacher is different.
00:15:11.21\00:15:13.11
But you were there for
us, you, your wife, Alice,
00:15:13.14\00:15:16.44
your entire family
and we really appreciate
00:15:16.48\00:15:19.85
how you were there for
Erin in a very difficult time.
00:15:19.88\00:15:23.05
Another thing that you
helped Arthur and I with
00:15:23.08\00:15:25.95
was our finances.
00:15:25.99\00:15:27.32
We were working in a
very small arena and you said
00:15:27.36\00:15:29.79
if we do A, B, C and D,
our finances would grow.
00:15:29.82\00:15:34.16
But the one thing you
really wanted us to do
00:15:34.20\00:15:36.97
and help us understand to
give to Christian Seventh-day
00:15:37.00\00:15:40.30
Adventist education.
00:15:40.34\00:15:42.24
I was like - you know, I need
to buy some shoes and things,
00:15:42.27\00:15:45.41
okay... and you said "No,
help children go to school,
00:15:45.44\00:15:50.71
and the Lord will bless you."
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.61
So we did what you
told us to do and, indeed,
00:15:52.65\00:15:56.05
the Lord blessed
us, oh, 10 times over,
00:15:56.08\00:15:59.99
and then you also guided us
what to do with our finances...
00:16:00.02\00:16:03.43
how to invest and why
is it that we don't want to
00:16:03.46\00:16:07.13
listen to our own
people? What is that?
00:16:07.16\00:16:10.23
Um, well now that's
just a whole nother...
00:16:10.27\00:16:14.17
That's a whole nother program!
00:16:14.24\00:16:15.70
Yeah, a social phenomenon.
00:16:15.74\00:16:17.17
We don't want
people in our business.
00:16:17.21\00:16:18.87
We don't want
people to know. Right
00:16:18.91\00:16:20.24
And you came over
and I did like this...
00:16:20.61\00:16:22.48
Here is our books, our
finances, our checkbook,
00:16:22.51\00:16:26.18
you went through everything
and said, "Okay, this is what
00:16:26.21\00:16:29.05
we need to do
because if you don't do this,
00:16:29.08\00:16:31.35
in 10 years, you're
going to be broke." Right
00:16:31.39\00:16:33.79
And I was like... you know.
00:16:33.82\00:16:35.89
Well let me pay
you a compliment...
00:16:35.92\00:16:37.39
You and Arthur a compliment...
What I've seen is that
00:16:37.43\00:16:42.30
you break that mold of
not trusting yourselves
00:16:42.33\00:16:47.44
your resources, your
direction with the advice of
00:16:47.47\00:16:52.27
people that look like you. Okay?
00:16:52.31\00:16:55.41
For some reason - I won't
try to explain this social
00:16:55.44\00:16:58.18
phenomenon, we seem to have
a less regard for the advice,
00:16:58.21\00:17:04.15
the skills and the abilities
of our fellow African Americans.
00:17:04.19\00:17:09.19
And one thing that has
been very admirable about
00:17:09.22\00:17:12.69
you and Arthur is that you
did not fall into that category.
00:17:12.73\00:17:16.33
I have seen you over and
over and over give your business
00:17:16.36\00:17:19.77
to fellow African Americans. Yes
00:17:19.80\00:17:22.07
And some that may have
even really needed the business,
00:17:22.10\00:17:24.77
I don't know if that was
you just ministering to them,
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.44
and say, "Well if
they mess this up,
00:17:27.48\00:17:29.04
we'll give them a
little something to play with,
00:17:29.08\00:17:30.51
and if they mess this
up, it won't hurt us."
00:17:30.55\00:17:31.91
But let us take this opportunity
to see if we can bless them.
00:17:31.98\00:17:35.52
And, of course, God's word
is true, right? Yes it is true.
00:17:35.55\00:17:39.05
You give, it will
be given back to you...
00:17:39.09\00:17:41.02
Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over!
00:17:41.06\00:17:44.56
There you go. No,
don't get me preaching!
00:17:44.59\00:17:46.13
All right and even when we were
Family Life directors of the
00:17:46.16\00:17:49.66
Conference, you took care of
all of our supplies, T-shirts;
00:17:49.70\00:17:54.87
we could have went to other
businesses and Arthur and I
00:17:54.90\00:17:57.51
both agreed - Let
Brandon handle everything,
00:17:57.54\00:18:00.18
and the work was
absolutely beautiful. Yeah
00:18:00.21\00:18:03.24
And we need to
support and help each other.
00:18:03.28\00:18:05.45
Let's talk about being,
you know, a husband, a father,
00:18:05.48\00:18:10.05
a grandfather - how do
you balance all of that?
00:18:10.09\00:18:13.15
Well first of all, the people
that you're in relationship with
00:18:13.19\00:18:18.89
and maybe this is
a novel perspective,
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.73
they're part of the balancing
act, right? That's right!
00:18:21.76\00:18:25.30
Sometimes when I want
to, you know, overdo the
00:18:25.33\00:18:31.47
husband role with my
wife, she'll help me balance it.
00:18:31.51\00:18:35.58
She'll give me a
perspective, right?
00:18:35.61\00:18:38.18
I remember, I used to like
to plan these dream vacations,
00:18:38.21\00:18:41.68
and you probably do the
same thing where you got
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.39
this scheduled - we're gonna
do this, we're gonna do this,
00:18:43.42\00:18:45.45
we're gonna do
this, we're gonna do this,
00:18:45.49\00:18:48.09
and Alice just wants to
relax a little bit. Right?
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.23
And she would say,
"Hey, you know what?
00:18:52.26\00:18:54.20
"Today, let's just
sit around the pool."
00:18:54.23\00:18:56.06
I'm thinking, "But the
theme parks, but this, but that,
00:18:56.10\00:18:59.97
but that big diner."
00:19:00.00\00:19:01.34
"Let's just
relax around the pool."
00:19:01.37\00:19:03.97
So when you're in a
relationship with other people,
00:19:04.01\00:19:06.21
if you can balance it a
little better, if you also
00:19:06.24\00:19:09.88
take some clues
from them. Right?
00:19:09.91\00:19:12.55
I like that!
Children are the same way.
00:19:12.58\00:19:14.05
They reach a point
where they don't want to be
00:19:14.08\00:19:17.25
bothered right now,
given that space, you know.
00:19:17.29\00:19:20.06
So if you try to insist on your
agenda, especially if you're
00:19:20.09\00:19:25.26
A- type personality, like
me... Yes, and me... Laughter
00:19:25.29\00:19:28.06
Hey see, I was going to
be self-condemning. Laughter
00:19:28.10\00:19:30.60
I don't put that on you, but
confession is good for the soul.
00:19:30.67\00:19:33.70
Yes it is!
00:19:33.74\00:19:35.07
But you will wear yourself
out doing that. Yes you will.
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.57
I know that my general
manager of "Dare to Dream"
00:19:37.61\00:19:42.08
just said something to
me last night, Dr. Lewis,
00:19:42.11\00:19:45.65
she said to me, "You
know, I don't want you to have a
00:19:45.68\00:19:48.18
relapse; I don't want
you to burn yourself out,
00:19:48.22\00:19:51.39
you've got to pace
yourself, you know,
00:19:51.42\00:19:53.49
so that we could look at the
longevity of "Live to Be Well."
00:19:53.52\00:19:57.03
How can you do a
program called "Live to Be Well"
00:19:57.06\00:19:59.49
when you're not well. Right
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.13
So I took it to heart
and I went home and I really
00:20:01.16\00:20:03.87
prayed over her words.
00:20:03.90\00:20:05.23
So I thank the Lord for her
ministering to me last night
00:20:05.27\00:20:07.67
because sometimes you have
to say, "No," you have to just
00:20:07.70\00:20:10.54
sit back and look at your
situation and reassess yourself.
00:20:10.57\00:20:16.11
So I use three words, I
use: "Accountability, Assessment
00:20:16.14\00:20:20.92
and Value" and I use
them with all my clients.
00:20:20.95\00:20:24.22
But you have 3 children,
you have 2 sons and you have
00:20:24.25\00:20:28.09
a beautiful baby girl.
00:20:28.12\00:20:30.23
Well, you know, it's
been a very rich experience,
00:20:30.26\00:20:33.50
and I just find it
phenomenal how these people can
00:20:33.53\00:20:37.20
come into the world who
you've never known ever before
00:20:37.23\00:20:40.27
in your life and
in a few short years,
00:20:40.30\00:20:43.30
they mean
EVERYTHING to you, your babies.
00:20:43.34\00:20:47.01
And so I was engaged
with them on many fronts,
00:20:47.04\00:20:53.35
their athletics - I mentioned
earlier that I was their
00:20:53.72\00:20:57.82
Pathfinder leader, but I became
the Pathfinder leader because
00:20:57.85\00:21:03.09
they got in
Pathfinders and I wanted to be a
00:21:03.12\00:21:05.99
part of that
experience with them.
00:21:06.03\00:21:08.73
And so, we played
basketball together, you know,
00:21:08.76\00:21:13.10
I was coaching and
then when they got older,
00:21:13.13\00:21:16.60
and got in the men's league,
I will still thinking that I
00:21:16.64\00:21:19.44
had enough youth to
play, so I played with them.
00:21:19.47\00:21:21.98
There was some overlap there.
There was some overlap - okay.
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.01
And so being engaged
with them and what they like,
00:21:24.15\00:21:27.75
and what they want to
do is what worked for me.
00:21:27.78\00:21:32.49
And it was kind of
interesting because my grandson
00:21:32.52\00:21:35.86
was over and he was
playing basketball and I was
00:21:35.89\00:21:38.56
trying to teach him plays
and at some point in time,
00:21:38.59\00:21:41.96
he said, "Grandpa, can
we just play basketball?"
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.40
Did he say that?
Did Jeremiah say that?
00:21:45.43\00:21:46.77
Yeah, yeah. It kinda hurt
my feelings because I really
00:21:46.80\00:21:49.60
wanted to teach him the plays.
00:21:49.64\00:21:51.44
But I had to learn
to engage him in a way
00:21:52.17\00:21:56.85
that worked for both him AND me.
00:21:56.88\00:21:58.41
It can't be just for me. Right?
00:21:58.45\00:22:00.35
So you support Seventh-day
Adventist Christian education;
00:22:00.38\00:22:02.95
your children have done
well; now you have just recently
00:22:02.98\00:22:08.89
gone through something. Right
00:22:08.92\00:22:10.36
You know, let's talk about that.
00:22:10.39\00:22:12.16
Well, I just lost my
father. Yes, I'm so sorry.
00:22:12.19\00:22:16.46
...On the Fourth of
July, so these holidays
00:22:16.50\00:22:19.63
sometimes they get
marked and the devil tries to
00:22:19.67\00:22:23.10
to do that because he
thinks that that will keep us
00:22:23.14\00:22:26.17
perpetually down every time
that day rolls around and I'm
00:22:26.21\00:22:32.31
inclined to look at it
differently that it can be
00:22:32.35\00:22:38.95
a marker that reminds us of
the love and the greatness...
00:22:38.99\00:22:42.06
so that when I see
those fireworks going off,
00:22:43.29\00:22:46.46
right? - for me it will mean
something different than for
00:22:46.49\00:22:50.50
other people - it will be
a reminder of the greatness
00:22:50.53\00:22:53.03
and the love that my
father bestowed on us.
00:22:53.07\00:22:55.20
How old was your father?
00:22:55.24\00:22:56.57
My father was
93! That is amazing!
00:22:56.60\00:23:00.64
Amazing, yeah. Amazing.
00:23:00.68\00:23:02.01
And in his right
mind. In his right mind.
00:23:02.04\00:23:04.21
You know, you texted
me, your wife, Alice,
00:23:04.25\00:23:06.75
text me and you said to
me, "This might be difficult
00:23:06.78\00:23:10.69
for you to come, but I
think you need to come see dad,"
00:23:10.72\00:23:14.22
because he was my spiritual
father, so I was 6 years old.
00:23:14.26\00:23:17.43
And I'm going to
tell this quick story...
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.46
I used to talk a
lot, I don't know why,
00:23:19.49\00:23:21.76
you know, people
might think I talk a lot...
00:23:21.80\00:23:23.50
You said "used
to." I used to! Okay.
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.67
And you think
he got the victory?
00:23:25.70\00:23:27.07
I got the victory over that.
00:23:27.10\00:23:28.44
So you're going to
be fine with that one?
00:23:28.47\00:23:30.31
And I walked up to
him and he said to me...
00:23:30.34\00:23:32.84
"Little girl,
you are so talkative,
00:23:32.87\00:23:35.38
do you EVER stop talking?"
00:23:35.41\00:23:37.08
And I looked at him
like, "Who are YOU?"
00:23:37.11\00:23:40.22
And so I went home, but
after dinner, we went back,
00:23:40.25\00:23:44.69
and my mother said, "When
you go back and see Sam Dent,
00:23:44.72\00:23:48.22
you tell Brother
Dent, you are not talkative,
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.99
but you are loquacious."
00:23:51.03\00:23:52.56
So I went back and I went
and I found him and I said...
00:23:52.59\00:23:55.93
"Brother Dent, (I pulled on
his jacket) he looked down at me
00:23:55.96\00:23:59.03
like - "WHAT is it?"
00:23:59.07\00:24:00.84
And I said, "I'm not
talkative, I'm loquacious!"
00:24:00.87\00:24:04.07
He just said, "Well you
have some potential, all right?"
00:24:04.11\00:24:07.64
So when I got your
text, I ended my day,
00:24:07.68\00:24:13.05
I came right out to see
him and he said to me...
00:24:13.08\00:24:17.62
"Kim," and I said, "Hi dad,"
and he gave me some kisses,
00:24:17.65\00:24:23.26
and he whispered to me,
he said, "I'm tired Kim."
00:24:23.29\00:24:27.53
And I said, "I
know dad," you know.
00:24:27.56\00:24:29.70
But prior to that, people
would ask me all the time...
00:24:29.73\00:24:33.84
"How are you?"
after Arthur passed.
00:24:33.87\00:24:35.80
And I would say day-by-day,
I saw dad at the baby blessing,
00:24:35.84\00:24:40.68
and dad said, "You
know Kim, how are you?"
00:24:41.21\00:24:43.88
He was the first person
I answered that question.
00:24:43.91\00:24:46.75
I said, "Not good."
00:24:46.78\00:24:48.52
He said, "All right, so what
are we going to do about it?"
00:24:48.55\00:24:52.75
"What can we do, where are we
going to go from this point on?"
00:24:52.79\00:24:56.73
And you saw me, I sat
there and I talked with him.
00:24:56.76\00:24:59.03
I thank the Lord for the
time because I have known
00:24:59.06\00:25:03.83
him all my life and he told me,
"You're going to go to college,
00:25:03.87\00:25:07.67
when I came back he
said, "Okay grad school."
00:25:08.10\00:25:09.97
He said, "All right
Miss Loquacious, you're going
00:25:10.01\00:25:12.81
to go to your PhDs." Right
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.11
But on his 90th birthday
celebration, I got a call
00:25:15.14\00:25:18.01
from you and your
wife, you know, to speak...
00:25:18.05\00:25:20.92
I mean, all the young
people that was in that circle,
00:25:20.95\00:25:23.59
I was so honored to stand
on that stage to bring words,
00:25:23.62\00:25:28.22
you know, truly a great man.
00:25:28.26\00:25:30.63
How is your heart, your heart?
00:25:30.66\00:25:32.96
Well, you know, it's heavy.
00:25:32.99\00:25:35.50
But, you know,
until you go through this,
00:25:35.86\00:25:39.00
you don't get a
full appreciation
00:25:39.03\00:25:41.04
for how the Lord
carries you through.
00:25:41.07\00:25:43.87
Still I have my
moments, but for the most part,
00:25:43.91\00:25:47.04
I'm encouraged. Yes
00:25:47.08\00:25:49.24
I'm still inspired, I have...
I was going to say 93 years of
00:25:49.28\00:25:55.52
investment, but I ain't
that old. Uh huh - no, no.
00:25:55.55\00:25:58.75
Excuse my French, but 50
some odd years... Is that right?
00:25:58.79\00:26:02.56
I was going to say 40,
if you're there, really?.
00:26:02.59\00:26:04.69
Well, I'll take that.
Are you old as me? No, okay.
00:26:04.73\00:26:06.83
Leave that alone.
Leave that alone. Laughter
00:26:06.86\00:26:09.06
But I have that, I have
that and he's instilled in me,
00:26:09.10\00:26:12.93
and I can pay that forward,
I've been paying that forward.
00:26:12.97\00:26:15.64
We talked earlier about
how I do what I do and where I
00:26:15.67\00:26:21.94
get it from and even I'm
inspired by many people...
00:26:21.98\00:26:24.31
my wife, my children, but
also my father. Your father.
00:26:24.35\00:26:27.22
And I'm able to take a lot
of that and pay that forward,
00:26:27.25\00:26:31.42
and that is a good
source for why I do what I do.
00:26:31.45\00:26:35.02
Well you're heading on a
new journey now, you know
00:26:35.06\00:26:38.49
God has a new direction
for you and your family,
00:26:38.53\00:26:41.90
your mother - how
is your mom doing?
00:26:41.93\00:26:44.27
Mom is hanging in
there, I spoke to her
00:26:44.30\00:26:46.74
and said, "Mom,
how are you doing?"
00:26:46.77\00:26:49.17
And she said, "I have decided
that I am going to press on."
00:26:49.20\00:26:53.01
Press on! Press on. Press on.
00:26:53.04\00:26:55.11
You know, I was singing
with dad - "Pass Me Not Oh
00:26:55.14\00:26:58.45
Gentle Savior," and you
walked in and Alice walked in
00:26:58.48\00:27:01.18
because I remember hearing
the hymns as a little girl,
00:27:01.22\00:27:04.09
and he would be up directing
and singing those songs,
00:27:04.12\00:27:07.29
I know that we have something
wonderful to look forward to
00:27:07.32\00:27:12.39
the first resurrection
- "The trumpet shall sound
00:27:12.43\00:27:15.40
and the dead in Christ
shall rise first," and I am
00:27:15.43\00:27:18.77
looking ward to that.
00:27:18.80\00:27:20.17
Elder Brandon Dent, I
cannot thank you enough
00:27:20.20\00:27:23.57
for taking time throughout all
of this, planning the services,
00:27:23.61\00:27:28.64
you got a new direction in
your life, you and your wife,
00:27:28.68\00:27:31.51
your family, but
you took time to come on
00:27:31.55\00:27:33.92
"Dare to Dream," but you're
no stranger to "Dare to Dream."
00:27:33.95\00:27:36.08
No, no, I'm not. You
know, and we love you,
00:27:36.12\00:27:39.22
we appreciate you and all I can
say to you now is... "Press On!
00:27:39.25\00:27:43.02
I'm able to press on and I have
to get a shout out to my wife
00:27:43.93\00:27:48.23
because she has done so
much, she's done more than half
00:27:48.26\00:27:53.44
of what we needed to do
to get through this time...
00:27:53.47\00:27:55.70
And it's been a
blessing to me and it's given me
00:27:55.74\00:27:59.27
a little relief and a little
opportunity to even be able to
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.58
be on the
program with you today.
00:28:02.61\00:28:04.81
I want to thank you,
Brandon, and I want to thank
00:28:04.85\00:28:08.08
all of you for joining
us on "Live to Be Well"
00:28:08.12\00:28:11.32
God bless...
00:28:11.35\00:28:12.69