Participants: Arthur Nowlin (Host), Dr Kim Logan-Nowlin (Host), Angela Harris
Series Code: MIW
Program Code: MIW000026
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dr. Kim Logan-Nowlin.
00:03 And I'm Arthur Nowlin. 00:04 Welcome to "Making It Work." 00:36 On today's program "Didn't See It Coming," 00:40 Arthur, what comes to mind 00:41 when we talk about not seeing something? 00:44 Basically its like, I'm not prepared for it. 00:48 I didn't expect this thing to happen 00:50 and usually that creates a problem for someone. 00:53 Definitely. 00:54 Well, today we're blessed to have 00:56 Ms. Angela Harris, from Flint, Michigan. 00:58 Welcome to "Making It Work." Thank you. 01:00 How you doing? I'm doing well. 01:02 Lot of things have been happening in your life, 01:04 but let's talk about you for a moment 01:05 before we get to your testimony. 01:07 Tell us about where you were raised 01:09 and your educational background. 01:11 Now, well, I'm was pretty much born in Cassopolis, Michigan. 01:16 And I grew up in Flint, I lived there until 1996 01:20 and move to Nashville with my mom. 01:23 My parents have been divorced in 1990, 01:25 so my sister and I move with my mom to Nashville. 01:28 My dad and his new wife moved to Atlanta, 01:31 so we were back and forth between there. 01:35 I think I was maybe 11, 01:36 I want to live with my grandparents 01:38 and then later the next year 01:40 I moved in with my dad and his wife 01:41 and it was very difficult 01:43 I didn't really have a good relationship 01:44 with my stepmother. 01:46 They ended up having two children, 01:48 so I was blessed with more sisters now. 01:50 Pretty much I was the oldest though-- 01:53 though everything that happened on 01:54 just tried to keep myself together, 01:56 so I can be an example to them. 01:58 Later we moved to Orlando, Florida 02:00 where I graduated from high school. 02:02 But I got a call from my mom after I graduated. 02:05 She wanted me to come to Nashville, 02:07 instead of going to college in Florida, 02:10 where I originally kind of have wanted to go. 02:13 I ended up not going to Tennessee State, 02:15 where she wanted me to. 02:17 But I did go to Nashville Tech 02:19 which is the college down the streets. 02:21 Okay. 02:22 And I-- my goal was to study ultimately forensic pathology, 02:27 so I begin there with biology and I minored in bookkeeping, 02:31 so I took my Bookkeeping courses 02:34 ended up getting employed there. 02:35 I been in Nashville, I went through the police academy 02:38 and I became employed as a 911 dispatcher-- 02:41 Where work for the next couple of years. 02:44 About my first home when I was 19-years-old, 02:47 I went to cosmetology school well, I did not finish, 02:50 however I did a find employment as a manicurist. 02:53 Okay. Okay. 02:54 Where I didn't ask for pretty much 02:57 the whole time I did everything else. 02:59 That's how you made a living. That's how I made a living. 03:02 Anyway in 2008, 03:08 I met my husband through a mutual friend. 03:11 The people from Detroit area 03:13 tend to all be friends down there. 03:14 So-- Okay. 03:15 She was also from Detroit, 03:17 she had a breast cancer and had gotten a-- 03:21 had to get a biopsy on the lump that she found. 03:24 And I agree to take her, but I had some car trouble. 03:27 So she said no worries, you still want to go with me 03:29 that's fine I'll just give us a ride. 03:31 You know, I got a friend that will take us. 03:33 So I waited at my home and he came to pick us 03:36 and he had a most awful looking car, 03:39 I did not even feel comfortable riding in it. 03:42 And once I opened the door and got in 03:43 and it was just so trashy and junky, 03:45 there really wasn't any where for me to sit. 03:47 So I immediately was attracted to him at all. 03:49 Okay. 03:50 But when she introduced us then from the moment 03:52 I looked into his eyes, I was in love with him. 03:54 I just-- I don't know what it was, I just-- I just-- 03:58 You felt that chemistry. I just felt that chemistry. 04:00 So we spent the entire day together. 04:03 He's very short 04:05 just not my type not my type at all 04:07 but I just instantly knew that that was the person 04:09 that I was going to marry. 04:11 Let me ask you this, you know, during this whole process 04:14 where you communicating, 04:15 while you were dating with your father 04:17 or your mom about this young man that you'd met? 04:20 I had just began to fix my relationship with my father, 04:24 so we had just started recently communicating again. 04:27 And I did share a little with him, 04:31 but it was a lot that I kept to myself 04:33 because I was kind of embarrassed 04:34 because he wasn't the type of guy 04:35 that I normally dated, so-- 04:37 Okay, and what was the type of guy you normally dated? 04:40 I-- a pretty boy. 04:42 I like people that are very well-groomed and neat 04:45 and would do more for me than I had to do for them, 04:48 so that was the normal for me. 04:50 And he was the opposite of that. 04:51 He was the exact opposite. 04:53 But something again caught you? 04:55 There was something. Okay. 04:56 He just seem to have such a sweet spirit 04:58 and he was a student at Tennessee State, 05:00 so my mom being a housing director there, 05:02 was his dorm director for many years. 05:04 So while he was in school you were in school? 05:07 All right, so you're giving-- 05:09 you know, working towards your degree? 05:11 He earned his degree? Yes. 05:12 He earned his degree. 05:14 What deviated you from getting your degree? 05:16 Well, our relationship move pretty fast. 05:20 We met in April at the end of April and pardon me-- 05:23 What year was this? This was 2008. 05:25 All right. 05:26 By May we just were totally in love with each other 05:30 and totally engrossed in each other 05:32 and I could see that he had a need 05:34 and I just wanted to do 05:36 whatever I had to do to help him. 05:38 It was his last year of college 05:39 and I just thought it was very important for him 05:41 to have whatever he needed to graduate. 05:43 So he had a need and you made a decision 05:45 that you was gonna help him? 05:46 Yes. Okay. 05:48 So, you-- you did that, that mean quitting school? 05:50 I did eventually quit school that year. 05:54 Did he end up to join the moving end together? 05:57 Not exactly, he had apartment with roommates, 06:00 he had a three bedroom apartment with four other guys, 06:04 so you know, I just helped him with his share of the rent 06:07 and his bills and gas and trying to keep 06:09 that proper going for him-- 06:10 So you were dating, you're dating, 06:12 you helping him pay his bill? 06:13 Yes, because that I was-- I had two jobs. 06:15 So you know, I have more income than him, 06:18 he just had a part-time job at Macy's, so-- 06:20 Well, how long did it take for you guys to make a decision 06:22 that you want to be together for the rest of your life? 06:24 Oh, that was within the first week. 06:26 Really? 06:27 I-- I expressed my feelings to him 06:29 the first day that we met and my girlfriend was like a-- 06:32 she's very blunt, that's she serious, 06:34 that what's she means. 06:35 And I probably shouldn't have said anything, 06:38 but later on that evening, 06:40 he told me after he was getting ready to go home 06:43 he said, you know what? 06:44 I could see myself waking up with you 06:46 for the rest of my life 06:47 and that just let me know that there is something 06:49 that we apparently we're gonna decide 06:51 to pursue to be with each other. 06:53 So how long did it take? It was pretty much immediate. 06:57 That day he pretended to accidentally forget 07:00 is earring at my house 07:01 and of course I had to do share of part to get 07:04 since I was so forward about my feelings, 07:06 so I didn't give him my phone number 07:08 and he kept calling my girlfriend 07:09 trying to get in touch with me. 07:11 You know, she wouldn't give out my number 07:12 so after about a week or maybe it was two weeks 07:15 I finally said, okay go ahead and give him my number. 07:17 He can call me. 07:18 Tell him, he can come by and pick up his earring. 07:20 So eventually I think, in that second week 07:23 I did allow him to come back over, 07:25 and ever since then we were inseparable after that time. 07:28 How long-- how long before that you-- you were married? 07:31 What year did you get married? 07:32 We did not get married that year, 07:33 but there was a kind of roadblock. 07:37 When he started-- before he started 07:39 back student teaching, 07:40 I guess that we were very close 07:41 and things are moving very fast. 07:44 He was going to do a student teaching that far 07:46 and we were trying to make a plan as to how, 07:48 you know, I will be able to help him do that 07:50 and whether I would be enrolling 07:51 in school again for that far. 07:53 But I wanted to take on some extra hours at work 07:55 so I say, well, once you graduate 07:57 then maybe we can talk about something, 07:58 and he said no. 08:00 Once I graduate in December, 08:01 you're going immediately back to school 08:03 and I'm gonna put you through school. 08:05 You had no reason to doubt him? 08:06 No reason to doubt him, I trusted him. 08:07 So and he seemed to be a man of God, 08:09 he knew the Bible back and front, 08:11 we pray together. 08:12 You attend church together? 08:13 We did, we attended church together. 08:15 He was a member of a-- a very-- 08:18 a very well-known church in Nashville 08:20 and there pastors are very, very godly man 08:23 and you know, I just-- I just trusted in that. 08:25 So you now you're in-- you're in Nashville living? 08:27 Okay, then what? We were in Nashville. 08:29 And I think in August, right August he started school, 08:34 he began his student teaching at a cup-- 08:37 couple of high school and middle school 08:38 there in Nashville. 08:39 He's very excited about that. 08:41 However in a September 08:44 we did have sex before we were married 08:48 and immediately before he finished he said, 08:52 you know, I wanted to have my baby 08:54 and he made that decision for me. 08:56 I don't condone abortion but at that time 08:59 I just did not feel like it was a good decision for us. 09:01 We needed to do damage control 09:03 and I just asked God like what do I do? 09:05 I know, I made a mistake, what do I do? 09:07 And I didn't listen. 09:09 I just pretty much was like you know, 09:10 what I don't want to ask God, I don't know what he thinks. 09:13 I want to have an abortion. 09:15 So I told Roger, like this is what I'm gonna do. 09:17 I'm gonna go to the clinic 09:18 and I'm gonna get this abortion, 09:19 and we're gonna finish our degrees 09:22 and we're gonna just move on. 09:23 And he was very angry, he said, no, I want this child. 09:26 I said, no, I don't because my parents were divorced 09:29 and their marriage did not work 09:31 and I don't want to have 09:32 a separate household for my child. 09:34 Well, we're not married, what if this doesn't work? 09:36 What if you decide to go your own way? 09:38 And then my child is in a single family home, 09:40 single parent home like I was 09:42 and that was not good for me or my sisters. 09:45 And so I-- that was the last thing 09:47 I wanted for my child and I said, no. 09:48 I'm not gonna bring a child in the world to have this. 09:51 And at that moment he promised, 09:52 he said, you know, I love you, I told you, 09:54 I will spend the rest of my life with you. 09:56 Let's just go ahead 09:57 and we'll start planning our marriage, 09:59 and planning our wedding, 10:01 and I will never leave your side. 10:02 I will raise this child with you. 10:04 This we would do this together, 10:05 I will be a father to her 10:07 and I will be a provider for you. 10:09 And at that time we decided to keep the baby. 10:12 I began to get my prenatal care. 10:14 And you know, the whole wedding thing 10:16 started getting pushed to the side 10:18 and you know, he mentioned it less and less 10:20 and I was just wondering like is this still gonna happen? 10:23 And I'm still managing the bills for home 10:25 and the bills for his living 10:27 and I was getting kind of frustrated. 10:28 So when I was thinking my house had four bedrooms, 10:32 so I chose the bedroom for my nursery 10:33 and I begin to panic and you know, 10:35 try to prepare for the baby. 10:36 It was early but I was-- 10:38 I had begun to be very excited about it. 10:40 So I suggested to him like well, 10:42 what's the timeline for his marriage? 10:44 You know, what are we gonna do? 10:45 Because you know, it will save a lot of money 10:47 and we just began to save more money for the baby, 10:49 if we didn't have two households 10:51 to take care of, two sets of bill. 10:54 And he made a proposal to me and not "B" proposal, 10:58 but "A" proposal. 10:59 He said, that I got a job in Mississippi 11:02 at Jackson State University, 11:04 and I'd like us to go to Mississippi 11:07 and on this job 11:08 I will be making good money and have benefits 11:11 and I don't want you to have to work. 11:14 I want you to be able to be a mom, 11:15 spend time with this baby, 11:17 and then when the baby gets old enough then, 11:20 I will put you back in school. 11:21 And then we'll go from there and so-- 11:24 You went to Mississippi? I went to Mississippi. 11:26 You sold your house, packed up and you went? 11:29 So we get there and we moved in with my sister-in-law, 11:32 and her husband and two boys, 11:34 and you know, I-- I began to care for them 11:37 because we didn't pay them rent 11:38 so I began to be a nanny to my nephews. 11:41 Okay and you still not married? We still not married, yet. 11:43 There is something always there something 11:45 that's putting it off, it's not time 11:47 yet, you know, we don't have enough money for wedding. 11:50 And I have a problem with anxiety, 11:52 so I really want to have a wedding anyway. 11:54 So I was kind of pushing for let's just go get our license 11:57 and have a have a court house marriage 11:59 and let's just do that. 12:00 But he wanted this big wedding, 12:01 so I'm waiting, 12:03 you know, okay, I'm gonna wait this is what he wants, 12:05 I'm gonna wait for this. 12:06 So get down if I doubt he did not have that job. 12:10 He didn't have a job? No, he did not have a job. 12:12 Oh, my, the plot thickens. 12:15 Yes, so I continued to care for the boys 12:18 and run house for my sister-in-law cooking, 12:20 clean, take care for house and-- 12:21 So you were like the housekeeper? 12:23 I prefer in so many times. 12:25 And nanny. Amen. 12:27 If you want to use that-- that term. 12:29 Well I don't spare this man. 12:31 Yes, and I do continue to do that, 12:34 but once the baby was born in April 12:36 my daughter was born on April 2nd of 2009. 12:40 My grandparents are retired and left 12:42 when they moved Arkansas. 12:43 So that was only three and a half hour 12:46 away from Jackson, Mississippi, 12:47 where we were staying. 12:48 And so I had a conversation with them and ask them 12:50 if-- you know, my baby with two weeks old at the time. 12:53 And I say, well, can I-- can you watch my baby for me 12:56 and care for her, so I can get a job, 12:58 for this-- just a temporary positions 13:00 to save for deposit on apartment 13:02 for Roger and I and Robin the baby. 13:05 And they agreed. 13:06 So, let me ask you, how long before you get 13:08 moved out of your sister-in-laws house 13:10 into your house and then married? 13:13 At the end of that month, we did move into our apartment. 13:16 And that was-- that was in May of 2009. 13:21 And then, when? 13:22 And we finally got our marriage 13:24 certificates on April-- in April, 13:26 I mean in August of 2009 and in December 13:30 we finally had our wedding. 13:31 So you're living in-- in Mississippi. 13:35 Mississippi, yes. 13:36 Okay, so now you married, 13:38 you have this child in Mississippi. 13:41 Then another child comes, 13:43 and wait and then the whammy comes. 13:48 Okay, and things began to change? 13:51 Yes. 13:52 But at that time there was so much tension between us. 13:55 He was not a very good parent. 13:57 He had some allegations of abuse 13:59 made by neighbors when I wasn't home, 14:01 and I didn't want to believe it, 14:03 but ultimately I knew that the things 14:05 that he was accused of had happen. 14:08 That's-- that was in April I just-- 14:11 So you are in-- and sorry to interrupt you, 14:13 but you never saw this coming? 14:15 I've never, any of it, 14:16 he was such a loving person in the beginning 14:18 I never thought that he could do 14:19 anything to hurt our children. 14:20 I definitely didn't think 14:21 he would do anything to hurt me. 14:24 So when-- when I started getting wind of the allegations 14:26 that were made against him I became very, very angry. 14:29 We began to have physical altercations 14:31 and this was in April of last year, 14:34 when all it-- everything start happening. 14:36 There was no more income in the house 14:38 and we just became very overwhelmed with everything. 14:41 Then you found out that your husband has filed for divorce? 14:43 Yes, actually before all that happened, 14:45 I found out that I was pregnant and that I didn't know 14:50 until I was having a miscarriage 14:52 on my bathroom floor. 14:53 With your third child? Yeah, with my third child. 14:55 And I did not know because I have put it all behind me 14:58 that back in April of that year my husband had raped me. 15:04 How were you feeling at that time? 15:06 Just how are you feeling? 15:08 Making all these transitions in your life right now, 15:11 everything hit you at one time? 15:13 And his decision not to be with you anymore? 15:16 At that point when he moved out of the house, 15:18 he move in with his sister and said, 15:20 go figure it out, I wanted to die. 15:22 You just wanted to die? 15:23 The only reason that I continued to live was 15:26 because I wanted to be a mother to my children. 15:30 You know, I sort of try to connect the pieces. 15:33 I just want to know, where was God in all of this? 15:37 You know, and why didn't you see it coming? 15:40 You know, growing up with my family being, 15:44 religious-- a lot of people in my family, 15:47 my grandparents, my maternal and paternal, 15:51 my parents they were all spiritual people, 15:53 God fearing people. 15:55 And I think that 15:57 my understanding of a relationship with God 15:59 was just doing what you were told 16:01 and doing what you have been taught. 16:03 So and you know, pursuing the path 16:07 that eventually led to my marriage, 16:09 I just was pregnant 16:11 and I was in love with the person 16:13 so I say, well, you know the Bible says, 16:15 that you shouldn't be having children 16:17 and not be married. 16:18 And I said, well, I want to marry this man. 16:20 He says, he want to marry me. 16:22 So to correct the problem, 16:23 we just go ahead and get married. 16:24 And I thought that-- that would solve everything. 16:27 So at the time I was just acting 16:29 on having the knowledge of God, 16:31 but I didn't realize it, 16:32 but I did not ever have a relationship with God. 16:35 No relationship, and that's the key. 16:37 A lot of people have a religion, 16:40 but they don't have a relationship. 16:42 You know, now going back to something 16:43 did you seek premarital counseling 16:46 did you your husband have counseling? 16:48 We did, however he was not necessarily cooperative. 16:52 One other things that-- that I think about 16:55 is that you went to all the trials and tribulations, 16:59 but how did you get through? 17:01 What was the motivation for you to continue 17:04 to move forward with your life? 17:06 And what was the turning point that turned you around, 17:09 to put a smile back on your face? 17:11 Well, after all of this happened 17:12 I was filled with so much hate, 17:14 I hated him, I was bitter, I was unhappy. 17:18 And my children I started to see that they weren't happy. 17:22 And I was talking to my cousin 17:24 and she said, you can't be like this. 17:27 Okay. She took me to church. 17:29 I didn't know those people from Adam, 17:31 I didn't want to go that church, but I went. 17:33 And the minister just started preaching on my story, 17:38 my feelings, my anger, my hate, my bitterness, 17:41 and how no matter what people had done, 17:44 what we felt that they had done to us, 17:46 we felt victimized we are responsible for our behavior 17:49 and we still have to take responsibility for our part. 17:52 And I began to see how I contributed 17:55 to the things that had happen. 17:59 I finally realize that, 18:00 oh, I played a part in this and a big part. 18:03 I realized that instead of putting God first, 18:06 just going through the motions, 18:07 instead of having a relationship with him 18:09 and saying, okay, God first, husband second. 18:12 I made my husband my God 18:14 and I was manipulating my situation giving, giving, 18:18 giving to try to receive love from him 18:20 instead of doing what I need to do to receive love from God, 18:23 and to be satisfy with Him first 18:25 and to let Him guide my life. 18:27 Its so important and not to interrupt you 18:29 but its so important as we see how God can turn us around, 18:33 when we don't see things coming 18:35 that we have to--- first of all admit, 18:38 that there is a problem, 18:39 recognize a problem, admit the problem 18:41 and get some help to turn that problem around. 18:44 And that's the only way 18:45 that God can really save us and help us 18:48 if we're open to Him turning us around. 18:51 Because we can focus on being bitter and anger, 18:54 and angry and we're just we-- we're not moving into it. 18:58 Yes, why-- you know, that's really important 19:01 what you just said, we become stagnated. 19:04 I think what also is important 19:07 is the children suffer from all of this. 19:11 You know, here we go, we have another father 19:14 that's out of the home and you have to compensate. 19:18 But one of the things that you indicated to me 19:20 is that you're support system is strong. 19:22 Very, very strong. 19:24 And they didn't sugarcoat anything, 19:26 they didn't baby me, they just said, 19:28 well, you know what to do, you need to look to God. 19:30 So that day in church he spoke my story 19:34 and he said I don't know who it is in this home today 19:39 I don't know this person, 19:40 I don't know anything about her, 19:42 but God has told me that she's in need. 19:45 And he took up and offering and he gave my number to-- 19:49 when after the service he gave my to number 19:51 to everyone in all the women in the church. 19:53 And everyone called, everyone prayed for me, 19:56 specifically for my children specifically, 19:59 and that is how I begin to see the power of God. 20:02 For the first time I experienced the Holy Spirit, 20:05 and it was a feeling like no other 20:06 and I knew that He was there. 20:08 So all the time that I have been relying on myself, 20:11 I had not been relying on Him because, I did not know Him. 20:15 And so I called on His name and every time 20:18 something would happen my son found out 20:19 that he had epilepsy in January. 20:21 He was having seizures, grand mal seizures back to back 20:24 in the ICU back to back. 20:26 Had nobody but my family and I caught on God, 20:29 even when nobody was there and I realized He's here. 20:31 God is here. 20:32 I can feel Him now. Oh, yes. 20:33 Before I couldn't feel Him, all like a feel was me. 20:36 And do you think for one minute, 20:38 that God took you through all of this, to get in-- 20:41 God doesn't want us to be in sorrow. 20:43 But, some time God says, "Hello, hello." 20:48 And then we don't listen, 20:49 He has to expose us to the point 20:52 where there's nothing left for us to 20:55 but to look up and find God. 20:57 Well, I think what happens is He allows things to happen. 21:01 Yes, He allows things, but He gives us a choice. 21:02 Yes, He does. Yes, you know. 21:04 He does and we have a choice. 21:05 Because along the way, 21:07 you-- we were given signs to indicate, 21:12 this is not for you and because we took over, 21:18 our will took over we didn't allow 21:22 those signs to make a impact on our lives. 21:24 So everything keeps paying off. So we just kept moving forward. 21:26 They do well. So what is Angela doing now? 21:28 All right, tell us what she is doing now? 21:30 I have learned a lot. 21:31 I can say that when I say it and like the topic 21:35 that we discussed and "Didn't See It Coming" 21:37 I can no longer find any ignorance. 21:39 I had to said, God, why did You shock me with this? 21:42 Oh, God, why would You put this on me? 21:45 This just blindsided me. 21:46 And I realize, like Mr. Arthur was saying, it did not. 21:50 He gave me the signs, I just didn't see it. 21:53 So there's no, I didn't see it coming. 21:55 He always will show You, 21:57 and you just have to be open to listen. 21:59 So now all things are still happening that are bad. 22:02 This morning my husband said, people to repossess my car. 22:06 And they did, but you know what I didn't shed one tear. 22:09 You did not. 22:10 I did not cry one tear 22:11 because I said, God, you got this. 22:14 And I was not able to do that before, 22:16 but had I been able to, 22:17 maybe my marriage could have been saved. 22:19 I was served with divorce papers last-- last week, 22:23 I went all the way to Mississippi 22:24 to go to child support court, 22:26 he had an attorney serve me that day 22:28 and only have to pay $167 a month 22:30 for both of my children. 22:32 But my family was there, and when I wanted to loose it, 22:35 they say, where you supposed to look? 22:37 And I looked and I can feel His hand of comfort on my shoulder. 22:40 You felt the power of God? I felt it. 22:41 So now you just received your certificate. 22:44 And now you got your certificates 22:46 and as a manicurist-- 22:47 Yes, I'm a licensed manicure in the state of Michigan. 22:49 All right, congratulations. 22:51 Now you also have desire to go back to school. 22:53 To get your degree in what area? 22:55 Forensic Pathology. 22:56 You still, that is still your dream. 22:58 And you-- are you gonna see it through? 23:00 I'm gonna see it through. 23:01 I put it my application to Wayne State 23:04 and although it seems impossible no car, 23:06 two babies I know that what He's done for me, 23:09 so far He has more than proven himself. 23:11 Oh, yeah. And I know that He can do this. 23:13 So-- but your car was repossessed, 23:17 you know, and you had to go to court 23:19 and you only receive $167 in child support. 23:23 And, you know, where that could knock you down to your knees, 23:28 your family was supportive again by keeping you focused 23:32 and thinking about the Lord, that was really is major. 23:35 That is and you know, and when you don't again as-- 23:38 as we said, you don't see things coming 23:40 because you don't look for the sign, 23:41 God is always speaking to us. 23:42 Absolutely. 23:43 He's always communicating through His word, 23:46 He sends people to minister to us, to speak to us, 23:50 but it is up to us to receive 23:52 what God is trying to get us to do. 23:54 Turn around, don't keep going down that road 23:57 where it's gonna be a disaster. 23:59 And then you look up and you-- 24:01 you put yourself two years backwards. 24:04 Well, Angela Harris has decided to go forward in her life. 24:08 She's no longer holding on to the ex-husband soon to be, 24:12 God will provide for her children, 24:14 she's going to earn her degree 24:16 and she's gonna be able to have a testimony-- 24:18 well, she has a testimony. 24:19 And I think that's what is really important here. 24:22 We need to recognize that through the trials 24:25 and tribulations that we experience a testimony 24:28 is coming out of our successes. 24:31 God wants us to share our testimony 24:34 in every possible way, 24:36 so that other people who maybe going through. 24:39 Some of the experiences 24:40 that you're going through can benefit, 24:42 they can-- they can find out and recognize 24:44 that God will pull them through if they open their heart. 24:48 If they say, okay, God, you take over 24:50 because everything that I've done has not worked. 24:54 You know, that's a powerful thing. 24:55 Everything that I've done has not worked, 24:57 so I need You to take over now. 24:59 You have to keep eyes on Christ. 25:01 You have to listen and watch for the signals 25:05 that God sends us through His word. 25:06 And you can't do it. Let me tell you something. 25:09 You have to steady your Word every day, 25:11 no matter what you're going through, no money, 25:14 don't know how you're gonna pay your bills, 25:16 don't know where it's coming from, 25:17 if you stay faithful to God, He is faithful to you. 25:21 He sends us test, to see whether or not 25:24 we're gonna trust Him or we're going to doubt Him. 25:28 Another thing is, you have to be able to listen to God. 25:32 Listen to God. 25:33 That's really paramount and we tend not to listen 25:38 because we get trapped in our own personal self gratification 25:43 and we say well, this is how I wanted to be, 25:45 this is what I need to do. 25:47 But you can't turn your back on the Lord 25:50 and not hear what He is saying to you, 25:53 not be observant of the signals that He sent it to you. 25:57 That's-- that's mandatory. 25:59 You know, even the hamburger, that's being for-- 26:02 Okay, you can leave that alone. 26:04 Lord say, you know, this man is not clean, 26:07 this man is not somebody that I will want you to have 26:10 and that's important. 26:12 And you gonna be able to recognize, 26:14 when this is time to walk away. 26:17 The one thing, the most important thing 26:19 that I can say 26:20 is to seek the Lord first before anything else, 26:23 before all others and all other things. 26:25 Because if you don't you can think 26:27 that you know your Bible, 26:28 you can think oh, I was raised in a church 26:30 I know what to do, but you don't. 26:32 And to say I didn't see it coming, 26:35 you would have seen it coming, 26:37 had you asked God and listen to Him. 26:39 There you go, now you are in any relationships now? 26:42 No, I'm not and I don't plan on it unless, 26:46 you know, until I have gotten close enough to the Lord 26:49 and He feels that I'm ready for a relationship. 26:52 If He sends a husband 26:53 and another father for my children 26:55 then I thank Him for it, 26:56 but if He is the only father that my children have, 26:59 I can accept that and be thankful for that as well. 27:02 We appreciate you being so transparent, 27:04 you know, you-- you has so much energy inside of you 27:08 and we did hear how God turn this around for you. 27:12 And God turned it around. 27:14 Well, listen, we hope that you have gained something 27:17 because I truly have to keep my eyes 27:20 and stay focus on the Lord. 27:22 What about you, Arthur? His eyes are on the sparrow. 27:25 And I know He watches over me. 27:29 I'm telling you, 27:31 if you're gonna take care of the sparrow, 27:33 He can take -- He can take care of you. 27:34 I'm about to preach. Okay. 27:35 I'm about to preach. 27:36 He can take care-- all right, but I'm not going to preach. 27:38 But listen, I'm to out-- I mean-- 27:41 Praise the Lord. All right. 27:42 I'm Dr. Kim Logan-Nowlin. I'm Arthur Nowlin. 27:44 And thank you, for watching another program. 27:48 Of "Making It Work." God bless you. 27:50 God bless you. |
Revised 2015-05-11