I was not an illegitimate child
but I had illegitimate parents
00:09:59.33\00:10:03.63
'cause I didn't do anything.
00:10:03.67\00:10:05.00
That's good. But
I just showed up.
00:10:05.03\00:10:06.37
That's good, you just showed up.
00:10:06.40\00:10:07.74
I just showed up. Yeah.
00:10:07.77\00:10:09.10
And the Lord is so gracious
that when He saw the journey
00:10:09.14\00:10:13.54
that I was about to
take, we've talked about this.
00:10:13.58\00:10:17.21
Excuse me, I keep
saying we because we have that
00:10:17.25\00:10:19.05
open communication all the time.
00:10:19.08\00:10:20.42
We talk about
our lives together.
00:10:20.48\00:10:22.05
And I can't wait to get to her.
00:10:22.08\00:10:23.75
But it's gonna be amazing.
00:10:23.79\00:10:25.12
But I look back and say
before I had to experience
00:10:25.15\00:10:30.49
the traumas of
a abandoned child,
00:10:30.53\00:10:33.23
'cause my mom
and dad abandoned me,
00:10:33.26\00:10:35.40
left me at a babysitter.
00:10:35.43\00:10:36.90
And to be more
specific, at three months old,
00:10:36.93\00:10:39.00
I was left at a babysitter.
00:10:39.03\00:10:40.37
My sister was
only three years old.
00:10:40.40\00:10:42.04
They walked
away, never came back.
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.04
And when I wrote the book
and I'll talk about that later,
00:10:44.07\00:10:47.94
the hardest thing
was to look back on
00:10:47.98\00:10:49.54
how I began and
where I am today.
00:10:49.58\00:10:52.75
So the Lord
allowed me to be in a home
00:10:52.78\00:10:55.95
of an Adventist lady.
00:10:55.98\00:10:58.05
Christian.
00:10:58.09\00:10:59.42
Christian Adventist
lady and she became my anchor
00:10:59.45\00:11:03.12
that developed and formed
much of my character today
00:11:03.16\00:11:07.30
and I don't believe I
would be who I am today
00:11:07.40\00:11:09.80
had it not been for
that, God stepped in,
00:11:09.83\00:11:12.70
do you know
there is a song I wrote
00:11:12.73\00:11:15.10
on one of my projects
called "If He Only Knew."
00:11:15.14\00:11:17.91
You know, "Soft
and so small, yet,
00:11:17.94\00:11:19.27
he would call for
love to come his way.
00:11:19.31\00:11:21.78
He looked at
the eyes of his life
00:11:21.81\00:11:23.41
hoping love was there to stay
00:11:23.45\00:11:25.48
but if he only knew
that roads would part,
00:11:25.51\00:11:28.68
you could hear him say."
00:11:28.72\00:11:30.09
And so, I didn't know
00:11:30.15\00:11:32.52
anything about mom
and dad not being there
00:11:32.55\00:11:34.52
so when I got to
the point of consciously
00:11:34.56\00:11:36.36
understanding my world,
00:11:36.39\00:11:37.79
I had a mom and
dad that were there.
00:11:37.83\00:11:39.83
My mama was 50 and
papa, the man who raised me,
00:11:39.86\00:11:44.40
Mr. George Haynes
and Carmen Haynes,
00:11:44.43\00:11:46.27
Trinidad and
Barbados, they were from.
00:11:46.30\00:11:48.20
He was from Barbados,
she was from Trinidad.
00:11:48.24\00:11:50.34
He was 49 years old
when he decided to raise
00:11:50.37\00:11:53.04
this three-moth old child.
00:11:53.07\00:11:54.48
She was 50.
00:11:54.51\00:11:55.91
So how many people
would put their lives
00:11:55.94\00:11:57.95
in that kind of place
at that advanced stage
00:11:57.98\00:12:02.32
to raise a three-month
old and three-year old.
00:12:02.35\00:12:05.69
Absolutely.
00:12:05.72\00:12:07.06
And so that was a
tremendous blessing.
00:12:07.09\00:12:08.79
So the beauty of John's
story is that people can say,
00:12:08.82\00:12:12.76
well, you know, you
are a Christian because,
00:12:12.79\00:12:15.80
you know, you were born
00:12:15.83\00:12:17.23
with the silver
spoon in your mouth
00:12:17.27\00:12:18.67
and you had wonderful
parents and you were the,
00:12:18.70\00:12:21.17
you know, raised by
Christians and in your case,
00:12:21.20\00:12:25.07
you came into the world
with a great disadvantage.
00:12:25.11\00:12:27.34
Two parents who
didn't really want you.
00:12:27.38\00:12:28.71
Right.
00:12:28.74\00:12:30.08
I mean, that's you got to deal,
00:12:30.11\00:12:31.45
you have to deal with
that the rest of your life,
00:12:31.48\00:12:33.31
your entire life.
00:12:33.38\00:12:34.72
I'm sure that that still
comes up from time to time
00:12:34.75\00:12:38.05
and things that you do,
00:12:38.09\00:12:39.89
the way you
think, it has to come up.
00:12:39.92\00:12:42.46
And somehow young
people turn that on themselves.
00:12:42.49\00:12:46.29
"What about me, I must
have not been lovable."
00:12:46.33\00:12:49.86
Three-months old, you
are nothing but loveable.
00:12:49.90\00:12:52.23
So as you said,
it's your parents
00:12:52.27\00:12:54.37
who were illegitimate, not you.
00:12:54.40\00:12:55.74
That's right.
00:12:55.77\00:12:57.14
But coming from that,
00:12:57.17\00:12:58.51
then to see you today
traveling around the world,
00:12:58.54\00:13:01.68
balanced in your
theology, you know,
00:13:01.71\00:13:03.95
which is, you
know, I hate to say,
00:13:03.98\00:13:07.42
it's almost commodity today,
00:13:07.45\00:13:09.98
even in our church
to people who are very,
00:13:10.02\00:13:12.55
speakers who are balanced,
not afraid to give the truth,
00:13:12.59\00:13:15.12
we're giving it but
we give it with love.
00:13:15.16\00:13:17.13
Somebody who is
marriage counselor,
00:13:17.16\00:13:19.26
somebody who is literally
sang with Heritage Singers,
00:13:19.29\00:13:22.00
travels around the world
singing, you preach, you teach
00:13:22.03\00:13:25.17
and plays
basketball very well too.
00:13:25.20\00:13:27.70
But all of those
things, it is ripe old age now.
00:13:27.77\00:13:30.57
He's still out there showing up
00:13:30.61\00:13:32.04
the young kids
on Tuesday nights.
00:13:32.07\00:13:33.68
I know I'm a witness to it all.
00:13:33.74\00:13:35.68
But you know, to
see God bring you
00:13:35.71\00:13:38.18
from where the devil
wanted to destroy you,
00:13:38.21\00:13:41.48
he wanted to
destroy you. Oh, yeah.
00:13:41.52\00:13:42.85
And then God said, "No,
I've come to give you life
00:13:42.88\00:13:44.82
and give it more abundantly."
00:13:44.85\00:13:46.19
That's right.
00:13:46.22\00:13:47.56
So now we want to
hold it right there for you
00:13:47.62\00:13:50.96
and we want to go back to Angie.
00:13:50.99\00:13:52.99
Angie, where were you
born and tell us about
00:13:53.03\00:13:55.16
your background, your heritage?
00:13:55.20\00:13:57.40
Okay.
00:13:57.43\00:13:58.77
I was born in a place
called Derby, England.
00:13:58.80\00:14:00.67
It's in Midlands. Okay.
00:14:00.74\00:14:02.80
English. She's British.
00:14:02.84\00:14:05.44
She's British. Yeah.
00:14:05.47\00:14:06.81
Okay.
00:14:06.88\00:14:08.21
I was born in
England, as a matter of fact,
00:14:08.24\00:14:09.58
I went to get a, as I was at
the doctor's office yesterday
00:14:09.61\00:14:11.95
and the lady
looked at my paper work,
00:14:11.98\00:14:14.22
she said, "Oh,
you're born in England."
00:14:14.25\00:14:15.85
I said, "Yeah."
00:14:15.88\00:14:17.22
She said, "What
are you doing here?"
00:14:17.29\00:14:19.92
Living. Yeah.
00:14:19.95\00:14:21.96
I said, "Well, I left
when I was just a little girl."
00:14:21.99\00:14:24.03
But anyway, my mom and
dad, they had eight children
00:14:24.06\00:14:28.16
and I'm the youngest of eight.
00:14:28.20\00:14:29.53
Okay.
00:14:29.56\00:14:30.93
Five were born in
Jamaica, and the last three,
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.34
Cliff, Lecie and I
were born in England.
00:14:33.40\00:14:37.77
And that's pretty,
00:14:37.81\00:14:40.44
after my father died, we left...
00:14:40.48\00:14:43.91
How old were you then
about, when your father died?
00:14:43.95\00:14:48.12
I was three. Okay.
00:14:48.15\00:14:49.48
Yeah. All right.
00:14:49.52\00:14:50.85
I was three years old, just...
00:14:50.89\00:14:52.22
So you don't have too
many memories of your father.
00:14:52.25\00:14:54.06
So had single
mother. Yeah, yeah.
00:14:54.12\00:14:56.36
One mother, one
father all of us.
00:14:56.39\00:14:58.29
Wonderful mother.
00:14:58.33\00:14:59.66
We all got to
know and love ourselves
00:14:59.69\00:15:01.06
around her for so many years.
00:15:01.10\00:15:02.43
Wonderful mother. She taught us.
00:15:02.46\00:15:03.80
So you left
England, you went to Jamaica?
00:15:03.87\00:15:05.93
No, no.
00:15:05.97\00:15:07.67
My mother's
sister lived in New York.
00:15:07.70\00:15:10.71
Okay. And we went to New York.
00:15:10.74\00:15:13.11
You went to New York.
00:15:13.14\00:15:14.48
Yeah. Okay.
00:15:14.51\00:15:15.84
So we, after my father died,
we all left like two at a time
00:15:15.88\00:15:18.98
because there's too many
of us to leave all at once.
00:15:19.01\00:15:21.12
So we at
different years, one left,
00:15:21.15\00:15:25.69
two of them left early and
then another three with my mom
00:15:25.72\00:15:28.26
and then the other three.
00:15:28.29\00:15:29.62
So we left in
pieces I would say.
00:15:29.66\00:15:32.26
So anyway, we moved to Brooklyn.
00:15:32.29\00:15:33.90
My aunt owned a
eight, eight family, yeah,
00:15:33.93\00:15:38.97
house in Brooklyn.
00:15:39.00\00:15:40.34
Oh, wow. Yeah.
00:15:40.40\00:15:41.74
She owned it and we all
lived in that house and...
00:15:41.77\00:15:46.21
And was your mom a
Christian at that point?
00:15:46.24\00:15:47.68
She was an Adventist, a
wonderful, loved the Lord.
00:15:47.71\00:15:51.65
She taught us how to
keep yourself as a young lady,
00:15:51.68\00:15:56.52
how to carry
yourself, how to, how to pray
00:15:56.55\00:16:01.59
and I always saw
my mother praying.
00:16:01.62\00:16:04.16
So I love that and
so I got that from her,
00:16:04.19\00:16:07.03
watching her pray and
that's why I'm always praying
00:16:07.03\00:16:09.06
for this man next to me.
00:16:09.10\00:16:10.67
That's right.
00:16:10.70\00:16:12.03
How did you meet John?
00:16:12.07\00:16:13.40
Oh, that's nice. Wow.
00:16:13.44\00:16:15.00
We could both tell
the story. You start.
00:16:15.04\00:16:16.81
Me?
00:16:16.84\00:16:18.17
Yeah, sure. Okay.
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.54
We're used to hearing
him. We want to hear you.
00:16:19.57\00:16:20.98
There you go. Okay, okay.
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.34
Let's see.
00:16:22.38\00:16:23.71
Here we are in
a, I'm in Brooklyn
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.35
and we went to the
same church, Bethel Church.
00:16:25.38\00:16:28.75
And all, 'cause I
came to this country
00:16:28.78\00:16:31.42
when I was just seven and we
went to that church so did he.
00:16:31.45\00:16:34.69
But we didn't
know each other then.
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.56
We went up in the
same church but you know,
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.13
Bethel was huge, 1200 members.
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.80
Big church and so
one Sabbath afternoon,
00:16:40.83\00:16:44.03
I saw this guy and I
said to, I saw him and so,
00:16:44.07\00:16:48.00
I said to my
friend. I was about 16.
00:16:48.04\00:16:50.57
And I said to my friend,
"Who's that guy over there?
00:16:50.61\00:16:53.04
Oh, oh.
00:16:53.07\00:16:54.41
And he says, "His
name is John," Stop it.
00:16:54.44\00:16:57.88
And he had afro,
pretty curly afro, big afro,
00:16:57.91\00:17:03.08
he had a
dungaree, a jeans jacket
00:17:03.12\00:17:05.85
and like a little bag
on his shoulder and I said,
00:17:05.89\00:17:08.32
I want to meet him.
00:17:08.36\00:17:09.86
And I said, oh, I
can't wait to meet him.
00:17:09.89\00:17:13.03
So Chris introduced me to him.
00:17:13.06\00:17:14.63
And...
00:17:14.66\00:17:16.00
Let me tell the
other side of that.
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.37
Okay. Go ahead.
00:17:17.40\00:17:18.73
'Cause this is really funny.
00:17:18.77\00:17:20.14
We'll make sure we get a
picture up with that afro
00:17:20.17\00:17:21.50
and we'll make sure we get that.
00:17:21.54\00:17:24.11
And so when we,
00:17:24.14\00:17:27.51
so this friend, we had
mutual friend named Chris.
00:17:27.58\00:17:29.88
The context of that, I
had been looking at her
00:17:29.91\00:17:31.91
for since I started
hitting teenage years,
00:17:31.95\00:17:34.15
maybe about three
years earlier and I thought,
00:17:34.22\00:17:36.89
"Don't even try it
'cause she ain't gonna give you
00:17:36.92\00:17:38.39
the time or day.
00:17:38.42\00:17:39.75
You're
knucklehead, she's too fine."
00:17:39.79\00:17:41.42
And you look at both
of her sisters, you know,
00:17:41.46\00:17:43.32
she has hazel eyes,
her sister blue eyes
00:17:43.36\00:17:45.23
and they always came to church.
00:17:45.26\00:17:46.59
It was during the era Yvonne
00:17:46.63\00:17:48.10
where girls are
wearing the maxi dresses.
00:17:48.13\00:17:49.50
Okay.
00:17:49.53\00:17:50.87
And they always come to
church looking like queens.
00:17:50.93\00:17:52.57
She and her sister hook
them up like something royal.
00:17:52.60\00:17:54.34
So they come to
church, her older sister,
00:17:54.37\00:17:56.87
so they come to
church and guys like,
00:17:56.91\00:17:58.61
"Whoa, did you
see Lecie in there?
00:17:58.64\00:18:00.44
I don't even know their names.
00:18:00.51\00:18:01.84
So when her friend said, "Hey,
this girl wants to meet you."
00:18:01.88\00:18:04.55
I said, "Well,
who?" He said, "Her"
00:18:04.58\00:18:05.91
I said, "Yeah,
right." Yeah, really.
00:18:05.95\00:18:08.95
And he said, "No,
really, seriously.
00:18:08.98\00:18:10.32
She does."
00:18:10.35\00:18:11.69
So it was like a major
butterfly moment for me
00:18:11.72\00:18:14.99
because she was,
is, still today...
00:18:15.02\00:18:18.53
Fine. Fine.
00:18:18.56\00:18:20.43
Cute and young and cheerful
and so you know, 16 years old,
00:18:20.46\00:18:23.13
it's like girls in
their prime, and but go ahead
00:18:23.16\00:18:27.07
and take it from there.
00:18:27.14\00:18:28.47
Oh, okay.
00:18:28.50\00:18:30.41
So anyway, we met.
00:18:30.44\00:18:33.71
But my cousin
liked him. Oh, okay.
00:18:33.78\00:18:36.31
The cousin that introduced you?
00:18:36.34\00:18:37.68
No.
00:18:37.71\00:18:39.05
It's the guy who introduced
us but I was with my cousin.
00:18:39.08\00:18:40.52
But she is really
flirty. She liked him.
00:18:40.55\00:18:42.82
I'm like and she
always got all the guys
00:18:42.85\00:18:44.75
'cause she had
that real nice shape.
00:18:44.79\00:18:46.86
She always got all the guys.
00:18:46.89\00:18:49.29
And I'm like "how dare she?"
00:18:49.32\00:18:50.86
I didn't notice.
00:18:50.93\00:18:52.93
Anyway she just
didn't get anywhere.
00:18:52.96\00:18:56.36
That's right. Yeah.
00:18:56.40\00:18:57.73
So we connected and but I
had five brothers he really,
00:18:57.77\00:19:02.20
I wasn't allowed to date.
She had five Jamaican brothers.
00:19:02.24\00:19:06.34
There's a difference altogether.
00:19:06.37\00:19:07.74
Five brothers and
five Jamaican brothers.
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.94
It's a different story.
00:19:09.98\00:19:11.31
And they protected
her like a Fort Knox.
00:19:11.35\00:19:13.38
Oh, I bet. I don't blame them.
00:19:13.45\00:19:15.32
I don't blame them
either because I look back
00:19:15.35\00:19:16.75
and I think, "Why are
they tripping like that?"
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.35
But then now as I got
older, I'd say, here I said,
00:19:18.39\00:19:21.46
"I would do the same thing."
00:19:21.49\00:19:22.82
I would really be the same.
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.49
But I just invite
him over, the only way
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.76
he could come to my
house is for worship
00:19:26.83\00:19:28.46
'cause I wasn't allowed to date.
00:19:28.50\00:19:30.37
My mom would always have Friday
night worship and she says,
00:19:30.40\00:19:33.74
I said, "Mom, can I
have a friend come over?'
00:19:33.77\00:19:35.74
And she says, "Who is it?
00:19:35.77\00:19:37.77
I said, "A guy."
00:19:37.81\00:19:39.37
And she says,
"Okay, for worship only."
00:19:39.41\00:19:41.64
So he came over for
worship. Yeah, that was smart.
00:19:41.68\00:19:43.01
Yeah.
00:19:43.04\00:19:44.38
So every Friday night
my mom had family worship
00:19:44.41\00:19:47.05
and he would
come over for worship.
00:19:47.12\00:19:49.48
Where were you
spiritually at this time, John?
00:19:49.52\00:19:52.45
I was a mess. I was...
00:19:52.49\00:19:54.49
You, what, 16, 17, 18?
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.93
Sixteen when I first...
00:19:56.96\00:19:58.29
First met her.
00:19:58.33\00:19:59.66
He's probably about 17.
00:19:59.69\00:20:01.00
You started going to
worship, you maybe 17,
00:20:01.03\00:20:02.36
where were you, spiritually?
00:20:02.40\00:20:03.73
I was worldly.
00:20:03.77\00:20:05.40
I was a
partier, I was a gambler,
00:20:05.43\00:20:07.34
I was a pool hustler.
00:20:07.40\00:20:08.77
I was the guy that probably
mothers in churches say,
00:20:08.80\00:20:12.34
"stay away from that
young man. He is no good."
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.88
Now why were you
going to church if you...?
00:20:14.91\00:20:16.75
Because, you know,
I had the foundation.
00:20:16.81\00:20:19.51
There's a truth in the Bible
00:20:19.55\00:20:20.92
that I need to
insert right here.
00:20:20.95\00:20:22.98
"Train up a child
in a way he should go,
00:20:23.02\00:20:24.79
and when he is old, he
will not depart from that?"
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.42
I want to add a caveat.
00:20:26.45\00:20:27.79
The lady raising me, she
passed away when I was 13.
00:20:27.82\00:20:31.56
And, but the foundation
she laid was so instilled in me
00:20:31.59\00:20:35.40
that even, I was
on the basketball team
00:20:35.43\00:20:37.20
and the football
team in high school.
00:20:37.23\00:20:39.40
Well, the football teams,
they had their celebration,
00:20:39.43\00:20:42.80
were given out all the jackets
00:20:42.84\00:20:44.17
and the trophies
on a Friday night.
00:20:44.24\00:20:45.87
She had already passed away.
00:20:45.91\00:20:47.24
There was no one to tell me
not to go and I could not go.
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.95
I just couldn't go.
00:20:50.98\00:20:52.31
But the crazy thing about
that is, I couldn't go to,
00:20:52.35\00:20:54.68
I would not go to
the basketball game,
00:20:54.72\00:20:56.32
wouldn't go to
the football dinner
00:20:56.35\00:20:58.89
but I'd go party instead.
00:20:58.92\00:21:00.39
So figure that out.
00:21:00.46\00:21:01.79
That's the
confusion of worldliness.
00:21:01.82\00:21:03.16
So when we met, I was
very much in the world.
00:21:03.19\00:21:06.19
Afraid of the Lord. Okay.
00:21:06.23\00:21:07.60
So what did you see in him?
00:21:07.60\00:21:08.93
Why weren't you looking
for the clean cut guy with a,
00:21:08.96\00:21:12.33
you know, nice hair do
and all that stuff, Angie?
00:21:12.37\00:21:14.80
What was you thinking?
00:21:14.84\00:21:16.20
Because, I had, in my
mind, I knew who I wanted.
00:21:16.24\00:21:19.51
I had a guy in my
mind who I wanted.
00:21:19.54\00:21:22.08
He fit the description.
00:21:22.11\00:21:23.45
He did. Okay.
00:21:23.51\00:21:24.91
So you knew beyond
what you saw on the outside
00:21:24.95\00:21:28.78
that God had a plan for him.
00:21:28.82\00:21:30.15
Was that what you were thinking?
00:21:30.19\00:21:31.52
Yeah, well,
yeah, actually it was.
00:21:31.55\00:21:34.82
I knew.
00:21:34.86\00:21:36.19
I'm like well, he would
come to church sometimes
00:21:36.22\00:21:38.56
and I would see
him and I'm like,
00:21:38.59\00:21:39.96
oh, he's nice looking.
00:21:40.00\00:21:41.30
He had the nice, I
always wanted a guy
00:21:41.33\00:21:42.70
with the nice
hair, nice curly hair.
00:21:42.73\00:21:44.97
And he had that real
soft curls and I'm like,
00:21:45.00\00:21:47.64
and then tall so he fit
every description in my mind.
00:21:47.67\00:21:51.57
That's why I wanted to meet him.
00:21:51.61\00:21:53.61
So he came over that
Friday night for worship.
00:21:53.64\00:21:57.18
And all my
brothers were watching him.
00:21:57.21\00:21:59.45
Except Cliff.
00:21:59.48\00:22:01.42
Cliff and I hit
it off right away.
00:22:01.45\00:22:03.28
He tackled me right away and
we were wrestling on the floor.
00:22:03.32\00:22:05.82
Yeah, the moment I met him.
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.72
All right, oh, yeah.
00:22:07.76\00:22:09.09
'Cause he was a joker.
00:22:09.12\00:22:10.63
Yeah, he was a joker.
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.29
So anyway, he came
over and he was, you know,
00:22:12.33\00:22:17.13
he'd-- you'd be okay.
00:22:17.17\00:22:19.53
you'd be quiet. I was cool.
00:22:19.57\00:22:20.90
You were cool.
00:22:20.94\00:22:22.27
And I kept inviting him over,
00:22:22.30\00:22:23.67
inviting him over Friday nights.
00:22:23.71\00:22:25.34
One particular Friday night
I said, my mother said, "John,
00:22:25.37\00:22:29.11
would you read the
Scripture in the Bible?"
00:22:29.14\00:22:32.25
I can't remember
what scripture it was.
00:22:32.28\00:22:34.68
Maybe Psalms 23, I
don't know. This was him.
00:22:34.72\00:22:37.99
He opened the Bible, "
The, the, Lo, Lord is, my, my,
00:22:38.02\00:22:42.59
shepherd, I, I...
00:22:42.62\00:22:45.16
and I'm like he can't read.
00:22:45.19\00:22:47.60
Beads of perspiration
was pouring on the Bible.
00:22:47.60\00:22:49.83
I was nervous.
00:22:49.86\00:22:51.20
It's hard to get a
devil to read a God's word.
00:22:51.23\00:22:52.57
Yeah.
00:22:52.60\00:22:53.97
I was just so, I was like,
00:22:54.00\00:22:55.34
"Don't have me
reading the Bible."
00:22:55.37\00:22:56.71
I'm thinking about the
party I got to go to later."
00:22:56.74\00:22:58.17
Have mercy.
00:22:58.21\00:23:00.68
What did your mom think
of John as a date for you,
00:23:00.71\00:23:03.75
as a potential,
as a suitor for you?
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.68
She liked him.
00:23:05.71\00:23:07.22
But she didn't see him
as, me and him together
00:23:07.25\00:23:10.39
'cause I was too young.
00:23:10.42\00:23:11.92
I was 17 then.
00:23:11.95\00:23:13.49
We met at 16 but at 17,
you know close to 18, okay.
00:23:13.56\00:23:17.13
Okay, 18 or 19, are you
guys still together now,
00:23:17.16\00:23:20.63
you're old
enough to start dating
00:23:20.70\00:23:22.06
and other than just worship.
00:23:22.10\00:23:24.13
Yeah.
00:23:24.17\00:23:25.70
Well, listen to what happened.
00:23:25.73\00:23:27.94
That Friday night...
00:23:27.97\00:23:29.30
Oh, yeah. Yeah, you forgot.
00:23:29.34\00:23:30.71
I kept inviting
him over for worship,
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.24
and that one
particular Friday night,
00:23:33.27\00:23:35.51
I said, "John,
have you seen the book,
00:23:35.54\00:23:37.51
The Great Controversy?
00:23:37.55\00:23:39.01
He said, "Yeah,
when mama was alive,"
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.55
I said, "Let's read
it." He said, "Okay."
00:23:41.58\00:23:44.05
So we went, where did we go?
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.52
You want to get a chapter that
would take you from the world
00:23:46.55\00:23:49.49
to Jesus in a heartbeat.
00:23:49.52\00:23:51.39
The first chapter we
read was The Time of Trouble.
00:23:51.43\00:23:56.60
That will take you,
"World is coming to an end.
00:23:56.63\00:23:59.37
The rivers are
rolling backwards,
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.50
the mountains are quaking,
fire coming down of heaven,
00:24:01.54\00:24:04.51
people running for their lives."
00:24:04.54\00:24:05.94
I'm thinking, "I'm
on the wrong team."
00:24:05.97\00:24:09.18
And literally I broke
down and cried that night.
00:24:09.21\00:24:12.25
I remember how old I was.
00:24:12.28\00:24:13.62
I was 19 at the time
'cause I just started,
00:24:13.65\00:24:14.98
I was working
00:24:15.02\00:24:16.35
at Bank of
America at Wall Street.
00:24:16.38\00:24:17.72
Okay.
00:24:17.75\00:24:19.09
And earlier that day,
this is the context of it,
00:24:19.12\00:24:20.46
earlier that
day, somebody at work
00:24:20.49\00:24:22.19
who used to go
to the same church
00:24:22.22\00:24:23.56
I went to moved to Miami,
Florida and started a disco.
00:24:23.63\00:24:26.80
Remember those
words, "The discotheque?"
00:24:26.83\00:24:28.53
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
00:24:28.56\00:24:29.90
And they said, we're
looking for a disc jockey
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.27
and I was a really good
disc jockey at the time.
00:24:31.30\00:24:32.93
They said, we're
looking for a disc jockey
00:24:32.97\00:24:34.30
to be the person to
lead out in our club.
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.37
All you have to do is say, yes,
00:24:37.41\00:24:39.71
we start you off
with $500 a week.
00:24:39.74\00:24:41.74
This is in 1979.
00:24:41.78\00:24:43.11
Wow. That's a lot of money.
00:24:43.14\00:24:44.48
Start you up with $500 a week,
we'll give you a place to stay,
00:24:44.51\00:24:46.78
we'll pay for you
to come on down here.
00:24:46.82\00:24:48.15
All you have to do is say yes.
00:24:48.18\00:24:49.52
So the devil made it so sweet.
00:24:49.55\00:24:51.79
But the Lord
impressed me, I said, "You know,
00:24:51.82\00:24:53.62
let me think about it.
00:24:53.66\00:24:54.99
I'll give you my
answer on Monday.
00:24:55.02\00:24:57.69
That Friday night was when
we read The Great Controversy.
00:24:57.73\00:25:00.86
And then the next
chapter we read was about
00:25:00.93\00:25:02.53
the Second Coming of Christ.
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.73
And that Friday night I put down
00:25:04.77\00:25:06.87
my pool stick and my boom box.
00:25:06.94\00:25:09.27
And I traded it with
Bible and The Great Controversy.
00:25:09.30\00:25:11.67
And on Monday morning,
I went work with the Bible
00:25:11.71\00:25:13.41
and The Great Controversy,
00:25:13.48\00:25:15.08
hardly had any instruction
on how to give Bible studies
00:25:15.11\00:25:18.65
but I was looking for
people to give Bible studies
00:25:18.68\00:25:20.32
with on Monday morning.
00:25:20.35\00:25:21.68
Okay. My first Bible study.
00:25:21.72\00:25:23.32
So you had a conversion
experience that Friday night.
00:25:23.39\00:25:26.12
That's right.
00:25:26.15\00:25:27.49
I bawled my eyes out, I mean,
I literally knelt on the floor.
00:25:27.56\00:25:30.13
He knelt and we prayed together.
00:25:30.16\00:25:31.79
It went back to your foundation
00:25:31.83\00:25:33.60
because the same thing I noticed
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.40
when he said that he
wouldn't go to the basketball
00:25:35.43\00:25:38.53
that's because you
knew your mom had totally
00:25:38.57\00:25:40.90
disapproved of it.
00:25:40.94\00:25:42.27
Right. And she
wouldn't be happy.
00:25:42.30\00:25:43.87
The other world she may not
known about or been there so
00:25:43.91\00:25:46.44
you've justified but you
did not want to disappoint her
00:25:46.47\00:25:49.88
'cause she had laid
such a good foundation.
00:25:49.91\00:25:52.35
And so now you're reading
this, you know it's true,
00:25:52.38\00:25:55.52
you know that that's
what you've been taught.
00:25:55.55\00:25:57.62
And it kind of brings
you then to repentance.
00:25:57.65\00:26:01.06
It was amazing and so
that really opened the door.
00:26:01.09\00:26:04.16
We need to just
back up a moment.
00:26:04.19\00:26:05.56
Sure.
00:26:05.59\00:26:06.93
Before that 'cause you
used to go to all these parties
00:26:06.96\00:26:09.70
and I used to go to your house.
00:26:09.73\00:26:11.43
I remember that.
00:26:11.47\00:26:12.80
I used to, he
lived on the third floor
00:26:12.83\00:26:14.17
and I used to take these pebbles
00:26:14.24\00:26:15.57
and throw it in on the
window trying to hit the window
00:26:15.60\00:26:18.41
to wake him up.
00:26:18.44\00:26:19.87
The Sabbath morning.
00:26:19.91\00:26:21.24
Sabbath morning,
sorry, Sabbath morning.
00:26:21.28\00:26:22.61
Yeah, Sabbath morning. Yeah.
00:26:22.64\00:26:23.98
To getting him
to come to church.
00:26:24.05\00:26:25.38
Getting him come to church.
'Cause he'd be out all night.
00:26:25.41\00:26:26.82
And I was like, "Who is that?"
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.88
His father let me
in the house finally.
00:26:28.92\00:26:31.25
He let me in and I
said, "Hey, John, come on,
00:26:31.29\00:26:33.66
now you're going to church."
00:26:33.69\00:26:35.02
He said, I just got home
00:26:35.06\00:26:36.39
from a party at 4 this morning."
00:26:36.42\00:26:37.76
I said, "I don't care.
00:26:37.79\00:26:39.13
You're going to church with me."
00:26:39.16\00:26:40.50
So I pulled out his
clothes and started pressing him
00:26:40.53\00:26:45.00
and I said, "Go shower."
00:26:45.03\00:26:46.70
And he went, showered
and he came in the room,
00:26:46.74\00:26:49.50
I left the room so he could
change and next thing I said,
00:26:49.54\00:26:52.87
come on we're going to church.
00:26:52.91\00:26:54.24
We went to church.
00:26:54.28\00:26:55.61
He sat in church and he slept.
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.71
His head was
breaking, just sleeping.
00:26:57.75\00:27:00.15
I slept on Pastor C.A.'s sermon.
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.52
Now he sleeps on mine. Yeah.
00:27:01.55\00:27:05.15
You know what's
interesting to me
00:27:05.19\00:27:07.02
as I listen to
you is to see how God
00:27:07.09\00:27:10.96
at every juncture intervened
like when your parents left,
00:27:10.99\00:27:15.86
but He provided
other parents, you know,
00:27:15.90\00:27:19.13
and then provided,
gave you a love in Angie
00:27:19.17\00:27:24.11
that just
undergirds all that you do.
00:27:24.14\00:27:29.14
And to me, it's
just, it's so bespeaks
00:27:29.18\00:27:32.75
of a loving God with a plan.
00:27:32.78\00:27:35.95
That's right. A
plan for your life.
00:27:35.98\00:27:37.99
So though you might
have felt abandoned,
00:27:38.02\00:27:40.26
you weren't abandoned
because at every juncture God
00:27:40.29\00:27:42.89
had something for you.
00:27:42.92\00:27:44.66
Matter of fact,
that's why the book
00:27:44.69\00:27:46.16
is called
Abandoned But Not Alone.
00:27:46.19\00:27:49.50
And as of this interview
where we're updating it.
00:27:49.53\00:27:54.10
I'm revamping it to
bring it up to some new details
00:27:54.14\00:27:57.17
I want to add and
then republish it.
00:27:57.21\00:27:59.71
But in this there is
quote I want to share toward
00:27:59.74\00:28:01.14
the ending of the program.
00:28:01.18\00:28:02.51
But you know, before we
were girlfriend and boyfriend,
00:28:02.54\00:28:06.61
her brothers were my brothers.
00:28:06.65\00:28:08.35
Her mom became my mom.
00:28:08.38\00:28:10.82
At a point
where I had no mother,
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.92
and papa who raised me,
00:28:12.95\00:28:15.12
his wife had
died in 1971 she died,
00:28:15.16\00:28:21.16
and so he kind
of gave up on life
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.03
and was recluse at times
00:28:23.06\00:28:26.10
and looking for love
and he got remarried.
00:28:26.13\00:28:27.94
So it was quite different.
00:28:27.97\00:28:30.01
So I just had no anchor.
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.77
And she became my
new anchor in my life
00:28:31.81\00:28:35.31
and had a
relationship with the Lord
00:28:35.34\00:28:36.95
that she wouldn't
let me compromise.
00:28:36.98\00:28:39.18
That's the thing
that was wonderful.
00:28:39.21\00:28:40.55
I never forgot this
and I tell this in--
00:28:40.62\00:28:43.02
And this is a good message
for the young people today.
00:28:43.05\00:28:45.82
You know, I still have it today.
00:28:45.85\00:28:48.19
It's a little cupid doll
with a little red heart on it.
00:28:48.22\00:28:51.53
And she wrote in that, it had,
00:28:51.56\00:28:53.33
"I'll give you my heart
00:28:53.40\00:28:54.73
but you'll have to
fight for the rest."
00:28:54.73\00:28:56.53
Okay. All right.
00:28:56.56\00:28:57.90
She said, I don't want anybody
that's not in the church,
00:28:57.93\00:29:01.30
I don't want anybody that
doesn't have the relationship
00:29:01.34\00:29:02.74
with the Lord.
00:29:02.77\00:29:04.14
And so at every inch of all,
00:29:04.17\00:29:05.51
like when I had a
party one Friday night,
00:29:05.54\00:29:07.14
I was at the World
Trade Center on 44th floor
00:29:07.21\00:29:09.08
disc jockeying
and lo and behold,
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.55
through the dark room,
00:29:11.58\00:29:13.11
you know, I'm
looking at the window,
00:29:13.15\00:29:14.52
they were all the way,
through the dark room, this,
00:29:14.55\00:29:17.22
"Who is that?" "John."
00:29:17.25\00:29:18.95
"What? Who is that?"
00:29:18.99\00:29:20.79
"Hey, what are you doing
here? How did you find out?"
00:29:20.82\00:29:23.86
I'm gonna look at the camera.
00:29:23.89\00:29:25.23
Guys, don't try to hide
00:29:25.26\00:29:28.10
'cause your girlfriend
has connections to find out
00:29:28.13\00:29:31.37
where you are.
00:29:31.40\00:29:32.73
If you think she doesn't know,
then you are fooling yourself.
00:29:32.77\00:29:36.17
So she shows up. She
tracked you down, right.
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.11
She tracked me down.
00:29:38.14\00:29:39.47
I'm on the 44th floor
on the World Trade Center.
00:29:39.51\00:29:40.88
"How did you find?"
00:29:40.91\00:29:42.24
She didn't even tell
me, I never found out
00:29:42.28\00:29:43.61
how she found out but anyhow,
00:29:43.65\00:29:44.98
she said, "You know
00:29:45.01\00:29:46.35
it's Friday
night is the Sabbath,
00:29:46.38\00:29:48.85
you should not be here.
00:29:48.88\00:29:50.22
This is wrong." Holy boldness.
00:29:50.29\00:29:51.69
That's all I could see.
00:29:51.72\00:29:53.05
I said, "Would
you get out of here?
00:29:53.09\00:29:54.99
I'll be at church
tomorrow. Just get out of here."
00:29:55.02\00:29:56.36
And I never forget.
00:29:56.39\00:29:57.73
I recall this, just one or
two years ago I recall this,
00:29:57.76\00:30:00.33
one of my
speakers started to smoke.
00:30:00.40\00:30:02.60
Okay.
00:30:02.63\00:30:03.97
And I thought, I looked
back on that, Lord said,
00:30:04.03\00:30:06.00
"I could burn this
thing down right now."
00:30:06.03\00:30:07.67
And He and His mercy
and the very next day
00:30:07.70\00:30:11.27
I had to fulfill my
end of the agreement.
00:30:11.31\00:30:13.84
I was at church.
00:30:13.88\00:30:15.21
And she would never
let me not be at church.
00:30:15.24\00:30:18.88
And so...
00:30:18.91\00:30:20.28
But Angie, didn't
you, I mean, growing up
00:30:20.32\00:30:22.25
everybody goes
through spiritual struggles.
00:30:22.28\00:30:24.39
Was there a time in your
life that you thought well,
00:30:24.42\00:30:26.42
maybe I don't want to
be Adventist Christian.
00:30:26.45\00:30:29.69
Maybe I want to
go out in the world
00:30:29.72\00:30:31.26
and try some of the things.
00:30:31.29\00:30:32.99
Was there ever a
time in your life
00:30:33.03\00:30:34.36
that you wanted to go
a different direction?
00:30:34.36\00:30:35.70
Yeah.
00:30:35.73\00:30:37.10
Actually, I used to
go to the, I'm Jamaican,
00:30:37.13\00:30:41.04
the "reggae" parties.
00:30:41.07\00:30:42.60
We used to go
with my cousins, yeah.
00:30:42.64\00:30:44.24
I did that.
00:30:44.27\00:30:45.61
And this is before John,
00:30:45.64\00:30:47.58
I used to do that and after that
00:30:47.61\00:30:49.71
I'm like there's
nothing in this life.
00:30:49.74\00:30:51.75
Okay.
00:30:51.78\00:30:53.21
You know, I saw my
friends and some of my cousins.
00:30:53.25\00:30:58.65
All they do is get
drunk and I'm like,
00:30:58.69\00:31:01.02
I don't want this life. Okay.
00:31:01.06\00:31:03.06
And so, you always say,
learn from other people's...
00:31:03.09\00:31:05.96
Learn from other
people's mistake.
00:31:05.99\00:31:08.23
Don't repeat yourself.
00:31:08.26\00:31:10.53
And so I saw, what I
said, I want the man that
00:31:10.57\00:31:14.10
would love the
Lord more than me.
00:31:14.14\00:31:16.54
And if I could get John
to do that, love the Lord,
00:31:16.57\00:31:19.74
then I got a good man.
00:31:19.77\00:31:21.11
Yeah. And that's what happened.
00:31:21.14\00:31:23.24
After a while he
started taking over
00:31:23.31\00:31:24.98
our Friday night
worship, after the conversion.
00:31:25.01\00:31:27.62
I started leading out.
00:31:27.65\00:31:28.98
He was leading
out in the worships.
00:31:29.02\00:31:31.12
And then we got involved
in prison ministry together
00:31:31.15\00:31:33.09
before we were married.
00:31:33.12\00:31:34.46
Her brother gave her a
little car that only had a--
00:31:34.49\00:31:37.83
it didn't have reverse.
00:31:37.86\00:31:39.19
Only went forward.
It only went forward.
00:31:39.23\00:31:41.00
Okay. That's good.
00:31:41.03\00:31:42.53
Isn't that
amazing providentially?
00:31:42.56\00:31:44.00
Only going forward. I
love it, going forward.
00:31:44.03\00:31:45.90
Blessings on the go. Forward.
00:31:45.93\00:31:48.74
Amen. All right.
00:31:48.77\00:31:50.74
And we go to prison ministry,
we go to Sabbath school,
00:31:50.77\00:31:52.47
then we go 'cause
church is so huge,
00:31:52.51\00:31:54.44
we go to Sabbath school.
00:31:54.48\00:31:55.81
You just get, you know better,
you just get lost in the crowd.
00:31:55.84\00:31:57.91
So we got
involved in prison ministry
00:31:57.95\00:31:59.28
all throughout New
York, Rikers Island,
00:31:59.31\00:32:00.82
we go to prison
ministry together
00:32:00.85\00:32:02.18
before we were married.
00:32:02.22\00:32:03.59
And it was her car and
every time I got to tell her,
00:32:03.62\00:32:05.82
"This car only had
forward so when we visit friends
00:32:05.85\00:32:09.39
and they say, well, "Goodnight."
00:32:09.42\00:32:10.76
We used to go outside,
smile, we're waiting for them
00:32:10.83\00:32:12.89
to close the doors so we
can push the car backward.
00:32:12.93\00:32:14.86
We always try to park it so
that we could just drive out.
00:32:14.93\00:32:19.67
But sometimes, somebody,
"man, they blocked us in."
00:32:19.70\00:32:22.24
We were waiting for people
to leave so we could, okay,
00:32:22.27\00:32:24.54
you go and drive, I'll
push it back and you pull over,
00:32:24.57\00:32:26.34
push it back you go over.
00:32:26.37\00:32:27.71
It was a small little Toyota.
00:32:27.74\00:32:29.08
I'll sit in and
he'd push it back.
00:32:29.11\00:32:30.45
And thank the Lord it was
old Toyotas that were tiny.
00:32:30.51\00:32:31.85
Yeah.
00:32:31.88\00:32:33.21
And they also had
a spring in the seat.
00:32:33.25\00:32:34.58
Oh, man, I had three
suits that spring in the seat
00:32:34.62\00:32:37.45
went through the car seat
00:32:37.49\00:32:38.82
and it tore my
pants three times.
00:32:38.85\00:32:40.62
I had three suits,
but, but that car was just,
00:32:40.66\00:32:43.49
it was a testimony of
our lives going forward.
00:32:43.53\00:32:45.89
And we even said this.
00:32:45.93\00:32:47.40
We would always use
it for prison ministry
00:32:47.46\00:32:48.76
and one day we decided to use it
00:32:48.80\00:32:50.33
to go to great adventure
in way up in New Jersey.
00:32:50.40\00:32:52.33
And we said...
00:32:52.37\00:32:53.70
Amusement park.
00:32:53.77\00:32:55.10
Amusement park and
that's the day it broke down
00:32:55.14\00:32:56.57
on the George Washington bridge
00:32:56.64\00:32:57.97
at the toll booth.
00:32:58.01\00:33:00.98
Oh, that's awful.
00:33:01.01\00:33:02.34
So we said the
Lord did not intend
00:33:02.38\00:33:03.71
for this to be a
pleasure car, only for ministry.
00:33:03.75\00:33:05.11
Absolutely.
00:33:05.15\00:33:06.92
Tell us a little
bit, you mentioned earlier
00:33:06.95\00:33:09.68
that C.A. Murray, was of course,
00:33:09.72\00:33:11.99
is with 3ABN for many
years now C.A. was your pastor.
00:33:12.02\00:33:15.52
My youth pastor. Back then.
00:33:15.56\00:33:16.96
What impact did he have on you?
00:33:17.03\00:33:18.66
Now was he aware
that you were out
00:33:18.69\00:33:21.30
doing the party
deal and disc jockeying
00:33:21.33\00:33:23.87
all that kind of stuff?
00:33:23.93\00:33:25.43
I mean, did he come
down on you like Angie did?
00:33:25.47\00:33:28.54
Did he follow you to the,
where you were and get on you?
00:33:28.60\00:33:30.87
How did deal with
you as your pastor?
00:33:30.91\00:33:33.74
Well, we had so many
young people in our church.
00:33:33.78\00:33:36.85
I mean, we had like 500
young people in our church.
00:33:36.91\00:33:38.95
It was like churches in New York
00:33:38.98\00:33:40.32
were packed with young people.
00:33:40.38\00:33:41.72
Yeah.
00:33:41.75\00:33:43.08
There are so many
activities but the caveat was,
00:33:43.12\00:33:44.45
if you don't come to church,
you can't play basketball.
00:33:44.49\00:33:46.39
Oh.
00:33:46.42\00:33:47.76
You cannot play basketball.
00:33:47.79\00:33:49.12
You can't be on
the basketball team.
00:33:49.16\00:33:50.49
So he had that
head dangling over us.
00:33:50.53\00:33:51.86
If you don't come to church,
you are not playing basketball.
00:33:51.89\00:33:53.86
But he was our pastor.
00:33:53.90\00:33:55.20
He'd preached to us
and our youth church
00:33:55.23\00:33:57.10
while he was
there, had grown so large
00:33:57.13\00:34:00.04
that the senior
pastor of the church,
00:34:00.07\00:34:01.84
Lord rest him now, I
won't mention his name,
00:34:01.87\00:34:04.71
the youth church had grown
so large that it became a threat
00:34:04.74\00:34:07.08
to the adult church.
00:34:07.11\00:34:08.48
And he decided to
shut down the youth church
00:34:08.51\00:34:10.25
so that we could have
a bigger adult service.
00:34:10.28\00:34:12.51
Oh, my. But Pastor C.A.
00:34:12.55\00:34:14.45
was a young man, he
played basketball with us.
00:34:14.48\00:34:17.09
That's back in the
day when he had his afro.
00:34:17.19\00:34:20.09
Oh, yeah, he did.
00:34:20.16\00:34:21.49
Yeah, he was a
wonderful youth pastor.
00:34:21.52\00:34:24.86
Yeah, but he passed the ball.
00:34:24.89\00:34:26.23
He says, right?
00:34:26.26\00:34:27.60
Oh, he had a good shot.
00:34:27.60\00:34:28.93
Yeah, but he would pass.
00:34:28.96\00:34:30.33
He accuses John
and me of not passing.
00:34:30.37\00:34:32.80
I don't know
where that come from.
00:34:32.83\00:34:34.94
You don't win by passing.
00:34:34.97\00:34:36.30
He said, yeah,
whoever puts the ball
00:34:36.34\00:34:38.31
in the hoop the most wins.
00:34:38.34\00:34:39.67
That's what my
dad used to tell me.
00:34:39.71\00:34:41.31
But anyway, C.A. will
pass, he actually will pass.
00:34:41.34\00:34:44.85
We will once in a while,
John and I, we used to do,
00:34:44.88\00:34:47.28
we do a lot of shooting.
00:34:47.32\00:34:48.88
Let's head to
another part of my life
00:34:48.92\00:34:50.25
'cause now that we got
00:34:50.29\00:34:51.62
this spiritual
thing going together,
00:34:51.65\00:34:52.99
and I wanted to just say
for the caveat, we met at 16,
00:34:53.02\00:34:56.19
dated for, off and on,
off and on for nine years.
00:34:56.22\00:34:59.06
We broke up, got back together,
broke up, got back together.
00:34:59.09\00:35:00.86
Both selfish. We
were both selfish.
00:35:00.93\00:35:03.10
So for the young people that
are listening to this program,
00:35:03.13\00:35:05.27
you know, we were selfish.
00:35:05.30\00:35:07.34
But I think one of the reasons
to the success of our marriage
00:35:07.37\00:35:10.31
is the Lord gave us time to
get all those selfish ways out
00:35:10.34\00:35:12.81
and still, through
the course of growing up
00:35:12.84\00:35:16.51
as husband and wife,
00:35:16.54\00:35:18.35
every now and then
we have the residue.
00:35:18.38\00:35:21.68
But we got baptized,
remember Pastor James LaMar?
00:35:21.72\00:35:24.69
Oh, sure. Yes.
00:35:24.72\00:35:26.05
Well, we got
baptized together at 19.
00:35:26.09\00:35:27.89
At 19.
00:35:27.92\00:35:29.26
At an
evangelistic series at good old
00:35:29.29\00:35:30.96
tent meeting in Brooklyn.
00:35:30.99\00:35:32.73
And I never forget what
one of our brothers said,
00:35:32.76\00:35:34.40
you remember what
they said about us
00:35:34.46\00:35:35.76
getting baptized together?
00:35:35.80\00:35:37.13
Are you gonna get married?
00:35:37.17\00:35:38.50
What, are they planning
to get married together?
00:35:38.53\00:35:39.87
And at that point we
really didn't planned on that.
00:35:39.90\00:35:41.77
We weren't thinking about it.
00:35:41.80\00:35:43.14
But it was both of us
had the spiritual kind of
00:35:43.17\00:35:45.27
"let's commit
ourselves together."
00:35:45.31\00:35:46.64
Right. That's so good.
00:35:46.68\00:35:48.01
And that was really, really good
00:35:48.04\00:35:49.38
and we never
planned on getting married.
00:35:49.41\00:35:50.75
Now, Yvonne, you, where
were you in all of this?
00:35:50.81\00:35:52.18
Were you in New York?
00:35:52.21\00:35:53.58
I was in New York and in fact...
00:35:53.62\00:35:54.95
If you went to church, would
you have gone to that church?
00:35:54.98\00:35:56.75
I did go to that
church for a while.
00:35:56.79\00:35:58.69
Did you guys
know each other then?
00:35:58.72\00:36:00.12
Did you know him back then?
00:36:00.19\00:36:01.52
You know, not really.
00:36:01.56\00:36:02.89
He went to--
00:36:02.92\00:36:04.26
my dad was the
principal of Bethel School
00:36:04.29\00:36:05.89
when...
00:36:05.93\00:36:07.23
I have marks to prove it.
00:36:07.30\00:36:09.90
Your dad was his teacher?
00:36:09.93\00:36:11.27
He was his principal. Principal.
00:36:11.30\00:36:12.87
He was his principal. Oh, yeah.
00:36:12.90\00:36:14.27
Now he didn't whip
you, did he back then?
00:36:14.30\00:36:16.14
Only once did Mr. Hodge do that.
00:36:16.17\00:36:18.54
What did he do it with?
00:36:18.57\00:36:20.78
We used to call it the wire.
00:36:20.81\00:36:23.14
He said, "Now
Lomacang, we got to talk."
00:36:23.18\00:36:24.88
Any time when he
said we have to talk,
00:36:24.91\00:36:27.12
we know we're in
trouble. He was the principal.
00:36:27.15\00:36:31.69
He was the principal.
00:36:31.72\00:36:33.22
But he never
whipped you, did he?
00:36:33.25\00:36:35.36
No. 'Cause she's a good girl.
00:36:35.39\00:36:38.49
And my sister
was in John's class.
00:36:38.53\00:36:40.73
That's right,
Gloria. So, my baby.
00:36:40.80\00:36:43.03
So she, she was in his class
00:36:43.06\00:36:45.77
and I was out of school by then.
00:36:45.80\00:36:49.34
I mean, I was...
00:36:49.37\00:36:50.71
Your little sister.
00:36:50.77\00:36:52.11
My little baby
sister was in his class.
00:36:52.14\00:36:53.48
Binky. Binky.
00:36:53.51\00:36:54.84
But during these years
what would that have been
00:36:54.88\00:36:56.81
when you are at 18, 19
years old, what years, 70s?
00:36:56.85\00:37:00.68
Seventy six, seventy seven,
seventy eight around then.
00:37:00.75\00:37:02.85
Yeah, what were you
doing in the 70s, 76, 77?
00:37:02.88\00:37:05.82
I had just started
the music business.
00:37:05.85\00:37:07.69
So you weren't really
going to church that much?
00:37:07.72\00:37:10.09
No. No.
00:37:10.16\00:37:11.49
No, I had left the
church for about...
00:37:11.53\00:37:12.86
What's wrong with you all?
00:37:12.89\00:37:14.20
I know.
00:37:14.23\00:37:15.80
But you know in so doing,
00:37:15.83\00:37:18.90
and I don't
recommend that anybody leave
00:37:18.93\00:37:20.94
and especially,
oh, my goodness now
00:37:20.97\00:37:23.00
but I'm thankful
00:37:23.04\00:37:25.07
that the Lord brought me back.
00:37:25.11\00:37:27.68
Yeah.
00:37:27.71\00:37:29.04
So I'm not so happy that I left,
00:37:29.08\00:37:30.88
but I'm thankful
that he brought me back
00:37:30.95\00:37:32.58
because while I was out there,
00:37:32.61\00:37:34.35
I appreciate so much more
00:37:34.38\00:37:37.19
the Lord and the whole
Christian thing so much more.
00:37:37.22\00:37:42.72
One other things I've learned
is that people say, well,
00:37:42.76\00:37:45.89
they went out and they
did this, you did that,
00:37:45.93\00:37:48.33
she did this.
00:37:48.36\00:37:49.70
But those of us sitting in
the church can be just as lost.
00:37:49.73\00:37:51.93
Absolutely. That's right.
00:37:51.97\00:37:53.30
'Cause we can be there
every Sabbath and do take part
00:37:53.34\00:37:57.07
and do all the things that
we think we're supposed to do
00:37:57.11\00:38:01.14
and still not
have a relationship
00:38:01.18\00:38:02.98
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:38:03.01\00:38:04.35
We do it because we think
we should and a lot of people
00:38:04.38\00:38:07.45
go to church, whether it's
our church, Baptist Church,
00:38:07.48\00:38:09.95
'cause they
don't want to be lost.
00:38:09.98\00:38:11.82
And so they say,
well, I wanted to do,
00:38:11.85\00:38:13.62
"so the spirit is
willing but the flesh is weak."
00:38:13.69\00:38:15.72
So no one can set any
judgment of any one else.
00:38:15.76\00:38:18.99
But you guys were out there,
you were there and you knew
00:38:19.03\00:38:21.73
when to come back and
what you are coming back to.
00:38:21.76\00:38:24.07
That's right.
Thankfully yes, yes.
00:38:24.10\00:38:26.37
Yeah.
00:38:26.40\00:38:27.74
With you two,
what would you say,
00:38:27.77\00:38:31.41
'cause you've been
married for all these years
00:38:31.44\00:38:33.21
and you're not just, you know,
00:38:33.24\00:38:34.64
you see people who
are married and their,
00:38:34.68\00:38:38.45
it's kind of
like the relationship
00:38:38.48\00:38:39.81
that you just were talking
about with the Lord, Danny.
00:38:39.85\00:38:42.12
Okay. It's married in name only.
00:38:42.15\00:38:45.79
So yeah, this is my
wife or this is my husband
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.49
but we don't do
anything together.
00:38:48.52\00:38:50.66
You know, we just co-exist,
we live in the same house
00:38:50.73\00:38:53.53
but you guys are a team.
00:38:53.60\00:38:56.00
What would you say,
what are the secrets
00:38:56.03\00:39:00.47
to this kind of relationship,
an optimal kind of marriage,
00:39:00.50\00:39:04.77
not just a
marriage in name only?
00:39:04.81\00:39:06.64
Okay.
00:39:06.71\00:39:08.04
We have fun
together, we pray together,
00:39:08.08\00:39:11.35
but we know how
to have fun together.
00:39:11.38\00:39:13.18
We know how to laugh. Oh, good.
00:39:13.21\00:39:15.42
Every single day I get to laugh.
00:39:15.45\00:39:18.05
We know how to, you know
00:39:18.09\00:39:19.42
we don't just
talk to each other.
00:39:19.45\00:39:21.42
We talk to each other. Yeah.
00:39:21.46\00:39:22.86
Okay.
00:39:22.89\00:39:24.26
Right?
00:39:24.29\00:39:25.63
Right, about everything.
So great communication.
00:39:25.66\00:39:27.00
Communication is huge. Huge.
00:39:27.03\00:39:28.40
Open with each other. Open.
00:39:28.43\00:39:30.37
We go to the store together.
00:39:30.40\00:39:31.73
We share the same, you
know, we go to shopping,
00:39:31.77\00:39:33.47
we share the same bank account.
00:39:33.54\00:39:34.87
We are everything as together.
00:39:34.90\00:39:36.24
That's right. Right.
00:39:36.27\00:39:37.61
It's like, it's
not mine or hers.
00:39:37.64\00:39:38.97
Yeah.
00:39:39.01\00:39:40.34
How do you deal with conflict?
00:39:40.38\00:39:41.71
Who is the first one
usually to apologize?
00:39:41.74\00:39:44.45
He is. He is.
00:39:44.48\00:39:47.72
I'm going to
Matthew 5 that said,
00:39:47.75\00:39:49.35
"Blessed are the peacemakers."
00:39:49.38\00:39:51.15
Well, besides, he
like to eat her cooking.
00:39:51.19\00:39:53.15
That's right.
00:39:53.19\00:39:54.52
That's probably has a
little bit to do with it.
00:39:54.56\00:39:56.56
She could say, "John, I just
00:39:56.59\00:39:58.03
don't feel like cooking, today."
00:39:58.06\00:39:59.49
"I'm sorry, honey. I was wrong."
00:39:59.53\00:40:01.83
"I'm sorry."
00:40:01.86\00:40:03.20
Well, let me tell
you this side of that.
00:40:03.23\00:40:04.57
I think that
relationships without passion
00:40:04.60\00:40:05.93
is not really a relationship.
00:40:05.97\00:40:09.44
There are a lot of times people
say, "Well, we never argue."
00:40:09.47\00:40:12.41
And my interpretation of that
is one of you is brain dead.
00:40:12.44\00:40:17.41
Because you have to
have differences of opinion
00:40:17.45\00:40:19.05
no matter how
long you are together.
00:40:19.08\00:40:20.42
That's right.
00:40:20.48\00:40:21.82
Sometimes you know,
we have this funny joke
00:40:21.85\00:40:23.18
we've been doing like
last two years is that,
00:40:23.22\00:40:24.75
do you want-- I said,
00:40:24.79\00:40:26.12
"You're gonna pick
the opposite, right?
00:40:26.15\00:40:27.52
And we joke about this.
00:40:27.56\00:40:28.89
And she said, "I
see, you're thirsty?"
00:40:28.92\00:40:30.26
"No." You want to go on--?"
00:40:30.29\00:40:33.56
"No."
00:40:33.60\00:40:34.96
Then she says, "I
want something to drink."
00:40:35.00\00:40:37.10
"But I asked you
if you were thirsty?"
00:40:37.13\00:40:38.47
"But I'm thirsty now."
00:40:38.50\00:40:41.30
It is like, sure, that's fine.
00:40:41.34\00:40:43.34
Be on, let it be on your terms.
00:40:43.37\00:40:45.04
A lot of times
people don't think
00:40:45.07\00:40:46.41
they had this individuality.
00:40:46.44\00:40:47.78
That's important.
00:40:47.81\00:40:49.14
So they lose themselves
to please the other person.
00:40:49.18\00:40:51.85
Don't lose yourself. Exactly.
00:40:51.88\00:40:53.55
Because if I wanted to
marry somebody exactly like me,
00:40:53.58\00:40:56.38
then one of us
will be unnecessary.
00:40:56.42\00:40:58.25
That's good, that's good.
00:40:58.29\00:41:00.96
Now you don't want
people to think exactly like you
00:41:00.99\00:41:03.32
at no point in your life
00:41:03.36\00:41:04.69
because you don't
have a check in balance.
00:41:04.73\00:41:06.36
I sink, she doesn't.
00:41:06.39\00:41:07.96
You know sometimes she
says, "Would you stop singing
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.33
and come and
watch the show with me."
00:41:10.37\00:41:11.83
Hey, cool, you know.
00:41:11.87\00:41:14.57
And sure, you need that balance
and so we have a lot of things
00:41:14.60\00:41:19.37
that, but I want to point,
I want to go back a little bit
00:41:19.41\00:41:21.58
really quickly because as
she talked about our conversion,
00:41:21.61\00:41:24.78
you know, after that
point of that Friday night
00:41:24.81\00:41:27.98
awakening with
God, I still partied.
00:41:28.02\00:41:32.69
And I still, it as a little
bit of hesitation, "Okay, Lord,
00:41:32.72\00:41:35.59
I know I'm going
to the wrong direction
00:41:35.62\00:41:36.99
but I hadn't
given up the world yet."
00:41:37.03\00:41:39.46
I periodically
partied or do house parties
00:41:39.49\00:41:41.63
or wedding parties or
disc jockey in house clubs
00:41:41.66\00:41:44.63
and then along the way,
00:41:44.67\00:41:46.00
the Lord continued to
battle with me and shortly,
00:41:46.03\00:41:48.37
little by little He
would say to me, "No more."
00:41:48.40\00:41:52.51
And I'd say, "Okay, I got it."
00:41:52.54\00:41:53.91
And I remember
going to a house party
00:41:53.94\00:41:55.28
on one Saturday
night to somebody's place
00:41:55.31\00:41:58.21
who strangely enough
and I say this in context,
00:41:58.25\00:42:00.98
partied together.
00:42:01.02\00:42:05.15
We had a whole lot of
sinners in our church.
00:42:05.19\00:42:07.99
But praise God, we
look back on them now
00:42:08.02\00:42:09.86
and they all
come back to the Lord.
00:42:09.89\00:42:11.26
Amen.
00:42:11.29\00:42:12.63
You see, if young growing
up, we can't argue with that.
00:42:12.66\00:42:14.46
A lot of people, they,
they have to find their way.
00:42:14.46\00:42:16.56
Tell them what you
used to do with the flyers.
00:42:16.63\00:42:18.03
And oh, this is terrible, God,
thank the Lord for His mercy
00:42:18.07\00:42:21.40
because when I
was a junior usher,
00:42:21.44\00:42:25.44
my time came to
pass our bulletins,
00:42:25.47\00:42:27.28
I would put party
flyers in the bulletins
00:42:27.34\00:42:31.45
for my friends so they'd know
00:42:31.48\00:42:32.81
where the party
is after Sabbath.
00:42:32.85\00:42:34.18
Now if I was the
Lord, I would have kill him
00:42:34.22\00:42:35.55
on aisle three or two.
00:42:35.58\00:42:37.55
But God was patient...
00:42:37.59\00:42:38.92
Have mercy. Yeah.
00:42:38.95\00:42:40.32
And...
00:42:40.36\00:42:41.69
Where the party was tonight
and they would go to the party.
00:42:41.72\00:42:43.06
And they would go to the
party, you know, celebrate,
00:42:43.09\00:42:45.89
you know, Kool and The Gang
and all that stuff back then.
00:42:45.93\00:42:48.00
But our real turning point
was when we had an accident
00:42:48.03\00:42:50.40
one Sunday, both
in a car together.
00:42:50.43\00:42:52.77
It was when Hondas were small
enough, were very, very small.
00:42:52.80\00:42:55.97
It was full of
a sound equipment,
00:42:56.00\00:42:57.34
records and all.
00:42:57.37\00:42:58.71
And I said this statement
which you got to be careful.
00:42:58.74\00:43:00.48
I said, "Okay, Lord,
this is the last time."
00:43:00.51\00:43:02.08
They were hurt and
he tried to kill us.
00:43:02.11\00:43:04.55
We had a terrible car
accident with this Honda.
00:43:04.58\00:43:06.72
We both got injured
00:43:06.75\00:43:08.85
and I knew at that
moment if we had died,
00:43:08.88\00:43:11.79
we both would have been lost.
00:43:11.82\00:43:13.46
At least that
was my interpretation
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.82
and that was the last time.
00:43:14.86\00:43:16.19
I get rid of all my records,
00:43:16.22\00:43:17.56
covered everything that
was disc jockey connected
00:43:17.59\00:43:19.56
and then our lives
began to turn around.
00:43:19.59\00:43:21.36
She went to Oakwood.
I waited till she came.
00:43:21.40\00:43:23.63
Even when she went
to Oakwood, I waited.
00:43:23.67\00:43:25.63
I didn't date anybody.
00:43:25.67\00:43:27.10
We kept in
communication back and forth.
00:43:27.14\00:43:30.27
We kept the
communication back and forth.
00:43:30.31\00:43:32.77
And then we went to
Oakwood together again in 1979.
00:43:32.81\00:43:38.61
We're kind of fast forwarding.
00:43:38.65\00:43:39.98
Yeah, go ahead.
00:43:40.02\00:43:41.35
And then in 1983, I got
a, this is funny part, 1983,
00:43:41.38\00:43:45.19
after we dated for nine years,
00:43:45.22\00:43:47.72
her brother who is now deceased
came to me in the kitchen
00:43:47.76\00:43:50.93
there in Monroe
Street in Brooklyn
00:43:50.96\00:43:53.06
and he said, "How long
are you gonna date my sister?
00:43:53.09\00:43:55.63
You're gonna marry her or what?"
00:43:55.66\00:43:57.00
And I thought, you
know, he's kidding.
00:43:57.03\00:43:58.83
And he said, "How long
are you gonna date my sister?
00:43:58.87\00:44:01.14
You're gonna marry her or what?"
00:44:01.17\00:44:02.60
He was serious.
I was 25 years old.
00:44:02.64\00:44:04.87
And I'm 24 and I'm thinking, uh,
00:44:04.91\00:44:08.08
"Are you gonna marry her?"
00:44:08.11\00:44:09.44
"Yeah."
00:44:09.48\00:44:10.85
"When?"
00:44:10.88\00:44:12.21
"Next month."
00:44:12.25\00:44:13.58
We got married in 30 days.
00:44:13.62\00:44:15.05
Yes, we did.
00:44:15.08\00:44:16.42
He was like
"You're gonna marry her
00:44:16.45\00:44:17.79
or you're gonna get."
00:44:17.82\00:44:19.15
And we got married in
30 days and the funny joke.
00:44:19.19\00:44:21.59
I'll tell this in concerts.
00:44:21.62\00:44:23.19
The joke is her brother proposed
00:44:23.22\00:44:24.96
and I accepted.
00:44:24.99\00:44:27.23
It's true.
00:44:27.30\00:44:29.50
Now let me give
the folks at home
00:44:29.53\00:44:31.23
a little behind the scenes here.
00:44:31.27\00:44:33.50
The producer of
this program today
00:44:33.54\00:44:35.94
is Pastor C.A.
Murray that was his pastor.
00:44:35.97\00:44:39.24
Just few minutes ago
00:44:39.27\00:44:40.94
John said he used
to take these flyers
00:44:40.98\00:44:43.04
and put in the
church bulletins, right,
00:44:43.08\00:44:44.98
about parties.
00:44:45.01\00:44:46.35
On the
teleprompter just came up,
00:44:46.38\00:44:47.72
it said, "Shame on you, Lomy."
00:44:47.75\00:44:53.42
C.A. is shaming
you all these years.
00:44:53.46\00:44:55.56
That's something
he just found out.
00:44:55.59\00:44:57.43
See I told you,
you'd find out things today
00:44:57.49\00:44:59.39
we didn't
already know about you.
00:44:59.43\00:45:01.80
That's pretty good.
00:45:01.83\00:45:03.16
Now we've only got about
eight minutes left or so.
00:45:03.20\00:45:05.60
So what I want to do
is we're gonna talk about
00:45:05.63\00:45:08.57
quickly about your ministry,
about, we know you're pastor
00:45:08.60\00:45:12.64
and a lot of that but we want
to find out about your music,
00:45:12.67\00:45:15.21
you have CDs,
you've got the book
00:45:15.24\00:45:17.15
you've written and tell us
00:45:17.18\00:45:18.51
how you got into
your music ministry.
00:45:18.55\00:45:21.62
In 1983, after leaving New York,
00:45:21.65\00:45:23.42
I got involved in the
Christian talent search
00:45:23.49\00:45:25.02
and the Lord worked it out
00:45:25.05\00:45:26.39
that I came in among
the top ten finalist.
00:45:26.42\00:45:28.29
While I was doing the
concert one Saturday night
00:45:28.32\00:45:29.86
and her mom bought some tickets
to a Heritage Singers' concert
00:45:29.89\00:45:33.70
in the Tupperware Auditorium
in Kissimmee, Florida.
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.90
Her mother
insisted, I said, "Mom,
00:45:35.93\00:45:39.13
I'm 75 miles
away doing a concert."
00:45:39.17\00:45:41.60
She said, "You have to
come, I bought tickets."
00:45:41.64\00:45:44.94
"Okay, we'll come
after my concert."
00:45:44.97\00:45:46.84
So we got there at
half time, just in time
00:45:46.88\00:45:49.44
for the announcement Max Mace,
00:45:49.48\00:45:51.15
director and
founder of Heritage said,
00:45:51.18\00:45:52.88
"We're looking for a new tenor
after the end of this season."
00:45:52.91\00:45:56.55
And so somebody turned to me as
I was sitting in the audience,
00:45:56.58\00:45:59.39
he said, "John,
you could do that."
00:45:59.42\00:46:01.36
So I felt, my
voice is warmed up,
00:46:01.39\00:46:03.06
I auditioned and
I remember the song,
00:46:03.09\00:46:05.16
Dying with a Broken Heart.
00:46:05.19\00:46:06.76
And I never knew what
happened after that audition
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.33
but maybe about seven
or eight months later,
00:46:08.36\00:46:10.10
we got a call to
join the Heritage Singers.
00:46:10.17\00:46:12.20
Okay.
00:46:12.23\00:46:13.67
And Max Mace, I
said, "But I'm married."
00:46:13.74\00:46:15.20
He said, "I wouldn't
think of separating you two
00:46:15.24\00:46:16.71
and we both joined the
Heritage Singers together.
00:46:16.74\00:46:18.47
We were married a year.
We were married just a year.
00:46:18.51\00:46:20.68
In the first month,
we went to 19 countries.
00:46:20.71\00:46:22.64
That's right.
00:46:22.68\00:46:24.05
So you were singing too, Ange?
00:46:24.08\00:46:25.75
Everyone ask that. Okay.
00:46:25.78\00:46:27.68
She was on the road
00:46:27.72\00:46:29.05
book keeper, did
all the bank deposits,
00:46:29.08\00:46:30.42
all the record
sales and you know,
00:46:30.49\00:46:32.82
they paid her the
same thing that I got paid.
00:46:32.85\00:46:34.72
And it's beautiful.
00:46:34.76\00:46:36.09
And so we traveled
the world together,
00:46:36.12\00:46:38.49
enjoyed that.
00:46:38.53\00:46:39.86
How many marriages would survive
00:46:39.89\00:46:41.20
if your wife is with
you in your face everyday
00:46:41.23\00:46:44.23
for two years in a row?
00:46:44.27\00:46:45.87
Just a few feet apart.
00:46:45.90\00:46:47.24
Not a lot of
relationships can endure that.
00:46:47.30\00:46:49.40
Yeah.
00:46:49.44\00:46:50.87
On the bus traveling, yeah.
00:46:50.91\00:46:52.91
You have to
really like each other.
00:46:52.94\00:46:55.11
Not just love each
other but like each other.
00:46:55.14\00:46:57.11
And we worked
together twice too.
00:46:57.15\00:46:58.65
Oh, in New York we had two jobs
together at the same company.
00:46:58.68\00:47:01.45
So going fast forward quickly,
00:47:01.48\00:47:03.05
in Heritage I
met Doug Batchelor.
00:47:03.08\00:47:04.72
Oh, yeah. Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:47:04.75\00:47:06.15
We became friends,
after we left Heritage...
00:47:06.19\00:47:08.46
He was the pastor
of the group, remember?
00:47:08.49\00:47:10.29
After we left
Heritage, a year later
00:47:10.36\00:47:11.69
I got an invitation
00:47:11.73\00:47:13.06
from the Northern
California Conference
00:47:13.09\00:47:14.40
to start evangelism
with Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:47:14.46\00:47:16.87
We moved from Florida and
the details are in the book
00:47:16.90\00:47:19.47
as we, we release it.
00:47:19.50\00:47:20.87
And the Lord, our walk
00:47:20.94\00:47:22.77
from the last
all of our marriage,
00:47:22.80\00:47:28.41
should I say them how long?
00:47:28.44\00:47:29.78
Sure.
00:47:29.81\00:47:31.15
Thirty two years.
00:47:31.18\00:47:32.51
Praise the Lord. Amen.
00:47:32.55\00:47:33.92
Our marriage has
been a faith walk.
00:47:33.95\00:47:35.28
Oh, yeah.
00:47:35.32\00:47:36.65
To tell you the
stories of the times
00:47:36.69\00:47:38.02
that we could have turned around
00:47:38.05\00:47:39.55
and God only showed us
but what He wanted us to see,
00:47:39.59\00:47:42.12
to see if we trust Him to
take up the rest of the way.
00:47:42.16\00:47:44.69
So and so from
the Heritage Singers,
00:47:44.73\00:47:46.90
that's when the
music ministry began,
00:47:46.93\00:47:48.96
but the first CD that I produced
00:47:49.00\00:47:51.03
was when I was with
Doug Batchelor in 1999.
00:47:51.07\00:47:53.94
It's called Surrender.
00:47:54.00\00:47:55.40
That's a part of
the first project.
00:47:55.44\00:47:56.77
We have Surrender,
Never Alone, and The Call.
00:47:56.81\00:47:59.51
And those are three there.
00:47:59.54\00:48:00.94
They are actually,
Surrender was the first,
00:48:01.01\00:48:03.04
Never Alone is the
third in the picture.
00:48:03.08\00:48:04.98
That was the second one.
00:48:05.01\00:48:06.35
That's mostly my originals
that go with the songs,
00:48:06.38\00:48:09.18
the chapters in the book.
00:48:09.22\00:48:10.62
And The Call was one I
did when I was here at 3ABN.
00:48:10.65\00:48:14.09
And really, it talks about.
00:48:14.12\00:48:15.62
I came to the realization
that there's a call on our lives
00:48:15.66\00:48:20.33
and so that's the name
of that third CD and then,
00:48:20.36\00:48:24.60
so we've been here
now, what year we got here?
00:48:24.63\00:48:27.47
Uh, 2003. 2003.
00:48:27.54\00:48:30.01
Wow. We've been here at 3ABN.
00:48:30.04\00:48:32.54
And we've grown up.
00:48:32.57\00:48:33.91
You know, I came
here with black hair.
00:48:33.98\00:48:35.31
But let me just kind
of left with white hair.
00:48:35.34\00:48:37.91
I was still
coloring my hair back then.
00:48:37.95\00:48:39.85
It was a joke
'cause people, well,
00:48:39.88\00:48:42.08
this is a big
controversy on the internet
00:48:42.12\00:48:43.72
and all around the world.
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.12
What would people say?
00:48:45.15\00:48:46.49
A man with the
plastic hair. Plastic.
00:48:46.52\00:48:48.59
'Cause I've used black
hair dye and shiny hair spray
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.66
and they said, "I think
it's toupee, it's a hairpiece."
00:48:51.69\00:48:53.19
No this is real.
00:48:53.23\00:48:54.56
Everywhere we go, they
always want to touch his hair.
00:48:54.56\00:48:56.73
So I've decided let it go grey
00:48:56.77\00:48:58.10
so we could get
rid of that myth.
00:48:58.13\00:49:00.20
And-- but here
we are ministering.
00:49:00.27\00:49:04.61
My wife also, when we came here,
00:49:04.64\00:49:07.78
the Lord called
us to 3ABN, Danny,
00:49:07.84\00:49:09.78
and literally and I
want to say this quickly.
00:49:09.81\00:49:11.61
When we left California, went
to Iowa Missouri Conference,
00:49:11.65\00:49:15.92
after about nine months
there, when we realized that
00:49:15.95\00:49:19.25
the vision that we had
was not with the vision,
00:49:19.29\00:49:21.56
the vision that God had.
00:49:21.59\00:49:23.22
We sat down and I literally sat
on the edge of my bed and said,
00:49:23.26\00:49:26.23
"Lord, what do you want us
00:49:26.26\00:49:27.60
to do with the
rest of our lives?"
00:49:27.66\00:49:28.96
And two days
later, Danny called me.
00:49:29.00\00:49:30.97
I didn't have that kind
of relationship with him.
00:49:31.00\00:49:32.40
I didn't put
out on the internet,
00:49:32.43\00:49:34.27
I didn't call anybody, I
didn't make any phone calls
00:49:34.30\00:49:36.40
or letters, who needs help.
00:49:36.44\00:49:38.47
He called and said
"We're building a new church
00:49:38.51\00:49:40.98
and your name came on our list.
00:49:41.01\00:49:43.38
Are you interested?"
00:49:43.45\00:49:44.78
And we've been
friends. There you go.
00:49:44.81\00:49:47.75
I'm so grateful to Danny,
00:49:47.78\00:49:49.42
so grateful for allowing us
to be a part of this ministry.
00:49:49.45\00:49:52.59
I'm thankful for you all.
00:49:52.62\00:49:53.96
You've been such a blessing,
not only to the ministry,
00:49:53.99\00:49:56.29
but me personally
for so many years.
00:49:56.32\00:49:59.36
And I just appreciate so
much you guys' friendship
00:49:59.39\00:50:03.57
and as a pastoral team
because you're actually a team.
00:50:03.63\00:50:07.84
She is a minister
00:50:07.87\00:50:09.20
as he is because she
ministers to all of us
00:50:09.24\00:50:12.01
and what a great example
of loving, caring people.
00:50:12.04\00:50:15.94
They have people at
their house constantly.
00:50:15.98\00:50:17.95
I know 'cause we're
some of those who go there.
00:50:17.98\00:50:20.12
We were there.
00:50:20.18\00:50:21.72
Most of the church,
probably all the church
00:50:21.75\00:50:23.59
has been there
sometime or other.
00:50:23.65\00:50:25.25
She kind of takes
turns with all of us,
00:50:25.29\00:50:27.32
invites us over,
a wonderful cook.
00:50:27.36\00:50:29.06
Everybody gets
excited when we, you know,
00:50:29.09\00:50:30.59
we're going over
there 'cause she can cook.
00:50:30.63\00:50:33.06
She is the vegetable
scallop queen right there.
00:50:33.09\00:50:35.70
She knows how to do
that so when I go over,
00:50:35.73\00:50:38.83
she'll usually make
some of those for me.
00:50:38.87\00:50:41.27
But, John, tell us a
little bit about the book.
00:50:41.30\00:50:43.74
It's about our
life story together,
00:50:43.77\00:50:45.21
not just mine, but Angie's also
00:50:45.24\00:50:47.41
and because of
the road together.
00:50:47.44\00:50:49.64
I want to just wind
up with this statement
00:50:49.68\00:50:51.01
on the back of the book.
00:50:51.05\00:50:52.38
"When it was done, I
didn't know how to end it."
00:50:52.41\00:50:53.75
But here is what I
said, "My life is a miracle,
00:50:53.78\00:50:55.72
not because I've
learned to adjust
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.12
but because I am a
part of a divine plan.
00:50:57.15\00:50:59.55
I am moving upward and onward,
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.22
not because I've learned
to scale the utmost heights
00:51:01.26\00:51:03.43
but because I know who's I am.
00:51:03.46\00:51:05.83
I choose not to
fear life but to live it.
00:51:05.86\00:51:07.60
I look back not to
lament but to remember.
00:51:07.60\00:51:09.60
I hold on not
because I'm incapable,
00:51:09.63\00:51:11.67
but because I am wise.
00:51:11.70\00:51:13.03
I look at barriers as
movable, problems as solvable,
00:51:13.07\00:51:15.44
heartache as healable,
00:51:15.47\00:51:16.81
and disappointment as temporary.
00:51:16.87\00:51:18.67
It is not confidence in
myself that gives me hope,
00:51:18.71\00:51:20.54
it is Christ in
me that is my hope.
00:51:20.58\00:51:23.21
The experiences I've had
were not designed to break me
00:51:23.24\00:51:24.98
but to make me.
00:51:25.01\00:51:26.35
I am at peace
because I know who I am.
00:51:26.38\00:51:28.88
If, in the midst of your
circumstances you can see God,
00:51:28.92\00:51:31.29
you are on your
way to wholeness.
00:51:31.32\00:51:33.12
If in the midst of your
storms you can hear His voice,
00:51:33.15\00:51:34.76
you are on your way to peace.
00:51:34.79\00:51:37.43
To be abandoned is
out of your control
00:51:37.49\00:51:39.69
but to think that you
are alone is your choice."
00:51:39.73\00:51:43.60
That was great.
That book is so good.
00:51:43.63\00:51:45.30
I read that book years
ago and it's a page turner.
00:51:45.33\00:51:48.97
You don't want to put it down.
00:51:49.00\00:51:50.34
It's really a page
turner. So it's really good.
00:51:50.37\00:51:52.71
Maybe folks at home,
00:51:52.74\00:51:54.11
they are used to
send here at 3ABN
00:51:54.14\00:51:55.81
but do you have an address
00:51:55.84\00:51:57.41
if folks want to write
because you've got CDs,
00:51:57.48\00:51:59.51
you got the books,
00:51:59.55\00:52:00.95
you've always got
something new coming out,
00:52:00.98\00:52:03.15
maybe Bible
studies, no telling what,
00:52:03.18\00:52:04.95
maybe new books in the works?
00:52:04.99\00:52:08.02
If you have an address...
00:52:08.06\00:52:10.16
3ABN carries.
00:52:10.23\00:52:11.56
You know 3ABN
carries all of our CDs.
00:52:11.59\00:52:12.93
Sure.
00:52:12.96\00:52:14.30
So if you know the 3ABN
address and phone number.
00:52:14.30\00:52:15.63
They can just
get it through here.
00:52:15.66\00:52:17.00
Yes.
00:52:17.03\00:52:18.37
Get it through here. Okay.
00:52:18.40\00:52:19.73
PO Box 220, West
Frankfort, Illinois, 62896.
00:52:19.77\00:52:21.10
There it is on the screen.
00:52:21.14\00:52:23.04
3ABN, PO Box 220, West
Frankfort, Illinois, 62896.
00:52:23.07\00:52:29.18
And I would encourage you
to get the book and read it.
00:52:29.21\00:52:31.78
I read it sometime
ago but your music John
00:52:31.81\00:52:34.52
is such a blessing
and God has gifted you.
00:52:34.55\00:52:36.95
Praise God.
00:52:36.99\00:52:38.49
You have a incredible
voice because not everybody,
00:52:38.52\00:52:43.22
in fact, very
few people who preach
00:52:43.26\00:52:46.26
as well as you do
can keep you on the edge
00:52:46.29\00:52:48.50
of your seat preaching,
00:52:48.53\00:52:49.86
can keep you on the
edge of your seat singing
00:52:49.90\00:52:52.20
and John really is one of
the most talented preachers,
00:52:52.23\00:52:56.20
teachers, musician,
singer and to get all
00:52:56.24\00:53:01.34
that in one package
and to get him here,
00:53:01.38\00:53:03.65
somebody who loves the Lord,
somebody who stays straight,
00:53:03.68\00:53:07.12
straight as the needle
as they say to the pole,
00:53:07.15\00:53:09.42
straight there at the plumb line
00:53:09.45\00:53:11.15
and your theology has
been such a blessing to 3ABN.
00:53:11.19\00:53:14.89
So I praise the Lord that
you guys have chosen to be here
00:53:14.92\00:53:18.06
all of these years
00:53:18.09\00:53:19.43
and so literally
not just brothers
00:53:19.46\00:53:22.53
in the church but
brothers together.
00:53:22.56\00:53:25.03
And I appreciate brothers
and sisters and I feel like
00:53:25.07\00:53:28.34
we're all family here.
00:53:28.37\00:53:29.74
So thank you for what
you do for the cause of God.
00:53:29.77\00:53:32.61
We're gonna take a short break,
we're gonna go to newsbreak.
00:53:32.64\00:53:35.38
We'll be back
for closing thought.
00:53:35.41\00:53:37.21