Participants: C.A. Muray (Host), Danny Shelton (Host), Brad Peters, Cheri Peters
Series Code: TLA
Program Code: TLA011507
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01:00 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN today live.
01:02 Thank you for joining us as you do each and 01:05 everyday and especially this live program and 01:07 it's made every Thursday night to be 01:09 able to communicate back and forth 01:10 with our viewers. And tonight we give 01:12 them an, an opportunity to interact 01:14 with this, don't we? Yeah, I like to spend 01:15 the two hours again and so you can be a little 01:17 more relax, little more lazy, dig into the 01:20 subject little bit more. And we've got a whale 01:22 of a subject tonight. Why, why don't you 01:24 introduce our guest tonight? 01:28 We started out laughing before we, yeah we did, 01:30 from the time we sat down, but our guest is 01:32 Cheri Peters and the figment of her 01:36 imagination Danny because for years we 01:38 heard about this guy, who nobody, 01:40 who nobody saw, she kept saying my 01:42 husband, my husband. And I thought it was 01:44 like you know that that, that, that movie about 01:46 that guy who had that invisible rabbit, yeah. 01:48 Harvey, Harvey, yeah, Jamie Stewart. 01:50 Yeah, we figured, we figured Cheri admits 01:52 that, when she was younger she did a little 01:53 drugs you know, so we figured that this Brad 01:56 was like the rabbit, okay, because no one 01:58 has seen just I had not seen, yeah, it had not 02:00 hurt, but we kept hearing this guy, 02:02 there is this guy. Yeah, for years. 02:04 And I wondered who, who married Cheri 02:07 Peters you know, yeah. I just years ago, 02:10 I used to wonder who, who would marry Ellen 02:12 White, the founder of the church you know 02:14 who is the guy that could sort of hang, 02:16 handle her, so when a, when the biography 02:18 came out, the biography came about James, 02:20 I've read it cover-to- cover to find out who is 02:22 the guy who could stay marry to the founder of 02:24 the Adventist Church. And I found out that he 02:26 was more than a match to Ellen White. 02:28 Oh! Yeah, James White was a tough guy, okay. 02:30 So, now I'm wondering, well who is the guy you 02:33 know who, who could handle Cheri Peters. 02:36 I'm not sure he's handling it, but he's 02:38 hanging, he's hanging in here, very good, 02:43 And we, we met Brad kind of smooth 02:45 decathlon kind of guy you know, yeah, 02:47 trumpet player, yeah, kind of a easy going, 02:50 kind of guy you know, the Lord knows who to 02:51 put together, He does, just had He put some 02:53 sort of wild man with Cheri they'd killed each 02:55 other years ago, yeah. But he, guy with 02:58 patience and, and kind of you know, 02:59 and it's a good fit. So, we get to sort of 03:02 mind their stories. I got to tell you used to 03:05 do that you met, you read the book 03:07 about James White there you wrote or it's 03:09 about him. Brad's writing the book now 03:11 saying women, men who, women who are 03:14 out to lunch and the men that love them. 03:16 And so you know, I can, or something you heard. 03:22 This I got autobiography, right? 03:24 That's right, that's right. 03:25 Spirit let, spirit let absolutely. 03:28 But there was a wow! There was years 03:30 20 years that I, I did a lot of work in ministry 03:33 traveling and all that kind of stuff and Brad 03:35 really had no interest, he wasn't a Christian, 03:39 now I have left to church when we met, 03:41 so I've been here wasn't a Christian, 03:42 wasn't doing any of that kind of stuff. 03:44 I'm flying to Thailand rescuing kids in the sex 03:46 trade industry I come home and I'm like God 03:49 did this and Brad, you should see this and he 03:50 was like, do we have to talk about God now? 03:53 Yeah, yeah, see that's the question I want to 03:55 ask, how did he chain her down long enough 03:57 to even propose to him, yeah, because I mean 03:59 she's gone all the time, so we got to find out 04:01 that tonight too. We'll, we'll do that before 04:03 we get into the rest of your story, okay alright, 04:05 we do have some special music tonight, yeah. 04:07 And we have one of my favorite all time singers 04:10 I think he's an incredible individual, 04:13 love Steve Darmody and what's he 04:15 is gonna be singing for us today. 04:16 "They Don't Care." Okay, yeah. 04:59 You tell them Jesus loves them this you know 05:06 And you tell them that they need to know him too. 05:14 You talk until they've heard 05:18 every chapter and every verse, 05:23 Still they walk away, 05:26 unchanged by what you say. 05:31 They don't care how much you know 05:35 Until they know how much you care 05:40 When they look into your eyes, 05:43 can they see Jesus there? 05:47 They won't listen to your words, 05:50 Until they feel the love you share. 05:55 They don't care how much you know 05:58 Until they know how much you care 06:11 Just a cup of water in Jesus name 06:18 And satisfy a dry and thirsty soul. 06:26 To open up your heart and 06:30 to love them just as they are, 06:34 Would be all they would need to finally believe 06:41 They don't care how much you know 06:45 Until they know how much you care 06:49 When they look into your eyes, 06:52 can they see Jesus there? 06:56 They won't listen to your words, 07:01 Until they feel the love you share. 07:04 They don't care how much you know 07:08 Until they know how much you care 07:22 Reach out and touch, a man that is hungry 07:32 Reach out and touch, a child in despair 07:41 Reach out and shed, God's light in the darkness 07:51 Reach out, reach out and touch 08:00 Reach out and touch the 08:02 world we're called to reach 08:07 And our lives will be the greatest sermon 08:12 We could ever preach. 08:19 They don't care how much you know 08:24 Until they know how much you care 08:29 When they look into your 08:31 eyes and they see Him there? 08:36 They won't listen to your words, 08:40 Until they feel the love you share. 08:45 They don't care how much you know 08:52 Until they know how much you care. 09:17 Amen, well that's a two hander for sure I want 09:20 to tell you, that guy he, ET ever said it one 09:23 time, Steve doesn't sing, he spins silk she says, 09:25 he's just so smooth. What a, what a gift? 09:28 Yeah, he is. And what a great guy? Yeah. 09:29 And his family there, they are wonderful 09:31 people and, so thank you Steve. 09:33 And tonight again we have Cheri Peters and 09:35 the Brad her husband. And before we get this 09:39 story on Brad I mean this is gonna be new to 09:41 everybody here. We want to go back 09:44 a little bit and let some of the folks who are you 09:46 you know, new to 3ABN audience and 09:48 some of us as been a while we want to hear 09:50 a little bit about you, but we also C.A. tell us 09:52 about this, this DV, the CD, or DVD, what is this? 09:56 This is a DVD. It, it is the, couple of years ago 10:01 we did a series with meetings called 10:02 "Where Are All This Miracles" I think you 10:04 spoke on that, I spoke, John Lomacang spoke 10:06 of it, John Dinzey how. Where each talked 10:09 about miracles. And Cheri was sort 10:11 of an anchor person, she spoke that Sabbath 10:13 morning. Okay. And this is the, the DVD of 10:16 her presentation on that Sabbath morning. 10:18 Cheri, you talked about your dad. 10:19 Exactly, he is passing. Yeah, he is passing and, 10:22 the miracles that surrounded that whole 10:24 time in your life and in his life. Exactly. 10:26 So, this is a powerful personal 10:28 testimony by Cheri. And we thought 10:30 it was fitting that we offered this very night. 10:32 So, if you like to get a copy of this DVD, 10:34 this is something you want to add to your 10:35 collection and call us 618-627-4651, 10:38 618-627-4651 or email us freeofferat3abn.org, 10:46 that is one word freeofferat3abn.org. 10:50 And we will get this in the mail to you. 10:52 You'll find this inspirational and 10:54 something that you'll want to share. 10:56 So, contact us we'll get this in the mail to you. 10:58 Okay, now how much does it cost? 11:01 Absolutely free. It's free tonight. Yes. 11:02 So, that's free offer, I want one, free offer, 11:10 Then and how good you do on the program. 11:12 Okay, okay. If she behaves 11:13 you, if she behaves this out. 11:19 We tell and we said, Cheri behave yourself. 11:21 The best behavior. But if she, if she 11:25 was just calm and cool and collected here we'd 11:27 probably disappointing 'cause we love, 11:29 we love the Cheri because what we see 11:31 and your, your excitement is your love for Jesus. 11:34 Exactly, and that love for people 11:35 that God has given you. And so, we don't want 11:38 you to change. Yeah, and we, we 11:39 even what the song we're saying, we know, 11:40 is that you know, that you know, they don't 11:42 care how much you, yeah they don't know, 11:45 know, till they know how much you care. 11:48 And so, to me I think that like you, you ask 11:50 me about where I started then we talked 11:52 about the DVD being about my dad as I was 11:54 raise by drug addicts. And I was raised in an 11:58 environment and my mom had five kids 11:59 before she was 21 years old. Wow! 12:02 And she was using my, my, my real dad died in 12:05 a crack out strung out. Not only strung out on 12:07 drugs, but he was strung out sexually and was 12:10 a perpetrator and molested also 12:12 my whole life I mean. Oh! My. He was caught 12:14 with me the first time I was three months old 12:16 then, it was just this really 12:18 twisted stuff, your father, 12:19 yeah the really twisted stuff and. 12:21 And so, by the time I was any age at all, 12:24 the only thing I knew about the world was it 12:26 was not safe and I needed to protect 12:28 myself all the time, child protective services 12:31 used to come into our house and try to remove 12:33 us and I'm not sure why they didn't, we got our 12:35 school closed by somebody that stole the 12:37 clothes from a shopping mall and we would buy 12:39 them at 10% of the cost of the ticket and that 12:42 kind of thing and, and by the time I was 12 12:46 I was on drugs myself and had my, 12:49 pregnancy, twelve, you're just a baby, 12:50 I was homeless by thirteen and lived on the 12:53 streets of Los Angeles for the next ten years. 12:55 And I and, and, and I can't even tell you, 12:59 I don't even know when I stopped even daring to 13:02 dream that I could even have a normal life, 13:05 daring to dream that I that anything good 13:07 would happened, I mean every time 13:08 I would need somebody would be twisted, 13:11 it would be, I got kidnapped by a 13:13 motorcycle gang and watched them kill a 13:15 13-year-old girl during initiations, 13:17 I got beat to the point you couldn't recognize 13:20 me, I lost a couple teeth, I mean all that 13:22 kind of stuff, so the things that I saw in the 13:24 world were very twisted, 13:27 And just let me ask you, if you put a pin in for a 13:29 second, were you introduced to drugs at 13:31 home or on the streets? You know, it's really 13:33 interesting as I wasn't introduced to drugs 13:35 in the same way that people think, 13:37 that that I was I, I did my first suicide attempt 13:40 when I was eight, I tried to jump off a building. 13:42 And, and, and from that point on I had tried to 13:44 kill myself a number of times. 13:46 And somebody had said that people do drugs 13:49 'cause they don't want to deal with their issues. 13:51 And I at 12 years old said then I have to find some. 13:55 Do you know what I mean? 13:56 Okay. So, somebody didn't come up to me, 13:57 I went out and found some, you know, 13:58 the first time I took a drug, I was so 14:03 damaged as a kid you know, my mom tried to 14:06 self abort six times, she didn't want anymore 14:09 children, she was 14 when she had me, 14:11 she already had a child then I mean you know, 14:13 it's just this crazy environment 14:15 to be born into. And so, when I took 14:17 my first drug and all of that sadness was gone. 14:21 I just thought I have to have this 14:23 the rest of my life. I knew that I would do 14:26 anything to get drugs from that point on. 14:29 And I was tiny, I wasn't you know I don't know, 14:32 well if you looked at me, I didn't look older 14:33 than I was, but the people that gave drugs 14:36 to a twelve-year-old were pretty twisted 14:39 themselves. So, I mean not only did 14:42 I in my mind say that the only way I'm gonna 14:45 truly survive is if I keep these drugs in my body, 14:48 is that the people that then supplied me were 14:50 really twisted. I ended up pregnant, 14:54 I had taken so much that the, the baby 14:58 couldn't grow, I mean I was eight and a half 15:00 months pregnant at a 104 pounds, and when 15:02 they were born, they were nine ounces, 15:04 I mean they were just tiny and so, 15:07 then I went into depression 'cause they 15:09 had died and then I ended up on the 15:10 streets and I mean it was just as I can't 15:13 you know when somebody says, 15:14 how did you survive that? I don't know you know, 15:17 but when you know, ten years into that, 15:19 I was trying to kill myself and I was so done. 15:22 I just had somebody put a gun on my face and 15:24 they were talking about blowing my head off 15:25 and, and when they put the gun on my 15:28 face I thought thank you so much, 15:31 I was so done. You know, I just wanted to 15:33 just say, thank you so much because 15:35 I've tried to kill myself my whole life. 15:37 And I'm not good addict, I'm looking me 15:39 I'm breathing you know, and 35 attempts 15:41 and I'm still breathing I cut my wrist, it looks 15:43 like a scratch, I mean and so this guy puts a 15:46 gun on my face and I, and I relax and he says 15:48 are you nuts? So are you my psychiatrist, 15:51 pull the trigger, and I'm thinking are you just 15:54 trying to scare me I, I'm scared to breath next, 15:57 you know I don't want to breath next, 15:59 pull the trigger what are you a little girl 16:00 and I'm like wanted to scream at him and he's 16:03 not gonna shoot me and I'm so angry and he 16:06 walks out like you're crazy. 16:08 Yes. And I'm like, oh! Man, and I have to 16:10 breathe again, I don't want to breathe again, 16:12 yeah. And I remember just sitting their stunned 16:14 and within the next day or so I decide I'm gonna 16:16 kill myself. You know, some things happen and 16:19 then I'm gonna kill myself and I believe not 16:22 that God showed up 'cause I think God is 16:24 always there, I think that we just are so 16:26 blinded by our pain that we don't we feel or see 16:28 him, but I just got broke through all that kind of 16:32 stuff and he just said, I love you and I wept, 16:36 I'm a 100 pounds I'm strung out on heroin, 16:38 I have teeth missing, I barely can read, 16:41 I've been on the streets 23, I've been on the 16:43 street for ten years. I've been in all kinds of 16:45 environments and I know this is God and 16:48 I know he's saying he loves me. 16:50 And, and, and just like. That you've been 16:51 thought about God along the way? No. No? 16:54 You know no. You weren't reading the 16:55 Bible, going to prayer meetings. Yeah, yeah. 16:58 And we've been working in, in club. 17:00 You know, okay, you know so, so on the 17:03 sudden when he, when he says that, 17:06 he loves me I, I just you know look at me 17:09 you know, the only thing I can respond to 17:10 that for some reason I knew it was God, 17:12 for some reason then I felt that peace and 17:14 that love and that safety and I wanted to just 17:16 weep and weep and weep, but I thought 17:18 look at me I'm such a mess. 17:20 And, and what I believe God said at that point is 17:23 let me you, show you who I see when I'm 17:25 look at you. And, and, and just picture this. 17:28 Because I think that it's an amazing thing is that 17:33 we think that and God looks at actually sees us 17:36 in this condition, but what's gonna happened 17:39 at the second coming? Oh! Yeah. 17:41 We transformed, yeah, at the twinkle of an eye. 17:44 And we actually get to be who we are 17:46 that we're carry to be. Who God knows we are? 17:49 Right. So, when God looks at us, what does 17:51 he see, does he see us now, or does he see us 17:52 now, or does he see us in that point? 17:54 And so, you shows, she shows me in a sense, 17:57 I mean I don't see anything, but you see 17:58 everything I don't know how God does that, 18:00 but he shows me who I am when he sees me? 18:03 Yes. And I'm this incredible creation of 18:06 His, beautiful and innocent and not marred 18:09 by send it all. And I just start to crying, 18:12 I've never been that. I've been molested 18:14 since I was born, I've been, 18:15 I've live in a drug house. 18:16 You know, we don't even open blinds were 18:18 in the day because people are high you 18:19 know, I mean you come into our house and it's 18:21 just filthy stick to the bathroom floor, 18:23 I mean you know, I mean it's just this drug 18:26 house and then God says, who I sees is just 18:28 beautiful child of God created in my image. 18:32 And I just wept and I thought I would do 18:33 anything to be that and he said then just trust 18:37 me, just trust me. And I remember it took 18:40 everything, I had you know, I don't know how 18:42 many 42 warrants from my arrest at the time, 18:44 I was strung out on heroin and I you know 18:46 I, you know I'm just, I, I'm just at the end of 18:49 everything and God says, trust me and stand up. 18:51 And for some reason and it's only the love of 18:54 God is I said okay and everything changed, 18:58 everything. How does it change, I mean that's, 18:59 that's a great story, well you know, 19:00 but somebody listening tonight needs to know 19:03 there is hope. They want to dare 19:05 to dream like you. Which really interesting 19:07 to me about a change when you, anybody, 19:10 anybody you know when, when I finally 19:13 just said, okay. And that's our God 19:15 waits for us, I ask to say okay, just surrender 19:18 I mean people use terms that are hard to 19:20 understand, but it's just a matter of saying okay. 19:23 I get it and I trust you and you start to just 19:25 move in any sense, like somebody says, 19:28 did God give you a list of what to stop, 19:30 stop heroin and stop drinking, stop sleeping 19:32 around, stop whatever he didn't get me any of that, 19:34 I lied and manipulated and I had survived these 19:37 streets for ten years, I was good at being 19:40 on the streets, I learned all that. 19:42 And he didn't give me a list of what's to stop, 19:43 all he said is I love you. Wow! I love you. 19:47 And I wanted to stop everything. 19:49 You know what I mean? My reaction was is 19:51 I want to stop everything, I wanna be, 19:55 I just wanna be healthy, I wanna be that, 19:59 girl in the image he just showed me. 20:01 And so, I called everybody I knew you 20:04 know and everybody I know are prostitutes 20:06 and drug dealers and people that are a mess, 20:08 but I called everybody I knew. 20:09 And somebody had a sister that was Christian 20:11 and she said I could come over her house. 20:14 Okay, how crazy is that? Yeah, yeah, how crazy 20:16 is that? So, so, so I'm like you know, 20:19 okay so it takes me a little while to get to 20:21 the house, I get to the house now I'm trying 20:23 from drugs and I'm like, I'm doing well, 20:25 I'm thinking you know what this is not okay 20:27 with me, what am I thinking about? 20:30 You know I didn't bring anything with me, 20:31 do you have any heroin with you, I know you 20:33 look like a health nut, but anything Danny 20:35 come on, yeah. What do you say to that? 20:39 And, and, and so she just says you know, 20:41 come on in and she puts on some Christian 20:43 music and I want to break the stereo, 20:44 I'm thinking that's the most irritating stuff I've 20:46 ever seen and you know I'm listening to the 20:48 Rolling Stones or Chicago or something 20:50 you know 'cause I'm just not used to any of 20:52 that and she is telling me, that that 20:54 will calm you down. And I'm thinking it is 20:56 not calming me down, do you have any coffee 20:58 and she is like, no, do you have tea, 21:00 doctor pepper, do you have chocolate, 21:02 do you have sugar, do you have anything? 21:04 And she says, I'm a vegan vegetarian. 21:07 Absolutely. I'm afraid to ask what does that mean? 21:10 What is that? And I wanted to die, 21:13 I want to just say you know and then, and so 21:15 I say you know what's that mean? 21:16 And she is like you know, well I don't eat 21:19 anything that has a mother and I'm like, 21:21 I don't want to eat your mother, I want to have 21:23 some coffee you know, yes. And, and, and so 21:25 she says, I have some lentils and I have some 21:27 water and I remember my first reaction I have 21:30 some water is I can't stomach that stuff? 21:32 Oh! Wow. You know, give me a bottle of 21:33 tequila and I could drink it down, yeah, 21:35 right? But give me some water and, 21:37 addicts are serious, we don't like that stuff. 21:40 And she says you know, how long did it take you 21:42 to used to tequila and I said, a while. 21:43 And she said water is like that. 21:47 And she was so gentle and, you know, 21:49 she just gentle and, and let me do recovery 21:53 at her house and, and she massaged my feet 21:56 and would you know tell me you know you 21:58 need to take a, you know, we're gonna go 22:00 outside and take a hike and I would say, 22:01 you could take a hike, yeah, I'm drunk you know, 22:04 And I, you know I don't know in my mind, 22:06 I don't know how loving I was to her, 22:08 but she was amazing to me and, and what she 22:11 said at the end of a week is, is you know 22:15 she was you know, going to the bathroom 22:17 every 20 minute, which I thought was 22:19 really strange, but I was smoking like 22:22 three packs of cigarettes a day, so I was smoke 22:23 and she would go to the bathroom and we tell 22:25 stories and she would ask me about my life 22:27 and then she go to bathroom and I'd smoke 22:29 and, finally at end of the week 22:31 I fell in love with her. And, and it was an 22:34 incident where she said you know, Cheri what's 22:36 the worst thing that you did and I've been 22:38 molested by an uncle when I was like eleven, 22:41 and I've been molested by a lot of 22:43 people, that wasn't an issue for me at that 22:45 time, 'cause that's my life was like that, 22:48 but with his uncle he didn't realize 'cause 22:50 I was sleeping in a room with them, 22:51 all my cousins and he didn't realize that all my 22:54 cousins were awake and we just were pretending 22:56 we're sleep 'cause we were supposed to be asleep. 22:58 And he came and molested me and left, 22:59 well nobody was asleep. And so, I couldn't 23:01 disassociate in my head and I couldn't, 23:03 I had to be present and I heard them breath and 23:06 I thought now they know that I'm bad and 23:08 I can't fake being anything but what I'm 23:11 and, and so I was telling her that you know that 23:13 was probably the most shameful thing in my 23:14 life and she started crying. 23:16 And I said, you know what do you crying for? 23:18 And she said, you didn't do it. 23:21 And nobody had ever said that to me. 23:23 And I thought you know what? 23:24 If you would have told me, you know, 23:25 if you would have given me a choice in my life, 23:27 I could be married to addicts that didn't love 23:30 me, and didn't know how to take care of 23:31 children that were so focus, they would 23:33 molest you and all that kind of like, I could 23:35 have a home that was wonderful, 23:37 I would have chose the wonderful home? 23:38 You know what I mean? But nobody ever gave 23:40 me that choice, and when she said that it 23:42 just hit me, as I didn't do it. 23:43 Wow! And I would have given anything to 23:45 be loved, to have, wow! Piano lessons and to 23:49 have a father that says I adore you and cherish 23:51 me and I twill around the room and be safe 23:53 and all that kind of stuff. And, and from that 23:56 point on I fell in love with her, I said to her, 23:59 I said you know, I'm worried about your 24:01 kidneys, I know you're health and she is a 24:03 thousand years old, but she is healthy you know. 24:05 And so, I said I know that you have not, 24:07 but you go to the bathroom all the time 24:09 you know that's just not good. 24:11 And she said, she was from a very judgmental 24:13 family and she said that you know, I don't know 24:18 why you're here or why I said, yes. 24:20 Because you know, we just are judgmental you 24:23 know, and every single time that I felt that 24:25 rinsing up in me, I went to the bathroom and fell 24:27 on the floor and just begged God. 24:30 Do not let me hurt her, don't let me judge her, 24:33 don't let me do that. Wow! And all the 24:35 sudden I, I thought in my entire life nobody 24:38 has ever fought for me. Now, you know, 24:40 not that I know of, and I thought you know, 24:42 why would you fight for me? 24:43 And, and she said because Jesus fights for you. 24:46 Wow! And I just was changed. Powerful, 24:48 yeah, I was change. Now, are you an east 24:50 cost, Middle America, west cost girl, 24:52 where did you grow up? California. California. 24:53 I was born in Downtown, home was in Compton, 24:57 South Gate, Lynwood, well I don't know if 24:58 anybody knows those areas, but those are 25:00 wonderful areas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 25:02 And, and rough stuff and I could, I could 25:04 hold my own C.A. You know, I don't know, 25:07 even know. Now, I could hold my own, 25:10 if somebody I, you got to the point where you 25:12 know I would be waiting someone's face 25:15 and they would hit me on the face, so I would 25:16 go to down and comeback up and hit 25:17 him again, I mean it was like, it was just 25:19 ridiculous what you would learn? 25:21 And now what God said, now we want you 25:23 to step into a life that is safe, but I don't know 25:27 anything about safe, I don't know anything 25:28 about trust, I don't know anything about 25:31 safe men, safe women, I came into the church 25:33 and I don't want to say anything, 25:37 I don't want to say anything that's 25:38 shocking, but there is a lot of not safe people 25:40 even in the building. And I walk into that 25:42 environment and still had to be cautious about 25:45 stuff and God says, I want you to instead of 25:48 looking for who's not safe, I want you to find 25:50 the one that our safe, okay. 25:51 Because they're out there, and they're 25:53 incredible and they will love you and all that 25:55 kind of stuff. And, and I don't want to you know, 25:59 say anything about 3ABN that's, 26:03 that people don't know, but the first time that 26:06 I met you guys, I don't know if I've ever felt 26:08 loved by someone. I just felt like 26:10 immediately I was part of a family and 26:13 immediately people especially you Danny, 26:16 but people were saying you know, how can we 26:18 help you stand up? Because you know, 26:20 it feels like that you know have, you have a 26:21 call in your life, and we'd like to help you 26:23 and, and, and, but you know, it was like, 26:25 it was such an amazing thing that God as you 26:28 stand up and just say, you start that surrender 26:30 everything happens. Donna helped me into 26:33 recovery, right? Her husband was a dentist, 26:36 gave me teeth; I smiled for the first time, 26:39 without having to cover my mouth. 26:41 And he and he was so good. 26:42 It was like you know; he saw the tooth gone 26:45 and he said, you know, would you like me to 26:47 fix that? And I don't have any insurance 26:49 you know, I, you know, I don't have any of that 26:51 kind of stuff and I thought you know, 26:53 God how fond of you? You know, and then she 26:55 said, you got to learned to read and I, and I, 26:58 but she didn't you were 23 years old and you 27:00 didn't know how to read. No, barely. 27:02 You know, probably second, third grade level. 27:04 You know not that I couldn't read anything, 27:06 but I mean if you ask me, but she really 27:07 couldn't just sit down and read or enjoy them. 27:10 And that was, I was socially 27:11 underdeveloped, you weren't reading books, 27:12 it was ridiculous. Oh! No, I was shooting 27:14 heroin, you know, you know all things, 27:16 you tried reading and it messes with your hi Danny. 27:18 But, you know what it's just like none of 27:24 that matter, do you know? And so, now she says, 27:26 you know, Donna is like you need to learn to 27:28 reading, go back to school and, and you 27:30 know, people helped me with that and I took 27:32 my GED and went back to college and, 27:35 I mean and I wanted to reap everyday. 27:37 I ended up on the dean's list, I went into nursing, 27:40 and I got into addictions counseling. 27:42 And you know, and I wanted to reap because what? 27:45 A lot of people don't understand about God is 27:48 it's really cool when some becomes up and 27:50 says, here's a great treatment program, 27:53 but God's not limited to that, He doesn't need a 27:55 treatment program, He can take you 27:56 through even if nobody sees you God said, 27:59 I see you, I know, He did you? He did me. 28:02 Do you ever heard the first time 28:04 you met Cheri, Danny? I do, I remember about 28:07 the first time and, and I knew there was a 28:09 calling on her life as soon as I talked to her 28:11 and, and we did say, what can we do to work 28:13 with you, I felt your story needed to be 28:16 heard by the world. And, and you had a 28:19 special anointing on you. But what was interesting 28:22 is what? You know, I didn't, you know, 28:24 the only thing I knew, is God was saying stand up. 28:28 And, and help the next person. 28:30 The next person that's down there, the next 28:31 Cheri, the next person that's so, 28:33 that's really lost. And I didn't know how 28:35 to do that, and when, when I saw that you 28:39 believed that, I believed it more. 28:42 Do you know what I mean? Yeah. And, and then 28:43 when that happened to me here at 3ABN no 28:45 matter where I went, is that people responded 28:47 to me like you know, okay. You know, what you're 28:50 gonna do and how you're gonna stand up 28:51 and I mean it was just an amazing thing. 28:54 Praise God, amazing thing. 28:56 And so, so what, what I found out with God is 28:58 over the years is that He did everything, 29:02 like I really needed to know how 29:04 to receive love, right? But I'm not safe 29:06 enough, I don't know how to do that, 29:08 and I've got so many trust issues. 29:10 So, he gives me a job, my first job in the State 29:12 Hospital working with Down Syndrome kids, right? 29:15 Okay. And they'd love you to death. Oh! Yeah. 29:17 You know, I did, I thought I was gonna go 29:18 and then help them, but they loved me to death. 29:20 I would come to work and they, I love to work 29:23 with snout all over me had stuff, this because 29:25 they were hold me and, yeah, slob on me and, 29:28 yeah, and you know, just like you know she 29:30 is here again. Yeah, oh! Yeah. And every time 29:33 I would just wanna cry 'cause nobody ever was 29:35 glad to see me. In our household people 29:38 were high, they were not, they were so self 29:39 focused, that they didn't know how to do any of 29:41 that and these kids were amazing. 29:43 So, God just did these little things that, 29:47 the healing happened over and over and over 29:50 and I got volunteer of the year awards 29:54 in the town I was in. So, I started working 29:56 with gang members in recovery. 29:57 I was the grand marshal in the 4th of July parade. 30:00 You know, in the head car. I mean it was just like, 30:03 it was, it was so incredible that the only 30:07 thing I could say, is what I felt like during 30:10 that that first part is I had a father who was so 30:14 proud of me, alright. And he was gifting me 30:17 everyday with just that, I'm so proud of you and 30:19 I want to show you this, or teach you this. 30:22 And that was so tangible to me that it 30:24 helped me through all of that time. 30:26 And I didn't have one treatments and I never 30:28 to a program and I never get a, I didn't do 30:31 any of that kind of stuff, I had church folks that 30:34 came along side of me I. How long did it take 30:36 you to start shedding off some of this stuff 30:38 and the desire for drugs and any alcohol and 30:42 tobacco, did it take a lot of years? 30:44 No, no and those drugs and alcohol were kind 30:47 of the easy things. You know, heroin I mean, 30:49 heroin you know, you, you're gonna kick and 30:51 you're gonna kick probably within a week 30:53 or two, the drug part of it, but the behavorial 30:56 stuff and I mean you know, I, I can lie before 30:59 even think of it. You know, what I mean? 31:02 Yeah. It's like I'm manipulating and 31:03 playing people before I even think about it, 31:05 what's really fun is when God says, 31:07 why don't you play with me then? 31:09 You know what? Yes. You know, and it's in 31:11 the healthier scent, yeah, but it's like be in 31:14 the all the sudden I'm clean and, and people 31:16 are saying you know, all you have to do is be 31:17 clean, not true. You know I, my character 31:21 stuff is so twisted, yeah. And God said I want 31:24 you to look at you know, you're angry and, 31:27 and you're bitter and, and you lie and 31:29 manipulate and you don't know how to trust 31:31 or love or don't let anyone love you and 31:33 you know those things are gonna take forever. 31:36 And like it took me ten years to even realize 31:38 that I've never in my life let anyone in, 31:43 a good ten years. Wow! And when God starts 31:45 to open those things up to me it was really 31:47 interesting 'cause I just wept, I said you know, 31:50 you want me to heal something then I don't 31:52 know, well how to do it. And he said, good 31:54 because I do. And that was God just says is 31:56 that you know, when the Bible says, 31:58 don't lean on your own understand, don't think 32:00 you're gonna figure this out that I know how to 32:03 lead you and the Holy Spirit is so amazing, 32:06 if we just slow down long enough, which was 32:08 hard for me, slow down long enough to hear him. 32:10 Yeah, yeah, yeah. You, you, you came in and, 32:14 and you had this dramatic recovery as 32:16 I'm tracking your story though at some point 32:18 you sort of lost your first love. 32:21 It, it, it came off the tracks, right. 32:23 Walk us through that time because that 32:24 actually the time that that you met Brad. 32:26 But I met Brad when I left the church. 32:28 Well, I came and, and I you know, I'm thrilled, 32:32 but you know, I'm socially underdeveloped 32:34 and I'm, I'm still cussing every once in a 32:36 while, I'm bringing pork roast to potluck, 32:40 you know what I know, I just don't know 32:41 anything. And, and, and you can find some, 32:44 some people that mean well, but they're so you 32:48 know, they'll come right up to you and say, 32:50 you know look at you. You know, the first 32:52 time I went to a small conservative church 32:54 I wore every piece of jewelery I owned 'cause 32:57 I wanted to impress people that I had 32:59 something you know, yeah, and, and I go into 33:02 a small church that nobody had jewelery, 33:04 I was gonna loan it to folks because I thought 33:06 you know, what? Maybe they don't have 33:08 any money and maybe they need this from me. 33:11 You know it's like I think that what 33:12 happened is I came in behaviorally didn't 33:15 know what I was doing, didn't know not to cuss, 33:19 didn't know not to, you know not that I was, 33:22 you know I toned it down tons, you know 33:24 what I mean, but I just didn't and, and at one 33:27 point I, I asked someone you know, 33:30 what would happen and I was still smoking like 33:32 crazy, not smoking like crazy and I was trying 33:35 to hide it and I would come in and I, 33:38 you know, I smoked about three packs of 33:39 cigarettes a day, so I mean, 33:40 I smelled like a cigarette. 33:42 And I would come in and sit next to 33:43 somebody that's allergic to the entire planet 33:45 you know, and soon as I sit down their throat 33:47 closing up and they're trying to call ER, 33:49 but they can't speaking anymore and, 33:51 and so I realize that they didn't like cigarettes, 33:53 so I sprayed perfume all over me and I did all 33:55 that kind of stuff and now they are 33:56 really in bad shape. Yeah. And so, I ask 33:58 somebody what would happened if a member 34:00 of the church wanted to join like a five day plan 34:03 and they said, well we would fellowship them 34:06 because they shouldn't be smoking, 34:07 and the church doesn't believe that, 34:09 but this person said that, yeah. 34:10 And after I just strangled them, no. 34:13 You know, I wanted to grab them by the throat 34:15 and said, do you think that's my only issue, 34:17 look at me. Do you think that's it? 34:19 And, and I was so angry and so hurt that I left 34:22 and to this day I tell people don't leave, 34:26 no matter what anyone says, 'cause this is your 34:28 dad's house, yeah. And you really are safer 34:30 here than anywhere else, but I left, 34:33 now we left for the same degree, but. 34:36 And, and that that happens over and over 34:37 in our churches. And there is in the 34:40 past I've been guilty of it too, I'm sure, 34:42 I was raised, the way I was raised and people 34:44 were judgmental, because they come in 34:45 and they're smoking and they're still 34:46 drinking or you find out, they joined a 34:48 church and then, oh! You heard they went 34:50 back to one instead of going 34:52 there and loving them. You know, and it's not, 34:54 I mean it happened so many times and if we 34:56 can get over that, but I have seen a change in 34:58 the last 15-20 years for the good. Amen. 35:02 Within our church and attitudes of people 35:04 saying, you know what? We all have problems, 35:06 And we all are sinners saved by grace and let's 35:09 just love each other. And I'm so thankful, 35:11 I'm seeing you know. And we all want to be 35:14 free of that stuff. Yeah, yeah. Your, your story 35:18 is incredible and that's why we wanted to go 35:20 over again some of it, because I think there 35:22 are people watching tonight who is right 35:25 where you, you were. And some are through 35:27 different stages maybe they're watching this 35:29 because now they've start to going to church, 35:32 but somebody's not loving them. 35:33 You know, they're, they're still maybe 35:35 they're judging them and. I say call me up. 35:38 Call Cheri. I'll love you till you can stand on 35:40 your own. And, and she will too. 35:43 And she will do that, I know that she didn't 35:45 just talk about it, she does it 35:47 and she loves people. We say around here she 35:49 loves her ears off you know, loves your socks 35:51 off, but thank you for what you do for the 35:54 cause of God. Amen. Now, you, you all 35:56 of this begin to happen you came to 3ABN and 35:58 you started doing programs, 36:00 people started inviting you to churches, 36:02 you started a ministry, what's the 36:03 name of your ministry? True Step Ministries. 36:05 Okay and why the name and what does it do? 36:07 Well, I think that there was a lot of talk about 36:10 Twelve Step Ministries, so it hadn't gone to one, 36:13 so we were trying to play off that, 36:15 Twelve Step, True Step, so True Step Ministries 36:17 and it started out where it was just basically 36:22 getting someone from that first initial step 36:25 word, all the sudden they look up and, 36:28 and realized there is a God and, and He wants 36:31 to help me. You know, and so was that initial 36:33 thing and it was drugs and alcohol and it 36:35 became drugs alcohol and eating disorders. 36:38 And then it became drugs and alcohol and 36:40 depression then it became drugs, alcohol 36:42 and judgmental stuff, and it becomes drugs, 36:45 alcohol and religious addictions, and then 36:47 finally I just said lets just do everybody. 36:50 So, lets open the door. So I wanted to tell you 36:55 that in the mean time, I'm working in the 36:58 nursing field, where this is before the ministry. 37:00 Working in the nursing field, working addiction 37:02 to counseling and, and doing all kinds of stuff, 37:05 trying to get my life together and, 37:08 my friend says, Cheri, you really should do 37:12 something fun. And I'm thinking my whole life 37:15 is changed. You know, so I'm thinking and this 37:17 is fun and she said, no, no like fun, like you 37:20 should go to a, you know, I'm doing fund 37:22 raising at the symphony and I, I'll get some 37:26 tickets we'll go to a concert. 37:27 And I thought, oh! Shut up, heroin addicts can't 37:29 go to classical concerts, so you know what I'm like? 37:32 You know I'm thinking, I think that's illegal or 37:35 something they're not gonna let me come and 37:37 she's like, no stop, it would be fine and. 37:41 And so, she got tickets and, and she said you 37:43 know, and for some reason I had not done 37:47 anything at that point. And this is how 37:50 ridiculous it was. I had not long before 37:53 then gotten my first time a set of 37:55 silverware that matched. And when I was putting 37:58 them in the drawer I wanted to weep, 38:00 just the fact that you know, these are not just 38:02 mismatch pieces and they all kind of they 38:04 were, they got, I got them at Kmart or 38:06 something, I mean they weren't, but they 38:08 matched and. And so this is kind of 38:10 you know, you know, I'm getting silverware 38:12 that matches and I'm excited about, 38:13 so she is talking about classical concerts and it 38:15 was just too big and, she said you know, 38:17 it would be fun and, I, it just felt magical to 38:20 me and she said, but you got to be on time 38:22 you know, we're gonna do this concert and you 38:23 got to be on time and, and I said, you know, 38:25 okay so, so I get dressed up and I'm 38:28 telling you I just beautiful, it was just 38:30 unbelievable and, and, and, and she's late. 38:33 And so, I'm on time, but she's late, and I'm 38:35 thinking, how ridiculous you're late and, and so 38:38 she was, you know, she finally shows up and, 38:41 she knows she's late and she is gonna like speed 38:42 to the concert hall and she is pretty much 38:45 running lights and we get there and instead 38:46 of going through the box office she says, 38:48 you know, what I think it will be okay, 38:49 if we just go through back stage entrance, 38:52 then we would go in and just sit down. 38:53 And I'm thinking I haven't been arrested 38:55 in a long time. You know, I don't want to be 38:58 arrested now you know. And so, so, so I said, 39:02 you think it's okay and she says, I think and 39:03 I said, you know, let's just go through to the 39:05 front, no, no let's go through the back. 39:07 And so we come to the back and Brad, 39:10 this Brad and a guy named Steve catches 39:12 s and they really don't want you to come 39:14 through the back. You know, and so you 39:16 know, they've got, then when they go on stage 39:18 they have their, I don't know what exactly 39:20 happened, but you and me they would have 39:22 thrown us out. Both of us, out in the street, 39:24 would have thrown us out, yeah, I got a feeling 39:26 that they went ahead. I agree. 39:28 They did let us through, okay, you know, 39:33 with her she's just like you know, we're 39:35 late and we're, we're gonna go sit down and, 39:38 and it's funny 'cause Brad kind of gave me 39:42 this look that made me feel like oh! Baby I'm, 39:46 I'm a addict in recovery I will eat you alive, 39:49 don't even look at me and I wanna put a sign 39:52 up like I don't do relationships well, 39:54 I'm messed up, I'm just trying to do recovery. 39:58 And so, but you know, you can't just say 39:59 that out loud, alright. So, anyhow so he, 40:02 they help us to sit down and, and at one point 40:06 Steve says, well they're having a party, 40:08 the orchestra is going to the high regency 40:10 afterwards, they're gonna sit in with the 40:11 band and, and, and its Steve's birthday. 40:15 So, Brad was with the orchestra? 40:16 Yeah, okay, alright, he wasn't the security guy, 40:19 he was an orchestra guy. 40:20 I cannot, I cannot wait to, I just, I can't hold it 40:23 anymore, yeah. First time you 40:24 saw her, what oh! Baby what? 40:30 We want to hear it right. Well, it was really 40:33 funny because we, we found out later on she 40:35 had just broken up with somebody and I just 40:37 been dumped by somebody, so you know, it wasn't 40:39 one of those things where it was like, okay 40:40 here's my friend and the girl was dating my 40:42 friend you know and all of a sudden here's this 40:44 other girl in tow. And it's like hey, you know. 40:48 Did you think I was cute though? 40:50 Oh! Oh! Baby. Good man. Oh! Baby. 40:56 So, so, it changed you well. 40:57 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, we end up after the, 41:01 the concert and it was a magical and we go to 41:04 the Hyatt and Brad is at one point on the stage 41:08 playing trumpet with the, sitting in with the, 41:09 sitting in with the band. And he gives me the 41:13 eye and I thought oh! He is giving me the eye 41:15 this poor guy and I, poor guy. 41:17 And he says, at one point he says, 41:20 who are you? You know, and it was kind 41:22 of a romantic like, who are you anyway? 41:25 And I thought I better just tell him. 41:27 I'm a heroin addict for recovery, 41:28 I've been homeless for ten years, 41:29 I'm just trying to get my life together, 41:31 my family are drug addicts, my sister's a 41:32 stripper, my other sister makes meth at my 41:35 mom's house and you know what I mean, 41:37 I just went through this whole thing and 41:38 he starts laughing. So, I said to him, 41:41 who are you? And he said, well my 41:42 dad is the ambassador for the United States, 41:45 my mom is a classical musician plays violin, 41:48 I've been in orchestras in my whole life I was 41:50 the boy scout, eagle scout and I started 41:53 laughing, match made in heaven. 41:56 So, we both just laughed about how 41:58 ridiculous the differences were and, alright. 42:02 And then kind of one thing led to another we, 42:04 we, I think we realized that at one part that we 42:06 probably wouldn't really date, 42:09 but we enjoyed each others companies, 42:11 so he was a golfer and taught me how to play 42:13 golf and you know, what I did, 42:15 you guys play golf at all? Yeah, yeah we try. 42:17 So, listen, when we came, this what happened. 42:20 He comes to takes me out and he says, 42:22 he shows me a couple swings and we swing 42:24 and he puts a ball down and he said, 42:25 I want you not to hit it have to up in the air and 42:28 have it land by that hole, and I thought oh 42:30 Okay. So, I hit it went up in the air and then 42:32 landed by that home and he is just like I love her. 42:38 So, what was the first thing I ever bought you 42:40 then remember that? Golf shoes and golf 42:43 shoes are like an engagement ring for a 42:44 golfer, so I knew, well he was serious at that 42:49 point. But you know, and, and then I had to 42:51 take him home to meet my family who you know, 42:53 they're doing drugs, so you weren't kidding. 42:55 Yes, yes, yeah. And then I had to make a 42:57 decision 'cause at one point when I took him 42:59 home I said, if we do get anymore serious 43:02 than you're right now. Then this is gonna be 43:04 your children's grandparents. 43:06 And so, it really is seriously for you to 43:07 think about that, but at that point, I'm in 43:10 recovery you know, I'm working in the 43:12 hospitals in town, I've been in recovery 43:14 for a long time. And I think that the 43:16 first thing he said to me is, are you sure you 43:18 weren't adopted? But we ended up, yeah, 43:23 falling in love and he asked me to marry him. 43:25 Brad, let me ask you because you know 43:27 you're discovering these areas of her life 43:30 you know, like sort of peeling of an onion, 43:32 you're getting in deeper, and deeper, and deeper, 43:34 what's going through your head, are you ever 43:35 saying, you know, I need to get out of 43:37 here and take the first thing smoking away 43:38 from this lady, or where you so invested. 43:41 How was your mind functioning at this, 43:44 at this time? You know, it was really 43:45 interesting because I had been married 43:48 previously and you know, kind of found out 43:50 that I'm getting involved with this 43:52 woman and, and I didn't want to get married 43:54 again, a number of different things to come 43:57 up and you know, being that typical guys like 43:59 well I've got this little checklist okay, 44:00 is she cute, okay that's good. 44:03 You know and, and what was really crazy 44:07 and, and this was hard to believe, but 44:09 because of her background Cheri was I'm gonna 44:12 just gonna say, socially undeveloped. 44:15 I couldn't speak to other people. 44:17 You know, my mom, my mom and dad were 44:18 visiting and aunt and uncle were down you 44:20 know, we all got together and we're 44:21 sitting in the hotel room and, and my mom and 44:23 dad were all sitting like this and Cheri was 44:25 sitting over in the corner on the bed silent, 44:29 silent. Can you imagine this woman silent? 44:32 I'm like, but she is silent and so at one point and 44:35 this is I think one of the funniest things and 44:37 you know, I've, I just want you to know I've 44:39 changed since then right okay. 44:41 You, you confess this. I looked at her at one 44:42 point and I said, I'm really worried that 44:44 you're not smart enough to be with me because 44:47 she wouldn't, nothing would come out her 44:49 mouth and these place and she couldn't, 44:50 she just socially was not used to be in, in these 44:53 environments, she said, she said you wanted to 44:55 punch me out, but she didn't think, 44:58 of course she didn't think, 44:59 I still got my teeth. You know, and so, 45:02 you know, there were some dynamics that 45:04 way, yeah, but forever reason it was just like 45:06 you know what I think we're 45:08 supposed to be together. And so, so you felt that 45:11 even at that, at that time? 45:12 Yeah, and, and you know looking back on it 45:15 there's so many things in our lives where God 45:16 you know, it was a, and then God brought Brad 45:18 and Cheri together and then God moved them, 45:20 you know, I mean there are stories about all 45:22 these places in our lives that is so clearly God's 45:24 hand on it that it's, it's just, it's really. 45:28 But at the time you're not a Christian? No. 45:31 Tell us how, what kind of and your home, 45:35 where, where did God take place, where was 45:37 God in your home? It was real interesting, 45:39 I was raised in the Methodist Church and 45:42 well I had parents that went to church again 45:44 I'm looking back as you'll talk about this 45:46 little bit more as we go along. 45:48 We went to church on Sunday and that was it, 45:50 you know, and we said grace over meals, 45:52 but they really wasn't any spiritual leadership 45:55 in our house by either of my parents. 45:58 And so, while we, I really had a wonderful 46:01 upbringing great middle class and my dad was a 46:04 research engineer for the Federal Government 46:06 and wind up doing an ambassadorship to 46:08 Bangladesh, to help them rebuild after the 46:10 civil war. My mom played in the first violin 46:14 section of the Madison symphony orchestra for 46:15 50 years and retired at 83. 46:18 So I mean I had that kind of environment 46:20 that I was raised in, so much different than hers. 46:23 But, really I, I got confirm to 9th grade 46:25 and I was said, I was done, I had stop going 46:27 to church, hadn't going to church and I don't know. 46:29 So, when your life there was, when you got up 46:32 in the day you didn't say, well Lord well you 46:35 know, anything what to do with the Lord 46:36 you just, you just got up, and just get 46:39 a life on your own. Ate some cheerios 46:41 and went about my business, okay. 46:43 So you never really put any thought to spiritual 46:45 you didn't look certain things and say wow! 46:47 That's God doing this, the boy that happens it 46:50 must be a miracle, he never thought that way. 46:52 No, no, okay. It's real under seen looking 46:55 back, there was one time where I remember 46:58 I had a dream when I was living in Santiago 47:00 before I met Cheri you know in bolted wake in 47:03 the middle of the night with this image and 47:05 it was absolutely my mind image of Satan in 47:06 my mind you know, it was just like this and 47:09 you know, to add I mean scared I woke up 47:11 scared and you know, but I wasn't going to 47:13 church I couldn't associate with any 47:15 significance one way or another. 47:18 And so at the time when I meet her I mean they 47:20 really was nothing spiritual going on, okay, 47:22 so ever. But Cheri you had given your life to 47:25 God, but you're now you're kind of what? 47:27 Have you just quit? I just first I went out 47:30 and I tried different churches and different 47:32 things you know like. But did you back on the 47:33 drugs and all that too when you left? No, 47:35 started to drink a little bit, but not really, 47:37 quit going to church, stop going to church 47:39 and, and not you know, Brad I don't even know, 47:42 if I mentioned I really talked a lot about what 47:45 had happened. And what I felt is 47:48 that you know, I, I you know, if I just felt like 47:52 I couldn't be accepted in the church environment, 47:54 that I'm not good enough, I don't know how to 47:56 do it all that kind of stuff, 47:57 so I'm just walking away. In my mind I don't 47:59 think I walked away from God, 48:00 but I definitely walked away from the church, 48:03 but with Brad when we met there was nothing, 48:06 there was nothing, they like we could 48:08 never discuss spiritual things. 48:10 She didn't come up so. So, it was real interesting 48:13 and it, and it's kind of an interesting story God 48:15 moved us to Idaho, we were living in the 48:16 Sacramento area and you know, I really think 48:20 it's an interesting story, a friend of mine called 48:22 me up on very short notice to go sub for him 48:27 at this little music festival in Elkhorn, 48:29 which is the Sun valley area. 48:31 And so, on a week's notice I'm up there 48:32 playing this music festival. 48:34 And half way through the first tone turns to 48:37 me and, and says, hey we've an opening in the 48:39 Boise Philharmonic in Boise, Idaho. 48:41 Well, I was remember the Sacramento 48:42 Symphony, which was a larger job, but when 48:45 she didn't know was I was Union Steward on 48:47 the Negotiating Committee, the orchestra was 48:49 $750,000 in debt, and just like the NFL a 48:52 striker will walk out was sitting there. 48:54 Okay, and it's gonna you know, something is 48:56 gonna happen and, and it's not gonna be fun. 49:00 So, I thought I'll go take the audition, maybe 49:02 take a years of leave absence and that 49:04 shouldn't be too much competition you know 49:06 I've auditioned for the Chicago Symphony and 49:08 500 guys you're, you're going against 500 49:10 players even on a good day you may not win. 49:13 Only six guys showed up this audition, 49:15 this was in 1992, September of '92 I won 49:18 the job for the Boise Philharmonic. 49:20 In December of 1992, the Sacramento 49:23 Symphony filed chapter seven and close their door. 49:25 Wow! Wow! The 13 years. And so, God had you 49:28 know, I mean looking back you know, 49:30 God had moved Brad and Cheri, so we get to 49:34 Idaho and suddently I'm going back to church. 49:37 So, but you know, I'm, I'm going back to 49:38 church, but listen God is so cool because that's 49:40 what people say, if they don't have a recovery 49:43 program or whatever will God take care of you. 49:45 I found this little tiny church in Idaho. 49:48 And it's right by a little organization called 49:51 Pacific Press. And, an Adventist Church, yeah, 49:55 so, so I, I went back and the people that 49:59 befriended me was Randy Maxwell and his 50:01 mom Cheryl Maxwell. Oh! Okay, they're great. 50:04 And you know, yeah, and you know, 50:06 everybody formed that ministry and though 50:08 those, the people from that ministry were just 50:11 you know, come on in and I finally said out 50:14 loud to someone that I'm not gonna hide 50:16 where I've come from, I all I know is I love God 50:19 and I need Him and I can't leave the building again. 50:22 And so, I started to be honest with where 50:24 I came from, they loved the fact that God was 50:28 God and he had brought me out of all that and 50:30 so, I didn't have to hide anymore. 50:33 And Stan Hudson was the pastor there and he 50:35 was so amazing 'cause he, he, he was the kind 50:41 of pastor and I think all pastors should be like 50:42 this, is his gig was to stand you up in 50:44 ministry, what are your gifts, and how are you 50:46 gonna stand up? There you go. 50:47 And that was he, that's what he did with his 50:49 congregation and so, I, I think God literally 50:52 moved us to a place where it was a really 50:55 safe place for me to come in and sit back down. 50:58 When and then I go home and tell Brad you 51:00 know, like I think I'm gonna get in ministry 51:02 and he is just like what? What happened to the 51:05 girl I married, where did she go. 51:07 You know, and he is like you and, and for 51:10 him because he is not into this at all and he 51:12 says, well does it pay and I, I'm mad now. 51:15 You know, all of for ten years while I'm 51:17 homeless, every guy that worked any of us 51:20 girls is how much are you gonna bring in and 51:22 does it pay, yeah. So, what I heard is you 51:25 can't turn ministry into the same thing that 51:27 I grew with on the streets. 51:29 And so, I was it was a really big conflict, 51:31 where he didn't know that's what he was 51:32 doing, but that's what buttons 51:34 he was pushing and. Sure, so it was really 51:36 tough initially on you and I. 51:38 Right in my mind because she, 51:39 she had stepped away from her career in the 51:41 medical area you know, in, in helping in the 51:43 psych industry and look at musicians don't make 51:45 a lot of money you know, and so you 51:48 know, it was funny and, and looking at that was 51:51 my concern was, can we pay the bills and, 51:53 wasn't till later on as we're doing some of our 51:55 healing that I saw her perspective of you're 51:58 making we feel like I'm dancing in the club and 52:00 I'm working for God. Okay, wow, and that 52:03 perspective never even, I wasn't even aware of 52:05 it at that point. At one point when he, 52:07 when he was aware of that, I just saw him tear 52:11 up and say, I'm so sorry. I never there was never 52:14 my intention to ever make you feel that way. 52:16 One of the things that I have say that even 52:18 though the direction turned and I ended up 52:21 back in the church and you know, 52:22 we had conflicts over that for 14 years, 52:26 that I never had, Brad never said anything 52:28 about my past to me, he never came up and 52:30 said, you know, I should have figured you 52:32 were gonna do this wherever we came 52:34 from, it was always, I always felt very loved 52:38 by you, I never thought judged as far as my 52:40 background, which was I think a miracle. 52:43 So, it was, for me it was real interesting and that 52:46 certainly she gives her testimony at church. 52:49 And by the time she gets out, she has two 52:50 offers to publish her life story, so a miracle from 52:52 the streets gets written, suddenly that you 52:55 know, she's been asked to speak next thing you 52:57 know and being such a low key person, 53:00 she is next thing you know, there is a five, 53:01 501C3 in existence and she is often running and 53:05 doing this stuff. You know, and I mean 53:07 I have things going on. We're going to Thailand 53:08 and Russia. Yeah, yeah you know, I've got stuff 53:10 going on, but I'm playing in a symphony, 53:12 orchestra and, running a jazz fest. 53:14 And, and God was blessing us and you 53:16 know, I was maybe giving him a little 53:18 credit, but not as much as he should you know, 53:20 I wind up getting a really cool job earning 53:22 this Jazz festival I mean we brought in Dave 53:24 Brubeck and Ramsey Lewis and Kevin 53:26 Eubanks and you know, these are, 53:28 big names in industry. Major players and we're 53:30 educating kids in doing all this stuff you know, 53:34 God keeps hit me upside the head you 53:36 know, and I finally even, even at one point 53:39 I decided to join the Adventist Church, 53:41 so I got baptized, which was huge. 53:43 Which was huge, but still I mean I really kind 53:45 of led this in, at home, no devotions, not that 53:48 stuff you know, it's like okay I'm good now. 53:50 So, you kind of sympathy in and surrender. 53:53 Yeah, let me ask you a quick question because. 53:56 When did it occur to you that because at one 53:59 point, I don't think it's smart enough for me? 54:01 When did it hit you that you're involved? 54:07 When did it occur to you that she 54:09 is smarter than you? That's what 54:11 he's trying to say. Yeah, that's what 54:14 he's trying to say. That she was a a really, 54:15 really bright person. Yeah, yeah I know, 54:18 well you remember that I said without actually 54:21 pretty early and I didn't make me too long to 54:22 on realize man, she reads a book and 54:24 she's like it's memorized, yeah, yeah. You know, 54:27 you're brilliant you know, I have more education 54:29 and she is brilliant. And so, I, I did, I didn't 54:32 take too long actually, yeah, and it was, it was 54:34 really funny. He asked me even about 54:36 Adventism, he is like you know, Cheri 54:38 you know, and he knew I studied everything 54:41 and, and but I would have just books in 54:43 concordance and things laid out because I want 54:45 to know that what you know was real, right? 54:48 And, and so and I'm blessed when somebody 54:50 says the Ten Commandments and you know, 54:52 I'm coming out of all these junk, God said, 54:54 you know, you have changed and you're in 54:56 bondage and all that if you understand these 54:58 commandment you'll be free. 55:00 You know, so I knew that I was gonna be 55:01 free, so I studied all that, 55:03 and so he is like why? Adventism, yeah, you're 55:05 so wild, you should be like a Pentecostal, 55:09 and that's like anybody you know, you know, 55:14 I hope it get us in trouble, yeah. 55:17 But you know. And I told her to behave, 55:18 I didn't talking to you. He is like why Adventism 55:22 and then I've got a, the only thing I could tell 55:24 him is I give you looked in the Bible you would 55:26 realize that these truths are true. 55:28 And you know, we talked about the health 55:30 message like I'm, I'm strung out, I've hepatitis 55:33 A, B, and C, I've got all this kind of stuff and, 55:35 and the health message is giving me my life 55:38 back, he is giving me brain cells really to 55:39 think back I'm, I'm getting brain cells that 55:42 I don't think I had I'm getting all 55:43 that I kind to stuff. And so you know, 55:45 what I'm, what I'm sharing with him over 55:47 the years as even all this. 55:49 And, and, and he starts to explore a little bit. 55:52 Right, but what, what because I realize she 55:55 was as smart as she was. If she said, look at this 55:58 is what I believe and this is why I believe it 56:01 you know, at that time and so I, I actually had 56:03 to pay attention. Yes, almost like, it was like 56:05 yeah, I respected the fact I knew she was 56:08 smart and that it wasn't something she would 56:10 just do arbitrarily, right. You know, it's, I'm not 56:13 just listening to someone else. 56:15 No, no, no, no and, and actually as, as time 56:17 developed and you know, God was starting 56:19 to soften my heart at least a little bit you 56:21 know, I was like realized that she, 56:23 and she says, hey God's telling me something 56:24 that I actually I had to pay attention. 56:26 Example, example, you know what 56:28 scared him so much ? No, is except for, I said 56:31 God, Brad, God said to me I believe that one 56:35 day you're gonna step into leadership of this 56:38 ministry and Brad just looked at me and say, 56:40 hon, I love you, but I'm not gonna do it and 56:42 I said, I'm just telling you what God says. 56:45 Wow! Well, we're gonna do, I can't 56:46 believe this an hour like this it's just about gone, 56:50 but we do have the Free Offer tonight, C.A. 56:52 said you don't have to pay for this, 56:53 it's free, right? It's free. And this is 56:56 where all his miracles by Cheri Peters it's a 56:59 DVD, so you can call us 618-627-4651 or you 57:05 can email us, I think it's Free Offer, isn't it? 57:08 Freeofferat3abn.org, 3ABN okay. 57:10 And so, we want you to be sure and get that, 57:13 so you want to call in. Also the second hour 57:15 hopefully we'll have a chance for some 57:17 questions, so we just kind of do the first 57:19 come, first serve, so if you want to go ahead 57:21 and you have some particular questions that 57:24 you have for Cheri and for Brad and you want 57:26 to start asking those, we'll kind of line them 57:28 up and if we get to that point, we've got some 57:31 more story to go through, yeah. 57:32 But I think we'll have time for some of your 57:34 questions and we also will have time 57:36 to pray with you. So, right now we're 57:38 gonna have to take a short break 57:39 and we'll be back in just a moment. |
Revised 2014-12-17