Can God repair a super-broken life and restore it 00:00:01.06\00:00:03.66 to a place of purpose? Stay tuned... to meet a man 00:00:03.69\00:00:06.90 whose life was broken and the dedicated woman 00:00:06.94\00:00:09.59 that God placed in his life. My name is Yvonne Lewis 00:00:09.63\00:00:12.82 and you're watching Urban Report... 00:00:12.86\00:00:14.83 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:00:36.14\00:00:38.43 Today our guests are Cliff and Freddie Harris 00:00:38.47\00:00:41.18 Co-Directors of the Drug Alternative Program 00:00:41.22\00:00:43.72 and hosts of Dare to Dream's program 00:00:43.75\00:00:46.30 "Drugs Close to Home" welcome to Urban Report 00:00:46.33\00:00:49.84 Cliff and Freddie... Yeah... Thank you... thank you... 00:00:49.87\00:00:51.92 I am so glad you guys are here. Yes, it's been quite a few years 00:00:51.95\00:00:55.84 since we've been here... Now when did you come to 3abn 00:00:55.88\00:00:58.33 first?... We first came to 3abn in the 00:00:58.37\00:01:00.44 early 90s... Wow!... 00:01:00.48\00:01:02.16 Yes, we came and Danny put us right on the program saying... 00:01:02.19\00:01:05.67 "We want you to do a TV program and we were on TV for about 00:01:05.71\00:01:09.16 eight years... That's tremendous... 00:01:09.19\00:01:11.20 That's tremendous... and now... you're doing 00:01:11.24\00:01:13.56 Drugs Close to Home... tell us a little bit 00:01:13.60\00:01:15.89 about that program. You know, Drugs Close to Home is 00:01:15.93\00:01:19.80 right in our backyard... Literally... 00:01:19.84\00:01:22.41 Literally in our backyard, right honey? 00:01:22.45\00:01:24.95 Yes... we do the programs right in our backyard... 00:01:24.99\00:01:28.76 Right... we just wanted to start this program again 00:01:28.80\00:01:32.33 because we had so many guys in our program with such great 00:01:32.36\00:01:35.34 testimonies... you know, and people crossing our paths... 00:01:35.37\00:01:38.31 and we just decided... Hey we're going to start a 00:01:38.35\00:01:40.45 Drugs Close to Home again... so this is our... what? 00:01:40.49\00:01:42.56 third year? Yeah.. third year... Third year... 00:01:42.59\00:01:44.79 That's tremendous and I know our viewers are blessed by 00:01:44.82\00:01:47.28 watching it... for those who don't know about 00:01:47.32\00:01:50.11 the program that you co-direct, tell us a little bit about that, 00:01:50.15\00:01:54.35 what is it? Well, it's an in-patient drug 00:01:54.38\00:01:57.46 program for men who have drug problems... because... 00:01:57.49\00:02:01.38 see... I'm an ex-drug addict... and I always wanted to help 00:02:01.42\00:02:05.95 somebody not go through what I went through in life, 00:02:05.98\00:02:08.58 you know, on drugs and in penitentiary... and 00:02:08.62\00:02:12.24 in and out of jails all my life lost the family home... 00:02:12.28\00:02:15.39 all those things behind drugs, so... my thing was... 00:02:15.43\00:02:20.51 I told Freddie... after we were married... 00:02:20.54\00:02:23.29 that I wanted to help 00:02:23.32\00:02:25.79 somebody not go through what I went through... 00:02:25.83\00:02:27.84 and so... then we moved from Denver to California... 00:02:27.88\00:02:32.89 and started the program and that was it... 00:02:32.92\00:02:36.43 And speaking of marriage... We have a love story.. you know, 00:02:36.46\00:02:39.85 I met Cliff on Sabbath at Church... 00:02:39.89\00:02:42.72 he proposed to me... Sunday... and 3 months later... 00:02:42.75\00:02:45.31 we were married... Wait a minute... wait a minute 00:02:45.34\00:02:47.86 wait... wait... wait... wait... 00:02:47.89\00:02:48.92 So you guys met on a Sabbath, he proposed on Sunday, 00:02:48.95\00:02:57.04 and three months later we were married... 00:02:57.08\00:02:59.61 my son introduced us in the lobby of the 00:02:59.65\00:03:02.14 Denver Park Hill Church... Right... 00:03:02.18\00:03:03.85 OK... let's go through this story... because this is 00:03:03.89\00:03:06.41 too good... this is too juicy... 00:03:06.45\00:03:07.64 I had been friends with his son for like two years... 00:03:07.68\00:03:10.83 I was like his second mother Okay... 00:03:10.86\00:03:12.72 and I had also spent a year with the Lord... 00:03:12.75\00:03:15.07 I decided that I wasn't going to date or do anything... 00:03:15.10\00:03:17.61 I wanted to spend a year with the Lord and really get to 00:03:17.64\00:03:20.12 know Him... I wasn't thinking about 00:03:20.15\00:03:21.75 a husband, I just wanted to get to know 00:03:21.79\00:03:23.31 Jesus and at the same time, Cliff was in prison... 00:03:23.35\00:03:27.05 and he was getting to know the Lord through the 00:03:27.09\00:03:30.75 book... "Desire of Ages" and reading... 00:03:30.79\00:03:32.68 and so when he got out of prison and came to Church... 00:03:32.72\00:03:35.90 I walked in the Church and there stood Cliff and Jeffrey 00:03:35.94\00:03:39.06 and I just normally hug Jeffrey and kiss him... 00:03:39.10\00:03:42.01 "Hi Son, how're you doing?" and I looked and I saw Cliff... 00:03:42.05\00:03:44.39 and you tell the rest of the story... 00:03:44.43\00:03:46.42 Well, I was like... you know... when I got out of 00:03:46.46\00:03:49.01 penitentiary... my whole thing was... 00:03:49.05\00:03:51.61 you know... because... previously in my life... 00:03:51.65\00:03:55.22 you know... I was a pimp, I had a woman on the streets, 00:03:55.25\00:03:58.32 I did all that... you know... dealt drugs and 00:03:58.36\00:04:01.34 was in and out of jail... So my thing was... 00:04:01.38\00:04:04.29 when I was in prison... I was like.. I've got to go back 00:04:04.33\00:04:09.37 to Church... You had spiritual roots? 00:04:09.40\00:04:13.11 Oh yeah... Because I want you to talk about 00:04:13.15\00:04:14.63 the whole experience, but you had spiritual roots? 00:04:14.66\00:04:17.43 Yes, yes... So you decided... while there 00:04:17.46\00:04:19.38 you were going to go back to Church... 00:04:19.42\00:04:21.26 Yeah... let me go back to Church let me go to Church... 00:04:21.30\00:04:24.42 And to make a long story short, when he saw me... 00:04:24.46\00:04:27.64 the Holy Spirit impressed him "She's the one... " 00:04:27.68\00:04:30.56 and we met and had a date that Saturday night... 00:04:30.59\00:04:33.40 and he brought me one red rose, and the Holy Spirit impressed 00:04:33.43\00:04:37.76 me... not knowing that it impressed him... 00:04:37.80\00:04:40.71 that he is the one... So we both knew... 00:04:40.75\00:04:42.62 we were for each other... My!... 00:04:42.66\00:04:44.46 And you know... the Church went wild... 00:04:44.50\00:04:46.86 Oh Freddie... this was my feeling 00:04:46.89\00:04:50.39 of when I saw her... you know... I looked in her face... 00:04:50.43\00:04:55.78 and all I saw was her face... 00:04:55.82\00:04:57.68 because, I was the kind of man.. you know... if I see a woman... 00:04:57.71\00:05:01.21 it's like "Hi... how are you?" you know, 00:05:01.24\00:05:03.55 and I am looking you up and down and all of that, 00:05:03.59\00:05:05.83 and my whole thing was... I didn't look at her in a 00:05:05.86\00:05:10.00 sexual manner... I just saw the face... 00:05:10.04\00:05:12.79 and in that face... I saw all this peace and joy 00:05:12.83\00:05:16.61 and happiness... and I said... something within me... 00:05:16.65\00:05:21.01 because when I got out of prison I wasn't going to get 00:05:21.04\00:05:24.37 involved with any female... in any kind of way... 00:05:24.41\00:05:27.70 Let me go to Church, sit down on the pew, 00:05:27.74\00:05:30.72 just go to Church... and sit down... 00:05:30.76\00:05:33.56 Look at this, look at this... because both of you decided 00:05:33.59\00:05:37.38 to seek God first... Right... 00:05:37.41\00:05:41.08 So seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness 00:05:41.11\00:05:44.18 and all these things shall be added unto you... 00:05:44.21\00:05:46.43 So you weren't even thinking about it... 00:05:46.47\00:05:48.36 neither of you was thinking about, 00:05:48.40\00:05:49.79 "Let me go and find... the one" and yet when you saw each other 00:05:49.82\00:05:54.99 when you saw her... the Holy Spirit said, 00:05:55.02\00:05:57.77 "She's the one," and when he brought you that rose 00:05:57.81\00:05:59.93 the Holy Spirit said, "He's the one. " 00:05:59.96\00:06:02.31 Right... right... So, Sabbath... you meet... 00:06:02.35\00:06:06.63 Sunday... OK, wait... let's go to 00:06:06.66\00:06:09.74 Saturday night... OK, OK, so how did you 00:06:09.78\00:06:11.90 ask her out... when you saw her... 00:06:11.94\00:06:13.71 you thought she was the one... how did you... 00:06:13.75\00:06:15.45 where did you go from there? Well, see... the first time 00:06:15.49\00:06:19.24 that I saw her at Church, I had been going for about 00:06:19.27\00:06:22.99 maybe three months... but I never saw her... 00:06:23.02\00:06:25.89 so when I saw her... one time at Church... 00:06:25.93\00:06:29.28 I asked my son about her... and he said, 00:06:29.32\00:06:32.60 I don't know her... daddy, I don't know the phone number 00:06:32.64\00:06:35.09 I asked my sister... "Oh, you don't want to... 00:06:35.12\00:06:37.61 Were they trying to block... So I'm like, 00:06:37.65\00:06:39.77 OK, when I see her at Church I'll handle it myself... 00:06:39.81\00:06:43.51 but when she went to Church... she didn't come 00:06:43.55\00:06:46.62 that next Sabbath and I was more like... 00:06:46.66\00:06:52.61 "Hey... she's not here... " but she came that evening... 00:06:52.64\00:06:56.86 at that time, they called it AY, Right... 00:06:56.89\00:07:01.14 And when I saw her... she was standing there 00:07:01.18\00:07:05.39 talking to another guy... and she had her back to me, 00:07:05.43\00:07:08.95 and I was leaning up against the wall, 00:07:08.99\00:07:10.42 and I said to myself, said it kind of under my breath, 00:07:10.46\00:07:14.55 Yeah, you know... I know... I'm watching you 00:07:14.59\00:07:16.82 I'm going to keep on watching you. 00:07:16.85\00:07:18.42 And Yvonne, I really felt him watching me... 00:07:18.46\00:07:20.51 I got... I felt these eyes at the back 00:07:20.55\00:07:22.38 I mean, I turned around, I went up to him, 00:07:22.42\00:07:23.92 and I said, "Hi" and I said, "Hi" 00:07:23.95\00:07:25.00 and I said to her... I said... you know, "I'm looking for 00:07:26.08\00:07:28.82 a Christian friend... how would you like to be that friend?" 00:07:28.86\00:07:31.56 and I said, "I think I would like that" 00:07:31.59\00:07:32.99 I said, "But in order for us to be friends... " 00:07:33.02\00:07:35.11 I said, "We got to get to know each other" 00:07:35.15\00:07:38.08 I said, "What is your phone number?" 00:07:38.11\00:07:39.74 "Where do you live?" And we made a date 00:07:39.77\00:07:41.28 to see each other that Saturday night. 00:07:41.32\00:07:42.76 And so, I made a date, to see her that Saturday night, 00:07:42.79\00:07:45.98 I called her on the phone, because she gave me 00:07:46.02\00:07:48.81 her number in the Lobby, and I called her that night, 00:07:48.85\00:07:52.09 and I told her that I had something for her, 00:07:52.13\00:07:54.45 and she says, "You don't even me... 00:07:54.49\00:07:56.06 how do you have something for me?" 00:07:56.10\00:07:57.60 I said, "Oh yeah, I know you" And when he came that 00:07:57.64\00:07:59.98 Saturday night, he brought me one red rose... 00:08:00.01\00:08:02.62 And it was so beautiful... and the fragrance... like... 00:08:02.65\00:08:05.40 overwhelmed me... and at that time, 00:08:05.44\00:08:07.30 the Holy Spirit impressed me, "He is the one" 00:08:07.33\00:08:09.52 And we talked that night and he said, 00:08:09.56\00:08:12.63 "Well, I want you to come to my house... you know... Sunday 00:08:12.66\00:08:15.52 and I came to his house... and he sat down in 00:08:15.56\00:08:18.31 one end of couch, and I sat down in the other end 00:08:18.35\00:08:20.30 of the couch... and he told me... 00:08:20.34\00:08:21.63 Wait a minute Freddie, now wait a minute... 00:08:21.66\00:08:22.88 I got to tell you this though... See... she was the Bible Worker 00:08:22.92\00:08:27.56 at the Church... she worked for the Conference 00:08:27.60\00:08:30.37 All right... And here I was... 00:08:30.40\00:08:32.23 they all knew who I was... you know, Cliff Harris, 00:08:32.26\00:08:35.70 this drug addict, penitentiary boy, you know, 00:08:35.73\00:08:39.50 he ain't worth a dime... and so, here he is, 00:08:39.53\00:08:42.95 talking to our sweet Sister Freddie... 00:08:42.98\00:08:46.37 Oh... they felt like they needed to protect her from you.. 00:08:46.40\00:08:49.68 That's it... OK, and they did try to do that, 00:08:49.71\00:08:54.13 But I had to let her know about me before she 00:08:54.17\00:08:58.55 would hear it from them... So, when I asked her to 00:08:58.59\00:09:02.73 come to my place, the next day, she sat on the couch, 00:09:02.76\00:09:06.15 and I told her that I'd been a drug addict all my life, 00:09:06.19\00:09:09.54 I'd stole, I'd lied, I'd cheated I'd done all these things, 00:09:09.58\00:09:13.06 And she looked at me and she said, "Is that all?" 00:09:13.10\00:09:15.98 And I said, "Is that all?" because the Holy Spirit 00:09:16.01\00:09:18.07 had already impressed... "He's the one... " 00:09:18.11\00:09:19.96 because being an Adventist all my life 00:09:20.00\00:09:21.81 never smoked or drank... I would have run out the door 00:09:21.85\00:09:24.29 but I knew... this was the guy that God had chosen for me 00:09:24.33\00:09:27.11 and God brought us together... not just for marriage, 00:09:27.15\00:09:29.88 but as you see now... the birth of Drug Alternative Program 00:09:29.92\00:09:33.03 Absolutely... God has, you know, we talk about this 00:09:33.06\00:09:36.04 on Urban Report all the time, 00:09:36.07\00:09:38.25 the Divine Plan... that God has for each of us... 00:09:38.29\00:09:42.26 Now, you would not have known, when you went to Church that day 00:09:42.29\00:09:45.79 that you were going to meet the love of your life... 00:09:45.83\00:09:49.53 That's just... But God knew... 00:09:49.56\00:09:51.77 He had the plan... and not only that... 00:09:51.80\00:09:54.19 When God does things... He doesn't just do things in one 00:09:54.22\00:09:57.68 He doesn't just accomplish one thing with one move, 00:09:57.71\00:10:00.73 He accomplishes several things with one move, 00:10:00.77\00:10:03.64 Right... right... So, He brought you together 00:10:03.68\00:10:05.94 He gave you... your partner for heaven... 00:10:05.97\00:10:08.41 because Ellen White lets us know too that... 00:10:08.44\00:10:11.70 that the person that we're with, our spouse, 00:10:11.74\00:10:14.93 can either help us go to Heaven or lead us away from Heaven, 00:10:14.97\00:10:19.03 Amen... And so, you were placed, 00:10:19.07\00:10:22.07 in his life as that rock... He was placed in your life 00:10:22.10\00:10:27.37 as that house band... and you guys... I mean... 00:10:27.41\00:10:30.45 And how many years has it been? Twenty eight years... 00:10:30.48\00:10:33.98 Wow... yes, yes... and nobody said it would last... 00:10:34.02\00:10:37.48 twenty eight years! Now, would you advise 00:10:37.52\00:10:42.67 other young people who.. let's say... 00:10:42.93\00:10:45.73 somebody just met this guy... a guy just met this girl... 00:10:45.77\00:10:49.35 would you advise them to do the same thing that you did? 00:10:49.39\00:10:52.94 No! because our was definitely providential... you know 00:10:52.97\00:10:56.44 because we had prepared ourselves... 00:10:56.47\00:10:58.04 not like... we just met each other... 00:10:58.07\00:10:59.60 but he had prepared himself for a year... 00:10:59.63\00:11:01.48 I had prepared myself for a year... 00:11:01.51\00:11:02.86 And I'd received this poem... because I'd joined the 00:11:02.90\00:11:05.40 Adventist Singles Club... and I'd received this poem 00:11:05.43\00:11:07.89 called, "Most Wonderful Love" and it said... 00:11:07.93\00:11:10.12 Freddie... I want you to stop looking around 00:11:10.15\00:11:12.35 for that perfect person, and I want you to 00:11:12.39\00:11:14.49 fall in love with me... Jesus Christ... 00:11:14.53\00:11:16.56 and that's when I decided... you know, I'm going to spend 00:11:16.60\00:11:18.74 one year with the Lord... I'm not going to look for anyone 00:11:18.78\00:11:20.89 I am just going to get to know Jesus... 00:11:20.92\00:11:22.50 then after that... then... that's when He brought 00:11:22.53\00:11:25.02 Cliff into my life... So we have an exception 00:11:25.06\00:11:26.83 to the rule... OK... All right... 00:11:26.86\00:11:28.74 You know what she said to me one time? 00:11:28.78\00:11:30.19 She said to me, "You're Number Two... 00:11:30.23\00:11:34.21 in our marriage" What do you mean... 00:11:34.24\00:11:38.15 I'm Number Two, I'm your husband you're husband... 00:11:38.19\00:11:42.58 I'm supposed to be Number One but one thing she said to me... 00:11:42.62\00:11:46.94 "Oh no, you might wake up one morning and tell me, 00:11:46.98\00:11:52.05 'I don't love you anymore... ' but if Jesus is Number One 00:11:52.09\00:11:57.06 in my life.. "... this is her... "He's not going to die on me, 00:11:57.09\00:12:01.67 He's not going to divorce me... He's not going to leave me... 00:12:01.70\00:12:06.24 He's going to always be there for you... " 00:12:06.27\00:12:09.20 and so... that made sense to me, and I'm like, 00:12:09.23\00:12:12.36 "Yeah OK, I can understand that" and so... 00:12:12.40\00:12:15.46 You'll take Number Two... Yeah... I'll take Number Two... 00:12:15.49\00:12:17.62 Yeah... and even in that process I got to learn... 00:12:17.66\00:12:24.75 and she told me... "I'm going to teach you 00:12:24.78\00:12:26.41 how to fall in love with Jesus" I'm like, "What do you mean? 00:12:26.44\00:12:30.91 I love Jesus... " "No, I'm going to teach you 00:12:30.94\00:12:32.87 how to fall in love with Him.. " OK, whip it on me... 00:12:32.90\00:12:35.80 because that's what I wanted... OK, so what are the steps? 00:12:35.84\00:12:37.63 I want to hear, what are the steps... 00:12:37.66\00:12:39.52 let's tell our viewers... what are the steps 00:12:39.55\00:12:42.15 to falling in with Jesus? Those steps, Yvonne, 00:12:42.19\00:12:44.76 is spending more time with Jesus you know, every day, 00:12:44.79\00:12:48.19 Cliff and I spend time... worship individually 00:12:48.23\00:12:51.29 and together... because we know that... 00:12:51.33\00:12:53.24 Hey, prayer is the answer, studying the Word of God, 00:12:53.27\00:12:56.62 because, you know, we work in this ministry, 00:12:56.65\00:12:58.33 24/7 and if we are not spending time with the Lord, 00:12:58.36\00:13:01.61 if we're not going to Church, if we're not going to 00:13:01.64\00:13:03.83 Prayer Meetings, we're not having that fellowship 00:13:03.86\00:13:06.30 with Him... what do we have 00:13:06.33\00:13:07.46 to give these guys? And you know, I read... 00:13:07.50\00:13:09.91 What is his name? ... Chambers 00:13:09.95\00:13:17.99 Oswald Chambers says "Activity is the unrecognized 00:13:18.03\00:13:23.71 symptom of spiritual weakness. " Activity? 00:13:23.75\00:13:27.67 ...is the unrecognized symptom... 00:13:27.70\00:13:29.80 we don't even recognize the symptom of spiritual weakness, 00:13:29.84\00:13:33.06 When I read that... it just like... hit me... 00:13:33.10\00:13:35.48 I said, "Lord, we have got to spend more time with you. " 00:13:35.51\00:13:39.41 That's the key... to having that relationship 00:13:39.45\00:13:42.04 with Him... You know Freddie, 00:13:42.08\00:13:43.28 that's so true because when you're in ministry... 00:13:43.31\00:13:46.57 your focus... all day... is ministry... 00:13:46.61\00:13:49.95 and if you don't have that private time... 00:13:49.99\00:13:53.60 with the Lord... it just will become a job... 00:13:53.63\00:13:57.17 because it's not going to be, you know, that purposeful, 00:13:57.20\00:14:02.62 passionate, ministry... it's going to be, 00:14:02.66\00:14:06.15 "Well, you know, I'm going to do this, this, this... 00:14:06.18\00:14:08.83 but without the underlying passion... for Jesus... 00:14:08.86\00:14:11.47 That's right... What are you smiling about? 00:14:11.51\00:14:12.74 I asked you the other day... you remember I asked you this? 00:14:12.77\00:14:17.50 What?... I asked you, I said, 00:14:17.53\00:14:19.53 Are you tired? You were at a booth, 00:14:19.57\00:14:21.30 you were at the booth, and I know what it's like 00:14:21.34\00:14:24.54 working at a booth... you're there on your feet... 00:14:24.58\00:14:27.70 all day... talking to people, and I asked you, 00:14:27.73\00:14:30.78 I said, "It's hard, isn't it, working at the booth?" 00:14:30.82\00:14:33.72 and you said, "No, it's not... I'm enjoying it. " 00:14:33.76\00:14:36.63 and that's what I saw in you, 00:14:36.67\00:14:39.63 I'll never forget you said that to me... 00:14:39.67\00:14:41.60 That told me a lot about you... and what your ministry 00:14:41.64\00:14:46.01 and what you're doing right here... 00:14:46.04\00:14:47.91 Praise the Lord... You enjoy it... 00:14:47.95\00:14:50.41 you get a satisfaction from it, and it's a challenge to you 00:14:50.44\00:14:56.22 every day because, yes... it might be hard... 00:14:56.26\00:14:59.20 we run through challenges and difficulties, 00:14:59.23\00:15:02.36 but for Jesus... all that wipes it out... 00:15:02.39\00:15:05.48 Yes... And that's what makes you so 00:15:05.51\00:15:07.97 special... Well, praise the Lord Brother... 00:15:08.00\00:15:11.21 Where's my check book? Just don't cash it... 00:15:11.25\00:15:14.42 I am in ministry so don't cash it... 00:15:14.46\00:15:16.52 But you know... and that's the same 00:15:16.56\00:15:17.90 with you guys... you love what you're doing... 00:15:17.94\00:15:20.45 it is... it is... again... part of the Divine Plan... 00:15:20.49\00:15:24.39 Right... And you know, Cliff, 00:15:24.43\00:15:26.91 your story is so compelling, many of our viewers know it, 00:15:26.94\00:15:31.09 many don't... share some of your testimony 00:15:31.13\00:15:33.77 with us... because God has just brought you... 00:15:33.81\00:15:36.42 Well, you know, I've been raised a Christian... 00:15:36.45\00:15:41.40 went to Pine Forge Academy, went to all Church Schools, 00:15:41.43\00:15:46.31 my father always took us to Prayer Meeting, 00:15:46.35\00:15:49.45 always took us to Sabbath School 00:15:49.48\00:15:51.41 we had prayer... every morning 00:15:51.45\00:15:54.17 before he went to work 00:15:54.21\00:15:55.46 We had worship as a family, we would have worship 00:15:55.49\00:15:57.92 together... as a family, in the evening... 00:15:57.96\00:16:00.93 you know, not that it was a boring... 00:16:00.96\00:16:03.86 I had a good childhood, so, I was raised that way, 00:16:03.90\00:16:09.24 but it got to be... at a point in my life... 00:16:09.27\00:16:12.12 After I was married... and I had three children... 00:16:12.16\00:16:14.83 and I started to run with this group of guys 00:16:14.86\00:16:18.22 and they started doing drugs and I was upset with them 00:16:18.25\00:16:22.05 when they first started smoking weed and 00:16:22.09\00:16:24.43 I was... but I wanted to be part 00:16:24.46\00:16:26.55 of what they were doing... How old were you 00:16:26.58\00:16:28.58 when you started moving away? Twenty one... 00:16:28.61\00:16:30.54 Oh.. so you weren't a teenager? Hmm, hmmm, because I used to get 00:16:30.58\00:16:35.14 upset with them... I wouldn't let you smoke 00:16:35.17\00:16:37.22 in my car... I wouldn't let you drink 00:16:37.26\00:16:39.25 in my car... But I ran with the wrong 00:16:39.29\00:16:41.21 group of guys... so if you're in that environment 00:16:41.25\00:16:44.89 you become... part of that... Come on, come on... that's right 00:16:44.93\00:16:49.21 And so, it took over and the next thing you know 00:16:49.24\00:16:53.04 Hey... I'm shooting up... next thing... you know... 00:16:53.08\00:16:56.63 first it was... whoosh, whoosh, 00:16:56.66\00:16:57.87 then... the weed.. then shhhh, shhhhhh 00:16:57.91\00:17:00.23 then shhhh, shhhh Is that something that you 00:17:00.27\00:17:03.92 thought... you'd never do? I thought I'd never do that 00:17:03.95\00:17:06.72 in my life... Things that I have done 00:17:06.76\00:17:10.32 in my life... I never thought that I would do, 00:17:10.36\00:17:12.46 you know, I buried my momma ten times... 00:17:12.49\00:17:15.35 What do you mean? 00:17:15.38\00:17:16.75 you know, when I say that line... 00:17:16.78\00:17:18.55 I got to go to my mother's funeral... 00:17:18.59\00:17:20.32 to get off work... you know... 00:17:20.36\00:17:21.66 my mother's passed away... and I got to go away... 00:17:21.69\00:17:24.37 and I'm gone from work for three or four days... 00:17:24.41\00:17:28.55 Selling my children's bicycle, my daughter's bicycle... 00:17:28.58\00:17:33.49 another thing that I know I did... 00:17:33.52\00:17:37.25 you know... I tried to sell the dog... 00:17:37.29\00:17:41.48 Oh... man... Can you imagine that? 00:17:41.51\00:17:45.64 It's like a family member right? yes... you're trying... 00:17:45.67\00:17:48.07 I put him in the car... trying to sell a little dog 00:17:48.10\00:17:52.86 to get the money so that I can get high... 00:17:52.90\00:17:55.02 and when I couldn't sell him... I threw him out the car 00:17:55.05\00:18:00.10 and when the kids came home... Where's the dog? 00:18:00.14\00:18:03.75 I don't know... Maybe he's run away... 00:18:03.78\00:18:08.17 you know.. these kinds of things you know... 00:18:08.20\00:18:10.49 that I did to my children... You know, Cliff, 00:18:10.53\00:18:14.12 one thing that I realize and I feel for, right now, 00:18:14.15\00:18:17.54 because... one thing that I realize 00:18:17.57\00:18:20.18 that the devil does... is... he starts us here... 00:18:20.22\00:18:24.48 he's patient... He starts us here... 00:18:24.52\00:18:26.45 and then... little by little... 00:18:26.48\00:18:28.01 he just spirals us downward... until he destroys 00:18:28.05\00:18:32.16 our characters... he destroys our integrity 00:18:32.20\00:18:35.72 he just... that's his goal... 00:18:35.76\00:18:37.93 and there's so many people who think... 00:18:37.96\00:18:40.04 "Man... if I'd just had money... or if I'd just had the bling... 00:18:40.08\00:18:44.14 or if I had just had... " It's such a big deception... 00:18:44.17\00:18:47.27 because once you start down that path, 00:18:47.31\00:18:50.47 it's like you're on a train... that you can't get off of... 00:18:50.50\00:18:54.52 Am I right? Right... 00:18:54.55\00:18:55.88 Did you feel... just compelled... like... 00:18:55.92\00:18:58.16 I just have to have that money... 00:18:58.20\00:19:00.37 I have to get these drugs... I have to... 00:19:00.41\00:19:03.45 Yes... and you do whatever... you will sell your momma... 00:19:03.49\00:19:07.84 you will sell your children... Do you understand what I mean? 00:19:07.87\00:19:11.95 I've heard stories about that... and I've done so many things... 00:19:11.99\00:19:16.03 There are some things I have done... 00:19:16.06\00:19:17.78 I can't even talk about on this program... 00:19:17.81\00:19:20.34 I am serious... that I've done to my ex-wife, 00:19:20.38\00:19:22.88 to my children... and, you know, 00:19:22.91\00:19:27.39 those are the kinds of things that you will carry with you 00:19:27.42\00:19:29.66 for the rest of your life... Yes... yes... 00:19:29.69\00:19:31.80 For the rest of your life... But Jesus is so good, 00:19:31.84\00:19:36.53 Yes, He is... You hear me... 00:19:36.56\00:19:38.18 Yes.. That he takes all this 00:19:38.21\00:19:39.76 stuff away... He says, "Bring them to me... " 00:19:39.80\00:19:42.34 "Put them on my shoulder" "I'll handle it" 00:19:42.38\00:19:44.89 Yes... And we take it to Him... 00:19:44.93\00:19:46.76 and put it on His shoulder... So you know what? 00:19:46.80\00:19:50.00 I don't have a lot of guilt for what I've done... 00:19:50.04\00:19:53.02 'cause God has taken all that away from me... 00:19:53.06\00:19:56.01 Because you are a new creature Cliff... 00:19:56.05\00:19:58.20 Yes... yes... He has forgiven me... 00:19:58.24\00:20:00.32 I don't care if you haven't... if you don't forgive me... 00:20:00.36\00:20:02.99 then that's your problem... but I know... 00:20:03.03\00:20:05.07 Jesus has forgiven me... you know, 00:20:05.11\00:20:08.73 I wouldn't get all these blessings that I have now 00:20:08.76\00:20:11.15 in my life... I know Satan is not doing it... 00:20:11.19\00:20:14.71 So, I know that it is the Lord. Absolutely... 00:20:14.74\00:20:18.22 Once you take all of these 00:20:18.26\00:20:22.11 burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus, 00:20:22.14\00:20:25.33 it frees you... Because otherwise.. you would be 00:20:25.36\00:20:28.92 walking around under that load of guilt but Jesus said, 00:20:28.96\00:20:33.04 You know, that, "Come unto me all ye that are 00:20:33.07\00:20:36.79 that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... 00:20:36.83\00:20:40.65 And you know what... let me tell you this... 00:20:40.69\00:20:42.15 Come on... tell me... I used to sit and think 00:20:42.18\00:20:44.59 my whole thing was... when I was in prison... 00:20:44.63\00:20:47.00 I want some peace of mind... PEACE... 00:20:47.04\00:20:50.00 because I remember... you know... 00:20:50.04\00:20:52.93 in the early days of my life, I'll put it like this... 00:20:52.97\00:20:56.34 Jesus would say, "Come unto me and I'll give you peace... 00:20:56.38\00:20:59.72 you'll have peace... " and I wanted peace 00:20:59.75\00:21:02.64 and I said, "You know what? I can get it... over here... 00:21:02.67\00:21:06.81 in Church... Let me go there... " 00:21:06.85\00:21:08.85 You see the seeds had been planted... 00:21:08.88\00:21:11.55 I want to tell all of you mothers, 00:21:11.59\00:21:14.02 because I have children too that have strayed from the Lord, 00:21:14.05\00:21:17.39 and I just want you to know that Jesus has a plan 00:21:17.43\00:21:21.83 for those children.. and that... all we have to do is 00:21:21.87\00:21:25.50 continue to be faithful to God and pray for those children, 00:21:25.53\00:21:29.99 pray for our children... plant those seeds 00:21:30.03\00:21:33.15 in the children when they are young 00:21:33.18\00:21:34.68 Right... Because... look at what happened 00:21:34.72\00:21:37.95 with you Cliff... you went away.. and came back... 00:21:37.98\00:21:41.43 His mother never knew that he got his life together... 00:21:41.46\00:21:44.83 Oh, she passed away before... Yes, she passed away before that 00:21:44.87\00:21:46.93 Let me just say this... what you said... 00:21:46.97\00:21:49.75 and I want to say the same thing 00:21:49.78\00:21:51.97 because I'm telling you, this is what happened to me, 00:21:52.00\00:21:54.70 My daddy... after my mother passed away... 00:21:54.73\00:21:59.89 My daddy... I kept him for 20... No, for six years of his life... 00:21:59.92\00:22:07.19 he came and stayed with me, I kept him, 00:22:07.22\00:22:11.54 and he said to me... one morning... 00:22:11.57\00:22:14.13 sitting at the breakfast table, my daddy said to me, 00:22:14.17\00:22:17.24 "Clifford, you're mother would be proud of you now... 00:22:17.28\00:22:20.89 to see... you have changed... and who would have thought 00:22:20.92\00:22:24.50 you... me... out of all my brothers and sisters 00:22:24.53\00:22:28.59 you'd be the one to take care of me... 00:22:28.63\00:22:31.94 and through her prayers... the Lord answered her prayer... 00:22:31.97\00:22:37.00 even though she was gone. That's another thing... 00:22:37.04\00:22:41.26 God honors the prayers of the saints... 00:22:41.30\00:22:44.07 even when they go to sleep... those prayers... 00:22:44.10\00:22:46.97 because my grandmothers... I know, both of them, 00:22:47.00\00:22:49.80 prayed me back into the Church, prayed me back into Jesus, 00:22:49.84\00:22:53.49 and my grandmother was... my maternal grandmother 00:22:53.53\00:22:56.34 was still living... when I came back to the Lord... 00:22:56.38\00:22:59.15 But my paternal... my father's mother, 00:22:59.19\00:23:03.12 had passed away... but... I know she prayed for me 00:23:03.16\00:23:07.20 and God honors those prayers, even though they've gone 00:23:07.23\00:23:10.50 to sleep... He still honors those prayers. 00:23:10.54\00:23:13.20 And when we go to Heaven, your mom is just overjoyed... 00:23:13.23\00:23:18.18 Hallelujah, Amen... Yes, yes... 00:23:18.21\00:23:19.95 She sees your face... she's going to rejoice... 00:23:19.98\00:23:22.06 Not only him... but all the others 00:23:22.09\00:23:23.62 that he has helped, you know. Yes... yes... 00:23:23.66\00:23:26.31 You know, my mother said to me, and I will never forget this, 00:23:26.34\00:23:32.29 on her deathbed... my mother had cancer... 00:23:32.33\00:23:35.67 she was dying from cancer... and I went to see her 00:23:35.71\00:23:40.86 I drove from California... I mean from Denver... 00:23:40.89\00:23:46.01 to Florida... to see my mother... 00:23:46.04\00:23:47.96 OK... Hmmmm... 00:23:48.00\00:23:50.73 I was still on drugs... I went there to see her 00:23:50.76\00:23:55.71 and I went to jail there... Wow... 00:23:55.74\00:24:00.58 OK? You gave yourself up? 00:24:00.61\00:24:02.41 No, I walked into a liquor store with a marijuana joint 00:24:02.45\00:24:07.89 in my mouth... ... and got arrested... 00:24:07.93\00:24:10.33 and the police was in the store, and he's like 00:24:10.37\00:24:15.68 "Are you nuts?" you know... and I was arrested 00:24:15.71\00:24:20.99 in Florida... so I took this problem 00:24:21.03\00:24:24.01 to my mom and dad... 00:24:24.05\00:24:25.73 I had my three children with me 00:24:25.76\00:24:28.74 to see my mother... and you know when I got back 00:24:28.78\00:24:31.42 my dad came and got me out of jail... 00:24:31.46\00:24:33.46 my mother said to me... I was sitting on her bed... 00:24:33.49\00:24:38.36 my mother... said to me... 00:24:38.40\00:24:41.91 Clifford... I wish you had never come to see me... 00:24:41.94\00:24:46.60 because you brought all the stuff and pain to me... 00:24:46.63\00:24:50.94 I don't want to see you... 00:24:50.97\00:24:53.18 Here's your momma... telling you... 00:24:53.22\00:24:54.84 "I don't want to see you" I had a good momma... 00:24:54.87\00:24:59.72 you know, she wasn't an evil person or 00:24:59.75\00:25:03.49 hard person... you know, I think you knew 00:25:03.53\00:25:06.45 my mother... I don't know if you did or not, 00:25:06.49\00:25:09.34 from family but... it was the pain that I brought 00:25:09.37\00:25:16.45 to them both, you know, and I had to go back 00:25:16.48\00:25:20.30 to Colorado... after that... I went to prison again... 00:25:20.33\00:25:23.27 the second time... but... that's OK... 00:25:23.30\00:25:27.26 I know, I am going to see my mother in Heaven... 00:25:27.30\00:25:29.92 you know what I mean? It's a great Getting-up-morning 00:25:29.95\00:25:33.03 it's a great Getting-up-morning... coming... 00:25:33.06\00:25:35.46 and the pain that she had... it will be like... 00:25:35.50\00:25:39.14 childbirth... you forget about it... 00:25:39.18\00:25:40.77 because when she sees your face there Cliff... 00:25:40.80\00:25:44.33 that's going to erase all the former pain... 00:25:44.36\00:25:47.86 all the former pain... What would you say, 00:25:47.89\00:25:50.56 in the last couple of minutes that we have, 00:25:50.60\00:25:53.70 from both of you... Freddie, what advice would 00:25:53.74\00:25:57.94 you give to a mother that has a wayward child, 00:25:57.98\00:26:02.15 that wants that child to know Jesus... 00:26:02.19\00:26:04.82 what would you say? You know I had a wayward son too 00:26:04.85\00:26:07.57 we have this ministry... and our son... 00:26:07.61\00:26:09.49 my son was on drugs... and I was Ms. Co-dependent 00:26:09.52\00:26:12.51 but I had to just... let go... 00:26:12.55\00:26:14.72 and let him feel the consequences of these 00:26:14.76\00:26:17.48 decisions that he made... and I kept praying... 00:26:17.52\00:26:19.86 I kept praying... and the Lord just impressed me 00:26:19.90\00:26:22.21 one day... Lennon is on drugs 00:26:22.25\00:26:24.71 go to Atlanta to see him... I went to see him... 00:26:24.75\00:26:27.52 we talked... I told him he was on drugs 00:26:27.55\00:26:29.65 he had been on drugs for five years, 00:26:29.68\00:26:31.55 and I didn't even know it, but he gave his heart 00:26:31.58\00:26:34.15 to the Lord... and I... 00:26:34.18\00:26:36.00 today, I can say, he's a Minister... 00:26:36.03\00:26:37.77 married with two children... but my advice would be 00:26:37.81\00:26:40.49 "Let go... and let God... 00:26:40.53\00:26:42.61 and don't be a co-dependent to them... just let them 00:26:42.65\00:26:45.70 feel the consequences... but be there, 00:26:45.74\00:26:47.36 let them know, you love them, 00:26:47.39\00:26:49.33 but don't be a co-dependent... 00:26:49.37\00:26:51.24 That's so true Freddie... you want to support 00:26:51.27\00:26:54.62 your children... but not enable them... 00:26:54.66\00:26:57.47 Right... So you don't want them to 00:26:57.50\00:26:59.61 you don't want it to foster the bad choices 00:26:59.64\00:27:04.52 that they've been making... because... once you do that... 00:27:04.56\00:27:07.16 you're in it with them... That's right... 00:27:07.20\00:27:09.11 and you just make it worse, 00:27:09.15\00:27:10.83 so... that's a major thing... plant the seeds, 00:27:10.86\00:27:14.97 when the children are young, just like what happened 00:27:15.01\00:27:18.62 with you Cliff... and God brought you back... 00:27:18.66\00:27:20.98 and He brought you back... with a sense of urgency... 00:27:21.02\00:27:25.89 for Him... Yes, yes... 00:27:25.92\00:27:27.17 What else... I mean... what else is there to say? 00:27:27.20\00:27:31.50 I can't believe our time is up... 00:27:31.53\00:27:32.89 Thank you guys... thank you so much for coming... 00:27:32.92\00:27:36.58 I'm so blessed... whenever I hear your testimony 00:27:36.62\00:27:40.22 Cliff... and you have a book... tell us the name of your book, 00:27:40.25\00:27:43.25 "Death Dance" Death Dance by Patti Conwell 00:27:43.29\00:27:47.70 Yes... As told to Patti Conwell... 00:27:47.73\00:27:49.90 I should say... well thank you so much 00:27:49.93\00:27:51.73 for being with us... and you're going to come again, 00:27:51.77\00:27:54.07 We... are... all right... promise... 00:27:54.11\00:27:55.65 Promise... you hear this... 00:27:55.69\00:27:57.40 Our time has slipped away... thanks so much 00:27:57.43\00:27:59.79 for tuning in... join us next time... 00:27:59.83\00:28:01.74 It just wouldn't be the same... without you... 00:28:01.78\00:28:04.17