Stay tuned to meet a woman
who was abused, homeless at 13
00:00:01.16\00:00:04.23
and illiterate until
she was 23-years-old...
00:00:04.27\00:00:07.17
Find out how God has
transformed her life...
00:00:07.20\00:00:10.11
My name is Yvonne Lewis,
and you're watching Urban Report
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report
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my guest today is Cheri Peters
founder of True Step Ministries
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author, speaker and host of
Celebrating Life in Recovery
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on 3abn and Dare to Dream...
Welcome my precious friend...
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You know what... we
have not got to hang out
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together... this is
like the first time...
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I know, I know, I'm so excited
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that you're here because I
was looking forward to just
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spending some time with
you, I know our viewers already
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watch you on
Celebrating Life in Recovery
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but some might not know
you, so, I want to kind of
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let them know who you
are, what you're doing,
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I got to tell you this,
so, like about a year or two
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before I actually met
you... I was watching you
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on Celebrating Life in
Recovery and I'm saying,
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"Man, this woman
is so transparent,
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is so on fire for God,
she just exudes God's love,
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and I said, "I have to
meet you" and then when the Lord
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brought me here... it's like...
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you had to be
on Dare to Dream...
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because what you're
doing is so appropriate for our
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Dare to Dream audience...
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Well, when you say that,
what's really interesting is
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you talked about coming
from... I mean, my parents were
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just lost in their own stuff...
they had parents that were
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lost in addictions... they
got lost in that kind of stuff,
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my dad was sexually
twisted and was molesting us...
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they were both kids, you
know, and I was on the streets
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by the time I was young,
but I remember, you know,
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even in their addiction,
if you liked something,
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if I had a toy and I
liked it, it was like...
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they'd get agitated
and I would lose that toy,
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so, I stopped daring
to dream about anything
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Hmmmm... ... and
so, in my recovery
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at 23... I meet
God and God shows me...
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not only who am I...
after my.. coming out of my drug
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addiction because by
this time, I am illiterate
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but I'm strung out on heroin,
I've been 10 years on the street
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I've seen stuff that would
just make you want to throw up,
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and He shows me who I am
the day after resurrection...
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Whoa... ... not
who am I after the day
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that I stopped using heroin...
the day after resurrection...
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who are you?
Unpack that for us...
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Well, you know, just
like... what I saw was this
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incredibly healthy,
innocent, "whole" person,
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that is myself... but is not
close to anything I ever knew,
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you know... when
you... I love this network...
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Dare to Dream...
because you talk to people
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that are really lost sometimes,
in some hard places...
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they're raising kids
and they're financially
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are going from
paycheck to paycheck...
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or they're struggling
with all that kind of stuff
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or single parents...
all of that kind of stuff
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but you know...
it's just like...
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who are we after
all this is over...
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you know, who are we
after all that, you know,
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and I'm thinking... I
just wept and I thought,
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"If you can get me there... if
you can literally get me there,
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I will do
whatever... " so I'm standing up
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not to just stop using heroin,
I'm standing up to find out
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how do I get to the
day after resurrection...
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How do I get
there? and God says,
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"You allow me to love you...
you allow me to transform you,
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you allow me to show
you what your talents are...
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and I don't care who you
are, but you have talents
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that you never even explored...
the enemy has lied to you
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sometimes from the
womb, all of your life...
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you've got this lie...
and this society that may be
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even lying to you because of
your circumstances and God says,
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"Can you step away from the
lies just briefly... and let me
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show you how cool you are,
how incredible you are... "
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How amazing is God!
because... you came from a
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situation of rejection
and so you needed to feel this
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enveloping love and God showed
you who you are at your essence
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because you were
rejected by your parents...
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but so loved and accepted by Him
and He's showing you who you are
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and not only who you are...
but the plan that He had for you
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Absolutely...
Your divine destiny...
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which is what we talk about
on this network all the time
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where He wanted you to be
and the things that you've
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accomplished... by
the grace of God...
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Cheri, did you ever
think that God would use you
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to host a
program, to write books,
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to do all of these things...
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that God has done for
you... He's shown you...
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who you are... at your essence.
And Yvonne... and some of your
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viewers are going
to actually get this...
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but even in the
writing of the book...
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someone hears my story
and my recovery and they said,
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"We want to
write that as a book"
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and they assigned a writer to me
I mean, I was illiterate at 23,
00:04:58.76\00:05:02.26
I had to learn to
read... went back to school...
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did all that kind of stuff...
but, you know, I'm not a writer,
00:05:04.23\00:05:06.67
and so, they assigned
this writer who is so normal
00:05:06.70\00:05:09.47
she's been
4th-generation Adventist...
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she's vegan... vegetarian...
and I'm thinking...
00:05:11.91\00:05:14.38
my sister has a porn
site and is a stripper
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and my other
sister is a meth addict...
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my dad dies in a crack house,
I was strung out on heroin
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how are you going
to write this story?
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and I asked her, I
said, "Have you ever... "
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you know... like...
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"Have you ever done
anything" and I mean,
00:05:26.92\00:05:29.09
that's a ridiculous question
00:05:29.12\00:05:30.23
but, "Have you ever done
anything?" and so I called my
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sister in LA and I say,
"You know what... I'm going to
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send this woman over to
you... can you kind of take her
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to work and just
walk around with her...
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and she's doing a drug
deal, she's stripping at a club,
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and I'm sending this writer
that's been assigned to me
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by a publishing
house... to a strip club...
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and I'm saying,
"Just hang out... "
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and my sister meets her
at the airport and says,
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"What do I do with her again..
" "Just hang out with her... "
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and even when she came back,
I realized, you can't write this
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so I had to let her go...
and then she wasn't real happy
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with me... "I just
have to let you go... "
00:06:03.66\00:06:05.49
and I'm crying to
God... I'm saying,
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"God, I just fired the
writer... and I'm not a writer
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and I know that... "
Wasn't she horrified though
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when she was hanging
out with your sister?
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No, she just didn't get
it... she couldn't relate at all
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and she was so out of
the thing... and I said,
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"How do you write this story
and not write it as if you're
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horrified... or not
write it in such self-pity...
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don't pity me...
just help me to stand... "
00:06:26.01\00:06:28.45
you know what I
mean... Yes... yes...
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and a lot of people
just yell like that...
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"Don't you look at me like
that, I just need to stand... "
00:06:31.09\00:06:33.29
Yeah... "I just need to learn...
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and I don't want you to
teach you... have you teach me
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as if I'm ignorant... teach me
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with respect... " Yeah...
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"You know, I really
want to look at that stuff. "
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So, I let her go and I'm crying
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to God and I'm
praying, and I said,
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"God, I just fired the writer"
and I hear the Holy Spirit say,
00:06:45.17\00:06:47.90
"You know what... I can
help you write that... "
00:06:47.94\00:06:49.94
and I'm even crying
more, I'm not a writer...
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I couldn't even... I mean...
I was illiterate at 23...
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I mean... this is
ridiculous for me to think that
00:06:54.24\00:06:56.34
and I hear God
saying, "You know what Cheri,
00:06:56.38\00:06:58.75
I've written a book
before and it's doing okay... "
00:06:58.78\00:07:00.48
And I thought... shut
up... how cool is that?
00:07:00.52\00:07:03.49
I love that... I love that...
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This is nothing new for God
right... "I think I got this. "
00:07:06.02\00:07:10.49
And being able to
say... even in our ignorance
00:07:10.53\00:07:13.63
and to anybody that's
listening please get this,
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when you feel like
you have nothing to offer
00:07:16.10\00:07:18.97
God says... "Please don't even
give that to me... I am God...
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I spoke the world into existence
and I can speak whatever
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into your life... I
know you baby girl... "
00:07:26.74\00:07:29.01
you know what I mean...
Yes... yes... yes... yes
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...and so for me... it
was... coming from the lifestyle
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I came from... and
even looking back now...
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I look back at my mom and my
dad I still have more compassion
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on them than I did in the
first part of my recovery...
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because they didn't
have what they needed
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in order to be loved, I
mean, so, now I'm looking at
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God and saying, "I so...
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I want to kiss you on the face,
00:07:51.23\00:07:53.90
I want to thank you for
every time you woke me up
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and showed me something
else, gave me the courage
00:07:56.87\00:07:59.81
to dare to dream... gave
me the courage to stand up,
00:07:59.84\00:08:02.88
gave me the courage to allow
people to speak into my life
00:08:02.91\00:08:05.88
so that I'm not
saddled with the lies that were
00:08:05.91\00:08:08.78
generationally old... "
And, you know, we need to...
00:08:08.82\00:08:11.22
we need to focus on that
just for a minute because
00:08:11.25\00:08:13.59
so many of our viewers
feel that they are so encumbered
00:08:13.62\00:08:17.83
by their circumstances, you
know, my family didn't love me,
00:08:17.86\00:08:21.56
my family rejected me... my
family abused me... whatever,
00:08:21.60\00:08:25.27
and you're saying
that God gave you the
00:08:25.30\00:08:27.47
spirit of forgiveness... a way
to look at them with compassion,
00:08:27.50\00:08:31.34
that you didn't have before...
because you were in it...
00:08:31.37\00:08:34.28
you were in the throes of
it, and God can do that...
00:08:34.31\00:08:37.18
He can give us that forgiveness,
He can give us that compassion,
00:08:37.21\00:08:40.35
so that we can forgive
those who really hurt us...
00:08:40.38\00:08:43.15
Not only... you can forgive...
but you literally can step back
00:08:43.18\00:08:49.46
in... and ask
them to forgive you...
00:08:49.49\00:08:52.06
my mom... every time...
00:08:52.09\00:08:53.93
as a 3-year-old girl,
00:08:53.96\00:08:55.66
even younger...
every time I needed her to
00:08:55.70\00:08:58.47
love me or touch
me... or hold me...
00:08:58.50\00:09:00.17
she's got so guilt-ridden...
so angry with you
00:09:00.20\00:09:04.27
so much... that
because of her shame
00:09:04.31\00:09:06.71
of not knowing how to do that,
00:09:06.74\00:09:08.18
not knowing how to be there...
00:09:08.21\00:09:09.58
that she withdrew
more and more and more...
00:09:09.61\00:09:11.78
when God showed me that...
I felt like... what a cycle...
00:09:11.81\00:09:16.22
so the devil strategically
came against her...
00:09:16.25\00:09:18.49
even when I just
wanted to be kissed...
00:09:18.52\00:09:20.39
so, I called her one day
and I said, "Forgive me for that
00:09:20.42\00:09:22.92
because I didn't
know... " and she's like,
00:09:22.96\00:09:25.13
"What... to
forgive you... " you know,
00:09:25.16\00:09:27.23
and it was just a cool place
to be... is that... you know,
00:09:27.30\00:09:30.93
I no longer am demanding
someone to make it right...
00:09:30.97\00:09:34.87
God is making it right...
I'm releasing the people
00:09:34.90\00:09:37.74
around me and all the
strategies that the devil had
00:09:37.77\00:09:40.58
to ruin my
life... just fall away...
00:09:40.61\00:09:42.51
Yes, because when you forgive
and when you release that
00:09:42.54\00:09:47.42
it's so healing to you...
it's not just what happens
00:09:47.45\00:09:52.29
for them... it
also helps to heal you
00:09:52.32\00:09:54.99
and God is
releasing you from the pain...
00:09:55.02\00:09:57.66
and from all of
that you went through...
00:09:57.69\00:09:59.49
He's releasing you from
it... It's an amazing thing...
00:09:59.53\00:10:03.57
So not only
healing psychologically
00:10:03.60\00:10:05.33
Why... ...
because I'm so damaged,
00:10:05.37\00:10:07.07
I'm so twisted... I'm flaky...
I've got attachment disorder,
00:10:07.10\00:10:09.84
bonding disorder... those
that really heavy issues...
00:10:09.87\00:10:12.57
and yet all of a
sudden... I'm forgiving,
00:10:12.61\00:10:15.24
and I feel like...
somehow... I'm an inch taller...
00:10:15.28\00:10:18.11
my bones feel
healthier, I laugh deeper,
00:10:18.15\00:10:22.75
do you know what I mean,
and all those kinds of things
00:10:22.78\00:10:25.12
You feel joy... It's huge...
00:10:25.15\00:10:26.89
"The joy of the
Lord is our strength... "
00:10:26.92\00:10:29.02
and when we hold
on to bitterness...
00:10:29.06\00:10:31.09
even if it's... you
know... I have the right...
00:10:31.13\00:10:34.20
my dad molested me from
the time I was 3-months-old,
00:10:34.23\00:10:36.77
I have the right to
be angry with someone...
00:10:36.80\00:10:38.77
but God said, "You know what...
00:10:38.80\00:10:40.04
I paid the debt for
you... and all those things
00:10:40.07\00:10:42.60
you ever did... pay His
debt... and release him...
00:10:42.64\00:10:45.14
and then surrender
his debt to me... "
00:10:45.17\00:10:46.91
Hmmmmm... ... and
all of the strongholds,
00:10:46.94\00:10:48.74
all of the
strategies, all of the stuff...
00:10:48.78\00:10:50.55
that you're
worthless, you're no good...
00:10:50.58\00:10:52.28
the world is not going
to be trusted, I'm angry,
00:10:52.31\00:10:54.92
I'm homicidal, suicidal,
I'm all of those kinds of things
00:10:54.95\00:10:58.19
will drop away...
because the enemy will have
00:10:58.22\00:11:00.49
no more power in your life...
and I thought... really...
00:11:00.52\00:11:03.56
you know... and I
couldn't do that...
00:11:03.59\00:11:05.69
how do I do
that... how do I look at
00:11:05.73\00:11:07.96
my dad... who was
so sexually twisted...
00:11:08.00\00:11:09.83
how do I look at
it and forgive him...
00:11:09.86\00:11:11.67
and at one point...
00:11:11.70\00:11:13.20
I had this little baby shoes...
00:11:13.23\00:11:15.67
you know those little
white ones with the little...
00:11:15.70\00:11:17.57
Yeah... yeah... yeah ...
that they bronze later on...
00:11:17.61\00:11:20.41
Yeah... ... so the
little baby shoe...
00:11:20.44\00:11:22.31
and I heard the Holy Spirit say,
00:11:22.34\00:11:24.15
"I want you to
look at this shoe... "
00:11:24.18\00:11:25.75
and I don't know how I
got it... it was my dad's...
00:11:25.78\00:11:28.08
I don't know how I got
it, so I look at this shoe
00:11:28.12\00:11:30.19
and then He
said, "at one point...
00:11:30.22\00:11:31.55
your dad was a baby... he
wasn't molesting anybody...
00:11:31.59\00:11:34.22
and so... say
right now... out loud...
00:11:34.26\00:11:36.49
"I forgive my dad as a baby...
00:11:36.52\00:11:39.06
before whatever
happened to him, in his life...
00:11:39.09\00:11:42.76
before all of that... to
where he couldn't even be
00:11:42.80\00:11:46.03
appropriate with
his own children... "
00:11:46.07\00:11:47.77
and so I forgive
him in that state...
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.57
I couldn't forgive
him as an adult male
00:11:49.60\00:11:51.31
because my injury was so intense
so I forgave him as a baby
00:11:51.34\00:11:54.74
later on... God brought it
all the way up to the sadness
00:11:54.78\00:11:58.21
of when we're so twisted...
00:11:58.25\00:11:59.68
that we never have
the joy of families...
00:11:59.71\00:12:01.58
we never have the joy
of raising our own kids
00:12:01.62\00:12:03.69
we're off doing
all of this crazy stuff
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.79
like on-line porn... we're
doing all this kind of stuff
00:12:05.82\00:12:07.89
now... I can
forgive him later on...
00:12:07.92\00:12:09.79
but I couldn't start
there, my mom... I saw a picture
00:12:09.82\00:12:12.53
of her as a
3-year-old girl, on a swing...
00:12:12.56\00:12:15.13
forgive her as that little
girl, look how cute she was...
00:12:15.16\00:12:18.37
and she could never even
hold you... what happened?
00:12:18.40\00:12:21.24
and so... being
able to release them
00:12:21.27\00:12:23.14
at the time that I
could release them...
00:12:23.17\00:12:24.97
and then up to an adult
woman, and I can say to my mom,
00:12:25.01\00:12:28.54
"I forgive you...
" and somebody says,
00:12:28.58\00:12:30.35
"Does she love you
right now?" No, she doesn't...
00:12:30.38\00:12:33.38
and I never had her
look at me with love...
00:12:33.42\00:12:36.42
in fact... the last time
I saw her... she was so...
00:12:36.45\00:12:38.39
she doesn't like Christians
either... and I became one...
00:12:38.42\00:12:41.09
I think she'd rather me be
a stripper or a heroin addict,
00:12:41.12\00:12:43.09
you know... but now
that I'm a Christian...
00:12:43.12\00:12:45.23
that's even worse for
her... and so, you know,
00:12:45.26\00:12:48.20
I don't have that
but man... I love her...
00:12:48.23\00:12:51.20
and I have forgiven her...
00:12:51.23\00:12:52.70
and I pray someday...
that on the streets of gold
00:12:52.73\00:12:55.54
she will turn
around and hug me, Yes...
00:12:55.57\00:12:57.21
...you know... it
may not be until then...
00:12:57.24\00:12:59.67
but I can wait...
because I've see myself today
00:12:59.71\00:13:02.08
after resurrection...
Yes, and look at how
00:13:02.11\00:13:04.45
God took you from the place
where you could accept her...
00:13:04.48\00:13:09.58
as a baby... you
know... babies are harmless...
00:13:09.62\00:13:12.72
babies are... you know...
it's an innocuous situation...
00:13:12.75\00:13:15.32
so God brought you there... and
took you a little bit further
00:13:15.36\00:13:18.89
at your pace... God
takes us... where we are...
00:13:18.93\00:13:25.07
and grows us... as He
can... because He knows...
00:13:25.10\00:13:31.24
what you
need... where you are...
00:13:31.27\00:13:33.11
and He knows what you need
00:13:33.14\00:13:34.58
to get you from
Point A to Point B
00:13:34.61\00:13:36.61
Amen... ... and
He's so faithful...
00:13:36.64\00:13:38.55
He's so
faithful... in each of us
00:13:38.58\00:13:40.72
and I would love to... you
know, sometimes I'd love to
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.99
like jump out and get on
the other side of the cameras
00:13:44.02\00:13:47.16
and grab whoever is viewing
and say, "Every single one of us
00:13:47.19\00:13:51.23
God delights in our recovery,
delights in our healing,
00:13:51.26\00:13:54.56
and wants to
restore us to sanity
00:13:54.60\00:13:56.97
wants to stand us up...
and help us to step away
00:13:57.00\00:14:00.47
from all the
lies... wants that...
00:14:00.50\00:14:01.80
more than anything
else... and will patiently wait
00:14:01.84\00:14:05.31
until we can
receive and accept that...
00:14:05.34\00:14:07.21
and He doesn't care...
I think He cares that it's
00:14:07.24\00:14:10.18
our last breath... He said,
00:14:10.21\00:14:11.65
"Even if it's your last
breath, I'll wait for you... "
00:14:11.68\00:14:14.92
That's right... that's
right, so, God took you
00:14:14.95\00:14:18.05
from this place of
brokenness... brought you into
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.12
a place of healing... and
now... you're in... ministry
00:14:21.16\00:14:24.93
that is all around the world...
tell us about what you're doing
00:14:24.96\00:14:28.23
in Ministry... Well, I
got to say... you know,
00:14:28.26\00:14:30.00
I've been... I've worked
with heroin addicts in Russia...
00:14:30.03\00:14:33.20
I've worked with prostitutes
00:14:33.23\00:14:34.74
in the Red Light
Districts in Thailand...
00:14:34.77\00:14:36.91
I've worked with kids
being mutilated in Kenya
00:14:36.94\00:14:41.04
and sold into marriage young...
00:14:41.08\00:14:42.08
you know, it's like...
He's taking us all over
00:14:42.11\00:14:44.31
because the human
condition... Yes...
00:14:44.35\00:14:46.82
is that... the devil
is tenaciously after us
00:14:46.85\00:14:49.18
and we are being
destroyed on every level...
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.49
so you know, God is just
saying, you know... I want to...
00:14:51.52\00:14:54.09
you know... work
in... like you got this
00:14:54.12\00:14:57.19
the Urban Ministries...
it's like... I don't know why
00:14:57.23\00:15:00.66
people... I was on the streets
of South Gate, California
00:15:00.70\00:15:03.77
Lynwood... you
know... in areas... Oakland...
00:15:03.80\00:15:06.70
in areas that were
really intense areas...
00:15:06.74\00:15:09.27
and I don't think people
realize that the cultural damage
00:15:09.30\00:15:13.68
that happens in those...
so He sends us all over...
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.41
we do prison, rehab ministries,
recovery ministries in other
00:15:16.44\00:15:20.15
countries... all of
that kind of stuff...
00:15:20.18\00:15:21.92
and then I look
at my own Church...
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.85
and I pray that nobody
gets offended with this...
00:15:23.89\00:15:27.29
but one of the things that
we lack in the Church building
00:15:27.32\00:15:30.29
because we have 20 million
members in the denomination
00:15:30.33\00:15:33.26
as Seventh-day
Adventist denomination...
00:15:33.29\00:15:35.06
20 million members...
and somebody can stumble
00:15:35.10\00:15:38.30
into an Adventist Church...
and not be able to say out loud,
00:15:38.33\00:15:41.44
that I've been through a divorce
so, now, I'm a drug addict
00:15:41.47\00:15:44.51
stumbling in... and I
know that you can't say
00:15:44.54\00:15:46.61
you're divorced... and so I'm so
not saying that I'm an addict...
00:15:46.64\00:15:49.24
you know... and then
I go to potluck and say,
00:15:49.28\00:15:51.51
"I don't like brown rice...
" and I feel guilty on that...
00:15:51.55\00:15:53.88
you know... so it's
like... being able to say...
00:15:53.92\00:15:57.22
"Is there something we
could do to bridge that... "
00:15:57.75\00:16:00.19
is there something we can
do when people are coming in
00:16:00.22\00:16:03.19
to actually
allow them to come in
00:16:03.22\00:16:06.23
and not be ashamed... of
what they've been rescued from
00:16:06.26\00:16:08.53
not be ashamed
of their journey...
00:16:08.56\00:16:10.40
being able to sit
down and say out loud...
00:16:10.43\00:16:12.60
"Thank you so much
because I need a safe place... "
00:16:12.63\00:16:15.30
and so we ended up
writing the program...
00:16:15.34\00:16:17.37
and the first thing...
I got to show you this...
00:16:17.41\00:16:19.11
that the first thing
that we ended up doing
00:16:19.14\00:16:20.78
is... Steps to Christ was one of
the books that changed my life,
00:16:20.81\00:16:24.65
but it was really
tough for me to open it up...
00:16:24.68\00:16:27.38
and the language was a barrier,
because it was written in a...
00:16:27.42\00:16:31.89
in a style that I
wasn't used to and I'm more...
00:16:31.92\00:16:36.59
not more "street ignorant"
but I'm just... more kind of
00:16:36.62\00:16:41.76
recovery or street or
whatever... and so I...
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.57
Yeah, you wanted more of the
common language versus something
00:16:44.60\00:16:48.24
that's kind of archaic...
something that's kind of
00:16:48.27\00:16:50.31
"old time"... you wanted the
more contemporary kind of speech
00:16:50.34\00:16:53.98
Absolutely... so
you know what I did?
00:16:54.01\00:16:56.44
What? I grabbed 3
addicts that I loved
00:16:56.48\00:16:58.85
from different kind of
addictions and then I grabbed
00:16:58.88\00:17:01.85
four writers that I
loved... and all of us sat down
00:17:01.88\00:17:04.92
and went through every
page of Steps to Christ...
00:17:04.95\00:17:08.02
and did a
recovery edition to that...
00:17:08.06\00:17:10.19
so we brought it up
to "recovery language"
00:17:10.23\00:17:12.39
weaved the 12-step stuff
in, when... instead of saying,
00:17:12.43\00:17:15.16
"God is love" we said,
"God is crazy about you...
00:17:15.20\00:17:17.47
delights in your recovery,
00:17:17.50\00:17:18.67
can restore you to sanity...
loves you more than a mother
00:17:18.70\00:17:23.14
loves her rebellious child... "
you know, because you know what
00:17:23.17\00:17:26.47
a mother... you know... your
child is acting out being crazy
00:17:26.51\00:17:29.74
are you going to
forget that child?
00:17:29.78\00:17:31.71
No... no... No...
you're going to call them
00:17:31.75\00:17:34.48
you're going to say,
"Come home, let me make dinner"
00:17:34.52\00:17:37.49
all of that kind of stuff...
and so, God is like that with us
00:17:37.52\00:17:40.52
Yeah... "Come
home" you know, please...
00:17:40.56\00:17:42.66
I love that...
God is crazy about you
00:17:42.69\00:17:44.76
if more people
really internalized how much
00:17:44.79\00:17:48.43
God really loves us... I mean...
00:17:48.46\00:17:51.37
so much healing would
take place but they...
00:17:51.40\00:17:54.20
so many people
feel like... God...
00:17:54.24\00:17:56.00
"Well, I've done
too many bad things"
00:17:56.04\00:17:57.74
I've had people
tell me, "Well, I've done
00:17:57.77\00:17:58.97
too many bad things,
God can't forgive me. "
00:17:59.01\00:18:00.88
No, in the Bible God forgave
00:18:00.91\00:18:03.18
murderers and all kinds
of people that were doing
00:18:03.21\00:18:05.88
the worst things possible...
God loves us and this book...
00:18:05.91\00:18:10.12
it's just so fabulous because
you're talking about how crazy
00:18:10.15\00:18:14.36
God is... about us...
What to do with doubt...
00:18:14.39\00:18:17.39
What does repentance mean...
all of that kind of stuff...
00:18:17.43\00:18:19.49
and you know what's
really interesting to me
00:18:19.53\00:18:22.06
about all of that kind of stuff
as far as God's love towards us
00:18:22.10\00:18:27.54
and His feelings
towards us is that He says
00:18:27.57\00:18:30.34
that I can't let go of you...
I can't turn away from you...
00:18:30.37\00:18:33.98
I can't do any of that kind
of stuff... that I am love...
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.48
and so, one day, I'm sitting
there thinking of all of the
00:18:36.51\00:18:38.38
stuff I'm doing... I'm
still stumbling around,
00:18:38.41\00:18:40.72
I'm still manipulating,
you know, I wanted a computer
00:18:40.75\00:18:43.55
from my husband and so I
seduced into the computer
00:18:43.59\00:18:46.35
and got the
money... and God said,
00:18:46.39\00:18:47.89
"Is that a good thing to do
for him... you're treating him
00:18:47.92\00:18:50.33
like a trick... "
you know what I mean...
00:18:50.36\00:18:51.86
I want to say
that in a nice way...
00:18:51.89\00:18:54.56
but God is just
nailing me about that...
00:18:54.60\00:18:56.30
so, I feel shame... and
so, now, I'm sitting there
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.77
like
repenting... and I said, "God"
00:18:59.80\00:19:01.67
I felt like He had a
checklist and He's like checking
00:19:01.70\00:19:04.84
everything that I
do wrong, and He said,
00:19:04.87\00:19:06.37
"Now, let me tell
you how it really is... "
00:19:06.41\00:19:08.38
and I really feel
like He gave me this image
00:19:08.41\00:19:10.38
is that... "I
don't check anything...
00:19:10.41\00:19:13.28
until you actually just
feel loved and safe enough
00:19:13.31\00:19:17.02
to not play the
people around you... "
00:19:17.05\00:19:18.65
and then... all
of heaven wakes up...
00:19:18.69\00:19:20.22
we definitely checked that...
but we don't have to check
00:19:20.26\00:19:22.82
too much because you
don't get it very often...
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.76
do you know what I
mean... and so it's like
00:19:24.79\00:19:26.66
He doesn't check
our bad behavior...
00:19:26.70\00:19:28.76
He checks the
behavior that actually is
00:19:28.80\00:19:30.87
loving and is connected
with Him and they get it...
00:19:30.90\00:19:34.17
and He said,
"That's the only thing
00:19:34.20\00:19:35.60
I'm looking for you guys...
to get it... so that your
00:19:35.64\00:19:38.07
behaviors change naturally...
because you feel safe. "
00:19:38.11\00:19:40.51
Yeah... .. and we
end up writing that...
00:19:40.54\00:19:41.94
we did the book Steps to
Christ, and so we did the book
00:19:41.98\00:19:44.65
Steps to Christ and so
I'm praying and I'm so excited
00:19:44.68\00:19:47.58
about that... we actually
put it into a 14-week program
00:19:47.62\00:19:50.49
for the Church... and
so... let me just show you..
00:19:50.52\00:19:52.92
Tell us about
that... the program...
00:19:52.95\00:19:54.09
The Program is a 14-week program
with participating guides
00:19:54.12\00:19:57.63
and all of that kind of
stuff... and it's 14 weeks
00:19:57.66\00:19:59.73
with Steps to
Christ... 28 video clips
00:19:59.76\00:20:02.10
so that you're
seeing real testimonies
00:20:02.13\00:20:04.37
all that kind of stuff...
00:20:04.40\00:20:05.47
and all in Recovery
Language all with a really...
00:20:05.50\00:20:09.10
the only goal is to help you
to connect with each other...
00:20:09.14\00:20:12.57
connect with God
and in friendship...
00:20:12.61\00:20:14.84
and not sink away in shame...
00:20:14.88\00:20:16.54
you know... just come out...
00:20:16.58\00:20:18.15
Yes... this is so important
because so many of our churches
00:20:18.18\00:20:21.18
in fact, I want to
say... most of our churches
00:20:21.22\00:20:23.65
have no clue about
00:20:23.69\00:20:25.29
how to deal with...
00:20:25.32\00:20:26.86
someone comes in
off the street...
00:20:26.89\00:20:28.79
and they're an
addict... and they're...
00:20:28.82\00:20:30.46
I see this in the
churches in the inner cities...
00:20:30.49\00:20:32.36
What do I do? What if
they're just divorced,
00:20:32.39\00:20:34.20
what if they're a workaholic
what if they're just somebody
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.77
that's angry... we
don't know how to deal
00:20:36.80\00:20:38.00
with any of that...
so... and I mean that...
00:20:38.03\00:20:40.50
I'm not meaning
that in a bad way...
00:20:40.54\00:20:42.34
So, what we did was... we
tried to put a program together
00:20:42.37\00:20:44.94
...some tools... what
we tried to do then...
00:20:44.97\00:20:47.68
is... let's make
it really simple...
00:20:47.71\00:20:49.41
all of the books
that you see right here...
00:20:49.44\00:20:51.11
are on this card... and
you stick it into your computer
00:20:51.15\00:20:53.65
and have it on the computer...
so, we tried to make it
00:20:53.68\00:20:56.18
very simple...
and then... one day...
00:20:56.22\00:20:58.19
I'm literally praying,
right... and I have a program
00:20:58.22\00:21:02.82
that I said... is
let's do a children's program
00:21:02.86\00:21:05.46
so that if the
families have kids
00:21:05.49\00:21:07.30
they can bring the
kids and it goes into the
00:21:07.30\00:21:09.03
children's
program... but God says,
00:21:09.06\00:21:10.83
"But what are you
going to do for them?"
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.53
and I'm thinking...
you know... I'm thinking
00:21:12.57\00:21:14.17
I'm hearing the
Holy Spirit say that
00:21:14.20\00:21:15.54
but I'm thinking... "I
don't know what you mean"
00:21:15.57\00:21:17.27
And He says,
"Well, why don't you do a
00:21:17.31\00:21:19.27
Steps to Christ
version for a 5-year-old... "
00:21:19.31\00:21:22.04
and I'm thinking...
"What does that mean...
00:21:22.08\00:21:24.75
for a 5-year-old... "
"Well, how about a 5-year-old
00:21:24.78\00:21:27.02
that's been
dealing with bullying...
00:21:27.05\00:21:28.08
what about a 5-year-old
that has a broken home...
00:21:28.12\00:21:30.69
what about a 5-year-old
being raised by a single parent,
00:21:30.72\00:21:33.19
or dealt with molest...
is how can you honestly
00:21:33.22\00:21:35.66
talk to them about that kind of
stuff... blaming each other...
00:21:35.69\00:21:39.16
fighting... all of
that kind of stuff...
00:21:39.19\00:21:41.50
so, I got this whole vision
and you know how He does this
00:21:41.53\00:21:45.73
Yvonne, you just
get this whole vision...
00:21:45.77\00:21:47.14
Yes... ... this whole vision...
00:21:47.17\00:21:48.30
and it's a book
called Skips to Jesus...
00:21:48.34\00:21:50.57
so instead of Steps to
Christ... Skips to Jesus...
00:21:50.61\00:21:54.34
and the entire book is
about God... teaching kids...
00:21:54.38\00:21:58.05
the basic concepts
of Steps to Christ...
00:21:58.08\00:22:00.05
so the 14-week program
now... is for adults...
00:22:00.08\00:22:02.88
14-week program for kids...
and now I have to find Jesus
00:22:02.92\00:22:06.49
right... and so I'm
looking for Jesus in Wal-Mart...
00:22:06.52\00:22:08.86
as I'm driving down the street
and I'm looking for somebody
00:22:08.89\00:22:11.69
that looks Middle-Eastern...
they can play the part...
00:22:11.73\00:22:14.40
and I'm getting my computer
fixed at the Mac store...
00:22:14.46\00:22:17.57
and I look up... and this
guy it's just as beautiful...
00:22:17.60\00:22:20.57
I thought Middle-Eastern
guy, beard... dark hair...
00:22:20.60\00:22:23.54
and just looks like
the Holy Spirit is shining
00:22:23.57\00:22:26.21
off of him... and I said to him,
00:22:26.24\00:22:27.88
"Hey, I'm looking for
Jesus" and he said, "What?"
00:22:27.91\00:22:32.65
and I told him
about the whole project
00:22:32.68\00:22:34.58
and so, he's
Christian... so I said...
00:22:34.62\00:22:36.45
"Would you play
the part for us?"
00:22:36.48\00:22:37.99
and he said...
"Can I pray about that?"
00:22:38.02\00:22:40.19
and I said,
"Jesus would so say that"
00:22:40.22\00:22:42.39
so... "Yes" so we end up...
00:22:42.42\00:22:45.09
I bring a seamstress...
just in case he says, "Yes"
00:22:45.13\00:22:48.26
we're walking in
front of the Mac store
00:22:48.30\00:22:49.90
we're checking out his size,
so in case we make his clothes
00:22:49.93\00:22:53.50
we end up hiring
him... bringing him in
00:22:53.54\00:22:55.67
bringing him in
with a photographer...
00:22:55.70\00:22:57.64
we're doing all the
shots with the kids...
00:22:57.67\00:22:59.57
for the book Skips to
Jesus, and he tells me...
00:22:59.61\00:23:02.21
he looks at me and he
said, "You know, the only reason
00:23:02.24\00:23:04.58
I said 'Yes' is for
one... you're a Christian...
00:23:04.61\00:23:07.32
one... you're a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian... "
00:23:07.35\00:23:09.18
and I thought...
"Well, how did you know that?"
00:23:09.22\00:23:11.02
he said, "Well, I
went to your website"
00:23:11.05\00:23:12.15
and I said, "What made
you say 'yes' about that...?"
00:23:12.19\00:23:14.56
and he said, "I was a
starving kid in India,
00:23:14.59\00:23:17.53
and I was picked up by
the Adventist School System
00:23:17.56\00:23:20.30
and they saved my
life. " Praise the Lord...
00:23:20.33\00:23:23.06
and I thought, "shut
up"... so God just brings us
00:23:23.10\00:23:25.87
full circle... I
think it's about us
00:23:25.90\00:23:28.00
and our
projects... and it's about this
00:23:28.04\00:23:30.17
incredible guy in his
journey... so, you know,
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.27
even as we're
putting this together...
00:23:32.31\00:23:34.31
for our church of
20 million people...
00:23:34.34\00:23:36.24
equipping them to
start honestly talking about
00:23:36.28\00:23:39.31
"stuff" you know...
so that we can go out
00:23:39.35\00:23:43.18
and minister to 7
billion people on the planet...
00:23:43.22\00:23:46.86
more effectively... you know,
00:23:46.89\00:23:49.22
God is healing people
even in the making of it...
00:23:49.26\00:23:53.40
in the putting
together of that...
00:23:53.43\00:23:54.46
so now you got this
homeless, illiterate, flaky,
00:23:54.46\00:23:58.57
ADD kid... that God
just gives it the privilege
00:23:58.60\00:24:02.57
of putting together
something so cool...
00:24:02.60\00:24:05.27
and I am thinking...
"How can we not kiss you
00:24:05.31\00:24:08.04
on the face... " how
can we not trust the fact
00:24:08.08\00:24:10.28
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I
have a future and a plan
00:24:10.31\00:24:13.58
for you... not to bring evil
into your life... but good. "
00:24:13.62\00:24:16.99
Absolutely... and
look at what He's done...
00:24:17.02\00:24:19.92
again... it's a
system... God doesn't do things
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.82
haphazardly...
you have a system...
00:24:22.86\00:24:24.96
from childhood... Skips to Jesus
all the way through adulthood...
00:24:24.99\00:24:30.07
and it's just not about drugs
00:24:30.10\00:24:31.50
it's about recovery from any
kind of addiction... correct...
00:24:31.53\00:24:34.34
Yeah, blame... fear... divorce..
dysfunctional home stuff, molest
00:24:34.37\00:24:40.28
and then... when they learn...
for this 14-week program
00:24:40.31\00:24:43.88
what's really fun about it...
is when the child leaves their
00:24:43.91\00:24:48.05
night in the
program, and the adult leaves
00:24:48.08\00:24:50.89
they study the
same thing... Oh...
00:24:50.92\00:24:54.19
...and so the child can say,
"Mom, man! did you study tonight
00:24:54.22\00:24:57.66
about prayer?" "I did... "
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.43
know what they
told me in my class...
00:24:59.46\00:25:02.06
so now you start to do
that dialog with parent to child
00:25:02.10\00:25:06.37
and sometimes... people
don't know how to do that
00:25:06.40\00:25:08.97
they step into recovery...
"and I really don't know
00:25:09.00\00:25:10.74
how to talk to my
kids about normal stuff
00:25:10.77\00:25:12.94
or spiritual things... "
and we've done it in a way
00:25:12.97\00:25:16.11
that it's just really natural...
00:25:16.14\00:25:17.58
and we've done it... I
hope... for everyone...
00:25:17.61\00:25:21.58
you know what I
mean... is that...
00:25:21.62\00:25:23.72
to me... I was a kid...
living in... in a drug house...
00:25:23.75\00:25:29.86
in a dysfunctional
home... all that kind of stuff
00:25:29.89\00:25:32.06
and there are kids
that are not from that...
00:25:32.09\00:25:34.36
they're in a more normal
home, or they're in a more
00:25:34.36\00:25:36.26
affluent home...
but it doesn't matter
00:25:36.30\00:25:38.27
in this kind of a program
because we all have been hit
00:25:38.30\00:25:40.67
with stuff... we're at the
end of the great controversy
00:25:40.70\00:25:43.07
none of us escape...
one of my best friends...
00:25:43.10\00:25:46.47
lost her son to SIDS...
so her thing is not drugs
00:25:46.51\00:25:50.25
it's grief... but grief
is as destructive as drugs...
00:25:50.28\00:25:53.98
and so the
Program works for that...
00:25:54.02\00:25:55.58
let's talk out loud
about what our issues are...
00:25:55.62\00:25:58.29
and start to love each other.
That's tremendous... you know,
00:25:58.32\00:26:01.36
you can... the
children and their parents
00:26:01.39\00:26:04.69
can build memories with this...
00:26:04.73\00:26:06.39
this is a memory builder...
this is a bridge builder
00:26:06.43\00:26:09.63
between the
children and the parents...
00:26:09.66\00:26:12.43
you know... where they can
talk about the same lessons...
00:26:12.47\00:26:14.94
this is so healthy...
it's building families...
00:26:14.97\00:26:18.01
helping to repair families...
this is tremendous...
00:26:18.04\00:26:21.04
God is using you
in a tremendous way...
00:26:21.08\00:26:23.51
...and once we start repairing
families in that way...
00:26:23.55\00:26:26.98
we get our lives back...
Yes... yes we do... we do...
00:26:27.02\00:26:30.42
What would you say,
what do you want to say
00:26:30.45\00:26:33.12
to the viewer who is
struggling with something
00:26:33.15\00:26:35.79
in like 30 seconds... what
would you say to the viewer
00:26:35.82\00:26:38.99
who is struggling
with an issue like this?
00:26:39.03\00:26:40.70
I would say, "Say out
loud 'help... God... help'"
00:26:40.73\00:26:44.57
and then connect with somebody
that actually has walked
00:26:44.60\00:26:47.57
a little further along than
you, because you can't do this
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.51
by yourself...
we're not meant to do it
00:26:50.54\00:26:52.47
by ourselves... and find
somebody that you can trust...
00:26:52.51\00:26:55.14
that will give you
good spiritual advice...
00:26:55.18\00:26:57.78
and stand up... because
God has a plan for your life...
00:26:57.81\00:27:00.45
Absolutely...
Cheri... thank you so much...
00:27:00.48\00:27:03.02
what is... before we
close... what would you say
00:27:03.05\00:27:06.59
is the plan for getting
this out to the churches...
00:27:06.62\00:27:10.13
how can people find out
more about this recovery program
00:27:10.16\00:27:13.83
I would say, "Go to
our website truestep. org
00:27:13.86\00:27:16.06
go to the
website... this program...
00:27:16.10\00:27:18.23
you can use for yourself
as couples in your home,
00:27:18.27\00:27:20.84
in your small
groups, or the churches
00:27:20.87\00:27:22.67
and get a hold of it
and see what you think
00:27:22.70\00:27:25.21
and man... be blessed... "
00:27:25.24\00:27:27.28
Thank you so much,
I love you so much...
00:27:27.31\00:27:29.58
and I'm so glad you are here...
You know it's the same...
00:27:29.61\00:27:31.61
Yeah, we're like this...
00:27:31.65\00:27:32.88
I know that God has
00:27:32.91\00:27:35.22
such a great
plan... for this program
00:27:35.25\00:27:37.49
because it's so needed...
our people need this... so badly
00:27:37.52\00:27:41.46
and this is going to address
some basic fundamental issues
00:27:41.49\00:27:45.39
that we have
within our churches...
00:27:45.43\00:27:47.00
So, thank you Cheri...
again... because I don't know...
00:27:47.03\00:27:50.57
Amen... ... we
need what you do...
00:27:50.60\00:27:52.20
we need what you offer...
00:27:52.23\00:27:53.54
so, thank you so much...
and thank you... for tuning in..
00:27:53.57\00:27:56.67
Tune in next time... it
just wouldn't be the same...
00:27:56.71\00:27:59.54
without you...
00:27:59.57\00:28:01.74