Stay tuned to meet
a former NFL player
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who's on fire for God.
My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is Michael
Charles, former NFL player
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and lifestyle consultant.
Welcome to Urban Report Michael.
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Thank you...
thank you for having me.
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It is so great to
have you here. Praise God!
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We've been trying to get
you here for a long time.
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The Lord had me do a few travels
but He finally landed me here
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and I praise Him every
day for just giving me this
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opportunity. Thank you
again for having me. Amen.
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Well thank you so much
for being willing to come
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'cause our viewers
need to know your story.
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Oh, you don't have enough time.
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I know, we have to get
everything... crowd everything
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into a 30-minute spot. But
tell us about your journey.
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Tell us what...
where did you grow up?
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Well, I'm from a big town,
big city: Newark, New Jersey.
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Oh, Newark! You know
New Jersey is literally
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a hop, skip, and
jump from Manhattan.
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You know, you
could hop on the bus,
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take it downtown Newark,
skip through the train station
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there, hop the turnstile
and you're in Manhattan.
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Hope a
turnstile... wait a minute.
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People from that city know
about hopping the turnstile.
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And so right across
from Manhattan. I tell people
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I used to... grew up
playing hooky sometimes
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in Times Square.
They're like "Oh really?
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You've been in Times
Square. " I'm like: "Ahh,
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it's not all that great. "
It was just a nice growing up.
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I was born in Newark
like I said and grew up in
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the Stella Home Project Area,
so that's the west side of the
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city, west side of Newark.
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Newark is plagued with a
lot of crime and blight...
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economic blight. It was
strifeful back at that time.
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The only way of getting out,
the only kind of light at the
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end of the tunnel was through
Satan's way which was drug sales
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and some type of crime industry
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or through God's... I
don't even know if it's God's
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way... Still it was Satan's
other way which was sports.
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Ummm. You know,
organized sports.
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And I see now how
parents treat these kids,
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you know, trying to prod
them to be these great football
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players or great basketball
players, and it's just not right
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I don't think. Tell us
a little bit about that.
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How do they prod
their kids in New Jersey?
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I've seen them pushing
kids. I remember one time going
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to a T-ball baseball game.
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And T-ball is just for
kids to just learn the game,
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understand the game. Right.
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And you put the ball on the T
and then the kids stand up there
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with their bat and swing
and then they run the bases.
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I've seen, you
know, kids miss the ball.
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You know, they do miss the ball.
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Swing and it's right there
and they still miss it. Right.
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And I see parents
just go... become unglued.
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"Hey! It's just a
kid... it's just a game.
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They're not going to ever
make it to the major leagues
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and you're sitting here
screaming at this kid like,
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you know, he's a
loser. And he's not! "
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And same with football.
I've seen, you know, parents
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because their kid was so big.
It's not like: "Well let me stop
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feeding you cake and ice cream
in the middle of the night"
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and something like that.
No, it's "Let me throw you out
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here with these football
coaches" who are trying to live
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their former lives and live
vicariously through these kids.
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And next thing you know they've
got them doing what I perceive
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to be Army grass drills out
there, and these are just kids.
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And they wonder how these
kids get beaten after the games.
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So when they become of
age... of a mature age...
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they don't even
like the sports any more.
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Wow! So what you're seeing
with these kind of back stage
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parents who like if the kid
is going into the entertainment
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industry you have one
kind of parent that's pushing.
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Or for kids going into
sports, that same type of parent
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just kind of pushing them
into something that it's not
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best for them to be
in. And I've never ever
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in all my life seen
parents push their kids
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towards religion. Never
seen no parent push a kid
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to be a pastor... push a
kid to be a Bible worker.
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Push a kid to, you know,
be some type of missionary...
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never seen that.
But you know, for sports
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and entertainment, you
know, they're right behind
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and they're thinking about all
the money that you're going to
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"make for us. " All the money
you're going to make for us.
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Yes. A kid grows with all this
pain and stress in his life.
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I was a little different.
My mom didn't really do that
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with me. She just encouraged
me in any direction I wanted.
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She just wanted me to be a
good citizen and a good man.
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Were you in a
single-parent household?
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Two parents were there.
My father was West Indian,
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so I'm half Trinidad. And my
mother's from North Carolina.
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OK. And I have a younger
brother and two younger sisters.
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And we all are
doing well right now.
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Our parents are dead
now. My mom had died from
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diabetes in 1991 and then my
dad died from prostate cancer
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in 1993. Oh wow! Yeah.
So it took a toll on me
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and now that my last uncle
just passed a few weeks ago
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that left me as the oldest
male matriarch in my family.
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Yeah... patriarch.
Patriarch, yes. So now
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everybody's looking at
me for all their answers
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and to clear up something, as if
I don't have enough on my plate
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now - absolutely - I have to
be the patriarch of my family.
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Absolutely. So you
grew up in Newark. Um-hmm.
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Did you get
drawn into the drugs?
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Did you get drawn into selling
and using and all of that?
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Not into selling.
Using a little bit.
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You know, I had guys who
were my age - friends of mine -
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who were just low key
got into smoking and drinking
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of... back then it
was the Malt Duck. OK.
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I drank a little Malt
Duck, and our neighbor
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sold little bags of weed.
And as we walked his dog for him
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or do something for him
he would repay us like that.
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And it was nothing
major... on a major scale.
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We never thought that we
were going to be like a Scarface
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or anything and get into this
big heavy kind of use and abuse.
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And then shortly after that...
we're talking 6th, 7th grade...
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Wow! We're talking
6th or 7th grade. But then
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shortly after that I
went off to high school.
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It followed me a
little bit to high school
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but then once I got into
college I kind of left it behind
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and drifted off from that
and just really tried to focus
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on sports. I didn't really
start playing organized football
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until I was about a
junior in high school.
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So my third year in high school
I started playing organized
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football. And then
each year it got better.
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I got getter in leaps and
bounds. Like the next year
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I was All-State Performer
and All American in high school.
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Wow! And I had all these
colleges wooing me to come
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to their university.
Now what do you think
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of the whole
organized sports situation?
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What do you think about the
way the players are treated?
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All of that? How? Well, the
players are treated like gold...
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but that's a
commodity. You know that.
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So the players? You can't get
any better treatment than when
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you're a player. OK.
The problem comes... is
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prior to being a player
the way it gets into your head
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and the type of
person it makes some people,
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you know, as far as being
egotistical or self-centered
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or selfish. All these
type of things it makes people.
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And then after you get
in then you get glorified.
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And this kind of glory reminds
you of the gladiator days.
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You know, here I
am. I'm this big man.
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I beat another big man
and I throw and cast my body
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into a man half my
size who has the football,
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drop him to the ground
and stand up on top of him
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and wait for 50,000 people
to start screaming my name
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and cheering me on.
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And so I felt like it was
gladiator days back again.
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And so that kind of gives
you that superiority complex.
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And then you don't
have to pay for anything.
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Everybody wants you everywhere.
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You don't have to wait in line.
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You don't have to...
It's just an open door policy
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for you. Red carpet
treatment everywhere you go.
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And then comes the low is when
you retire, after you retire.
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Yes. Let's talk about
the contrast because I think
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that's a very important point.
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So when you're playing
you're up here on a mountaintop.
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Everybody wants you around.
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You're the man...
that's it. Um-hmm.
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Then you retire. What happens?
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Well for some people I think
if you don't have anything else
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prior to playing football
and all your life geared around
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football, then you hit
this big low part in your life.
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Who'd you play for, Michael? I
played with the Miami Dolphins.
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In '83 I was drafted
by the Miami Dolphins.
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Me and a kid named Dan Marino.
You might have heard of him. OK.
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Me and him were the first
two picks for the Miami Dolphins
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in 1983. And
then four years later
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I got traded to
the San Diego Chargers.
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I stayed there and played
with another great quarterback
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Dan Fouts and a great
tight end Kellen Winslow
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and a great wide
receiver in Wes Chandler.
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And then left there,
and when I left there
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I went and played
with the L.A. Raiders
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when they came down to
L.A. for those two years
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and they left
Oakland and came down to L.A.
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And Art Shell was the coach,
and at that time I played on
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the defensive line with
Howie Long and Bob Golic
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and some of those great players.
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And then after that I retired.
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My knee was bothering me a
little bit. Thought I would
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retire... was tired of the game.
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I went home, and then
when I had gone home to retire
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Jeff Fisher had just
taken over at the defense.
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He's now the head coach
of the Saint Louis Rams.
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But at that time he
was the defense coordinator
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for the L.A. Rams.
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Called me out of retirement;
asked me to come play with him.
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So I completed my final
year with the L.A. Rams.
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It was a nice
term... defensive line.
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I had some great
years; I had some OK years.
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You know, up and
down health wise.
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And when I say health wise,
I had nothing really broken
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or sprained, but I just felt
my body sort of giving away.
00:10:07.30\00:10:10.17
Did you get concussion?
The big thing about that
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now is the concussions
that lead to depression.
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Right. Did you
suffer with concussions?
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No but suffice to say I've
caused a lot of concussions.
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And no... I just...
My position: I felt that
00:10:25.79\00:10:30.66
concussions and injury
came to people going half speed.
00:10:30.79\00:10:34.96
You know, taking
breaks on plays as we call it.
00:10:35.10\00:10:37.63
But me and my defense...
you know, I've never really
00:10:37.77\00:10:40.17
taken a break on playing. As a
defensive lineman I hit somebody
00:10:40.20\00:10:43.61
every play. And so you
figure I played a thousand plays
00:10:43.74\00:10:47.58
a year and I
played for 16 years -
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.98
high school, college, and pros -
00:10:50.11\00:10:51.78
so at 16,000
hits I've hit somebody
00:10:51.91\00:10:54.55
at some point in time...
and hard, aggressive hits.
00:10:54.68\00:10:57.35
And I never really once
came... The Lord blessed me
00:10:57.59\00:11:01.22
with no concussion. Never broke
a leg; never broke an ankle;
00:11:01.36\00:11:03.86
never pulled anything.
00:11:04.09\00:11:06.06
So it's just by His
grace that He kept me alive.
00:11:06.19\00:11:08.93
But I think He just
kept me alive to realize
00:11:09.06\00:11:10.77
that that's not
what He wanted me to do.
00:11:10.80\00:11:12.73
OK, OK... how did
you? Let's talk about:
00:11:12.87\00:11:17.37
Where were you spiritually when
you got involved with the NFL
00:11:17.41\00:11:22.34
and... Let's just start there.
00:11:22.48\00:11:25.75
Where were you? When I
got involved spiritually
00:11:25.88\00:11:29.18
I wasn't with
the NFL at that time.
00:11:29.22\00:11:30.95
All the while I was in
the NFL it was all about self.
00:11:31.09\00:11:33.46
I had this...
00:11:33.59\00:11:35.46
I kind of guided my life.
00:11:38.19\00:11:40.16
Now that I'm a Bible
student and I know Bible now
00:11:40.30\00:11:43.33
I kind of picture my
life as the Prodigal Son.
00:11:43.47\00:11:46.74
OK. That parable in Luke. Yeah.
00:11:46.87\00:11:49.30
The younger man asked his
father to give him his living
00:11:50.57\00:11:53.81
that befall upon him.
So I felt that that was my
00:11:53.94\00:11:56.38
senior year of college.
And I'm asking the Lord...
00:11:56.41\00:11:59.48
As I'm praying I'm not
really praying sincerely.
00:11:59.61\00:12:02.35
I'm just praying, talking,
theoretically. "OK, Lord,
00:12:02.48\00:12:05.59
I've been doing all this
work, all this workout, all this
00:12:05.72\00:12:08.56
lifting, all this
running, all these miles ran,
00:12:08.59\00:12:10.76
all this
strength, all this testing,
00:12:10.89\00:12:12.66
it's time for You to
give me my just due. "
00:12:12.79\00:12:14.83
And my just due, the parable
says, the father gave him -
00:12:15.16\00:12:19.00
um-hmm - all he had. And my
just due was my NFL contract.
00:12:19.13\00:12:22.40
"OK, here...
that's your contract. "
00:12:22.64\00:12:24.64
And then shortly
after that I left school,
00:12:24.97\00:12:27.28
you know, and go
to the football camps.
00:12:27.41\00:12:29.48
And just like the
parable said, shortly after that
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.65
I go to a far country.
That was my far country:
00:12:31.78\00:12:34.68
the world.
00:12:34.92\00:12:36.58
And I spent my life, spent
my substance, on riotous living.
00:12:36.85\00:12:40.49
And that's what I
did: wine, women, and song.
00:12:40.62\00:12:42.89
Party. I was at a
ladies' night every night.
00:12:43.12\00:12:44.93
It was very easy
for me to talk to women.
00:12:45.79\00:12:48.03
Very easy for me to
get involved with the,
00:12:48.16\00:12:51.63
you know, people who had
drugs and drug connections.
00:12:51.97\00:12:54.94
Very easy for me
to be around that.
00:12:55.17\00:12:56.77
Walk into a bar...
they wouldn't take my money.
00:12:57.01\00:12:58.87
They just set up tabs for me
and then cleared the tabs off.
00:12:59.01\00:13:01.78
All I'd do is
just tip the bartender.
00:13:02.01\00:13:03.75
Just as long as I was
there. They liked me there.
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.61
Liked being around. And
then from that I had people
00:13:06.75\00:13:09.32
just liked being
around me for that, too.
00:13:09.35\00:13:11.29
And then it was just...
As I look back, it was just
00:13:11.42\00:13:16.19
a real whirlwind of
just debauchery you know.
00:13:16.22\00:13:19.33
Up and down. And just like
all merry-go-rounds, the rides
00:13:19.46\00:13:22.76
come to an end.
Just as in our parable
00:13:22.80\00:13:24.97
the ride came to an
end for the young man
00:13:25.10\00:13:27.10
and there became a
famine in this land
00:13:27.24\00:13:31.47
and he began to be in want.
00:13:31.61\00:13:33.11
And that was me: a
famine came in my land.
00:13:33.34\00:13:35.41
There's no football now. There's
no football; I've retired.
00:13:35.44\00:13:39.35
What do I do now?
I've got too much pride
00:13:39.48\00:13:42.98
in me to go and just
start self-destructing.
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.92
So now I'm kind of
a functioning person
00:13:46.15\00:13:49.62
that could smoke
blunts, drink... But then
00:13:49.76\00:13:54.20
still work and be
productive and pay my bills.
00:13:54.30\00:13:56.63
So I'm
thinking... What kind of work?
00:13:56.77\00:13:58.90
I was a salesperson. Have
a degree in communications
00:13:59.13\00:14:01.70
so I've always
gotten into sales.
00:14:01.87\00:14:03.77
So I've always had the gift
of gab and I just talk to people
00:14:03.91\00:14:06.47
and they owe me. And I
started selling products...
00:14:06.61\00:14:09.28
different products.
Started with home security sales
00:14:09.41\00:14:12.15
then I went into
cell phone sales.
00:14:12.28\00:14:14.78
Just kind of
branched off from there.
00:14:15.02\00:14:16.62
Morphed off and
back into security sales.
00:14:16.75\00:14:18.65
And I used to
design fire systems.
00:14:18.89\00:14:21.02
So it was just a
sale of securities.
00:14:21.29\00:14:23.39
And then after a while
00:14:23.56\00:14:26.86
I think the Lord was
ready. He knew I was looking.
00:14:27.10\00:14:29.73
I started going... Instead
of hanging out and partying
00:14:29.96\00:14:33.27
and bringing the New Year in
at a party... some wild party...
00:14:33.30\00:14:36.40
I started bringing the
New Year in at a church.
00:14:36.54\00:14:38.77
Oh. And I started
looking for churches on my own.
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.18
Um-huh. And I started looking
for churches and I'm saying
00:14:41.44\00:14:43.14
"OK. " But then the different
churches wasn't my speed.
00:14:43.28\00:14:46.78
I went to a Catholic
church. That wasn't for me.
00:14:46.92\00:14:49.45
I went to some
type of Baptist church
00:14:49.68\00:14:52.59
and the people
got the Holy Spirit
00:14:52.72\00:14:54.46
and they started
running up and down the aisles.
00:14:54.49\00:14:56.09
I was like: "OK...
that's not for me. "
00:14:56.22\00:14:58.43
And somebody
else jumped up to me.
00:14:58.66\00:15:00.60
Just having me seeing somebody
who claims they've got tongues.
00:15:00.63\00:15:02.93
They jumped up and started
blabbing in this gibberish.
00:15:03.06\00:15:06.23
And I was like: "OK, this
is not the place either. "
00:15:06.37\00:15:10.07
But I'm trying, and the
Lord knows that I'm trying -
00:15:10.31\00:15:12.54
right - to find Him. But now
you're on a new spiritual path.
00:15:12.67\00:15:16.34
I'm on a path... Um-hmm - I'm on
a path that I put myself on...
00:15:16.38\00:15:19.05
a self-imposed path. Um-hmm.
00:15:19.08\00:15:20.95
So when I retired, first
place I moved to I guess was to
00:15:21.18\00:15:24.79
introduce me to Adventists.
'Cause all this time now -
00:15:24.82\00:15:27.86
I'm 30 years old
and I had never heard of
00:15:27.89\00:15:29.42
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:15:29.46\00:15:30.63
Never heard of
them... Thirty years old. Wow!
00:15:30.76\00:15:32.36
What an indictment
that is on us, though.
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.46
Really. By 30 and
you hadn't ever heard
00:15:34.73\00:15:38.37
of the Seventh-day Adventist
church. That's an indictment
00:15:38.50\00:15:41.30
on us really. And
here's more of an indictment.
00:15:41.34\00:15:43.97
Guess where He moves me
to? I retire out of L.A.
00:15:44.31\00:15:47.58
I leave my L.A. home to
go to Bowie, Maryland. Wow!
00:15:47.71\00:15:50.81
So I'm in Maryland... Adventist
capitol of the country.
00:15:51.15\00:15:54.98
And still no
Adventist came up to me.
00:15:55.12\00:15:57.39
And it wasn't until one
day I came out of my house
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.69
and I talked to my neighbor...
a nice African woman.
00:16:00.82\00:16:05.53
And she had a nice family.
And when I'm coming from my
00:16:05.69\00:16:08.60
mailbox they're coming
out of their house dressed up
00:16:08.63\00:16:11.73
ready to go. And
I'm thinking: "Oh, OK. "
00:16:11.87\00:16:14.14
I'm joking with them and I say:
"I know I tied one on last night
00:16:14.27\00:16:17.37
but don't tell me it's Sunday
already... I missed a day! "
00:16:17.54\00:16:21.04
They said: "No,
no... it's Saturday. "
00:16:21.18\00:16:22.61
I say: "Oh, y'all going
to a wedding or to a funeral,
00:16:22.74\00:16:25.98
heaven forbid? " "Oh,
no, we're going to church. "
00:16:26.01\00:16:28.25
I said: "Really? Church? "
00:16:28.48\00:16:30.92
So then automatically I went to
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.95
"Oh I didn't know
y'all were Jewish. "
00:16:33.19\00:16:35.16
That's first thing I said:
"I thought you were Jewish. "
00:16:35.39\00:16:37.43
Right, right. I said: "I
didn't know you were Jewish. "
00:16:37.56\00:16:39.23
"No, we're Seventh-day
Adventists. " "Seven who? "
00:16:39.26\00:16:41.63
"Seven what? " "What's
a Seventh-day Adventist? "
00:16:41.86\00:16:45.00
And I said: "I've
never heard of them. "
00:16:45.23\00:16:47.57
And she said: "Oh but
we're running late. Come on over
00:16:47.70\00:16:50.04
for lunch. We'll
talk all about it. "
00:16:50.07\00:16:51.61
And so I came over for
lunch later on that day,
00:16:51.74\00:16:55.01
and first thing I noticed
as I walked up to the house
00:16:55.14\00:16:58.48
I'm like: "OK, maybe I'm
a little early 'cause I'm
00:16:58.61\00:17:01.25
not smelling no meat. "
00:17:01.28\00:17:02.68
Not smelling no meat
cooking; nothing in the oven.
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.22
I'm thinkin' "OK,
maybe I'm a little early. "
00:17:05.35\00:17:07.59
"Oh, you're just in time. "
I'm thinking: "OK, just in time.
00:17:07.82\00:17:10.86
Maybe we're going somewhere. "
00:17:10.89\00:17:12.16
Sit us down, you
know... a big plate of fruit.
00:17:12.29\00:17:16.20
All kinds of different
food. Big bowl of salad.
00:17:16.33\00:17:19.27
There were homemade dressings,
2 or 3 homemade dressings.
00:17:19.50\00:17:22.24
Some freshly baked bread.
00:17:22.37\00:17:24.34
And I'm thinking: "Wow! OK!
This is different. I like it. "
00:17:24.47\00:17:29.58
And then as I start
reading stories I see that,
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.55
you know, back in the
olden days, back in ancient days
00:17:32.68\00:17:36.75
that's how they
ate. It was a big feast.
00:17:36.89\00:17:38.49
It wasn't like... didn't have
no animals they was cooking.
00:17:38.62\00:17:41.46
The real feasts back then
they had platters of fruits...
00:17:41.59\00:17:44.93
all kinds of
fruits and vegetables.
00:17:45.06\00:17:46.86
Just had people eating
like that. I said: "Oh! "
00:17:47.00\00:17:50.23
So your neighbors introduced
you... just to Adventists...
00:17:50.40\00:17:54.77
to Adventism. But then
just like anything, any time
00:17:55.00\00:17:57.71
there's something positive
there Satan puts something
00:17:57.84\00:18:01.01
negative there. So what he
did was put something in my eye
00:18:01.04\00:18:04.08
then had me
move out of Maryland.
00:18:04.21\00:18:06.92
He set up an opportunity.
He wanted t get you away from
00:18:07.25\00:18:09.38
that... all away
from that period. Right.
00:18:09.42\00:18:11.32
So he sent me an opportunity
and I moved to Tucson, Arizona.
00:18:11.45\00:18:14.09
OK. And I'm thinking: "OK. "
00:18:14.22\00:18:16.39
And so I never saw
the family no more.
00:18:16.52\00:18:18.39
I got to Tucson I
forgot all about the Adventists
00:18:18.63\00:18:21.26
just goin' through life. Just
goin' through life every day.
00:18:21.40\00:18:25.67
And then suddenly... Now
were you reading your Bible?
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.64
Were you going to any
church? You were just...
00:18:27.77\00:18:30.01
just kind of out
there? Just kind of out there.
00:18:30.14\00:18:31.71
Sunday was my day
of rest so to speak.
00:18:31.84\00:18:34.41
After I went through Friday
and Saturday - long weekends -
00:18:34.61\00:18:37.81
Sunday what I
needed was to recuperate.
00:18:37.95\00:18:40.05
And I remember I had
a cell phone business.
00:18:40.28\00:18:44.29
Had a cell phone
business in 2002.
00:18:44.52\00:18:48.32
And I've been there 7
years now and I'm looking.
00:18:48.59\00:18:51.43
I really am looking for some...
00:18:51.56\00:18:52.69
I'm looking not
only for something better
00:18:52.83\00:18:54.73
spiritually but I'm
looking for someone better
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.50
than the people I've
been going around with.
00:18:57.63\00:18:59.60
Aahhh. So I've always had
beautiful women in my life.
00:18:59.83\00:19:02.97
Always had exotic-looking women.
00:19:03.10\00:19:04.84
But now as I look
back there was nothing
00:19:04.87\00:19:08.01
no substance with them. There
was just my time spent with them
00:19:08.14\00:19:11.85
and then, OK, ready for my
time spent with the next one.
00:19:11.98\00:19:15.15
Trophies... Basically
trophies and notches. Yes.
00:19:15.38\00:19:19.79
And so I'm like:
"OK. " So then I go and -
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.62
I have a cell phone business
- I sell a nurse some phones.
00:19:22.76\00:19:26.43
She invites me to the
hospital; I deliver the phones.
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.96
While I'm there I say:
"Hey, why don't you show me
00:19:29.00\00:19:32.10
around the hospital,
introduce me to some doctors.
00:19:32.13\00:19:34.34
Maybe I can drum
up some business.
00:19:34.47\00:19:35.87
I'll give out my business card
and drum up some business. "
00:19:35.90\00:19:38.41
"OK. " We do that,
00:19:38.57\00:19:40.81
and I walked into
Tucson Heart Hospital.
00:19:40.84\00:19:44.98
I walked in there, and
there's the most beautiful
00:19:45.21\00:19:47.85
woman I've ever
seen right in my face.
00:19:47.98\00:19:49.98
And I said: "Wow, that's going
to be my wife right there. "
00:19:50.12\00:19:53.62
Wow! And come to find out
00:19:53.86\00:19:55.96
her name is the
former LeniliManako.
00:19:56.09\00:19:59.03
And she is of Tongan descent
00:19:59.16\00:20:02.83
so she's an island girl,
so that struck me right there.
00:20:02.96\00:20:05.87
And she has that exotic
look that I've always liked.
00:20:06.00\00:20:08.94
That struck me, and she's
a third generation Adventist.
00:20:09.07\00:20:12.61
Come on now. I knew
nothing about Adventists.
00:20:12.84\00:20:15.51
Now look at God
'cause He knows that,
00:20:15.54\00:20:18.21
you know, you might have a
penchant for beautiful women.
00:20:18.35\00:20:21.18
So what does He do? He sends
you a beautiful godly woman.
00:20:21.22\00:20:25.75
A godly woman at that
- is that? - godly woman.
00:20:25.89\00:20:28.49
That's the most important
thing. You know what, Michael?
00:20:28.62\00:20:30.49
One of the things that I'd
like to let our viewers know -
00:20:30.53\00:20:34.66
um-hmmm - because so many
of our young men think that
00:20:34.83\00:20:38.57
the answer is in
sports or entertainment.
00:20:38.70\00:20:41.40
The answer is in all
the women you can find
00:20:41.64\00:20:45.47
and all the money you
can make and all the...
00:20:45.61\00:20:47.41
If you would,
share with our young men
00:20:48.28\00:20:50.45
how that's not...
there's nothing to it.
00:20:50.48\00:20:54.08
All those things, young
men, it's how the parable says.
00:20:56.89\00:21:01.22
We are talking about the
parable of the Prodigal Son.
00:21:01.36\00:21:04.39
Towards the end there he
realized that all these things
00:21:04.63\00:21:07.76
he was after when he
was in that far country
00:21:07.93\00:21:09.86
and he began to be in want,
a famine grew up in this land,
00:21:10.00\00:21:13.27
was pig food. It was husk.
00:21:13.40\00:21:16.24
There was things that
just... it spoils your appetite.
00:21:16.37\00:21:20.71
You know, really
no substance to it.
00:21:20.94\00:21:23.11
And so now you're sitting
here you're amongst these husks
00:21:23.35\00:21:26.38
and then two things: you
die and you swindle in it
00:21:26.51\00:21:31.59
and you drown in it.
And you just stay in it,
00:21:31.62\00:21:33.76
and it just brings you
down like a big pot of quagmire
00:21:33.79\00:21:37.49
just sucks you in, or you
wake up... you have an epiphany
00:21:37.53\00:21:41.03
and you go back.
00:21:41.26\00:21:42.90
And I woke up. I had an
epiphany and I went back.
00:21:43.23\00:21:46.07
And in going back...
You don't have to go back
00:21:46.40\00:21:48.60
and just run right into church
00:21:48.74\00:21:50.44
and start being this
whole saintly person.
00:21:50.57\00:21:52.27
No... it takes a while.
00:21:52.41\00:21:53.71
I didn't just become the
person I am today overnight.
00:21:53.94\00:21:57.75
It took a while. It took
a longer time for me to be
00:21:57.91\00:22:00.75
the bad person I was. Now
it took almost just as much
00:22:00.88\00:22:04.25
time to be this good person.
00:22:04.39\00:22:06.39
And in being this good
person it's not like I walk...
00:22:06.62\00:22:09.69
I mean, I still sin.
I'm still a sinful person.
00:22:09.82\00:22:12.09
We all do. But it's not
that... I don't make sin
00:22:12.23\00:22:16.30
I don't put that as
the foremost in my mind.
00:22:16.53\00:22:19.17
I'm not advocating sin.
I'm not trying to be sinful.
00:22:19.50\00:22:23.67
I'm not doing sinful things say-
ing: "Oh, OK God, forgive me. "
00:22:23.81\00:22:27.21
You know, knowing that it's
sinful. Not going into things
00:22:27.44\00:22:29.94
knowing that it's sinful
and making conscious efforts
00:22:30.08\00:22:33.58
to do sinful things.
Now if I do something sinful
00:22:33.72\00:22:36.25
it's like: "Oh, I
didn't realize it. Oh my bad. "
00:22:36.38\00:22:39.79
And I sincerely get
down and ask for forgiveness
00:22:39.92\00:22:43.12
every day. And
even if I can't remember
00:22:43.36\00:22:45.69
if I sinned that day I
still ask for forgiveness
00:22:45.83\00:22:48.76
'cause I know He knows -
yes - that I have done something
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.63
that wasn't favorable to Him.
00:22:51.87\00:22:53.20
Yes. And so I will
just tell people that,
00:22:53.34\00:22:55.40
you know, find your
connection with God.
00:22:55.54\00:22:58.51
You really need to find
your connection with God.
00:22:58.64\00:23:00.48
And that's where we always lose.
00:23:00.71\00:23:02.84
And now they've
taken it out of the school.
00:23:02.98\00:23:04.38
They've taken God out of school.
00:23:04.51\00:23:05.58
They've finally taken
it out of the locker rooms.
00:23:05.61\00:23:07.68
They've taken it
out of the work place.
00:23:07.82\00:23:10.05
You know, they just
don't want you to have...
00:23:10.19\00:23:11.52
They want you to go
out... They're forcing you
00:23:11.65\00:23:13.92
to go out and find
your own connection.
00:23:14.06\00:23:16.02
They don't want to
advocate a connection.
00:23:16.16\00:23:17.89
They don't want to say:
"OK, we have a connection here
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.96
to make it easy for you. " No,
Satan is making it hard on us.
00:23:21.10\00:23:23.67
Yeah. Taking it away from
us. Taking it from around us
00:23:23.83\00:23:26.80
so now you're forced
to go out and find it.
00:23:26.94\00:23:29.37
And then when we do?
We still find pig food.
00:23:29.60\00:23:31.97
You know, we join ourself to
a citizen of that far country
00:23:32.21\00:23:36.18
and then he puts us
in his field to work.
00:23:36.31\00:23:40.25
So whether it be the dope man,
00:23:40.58\00:23:42.38
whether it be
the business owner,
00:23:42.42\00:23:44.42
whether it be some
00:23:44.62\00:23:48.56
kind of get-rich-quick scheme.
00:23:48.69\00:23:51.03
Um-hmm. There's always
something that's out there
00:23:51.16\00:23:53.33
that keeps you away
from the true focus:
00:23:53.46\00:23:55.76
the path that's
straight and narrow. Yes.
00:23:55.80\00:23:58.17
And so we wind up
taking these zigzagged paths
00:23:58.20\00:24:01.30
and these quickie paths thinking
that eventually we'll get there.
00:24:01.44\00:24:04.07
And it's not... it's
pig food. Amen; thank you.
00:24:04.24\00:24:07.44
What would you?
What are you doing now?
00:24:07.78\00:24:10.31
What? You're on a
new path. Yes I am.
00:24:10.45\00:24:13.31
Tell us what you're doing now.
00:24:13.45\00:24:14.85
Well now I am executive
director for The Healing Place.
00:24:14.88\00:24:17.72
And The Healing Place is an
entity of Eden Valley Institute.
00:24:17.85\00:24:21.76
And Eden Valley
Institute is a wellness center,
00:24:21.99\00:24:24.69
a lifestyle wellness
center in Loveland, Colorado.
00:24:24.73\00:24:27.60
OK, and that's been in
business now for about 50 years.
00:24:27.86\00:24:31.33
They've been helping
guide people through health
00:24:31.37\00:24:35.07
to the Lord. Ummm. And
so now they've acquired
00:24:35.20\00:24:38.67
a city ministry. And
you know we're counseled
00:24:38.71\00:24:41.38
to go and reach into the city
to reach those that feel they
00:24:41.51\00:24:45.01
have no time and have no time
to take time out to come find
00:24:45.05\00:24:50.15
the Lord. We are counseled to go
in and bring the Lord to them.
00:24:50.19\00:24:53.15
And so they have a new
city ministry which is a health
00:24:53.39\00:24:55.79
education and
community outreach center.
00:24:55.82\00:24:58.16
And so I direct that.
And what we do is that we...
00:24:58.39\00:25:01.43
we... I've increased it since
I've gotten in since Jan. 1.
00:25:01.60\00:25:05.93
And we've increased the ministry
00:25:06.27\00:25:08.07
and we provide a
community food bank
00:25:08.20\00:25:11.04
and I put out... You
know, I buy about - hmmm -
00:25:11.17\00:25:13.74
I serve about 1,500
pounds of food a month.
00:25:14.08\00:25:19.08
And that services
about 450 families.
00:25:19.21\00:25:22.38
Wow! All right. And
then we have about...
00:25:22.62\00:25:25.49
I have a community clothes bank.
00:25:25.62\00:25:27.49
And this is for the
working poor and the needy too.
00:25:27.72\00:25:30.79
So it's like a thrift store,
and people can come through.
00:25:31.06\00:25:34.76
And it's very
nice stuff that I have.
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.40
And I've partnered
with several agencies around
00:25:36.53\00:25:38.80
that can give me
food and give me clothes.
00:25:38.93\00:25:41.37
And then I also give a
personal Bible study myself.
00:25:41.60\00:25:44.31
I witness to them. I
tell them stories about me
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.38
and I tell them stories
about you. I share Bible stories
00:25:47.51\00:25:50.35
with them and tell them
how it relates to them today.
00:25:50.48\00:25:53.31
Right, you apply it.
00:25:53.45\00:25:56.05
I apply Bible
stories to them today.
00:25:56.08\00:25:57.22
We need to put your website up
00:25:57.25\00:25:58.72
so that people will
know how to reach you.
00:25:58.85\00:26:01.59
Well praise God. So
what you're doing is
00:26:01.82\00:26:03.89
you're reaching them
with food, with clothing,
00:26:04.03\00:26:08.23
and with spiritual food.
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.10
"When I was hungry you
fed Me. " That's right.
00:26:10.23\00:26:12.40
"When I was naked you
clothed Me. " That's right.
00:26:12.63\00:26:14.44
You're meeting them
at their point of need.
00:26:14.47\00:26:16.27
Right at that
point... at that point.
00:26:16.30\00:26:18.07
And it's been a blessing.
It has truly been a blessing.
00:26:18.11\00:26:21.11
I got a lot of formal
training in what I do.
00:26:21.24\00:26:25.25
I picked up some
training at Eden Valley.
00:26:25.48\00:26:27.58
They have a school - talk
about that - a school called
00:26:27.72\00:26:30.95
THE WELL. And THE
WELL is an acronym
00:26:30.99\00:26:33.89
for Training Health Educators
00:26:33.92\00:26:36.09
With Evangelism,
Lifestyle, and Leadership.
00:26:36.32\00:26:39.76
Oh wow! I love it!
00:26:40.00\00:26:41.66
It's a beautiful
school, a beautiful opportunity.
00:26:41.70\00:26:43.80
I came today... I
came to 3ABN today
00:26:43.83\00:26:47.17
with the education
director Matthew Dooley.
00:26:47.30\00:26:50.01
And he's going to
share a little bit about that
00:26:50.14\00:26:52.31
on the Today program.
Wonderful! And so we're excited
00:26:52.34\00:26:55.78
to be able to get
that out and for people to
00:26:55.91\00:26:58.48
see what's going
on at Eden Valley.
00:26:58.61\00:27:00.48
You know, people come
from all over the world
00:27:00.72\00:27:02.32
and they talk about our place.
And they come with various
00:27:02.35\00:27:04.69
stages of lifestyle diseases.
00:27:04.72\00:27:06.96
And when they come there and
they learn about God's healing
00:27:07.19\00:27:10.49
ways - the 8 laws of
health as we coin them -
00:27:10.53\00:27:13.09
and they learn about that
and they see these diseases
00:27:13.23\00:27:16.10
reversing and
subsiding they want to do more.
00:27:16.13\00:27:19.67
The problem is a lot
of times when they come
00:27:20.00\00:27:21.87
they're in a controlled
environment. When you come
00:27:22.00\00:27:24.37
to a lifestyle
center. We prepare the food.
00:27:24.41\00:27:26.57
We get you up; we get you going.
00:27:26.71\00:27:29.18
Right. And then you have to
leave. You go back to your home,
00:27:29.31\00:27:31.28
right, and there's nobody
there doing what you want to do.
00:27:31.41\00:27:34.12
Right. That's where I
step in in the city ministry.
00:27:34.25\00:27:36.79
We also provide
wellness coaching down there.
00:27:36.92\00:27:39.75
So now you can call us and
I can help walk you through
00:27:39.89\00:27:43.56
what you already learned.
00:27:43.69\00:27:44.83
I can show you how to cook.
I'm a certified raw food chef
00:27:44.96\00:27:47.96
and a certified
vegan chef. Come on now.
00:27:48.10\00:27:50.80
Look where God
has brought you to!
00:27:50.93\00:27:52.87
Thank you so much
for being with us.
00:27:53.10\00:27:55.37
Praise God for that. And
thank you for being with us.
00:27:55.60\00:27:57.51
Make sure to join us next time.
00:27:57.74\00:27:59.47
it just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:27:59.61\00:28:02.58