Something
happened on May 31, 2011,
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that would change the
life of today's guest forever.
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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 Jason Bulgin,
author of 25 and Counting
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and musical evangelist.
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Welcome to Urban Report Jason.
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Hello, hello. How are you?
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Great, praise the
Lord! How are you?
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I'm doing well,
thank you... very well.
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Praise the Lord! It's so
good to have you with us.
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I'm excited to talk to
you today about your story
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'cause you have a
very interesting story.
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Let's hear a little bit about
your background first of all.
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Tell us where you grew up.
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Well, I grew up in Toronto
Canada. I was born in Toronto.
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I spend most of my elementary
years - younger years - there.
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It wasn't until it was
time to go to college that
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I kind of moved away from
Toronto. I went to Windsor for
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two years of college and then
I transferred down to Oakwood...
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Oakwood College,
Oakwood University.
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Yeah Oakwood! I'm
an Oakwoodite too.
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I won't say when but yeah.
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You mean OC,
sorry. That's right.
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OU now, right?
Yes. OU yeah, for sure.
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So you grew up in Toronto,
and you're a PK, aren't you?
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I am, I am. I'm
the only boy. I'm a PK.
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I have 2 wonderful sisters, and
growing up in a pastor's home
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I mean we went to church
every day and I mean we had to
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do everything. So I
played the piano, I sang.
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My sister sang;
she played the piano.
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We all had to
participate in every service,
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and I mean a very active
part. And it was good for us
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growing up. Yeah,
that's great. You know
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some PK's say that it's really
kind of hard because their
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dad is gone a lot and they
don't get to really interact
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with him as much as
they would have liked to.
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Was that your experience?
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There was a time when I
was really I guess resentful
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of my father
simply because I felt that
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I guess the church
came before me some times
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and I felt that I was put
second to a lot of things that
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happened at the church. But
it took me a while to get...
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get over that. It took I
guess me talking to him and just
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sitting down and expressing
myself about how I felt
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and letting him know.
Because I mean a lot of times
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they're unaware because this
is what they're called to do.
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So when they feel they
have this calling they pour
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everything into it.
Which is rightfully so, but
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at the same time the
family's still there.
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Your wife, your children...
and you can't forget or neglect
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them. But it was only through
me speaking up and communicating
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that he was able to
understand and make a change.
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You know, and that's
such an important point
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because a lot of times
there might be this hesitation
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to talk to the parent
that's not there as much...
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especially a pastor... because
there are so many demands
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on a pastor's attention.
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And so a lot of times the
family just kind of gets kind of
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set aside a little bit - brushed
aside - because of the calling
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as you were talking about.
So it's great that you had
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the wherewithal to go to
him and say: "Dad, I need to
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talk to you about what's going
on here and what I'm needing
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from you. " And it's great
that your dad was responsive.
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Yes, that's the key.
It made me appreciate him
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even more... the fact that
he was responsive and he...
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he took it with open arms.
Because I mean he wanted to be
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the best dad, he
wants to be the best dad.
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He still wants to be
the best father for me
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and he wants that great
father-son relationship.
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So even now we're
still growing and developing
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the relationship. And
it's good to see how...
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how we come together,
especially now that I've chosen
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the same path as him somewhat.
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We're both in the ministry so
it's good going back and forth
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with him and just throwing
things off his brain and him
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giving me that experience that
he has. I mean, just the sitting
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down and just talking.
Really getting to know him
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and know about his life
and what he came through.
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Yeah, and everybody has a
journey, right? Definitely.
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Everybody has a
journey, and your journey
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you've set forth in this
book 25 and Counting. Yes ma'am.
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You have set forth part
of your journey in this book.
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Tell us a bit about
what happened to you
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on that fateful
day in May of 2011.
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Even leading up to that
day I was in a place in my life
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where I was kind of questioning
where I fit into the body of
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Christ, trying for find
my place, my purpose, my use.
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I mean, I just didn't feel like
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I fit in and I didn't feel like
I was doing anything meaningful.
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And I was actually just wonder-
ing if I even believed in God.
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And that was just a
dangerous place for me to be.
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But I had an opportunity
to sit down with my pastor:
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Pastor Damian Chandler
down at Madison Mission
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at the time, and he just
walked me through like just...
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just everything that I
had come through to that point
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and just reminded me like
God had to remind the Israelites
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of everything He
had brought them through
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and just to show me that
it wasn't by happenstance,
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it wasn't by chance,
that I had come this far.
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So leading up to that
point that's where I was then.
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And I had made a decision
that I was going to go all in
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and just try...
try and push forward,
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try... try and I guess
build my devotional life,
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build my prayer life,
and just try and just give it
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an all-in chance. Because some-
times we say we're all about it
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but we're really not.
We're still on the fence
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and we kind of give it half
and we're not really sold on it.
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So it was I guess May
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the end of my schooling,
was my last year at Oakwood.
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And I graduated.
Graduation got pushed back
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because we had tornadoes.
So it was the end of the month.
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So I decided to go home
instead of making everyone
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change their
graduation plans to come to me.
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Jason, let's stop for a
second and go back and unpack
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where you were
when you went to talk to
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your pastor. Because so
many of our young people get
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disillusioned. And I'm sure
it's easy, too, for a PK to get
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disillusioned because again
you're kind of left out there
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sometimes, and so
where were you when you went
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to your pastor
and had that talk?
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And what had led
you to that point?
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Well this is the crazy
thing: I was really involved.
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Like I sang every
week; I played every week.
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I was really involved in
church but I just didn't feel
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like I fit in. I was just
going through the motions.
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And I guess at some
point we have to separate
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I guess our parents' experience
with our own experience.
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And it has to become real to us.
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So I had to find that
place where it became real to me
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and I wasn't just
doing it out of routine
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or out of
something I already knew.
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So I was basically
asking God for an experience
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that would make Him real to me,
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and that's a
dangerous thing to ask for.
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Because I mean He has the power
to I guess go beyond anything
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we've ever seen. So in
actuality I was asking God to...
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I was challenging God. Mmmm.
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Challenging
Him... and He showed out.
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He put me through some
things but at the same time
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He cradled me
throughout the whole time
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and He held me close...
knowing that I was still His.
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And He brought me back
through this healing process...
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amazing healing process... that
broke down so many other walls
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that I had pent
up. Yes. Amazing thing.
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God is so amazing. You
know we can often fall into that
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vicarious relationship
thing where our parents had the
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relationship but we don't really
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and we're going through
the motions as you mentioned.
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I think it's a very
important place to be
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where you say to God: "I
want to know You for myself.
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I want an
experience with You myself
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that will make
You more real to me
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so that I'm not just
going through the motions.
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I'm not just singing all
the time or doing or being,
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I want to know You for myself. "
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And that's where you were when
you went to see your pastor.
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Yes, yes. So
you saw your pastor.
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You talked to him, and
he then kind of opened up
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some things for you.
Tell us again what he did
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and how He did that to make your
experience a bit more vibrant.
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I mean, we sat down... I
can still remember the day.
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It was a nice sunny
day in Huntsville, Alabama.
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We sat down
outside of Panera Bread.
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It's one of his favorite spots.
We sat and we talked for hours.
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Just sat in the afternoon
just talking for hours.
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And he really just started
asking me questions about
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all the other experiences
I had. So like in high school
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I had a child out of wedlock
and I got kicked out of school.
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And I got back in school
and I eventually graduated.
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So things that he
allowed me to come over.
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I was... just a
number of things.
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But we just walked through
each of these experiences
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and he asked me to
explain it logically.
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And I couldn't. There
was no way for me to explain
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me getting to
where I am logically.
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And I'm a logical
thinker so I was really upset
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that I couldn't explain it.
And it was only the grace of God
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that had brought me thus far.
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So it was just...
he was challenging me.
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Just challenging me to think
that I could do it on my own.
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"You think you could
really do it on your own?
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You think you have
the power to do this?
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There's something beyond you;
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there's
something bigger than you.
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And there's someone
who loves you and has
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a purpose for your life. "
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That's an important
point too, Jason, because
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so many of our young
people and older people, too,
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are not having a sense of
purpose. Not really knowing
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that God's got a
plan. On Urban Report
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all the time and on
Dare to Dream we talk about
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God's plan for everybody.
Everybody has a unique place
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in the plan of
God. And so, you know,
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what God has for you to do
is different from what He has
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for me to do and
from the next person.
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It's all part
of this huge mosaic
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and so we talk about
purpose. And so that day
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it seems as though when
you were talking to your pastor
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you were getting to
know more about the purpose
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that God had for you or
that there was a purpose
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for your life, correct?
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Correct definitely. He was
just knocking at the door -
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just tapping at the
door of purpose in my life -
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and I didn't want to open
it. I was reluctant to open it
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but as time went on
and I got more confident
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and I got more... I saw
the love of God in my life
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through just the daily living,
it was easier for me to open
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the door. It was easier
for me to walk in my calling
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and walk into
everything God had for me.
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That's awesome. So what happened
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on that day in May?
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So May 31, 2011, I was
driving back from Toronto
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to Huntsville just
to get myself together,
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find out what the next
move was since I graduated.
00:11:40.30\00:11:42.80
And I left out late at night.
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I like driving at night
because there's no traffic.
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It's just real calming
and it's just real easy.
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It's an easier
drive. So I left at night
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and my parents were
kind of reluctant about that.
00:11:53.31\00:11:55.48
But I left anyway. And
one thing that was different
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about this trip is that
we didn't pray as a family
00:11:59.88\00:12:02.45
before I left. I can't remember
what had happened, but we didn't
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say our prayer as a
family holding hands at the door
00:12:05.45\00:12:08.82
before I left. So I was
on my way; got on the road.
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.83
It was about 11:30 at night
and I'm listening to my music.
00:12:11.96\00:12:15.23
I'm just in the
zone... in that driving zone.
00:12:15.36\00:12:18.47
Any of you who drive long
distance you know you have to
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get into a special
zone when you're driving.
00:12:21.20\00:12:23.20
So I was in that zone. I
was relaxed... cruise control.
00:12:23.34\00:12:26.41
Listening to the music.
Had actually switched over
00:12:26.68\00:12:29.38
to listen to an audio
book called The Shack that...
00:12:29.41\00:12:31.38
that Pastor Chandler... he
had told me to read this book.
00:12:31.51\00:12:34.15
And the book is
basically about a man who has a
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weekend getaway with God.
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.75
And they have a conver...
He goes to God asking Him
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about a situation that
had happened in his life.
00:12:43.06\00:12:45.63
His daughter had died. And
she was kidnapped and murdered.
00:12:45.66\00:12:49.10
And he basically gets a
weekend getaway with God
00:12:49.13\00:12:52.23
to ask God all the
questions that are on his heart.
00:12:52.27\00:12:54.87
So I was listening to that book
and I mean just going through...
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having a mental
picture of the book
00:12:58.47\00:13:01.68
and just in a nice
zone. And then all of a sudden
00:13:01.81\00:13:05.38
out of nowhere a
deer comes in the road.
00:13:05.41\00:13:07.42
And my instinct was to swerve
whatever I see in the road.
00:13:07.65\00:13:12.99
But as most of you know
you're supposed to hang on tight
00:13:13.12\00:13:16.59
and just drive through
that deer... which I didn't do.
00:13:16.62\00:13:19.39
So I ended up swerving, and
since I was on cruise control
00:13:19.56\00:13:22.86
and so relaxed, I swerved
and I really couldn't get back
00:13:23.00\00:13:25.67
into it, so I
went into the ditch.
00:13:25.70\00:13:27.20
And from there I went down
into the ditch. Went back up
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and started
torpedoing through the sky.
00:13:30.07\00:13:33.71
And I remember spinning...
flipping about twice...
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and then blackout.
00:13:37.81\00:13:39.75
So you're in a
zone... you're driving.
00:13:40.65\00:13:44.52
Everything is fine
and then from nowhere
00:13:44.65\00:13:47.59
this deer comes in front of
you. And you are trying to avoid
00:13:47.62\00:13:52.53
the deer and you swerve and
you lose control of the car.
00:13:52.66\00:13:56.70
Um-hmm. Lose
control, end up in a ditch
00:13:56.93\00:13:59.80
and just thrown
from the vehicle.
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.24
How long were you
unconscious? Do you know?
00:14:02.57\00:14:05.11
I have no idea.
So my car is black...
00:14:05.44\00:14:08.48
So when my car went into
the air and hit the ground,
00:14:08.71\00:14:12.55
all my lights go
out. So it's a black car
00:14:12.68\00:14:14.98
in the middle of the
country. Country road.
00:14:15.12\00:14:18.05
This is a truck route
where like trucks drive
00:14:18.19\00:14:20.96
all night, all
day... truck, truck, truck.
00:14:21.09\00:14:23.66
So 18-wheelers are passing by.
00:14:23.79\00:14:25.86
Apparently I was... A
cop happened to be passing by
00:14:27.00\00:14:31.13
and found me laid out on
the concrete... laid out on the
00:14:31.17\00:14:33.27
highway on the
opposite side of the highway.
00:14:33.30\00:14:35.34
So... when I... I guess...
00:14:35.67\00:14:38.04
The only time I woke up
I woke up in the ambulance
00:14:38.37\00:14:41.01
and I was able to
give my family's number -
00:14:41.14\00:14:44.25
my parents' number -
and I went back to sleep.
00:14:44.38\00:14:46.75
And the amazing thing about
that: God will give you the
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.82
strength to do what you
need to do in the moment.
00:14:48.85\00:14:51.39
I mean, sometimes you
see people... I remember
00:14:51.52\00:14:53.49
one time at church someone
had gotten run over by a car
00:14:53.52\00:14:57.06
in the parking lot at church.
00:14:57.09\00:14:58.53
And I saw a man... like an
older man... he lifted a car
00:14:58.69\00:15:01.96
off this man in the moment
00:15:02.00\00:15:04.17
because they needed that
strength to save his life.
00:15:04.30\00:15:06.23
And in order to save my
life God had to wake me up
00:15:06.37\00:15:08.57
in the midst of all this pain,
in the midst of all this...
00:15:08.70\00:15:11.24
this craziness going
on... He had to wake me up
00:15:11.27\00:15:13.31
so I could give my parents'
number and He put me back
00:15:13.34\00:15:15.71
to rest so I
wouldn't feel the pain.
00:15:15.74\00:15:17.55
Wow! God is awesome.
00:15:17.88\00:15:20.48
How far away from home were you
00:15:20.82\00:15:24.49
when you had this accident?
00:15:24.62\00:15:26.49
I was probably about
3 hours away from home.
00:15:26.62\00:15:29.46
About three hours away from
home, about 1/2 hour away from
00:15:29.89\00:15:32.56
the Canadian/American border.
00:15:32.59\00:15:34.40
Wow... and so...
Another blessing in itself
00:15:34.56\00:15:37.63
that I was on the Canadian
side of the border rather than
00:15:37.77\00:15:39.73
the American side. Really? Why?
00:15:39.77\00:15:42.77
Why is that?
Healthcare! I mean, if I was
00:15:42.90\00:15:45.14
across the border and
I got in this accident
00:15:45.27\00:15:48.64
the hospital bills
would have been astronomical.
00:15:48.78\00:15:52.51
But it was a blessing that I
had the accident on the Canadian
00:15:52.55\00:15:55.95
side where my healthcare
is covered and things of that
00:15:55.98\00:15:59.25
nature. Now we're just on
the American side coming over
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.62
into that, but at that point
in time it would have been...
00:16:01.66\00:16:04.39
it would have been another head-
ache had I been on the American
00:16:04.53\00:16:08.36
side. Wow! Wow!
So God in His mercy
00:16:08.40\00:16:11.53
allowed you to be
on the Canadian side
00:16:11.67\00:16:14.37
where your
healthcare could be offered
00:16:14.50\00:16:17.31
and it was affordable for you.
00:16:17.34\00:16:19.07
It's free there,
isn't it? It is. Free.
00:16:19.21\00:16:21.81
So you went through all of this.
00:16:21.84\00:16:25.61
You're in the
ambulance. You wake up
00:16:25.75\00:16:29.78
just for a minute to give
the number of your parents' home
00:16:29.92\00:16:34.42
and then you go
back unconscious again.
00:16:34.56\00:16:37.23
What is your next
memory after that?
00:16:37.46\00:16:39.59
My next memory is
waking up in the hospital room.
00:16:39.93\00:16:43.67
And I could just
hear my family's voices.
00:16:43.90\00:16:48.17
I hear them talking. I heard
the voice of the police officer
00:16:48.30\00:16:51.97
telling my parents
that he didn't even know
00:16:52.01\00:16:54.88
really why he was in the area.
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.15
He said he wasn't even supposed
to be in that area at the time
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.85
but he just
happened to be passing by.
00:16:59.88\00:17:01.65
And I heard them say that
and he said "It's only God. "
00:17:01.88\00:17:05.69
And I went back to sleep again.
00:17:05.82\00:17:07.79
Wow! So what was
your recuperation like?
00:17:08.22\00:17:12.69
Well, first of all, tell us
the extent of your injuries.
00:17:12.93\00:17:15.86
So let's start
from the head to toe.
00:17:16.00\00:17:17.90
I fractured this side of
my face. I fractured bones
00:17:19.67\00:17:24.21
under my eye. I fractured my jaw
00:17:24.24\00:17:27.91
and some bones over here.
So I have plates and screws
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.61
lying under my eye,
over here, in my chin.
00:17:30.65\00:17:33.31
I lost a tooth. I
punctured my lung.
00:17:33.45\00:17:37.49
I fractured two ribs.
00:17:37.62\00:17:39.25
I had a big
hematoma on my left leg.
00:17:40.86\00:17:44.29
And then I had glass and
just road rash all over my body.
00:17:44.43\00:17:50.07
I remember I had a
big gash under my arm,
00:17:50.10\00:17:53.57
on my shoulder, my hands. I
remember like a couple weeks
00:17:53.70\00:17:57.47
after my hand was hurting.
I didn't know why my hand was
00:17:57.51\00:18:00.78
hurting. Every time I put
it in my pocket it was hurting.
00:18:00.81\00:18:02.94
And I went and picked at the
spot and there was glass healing
00:18:03.18\00:18:06.05
in my hand. So there was glass
everywhere, just shards of glass
00:18:06.08\00:18:10.15
everywhere. Oh my!
00:18:10.19\00:18:12.95
That had to be... To wake up
00:18:13.09\00:18:17.13
and to know that you've
been in an accident like that
00:18:17.26\00:18:20.30
and to have those injuries, that
has got to be so frightening.
00:18:20.43\00:18:24.47
What was your recuperation like?
00:18:24.60\00:18:27.17
That first day when
I actually saw myself
00:18:28.10\00:18:31.64
it was scary at
first. It was like: "Oh, my!
00:18:31.77\00:18:34.61
Am I going to be
like this forever? "
00:18:35.14\00:18:37.48
'Cause my face what swollen.
Like... My face would probably
00:18:37.61\00:18:40.62
fill this Skype screen
right now, so it was huge!
00:18:40.65\00:18:43.85
It was huge... so it was nerve-
wracking just to look at myself
00:18:43.89\00:18:48.06
and wonder how... if I'm
ever going to be the same again.
00:18:48.09\00:18:52.79
If I'm ever
going to look the same.
00:18:52.93\00:18:54.03
Am I going to walk with a
limp for the rest of my life?
00:18:54.10\00:18:56.50
Am I going to be
able to play basketball?
00:18:56.53\00:18:58.43
The things I love:
run and just joke around.
00:18:58.47\00:19:01.67
Am I going to
be the same person?
00:19:01.80\00:19:03.24
But I took comfort in
knowing I was on the right path.
00:19:03.37\00:19:07.41
So a matter of me being on
the right path, this was...
00:19:07.54\00:19:10.18
I took it as a confirmation
for me, knowing that God...
00:19:10.31\00:19:14.18
that the devil was
out to get me. Mmmm.
00:19:14.32\00:19:17.12
The fact that I was going
the wrong way and I needed to
00:19:17.15\00:19:19.62
turn from my ways and
go back the other way.
00:19:19.65\00:19:21.59
It was confirmation,
because a lot of us get mistaken
00:19:21.72\00:19:24.33
that when we make a decision
for Christ it gets hard,
00:19:24.36\00:19:27.73
it gets rough, it gets tough...
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.20
and you'll get
thrown into the fire.
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.20
So I was getting thrown
into the fire, and it was just
00:19:31.53\00:19:35.24
the development of my
testimony of how I went through.
00:19:35.27\00:19:38.54
And I took it as a way for
me to smile through my storm
00:19:38.67\00:19:43.01
and be a testimony to
others and everyone around me
00:19:43.04\00:19:46.78
just to know that you
can smile through your storm
00:19:46.82\00:19:48.75
no matter what you're going
through. So from day one I was
00:19:48.78\00:19:52.75
smiling, taking pictures,
posting them and sending them
00:19:52.89\00:19:55.59
to my friends. Just laughing
about the whole situation
00:19:55.62\00:19:58.19
because I had comfort knowing
that God was taking care of me
00:19:58.33\00:20:01.33
and I was doing the right thing.
00:20:01.46\00:20:02.90
So you sensed God's presence
00:20:03.23\00:20:07.50
as you were
recuperating? Definitely.
00:20:07.64\00:20:10.47
Even the process of it. Like
I've never... I've never seen
00:20:10.61\00:20:16.04
someone heal so fast. So like
a week after you wouldn't have
00:20:16.08\00:20:20.48
known that I was in such a
bad accident the week before.
00:20:20.52\00:20:24.09
Because it would almost
look like I was in a schoolyard
00:20:24.25\00:20:27.79
fight. I had a black eye,
you know. Just a little swollen
00:20:27.82\00:20:30.79
but it didn't look like
all this side of my face
00:20:30.83\00:20:33.50
had been torn off.
And it didn't look like...
00:20:33.53\00:20:35.90
I didn't look like
what I'd been through.
00:20:36.03\00:20:37.87
So it was just really a blessing
for everyone even around me
00:20:38.00\00:20:40.87
to see me healing so
fast... healing so quickly.
00:20:40.90\00:20:44.21
So the Lord used this experience
00:20:44.91\00:20:47.78
to not only kind of solidify
your relationship with Him
00:20:47.91\00:20:53.52
but also as a testimony
for others. To bless others
00:20:53.65\00:20:58.12
in a sense to let them know
that God is with you and that
00:20:58.15\00:21:01.69
God will bring you
through the darkest times.
00:21:01.72\00:21:05.99
Yes definitely. He'll bring
you through the darkest times.
00:21:06.23\00:21:09.10
And the key point
that really stood out to me
00:21:09.23\00:21:11.53
was that it was a process. It
wasn't that I snapped my fingers
00:21:11.67\00:21:15.47
and I was magically
healed. There was a process.
00:21:15.50\00:21:17.97
And I think a lot of
times we forget that even in our
00:21:18.14\00:21:21.54
relationship with
God it's a process.
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.48
It's a process
throughout our whole life.
00:21:23.61\00:21:25.51
We never reach that...
we never reach perfection
00:21:25.65\00:21:28.38
but we're always
working towards it. We're always
00:21:28.52\00:21:30.69
working towards it.
And we sometimes forget
00:21:30.82\00:21:32.82
and we feel that we have
to be perfect, we have to be
00:21:32.85\00:21:36.02
just on our P's and Q's
all the time. But we fail.
00:21:36.16\00:21:39.53
We fall and it's OK.
We just have to know that
00:21:39.66\00:21:42.06
we're continuing to move
forward and He's going to
00:21:42.10\00:21:44.10
continue to work with us.
00:21:44.13\00:21:45.33
He's going to continue
to chip some things away
00:21:45.47\00:21:47.30
and He's going to continue
to just mold us into what He has
00:21:47.34\00:21:50.17
for us. Amen!
That is so, so true
00:21:50.21\00:21:53.34
that... the Bible says there
is none righteous, not one.
00:21:53.68\00:21:58.28
So it's not... sanctification
is a lifetime process.
00:21:58.61\00:22:03.99
All of this journey is a process
00:22:04.12\00:22:07.72
and we are developing
our relationship with God
00:22:07.86\00:22:11.16
and learning Him every day.
00:22:11.29\00:22:15.03
You learn something
about God and His nature
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.93
and how He deals with people
and all of that through how He
00:22:18.07\00:22:21.37
deals with you. And
so this is wonderful.
00:22:21.40\00:22:25.14
Now let's talk about
what you're doing now.
00:22:25.27\00:22:29.04
Where are you now?
What are you doing?
00:22:29.18\00:22:31.18
Well now I am
in Cleveland, Ohio.
00:22:31.41\00:22:33.88
I am teaching. I am
working as a young adult pastor
00:22:34.02\00:22:38.85
at the SDA church here. I
also play at a Pentecostal
00:22:38.89\00:22:42.56
church here. And I'm just diving
wholeheartedly into ministry.
00:22:42.59\00:22:48.36
I have my book. I'm
working on another book
00:22:48.50\00:22:51.47
as well for young men.
It's going to be entitled
00:22:51.60\00:22:54.70
What I Learned From Her.
00:22:54.84\00:22:55.84
And it's going to be
basically lessons that young men
00:22:55.97\00:22:59.57
can learn from the
women in their lives.
00:22:59.71\00:23:00.94
So all... there's been many
women that I've come in contact
00:23:01.08\00:23:04.05
with in my life: my mom,
sisters, girlfriends, friends
00:23:04.08\00:23:07.48
that I've come in
contact with in my life.
00:23:07.52\00:23:09.82
And there's life lessons
about being a man that I learned
00:23:09.95\00:23:13.46
from these women, so I
want to make a book about that.
00:23:13.49\00:23:15.99
And help just develop
young men and know that...
00:23:16.02\00:23:18.43
that there's a
process in your development
00:23:18.56\00:23:21.93
and just know that women play
a key role in your development
00:23:21.96\00:23:25.03
and there's things you can learn
from each of these situations.
00:23:25.17\00:23:27.77
So I'm working... go ahead.
00:23:27.90\00:23:29.84
No... absolutely. I mean
there's so much to be learned
00:23:30.01\00:23:33.64
from the people in your life
00:23:33.78\00:23:36.68
and from your... and you
have a sphere of influence
00:23:36.91\00:23:40.42
that you radiate to
other people as well.
00:23:40.55\00:23:44.22
So there's something to be gain-
ed from everyone in your life.
00:23:44.35\00:23:48.19
Definitely. So our
viewers might not know this
00:23:48.32\00:23:52.73
but you are a wonderful
singer. You have appeared on
00:23:52.86\00:23:56.40
Magnify Him, and it hasn't
aired yet but it's airing soon.
00:23:56.43\00:24:01.34
So you're going to be on
our Dare to Dream music program
00:24:01.67\00:24:04.84
Magnify Him. You are an
author; you are a speaker.
00:24:04.87\00:24:09.18
How do you fuse all of these
gifts into a ministry for God?
00:24:09.31\00:24:14.75
The first thing
is just obedience.
00:24:15.58\00:24:17.89
Obedience and just listening
to what God asks me to do.
00:24:18.12\00:24:21.92
He's put me in a position
where if I... if I trust Him
00:24:22.06\00:24:26.56
He will make everything
plain. So it's come to a point
00:24:26.70\00:24:30.57
where I can put it all
together because He's put me in
00:24:30.60\00:24:34.50
a position where they
all just come together.
00:24:34.54\00:24:37.67
So music, preaching, books,
blogs, inspirational coach.
00:24:37.81\00:24:41.98
Everything about communication.
I want to be an awesome
00:24:42.11\00:24:44.91
communicator. I just want
to be able to share a message
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.45
of love and make it
simple, make it plain
00:24:47.48\00:24:49.85
so like a
6-year-old can understand.
00:24:49.88\00:24:52.65
And I believe that if a
6-year-old can't understand
00:24:52.79\00:24:55.46
I'm not doing my job.
Because I think everyone
00:24:55.49\00:24:58.36
needs to be able to understand
and be able to feed on the
00:24:58.49\00:25:01.23
Word of God and be able to
feed on what God has for us
00:25:01.26\00:25:03.83
in human experience and
find that purpose in their life.
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.84
And live out that
purpose in their life as well.
00:25:07.07\00:25:09.37
And there's nothing better
than walking in... we call it
00:25:09.64\00:25:13.17
walking in your divine
destiny, finding that purpose.
00:25:13.31\00:25:16.21
There's nothing
better than that.
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.25
We have a website for you.
We want to put up your website
00:25:18.38\00:25:21.15
so that our viewers
can go to the website
00:25:21.38\00:25:23.95
and they can see
what you're doing;
00:25:23.99\00:25:25.82
they can hear your
music; they can order your book.
00:25:25.95\00:25:29.26
Whatever. But they can kind
of take a look at this ministry
00:25:29.39\00:25:33.13
that God has given
you that is incredible.
00:25:33.26\00:25:36.33
What do you think? Briefly
tell us what do you think is
00:25:36.46\00:25:38.97
going on with your
generation now in terms of
00:25:39.10\00:25:43.87
spirituality and
where they are spiritually.
00:25:44.01\00:25:47.18
What do you
think is going on now?
00:25:47.34\00:25:48.88
Right now I feel that my
generation, they lack 3 things.
00:25:49.21\00:25:53.95
And I've been battling
with this but it's three things.
00:25:54.08\00:25:56.89
It's a passion, it's persis-
tence and its their perspective.
00:25:57.02\00:26:01.52
So the passion is that desire,
that fight to do whatever it
00:26:01.66\00:26:06.53
takes to make something happen.
00:26:06.56\00:26:08.66
And there's not many
who have that passion.
00:26:08.80\00:26:11.70
You just want it that
instant; you want it right now.
00:26:11.83\00:26:14.67
We're not ready
to put in the work.
00:26:14.70\00:26:16.17
We're not ready
to put in the time.
00:26:16.20\00:26:17.77
We're not ready to just really
hone our gifts and develop it
00:26:17.81\00:26:20.74
so when the time is
right we can stand before kings
00:26:20.88\00:26:23.55
and queens and
just show out for God.
00:26:23.68\00:26:26.82
So that passion and
then the persistence.
00:26:26.95\00:26:29.85
That time... just
putting in the work.
00:26:29.88\00:26:31.82
A lot of us are just laca-
daisical about anything we do.
00:26:31.95\00:26:36.83
We settle for the mediocre.
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.73
We settle for just good and
better when God wants the best
00:26:38.86\00:26:42.30
for us. Like I've gotten
to the point where I'm not
00:26:42.33\00:26:45.07
settling any more.
I'm pushing the limit;
00:26:45.10\00:26:47.17
I'm pushing beyond my fears.
00:26:47.20\00:26:48.77
So fear is me saying
I'm scared of something
00:26:49.00\00:26:52.04
is not good enough
reason for me not to do it.
00:26:52.17\00:26:55.41
There's going to be
times when I'm afraid.
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.35
There's going to be
times when I'm scared
00:26:57.38\00:26:59.18
and I feel apprehensive
about doing something.
00:26:59.21\00:27:02.02
But because I'm
persistent and I'm pushing...
00:27:02.15\00:27:05.32
I'm pushing my passion,
I'm pushing towards the mark
00:27:05.45\00:27:07.49
I'm going to do it simply
because God hasn't given me
00:27:07.62\00:27:10.43
that spirit of fear.
And if He's put it in me,
00:27:10.46\00:27:12.69
if He's placed it in me
and I'm walking in His will,
00:27:12.73\00:27:16.13
there's something that I need
to do that's going to prepare me
00:27:16.26\00:27:18.40
for something else. So if I
back down on what He's giving me
00:27:18.43\00:27:21.57
today, I'm not going to get the
blessing He has for me tomorrow.
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.51
Wow! So we have passion and
persistence. What's the last P?
00:27:24.84\00:27:28.78
The last P is perspective,
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.68
and that's just
changing your viewpoint.
00:27:30.71\00:27:32.28
We often think so negatively
of so many things that...
00:27:32.51\00:27:34.98
that we have in the
church. But God has given us
00:27:35.12\00:27:38.59
permission to do so many things.
I just want to get out there
00:27:38.62\00:27:42.22
and share that
with the whole world.
00:27:42.26\00:27:43.99
So they can invite
me whenever they want
00:27:44.13\00:27:46.36
and I'll come out and
share the whole message.
00:27:46.49\00:27:48.36
Awesome. Well thank you so much
for sharing your message with us
00:27:48.60\00:27:52.13
and your inspiration with us.
00:27:52.17\00:27:54.07
Thank you for
joining us as well.
00:27:54.20\00:27:56.77
Make sure that you join us
next time 'cause you know what?
00:27:56.91\00:27:59.54
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:27:59.77\00:28:03.01