Would you give up a life in
the limelight to follow Christ?
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Stay tuned to meet a woman
that did all that and more.
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My name is Jason
Bradley and you're watching
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Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today
is Dr. Yvonne Lewis
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and she is the General Manager
of the Dare to Dream Network.
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Not only is she my
boss but she's also my mom.
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Welcome to Urban
Report Dr. Mom...
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Thank you Jason.
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I know it has
got to feel different
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for you sitting in this seat
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when you normally
host this Program.
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I know... it's
weird sitting on this side
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and getting the questions
that you're going to ask me
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that I don't even know
what you're going to ask me
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so that's interesting.
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I know, I prepared
something very special.
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I'm sure you did.
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Don't expect to get this
seat back and take your job back
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You know... okay... hmmm...
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okay... You just
go ahead and retire.
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I want to talk...
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I want to talk a little bit
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about your background
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because a lot of people...
they see you in this chair
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interviewing other people
but they don't really know
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your background
so, were you raised
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as a Seventh-day Adventist?
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I was... I am a third-generation
Seventh-day Adventist,
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both of my parents
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at one point or another
worked for the Denomination
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my Dad, Benito
Hodge was the Principal
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of the Bethel Seventh-day
Adventist School in Brooklyn
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and my Mom at one point
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worked for the
Northeastern Conference.
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My Grandmother, Rosalyn Jones,
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was a Missionary
and Bible Instructor
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for Ephesus Church so, yeah...
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and my Paternal Grandfather
was an Adventist Pastor.
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So, yeah... I'm
kind of dyed-in-the-wool
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Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
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Yes, you're pretty much
born right in the church...
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all those Adventists,
generations of Adventists.
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Yeah... yeah...
That's great... that's great.
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What major hardship
did you face as a teenager
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and how did that
affect your life?
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Hmmm... the main...
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the most difficult
experience that I had
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when I was 19 was I lost my Mom
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and that really did
change my life a lot
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because she was very
strong and she was very...
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she was very planted,
she knew what she was doing,
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she was a professional woman,
she had a very strong work ethic
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very spiritual and
so for me to lose that,
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at that point in my
life, was very difficult.
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My little sister was
nine, and I was 19...
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and I was at Oakwood...
it's now University...
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but... College... at the time
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and when my Mom got sick
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and I left... just
before the end of the quarter
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and I never went back there,
I finished somewhere else but...
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it was really, really
a difficult time for me.
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So when your
Mom... my Grandma...
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when Grandma died,
did you have to take on
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your sister... did you take
Aunt Binkey under your wing?
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I did... so she was like
my daughter in certain ways
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and... but yet...
I was that teenager
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that had been so sheltered
that I really didn't...
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I didn't know how
to jump into that role,
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so, it was just a really,
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really difficult thing
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because I wasn't... I
had been really sheltered
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and so with my Mom
being as strong as she was
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with her being gone,
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and now, I'm having to
make certain decisions,
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and I'm having to do certain
things... it was just like,
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"Wow! this is a bit much for me"
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so I really... I
went back to school
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actually I finished college,
and I went to Graduate School
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and while I was
in Graduate School,
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I just had... just
like a real meltdown
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because it was
just too much pressure
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and... so I ended up
moving out of the house
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and trying to take
care of my sister from afar
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but my sister and I went
in two different directions.
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Okay... She got into drugs
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at a very early age
and I didn't know it
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and I was into
the academic thing
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and so I was pouring
myself into the books
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and my sister was just...
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she just went, you
know, really to the left,
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at one point we had a
little ministry called,
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"Sisters... a
story of Redemption"
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and we talked about how
at that stage of our lives
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we went in such
different directions.
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So it was... that was a
very pivotal place for me.
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How did that affect
your relationship with her,
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I mean... did you guys...
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I know you went in
separate directions
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but did your relationship
suffer as a result of that?
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It did... and it didn't...
we were so far apart in age
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nine years apart
in age because she was
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much younger than I
and... so I was a mother-figure
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but then she got
into street life,
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so she became much more
streetwise as the years went on
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than I was,
because I was Miss...
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you know, I'm going to
study my way into whatever...
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so we had two different paths
and yet my sister's character
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she was the sweetest,
kindest, most generous person
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you would ever want
to meet so, just because
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she went down that
wrong road at the time,
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it didn't mean that she
wasn't a good person at heart,
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she really was,
she just missed our mom
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and that's how
she dealt with it.
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Yeah... that's
good that you said that,
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I mean, good people
can make some poor choices.
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Exactly. You can
be a great person
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and then you make poor choices
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but that doesn't
define you as a person.
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Exactly, exactly.
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What did you go to
school for? Which time?
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Okay, so,
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so in college
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I majored in Psychology
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but then I got a
Master's in Social Work
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and then... but right after that
I went into the music business
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and I practiced... I
was in music for a long time
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before I went into
Alternative Medicine
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and I studied
that and I became a
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Naturopathic Doctor
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and then I went
back to school for
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Traditional Chinese Medicine
and I got Board Certified
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in Traditional Chinese Medicine
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which includes acupuncture
and herbs and then I...
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I went to
Massage Therapy School,
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I was a Massage Therapist
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I got certified as a
Reflexologist, I mean, I just...
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I went along
the path of academia
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because I loved to
learn, I loved to know things,
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I loved to
study things and so...
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that's the path that I took.
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Well, if you ever get the urge,
you can go and get an MBA for me
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Oh... Yvonne is laughing...
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I'm done... thank you very much.
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You might want to
go to school again.
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No... no... I don't want to...
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Back to the music part of it,
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when did... how old were you
when you first started singing
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and when did you
develop a passion for it?
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When I first started singing,
I was, I think in the 7th Grade
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and it's so funny
because, and I never heard this
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I did not hear my dad say this
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because if I'd heard
it, it would have crushed me
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but he told my Mom,
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I guess he heard me
singing or something,
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he said, "She's
never going to sing...
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she's never had this
told, she's never going to sing
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but my Mom worked with
me and some other friends
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that I had as a
child, and we had a trio
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and my Mom just...
my Mom played the piano
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and she sang too and
my Dad, of course, sang
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and so... she worked with me
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and I loved music
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so I started singing really...
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about the Seventh...
Sixth or Seventh Grades
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and then later on, I got
into music professionally.
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Hmmm... we should
do a duet sometime.
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Awww... you know
what, I have to say,
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you are a wonderful son,
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you have so many gifts,
but singing is not one of them,
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and I would be a bad
Mom if I encouraged you
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in that arena, now
some people would say,
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you know, well, your
Dad... your Dad says,
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you wouldn't sing,
but here's the difference
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I was in the Seventh
Grade okay, you're almost 29...
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so it's a little bit different.
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There's still
hope... there's still hope...
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Well, let's... I think
you should practice piano.
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Okay... Learn piano
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and that kind of thing...
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the singing part...
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I'll leave that to you...
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well, but that
wouldn't sound nice
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but you know, I just think you
should focus on something else
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where your talents
can be better utilized
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that sounded good.
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All right, yeah, that was a
very politically correct thing.
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Okay, good, good, good.
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How did you get your big break,
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when did you get
your big break and make it
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into the actual Music Industry
where you've sung with people
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such as Luther Vandross
00:09:33.67\00:09:36.30
and Whitney
Houston and Roberta Flack,
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like... when was it that
you crossed that threshold?
00:09:38.37\00:09:40.71
Um... let's see...
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I started singing
professionally in 1977,
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so this was a long time ago,
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and... it's a very
relationship-oriented business
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and very cliquish,
the Background Singers,
00:09:56.83\00:09:58.86
the Studio Singers in New York,
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it's a very small group of
people that do a lot of the work
00:10:00.33\00:10:05.93
and so, they have
to like you to call you
00:10:05.97\00:10:10.47
so if... so you
establish relationships
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so, how, I guess,
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I started by... I met...
00:10:17.68\00:10:22.12
well the Engineer
that was the Manager
00:10:22.15\00:10:26.15
of the group that I sang in,
he was an Engineer in the city
00:10:26.19\00:10:30.69
and he knew some
jingle singers so, I said,
00:10:30.73\00:10:33.06
"I like to do the
background singing
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because I heard on the radio
00:10:35.30\00:10:36.63
you know... people
just doing ooohs and aaahs
00:10:36.70\00:10:38.13
and I figured, "I can do
that" but it was so naive
00:10:38.17\00:10:41.70
I mean, I know now
how difficult it is
00:10:41.77\00:10:43.84
and all the things
that you have to go through
00:10:43.87\00:10:46.31
and all that but...
back then I didn't...
00:10:46.34\00:10:48.08
so, he said, "Well, I'll
introduce you to this singer"
00:10:48.11\00:10:51.95
and he did... I met her
and then she introduced me
00:10:52.01\00:10:55.82
to some others who
then started calling me
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and they were doing big jobs
00:10:58.69\00:11:01.72
they were doing
things with Harry Belefonte
00:11:01.76\00:11:03.83
and oh... you
know... the names...
00:11:03.86\00:11:07.60
"the names" at the
time, Frank Sinatra,
00:11:07.66\00:11:12.93
they were just
doing big, big gigs
00:11:12.97\00:11:16.54
and so they started calling
me to come in to sing background
00:11:16.57\00:11:20.24
and it's interesting because
they would call me to sing,
00:11:20.28\00:11:23.85
what they call
"bottom" which was Alto
00:11:23.91\00:11:26.25
so I did the Alto parts
because some of the women
00:11:26.28\00:11:30.05
wanted to be divas
and sing the Soprano,
00:11:30.09\00:11:31.79
I didn't care, I
really didn't care,
00:11:31.82\00:11:33.52
just call me, I
just want to work,
00:11:33.56\00:11:35.19
so they called me
and I started singing,
00:11:35.26\00:11:37.49
and I was singing
bottom and then at some point
00:11:37.53\00:11:39.56
they discovered that
I really was a Soprano,
00:11:39.59\00:11:41.90
and then I started
singing the top parts, you know,
00:11:41.93\00:11:44.20
because sometimes... some
of the Altos that were there
00:11:44.23\00:11:46.47
didn't want to try for that,
00:11:46.50\00:11:47.84
so, it was good and I started...
00:11:47.87\00:11:50.97
I sang for all
different artistes
00:11:51.01\00:11:53.71
and I started
doing commercials then
00:11:53.74\00:11:56.38
and commercials... that's where
you really make a lot of money
00:11:56.41\00:11:59.68
so I was really in
the clique in New York
00:11:59.71\00:12:04.02
doing the work
and... same with like...
00:12:04.09\00:12:07.36
Wrigley's
Spearmint Gum, Quaker Oats,
00:12:07.39\00:12:11.73
Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Folgers Coffee,
00:12:11.76\00:12:16.50
Ruffles Potato
Chips, just a bunch of them
00:12:16.56\00:12:21.04
right... Sesame Street...
00:12:21.07\00:12:22.40
Sesame Street... I
did a lot of Sesame Street
00:12:22.44\00:12:23.97
yeah... and it was
great, but... but...
00:12:24.01\00:12:29.14
the interesting thing Jay
was that the more money I made
00:12:29.18\00:12:33.15
and the more things I had,
00:12:33.21\00:12:35.62
just didn't satisfy me
00:12:35.65\00:12:37.99
I just wasn't... it
just wasn't enough for me
00:12:38.05\00:12:41.26
like, I would think,
00:12:41.29\00:12:42.69
"Oh man, oh I saw this coat,
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.89
I really want this coat"
do you remember that coat,
00:12:44.93\00:12:47.40
the Fox Coat? Oh yes.
00:12:47.46\00:12:48.90
it was a beautiful coat,
00:12:48.93\00:12:50.30
I really wanted
that coat and I thought,
00:12:50.33\00:12:52.90
"Okay, now, if I sing
this much I can make it... "
00:12:52.93\00:12:56.27
you can't control how
much you're called... but...
00:12:56.30\00:13:00.21
so, I sang all these jingles
and I got the money for the coat
00:13:00.28\00:13:04.75
and I got the coat,
and then, it's like,
00:13:04.78\00:13:07.32
"Okay, so now what, you
got the coat, what's next?"
00:13:07.35\00:13:11.02
Yeah... yeah...
00:13:11.09\00:13:12.42
Because nothing
satisfies the heart.
00:13:12.45\00:13:14.39
Now, at this point in time,
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.73
were you out of the
church did you stop,
00:13:16.76\00:13:18.39
what was your
spiritual life like?
00:13:18.43\00:13:19.83
That's a good
question, it gradually...
00:13:19.86\00:13:23.93
like people in
the music business
00:13:23.97\00:13:25.77
saw me as a very
spiritual person,
00:13:25.80\00:13:27.54
because there were things...
I did not use profanity,
00:13:27.60\00:13:30.67
I didn't smoke, drink, do drugs,
00:13:30.71\00:13:33.07
wasn't that party
girl, wasn't... you know...
00:13:33.11\00:13:37.05
so they knew...
they knew that I had
00:13:37.11\00:13:39.65
certain standards, but yet,
00:13:39.68\00:13:41.32
the people in the
church saw me as...
00:13:41.35\00:13:44.05
"Oh, she is gone,
she is out there,"
00:13:44.09\00:13:46.65
and all that... so...
00:13:46.72\00:13:48.29
You were just in that
gray area pretty much.
00:13:48.32\00:13:50.29
I was in the gray zone,
00:13:50.33\00:13:51.66
I was in the zone
of delusion though
00:13:51.69\00:13:54.56
because I thought that,
00:13:54.60\00:13:56.06
"Okay, so I am in
the music business,
00:13:56.10\00:13:58.80
but I'm not working on Sabbath
00:13:58.83\00:14:00.44
so, I'm okay," it's like...
00:14:00.47\00:14:03.54
but you're not really...
I was saying prayers, but...
00:14:03.61\00:14:06.81
just like in an obligatory way,
00:14:06.88\00:14:09.41
I was reading my Bible
sometimes it was by my bed,
00:14:09.44\00:14:12.85
but I was not in a
relationship with Jesus Christ
00:14:12.88\00:14:16.25
I was just doing
ritualistic-type things
00:14:16.28\00:14:20.69
I wasn't going to church,
I had stopped going to church
00:14:20.76\00:14:23.26
but I thought,
"Well, if I don't watch TV
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.26
and do this and that
on Sabbath, I'm good"
00:14:25.29\00:14:27.23
it was all "works oriented"
00:14:27.30\00:14:29.63
it was all connected
to what I did or didn't do
00:14:29.66\00:14:33.13
but then I started
working on the Sabbath,
00:14:33.17\00:14:35.64
and what had
happened was, I hit...
00:14:35.67\00:14:39.17
I was in a... in fact, you
weren't born when I started
00:14:39.21\00:14:44.11
you weren't born then but
00:14:44.15\00:14:47.32
I was working...
living on 2nd Avenue
00:14:47.38\00:14:52.49
on the upper Eastside...
in a very expensive apartment,
00:14:52.52\00:14:55.26
and the bottom
kind of dropped out
00:14:55.29\00:14:58.79
with jingles... you
know... you get called
00:14:58.83\00:15:00.83
and then you don't get called,
you get... you know... so...
00:15:00.86\00:15:04.20
if you get
called, you're working
00:15:04.27\00:15:06.00
and if you don't get called,
00:15:06.03\00:15:07.37
and if you don't
have much on the air,
00:15:07.44\00:15:08.84
you're not making much money,
so, I hit a snag in point,
00:15:08.87\00:15:13.07
and I was thinking,
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.91
"Okay, so, what
am I going to do?"
00:15:15.94\00:15:19.15
I did not have a strong
relationship with the Lord,
00:15:19.18\00:15:21.78
where I was really
praying and all that
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.62
and this job came
through with Roberta Flack
00:15:23.69\00:15:26.39
to go on the
road on the weekends,
00:15:26.42\00:15:28.49
and I thought,
00:15:28.56\00:15:30.36
"Oh, man, are they
booking on Friday nights?"
00:15:30.43\00:15:32.96
Well, at
first... well they were...
00:15:32.99\00:15:36.36
and some of my friends said,
00:15:36.40\00:15:38.57
"You know, it's okay,
God gave you that talent,
00:15:38.60\00:15:41.47
and you're using it, and
you're making people happy
00:15:41.50\00:15:44.34
and so... you
know... and God understands"
00:15:44.37\00:15:47.14
and, of course,
because I did not have that
00:15:47.18\00:15:49.88
that firm
relationship with the Lord,
00:15:49.91\00:15:52.15
I'm thinking, "Well,
maybe I'll just do it
00:15:52.18\00:15:55.42
for a little while and
then I won't do it anymore"
00:15:55.45\00:15:56.89
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:15:56.95\00:15:58.29
so, I started singing... and
you know what's interesting Jay,
00:15:58.32\00:16:01.59
the first two or three
engagements with Roberta,
00:16:01.62\00:16:06.73
that were on
Friday nights got canceled
00:16:06.83\00:16:09.93
so I didn't have to
sing on Friday night
00:16:09.96\00:16:13.10
but then... one
came up and I did
00:16:13.13\00:16:16.14
and it was the
weirdest feeling, I felt so...
00:16:16.17\00:16:19.67
like a fish out of
water, I felt so uncomfortable
00:16:19.71\00:16:23.14
and yet I did it, and
I was on the road with
00:16:23.21\00:16:27.12
your Uncle
Luther, Luther Vandross
00:16:27.15\00:16:29.22
and Brenda White
00:16:29.25\00:16:30.79
and we had a
great time on the road
00:16:30.89\00:16:32.75
but I learned from that
00:16:32.79\00:16:35.89
that you can get
used to doing something
00:16:35.92\00:16:39.43
that you know is
wrong, you can get used to it
00:16:39.46\00:16:42.93
and you can get
comfortable in it
00:16:43.00\00:16:45.37
and that is not
what God would have
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.40
so I ended up doing that, I
was on the road for weekends
00:16:47.44\00:16:52.04
doing weekends for
about, I guess a year or two,
00:16:52.07\00:16:55.88
and then I was back in the
jingles kind of... full force
00:16:55.91\00:17:00.45
and then I wasn't
on the road anymore.
00:17:00.48\00:17:02.35
Okay... okay... wow... so,
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.75
there were Friday
nights that got canceled
00:17:05.79\00:17:10.69
and so that's almost like
a little Divine intervention
00:17:10.76\00:17:14.96
That's what it felt like.
00:17:15.03\00:17:16.77
and then, on a Friday night
00:17:16.80\00:17:18.43
that didn't get
canceled it was almost like,
00:17:18.47\00:17:20.84
"Okay, this is your choice,
what are you going to do,
00:17:20.87\00:17:24.34
make your decision.
" Exactly... exactly...
00:17:24.37\00:17:26.68
Wow! And I chose the wrong...
00:17:26.71\00:17:28.91
I chose to go...
00:17:28.94\00:17:30.45
to succumb to
the economic pressure
00:17:30.48\00:17:35.65
instead of trusting
God, to open a door for me.
00:17:35.68\00:17:39.62
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:17:39.65\00:17:40.99
I didn't trust Him
enough to open the door.
00:17:41.02\00:17:44.33
Yes... yes...
after the Music Industry,
00:17:44.36\00:17:47.76
how did you transition,
00:17:47.83\00:17:49.13
where did you go
after the Music Industry?
00:17:49.16\00:17:52.33
Well, you know,
it's funny, it was...
00:17:52.37\00:17:55.37
as a Studio Singer, your
career is like an Athlete's
00:17:55.40\00:18:02.11
you have a peak and
then you have a decline,
00:18:02.14\00:18:04.88
right? and it's interesting
00:18:04.91\00:18:06.65
as you get older... they
start slowing phasing you out
00:18:06.68\00:18:10.25
and bringing... now,
you're not even on TV,
00:18:10.32\00:18:12.69
so it's not like
people see you getting older,
00:18:12.72\00:18:14.96
but they see you and
they want to keep things
00:18:14.99\00:18:17.26
young and fresh, and all that
00:18:17.29\00:18:18.66
so, as my decline began,
00:18:18.69\00:18:23.26
I just developed this
passion for natural health
00:18:23.30\00:18:28.10
and I started studying
alternative health things
00:18:28.14\00:18:32.17
and I started taking
classes and I loved knowing
00:18:32.21\00:18:36.14
about the herbs and things
that you could do naturally
00:18:36.18\00:18:39.61
and so, I started studying it
as my music career was declining
00:18:39.68\00:18:45.22
now interestingly enough, I
stayed in the Music Industry
00:18:45.25\00:18:48.92
for a long time but it was...
00:18:48.96\00:18:51.96
as it was going down,
00:18:51.99\00:18:53.60
my interest in
natural health was going up
00:18:53.63\00:18:56.36
and I just got consumed by it
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.53
and I started studying,
buying books, as you know...
00:18:58.57\00:19:01.74
Yeah, I know how
you are in school,
00:19:01.77\00:19:03.24
I know, and when you
got into acupuncture,
00:19:03.27\00:19:07.24
I was your pincushion.
00:19:07.31\00:19:09.68
I know, bless your heart
honey, I owe you something
00:19:09.71\00:19:13.48
for being my
guinea pig for everything
00:19:13.55\00:19:15.68
massage therapy, reflexology,
00:19:15.72\00:19:18.49
all the...
unfortunately New Age things
00:19:18.52\00:19:21.69
which I ended up getting into
00:19:21.72\00:19:23.06
which I didn't
realize... I was really doing,
00:19:23.09\00:19:25.49
but, anyway, you were
my guinea pig for all that,
00:19:25.53\00:19:27.93
bless your heart, I owe you...
00:19:27.96\00:19:29.26
Yes, yes... I
will collect on that.
00:19:29.30\00:19:32.40
I'm sure you will.
00:19:32.43\00:19:33.84
Now, once you
realized and once you became
00:19:33.87\00:19:36.57
convicted that
acupuncture was wrong,
00:19:36.60\00:19:39.17
you wrote a booklet,
00:19:39.21\00:19:40.58
I did... we
actually have that booklet
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.98
in-house and it's called,
"What's Wrong with Acupuncture?"
00:19:43.01\00:19:47.12
How can people get that booklet?
00:19:47.15\00:19:50.22
They can contact us
here at the Call Center
00:19:50.29\00:19:55.22
at 3ABN, the phone
number is 618-627-4651
00:19:55.29\00:20:00.23
and just ask for
the the Call Center
00:20:00.30\00:20:02.63
the number will
be up on the screen
00:20:02.66\00:20:05.00
yeah, and they can just call
the Call Center and order that
00:20:05.03\00:20:08.04
because so many people are
thinking acupuncture is okay
00:20:08.07\00:20:12.31
and as I was studying it,
00:20:12.34\00:20:14.41
I thought it was okay
while I was in School,
00:20:14.48\00:20:17.21
it wasn't until
after I got out of school,
00:20:17.25\00:20:19.68
and it was
brought to my attention,
00:20:19.71\00:20:22.62
that it was wrong,
that I really researched it
00:20:22.65\00:20:25.89
and found out it
was really wrong,
00:20:25.92\00:20:28.76
and God wanted me out of it.
00:20:28.79\00:20:30.59
Yes, and people also,
if they want that booklet
00:20:30.63\00:20:33.76
when they call the Call
Center, they need to specify
00:20:33.80\00:20:36.20
that they want the,
"What's Wrong with Acupuncture"
00:20:36.23\00:20:38.63
booklet and it's available
for a suggested donation of $10
00:20:38.67\00:20:41.90
which is for Dare to Dream,
00:20:41.97\00:20:43.54
yeah, we need to
let people know that...
00:20:43.57\00:20:45.44
yeah, this is
going to Dare to Dream
00:20:45.47\00:20:47.24
this is a Dare to Dream book...
00:20:47.31\00:20:48.64
so we're trying to
raise funds for Dare to Dream
00:20:48.68\00:20:51.01
and so... yeah... thank you...
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.51
Absolutely, no problem,
so after the acupuncture
00:20:52.55\00:20:56.25
after realizing
that it was wrong,
00:20:56.28\00:20:58.15
being convicted of that,
you were on the Dean's List
00:20:58.19\00:21:01.32
while you were in school,
you're making amazing grades,
00:21:01.36\00:21:05.59
and you just gave it all
up because you were convicted
00:21:05.63\00:21:09.80
that
spiritually... this is wrong
00:21:09.83\00:21:12.10
this is... it's New Age...
00:21:12.13\00:21:13.54
let's bring it, I
guess, more current,
00:21:13.60\00:21:17.37
how did you end
up coming to 3ABN,
00:21:17.41\00:21:20.98
how did you become
the GM of Dare to Dream?
00:21:21.01\00:21:24.11
You know, Jay...
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.68
you cannot lose
when you obey God
00:21:25.71\00:21:29.32
that's the bottom line.
00:21:29.35\00:21:30.85
When God told me, He
led me to the resources
00:21:30.89\00:21:35.09
that let me
know that acupuncture
00:21:35.16\00:21:37.73
and the philosophy behind it,
00:21:37.76\00:21:40.30
the underpinning of
it, the foundation of it,
00:21:40.36\00:21:42.76
these are incompatible
00:21:42.80\00:21:44.70
with Christian values,
00:21:44.73\00:21:46.80
once He showed me that,
00:21:46.87\00:21:48.74
I had a decision to
make, it's either...
00:21:48.77\00:21:51.77
and it was 95
percent of my income,
00:21:51.81\00:21:55.01
so, it is
either, stay with that...
00:21:55.04\00:21:58.21
and lose my soul
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.52
or trust God to provide
for me to make a way for me
00:22:00.55\00:22:07.79
even though, I no
longer have the same income,
00:22:07.82\00:22:11.09
and Jay...
every... God is so faithful
00:22:11.13\00:22:15.96
because in every
juncture, He took care of me.
00:22:16.00\00:22:20.30
Everything that I
needed, whether it was my rent,
00:22:20.34\00:22:24.61
whether it was my... a website,
00:22:24.64\00:22:28.88
to print a book, I
wrote a book called,
00:22:28.91\00:22:31.61
"Great Days: Nine Principles
To Revolutionize Your Life"
00:22:31.65\00:22:35.72
and that book is
what got me to 3ABN.
00:22:35.75\00:22:40.42
Wow! So if I had
not left acupuncture
00:22:40.46\00:22:45.06
if I hadn't obeyed God, I
would not have gotten the best
00:22:45.09\00:22:50.70
job I've ever had in my life,
00:22:50.73\00:22:52.97
this is the best place
that I've ever worked at,
00:22:53.00\00:22:56.74
this is best job I've ever had,
00:22:56.77\00:22:58.57
I love the people,
I love what I'm doing,
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.64
and I'm so grateful to
be in the seat that I'm in
00:23:01.68\00:23:06.31
and it's because, you
can't lose when you obey God
00:23:06.35\00:23:10.99
so that's how I got
here, I wrote this book,
00:23:11.02\00:23:14.52
and C.A. Murray was
supposed to interview me
00:23:14.56\00:23:18.09
on the "Today
Program" about the book,
00:23:18.13\00:23:20.80
but he wasn't here,
00:23:20.90\00:23:22.40
he had to leave
00:23:22.43\00:23:23.97
so Danny Shelton interviewed me
00:23:24.03\00:23:26.20
and Danny and I began to talk,
00:23:26.23\00:23:28.40
and he told me, he said,
00:23:28.44\00:23:30.27
"I feel impressed
that you should be
00:23:30.31\00:23:32.54
the one to head
the "Urban Network"
00:23:32.61\00:23:34.84
and I just thought,
"Me?" I mean... I've never...
00:23:34.88\00:23:38.21
it just never dawned on me
that I would be working here
00:23:38.25\00:23:42.45
that I would be the
Head of the Urban Network
00:23:42.48\00:23:46.25
but God had a plan,
and that's what everyone...
00:23:46.29\00:23:49.99
every Viewer should know
that there's nothing special
00:23:50.03\00:23:53.29
about me or you or everybody...
we're all special, we're all...
00:23:53.36\00:23:57.50
we're all unique in God's sight
00:23:57.53\00:23:59.83
and there's a
plan for each of us
00:23:59.87\00:24:02.14
and so we can
thank Him for that plan.
00:24:02.17\00:24:05.04
Absolutely, I often say that
00:24:05.07\00:24:06.68
a true testament of faith
is the ability to tolerate
00:24:06.71\00:24:10.45
uncertainty while trusting God
and that's exactly what you did
00:24:10.48\00:24:14.85
and then it led you
to your Divine purpose.
00:24:14.88\00:24:18.39
Amen... that's deep
Jay, I'm proud of you.
00:24:18.42\00:24:20.76
All right then...
00:24:20.79\00:24:22.46
No, that's true though
00:24:22.49\00:24:24.26
that's really true, it is...
say that again, I like that,
00:24:24.33\00:24:29.16
"The true testament of
faith is the ability to tolerate
00:24:29.20\00:24:33.74
uncertainty
while trusting in God"
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.81
Hmmm... because
you step out on faith
00:24:36.87\00:24:39.81
you don't know what
God has in store for you
00:24:39.84\00:24:42.68
but if we trust that
His plan is the best plan
00:24:42.71\00:24:45.45
and you pray and ask God to put
you into your Divine purpose,
00:24:45.48\00:24:50.45
He'll answer you. Yes, He will.
00:24:50.49\00:24:54.12
And He answered your
prayers. Yes, He did.
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.22
And you are now the GM
of Dare to Dream Network
00:24:56.26\00:24:58.83
and I am sitting in your seat.
00:24:58.86\00:25:00.26
I know and you know what,
00:25:00.33\00:25:01.63
I think you're getting
a little too comfortable,
00:25:01.66\00:25:03.03
don't get comfortable though,
00:25:03.06\00:25:04.40
don't get too
comfortable in that seat,
00:25:04.43\00:25:06.43
that's all I have to say,
00:25:06.47\00:25:07.80
no seriously, you will
be doing more interviews
00:25:07.84\00:25:11.24
and I think it's great,
00:25:11.31\00:25:12.64
I want you to do more
interviews and continue to grow
00:25:12.67\00:25:17.15
because God has
His plan for you too.
00:25:17.25\00:25:19.51
God is so good, He's so faithful
00:25:19.55\00:25:24.09
and He will reveal to
you what you need to know
00:25:24.12\00:25:27.56
at that point in time,
00:25:27.59\00:25:29.06
you might not know what's
going to happen over here,
00:25:29.09\00:25:31.69
but He will
give you step by step
00:25:31.73\00:25:34.00
what you're to do,
if we just ask Him.
00:25:34.00\00:25:36.20
Just ask Him, it's
all about relationship
00:25:36.23\00:25:39.40
if the Viewer doesn't
get anything else today,
00:25:39.43\00:25:41.94
they need to know
it's about relationship
00:25:41.97\00:25:45.94
not about rules because
the rules come into play
00:25:45.97\00:25:49.38
as a result of the relationship.
00:25:49.41\00:25:51.81
Yes, and doing
stuff out of love.
00:25:51.85\00:25:53.92
That's right.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely
00:25:53.98\00:25:57.25
and what is your
vision for Dare to Dream?
00:25:57.29\00:26:01.42
Hmmm... wow! you
know, TV shapes values
00:26:01.46\00:26:05.53
I think that we are seeing that
00:26:05.56\00:26:08.90
in this whole cultural
revolution that we have
00:26:08.93\00:26:11.73
television shapes values
00:26:11.77\00:26:15.24
and so, since we
know that to be true,
00:26:15.27\00:26:17.87
we want to shape the values,
we want to lead people to Christ
00:26:17.94\00:26:22.31
we want to lead
people in the inner city
00:26:22.34\00:26:25.98
in urban areas to Jesus Christ,
00:26:26.01\00:26:28.12
people who
wouldn't walk into a church
00:26:28.15\00:26:30.39
you know, we want to
give them Jesus Christ
00:26:30.42\00:26:34.59
and show them how
relevant the Word of God is
00:26:34.62\00:26:38.56
how applicable to
today the Word of God is
00:26:38.59\00:26:42.50
and so we can do that by
offering television programs
00:26:42.53\00:26:46.84
that offer the
gospel and tools for living.
00:26:46.90\00:26:50.27
I just feel like
God would have us
00:26:50.31\00:26:53.27
to continue to do programming
that reaches... you know...
00:26:53.34\00:26:56.64
we want programs for young moms
00:26:56.71\00:26:59.18
and for fathers
00:26:59.21\00:27:00.65
to teach our young
men how to be fathers,
00:27:00.68\00:27:03.28
how do they
deal with the mothers
00:27:03.32\00:27:06.65
and all these things,
so we really want to help
00:27:06.69\00:27:11.03
get the word out everywhere.
00:27:11.06\00:27:14.60
That's amazing... well I
want to thank you so much
00:27:14.63\00:27:17.60
for joining us today.
00:27:17.63\00:27:18.97
Thank you, you
did a great job too.
00:27:19.00\00:27:21.40
Oh, praise the Lord,
that's why we always pray
00:27:21.47\00:27:23.51
before we get
started. Yes we do...
00:27:23.61\00:27:24.97
Matthew 16:24 through 26 says,
00:27:25.04\00:27:30.95
"Then Jesus said
to His disciples,
00:27:30.98\00:27:33.25
if anyone wishes
to come after me,
00:27:33.28\00:27:35.45
he must deny himself,
00:27:35.48\00:27:37.49
and take up his
cross, and follow me.
00:27:37.52\00:27:39.55
For whoever wishes to
save his life will lose it:
00:27:39.59\00:27:42.79
but whoever loses his
life for my sake will find it.
00:27:42.82\00:27:45.96
For what will it profit a man,
if he gains the whole world,
00:27:45.99\00:27:49.73
and forfeits his soul?
or what will a man give
00:27:49.76\00:27:53.13
in exchange for his soul?"
00:27:53.17\00:27:54.50
If you haven't done so
already, I encourage you
00:27:54.54\00:27:57.47
to accept Jesus Christ
as your Lord and Savior
00:27:57.51\00:28:00.51
because without
Him, you have nothing.
00:28:00.54\00:28:02.71
Join us next time and remember
00:28:02.74\00:28:04.81
it just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:28:04.85\00:28:07.58