As a woman,
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do you often feel
as though your life
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is on the clearance shelf?
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Are you going through a trial
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that has knocked
you to your knees?
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Well, stay tuned to meet a woman
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who will let you
know that, through Christ,
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you're not on clearance.
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My name is
Yvonne Lewis- Shelton,
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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 Vivian Martin,
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radio host and author of
"You're NOT On Clearance."
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Welcome to Urban Report, Vivian.
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Thank you.
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I'm so happy to be here, Yvonne.
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We're so glad
that you could come
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and share this
transformational program
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that you have with us.
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Yes.
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There are so many women and men,
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but your book specifically
addresses women, correct?
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It was written
with women in mind.
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But since the
book has been published
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and it has sold
more than 600 copies,
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it has gone to
women and men alike.
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Okay, good.
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Because everybody
goes through stuff.
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Yes.
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Everybody has
trials in their journey,
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so everybody needs some help.
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Absolutely.
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Tell us about your journey.
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What made you write this book?
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Well, at this time and during
the time of the book writing,
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I'm a wife, I'm a
mother, I'm a daughter,
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I am the fifth daughter
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of six girls born to my parents,
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just your normal working woman,
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Seventh-day
Adventist Christian woman,
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I'm a speaker,
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and I reached a point in my life
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that I would
call a major crisis.
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I was having a very
huge crisis in my marriage.
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And at the time,0
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I did not realize
what God was doing
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and what all He
was taking me through?
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I didn't even realize
that I had reached a point
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where I felt like
I was on clearance.
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I didn't even know
that until the Holy Spirit
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shared it with me.
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So it was about 10 years later
when I actually wrote the book,
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after the Lord had brought
me through and to another side.
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I continued to be
a speaker for Him.
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And I could just see
women in the audience
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with pink stickers
all on their faces,
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just all type of
pink stickers and labels
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where they had
labeled themselves
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on clearance
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or where other people
had placed the labels on them
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and they were accepting it.
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They believed it.
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So I said, "I
remember being there,
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and you're not on clearance."
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Yes.
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"You are bought
with a price, girl."
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So I was just
trying to think of some way
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that I could get
that across to the ladies.
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And you did in such a really
refreshing way in the book.
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As I was reading it,
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you know, there were areas
that made me smile and say,
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"Wow, this is really refreshing,
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different..."
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Your different spin if I may.
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Right. The
approach, the approach.
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Yeah, on things was
really very interesting.
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And I feel, you
know, Holy Spirit led.
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So let's talk about...
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Let's talk about
the book and let's start
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with the first
chapter of the book.
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Yes, yes.
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Tell us what that
is and what it's about.
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Okay.
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Well, the title is the
same as the first chapter,
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"You're Not On Clearance."
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It's making a point
that you're not marked down,
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you're not reduced.
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On the first
chapter in the book,
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one of the things
I've written is said,
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"Clearance items are often torn,
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marked down, scattered, expired.
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They have missing
parts, faded packaging,
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and are no longer
worth the original value."
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And if you think about it,
Yvonne, when we go in a store,
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where do you find
the clearance items?
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They're in the back. Back.
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They're in the
back, they're in the dark,
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they're hidden in the corner.
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And sometimes,
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the item has
several stickers on it
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where they keep marking it down.
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Come on.
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And so when you are going
through that time in your life,
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when you feel
like, "I'm in the back.
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I'm in the dark.
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I'm in the corner,"
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and people are
coming from every direction,
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putting labels on
you, that is where I was.
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It was approximately
almost 20 years ago,
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I was approaching my
20th year of marriage.
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And this is the time
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where you're going to celebrate,
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you know, it's 20 years,
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we've done
this, we've done that,
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we got the house,
we got the two kids,
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we got the dog, everything,
working in the church.
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And all of a sudden,
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I'm faced with the reality
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of unfaithfulness,
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of a huge amount of
infidelity in my marriage
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that had taken
place for many years
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and that resulted
with many children.
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So immediately,
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you start getting all
these labels put on you.
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Everybody has a
sticker, everybody has a reason.
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People want to
know, "What happened?
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What did you miss?
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Why did you do this?
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You don't have to stay.
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You don't have to go."
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And so this first chapter
is saying that, first of all,
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you're not on clearance.
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I don't care how bad it is,
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I don't care what
has happened to you,
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if you feel
betrayed, if you feel lost,
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if you feel that
God had a part in it,
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on the back of my book,
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there's one part
where I say that,
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"I felt that God had
manipulatively failed me."
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I felt, "God, where were you?"
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I'm sending my
children to church school.
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You know, I'm
doing the whole thing,
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as we like to say,
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and we really shouldn't do that.
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We shouldn't put
a list before God
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because as one of
my chapters bring out,
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"Lose the Belly Fat,"
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it lets you know that
God was there all the time.
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That's right.
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That's right. All the time.
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And God didn't force...
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He didn't make
that situation happen.
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Absolutely.
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You know, it happened because,
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you know, your
spouse was led into...
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Absolutely.
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You know, led
himself into it or whatever.
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But God did not lead him
into it because God would not,
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you know, do evil or
force us to do anything wrong.
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Absolutely.
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But when you're in the froze
of that, that whole situation,
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you feel so undervalued.
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I felt that God
couldn't use me anymore.
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You know, I felt that my
trial was so piercing and,
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spiritually,
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that it has
separated me from His love.
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So you actually looked at...
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Your relationship with
God was actually a reflection
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of where your
marriage was, it seems.
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Yes, yes, at that
time, because, somehow,
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I was already a speaker.
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So I used to do
a lot of speaking,
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advocating for the Lord,
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being there for other women,
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but I never thought I
would be that woman, you know?
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Somehow I felt that
I would be protected
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from just certain
trials in this life.
00:08:05.75\00:08:09.38
And so when I was hit
with that, I just felt like,
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"Oh, my God,
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I can't go out there
speaking for You anymore, Lord.
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I can't even get
my own home together."
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I felt like there was
no hope for my children.
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I'm raising these
children, but for what?
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They're not
going to be protected
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from the pains of this life.
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So you had anger toward God...
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Yes.
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For your situation,
blaming Him for the situation.
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A part of it. Yes.
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A part of it at first. Yeah.
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And I understand now
that that's just what happens
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when you're
going through trauma.
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You know, the different
stages, the anger, the guilt,
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the confusion,
all of those stages,
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but until it happens to you,
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you don't
realize what's happening.
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Right.
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But it puts you in a
place where you feel like,
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"I'm on clearance.
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I'm marked down.
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I'm reduced.
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For some reason,
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God has counted me out
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or my friends
have counted me out."
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And some women,
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even shred just
thinking that their husbands
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have counted them out.
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So what I want
individuals to know
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is that you're not on clearance.
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Yes.
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You are bought with a price.
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Even and especially
during difficult times,
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you can have the favor of God.
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Yes.
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And this is why it says
on the front of my book,
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"Why the favor of God
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is yours especially
during difficult times."
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How did you come to know
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that the favor
of God was on you?
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By allowing the Holy
Spirit to transform my mind.
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And I would say that takes
me to chapter three in the book,
00:09:48.85\00:09:52.85
it's called, "Beyond The Toner."
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As you know, Yvonne, us ladies,
we like to look beautiful,
00:09:55.62\00:09:58.86
and so we would
easily do a facial cleansing,
00:09:58.89\00:10:01.90
cleanse your face
00:10:01.93\00:10:03.26
and then you put on
your toner, and you're done.
00:10:03.33\00:10:06.30
So many times, in
our Christian life,
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.10
that's what we do.
00:10:08.14\00:10:09.47
We just accept
the initial cleansing,
00:10:09.50\00:10:11.41
we get baptized, we
put on a little toner,
00:10:11.44\00:10:14.61
we learn the 27 or 28 beliefs
00:10:14.64\00:10:17.88
of the Seventh-day
Adventist, and we're done.
00:10:17.91\00:10:21.05
I found out that I had
to go beyond the toner.
00:10:21.08\00:10:24.39
Come on.
00:10:24.42\00:10:25.75
I really needed God to
show me that You are God.
00:10:25.79\00:10:30.69
I need the Holy Spirit.
00:10:30.73\00:10:33.46
I said, "God, I
need transformation,"
00:10:33.50\00:10:35.30
because, doing all that,
God was telling me to stay.
00:10:35.33\00:10:38.50
You needed for God to
show you that He is God.
00:10:38.53\00:10:41.27
That He is God.
00:10:41.30\00:10:42.64
Yes. Yes.
00:10:42.67\00:10:44.04
And that He is my rock
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because my whole
foundation had fallen.
00:10:45.84\00:10:48.48
This is 19 years of marriage
and 19 years of preaching.
00:10:48.51\00:10:54.95
So I had to go beyond the toner,
00:10:54.98\00:10:58.12
which means I needed
to know the Holy Spirit
00:10:58.15\00:11:02.09
in the way that
God wanted me to know.
00:11:02.12\00:11:04.86
I grew up as a
Primitive Baptist.
00:11:04.89\00:11:07.50
I became an Adventist
my senior year in college.
00:11:07.50\00:11:11.43
In the Baptist Church,
00:11:11.47\00:11:12.80
we used to sing this
song about the Holy Spirit,
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.77
and it says, "He will do
what no other power can do."
00:11:14.80\00:11:19.81
And that's what
I needed God to do.
00:11:19.84\00:11:21.81
I said, "God, give me Your mind
00:11:21.84\00:11:25.18
because I don't have the mindset
00:11:25.21\00:11:27.08
that You don't have."
00:11:27.12\00:11:28.45
I don't have a loving mind,
I didn't know how to forgive.
00:11:28.48\00:11:33.22
How do you even think
of forgiving at that level,
00:11:33.25\00:11:39.23
especially when
there are so many things
00:11:39.26\00:11:40.86
that are unanswered
00:11:40.90\00:11:42.20
and that you're never
going to get answers to?
00:11:42.23\00:11:45.80
I didn't know how to stay.
00:11:45.83\00:11:48.47
There was no book
that I could go and read.
00:11:48.50\00:11:52.07
I went looking for
books but nothing talked about
00:11:52.11\00:11:55.88
my situation.
00:11:55.91\00:11:57.48
And I did not know
00:11:57.51\00:11:58.85
a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian woman
00:11:58.88\00:12:02.62
whose husband had
had outside children
00:12:02.65\00:12:06.79
and a long
relationship, who had stayed...
00:12:06.86\00:12:10.03
You know, I just didn't
know where are the steps.
00:12:10.06\00:12:12.06
Right. Right.
00:12:12.09\00:12:13.43
Like, what do we do. Right.
00:12:13.50\00:12:15.40
And so that also was a trial
when people tried to console me
00:12:15.43\00:12:21.37
or tried to say,
00:12:21.40\00:12:22.74
"You need to do this
and you need to do that."
00:12:22.77\00:12:24.61
I wanted an example.
So I had to go beyond.
00:12:24.64\00:12:27.64
You wanted
somebody who had been there.
00:12:27.68\00:12:29.74
That's what I wanted. Yeah.
00:12:29.78\00:12:31.15
And today, I still
have not found that.
00:12:31.18\00:12:33.92
But I pray that
my life and my story
00:12:33.98\00:12:36.52
and my book will
say to that person,
00:12:36.55\00:12:39.79
be it a man or woman,
00:12:39.82\00:12:41.82
who is going through
something very detrimental,
00:12:41.86\00:12:43.99
that you are not on clearance...
00:12:44.03\00:12:45.36
That's right.
00:12:45.39\00:12:46.73
That the favor of
God can still be yours.
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.26
You have to understand, I
thought God was leaving me.
00:12:49.30\00:12:52.83
I thought His favor was gone.
00:12:52.87\00:12:56.14
I thought there's no way
00:12:56.17\00:12:57.61
that you have chosen
me and then, for a while,
00:12:57.64\00:13:02.14
I was comparing myself
with that other person,
00:13:02.18\00:13:05.68
like you chose
this person over me.
00:13:05.71\00:13:09.42
So there were so many stages,
00:13:09.45\00:13:11.35
but chapter three talks
about that transformation.
00:13:11.39\00:13:15.66
See, we can have
spiritual information,
00:13:15.69\00:13:19.09
spiritual education, but
we need a transformation.
00:13:19.13\00:13:24.23
That's right.
00:13:24.27\00:13:25.60
And that's what I
hope my book brings about.
00:13:25.63\00:13:27.30
I hope it gives a person a
new way of thinking to know
00:13:27.34\00:13:33.01
that God loves
you no matter what.
00:13:33.04\00:13:35.81
Yeah.
00:13:35.84\00:13:37.21
And if you allow Him, He
will bring you through it,
00:13:37.25\00:13:40.68
and God did that
for me and my husband.
00:13:40.72\00:13:44.25
We're married now
going on 35 years.
00:13:44.29\00:13:46.52
Praise the Lord.
00:13:46.55\00:13:48.32
And it's ongoing stages.
00:13:48.36\00:13:50.49
It's always ongoing.
00:13:50.53\00:13:51.89
They're
different layers, you know?
00:13:51.93\00:13:53.26
Yes. Yes.
00:13:53.29\00:13:54.73
And some of us,
00:13:54.76\00:13:56.10
because of the sin in our lives
00:13:56.13\00:13:58.53
that we allowed
ourselves to get into,
00:13:58.57\00:14:01.77
for the rest of your
life, there will be layers.
00:14:01.80\00:14:05.14
There will be different
things that the Holy Spirit
00:14:05.17\00:14:07.28
will continuously peel back
00:14:07.31\00:14:09.41
and peel off of you
so that you can make it.
00:14:09.44\00:14:12.58
But just note,
you're not on clearance.
00:14:12.61\00:14:15.45
God will always be doing
something new in your life.
00:14:15.48\00:14:18.92
That's right.
00:14:18.95\00:14:20.29
That's what I love.
00:14:20.36\00:14:21.69
I'm always challenging God.
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.06
I'm like, "God,
let's do something new."
00:14:23.09\00:14:24.43
Yeah.
00:14:24.46\00:14:25.79
And He promises
to do something new.
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.13
Yes. He does.
00:14:27.20\00:14:28.50
He promises to do something new.
00:14:28.53\00:14:29.86
This is, you know,
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.23
a new work in us
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.67
because He's
constantly working on us.
00:14:32.70\00:14:35.27
Right.
00:14:35.30\00:14:36.67
And I was afraid of
what God was going to do.
00:14:36.71\00:14:40.24
I felt like
nobody can love pastors,
00:14:40.28\00:14:43.51
so I had that fear.
00:14:43.55\00:14:45.51
But chapter three
talks about as I say,
00:14:45.55\00:14:47.65
Going Beyond the Toner,
00:14:47.68\00:14:49.38
and let's get the
microdermabrasion cleanser
00:14:49.42\00:14:51.92
to go on on your face.
00:14:51.95\00:14:53.32
Let's put on that charcoal mask.
00:14:53.36\00:14:56.26
A deep cleaning.
00:14:56.29\00:14:57.76
Let the Spirit
really get in there and deal
00:14:57.79\00:14:59.69
with those dead cells
00:14:59.73\00:15:01.86
and the roots of sin
and the root of your pain.
00:15:01.90\00:15:06.84
I had such serious
pain that even my counselor,
00:15:06.87\00:15:10.14
my therapist, and attorneys,
00:15:10.21\00:15:12.44
and the
different layers of people
00:15:12.47\00:15:14.31
that had to come in
and assist my family.
00:15:14.34\00:15:17.18
All of them said,
00:15:17.25\00:15:18.58
"We've never had
a case like this."
00:15:18.61\00:15:22.38
So I needed God to go
beyond the toner with me
00:15:22.42\00:15:26.12
and He did that.
00:15:26.15\00:15:27.49
So,
00:15:27.56\00:15:28.89
you know, I just want
that person to know that,
00:15:28.92\00:15:31.13
"Don't give up on God.
00:15:31.16\00:15:33.33
Don't give up on God."
00:15:33.40\00:15:34.73
This is a very important point
00:15:34.73\00:15:36.06
because these
kinds of situations
00:15:36.10\00:15:38.90
either pull you away from God...
00:15:38.93\00:15:40.80
Absolutely.
00:15:40.84\00:15:42.17
Or draw you to Him. Yes.
00:15:42.20\00:15:43.57
And what you're
saying is that, for a while,
00:15:43.61\00:15:46.24
you had some confusion
00:15:46.27\00:15:47.84
about God's
role in allowing this
00:15:47.88\00:15:51.08
to happen to you.
00:15:51.11\00:15:53.15
Yes.
00:15:53.18\00:15:54.52
Even to the point
where you were thinking
00:15:54.55\00:15:55.98
that God had
chosen the other person,
00:15:56.02\00:16:00.79
the other woman over you.
00:16:00.82\00:16:02.72
Absolutely.
00:16:02.76\00:16:04.09
And then you
realized that, "No, actually,
00:16:04.16\00:16:07.66
that
relationship was under a curse
00:16:07.66\00:16:10.17
because yours was
sanctioned by God."
00:16:10.20\00:16:12.07
Yes.
00:16:12.10\00:16:13.44
And so, you know,
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.24
when you look at where you were,
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.44
you see that God brought
you from that place of confusion
00:16:18.47\00:16:22.88
because He's not
the author of confusion.
00:16:22.91\00:16:24.65
Absolutely.
00:16:24.68\00:16:26.01
Brought you from that place
00:16:26.05\00:16:27.52
into a place of
harmony with Him.
00:16:27.55\00:16:30.99
And He creates
triumph from tragedy.
00:16:31.02\00:16:35.69
Yes, He does.
00:16:35.72\00:16:37.13
He does that.
00:16:37.16\00:16:38.49
He brings you through
when you're going through
00:16:38.53\00:16:41.00
the darkest time.
00:16:41.03\00:16:42.73
I've been through
the darkest times too
00:16:42.76\00:16:45.70
over the course of my life.
00:16:45.73\00:16:47.10
And I know that each
situation, in every situation,
00:16:47.14\00:16:51.91
God has brought me through.
00:16:51.94\00:16:53.58
He's a faithful God.
00:16:53.64\00:16:55.04
He will not let us down.
00:16:55.08\00:16:56.85
Even though, sometimes,
00:16:56.91\00:16:58.88
you're in that
wilderness as you were.
00:16:58.91\00:17:00.38
That's right.
00:17:00.45\00:17:02.38
But God brought
you through. Yes.
00:17:02.42\00:17:04.22
You're in that wilderness.
00:17:04.25\00:17:05.59
So go beyond the toner. Right.
00:17:05.62\00:17:07.32
Okay, what's next?
00:17:07.39\00:17:08.72
Go beyond the
toner. Go beyond it.
00:17:08.76\00:17:10.09
Which means you
are there allowing
00:17:10.13\00:17:12.56
the Holy Spirit to
do what He wants to do.
00:17:12.59\00:17:13.93
That's right. That's right.
00:17:13.96\00:17:16.46
And trust me, God can do it.
00:17:16.50\00:17:18.23
That's right.
00:17:18.27\00:17:19.60
That's right.
00:17:19.63\00:17:20.97
Another chapter I would like
to point out is chapter five.
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.51
It talks about
"Loosing the belly fat."
00:17:23.54\00:17:25.47
Okay.
00:17:25.51\00:17:26.88
Once again, as
I... I can relate.
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.74
Yes, as I wrote each chapter,
I wanted women to relate.
00:17:28.78\00:17:32.35
Right.
00:17:32.38\00:17:33.72
And I know how
we're always concerned
00:17:33.75\00:17:35.08
about our figure, our
shape, you know, the belly fat.
00:17:35.12\00:17:36.45
Yes, yes.
00:17:36.48\00:17:38.29
But now that
relates to men also.
00:17:38.32\00:17:40.59
You know, men go to
the gym, they work out,
00:17:40.66\00:17:42.39
you know, they
want all this buff...
00:17:42.42\00:17:43.76
Right. They want to trim,
get those abs, that six pack.
00:17:43.83\00:17:45.86
Absolutely.
00:17:45.89\00:17:47.30
So this chapter is
for both men and women.
00:17:47.30\00:17:50.63
But the belly fat is
representative of the lies
00:17:50.67\00:17:54.44
of the devil because,
00:17:54.47\00:17:57.11
you know, you think
about when you're expecting
00:17:57.17\00:17:59.64
and how the belly grows
and the doctor is measuring it
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.98
and all of that.
00:18:03.01\00:18:04.51
But the promise
is in Jeremiah 1:5,
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.45
where God says,
00:18:07.48\00:18:08.82
"Before I formed thee
and placed thee in the belly,
00:18:08.85\00:18:13.09
I knew thee."
00:18:13.12\00:18:15.16
This verse
became so critical to me
00:18:15.19\00:18:18.06
because I was basing God
00:18:18.09\00:18:20.53
and my relationship
with Him on what happened
00:18:20.56\00:18:24.00
in this particular year,
00:18:24.07\00:18:25.40
in this
particular age of my life.
00:18:25.43\00:18:27.70
But God reminded me
00:18:27.74\00:18:29.27
that "Before the
belly, Vivian..."
00:18:29.30\00:18:33.61
It doesn't matter, the belly.
00:18:33.68\00:18:35.91
"Before the belly,
before you were formed,
00:18:35.94\00:18:39.91
before I placed
you in the belly,
00:18:39.95\00:18:42.25
I knew you, I ordained you,
00:18:42.28\00:18:45.39
I chose you for favor, girl,
00:18:45.42\00:18:47.49
how dare that you let this
00:18:47.56\00:18:50.66
determine My feelings for you?"
00:18:50.73\00:18:53.16
Yeah.
00:18:53.19\00:18:54.50
And so I called that
loosing the belly fat
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.73
because when you're
going through a trial
00:18:56.77\00:18:59.80
and you're
weighing God versus Satan,
00:18:59.83\00:19:02.90
Satan is there lying to you.
00:19:02.94\00:19:05.11
He's telling you lies.
00:19:05.14\00:19:06.71
He's telling you all the reasons
00:19:06.74\00:19:08.28
why you aren't favored,
00:19:08.31\00:19:10.21
all the reasons why God
won't pull your family up
00:19:10.28\00:19:13.45
and give you a new start.
00:19:13.48\00:19:15.68
And you have to
resist those lies.
00:19:15.72\00:19:18.52
Those lies are just like
fat lying around your belly.
00:19:18.55\00:19:21.79
So that's why I call
it "Lose the Belly Fat."
00:19:21.82\00:19:24.59
Here are some
things that women believe.
00:19:24.63\00:19:26.43
And this is in chapter five.
00:19:26.46\00:19:29.13
Some believe
that God cannot bless
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.20
and use them
due to circumstances
00:19:31.23\00:19:33.54
that may have occurred.
00:19:33.57\00:19:35.27
Perhaps, she was adopted
or your mother was on drugs
00:19:35.30\00:19:39.84
and alcohol, their
mother was a lesbian,
00:19:39.87\00:19:43.35
maybe your mother was
infected with a disease.
00:19:43.38\00:19:46.28
These are all the reasons
that women come to church,
00:19:46.31\00:19:50.49
yet they do not
believe that the favor of God
00:19:50.52\00:19:54.76
is upon them
00:19:54.79\00:19:56.49
because you never
got to know your mother,
00:19:56.52\00:19:58.86
because your mother
was involved in an affair
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.70
when she had you,
00:20:01.73\00:20:03.87
because one of your
parents is a convicted felon,
00:20:03.93\00:20:07.50
you know, your
dad is incarcerated,
00:20:07.54\00:20:09.54
and the list just
goes on and on and on.
00:20:09.57\00:20:13.24
But these are lies of the enemy.
00:20:13.27\00:20:15.68
These are just like
fat around your belly.
00:20:15.71\00:20:17.55
Yeah.
00:20:17.61\00:20:18.95
So that's why I
named that chapter,
00:20:18.98\00:20:20.32
"Lose the Belly Fat."
00:20:20.35\00:20:21.72
Yes.
00:20:21.75\00:20:23.08
You have to immerse
yourself in the word of God
00:20:23.12\00:20:25.79
and find those promises of God.
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.99
Yes.
00:20:28.02\00:20:29.36
And when God
said to me, "Vivian,
00:20:29.39\00:20:31.83
before you were even
formed, I loved you..."
00:20:31.86\00:20:34.23
Yes. "I blessed you..."
00:20:34.30\00:20:35.70
Yes.
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.10
"I chose you, I called you."
00:20:37.13\00:20:38.63
That's right.
God said, "I'm sorry.
00:20:38.67\00:20:40.50
I know your tears.
00:20:40.57\00:20:42.47
I see you weeping.
00:20:42.50\00:20:44.04
But don't you dare think
that I'm finished with you."
00:20:44.07\00:20:46.61
Yes.
00:20:46.64\00:20:47.98
Yes, 'cause He
is not finished yet.
00:20:48.01\00:20:49.61
That was so beautiful.
00:20:49.64\00:20:50.98
That is so beautiful.
00:20:51.01\00:20:52.35
It really is.
00:20:52.38\00:20:53.75
It just speaks of
the loving, caring,
00:20:53.78\00:20:57.35
compassionate God that He is.
00:20:57.42\00:21:00.26
You know, Satan wants
to distort our perception
00:21:00.29\00:21:04.13
of the character of God.
00:21:04.16\00:21:05.56
Right.
00:21:05.59\00:21:06.93
He wants us to think
that God is not loving,
00:21:07.00\00:21:08.96
that He doesn't care,
that He puts you here,
00:21:09.00\00:21:11.57
and you're kind of on your own.
00:21:11.60\00:21:12.93
No, no, no, no, no.
00:21:12.97\00:21:14.30
Before...
00:21:14.34\00:21:15.67
Before...
00:21:15.70\00:21:17.07
Before...
00:21:17.11\00:21:18.91
So that's ask before anything.
00:21:18.94\00:21:20.28
He knew before you
were even formed...
00:21:20.34\00:21:23.04
Right.
00:21:23.08\00:21:24.55
In the womb. He knew you.
00:21:24.58\00:21:26.41
He knew us.
00:21:26.45\00:21:27.78
It's incredible.
00:21:27.82\00:21:29.15
And He already determined
then that, "I love you."
00:21:29.18\00:21:32.09
That's right. "That I
have a place for you."
00:21:32.12\00:21:33.92
That's right.
00:21:33.96\00:21:35.29
And a plan.
00:21:35.32\00:21:36.66
And a plan.
00:21:36.69\00:21:38.03
A plan for you.
00:21:38.06\00:21:39.39
We always talk about...
00:21:39.43\00:21:40.76
On Urban Report,
00:21:40.80\00:21:42.10
we always talk about
the fact that God has a plan
00:21:42.13\00:21:43.90
and the enemy has a plan.
00:21:43.93\00:21:45.27
Absolutely.
00:21:45.30\00:21:46.63
And God's plan is to
give you an abundant life
00:21:46.67\00:21:50.57
and to bring you up.
00:21:50.64\00:21:52.84
That's right.
00:21:52.87\00:21:54.21
And Satan's plan
is to destroy you
00:21:54.24\00:21:56.01
and bring you down.
00:21:56.04\00:21:57.38
And they each
have a system, a way,
00:21:57.41\00:22:01.08
a plan to bring
you to that point
00:22:01.12\00:22:03.39
of either height or depth.
00:22:03.42\00:22:04.75
Right.
00:22:04.79\00:22:06.12
Depending on, you know,
who you choose to serve.
00:22:06.15\00:22:09.09
So what you're
saying is that you...
00:22:09.12\00:22:13.53
That verse, for
you, in Jeremiah,
00:22:13.60\00:22:17.23
that was pivotal for you.
00:22:17.27\00:22:18.97
It was pivotal
00:22:19.00\00:22:20.40
because I kept
looking at the belly.
00:22:20.44\00:22:22.97
I kept looking
at the circumstance
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.27
and here's the reason
00:22:25.31\00:22:26.64
why I can never be
favored in You, God.
00:22:26.68\00:22:30.51
But God was like, "It
doesn't matter the belly."
00:22:30.55\00:22:33.58
It's almost like
certain countries
00:22:33.62\00:22:35.98
privilege
themselves if you're born
00:22:36.02\00:22:37.82
to a certain tribe or
a certain royal family.
00:22:37.85\00:22:41.62
But God is saying,
00:22:41.66\00:22:42.99
"None of that matters
because before you were formed,
00:22:43.02\00:22:46.76
before you
ended up in that belly
00:22:46.80\00:22:49.06
where maybe the
uncle raped the cousin..."
00:22:49.10\00:22:54.17
It's just so many
things that Satan keeps
00:22:54.20\00:22:56.40
bringing that lie before us
00:22:56.44\00:22:58.01
and he still
brings it before me.
00:22:58.04\00:23:00.98
And so constantly, daily,
00:23:01.01\00:23:02.81
I'm quoting the promises of God.
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.55
Yes.
00:23:04.58\00:23:05.91
I'm quoting the promises of God.
00:23:05.95\00:23:07.32
And that's what we have
to do is lose the belly fat.
00:23:07.35\00:23:08.82
Yes.
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.19
Just like every so many
months, we realize, like, "Hey,
00:23:10.22\00:23:12.35
I'm getting a little heavy here,
00:23:12.39\00:23:13.76
something is not right."
00:23:13.79\00:23:15.19
We have to do that spiritually
and say, "Hey, wait a minute.
00:23:15.22\00:23:18.86
I'm getting a
little heavy in my life,
00:23:18.89\00:23:20.43
my burdens are getting
heavy, I'm getting torn down.
00:23:20.50\00:23:23.73
I need to lose the belly fat."
00:23:23.77\00:23:25.37
That's good. You know?
00:23:25.40\00:23:26.74
That's good. I love it.
00:23:26.80\00:23:28.14
Yeah. I love it.
00:23:28.17\00:23:29.50
Yeah, I need to lose the
lies that Satan is telling me
00:23:29.54\00:23:30.87
and just begin to jot down
the lies that he's telling you
00:23:30.91\00:23:34.94
and why you can't move forward
00:23:34.98\00:23:36.44
and why you
can't do this and that.
00:23:36.48\00:23:37.95
Yes.
00:23:37.98\00:23:39.31
And this book is actually a
seven-week program, isn't it?
00:23:39.35\00:23:41.98
Yes.
00:23:42.02\00:23:43.35
That's what it's designed
to be is a seven-week journey
00:23:43.39\00:23:45.65
of spiritual transformation.
00:23:45.69\00:23:47.62
There are seven chapters.
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.86
And so my goal was
that you would read
00:23:49.89\00:23:52.99
one chapter,
00:23:53.03\00:23:54.40
each chapter also gives
some challenging questions,
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.63
and then you can journal,
write down your answers.
00:23:57.67\00:24:01.90
But here's the
feedback that I've gotten
00:24:01.94\00:24:03.84
since I've written the book.
00:24:03.91\00:24:05.41
What I'm getting
is that, most people,
00:24:05.44\00:24:07.28
when they get the
book, it's an easy read,
00:24:07.31\00:24:10.05
a quick read, so they
read it through the first time.
00:24:10.08\00:24:13.18
Yeah.
00:24:13.21\00:24:14.55
And they love it.
00:24:14.58\00:24:15.92
And then they go back and
start doing the journaling
00:24:15.95\00:24:19.55
and they're really seeking
God for the transformation
00:24:19.59\00:24:23.02
or they'll choose a chapter
that they want to start with
00:24:23.06\00:24:27.23
because that's where
you're going to get the benefit
00:24:27.30\00:24:29.13
is when you actually
answer these questions.
00:24:29.16\00:24:31.33
Yes.
00:24:31.37\00:24:32.70
And you take a look
at your life and ask God,
00:24:32.73\00:24:34.97
"God, move me from
the clearance aisle."
00:24:35.00\00:24:37.71
It's so easy to
get stuck on that aisle
00:24:37.74\00:24:41.01
and you don't realize
you're on the clearance aisle
00:24:41.04\00:24:43.61
until you just
take a look around
00:24:43.65\00:24:45.65
and see how much
negativity is around you.
00:24:45.68\00:24:48.15
Yes. Yes.
00:24:48.18\00:24:49.52
Take 30 seconds if you
would and look into this camera
00:24:49.55\00:24:53.76
and tell that woman or that man
00:24:53.82\00:24:56.26
who's going
through a really dark time
00:24:56.29\00:24:59.26
how they can just move
from the clearance aisle.
00:24:59.29\00:25:03.67
Well, I would like to
say that you are bought
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.63
with a price
00:25:05.67\00:25:07.17
and God has
worked it out for you
00:25:07.24\00:25:09.30
before you were even born,
00:25:09.34\00:25:12.04
before the
situation came upon you.
00:25:12.07\00:25:14.91
It's almost like
one of the chapters
00:25:14.94\00:25:16.44
that says "Nails Done".
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.31
Because Christ has gone
to the cross and died for us
00:25:18.35\00:25:22.25
and He was nailed to
the cross, it's done.
00:25:22.28\00:25:24.75
Your situation is taken care of.
00:25:24.79\00:25:27.66
But you have to
accept God's favor
00:25:27.69\00:25:31.23
and allow Him to
continue pointing in your life.
00:25:31.26\00:25:34.36
And keep this in mind,
you might be the Bible,
00:25:34.40\00:25:39.47
the answered prayer,
00:25:39.50\00:25:40.84
or the example that God
wants someone else to see.
00:25:40.90\00:25:45.34
I can remember asking
God, "Where is my example?
00:25:45.37\00:25:48.74
Who do I turn to?
00:25:48.78\00:25:50.11
I don't know how to
walk in favor after this."
00:25:50.15\00:25:54.68
And God just took me
by the hand and He said,
00:25:54.72\00:25:57.65
"If you allow Me
to hold your hand
00:25:57.69\00:26:00.52
and you walk with Me,
we'll do this together."
00:26:00.59\00:26:03.46
Amen.
00:26:03.49\00:26:04.83
Thank you so
much, Sister Vivian.
00:26:04.86\00:26:07.13
What a blessing.
00:26:07.13\00:26:08.46
What a blessing you are
00:26:08.50\00:26:09.83
and you are to
others who are going through
00:26:09.86\00:26:13.44
what you went through.
00:26:13.47\00:26:14.80
I pray.
00:26:14.84\00:26:16.17
So thank you so much
00:26:16.20\00:26:17.54
and thank you for being with us.
00:26:17.61\00:26:18.94
Yes.
00:26:18.97\00:26:20.31
And we're thankful
that the Lord has restored
00:26:20.34\00:26:21.68
your marriage.
00:26:21.71\00:26:23.04
God is so good.
00:26:23.08\00:26:24.41
He is so good. He's awesome.
00:26:24.45\00:26:25.98
Know that God has a plan
00:26:26.01\00:26:28.52
for you and
that He can bring you
00:26:28.55\00:26:31.45
from tragedy to triumph.
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.49
Well, I can't believe it.
00:26:33.56\00:26:34.92
We've reached the
end of another program.
00:26:34.96\00:26:36.93
Join us next time
'cause you know what?
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.66
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:26:38.69\00:26:40.90