Celebrating Life in Recovery

I Am A Treasure

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Harmony Dust and Ashley Dodson

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Series Code: CLR

Program Code: CLR00036B


00:12 Welcome back!
00:14 This is going to be we're just going to
00:15 have to just like run with this.
00:17 I have four people that I really want to,
00:19 well beside myself, have three well besides me.
00:21 I really want you to hear their testimony,
00:23 the story of their impact, what God has
00:25 done in their life.
00:26 All that kind of stuff and so we are just
00:28 going to go with that.
00:29 I had to move Harmony down to a table because
00:32 there's so many people here and I want to say
00:35 God bless you, Hi and I want you to finish up
00:38 your testimony and tell us what
00:41 stepped you into ministry.
00:43 And then I want you to introduce Ashley for us.
00:45 And so we are just going to jump in right now.
00:48 So I'm going to give it to you.
00:49 Ready to go.
00:50 So, just after I had developed my relationship
00:53 with God, I continued on counseling with a Christian
00:56 counselor, Bible studies and everything I could
00:58 to pursue healing in my life.
00:59 I got to a point where I started thinking
01:03 more outside of myself.
01:05 It takes a while - it takes a while.
01:07 It's all about me for a long time.
01:09 It takes years.
01:10 And let me just stop and say, for a lot of people
01:14 that are normal, when it's all about us,
01:16 it's really tough.
01:17 We come into a potluck and say Hi,
01:19 my name is Cheri,
01:20 I tried to kill myself when I was 8.
01:21 But you know I'm getting over it.
01:22 It just really messes up the whole room.
01:25 The whole dialogue changes, but because we are so
01:28 damaged that we don't even know how to get
01:29 outside of that yet.
01:31 And I'm even going to say out loud, with mercy,
01:37 let us get through that stage.
01:39 God is really patient and if you can mentor and
01:42 privately walk us through it faster,
01:45 that's great, but don't shun us while we are
01:47 there, because it is a step, it's a stage.
01:49 Go ahead, Harmony.
01:50 So, what ended up happening is, one day I was
01:52 going to pick my husband up at the airport.
01:55 I drove by the club that I used work at,
01:57 and I pulled over on the side of the road,
01:59 was sitting across the club and just
02:00 praying for the girls inside.
02:02 Which I normally did that, but at this point,
02:05 there were something even stronger.
02:06 It was like a tug on my heart.
02:07 Like I'm glad I'm praying for them, but I
02:09 want to like go in there.
02:10 I want to do something because I felt like I was
02:12 sitting outside of the prison,
02:14 that had once held me captive.
02:16 And here I am outside of it but I know there
02:18 is still girls there.
02:19 I looked over to the console in my car,
02:22 I had a stack of postcards there that just
02:24 said her value is far above rubies and
02:27 pearls on them.
02:28 It had a beautiful picture.
02:29 So I wrote little handwritten notes on each one,
02:31 and old co-worker of yours.
02:35 I just want you to know that you are loved,
02:37 and there is a place for you and gave them
02:39 the information of my church.
02:40 I Invited them, just to extended the
02:42 hand of a relationship.
02:43 And put them on the cars of the dancers.
02:46 It was just that simple little gesture,
02:48 that all of a sudden I started thinking well what
02:50 if I did this every time, when I drove by the club.
02:52 I wonder if every time I saw a club, I would just
02:53 have something to give to the girls.
02:56 I ended up taking that to one of the
02:58 pastors at my church.
02:59 And they said one 100 percent go for it.
03:01 Other people are going to want to get involved with you.
03:03 We started meeting and now we are a non-profit
03:07 organization called Treasures.
03:08 Don't you think it's funny that God just sets it up.
03:13 One thing happens God says, you know what I
03:15 literally want to step you up into that.
03:18 It is not appropriate for some guy that is just
03:22 from a normal background to step into a strip club.
03:26 Is just not appropriate.
03:27 But for you, and your heart, and the Holy Spirit,
03:29 it's so is appropriate.
03:31 So we go to a 170 clubs a year with gift bags
03:35 for the girls.
03:36 Shut up I'm so proud of you.
03:37 I know it's exciting, all over LA, Orange County,
03:39 and Las Vegas.
03:40 Simple message that they are loved and valuable.
03:42 They can contact us.
03:44 Can I, you know, what is really funny about what
03:46 you are doing with that simple message, is that
03:49 you are literally speaking blessings into their life,
03:51 like that teacher didn't speak into yours.
03:53 You are speaking blessings even if it's on
03:56 their windshield, and they don't know that
03:58 they have a blessings spoke over them.
04:01 Now we actually get to go into the clubs and
04:02 give the gifts directly to the girls.
04:04 And really the model for the ministry is very
04:06 similar to the relationship I have with
04:08 the girl ballet class.
04:09 It's just extending our hand in relationship,
04:11 getting them plugged into a support network,
04:14 into a community.
04:15 Getting them around other women so they can start
04:16 walking out that journey and developing that
04:19 exploring relationship with God.
04:20 And that's what you how you met Ashley.
04:23 So then introduce us to Ashley and then
04:25 I want to hear a little bit of her testimony.
04:27 So this is my friend Ashley, and when I first
04:30 started Treasures I was praying to God, we need
04:33 a place to take these girls.
04:34 A safe place where the girls could come, and work out
04:37 their issues and let their hair down.
04:38 And sure enough, we had known each other and we had
04:41 crossed paths in the lobby of our church.
04:43 And she's handing out flyers for this group
04:45 Breaking The Silence that she about to start, so I was like,
04:48 Oh my gosh, that's what I've been praying for.
04:51 Maybe she can tell you more about what she does.
04:55 About the same time that God was working
04:57 in Harmony's heart with the girls at the strip club,
04:59 He was also working in mine because
05:00 I was raped in college.
05:02 And I had an abortion right before a moved to Los Angeles,
05:05 about six years ago.
05:06 I was sexually molested as a child by other children.
05:09 So when I came to LA I had a lot in my closet, so to speak.
05:14 Where I am from and most the people I knew,
05:16 didn't talk about that kind of stuff.
05:17 So I wanted to get involved in church I really
05:20 wanted to help people.
05:21 So I started leading a group called Girls Night out.
05:23 It was like a fun night out, Spa nights, movie nights,
05:26 different things like that.
05:27 But then, the more and more I got connected with
05:28 the girls, here I am with all my baggage that
05:30 I'm not talking about.
05:31 And dying inside - oh, totally, absolutely.
05:34 So that I get connection with this group of girls.
05:37 The more I talk to them, this one had an
05:39 eating disorder, this one has this and I was
05:41 like going whoa, I'm not the only one.
05:43 So then at that point there was a girl in our group,
05:46 and she would walk home every night.
05:48 Our group was close to downtown LA, why are
05:51 you walking, I just thought it was a few blocks.
05:53 So one night we got out late and I told her,
05:55 I'm going to take you home tonight.
05:57 And she's like, no! no! no! you can't take me home.
05:58 And I'm like I am taking you home.
05:59 There is no way you're going to walk.
06:01 So she gets in the car with me, we would drive to
06:03 downtown and before I know it we're on skid row.
06:05 Which is the worst part in LA, you know,
06:08 like the worst. - I've been there.
06:09 So, you know, it's awful.
06:11 So, we are down there, my heart is breaking
06:14 inside, and she said that's my, that's mine on the
06:16 corner but can you drop me here, which was like
06:18 three blocks back.
06:19 And I was like no I'll park the car and walk you in.
06:21 And with this look on her face, she was humiliated,
06:23 just like please, please just drop me off.
06:26 And everything in me broke.
06:29 I drop her off, out of respect, and a couple
06:34 of minutes later my phone rings.
06:35 She said, hey Ashley it's so and so, can
06:38 you, if you don't know this by now, I'm homeless.
06:41 And I thought, she's in my group,
06:45 she doesn't have a home.
06:46 She worked two jobs and had a cell phone
06:48 and I didn't know.
06:49 So I thought, how can I be leading this group of women,
06:51 and this is what's going on.
06:53 And this is what's going on with me.
06:55 Not even know, and my heart broke.
06:57 So that's when God really, were the title comes from.
07:00 My heart breaks when I'm hearing that because a
07:03 lot times even speaking at a church, is that I don't get
07:06 out of there for hours and hours, because somebody has
07:08 to say, you know I'm damaged.
07:10 I'm met an 83-year-old woman, was trashed with a sexual
07:14 addiction, her whole life.
07:15 She was molested when she was 3.
07:17 That never talk to anybody.
07:19 I'm thinking somebody has got to say out loud so it
07:21 doesn't just fester in us.
07:22 And it gives people..., that's why it's called
07:27 Breaking the Silence.
07:28 It's like if I do that other people will.
07:31 Then when Harmony and I crossed paths, she said we knew
07:33 one another but when we crossed paths it was just like
07:35 okay this is a divine moment.
07:38 Ever since then, we have been interlaced.
07:39 My role in Treasures, has shifted in various seasons,
07:44 when I'm on the outreach with them or whatever,
07:45 but what has never changed is offering
07:47 breaking the silence to the girls.
07:49 They can come in and speak about what ever.
07:51 Whatever and you can be where you are.
07:53 I don't care if you're mad about this, or cry about
07:56 this, or you don't like people.
07:57 It doesn't matter to me, because the reality is they
08:00 all show up and sit in the same room and one women
08:03 will be in her 50's, and one girl is 19, and another
08:05 girl is married, and one has kids, one's single.
08:08 One love God, one hates God.
08:11 That's exactly right.
08:12 So for me I look at that and I go, that's it, that's what
08:15 we're about, because it doesn't matter because like on a
08:18 basic human level, when I lay my head down at
08:20 night, I need the same things you do.
08:23 So, that is what connects us all.
08:25 If we can stay there in that place with no mask,
08:28 on, this is were we are going to be at, then you
08:31 can love people where they are.
08:32 And in that place of acceptance, the Holy Spirit can
08:36 say, you know what thank you, because I can work here.
08:39 I can work here.
08:41 And bond people together.
08:42 We had a journey of recovery of coming out a some things
08:46 and once you have walked out of that,
08:48 like she said you can look at people and you can just see it.
08:50 It's like I can't be free, and not offer it to you.
08:54 Not offer you a tool.
08:55 Not to offer you a word even.
08:57 If all I have God is an encouragement, smile, a hug,
09:00 that's all I've got to give you but I'm going
09:02 to give you that.
09:03 I laughed one time, I said I had been in a church ten
09:05 years trying to be normal.
09:06 And I got all clothes and I'm sitting there, and I'm dying.
09:08 At one point I thought, I want to run up on the front
09:11 of the stage and grab the mic and say, does anybody know
09:13 that I am dying here.
09:15 I'm dying here.
09:16 I have never been held in my life by my parents.
09:19 They try to self abort six different times.
09:21 I've never been told, sit down, we want you here.
09:24 And I walk someone to touch me.
09:26 And I had been in the church ten years.
09:28 So it's like being out of the safe, Breaking the Silence.
09:30 You know it's time that the church says, you know what,
09:33 we want you here.
09:34 We want you here - I see you.
09:35 And we want you here, whether you love God or hate God
09:39 or what ever because God will do the work in you.
09:41 Because you matter to God.
09:42 It doesn't matter if I might have my thing up about You.
09:45 That doesn't matter because you still matter to God.
09:48 So when I look at you, I have to see Him.
09:50 Such doesn't matter to me, you know what I mean.
09:53 I'm proud of you.
09:54 Okay, now I want to bring in Dr. Weiss.
09:59 You have been on the show we've had a couple shows with
10:01 you, because I just love what you have to offer.
10:03 What you have to offer here to these two women?
10:05 Well the first thing that I want to say, Cheri, is that
10:08 I'm really incredibly proud of these two ladies, because
10:11 this is the Church of Jesus Christ.
10:13 You don't need degrees, you don't have to go
10:16 to all this training to love somebody who
10:19 has got issues.
10:20 You do not need a training to do that.
10:23 And if more ladies in the church would do this,
10:26 the world would be empty of its harlots.
10:29 You know I'm saying?
10:31 The only reason that our culture is trapped is because
10:33 the church is not the active ingredient in change.
10:36 You are twenty something when you started this.
10:39 If a 20-year-old girl can make change
10:42 in a 170 strip clubs.
10:43 What are you doing, you who have been Christians, for 25 years?
10:47 Do you know what I am saying?
10:50 And you can feel that silence in there because,
10:52 what are we doing?
10:53 What is the local church doing for the people who are stuck?
10:56 If a 25-year-old girl can put a whole denomination
10:59 to shame, come on!
11:01 So I'm proud of you and God has called you to a ministry
11:06 that is incredible.
11:07 And you can do it because you've been there.
11:09 And that's with God does so again,
11:10 whatever your wounds are.
11:12 Don't hide them, because you'll die in the church.
11:15 Go ahead and express them, heal from them, do the
11:17 counseling, do what you have got to do.
11:18 Get into loving groups with other women, other men,
11:20 if you are a man.
11:22 Do the work, so God can lay a foundation to heal others.
11:26 It's all about that.
11:27 I've been abandoned, abused, neglected, addicted,
11:30 and God has used that story to heal people who
11:32 are in that story.
11:34 We have a story to celebrate and share, and so often
11:37 we want to hide our story, which God is proud of.
11:40 I'm proud I delivered you from that, and that,
11:44 and that, and that, and that.
11:45 Why you acting like you're some saint?
11:46 You ain't no saint, remember your story, boy?
11:49 God likes to share His glory through our story.
11:52 You know what really is funny, is that one
11:55 time, if the demoniac would have said, you know, okay I'm
11:58 going to go back, but I'm just going to tell people.
12:00 But I had just a tiny problem with anger.
12:02 I had an issue.
12:03 And I'm thinking, yet a thousand demons in you.
12:06 You know you had more than an issue.
12:07 That's a much better story, great title for a book too.
12:10 You know, I had a thousand demons and God delivered me.
12:12 But this is amazing what you are
12:14 doing is practical love.
12:16 You don't need a lot of training to practically love.
12:19 Now these ladies have other issues, they can
12:21 get into and stuff like that.
12:22 And we are all survivors of sexual abuse,
12:24 and we understand the work of that.
12:25 Can you talk a little bit about, because I know you have
12:29 done some material on sexual addiction, or coming from
12:32 those kind of lifestyles.
12:33 Can you share a little bit about that with us?
12:36 Coming out of that lifestyle, what kind of things can we
12:38 look at and heal from?
12:40 I think when you are in those lifestyles you are going
12:42 to see people who've been sexually abused, who have been
12:44 abandoned by their parents that we talked about here
12:46 with Harmony's story.
12:47 There is going to be all kinds of traumas that repeat
12:50 themselves, because perpetrators are looking for
12:52 unprotected women.
12:53 When the Dad's out of the house, it's an unprotected woman.
12:57 And perpetrators look for that.
12:59 So that's why Harmony that was again, and again,
13:01 and again, and again.
13:02 Because one, you had this scar, you were unprotected.
13:05 So that is kind of a double whammy to repeat
13:07 that happening in your life again.
13:09 So moving forward having support, whether it's a twelve
13:13 step group, in a local church group in a Bible study
13:15 group, you just need some friends to say I see your
13:18 flaws, and I love you.
13:19 Like can we go there?
13:20 Can you be loved, and I know you're not perfect.
13:23 And if you can go there then you see the unconditional
13:25 love and accept us in the group.
13:27 One thing that is amazing to me is some people will get
13:29 sweaty palms for thinking about a support group, where
13:32 we're talking problem based, join a knitting class.
13:36 It's really just hanging out with somebody you
13:40 eventually talked to about whatever.
13:41 Right, and we have phone groups for people who are
13:43 struggling with sexual addiction and stuff like that.
13:45 Because if you're talking about it and working on it and
13:48 setting some goals and you're being practical about
13:49 that, you can heal.
13:51 God is not saying oh, there is a problem I can't heal.
13:53 I've been looking at your history, and I haven't
13:56 solved that one yet.
13:57 He is already solved the problem of abuse, of pain,
14:00 abandonment, and shame, and guilt.
14:02 He did that on the cross.
14:03 He did that through the Holy Spirit and His
14:04 resurrection power.
14:05 But He needs outlets like an Ashley to talk a Harmony.
14:10 And we need the good girls and good boys to
14:14 interface with those who are struggling to move them forward.
14:17 And again, some of us feel like I'm not ministry, unless
14:22 I go to Bible school.
14:23 That has become such a curse, it is good to go to Bible
14:28 school, I've got three degrees from Bible schools.
14:31 It is a good thing to go to Bible school, okay,
14:33 I am not saying that.
14:34 But that doesn't exclude the rest of the 98 percent
14:37 of the body of Christ, to do ministry of Jesus Christ.
14:39 His ministry is to love one another and be fruitful,
14:42 and multiply.
14:43 You can do that without ever going to school.
14:46 And I just got to say I just read the study, and the study
14:49 said, the study was across the board on all kinds of Christian
14:52 denomination's in this study.
14:54 They said that in the Christian church, the number
14:58 one problem, if you actually got into
15:00 somebody's heart, and asked them, is loneliness.
15:04 So, we are lonely, in an organization where Jesus
15:07 commanded us, or encouraged us to love one another.
15:11 And loneliness is the number one problem.
15:12 You are hitting the key issue because, like it's not
15:15 like we don't huddle up, we run convention centers.
15:18 We own more real estate than McDonald's.
15:21 I mean the church is a powerful huddled up organization,
15:23 and sometimes we influence politics.
15:25 We are a huddled group.
15:27 But we are not authentic in the huddle.
15:30 That is the power of authenticity, right?
15:32 That's what breaking the silence did.
15:34 Totally without it, Harmony is being authentic
15:37 today by sharing her story.
15:38 And Ashley sharing her story.
15:39 There are ladies out there that are going
15:40 to be touched today.
15:41 Through authenticity, that is what God is doing today.
15:45 So that the huddle doesn't become anything more than
15:48 watching the performers do ministry.
15:50 It's a huddle of authentic friends who say hey,
15:53 I see that fall, I love you, let's go to work, let's do that.
15:56 And let's play together with our unperfected selves.
16:01 Instead of just putting clothes on it.
16:03 You know what I am saying?
16:05 I think you hear what I'm saying.
16:06 And that is the heart of God the Father.
16:08 But it is not only His heart it's His mandate.
16:11 I'm embarrassed that I'm not going into a 170 clubs.
16:16 Your wife would be calling you.
16:18 I wouldn't do it on your life.
16:19 You're wife would be going hey buddy.
16:21 But I am saying that I am embarrassed for us as a
16:24 church that we haven't been doing this and Harmony
16:26 wasn't a part of that.
16:27 I wish her story was Man! that local church,
16:30 they came into us and loved on us and wouldn't let us go
16:33 until that we believe we didn't have to do this anymore.
16:36 I wish that was your story.
16:37 The first time I went into a strip club, I stopped from
16:43 my church, and I'm dressed and I'm adorable in this little
16:47 dress, nice outfit and I had passed a strip club and saw
16:50 this 16-year-old girl go in.
16:52 So I went to the church, and I said, when I leave here
16:54 today, I'm good at going to the strip club because my
16:56 heart is just broken.
16:57 And the entire congregation was silent like, can you do
17:00 that on the Sabbath?
17:01 It's like can you do that?
17:03 And I started literally with this group saying we're going to
17:07 pray for this building, and we are going to pray some day that
17:10 God will claim the territory, that this building is on.
17:12 And that a church is there.
17:14 Within that year, and this is just with one congregation
17:17 praying, within that year the place was shut down, went
17:20 through to other businesses, and now is a vacant lot.
17:23 I believe that our prayer will be answered some day that
17:25 a church is on there.
17:27 We do not realize the power we have of what God has
17:29 called us to do is to just say we literally need to
17:33 reclaim what the devil has stolen from us as children,
17:36 and in our communities, in our churches.
17:38 Here is a funny story.
17:40 I have a pastor friend of mine who, their building used
17:44 to be an adult movie theater.
17:46 Those were some pretty sleazy places.
17:48 They had gotten shut down and they took it and now
17:53 they own the whole block for God.
17:54 And I think that we can do that.
17:56 But what we are talking about is that we have the
17:58 ability in the Spirit of God to do incredible things.
18:01 It starts with love, it starts with prayer.
18:03 But let's do that, let's join up with ministries
18:05 like Treasures who are the hands and feet and
18:08 let them do that.
18:10 Let's partner with them.
18:11 I'm excited for what God is doing in these ladies lives
18:13 and the lives of the ladies who are out there because
18:16 they joined the battle.
18:18 Girls can go into strip clubs, guys can't.
18:20 It's like there are certain things some parts of the
18:23 body can do that for certain parts it is not best to do.
18:25 Even for men just being able to say and to speak
18:29 blessings into the world around you, no matter where
18:32 they are in their recovery.
18:33 For Harmony, that was her thing.
18:35 That's huge!
18:36 That's a valid point that we are family.
18:39 When you come into the family of God, and for families
18:42 to adopt some of the people who are wounded is
18:44 really makes a big difference.
18:45 Could you imagine with your beautiful daughter, and if
18:48 somebody encouraged her to strip rather than tell
18:50 who she is in Christ.
18:51 I would kill them.
18:52 No I really wouldn't kill him, I would make
18:54 him wish he was dead.
18:56 I would be very angry.
18:58 So just being able to say that we have the power to speak
19:01 life or death over someone's life.
19:03 And God has given us the keys to heaven the power
19:05 to do that through the Holy Spirit.
19:07 It's a great gift our words are very powerful life
19:10 giving in, and I would ask you Ashley, what would you
19:12 like to say to a woman who been raped or abused, abandoned
19:16 What would you like to say to her if she she's listening
19:19 right now, what would you like to say to her?
19:22 That it matters, it matters and you matter.
19:25 And God cares about that, He is the God who sees,
19:29 He is the God who hears, and He's the God who knows,
19:33 maybe no one else knows, but God does knows.
19:36 It matters to Him.
19:38 His heart breaks with you, He will see you through.
19:41 He won't let you go.
19:42 He will hold your hand and walk you through the whole
19:44 thing and give you the courage and strength to speak up
19:46 to someone who it will matter to.
19:49 Even beyond that, I remember working with somebody that
19:53 came up and finally said, she had had an abortion.
19:56 I was with somebody that had a little tiny fetus.
19:59 I'm not sure they was a musician person and I'm not sure
20:02 why they had that.
20:03 But it was a little tiny 10-week old
20:05 fetus that felt real.
20:07 And she had a little baby blanket, and so I said,
20:09 can I use that?
20:10 And I gave this to my friend and said I want you to
20:13 spend the night with this little baby,
20:15 with this comforter.
20:17 And I want you just process, tell her you're sorry.
20:20 Deal with that, tell her, do what ever you have to do
20:22 to let go of that.
20:24 As she held it was the saddest thing for me because
20:28 I watched her walk away and she was sobbing.
20:30 She said, I spent the night, got in the tub, I had to
20:33 be that kind of birthing thing had happened.
20:36 Next day she came out, freed.
20:38 Just free and forgiven, processed with God.
20:41 So it's likely just can't forget it.
20:44 We can't just say I'm going to bury it.
20:46 You have to process it.
20:47 Let's just talk about that because this is
20:49 where someone gets stuck.
20:51 Like Ashley, she's beautiful, she's got all the
20:53 stuff compartmentalized in her life, and she's
20:55 playing her little Christian thing okay.
20:57 It wasn't until you talk to somebody.
20:59 You let those words out of your mouth, I was raped,
21:02 I was abused.
21:03 When we confess our faults one to another, and sometimes
21:07 were not responsible for faults.
21:09 I wasn't responsible for being abandoned.
21:11 I wasn't responsible for being conceived illegitimately.
21:13 I wasn't responsible for being in foster homes.
21:15 I wasn't responsible for being sexually abused.
21:17 But there is still part of my story.
21:20 And if we confess our faults, our deepest secrets
21:25 to another safe person, a safe person, then the
21:29 Scripture says that we may be healed, and the prayers
21:32 of a righteous person availeth much.
21:34 And that is where we need to go as a church.
21:36 Listen, I'm flawed, how about you?
21:39 Here's my flaws and once you open your mouth,
21:42 that's what I would say to the ladies that are here,
21:46 you need to open your mouth.
21:47 And the men, they had been sexually abused, you need to
21:51 open your mouth and tell a safe brother or sister in the
21:54 Lord, Hey, this is my heart.
21:55 It has the pain that has been caused in my life.
21:58 I need to let it out of my heart, so I can be loved.
22:01 So I can be healed.
22:02 I believe Scriptures true, if I confess my faults to
22:04 somebody I will be healed.
22:06 I know what I did that it changed my whole life.
22:09 The chains fall off.
22:10 I was so free I was jumping around literally,
22:12 because I believe the secret, if you really knew me,
22:15 you wouldn't love me.
22:16 Because I knew me and I didn't love me.
22:19 And so once that changed around, and I told them my
22:22 dirtiest stuff, you know what I'm saying Cheri.
22:26 my dirtiest stuff, and they're like you know I love you.
22:30 God forgives you, and at that point, that chain around my
22:34 heart just popped open.
22:35 And I was able to live and love and from that day to
22:38 this I have not experienced shame.
22:39 How cool is that!
22:41 Do you see what I'm saying because no matter what I do
22:42 I'm going to be loved.
22:44 Now I try not to do things that are unlovable.
22:45 But there's no such thing as the secret, I don't keep
22:48 them anymore and it's wonderful.
22:49 That's the key that I think your stories highlight.
22:53 Is I had to tell somebody.
22:55 If you stay in the secret, you can be religious and stay
22:58 in that little secret spot.
22:59 There is plenty of men and women in our audience who are
23:01 listening, who have been in the church for 25 years and
23:03 They haven't told about their rape, they haven't told
23:06 about their abortion.
23:07 They haven't told about the incident they had with
23:08 the same sex when they were 12 years old, and that
23:11 secret is still back there hurting their heart.
23:15 They don't think it matters, but once you get
23:19 a grip and you understand that you matter, your story
23:22 matters, then your story, which was so devastating
23:25 becomes a tool in your hand.
23:26 Like a tool for me, I can offer that to people.
23:29 Because when they hear that it's like oh! Okay!
23:31 I can say that, that's all right, like it's
23:34 okay to say that?
23:35 They are not going to judge me, they are not going think
23:36 I'm somehow flawed.
23:37 That's right, and a lot of times, that's why a safe person
23:40 is key, because a lot of times we have maybe talked
23:44 something with somebody who wasn't safe.
23:45 So, that also keys us in shame and secrecy but once you
23:48 find people who are willing to speak up with you and
23:51 stand for you.
23:52 And one thing that is really interesting for a lot of
23:55 damage people we think safe people means 100 percent
23:58 right all the time.
24:00 Doing the right thing, there's nobody like that.
24:02 Safe people means safe.
24:04 They are still going to stumble around,
24:05 they are still are not going to be perfect.
24:06 I'm still going to give them permission to stand,
24:08 fall and all that kind of stuff.
24:10 Because that's incredible.
24:11 I can tell you in breaking the silence, I'm sure all my
24:13 joys and when stuff comes up.
24:16 It's like I could just come it be full of God know,
24:20 my goodness, that I can even tell you how much.
24:23 God kiss me on the face today.
24:24 And the next day I can say.
24:25 I don't know why but that rape we talked about.
24:28 I'm struggling with insecurity of that today and
24:30 I'm not sure why.
24:31 It is just being able to say this is a safe person
24:34 who is not perfect.
24:35 They are just working their stuff.
24:36 And they are on the journey with you.
24:38 We're on the journey together, you know, one of the
24:40 things the love about Jesus is that He put 12 guys who
24:42 didn't know each other, or might have heard about each
24:45 other, and He put them in the same proximity
24:47 for like a few years.
24:48 And they did the journey together.
24:51 So they got to share different angles of Jesus together,
24:55 because John wasn't there, when Matthew was.
24:58 And Luke missed that thing.
24:59 And so they were there and able to say wow.
25:02 I've never heard something so interesting.
25:05 And they got to process the journey of life
25:08 with Him together.
25:09 I can even see them saying, with the water and
25:13 all that, Who is this guy?
25:14 In our relationship with each other, who is this guy
25:17 that can heal, who is this guy that I can feel holy
25:20 right now with my background.
25:22 Who is this guy, how cool is that!
25:23 I think like breaking the silence in what Harmony is
25:26 doing, and there are other people doing ministries across
25:29 the world who are reaching out to hurting people.
25:31 But it's a journey together, a journey process.
25:34 And that is what the family of God.
25:35 I think we jump churches just because we don't like the
25:38 pastor or we jump churches, because we don't
25:40 like to worship leader that day.
25:42 And it's not that, it's a journey of life together.
25:44 With a small group of people who know Jesus.
25:47 Do you know what I'm saying?
25:48 Then you go through together and say wow this is great.
25:51 I was there Jesus changed your life, I was there when
25:55 He did that miracle for you.
25:56 So it don't you act like you're rejected in
25:58 the kingdom of God.
25:59 I was there when He saved you from this
26:01 situation or that situation.
26:03 I was there, He was there and you know it.
26:05 That relationship makes a shift in people's hearts and lives.
26:10 So, I think that what we are talking about is a
26:12 community that is willing to travel together through a season
26:15 That's our friendship.
26:17 The other thing that I would like and wanted to
26:18 interject too, is I think a lot of people who deal with
26:20 such shame laden issues.
26:22 Deal with this but I spent so much time stuffing and
26:25 suppressing and hiding that I was afraid that the
26:27 first time I spoke it out, the first time I told I was
26:29 going to fall apart.
26:30 I was going to lose control of all my facilities.
26:33 I was going to end up in a mental hospital.
26:34 and they would have to lock me away,
26:35 I mean it was a real fear.
26:37 But what you keep hidden you are in bondage to.
26:40 The experience was the same and when I told and it was one
26:43 of the scariest things I have ever had to do.
26:45 But I lived and God is a gentleman and He helped me
26:48 pick up the pieces.
26:49 He didn't let me fall apart.
26:51 As I spoke that power that that secret had over my life,
26:55 loosened, and I became free from the bondage
26:59 than I was before.
27:00 Go the next step Harmony, now God uses your mouth to
27:03 break those chains.
27:05 Now He gives you power to release others.
27:08 Now He's put you in the place to be an apostle to put to
27:11 shame people because of the freedom you offer, because
27:14 you're willing to open your mouth.
27:15 So the beginning of opening and confessing our faults,
27:18 is the beginning of opening our mouth.
27:21 So we can let the pain out, then God will
27:23 put in our heart, in our Spirit the authority to break
27:26 the very chains that held us.
27:28 So if you want a ministry, open your mouth.
27:31 Share the story of freedom that God has given you,
27:34 and He will start giving you thousands of people that
27:37 will get free through your life and in glory
27:39 that is the commerce.
27:41 What did you do while you were on Earth.
27:44 I opened my mouth and Lord look what you did,
27:46 all these people got set free.
27:47 This is fun.
27:49 And you know, when they talk about any kind of good
27:52 recovery program says on the last step 12-steps.
27:55 Go tell someone go tell someone.
27:57 And I don't think we realize somebody said to me Cheri
27:59 what you do is so cool, because I get to do to do TV,
28:02 travel and all that kind of stuff.
28:03 God has put an alternate recovery program together for
28:06 me because I'm ADD and I need to move around.
28:09 It is almost like He says in your telling I will
28:12 continuously bless and re-save and re-remind you of all
28:16 the things I've done in your life.
28:18 Interestingly, they did a study ten year longitudinal
28:21 study in which they followed this group
28:23 of alcoholics for ten years.
28:24 Which is a long study, and they found only two
28:26 variables that separated those who stayed sober
28:29 and those who didn't.
28:30 One was they still went to the support group,
28:32 so that's that community.
28:34 In two they were sponsoring others.
28:37 They were giving their story away.
28:40 Those with the only two variables that separated
28:43 the sober people from the non-sober people.
28:45 I have to end this show, I don't want to.
28:48 I don't want to I want you guys to just
28:50 talk and talk and talk.
28:51 I'm sorry.
28:52 Harmony God bless you for coming, and I want to have you
28:56 back on it if that's okay.
28:57 I would love to come back.
28:58 And Ashley you too, and every single
29:00 woman in your group.
29:02 Wouldn't that be fun.
29:03 And Dr. Weiss. I just want to say, I pray that God will
29:07 bless you and your ministry all over the world because I
29:10 know that your ministry is all over the world.
29:11 Thank you so much for hanging out with us
29:14 for a little while.
29:15 Thank you, being here is great.
29:16 Way cool! We are going to be right back.
29:17 So stay with us and I just pray that you were
29:20 blessed and your life was changed by what you
29:23 heard here are today.
29:24 And that umm, you're just proud of God.
29:27 I'm proud of God.
29:28 We will be right back. Stay with us!


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Revised 2014-12-17