Urban Report

Finding and Keeping a Mate

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Dr. Ty-Ron & Bobbie Douglas

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Series Code: UBR

Program Code: UBR000078


00:01 Do you want to hear some secrets
00:02 to finding and keeping a great mate?
00:04 Well, stay tuned to meet an amazing couple
00:07 that's dedicated to each other and to God...
00:10 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching
00:12 Urban Report.
00:35 Hello and welcome to Urban Report.
00:38 While at Oakwood University's Pell Conference
00:41 I met a wonderful couple with a very interesting story...
00:45 Let me introduce them to you...
00:47 Welcome to Urban Report Dr. Ty-Ron and Bobbie Douglas
00:51 Yeah... Thank you for having us...
00:54 It's so great to have you here because you guys...
00:57 as I've told you in the private conversations
01:00 you really epitomize what we're trying to convey
01:04 with Dare to Dream and that is
01:06 to support the family... to show what love really is...
01:11 so, I want our viewers to know who are Bobbie and Ty...
01:16 I know that you're Dr. Ty but may I call you Ty?
01:18 All right... that's fine... Okay good...
01:19 Tell us a little bit about your background...
01:23 let's start with Bobbie... Well, I'm from Bermuda
01:28 and I am a mom, of course, of two handsome boys
01:34 I know, I met them... they are...
01:36 and I actually teach the youngest one at home right now
01:40 he's five... and that's...
01:43 that's what I do...
01:45 so you are... a stay-at-home mom... really
01:48 Yeah... and you are homeschooling
01:50 Yes... your younger son...
01:52 Your older son... is he...
01:53 he's a student at Oakwood University.
01:56 Oh, okay... that's awesome
01:58 awesome... what about you Dr. Ty?
02:00 I'm actually a Professor of Educational,
02:02 Leadership and Policy Analysis at a public research university.
02:05 Wow, that's a heavy-duty title.. In fact, I have a class tonight.
02:10 Really? Oh wow... Yeah...
02:12 Oh, that sounds amazing... okay so, we got to know...
02:15 how did you guys meet? give us this... because...
02:18 I love like... "how people met stories"
02:20 tell us how you met...
02:22 There's a lot of context to that we've known each other
02:26 for a number of years... my wife... she mentioned that
02:30 she's a stay-at-home mom... but she's an amazing wife,
02:34 and an amazing woman... and I actually knew that
02:36 previously because she was married previously
02:39 and I knew her then and her first husband
02:42 quite well... and so, we met through mutual friendships
02:46 at Church and our lives sort of intersected
02:50 as friends in the past... and then, you know,
02:53 as the story sort of unfolds after that...
02:56 into a relationship that is so amazing...
02:58 Yes, yes... Bobbie, you knew Ty... years ago...
03:03 tell us about... your journey...
03:06 because you have an interesting journey...
03:09 tell us about... that journey...
03:13 Well I... I was... like he said...
03:16 I was married before...
03:17 I got... well, where do I begin?
03:23 just as a child... coming along
03:27 I was a pretty little girl... I was told by a lot of people
03:31 but at the same time... I had a lot of, like, predators,
03:35 if you will... always saying, "You're so pretty and
03:38 you're going to be this and that... "
03:39 inappropriate things were said
03:41 to me... at times... Were you molested?
03:43 No, I wasn't molested... I nearly... I could have been...
03:48 I escaped... if you will.. once, someone... and...
03:53 thank God for that... I prayed, I was raised...
03:57 I was taken to Sabbath School, I went to Christian Schools...
04:00 so, I knew how to pray and I learned to pray
04:02 very young... and that's amazing...
04:06 because I could have been turned off from men...
04:08 as a child... but instead... I wasn't...
04:12 and... so yeah... I got married...
04:15 Well, before you tell us that
04:16 you got married... tell us how you met
04:19 your first husband because I found that
04:21 to be very interesting... That's very interesting...
04:23 well, I was in high school
04:25 and he was my History teacher in high school
04:29 Wow... Now, when I was in the
04:34 younger grades... he actually attended the same school as me
04:37 so then he went abroad and then he came back... to teach
04:40 so that was interesting... you know, it was like,
04:42 "Hey, you were in school with us... "
04:45 So, he wasn't that much older than you...
04:47 No, he wasn't... that much... Okay...
04:49 So, yeah, and so towards the end... like my senior year...
04:54 I was like... I had a crush on him and what not...
04:57 and then, once I graduated... we started dating and
05:00 it just turned into... we got married...
05:03 So, you got married... and you were married
05:06 for how long?
05:08 Almost 11 years... it was like a month...
05:12 that we almost made it to eleven years...
05:17 Tell us what happened... Well, I had prayed for him
05:22 when I was young and so we were having
05:24 a wonderful marriage... people used to comment about
05:28 that even... he was a Godly man
05:30 he became the Vice-Principal of the School where he was at...
05:34 and he was an Elder in the Church...
05:36 and so we were having a great marriage...
05:40 we had a son... Jaylen...
05:42 and I think that idea... I must say,
05:45 that I started to get just comfortable...
05:47 you know, I was happy and not so much...
05:50 probably not meaning to praying as much
05:52 and got comfortable... he was very... like I said...
05:56 dedicated and he had a close spiritual walk with Christ...
05:59 and then one day... out of the blue...
06:02 he just got sick... he was vomiting...
06:04 and I hadn't seen him vomit ever...
06:06 I never... and then that just turned into a long...
06:11 I would say... maybe two years maybe...
06:14 we just went to the hospital
06:15 we went abroad...
06:16 we sent him abroad and found out he had colon cancer...
06:19 and that was just devastating...
06:21 I mean... he wasn't a person that would smoke or drink...
06:25 he came up in the Church as well
06:26 and he didn't eat meat and he was playing sports
06:30 and... so it just came out of the blue...
06:32 and it was devastating... So what, wow, so,
06:38 so you met... you already knew him because you had gone
06:42 to school with him... then he was your history teacher
06:46 Hmmm... hmmm... and then you guys got married...
06:48 you ended up dating... and got married...
06:51 had a great marriage... Yeah...
06:52 and then... from nowhere... he was very spiritual
06:57 but you're telling us that you got too comfortable
07:01 you began to get a little complacent...
07:04 Yes... so he had a very spiritual walk
07:07 and yours was just kind of lukewarm maybe at that time?
07:11 Yeah, yeah... I would say that. So, when this illness hit...
07:15 did this bring you closer to God
07:18 or did it pull you away from God?
07:20 Oh no... closer... definitely, I, you know,
07:22 I wanted to straighten up immediately...
07:24 I was like, "Okay God, you got my attention,"
07:26 Hmmm... you know, "I see what this is...
07:28 I'm not going to make it on his coattail...
07:32 I'm going to have to have my own relationship... "
07:34 Hmmm... and so, yeah, that definitely
07:37 brought me closer... yeah...
07:39 And where were you during this time,
07:43 when he was ill and... what were you doing with your life?
07:47 During that time... I was actually in University...
07:50 and so, we had sort of lost touch...
07:52 the interesting context of this story is that...
07:55 it's a sort of a Ruth-and-Boaz-type thing
07:58 he was actually an older cousin of mine...
08:00 Ah... and... and in some ways
08:02 a mentor and a friend... so we spent a lot of time
08:04 together... talking about life and marriage and those things...
08:07 with them at their house...
08:08 and so, you know, I was in school and like everyone else
08:12 just wrestling with the reality that someone that we really love
08:16 could potentially die... and so, I remember, September 11
08:19 you know, being in the University and hearing about the
08:24 prognosis and just having to accept
08:26 that it was possible... he may pass...
08:29 and so, Bobbie and I had sort of lost contact
08:32 because she was doing what she does
08:33 and that's be a great wife,
08:35 she was very supportive of him, you know, around the clock,
08:38 supported him, encouraging, taking care of him,
08:41 even up unto the day he passed...
08:43 she was there with him... and so, understandably
08:46 we didn't get to talk as much during that time...
08:48 but we always had a great friendship
08:50 just strictly healthy, platonic, there was never anything
08:53 inappropriate... you know... we would... and we still...
08:56 even to this day we look at each other...
08:57 and we're like... "Do you know what I am?"
08:59 We do... I mean, it was amazing...
09:01 yeah, so that's where I was...
09:02 at the time... I had, you know,
09:04 my own relationships and things going on... in my life...
09:06 and so, you know, I was somewhat disconnected...
09:09 but still connected... but I was in the United States
09:11 and they were in Bermuda at that time...
09:14 Hmmm... hmmm... so, he got very ill...
09:17 he was ill for... did you said two years...
09:19 Yeah... it would say it was 2... And then, tell us how things
09:22 spiraled from there... Well, it actually happened
09:27 around September the 11th... the incident...
09:30 we were in Boston... and he had a tumor removed there
09:34 so, that was helpful... he sort of came around
09:37 if you will... a bit... he went back to work
09:40 for a little while... and then... months later...
09:44 he started feeling unwell again, so we took him to a few
09:50 of these health places... Hmmm... hmmm...
09:53 where they treat the natural way...
09:56 and he just got progressively worse...
10:00 and I had believed that God was going to heal him...
10:06 I believed it with all of my heart...
10:08 and... somehow I believe
10:11 God allowed me to believe that...
10:12 because... that's what kept me.. keeping him positive...
10:17 if I had believed that he was going to die...
10:19 I think I would have fallen apart much earlier...
10:21 Hmmm... and I wouldn't have been able
10:23 to do what I did...
10:24 Hmmm... hmmm... I just, you know, constantly
10:26 thought that he was going to be healed...
10:28 and that's how I took care of him...
10:30 And you know Bobbie... that's a really good point
10:32 because... many times... and I've heard it
10:36 over and over again... we really pray for healing
10:39 we really believe that God would heal...
10:42 and God can heal... but sometimes He chooses
10:45 not to heal... then... we know that the ultimate
10:49 healing for the believer... is in heaven...
10:52 Hmmm... hmmm... but sometimes...
10:54 God intervenes and heals... here
10:57 and sometimes He says, "No" and so, it's not a measure of
11:03 a lack of faith on your part or... some...
11:05 we want the viewers to understand that
11:08 that sometimes you have someone that you're praying for
11:12 and God allows them to go to sleep...
11:15 and you don't understand why... but that's where your faith
11:19 comes in... because that's where you have to accept
11:22 the sovereignty of God and know that
11:25 He allowed this for a reason... Absolutely...
11:29 and your husband was ready... Yes...
11:32 by the grace of God... to go...
11:33 Yes... ... he was a spiritual man
11:35 and he was your friend, your cousin...
11:37 Absolutely... as well... so that's interesting
11:40 to me too... because you guys have him in common...
11:43 Absolutely... absolutely... so you could really support
11:47 her hurting... innocently... It was interesting because
11:52 when we reconnected... I, ironically...
11:54 there was a sort of a Moses and Joshua
11:56 sort of transition that took place
11:58 because the first year that he wasn't at the school
12:02 that he taught at... where he was the Vice-Principal for...
12:04 the first time he wasn't there in 20 years
12:05 was my first year being a teacher in that school
12:08 Oh... and so there was this vacuum
12:10 where this giant of a man who had led out on the campus
12:13 wasn't there anymore... and here you have this
12:15 young buck coming on campus and having to fill a role...
12:18 a role that I didn't ask for but it was a role that God was
12:21 preparing me for... in my interactions with him...
12:23 he and I never stood on the campus at the same time
12:25 we had maybe... we talked about a lot of things in life
12:28 but we talked about education... maybe once...
12:30 and he just said... he had a...
12:31 he called me "Ty's sphere " or Ty's Berger"
12:33 it was just funny, he had a nickname for everybody
12:35 and he said, "Ty, listen, you know,
12:37 have a few rules... and whatever rules you have,
12:40 you know, be consistent and be fair...
12:41 and that was pretty much it... I mean, we didn't have a chance
12:43 to really talk about a whole lot of...
12:45 it was, as if, I remember asking him...
12:46 "What do you think is going to happen
12:47 in certain things in life... " because he was really sick
12:49 at the time... he said... "Ty Berger... I can't...
12:52 I can't tell you what's going to happen... "
12:54 and it was, as if, I remember that moment...
12:55 thinking... you know... my teacher... if you will
12:57 my mentor... if you will... has taught me his last lesson...
13:00 Hmmm... hmmm... and it was time to grow up...
13:02 and so... when I came home... that October he passed...
13:05 you know, I was a teacher at the school...
13:09 and I remember going to see Bobbie...
13:11 we were just talking... and I remember saying to her
13:15 it was... ironically... I said to her... you know
13:18 I said, "Well, who is to say
13:20 that God can't... give you another great marriage... "
13:22 I was... like I said... I had my own life going on...
13:24 I had other relationships...
13:26 Right... you weren't even talking about myself...
13:28 I wasn't even talking about myself...
13:29 but I guess the innocence of faith
13:31 I just said, "Listen, if God can do it for you before...
13:33 why can't He do it again?" maybe God heard that
13:36 and said, "Okay, Son... you got enough to believe that..
13:38 well then... " He must be laughing...
13:40 God has a sense of humor...
13:41 I believe... I do too...
13:42 and we just... so I just encouraged her with that...
13:45 and it was just great to sit and actually talk...
13:48 but there was still nothing... you know, like I said,
13:51 the Lord was having to deal with me in my own spiritual walk...
13:54 here I am, I'm a teacher in an Adventist institution
13:57 and still trying to come to my own mature relationship
14:01 with Christ... telling young people
14:02 about a God that I scarcely knew Hmmm...
14:04 and being forced to have to make some changes
14:06 in my life... and so, God was leading me
14:09 in my own journey as He was also transitioning
14:11 Bobbie in a very difficult season in her life...
14:13 and we were just friends... through it...
14:15 Isn't it interesting how God grows us...
14:18 you know, He sees us where we are...
14:20 Hmmm... hmmm... and He loves us... where we are
14:23 Absolutely... but He doesn't leave us
14:25 where we are... so He just brings us up, up, up,
14:29 Yeah... and the enemy brings us
14:32 down, down, down... so, if we follow God's plan
14:36 we're going to grow... if we follow the enemy's plan
14:39 we're going to go down... so, you were being groomed
14:42 I believe, you weren't ready, Hmmm... hmmm...
14:45 it was too soon... Bobbie had to heal and all that
14:48 and you weren't ready because your spiritual walk
14:50 wasn't where you needed for it to be...
14:53 Absolutely... or where God needed for it to be
14:56 before you could take on... you know, a family...
14:59 Right... yeah... So, how did you two... hook up?
15:02 Well, you want to start, baby...
15:05 Well... I can say... I mean... I had no intentions
15:09 of doing it again, I felt...
15:11 I almost felt punished
15:14 and said, "Okay God, you must be punishing me... "
15:17 I did everything right, you know... when I was young...
15:22 I said, "I'm not going to have any kids before I get married"
15:24 I don't want to party and do all those things...
15:27 because I want to be... you know, keep myself as nice...
15:30 for my husband... and then you give me a husband
15:32 and then you take him... you've taken him away... "
15:35 and I just felt like, "That's it I will never do it again. "
15:37 Were you angry with God a bit?
15:39 I can't say that I was angry, disappointed...
15:44 but I can't say I was ever angry...
15:46 you know what I mean... because... I... I... God is...
15:48 no, I was never angry... and my then-husband...
15:53 I used to go and say, "Do you want to be healed?"
15:56 and he said, "I just want to be saved... "
15:58 you know... he said things like...
16:01 I said, "You know...
16:02 he would say "Well, why not me?"
16:04 I'd say, "Why would God do this?"
16:05 he'd say, "Well, why not me... who else"
16:07 Hmmm... hmmm... and I felt like... "Wow...
16:11 that's good but that's not where I'm at... " you know...
16:14 Yeah... yeah... so, I had no intentions...
16:17 so, when Ty said that to me...
16:19 I always said, "Oh, please... please...
16:21 that's not going to happen...
16:23 I'm never going to do this again... " you know...
16:25 So how did we hook up?
16:26 I remember a day she came by...
16:31 to visit... so he passed in 2003 and it was early in 2004
16:37 and she came by... she called me...
16:39 and I was watering my grandmother's plants
16:42 I was actually staying with my grandmother at the time...
16:44 and I think that impressed her or something...
16:48 I remember her saying... after the fact... right...
16:50 I needed to come and see a man who waters his
16:52 grandmother's plants... but it was just for fun...
16:54 she just came and hanged out and talked
16:56 and I had... it's interesting
16:58 you know... I don't know why...
17:00 I mean... but on that day... I had on a tank top
17:02 you know, I don't think I did any push-ups before she came
17:06 but... I can't explain why I thought a tank top was
17:08 was appropriate attire... you know... I mean...
17:11 perhaps... she was single now and I had no intentions but
17:15 I must admit... that day... you know... it was just...
17:18 she says... it sounded like I was interviewing her
17:21 but I guess... I was in my own transitions...
17:25 and... I remember she saw that my name was
17:28 Oshea on the envelope... my middle name...
17:30 is... one of my middle names is Oshea...
17:33 which is... now I know it...
17:35 it is also the original name of Joshua... which is interesting
17:38 Ah... and so... we began to become
17:40 friends and hang out... and, I think, it was almost as if
17:43 the Lord removed the scales off our eyes
17:46 and we saw each other in a different light
17:47 than we had previously seen each other...
17:50 That day... Not that day...
17:52 well, that day was the beginning of... sort of... I think...
17:55 you know... it was just... it was different...
17:57 it was different... but as it progressed
17:59 and then soon thereafter... the relationship began
18:01 to transition but it was difficult...
18:03 because now you're talking about
18:04 you know... in a small community
18:06 I'm working in the environment where he used to work...
18:08 you're talking about the family dynamics...
18:11 it got really, really intense... Yeah...
18:13 you know... and so... for me... there were many people...
18:15 were saying "You're a professor... "
18:17 I wasn't a professor... I was a teacher at the time...
18:19 "You should probably be looking at this type of person or... "
18:23 there were individuals who had a lot of opinions
18:24 about what we should or shouldn't do...
18:26 and suddenly... because of his stature...
18:28 and because of the great guy and man that he was...
18:30 there were many who didn't want her to move on
18:32 Hmmm... Hmmm... and certainly not move on
18:34 with Ty... Hmmm...
18:36 because, you know, it was just... I mean...
18:39 it was very difficult...
18:40 there were many who felt like... "Hey, who can fill his shoes"
18:42 and that wasn't my intention... and there was never
18:44 any type of pressure... that she put on anyone...
18:46 Right... but there were also many people
18:47 who were also struggling to heal... and to move forward
18:50 and in so doing... I think they wanted to keep
18:52 her stuck... and that's not how I wanted it...
18:56 Their position on her... Exactly... exactly...
18:58 so we had to make some difficult decisions and it got tough...
19:00 I mean... a lot of my personal relationships...
19:02 life changed... in fact... God used those dynamics to bring
19:05 about my conversion experience because I got to a place
19:07 where I was alone... I had to cry out to God...
19:12 I'm saying "God, what do... " like... "Where are you?"
19:14 "this is huge... " Hmmm...
19:16 "You're talking about marrying someone...
19:18 you're talking about father of a 9-year-old...
19:20 you're talking about... " all the different things...
19:22 I mean... I had... some picket-fence dreams there
19:23 and it wasn't... the dream wasn't to take on
19:26 anybody else's child... Hmmm... hmmm...
19:27 and I remember God saying to me explicitly...
19:29 "How dare you?" Hmmm...
19:31 because in my own journey... I was adopted by my dad...
19:35 my mom's husband... who was my dad...
19:37 who took me in at 2- years-old...
19:39 Okay... what we're talking about
19:40 it's so amazing... like a ministry...
19:42 it's a marriage but it's so much bigger...
19:44 you know I'm the son of an amazing woman
19:46 who got pregnant with me while she was in University
19:49 and at 19-years-old... she found herself
19:52 in an abortion clinic... and thinking to do the unthinkable..
19:55 Yes... but she said that she felt a
19:57 flutter in her stomach and knew she couldn't do it...
19:59 Hmmm... hmmm... so we're talking about destiny..
20:02 which is so amazing... like... speaking of marriage...
20:04 we're excited about life... because we know...
20:06 that we're here by design... so we share our testimony...
20:08 we need people to know that God is amazing...
20:10 Yes... and so that she came home...
20:12 to the school and the church members and other
20:15 individuals... you know... how we used to do...
20:17 sometimes we would bless the kids
20:19 who were born outside of wedlock after the service...
20:21 Yes... there was a mother who, you know
20:22 she was dis-fellowshipped... it was a whole lot of stuff
20:25 that took place... but I also had a dad...
20:27 who came into my life and took me on... as his own...
20:29 Hmmm... hmmm... and so it was as if...
20:31 God repeated that cycle and said,
20:33 "Now, I need you to do that for somebody else... "
20:35 Wow... and just amazing because...
20:37 when you think about...
20:38 and I know that there are many other individuals out there
20:40 who do this... to take on someone else's child
20:42 and to embrace them as your own, I believe that I'm an answer to
20:49 a dying man's prayer... I knew my cousin...
20:52 and I knew that he prayed for his son...
20:54 our son... and so... one of the greatest privileges
20:56 that I have in this life is to be able to point
20:58 to a young man whom I love, but I also loved his father
21:01 my greatest desire... I can't wait...
21:03 to get to heaven... and to be able to deliver him
21:05 to his father and to say, "We're here... "
21:09 Come on now... that is so, so beautiful...
21:12 really... because... in a world... like ours...
21:17 where fatherlessness... is such a big deal...
21:21 Absolutely... to know that...
21:23 you just dropped so much...
21:25 interesting, good stuff... on it to know that your mom
21:29 held on to you... in the midst of the scorn
21:33 and ridicule because she felt that life in her...
21:37 and then... to know that God sent a man...
21:41 to you... to be a dad to you... and then sent you...
21:45 to Jaylen... to be a dad to him...
21:48 Yeah... because God puts the lonely
21:51 in families... Yeah... yeah... Hmmm... Hmmm...
21:53 so... He made sure that, you know,
21:55 that your first husband's prayer was answered...
22:00 Hmmm... hmmm... Yeah...
22:01 because that's another thing...
22:02 and that's another beautiful thing about God...
22:05 that... I've seen this at... the prayers of the righteous
22:09 even though they go to sleep, He honors those prayers...
22:13 He doesn't forget them... just because they're sleeping
22:16 He doesn't forget them... That's right...
22:17 so how beautiful is that... so you... God said to you...
22:23 "How dare you... do this...?"
22:25 and that was an awakening for you... wasn't it...
22:27 Absolutely... it was... it still wasn't sufficient
22:30 you know... you're talking about a big decision...
22:32 and I'll say this... there's a lot of bad information
22:35 out there about marriage... or even how to find a spouse...
22:38 Hmmm... hmmm... we got information from
22:39 individuals who said... "Why listen.. God's up high
22:41 and you're the one that's got to live with the person,
22:43 so you have to choose... " and I thought...
22:44 "Hmmm... it doesn't sound right"
22:46 Hmmm... I remember reading Adventists
22:48 Home from cover to cover and my cousin...
22:50 he did that as well... and I remember him telling us
22:52 about that and... you know... but...
22:55 Bobbie has an amazing connection with God...
22:57 and she prays often
22:59 and so... even for those who are out there who are wondering
23:01 how do you find and keep a great man... I believe, that prayer...
23:04 and how to find and keep a great woman...
23:06 because I mean... it's a two-way street.
23:07 That's right... It's about praying and asking
23:10 God specifically, "Lord, who did you create
23:12 for me... from the foundation of the earth?"
23:13 there are many people out there who believe you can find many
23:16 other people to suit your fancy
23:18 and God can work with another Plan...
23:19 that's fine... but for me... I wanted Plan A
23:22 I don't want Plan B or C or D... Come on...
23:23 I didn't want any alternatives..
23:25 I want it like... "when you created me Lord... "
23:27 Yes... "I want the woman that you
23:29 thought for me... when you created me... "
23:30 Come on... and now... what makes that
23:32 so deep... is that she was that for... my cousin
23:35 but God so amazed me...
23:38 He can recreate and then make her over for me...
23:41 Yes... come one... now... Oh, I'm loving this...
23:45 I'm loving this... and that's what is so amazing...
23:48 so amazing like many of the books say
23:50 "How to find and keep a great man... "
23:52 anything that's great comes from God
23:54 Yes... God is so amazing...
23:55 and so she had an amazing connection with God
23:57 through prayer and I remember her getting a little bit
24:00 frustrated waiting for me to try to figure out what I
24:02 was going to do... you know...
24:04 like.. I was vacillating between many different opinions...
24:06 Ah ha... and circumstances...
24:07 and I'll let her tell you about that... and she...
24:09 God confirmed some things that sort of really
24:12 just took us to another level...
24:13 And tell us... and we're down to like 2 minutes
24:16 which is crazy... so... Oh wow... well, that whole
24:18 "God will tell you who the person is... "
24:20 like he said... I found out that he was Oshea...
24:24 and I loved it... and I just said...
24:25 "Okay, that's my name... I'm going to call him Oshea
24:29 from here on out... and then...
24:30 like he said... when we were getting towards the end
24:33 sort of... decision to be together finally came...
24:36 one day... I was at home and had my Bible and
24:40 my Sabbath School lesson out and he was abroad...
24:43 and I said, "You know what Lord... this is it...
24:46 this is the deal here... I need you to... "
24:48 because I had signs all along the way...
24:51 but this was it... I said, "Lord, I need you
24:53 to tell me for sure... because if this is not right...
24:57 you know what... I'll still serve you...
24:59 that's where I'm at... I'll still be with you...
25:01 I'll say, okay, I made a mistake... this is not...
25:04 I'll accept whatever you say at this point... "
25:07 and I'm telling you
25:09 he just said, "You know just open up the Word... "
25:12 and I opened it up... and it was in Numbers...
25:15 and it said...
25:16 "Oshea, son of Nun...
25:20 his name was changed to Joshua... "
25:22 Moses had changed it...
25:24 or something like that... I said, "Oshea"
25:26 I said... "This is it... " it was just Oshea...
25:29 it said Oshea... I said, "I'd never seen
25:32 Oshea in the Bible in my life... "
25:34 Right... and I called him...
25:37 and I said, "You get yourself home...
25:39 You're my husband... " You are my husband...
25:41 let's go... All right...
25:43 And the amazing thing is... that... she had been asked
25:45 to read the story of Joshua a lot around that time...
25:48 somebody had asked her to read the Scripture reading
25:49 and it was Joshua 1... and so there was a lot of
25:51 discussion over Joshua... but what neither of us knew
25:54 the connection between the name Joshua and Oshea
25:56 until that confirmation...
25:57 it was difficult to sort of fight against that...
25:59 it was aww... wow... okay...
26:02 What can you say against that right...
26:04 We can't argue with that... Oh... praise the Lord
26:06 so, summarize... what makes a good marriage
26:11 what makes for a good marriage? I believe that God is love
26:15 and I believe that love comes from God...
26:17 what makes a good... a great marriage...
26:18 a so-amazing marriage is... two individuals who are
26:22 pursuing Christ together... and I believe
26:24 that He then brings the oneness between them...
26:26 I believe that a great marriage is...
26:28 is people giving 100... 100...
26:29 you know a lot of people talk about 50... 50...
26:31 we don't agree with that... 100... 100...
26:34 Yeah and making it a priority... you know...
26:37 my wife is an amazing student of marriage...
26:39 Hmmm... you know, I think it's important
26:41 to observe... those around you, those older than you,
26:44 and see... you know... picking the good characteristics
26:47 that you see in different spaces neither of us saw the
26:50 the marriage that we desired...
26:51 when we were growing up... in one place...
26:53 we saw pieces... and I think we've been blessed
26:55 to be able to allow God to amalgamate the best
26:58 that we've seen... and He's done something amazing...
27:00 that we can experience that on a daily basis...
27:02 And now you have... a ministry...
27:04 tell us what your ministry is.
27:06 Yeah, the ministry is called
27:07 So Amazing Life Ministries...
27:09 and it's a multi-faceted ministry
27:11 and incorporates obviously marriage ministry...
27:13 I think a lot of times, people think that marriage is
27:15 just for... to be talked about by older individuals...
27:18 but how do you choose and find a great husband or wife...
27:21 can it be cool... can it be sexy...
27:24 can you dress nicely... can you... I mean...
27:26 can you enjoy each other... you know...
27:28 we want to change the face of marriage and choose it again
27:30 because it's just not for the world,
27:32 marriage was created by God and it's something that
27:34 He wants to also get us to embrace
27:36 as amazing again... it also incorporates
27:38 some of the educational pieces you know...
27:40 speaking to men... to women...
27:42 I bring in a lot of my research that I do with men...
27:44 I love my academic records also in the area...
27:47 so it's a multi-faceted mission our sons are involved
27:49 we have two amazing sons
27:51 we're just grateful for what God is doing in Jaylen's life...
27:53 and then we have a 5-year-old who will soon be 6...
27:56 he loves music... and so it's just a multi-faceted
27:58 family ministry... That's awesome...
28:00 Thank you so much for being with us...
28:02 and thank you... join us next time...
28:04 it wouldn't be the same without you...


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Revised 2015-02-12