Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Cynthia Tolbert
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000107S
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00:00 Many of our juveniles are tried as adults.
00:03 What's going on in our legal system? 00:05 Stay tuned to meet someone on the frontlines 00:08 of Justice Reform. 00:09 My name is Yvonne Lewis 00:11 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:34 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:37 Our guest today is Cynthia Tolbert, 00:39 attorney and CEO of 00:41 Jabez Productions and Management Company. 00:43 Welcome to Urban Report, Cynthia. 00:46 Thank you very much. 00:47 So good to have you here in studio, 00:50 so we don't have to Skype you in. 00:53 You know, you had sent me some information 00:56 about what you're doing. 00:59 I'd like you to share that with our viewers, 01:01 because immediately when I saw it, 01:03 I thought, our viewers need to see this. 01:06 They need to know more about what's going on. 01:09 So first of all, 01:10 let's get a little background about you. 01:12 Tell me who you are and where are you from? 01:14 Well, my name as you stated is Cynthia Tolbert. 01:18 I am an attorney. 01:19 I have been an attorney for about 14 years. 01:21 And I'm also the CEO of 01:24 Jabez Production and Management Company. 01:26 What kind of attorney? 01:27 I have practiced in every area of the law. 01:30 You know, when you start out, 01:32 you just kind of open up the doors 01:34 and you let anyone, everyone in 01:35 and you do whatever you can to help them. 01:37 So I've practiced in just about every area. 01:40 I have about three or four areas 01:42 that are my primary areas. 01:44 But I've practiced in about every area of the law there is, 01:46 so I guess I would be a general practitioner. 01:49 I've also been heavily involved in ministry. 01:52 I was raised to believe that 01:53 you need to give back to your community. 01:55 That you need to do something 01:57 as far as the world is concerned, 01:59 on the world stage, world scene, 02:01 where you are, you need to partake in volunteering. 02:04 And so I have been working at the church as a volunteer 02:08 with various ministries 02:10 and also a religious volunteer at the Marion County Jail 02:12 for the past 14 years. 02:14 So what have you found working in the legal system 02:18 and visiting the jails as a Christian? 02:20 What have you found? 02:22 What is the trend that you've seen, 02:23 or what are the trends that you are seeing? 02:25 Actually, I was really amazed 02:31 as far as within the court system, 02:33 the civil court system as far as the dependency cases, 02:37 the cases where various family members 02:41 are adjudicated dependent, the kids are, 02:43 because they are being abused by family members, 02:46 and not just community members, but family members. 02:49 And so I was amazed to see the level of abuse 02:52 that takes place by mothers and fathers 02:56 that's perpetuated against their own children. 02:58 So that was alarming to me 03:00 when I actually practiced dependency law. 03:02 What is that? 03:03 When you said adjudicated dependency. 03:05 What is-- what is that? 03:07 For those of us who don't speak legalese, what is it? 03:10 Basically in our dependency court system, 03:13 you can have a trial 03:15 or you can choose to enter into some type of a plea-deal 03:19 where you are deemed guilty, 03:22 but it will not go on your record 03:24 as a conviction. 03:26 So you can be adjudicated with adjudication withheld, 03:28 you can be adjudicated. 03:30 So if they are adjudicated, 03:31 basically it's deemed guilty of the charge. 03:35 So it was just amazing to me, 03:37 I've represented the parents on behalf of the state. 03:40 And I also represented the Guardian Ad Litem Program, 03:42 they represent the children in those proceedings. 03:45 And so I was just amazed, 03:47 because I had to review the court files, 03:49 when you read the details about the abuse 03:52 and the sickness that goes on in homes. 03:55 And like I said, it wasn't just with the caretakers. 03:56 It was with parents, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. 03:59 And so I was alarmed at that, 04:01 and then I also simultaneously-- 04:04 volunteering in the jail. 04:06 I first started out with the ladies in the jail 04:09 and we started a ministry with them 04:11 for about eight years. 04:12 And what were you doing with them? 04:14 Basically I would go in once a week, 04:17 my work with the team of three ladies, 04:19 so we rotate and we would just-- 04:23 my message was hope. 04:25 I have come to give you hope, 04:27 there is hope for you in your situation. 04:30 This is one season in your life, 04:32 do not allow it to define you. 04:34 So that was the message I'd taken to the ladies 04:36 and I will take various things in. 04:38 I believe in being very open and honest about my life, 04:40 so what I was going through, 04:42 let's say, if I went through something during the week, 04:44 I would share it with them openly and honestly. 04:47 If I read something in the newspapers or any-- 04:49 and maybe in a worship book or something, 04:51 I would share it with them, 04:53 so that was my ministry to the ladies. 04:55 So you would kind of become not just a mentor, 05:01 but you were showing them the Christian walk. 05:04 And that sometimes, I mean, Christians have issues, too, 05:07 we have things that we go through, too, 05:09 and yet this is-- and I love the way you put it. 05:13 This is a season, 05:15 this is not their permanent condition. 05:18 This doesn't have to be their destiny. 05:21 This is a season and you brought them hope. 05:24 And what a beautiful thing because so many of our people 05:27 that are in jail and in prisons, 05:29 feel hopeless, they feel as though, 05:31 you know, this is it. 05:33 I have nothing, no one cares about me. 05:35 And so you were going in and you were being transparent. 05:39 Can you share a story about an inmate whose life 05:42 particularly impacted you or you impacted her life? 05:47 I would have to say, in all honesty, 05:50 it would have been with the juveniles. 05:52 After ministering with the ladies 05:53 for about eight years, we received notice that 05:56 juveniles are also going to be here, 05:59 and some of them are going to be 06:00 sentenced as adults, 06:01 would you like to work with them as well? 06:03 In all honesty, the ministry to the juveniles 06:06 has impacted me far more than the ministry to the ladies. 06:10 How so? 06:11 Because when you're looking at young people 06:14 who are 13, 15, 17 06:18 and they are there and they are in red suits. 06:22 Usually, we are looking at the ones in the red suits. 06:24 You know that they are facing adult sentences. 06:27 They are facing life sentences in some cases. 06:31 You may read about it in the newspaper, 06:32 but it's one thing to read about in newspapers, 06:35 another thing to go in there and to see them, 06:38 to look into their eyes, look into their faces. 06:41 And you know that they are scared, 06:43 you know they are afraid because they are thinking 06:45 this is the beginning of the rest of my life. 06:48 This is all that I have to look forward to. 06:50 And so for me that was far more devastating 06:54 than the ladies. 06:55 A lot of the ladies were not being sentenced as adults, 06:57 okay. 06:59 And there are far more ladies I was dealing with, 07:00 so probably very few of those 07:02 would have been sentenced as adults. 07:04 The juveniles, because there are fewer of them, 07:06 more of them percentage wise were being sentence as adults, 07:12 receiving some types of adult sentences, 07:14 life, maybe 40 years, 07:17 and so I found that far more devastating 07:19 than when I dealt with the ladies. 07:22 Also, the juveniles, 07:23 some of them could not afford to bond out 07:25 or there was a no bond, 07:27 because of the type of crime they had been charged with. 07:30 And so with the-- the no bonds, 07:33 they were with me longer, 07:35 sometimes eight months, whole year, year and a half, 07:37 one was with me for an year and a half. 07:39 So I got to know them on a level 07:42 that I did not get to know some of the ladies. 07:44 And to be honest with you, I thought about my own life. 07:48 At the age of 13, 15, I was not behind bars. 07:54 That was something that was 07:55 totally foreign and alien to me, 07:57 to have to come and deal with young people of that age 08:00 and to have to try to impart hope 08:02 with the help of God, 08:03 because I had never had anything like that 08:05 to be concerned with at the age of 13. 08:07 Absolutely. 08:08 You don't even think about that. 08:11 I mean, that's not a part of your consciousness. 08:13 You know, when you were talking about 08:15 the look in the eyes of these young men, 08:18 I-- sometimes, I go with our 08:21 chief financial officer here, Brian Hamilton, 08:24 he has a heart for prison ministry 08:25 and sometimes... 08:26 Oh, he is just-- 08:28 he and his wife, Diana are just-- 08:30 they are just in the forefront of prison ministry here. 08:33 And so I sometimes go with them and sing for the inmates. 08:39 And I had to go to the juvenile facility here 08:44 in Illinois. 08:45 And, Cynthia, I'm telling you, I looked at these boys 08:48 and I just wanted to cry. 08:50 Because in their eyes-- I think, you know, 08:53 these could be my grandsons. 08:55 These are young boys, 15, 16, 17, 18, 08:58 they could be my grandson. 09:00 And I'm looking at their faces and I'm singing to them 09:04 and I'm feeling like I just, I just want to hug them. 09:08 And I know that some of them have done some heinous things. 09:12 Things that if they could take it back, 09:14 I'm sure they would, stupid decisions 09:16 that they made for whatever reason. 09:18 And some maybe are in there through, 09:21 you know, for no real fault of their own, 09:23 but they are there and the looks on their faces, 09:27 it just tears your heart apart. 09:29 So I know exactly what you're saying about 09:32 when you work with them. 09:33 And you have gotten to know some of them. 09:37 Have you found that the trend legally now 09:41 is more so than previously to put away black boys, 09:47 or do you feel that it's changing. 09:51 It's getting a little bit less of that? 09:53 Is it more or less, 09:54 because we have a mass incarceration issue, 09:57 as you know, that is disproportionate. 10:00 And so where do you think the trend is? 10:03 Well, first and foremost, the United States leads 10:06 all developed nations 10:08 in incarcerating individuals in this country. 10:11 So we have a mass incarceration issue period-- 10:14 Period across the board transcending race, absolutely. 10:18 Yes. 10:19 But reality is, research has proven, has shown that 10:25 those who are minorities do tend to get sentenced. 10:29 Stiffer sentences, longer sentences 10:31 than those who are Caucasian, that is a true fact. 10:37 And I definitely saw 10:38 disproportion amount in my classes 10:41 as far as those who are African-American, 10:44 who were receiving the stiffer sentences 10:47 and even the life sentences. 10:50 So the trend now, of course there are advocates, 10:54 there are people who are working 10:56 to try to bring change to that. 10:59 And so the trend has not changed yet, 11:03 but we are there, the trend-- 11:04 the research is showing that there is 11:07 a disproportionate sentencing. 11:09 And so there is-- there are attempts being made 11:11 and I am one of those individuals, 11:13 I'm trying to bring this information to the public, 11:17 to the American people. 11:18 So that we will not continue with business as usual, 11:21 but we will do our research, our due diligence, 11:24 we would get the facts 11:25 and that we will take our stand against this injustice. 11:30 Absolutely. 11:31 You know, when you think about the fact that, 11:34 you know, black guys are four times 11:37 as likely to get arrested, then-- 11:41 or convicted for a crime, then, you know, 11:46 you have to say to yourself, okay, 11:48 what can I do to make a difference? 11:51 And you are doing things to make a difference. 11:55 And that's why I invited you to come, 11:58 because I did want to shine a light on the situation 12:02 and say, you know, as Adventist Christians, 12:07 regardless of our race, 12:09 you know, as Adventist Christians, 12:11 we should be out there saying, you know, this is wrong. 12:14 There's something wrong with this. 12:16 It's such big business, that is the thing that 12:20 that to me is so compelling. 12:23 Prisons are big business. Oh, yes. 12:26 So you've got a lot of people employed, 12:28 you know, in the prison system. 12:30 You've got, you know, all kinds of services 12:32 that are given, you know, 12:35 food services and things like that, 12:36 phone services. 12:37 All these things are for the prisons, 12:40 and I remember seeing something recently 12:43 that really caught my attention. 12:46 They said that there were several governors 12:48 who were given over $250 million 12:52 to build prisons in their states. 12:56 And there were two conditions, 20 years at least, 13:01 it had to be around for 20 years, 13:04 and 90% occupancy. 13:06 So what does that say? 13:08 We got to fill these prisons. 13:10 We got to keep them full so that we can get that money. 13:14 And that's where what you are doing 13:16 by shining a light on the system 13:20 and the inequities, 13:21 that's what I appreciate so much as a Christian. 13:25 You know, because I believe that 13:26 Jesus would have us to do that. 13:29 What activities are you involved in 13:32 to actually make a difference within the system? 13:36 Yes, and I do want to stress that in my class 13:38 that I have members of various groups, 13:43 various ethnic groups and so-- 13:46 In your class, in the prison? 13:47 In the-- well, yes, in the-- with the local jail. 13:50 And so my focus is not on those who are African-American, 13:53 it's on all of them. 13:54 My concern is for all of them. 13:56 I treat them all as if they are the children of God, 13:59 as if they are all human beings. 14:01 Good. 14:02 And what we're trying to do, 14:03 the Supreme Court actually issued a ruling. 14:06 The Supreme Court of the United States of America 14:09 issued a ruling, it's Graham V. State of Florida, 14:12 it's a Florida state case. 14:15 A lot of people are not aware 14:16 but the majority of the young people 14:19 who are serving life sentences, who are teenagers, 14:22 are in the State of Florida. 14:25 Yes. Really? 14:26 And so the Supreme Court case is a Florida case. 14:31 And what the Supreme Court came back with, they said, 14:34 that it is cruel and unusual punishment 14:37 to give juveniles life without the possibility of parole. 14:43 And so right now what's happening is 14:45 that states like Florida, they're having to come back, 14:47 they're having to take a look at their statutes, 14:50 take a look at their criminal laws, 14:53 they are having to come into compliance, 14:55 or seek to come into compliance 14:57 to what the Supreme Court has stated. 14:59 Because when you're looking at it, the United States, 15:01 we generally state other countries that they are-- 15:04 they victimize people 15:05 and that they torture them and things like that. 15:10 But the United States, to be honest-- 15:11 if you look at what the Supreme Court has stated, 15:13 it's cruel and unusual punishment. 15:15 What we're doing in our country 15:16 is cruel and unusual punishment. 15:17 They have issued this ruling. 15:19 The juveniles, their brains are not developed 15:22 to think through situations and circumstances 15:26 the way our brains are, 15:28 which is why God put adults with children, 15:31 because they would need someone to help them, 15:34 to direct them. 15:35 And so the Supreme Court now 15:37 has a medical proof that their brains are not developed 15:40 the way ours are. 15:41 And that therefore, you cannot hold them 15:44 accountable the way that you do us. 15:46 Reality is, you cannot even, in certain states, 15:50 you cannot drive until you're certain age. 15:53 You cannot drink, 15:54 not that I'm gonna have a kid in drinking. 15:55 Right. Right. 15:56 But you see what I'm saying, these are adult things. 15:57 Even the vote, until you're certain age. 15:59 And yet we have individuals who are 13 and we're stating, 16:01 well, you're gonna serve life. 16:02 You're gonna serve life. 16:04 We're gonna treat you like an adult. 16:05 But you don't treat them like an adult 16:06 when they're trying to drive, when they're trying to work. 16:08 You know, they had to be of certain age. 16:10 And so Supreme Court has stated 16:12 that we have to take a look at what we're doing. 16:15 Reality is that this did-- these laws, 16:17 these stiff laws came as a result of 16:19 the fact that in the '80s 16:22 we had the crack wars and you had a lot of crime 16:24 and things of that nature 16:25 and so there was a backlash in society 16:28 and they were need to be. 16:29 I was out on the streets at that time working, 16:31 I'm in some of the projects 16:33 trying to help where there was crack, 16:34 trying to help 16:35 where people were being victimized and everything. 16:37 But what happened was we passed very stiff laws, 16:40 Florida was one of those states 16:41 and now things are not the way they were before. 16:45 And we have information we did not have at that time 16:48 about the juveniles and their brains 16:50 and it's really unjust when you consider that 16:52 they can't be rehabilitated. 16:54 A lot of them actually can be rehabilitated, 16:57 whereas maybe some older adults cannot. 16:59 And therefore we must give them an opportunity 17:02 to be rehabilitated and not just lock them away, 17:05 throw away the key. 17:06 Reality, God, what we're trying to do, 17:09 we have a movie we're trying to make. 17:10 It's called The Awakening. 17:11 And what God would have all human beings to know 17:14 is that even if you went down a road that God never intended, 17:18 that He still has a plan. 17:21 And a lot of times we don't realize, 17:22 we all make mistakes, 17:24 but then when it's not our mistake, 17:26 we're like, oh, no, there is no hope for you, 17:27 it's over, that was horrible what you did. 17:29 But I always tell to juveniles, look at Paul, 17:32 look at Paul, Paul helped to murder Steven, 17:35 he held the coats while they murdered Steven, 17:38 they stoned him to death, 17:39 a good Christian deacon, you know. 17:41 And Paul helped to run down Christians, 17:44 men, women, children, and they killed them, 17:46 did all kinds of things to them. 17:47 Paul was there. 17:48 He was silent that time, but guess what, 17:51 he then went on with the help of God 17:52 to become one of the greatest apostles to ever live 17:57 and greatest evangelists to ever live. 17:59 So I always tell them, 18:01 it doesn't matter where you are now, 18:03 it doesn't matter what they said 18:05 about you is true, 18:06 it doesn't even matter how horrible it was, 18:08 look at what God did for Paul in his life. 18:11 That's right. 18:13 It is-- on this program, all the time 18:17 I talk about the plan that God has for each individual, 18:21 what He has for you 18:23 is different from what He has for me, 18:24 which is different from the next person, 18:26 but there is always a plan. Yes. 18:29 We know that from Jeremiah 29:11, 18:31 we know that God has a plan 18:33 and that it is a plan to prosper you, 18:36 to give you a future and a hope. 18:39 And so what you're doing is 18:41 giving these children some hope. 18:43 And now you know, viewers, 18:46 that we are not saying that crime is okay, 18:50 we are not advocating crime, we are not justifying crime. 18:54 But we're saying that these young people 18:57 who have gotten involved in crime 18:59 have done so 19:01 without having the capability that we have as adults 19:06 to actually process consequences. 19:08 And so they kind of go through things in a way 19:12 that might be in an uninhibited way, 19:16 and an impulsive way, and they make these mistakes. 19:20 So are we justifying it? 19:22 No. No. 19:23 Are we saying that it's okay? No. 19:25 What we're saying though is that 19:28 there has to be a way to look at this 19:32 that gives them, 19:34 that gives them hope that they're not-- 19:36 if you are 13 and you did something heinous at 13, 19:41 you truly did not have all that you needed, 19:45 like you mentally, like you would if you were 35. 19:48 True. 19:49 It's a different brain chemistry. 19:53 And so what you're doing is amazing. 19:56 How did you get into 19:59 getting involved in the prison system particularly? 20:02 I know you are involved in the justice system 20:05 as an attorney, 20:06 but to go into the prisons, how did that happen? 20:09 Well, as our church has a jail and prison ministry, 20:13 I am, currently, 20:15 I'm the prison ministry's director 20:17 and when we got started I was as well. 20:20 I've actually had several different ministries 20:23 I've been over in the church, you know, 20:24 you have to rotate and shuffle around 20:26 and help out where you can. 20:27 And so to be honest, 20:29 I am over the ministries in general, 20:33 I'm actually in the jail with the juveniles, 20:38 that's the one that I am actually involved in. 20:41 I left the ladies about eight years ago, 20:42 I am still over all the ones, even the ones with the men, 20:45 we have the men to men's group. 20:46 But I'm actually there 20:48 overseeing the one with the juveniles 20:50 and I'm actually, with the help of God 20:52 passing my baton as you will now, 20:55 because there are four ladies who are taking my place there 20:58 because I'm going to try to help 21:00 make this movie called The Awakening. 21:02 And let's talk about that. 21:03 Yes, which is the realization 21:06 that every human being is special, 21:09 every human being has a purpose, 21:12 every human being is unique. 21:14 God has given you from birth, unique genes, unique talents, 21:20 and skills that He has not given to someone else, 21:22 and even your life experiences. 21:24 I think a lot of people 21:26 if they would just take a moment 21:27 and think and look back, look over their lives, 21:31 they would see, with God's help 21:33 God directing their course and their path 21:36 even when we in our stubbornness 21:39 ventured off course, 21:41 we could see God pulling us back in, 21:43 riding us back in. 21:44 And I think if every human being-- 21:46 and that's what The Awakening is about, 21:47 it's about, no matter your age, 21:49 no matter how old you are, how young you are, 21:51 God has a purpose even if you once knew it 21:54 and now because of circumstances 21:55 and situations have veered you, 21:57 you've gotten off path, life as we say has happened 22:00 and now you no longer are aware of what you're here for, 22:03 what you're doing, you're just spiraling out of control. 22:05 The message is for everyone, God has a purpose for you. 22:10 You were sent here to do something unique and special, 22:13 and if you do not do it, 22:15 it is going to be a detriment to society, 22:19 to this entire world if you do not realize 22:22 what your purpose is 22:23 and if you do not get in alignment with that. 22:25 That's right. 22:26 If you don't have a sense of your purpose, 22:29 that is just basic, that is key, 22:32 and there is a purpose for everybody. 22:34 A lot of people think, well, 22:36 I don't have any gift, I don't have-- 22:38 No, God gave you, as you said, everybody has unique gifts, 22:42 it's like a big puzzle. 22:44 If the puzzle is missing a piece, it's incomplete. 22:49 If you are not walking in your divine destiny, 22:53 your piece of the puzzle is not in that puzzle. 22:56 We need for you to walk in that destiny 23:00 and you need to walk in that destiny 23:02 so you know what your purpose is. 23:05 When you know what your purpose is, 23:07 there is to me-- 23:08 for me this is my-- dare to dream is my purpose, 23:12 this is why I was put on this planet 23:15 to do this work. 23:17 I believe that what you're doing, 23:18 you're doing things in media, too, 23:20 which is very interesting to see. 23:23 You are legal and doing things in media, doing this movie. 23:27 This is your purpose, 23:30 you're walking in your divine destiny. 23:32 This is why God has put you on this planet, 23:35 and once you know that, 23:37 there is nothing that is more fulfilling 23:40 than walking with God in the purpose that He, 23:44 in the destiny that He has for you. 23:46 And such a blessing, your Jabez productions, 23:50 tell us about that? 23:51 How did that come to be? 23:53 Well, basically after I had been an attorney 23:56 for about maybe eight or nine years, 23:58 and heavily involved in ministry, 24:00 I mean, as a child, you know, 24:02 I was, I mean, in my religion 24:03 you're supposed to be involved in the ministry, 24:04 so I've always been involved in the ministry 24:07 everywhere that I went. 24:09 And God started to show me, look, 24:11 these people need more than just you to be their attorney 24:16 or just you to be there in the jail. 24:18 There is a message I need for you to get, 24:21 impart to these people, 24:22 but to other people in the world. 24:24 And film, film is the way to do it. 24:27 And so I started the production company 24:29 and I have been trying to get, 24:31 I have some things I have done 24:33 as far as to the next generation 24:36 and that's one that we did 24:37 and we did one, The Conflict Zone 24:39 and dealing with conflict in your life, 24:41 well, amazing things God showed me about conflict. 24:44 Conflict is going to happen, 24:46 it's okay, but learn from it, grow from it. 24:48 So we've done a few shows for the internet, Youtube, 24:52 we've actually had one 24:54 with the Michelle Alexander mass incarceration. 24:57 We actually have that on television, 24:59 we had a panel discussion on television. 25:01 But God showed me that people, first and foremost, 25:04 they need to know who they are, 25:06 they need to know who's they are, 25:08 they need to know why they are on this earth. 25:10 Otherwise, they will feel like they do not want to live, 25:13 they will feel like they're gonna spiral, 25:16 there are certain situations we would not get in 25:19 if we knew who's we are, 25:22 there are certain things we would not do 25:23 if we realize who's we are. 25:25 And the young people at the jail, 25:26 they would tell me quite often, 25:29 why did God allow this to happen to us? 25:31 Why did He even allow us to come? 25:33 You tell me He knows everything, 25:34 why did He allow us to come here to this earth 25:36 knowing that we would be-- 25:37 some of them are molested. 25:40 Research shows that a lot of people 25:41 in jail and prisons have been molested, 25:43 they have been beaten, 25:44 they have been tortured, abused. 25:46 Why did God allow these things to happen to us? 25:49 Why did He allow us to come here 25:50 if He knew they would happen? 25:51 And I would have to let them know, 25:53 God knows all things, 25:55 even those horrible things that have happened to you, 25:57 they are because of human choices, 25:59 not God willing those things, 26:02 but God can and He will use those things 26:05 that were painful, horrible, 26:07 humiliating for you in your life 26:10 and He will turn it around. 26:12 And He will make it into something beautiful. 26:14 This is just a season, hold on. 26:17 And that is the message that I try to take down to them. 26:20 How beautiful that is. That is so beautiful. 26:23 We have a website for you, we want to put it on the screen 26:26 so that our viewers can contact you, 26:29 can find out more about what you're doing 26:31 or how they can help or whatever. 26:32 So we'll put your information up on the screen, 26:36 the website up on the screen. 26:38 In 30 seconds, 26:42 where do you want your ministry to go? 26:47 We know God has a plan, 26:49 but where are you hoping that this ministry takes you? 26:53 Exactly where at the movie that we're trying to make 26:56 says that we should go. 26:58 It's called The Awakening. 27:00 Helping as many human beings as God can put before me 27:04 in my path to realize, to become awakened to the fact 27:09 that they are here for a purpose, 27:12 they are here for a reason, 27:14 and to start living out that purpose and that reason. 27:17 Forget the fact that you made mistakes, 27:19 it's okay to make mistakes. 27:21 Then learn and grow from your mistakes and go forth 27:24 and do what God has sent you here to do. 27:27 Absolutely. 27:29 Cynthia, this has been so wonderful. 27:32 I thank you so much for all that you're doing 27:34 for the cause of Christ. 27:35 You're going into the prisons 27:38 and working with those children that need some hope 27:42 and need to be shown that they are loved. 27:45 May God bless you as you continue to work for Him 27:47 and I pray that you will get all the support that you need. 27:51 Well, that's the end of our program for today. 27:54 Thank you so much for tuning in. 27:56 Join us next time 'cause, you know what, 27:58 it just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2023-10-31