Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Harmony Dust and Ashley Dodson
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR00036B
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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! |
Revised 2014-12-17