Participants: Aaron Chancy (Host), Keisha & Trecia Lyon
Series Code: TNJ
Program Code: TNJ000053
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00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:04 may be too candid for younger children. 00:10 Welcome to the New Journey, 00:11 a program where you meet real life people 00:14 with real life testimonies, 00:15 doing real life ministry for Jesus Christ. 00:17 I'm your host Aaron Chancy. 00:19 Come join us on a New Journey. 00:55 Welcome back to the New Journey. 00:57 Today, we have a set of twins on the program 00:59 and you definitely would not want to miss this. 01:01 Like to thank you all for being on the program today. 01:03 Thank you. 01:04 Thank you for having us. 01:06 For the record what's your names. 01:07 How old are you? And where you'll from? 01:09 Well, my name is Trecia Lyon. 01:11 I'm Keisha, and we're 33. 01:14 Thirty three years old, okay. 01:16 Talk about where you're from? 01:18 Well, we both grew up in Jamaica. 01:19 We were born and raise in Jamaica. 01:21 Came to America at the age of 13. 01:22 Okay. 01:24 Grew up in Brooklyn, New York. 01:25 Okay, okay. 01:26 What was it like making that transition 01:28 from Jamaica to Brooklyn, New York, 01:30 from out of the states into the United States, 01:33 what was it like? 01:34 Difficult. Okay, okay. 01:36 We had Jheri curls, so it was really difficult. 01:39 I would say it was definitely a culture shock... 01:41 Okay, okay. 01:42 Culture shock, because we grew up 01:44 in the country of Jamaica so we were sheltered 01:45 and then moved directly to the city. 01:47 Okay. 01:48 Exactly what part of Jamaica did you guys grow up? 01:50 We grow up in Clarendon. 01:52 Clarendon, okay. Yes. 01:53 Okay, I'm not familiar with that, 01:54 I have been to Jamaican, 01:56 I'm familiar with Montego Bay stuff like that, 01:57 Kingston, Jamaica. 01:59 But you all are from the city. 02:00 No, it's the country. 02:01 So to go from the country to Brooklyn, New York, 02:04 I can imagine that's a very extreme culture shock. 02:05 Yes. 02:07 So talk about your early childhood life. 02:09 What was it like things that you got involved in 02:11 at a younger age, 02:12 the household that you came from? 02:14 Talk about that a little bit? 02:15 Go ahead. 02:17 Well, we grew up in Jamaica like our father was a pastor. 02:20 And we went to church regularly on Sundays. 02:22 We're not Seventh-day Adventist 02:24 and when we came to America, that changed a lot. 02:27 We started becoming 02:28 more involved with the street life 02:32 and that kind of changed us 02:33 and changed our perception of the world. 02:35 Okay. Now, you mentioned that you went to church on Sundays. 02:39 What was the religious background 02:40 of the household growing up? 02:41 Pentecostal. Pentecostal, okay. 02:43 So, your father was a Pentecostal Preacher. 02:45 Yes. 02:46 You went to church on Sundays were, 02:48 you know, you hear some people say that, 02:50 "Yeah, we're Pentecostal whatever or whatever religion. 02:52 But we only went to church every now and again. 02:54 Where you all there like weekly? 02:55 We were there every day religiously. 02:56 Every single Sunday. 02:58 They were very strict. 02:59 Sunday school. Okay. 03:00 I mean even Sunday evening worship. 03:02 Okay. Yeah, it was strict household. 03:03 What was it like growing up in the household? 03:06 Did you have the mother and the father in the home, 03:08 siblings, how was that life? 03:10 Well, both our parents were there, 03:13 they are still married. 03:14 Okay, praise the Lord. 03:15 Now we've got three brothers, like three brothers. 03:18 That was like five of us. 03:19 That grew up together. Yes. 03:21 Okay, okay. 03:22 Now, where are you all at on, 03:23 you're the oldest, the youngest, middle? 03:25 We're the middle. We're the middle. 03:26 Okay, okay, that's great. 03:27 So you came from Jamaica. 03:29 You moved to, migrated to Brooklyn. 03:32 And I assume you all were in about middle school 03:34 about seventh, eighth grade at that time? 03:35 We came in the eighth grade. Yeah, how they call it. 03:37 Okay, so how was it transferring 03:39 from schools in Jamaica 03:41 to a school in Brooklyn, New York? 03:44 It was very difficult the transition 03:46 because we had strong accents. 03:48 Okay. 03:49 And we looked differently, we dressed differently. 03:52 And I mean, children in that age don't definitely, 03:55 you know, like difference. 03:57 They want to be like them. 03:59 And so, we were beaten up, we were I mean, 04:04 they were at us all the time. 04:05 One time we didn't go to school, 04:07 I didn't go to school for two weeks at a time 04:08 because it was just that crazy. 04:11 So, it was hard to really adapt to the situation. 04:14 Then on top of it, you know, being in Jamaica, 04:17 it's a uniformed country. 04:18 So, you wear uniforms to school, 04:20 you all look alike. 04:21 And going to a school in America now, 04:23 everyone looks different, 04:24 and we were not like the flyest chicks 04:26 in the block hood. 04:27 We weren't looking at all. 04:28 I mean, once... 04:30 We thought we were. 04:31 You thought you were. 04:33 It was like the tablecloth, we had a skirt, 04:34 we weren't allowed to wear pants 04:35 when we were growing up. 04:37 So, you know, I mean the clothes, 04:38 the clothing choice by our parents was just, 04:41 it just wasn't kids friendly, make sure they're friendly. 04:44 So how did y'all deal with, 04:46 with that because pretty much everybody knows how, 04:49 you know, kids tend to pick on each other, 04:51 if your clothes are a little bit different, 04:53 or you don't have a certain type of shoe. 04:55 People tend to pick on 04:57 and it leads to a lot of bullying these days. 04:59 But how did y'all turn to deal with 05:01 being picked on and things like that? 05:05 I cried every day. 05:06 I mean I cried every single day. 05:09 When I came from, I'm from Jamaica, 05:10 every day I cried. 05:12 I just want to go back 05:13 because it was just so difficult 05:14 because you're not used to people being so mean. 05:16 Okay. 05:17 You know, for nothing at all, for no reason at all. 05:18 Just talking was like people made fun of me 05:21 just by the way that I spoke. 05:23 So, just those things which is very disheartening, 05:25 they were discouraging I think. 05:28 You know, you started building, 05:29 things started building up inside of you 05:31 as a result of that. 05:32 I don't think there's the way 05:34 you can deal with it at that age. 05:35 Thirteen years old, and you're getting bullied, 05:37 and there's just no way. 05:39 It's just pretty much as it's like kind of wait now. 05:42 Now, when we went to high school, 05:43 we dealt with it differently. 05:45 We had to have a different persona. 05:46 We were no longer those little girls that get, 05:48 you know, we were beating people up. 05:50 You know, we had to be tough. 05:52 And that's kind of how I'm not saying, 05:53 that's the way to do it, 05:55 but that's gonna how we have to do it in Brooklyn. 05:56 Yeah, that's how you adapted, okay. 05:57 Well, growing up as twins, 05:59 'cause I myself have a set of twins, 06:00 twin daughters and I know that they have a very close bond. 06:04 Talk about their bond that y'all had at a young age 06:08 and how it was even though 06:10 you were around different people, 06:11 even different family members, 06:12 because you have other siblings. 06:14 As well going to school with other people, 06:16 but you always had each other. 06:17 Let's talk about that bond that y'all had growing up? 06:20 Keisha and I were pretty close. 06:22 Okay. 06:23 Especially as teenagers. 06:25 We were very, very close 06:27 because we weren't with our brothers, 06:28 our brothers were still in Jamaica, 06:30 so it was just us. 06:31 So, we formed a very close-knit bond 06:34 that we weren't getting along with our parents 06:35 so we were even closer. 06:36 It's always us against the world. 06:38 Okay, okay. 06:39 It was such a bond, we could actually 06:40 feel each other's pain. 06:42 Something is going on, we were able to feel it. 06:43 If I had--if she had a headache I had a headache. 06:45 You know, if something was going on her body, I felt it. 06:47 Like even one time she had a heartbreak going on. 06:51 And I was in class wondering 06:52 why am I feeling the way I'm feeling. 06:54 I'm heartbroken but why, you know? 06:56 And then I remember wait, 06:58 Keisha is dealing with something. 06:59 Okay. Wow. That's interesting. 07:01 So you mentioned a second ago 07:03 that your parents weren't getting along. 07:05 You and your parents, 07:06 y'all didn't have the best relationship. 07:07 What was going on with that situation? 07:09 I think coming from Jamaica, we were these. 07:12 You know, we were these innocent girls. 07:15 And then we came and it's like bam 07:17 like once we hit like what ninth grade, 07:20 some are like, some were tenth grade, whoa. 07:23 I mean, when you hit that that teenage year, 07:25 you don't really get along that well with them, 07:28 because you have a difference in views, you know. 07:31 And so that, what was going on we, 07:34 you know, start to do things, 07:35 get involved in different things 07:37 that were not right 07:39 and so that was a challenge with them. 07:41 Okay, now you mentioned, you got involved in things. 07:45 And you got involved in drugs using drugs a little bit. 07:50 At what age that y'all been getting involved in drugs 07:52 as well as what drugs did you use. 07:54 And lastly why? 07:56 What was the motivating factor 07:58 that led you towards these drugs? 08:01 We started around like 15, 16. 08:03 We started using marijuana. 08:06 We started alcohol early there on 08:08 because we kind of were around at it, 08:11 even though our parents are Christians. 08:12 They don't have alcohol in the house, 08:13 but we were kind of around other people who did it so. 08:17 As far as like smoking marijuana, 08:18 it was just more like you're around the wrong people, 08:21 the wrong side of people, the wrong group of people, 08:22 that's what they do. 08:23 Even though you know, 08:25 so that it becomes a part of who you are 08:26 and then it becomes easier to try it. 08:28 I think also around that time because, you know, 08:30 we had a traumatic childhood 08:32 around the age of four and five years old, you know, 08:35 so I think around the time we start to numb things, 08:38 things would start to come now, 08:39 that we didn't know how to deal with. 08:42 Memories of our past and so like that, 08:43 so we started to numb, but I know that was, 08:47 that wasn't what I was doing, I was numbing. 08:49 Okay, now in terms of because that's the answer 08:52 that a lot of folks give is that we're trying to numb. 08:55 And I've been there as well, 08:56 where you know you're dealing with different issues. 08:58 And you don't necessarily know how to deal with it 09:00 because, I mean, your young age. 09:03 You don't have the best relationship 09:04 with your parents at times. 09:06 And you begin to self medicate, and y'all did that as well. 09:09 And what were some of the things 09:11 that you were going through at a younger age 09:13 that you felt that led you to that 09:15 or that you were trying to cover up with. 09:18 We were-- Do you want to say? 09:20 I think we were both sexually assaulted 09:22 when we were younger. 09:24 So that was something that forced us 09:26 to kind of try to cover up that pain. 09:28 And then also I don't think we have the best home life. 09:33 It was just more of like dysfunctional. 09:34 Okay. So... 09:36 Lot of conflict in the home. 09:37 You know, it was just like, 09:38 we were just always trying to cover that up. 09:40 We were always trying to kind of 09:41 find a way to deal with that, 09:42 so it was easy to just get involved. 09:44 And just take drugs on as a way of, you know, 09:46 medicating, you're self medicating. 09:48 Definitely. 09:49 So when y'all began using marijuana, alcohol, 09:53 did your parents know at the time, 09:55 or was it kind of secretive, or how did that went? 09:57 It was not like we were hiding 09:58 because we had no fear of anything. 10:00 Yeah, we had no fear. 10:01 We didn't fear of anybody. 10:03 We probably didn't fear God. 10:04 We didn't fear God either. We didn't care. 10:05 You know what I mean, we had a no care attitude so, 10:07 we weren't trying to hide it, 10:08 it was just like if you knew you knew, 10:10 if you didn't know you, you didn't know. 10:11 You don't know. Okay. 10:13 I think they started realizing that we were using. 10:14 Okay, now Keisha, 10:16 you eventually got involved in dancing. 10:19 Talk about your experiences with that, 10:21 what motivated you to get involved in dancing. 10:24 If you could shed some light upon that thing? 10:25 Okay. I was about around 18. 10:29 You know, I didn't have a green card 10:31 and you know, that's something you need 10:33 if you're from the Caribbean. 10:36 But I think for me personally, 10:40 I really was just trying to make a living, 10:42 and so I thought I was cute, 10:45 and so I got involved in that whole lifestyle where, 10:51 I'm taking off my clothes to make a living. 10:55 You know, Aaron, I'm not proud of my past. 10:58 I'm not proud of some of the things I've done. 11:00 But what I am proud of is the woman that I am today. 11:02 Yes, yes. 11:04 And I think those things I've done, 11:06 God has used them to make me a woman of virtue, 11:10 of power, you know, and so I'm grateful for that. 11:12 You know, it's amazing where God can take us from 11:16 and He changes us, molds us, shapes us, 11:20 and has us learn from our situation, 11:22 and then turns around 11:23 and we can go back and get others. 11:25 Basically saved to serve, which is a beautiful thing. 11:27 Now, before you got involved in a dancing, 11:30 you were involved in selling drugs. 11:32 Talk about that experience 11:33 why you got involved in selling drugs? 11:35 What were some of the drugs that you were selling? 11:37 Shed some light on that experience? 11:39 I sold, I sold weed. 11:41 Okay. 11:44 You know, I think at that point, 11:46 I want to make a little money. 11:48 It was just the thing to do. 11:50 And so, I would bring it to school 11:53 stash it in certain places, and certain body parts. 11:56 And I would take it to school and distribute it. 11:59 And I would also smoke my own. 12:02 Okay. Smoking your own product, okay. 12:04 Yes, I would. Okay. 12:05 So, but that's kind of what it was 12:07 just want to make a little money 12:09 and also I guess just you know, living the life I guess. 12:13 Not really caring about anything. 12:15 Yeah, it's almost like when you get in that life, 12:17 one thing adds to the next and the next and the next 12:20 and it's almost like you're on this downward spiral. 12:23 And it's almost like, 12:24 you have to cover up this was something else. 12:27 It's almost like a lie. 12:29 Where you tell a lie, 12:30 and then you have to cover up that lie with another lie, 12:32 and now you're on a downward spiral of lies. 12:36 Question to you Trecia, 12:38 as your sister was selling drugs, she was dancing. 12:42 What were some of the things that you were involved 12:44 in at that time? 12:46 Well, I was always the, you know, 12:49 the one that was, well behaved more. 12:50 Yeah, I was better behaved than she was. 12:52 Okay. 12:53 So while she was selling drugs, 12:54 I probably was going to classes, 12:56 for the most part I'm trying to go to classes 12:57 every now and then. 12:58 As far as dancing, I understood what she was doing, 13:00 I understood why she did it. 13:01 Did I condone it? No, not at all. 13:04 But I understood why? 13:05 Because we were both 13:06 going through situations at that time. 13:08 You know, I was pregnant with my daughter at that time 13:10 and we were both illegal aliens. 13:14 We didn't have any money. 13:15 We didn't have anything so I understand, 13:17 she's trying to make a living but, 13:18 but I'm so thankful that God turned our lives around 13:21 and turned her life around and now she can speak of that 13:24 as in the past and not as what it is. 13:26 Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely. 13:27 You know, as it is right now so, I'm grateful for that. 13:29 Definitely. 13:30 For both of you, what eventually led you 13:34 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church 13:35 because you mentioned that 13:37 your father was a Pentecostal preacher? 13:40 Grew up in a Pentecostal household? 13:42 How did you learn about 13:43 the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 13:45 the Sabbath, what brought you all to this? 13:48 You know, I'm going to say this really quickly is that 13:50 we moved from Flatbush to Crown Heights 13:54 right across the street, 13:56 right across from Seventh-day Adventist Church. 13:58 And every day they used to come and sing the song, 14:00 I know that I can make it, I know I can-- 14:02 And I'm like why don't these people 14:03 should be quiet you know, 14:05 like they would come outside of the corner and sing it. 14:08 So, I didn't know that guy had something like 14:12 I will do something because chances are 14:14 if I wasn't right across the street, 14:16 I wouldn't have gone to the church. 14:18 Yeah, definitely. 14:19 So, what happened was that I became pregnant. 14:22 Okay. 14:23 And I had dropped out of high school, 14:25 plus I went to several different high schools. 14:27 And so about five 14:29 and I dropped out of the last one 14:32 and I was supposed to go take my GD. 14:35 Things didn't work out the way 14:37 how I had planned for to work out, 14:38 so across the street from me that they had a GD program. 14:42 And so, I end up going over there to inquire about it. 14:46 And I started the GD program there. 14:48 And that's how I got involved. 14:50 But the thing about is that made me 14:51 start to really go with that, 14:52 the pain that I was feeling was, it was-- 14:56 I'm speechless thinking about it. 14:58 It was a very deep part of my life, 15:00 I was so depressed. 15:01 I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't really, 15:03 you know, I was that depressed. 15:04 And I'm gonna ask God to, 15:07 Lord, you know, 'cause I was pregnant. 15:09 Lord, sent Your angles to rub my stomach. 15:11 Lord, you know, let Your will be done. 15:13 At that point I still wasn't a Christian. 15:15 But I, you know, we always, we always prayed. 15:17 No matter how bad we were. 15:19 With situation that arose, we always prayed. 15:21 Okay. 15:22 So, one day, I go to church, 15:24 I remember the first day I went to church, 15:26 I was in all black. I had on dark shades. 15:29 And guess what? 15:30 I go to church and the song that they're singing is, 15:32 "I know that I can make it. 15:34 I know that I can stand." 15:35 The same song that your heard constantly, okay. 15:36 And guess what? It hit me because I needed that. 15:39 I needed that so badly and I remember the pastor, 15:42 it was Pastor Stevenson from Charlotte Church 15:44 in Brooklyn, New York. 15:46 And I came home like a Trecia, Trecia, you got hear this man, 15:47 you got to hear this man. 15:49 You know, he-- I think he is so funny. 15:51 And then she came like I don't know when you came but. 15:54 She came home 15:55 and she invited me to church the next Sabbath, 15:57 even though she wasn't a member. 15:59 And I was like okay. 16:01 You know, she said the pastor is funny. 16:02 He's a good speaker I'll go. 16:04 So I went, I went the next Sabbath. 16:07 And then the following Sabbath after that, I got baptized. 16:10 Okay. Yes. 16:11 But let me say this how. 16:12 Okay, we had a Bible worker, her name was Denise George. 16:14 Okay. 16:16 Every time I would try to leave the church, 16:18 that woman would block me. 16:20 I would get out, get up 16:21 and literally early before they finish. 16:24 So that I can go in and not talk to anybody 16:26 or do anyone because we had already been burned 16:28 by church folks from the Pentecostal Church 16:29 though we were kind of a little bitter ready. 16:31 So, I mean, Denise would literally block my way. 16:35 And so, she was the Bible worker 16:37 and so she worked with us and that's how 16:39 we kind of start to learn and listen when we became, 16:41 when we got baptized, 16:42 we still didn't know about the Sabbath. 16:43 Yeah, okay. But she would teach us about. 16:45 Okay your TV is on, you need to turn it off. 16:47 And you know, she would really kind of mold it 16:49 and so she was definitely also and, 16:51 you know, an inspiration. 16:53 In many ways, God was preparing us also. 16:55 You know, because I mean, there were many things 16:57 that he spoke to me about that I needed to stop doing. 16:59 You know, and I needed to behave a certain way, 17:01 this is before I even started going to church 17:03 so the transition in sense was easy. 17:06 I knew I was making a decision to serve God. 17:08 To live for Him completely and I made that decision 17:11 the next Sabbath after the first time 17:14 that I went and I'm thankful that I did. 17:17 You remember when we read the National Sunday Law? 17:19 Okay. 17:20 Way before we ever became Adventist. 17:21 Wow. We read it years and years. 17:23 So years before you actually became 17:24 Seventh-day Adventist Church member. 17:26 God was preparing us. 17:27 Okay. He was preparing us. 17:29 Okay, okay it's amazing 17:30 how we can look back on our lives, 17:31 and just see the hand of God in little events. 17:33 And sometimes, you don't see it at a time. 17:35 No. It's not till years later. 17:37 When you look back and say, "Wow, I see God's hand there. 17:39 I see it here." 17:41 And it's all like a connecting dot 17:42 like the puzzle comes together. 17:44 And you see how God's hand was in things. 17:46 Yes, he's a dot connector. 17:47 Oh, yeah definitely. 17:49 So y'all are learning about the Sabbath, 17:51 baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church. 17:53 How did your family take this being that you're coming 17:56 from a strong Pentecostal background? 17:57 Wow. 17:59 Not good. We were shunned. 18:00 Okay. Basically, we were shunned. 18:01 When we got baptized, 18:03 no family member came to support us. 18:05 It was the church family. Okay. 18:07 Who came and supported us some. 18:09 You know, our mother 18:11 was mad for a long time for the longest time... 18:13 She cried. 18:14 She thought that we were in the cult. 18:16 She cried. 18:17 And even the other day I found a diary for her 18:18 that I read. 18:20 I shouldn't have read it but I did. 18:21 And it talked about, 18:22 when we became Seventh-day Adventist, 18:24 how my father called and told her 18:25 and how she was hurt and she was bruise. 18:27 I mean, my parent are good people. 18:29 You know, but their, 18:30 their view of things are so different 18:32 from, from how we see it. 18:33 Okay, okay. 18:34 You know, but yes, they were very upset. 18:36 They were angry, they were hurt. 18:37 They thought that we had been deceived. 18:38 Okay, so what do you think that hurt came from deception 18:44 or they just didn't understand how you could. 18:47 Okay, start going to church on Saturday 18:48 the whole Sabbath thing. 18:50 What was it that you think was there, 18:53 the root of their issue why they were so upset? 18:56 I think in that culture. 18:57 I think that I'm not bashing anyone because, 19:00 God has people in every denomination 19:02 and my parents are great Christian people. 19:05 But I think our belief system, 19:07 I think was that if you do not speak in tongues. 19:09 Okay. 19:11 You know, so I think with mom, 19:12 it was more like she was really concerned about our soul. 19:15 Because, you know, at times people 19:16 if you don't know the Adventism, 19:18 sometimes you can misinterpret it. 19:20 Yeah, definitely, definitely. 19:22 So I think that's what it was. I think she didn't understand. 19:24 She didn't know what Seventh-day Adventism was. 19:28 Okay. All about. 19:29 And she just, I think she rejected that 19:31 because she didn't understand. 19:33 Yeah, didn't understand. Yeah. Definitely. 19:34 Looking back on yours life, 19:36 and seeing the different things, 19:38 that you have gone through the using the drugs, 19:40 the molestation at a young age, dancing, 19:43 selling drugs, different things like. 19:44 What are some of the things looking back 19:47 that you regret and why? 19:51 If I can be very honest. 19:52 Okay. 19:54 My biggest regret would be premarital sex. 19:55 Okay. 19:56 That would be my biggest I ever did. 19:58 Okay, okay. Elaborate up on hat?. 19:59 My biggest regret because 20:01 I think that at the age as a result of a molestation, 20:03 I didn't know how to value myself completely. 20:05 Okay. 20:06 So I got into situations 20:07 that I didn't know how to get myself out of. 20:09 You know, and then you kind of like 20:11 think somebody loves you, but they don't really love you. 20:13 Yeah, definitely. You know, so I think that. 20:15 Yeah, I had a daughter at an early age 20:17 and I just wasn't ready to be a mother. 20:19 Okay. You know, I wasn't ready so. 20:21 Yes, I would definitely that if I would, 20:22 I would if I could live, relive my life 20:24 that would be a choice. 20:25 I would do differently. 20:27 Definitely, Keisha, how about you 20:28 before you looking back on your life, 20:30 what is something or some things 20:32 that you might change in your life if anything? 20:35 I think, not taking my life seriously 20:38 when I was in my early 20's. 20:40 Okay. 20:41 Just definitely not been through our careers 20:43 and stuff like that. 20:44 You know, but again I'm very grateful for, 20:49 even for my past experience 20:51 that it's really made me who I am. 20:53 Yeah, definitely, definitely. 20:54 The reason I asked the question is, you know 20:57 there are lot of people having premarital sex 21:00 as well as a lot of people that don't take life seriously 21:02 at a younger age or in their 20's 21:04 even 30's and older. 21:05 And, you know, people make mistakes constantly. 21:09 And sometimes they don't know 21:11 why they do it or they're just doing it. 21:13 But you heard somebody say, 21:15 "I wish, I would have listened back then." 21:17 And that's where I'm coming from, 21:19 where my life looking back on it. 21:21 I wish I would have listened. Yeah. 21:23 Because, you know, 21:24 instead of having premarital sex 21:26 I should have listened. 21:27 Instead you know, want to sell drugs, 21:29 wanting to hang out. 21:31 I should have listened, 21:32 because you avoid so many things 21:34 just by listening. 21:36 And that's one thing that definitely needs 21:37 to get across to younger folks. 21:39 Is listen my mom used to say that I am bullheaded, stubborn, 21:43 I'm the type of person 21:44 that if somebody says the stove is hot, 21:46 I literally have to touch it. 21:47 There's just something in me, I have to touch it. 21:49 And so, often that's what happens with a lot of us 21:52 or different events happen in our life. 21:54 Like you say with the molestation 21:56 and we do things. 21:58 When the reality is, 22:00 we should listen to somebody of wisdom 22:03 and that's trying to steer away from these things. 22:06 But sometimes we say, "No, they aren't right, 22:08 they all know what they're talking about, they're older, 22:10 they live many years ago different things like that." 22:13 But listening is very key. 22:14 Listening software, you know. 22:16 I feel like again like I wish one thing that I regret is not 22:19 is going to far different high schools. 22:21 Yeah. 22:22 I really wish I had focus and get my life together 22:25 and regardless of what my green card status 22:27 was my immigration or status. 22:29 I wish I had just focused, 22:30 because the woman that I am now is that, 22:33 that's what I look back in regret 22:34 because I would have been so further went in my career. 22:37 I mean, I do have a great career now, 22:38 but you know. 22:39 Okay. 22:41 Keisha, talk about where you considered abortion 22:44 of your child years ago? 22:45 A very deep dark place. 22:47 I will never forget this. Okay. 22:50 I wasn't on good terms with my mother. 22:52 I had just heard some really devastating news 22:53 about the father. 22:55 And I was like man 22:56 and so I what I did was I called my best friend. 22:59 And I was like listen, tomorrow we're going to this clinic. 23:04 And you know, 23:05 you're going to tell your family 23:07 that I had a miscarriage and I'm going to tell my family 23:10 I had a miscarriage okay, and that's what we're gonna do. 23:12 And something I heard a voice. 23:13 Remember, I'm not close to God at that point really. 23:16 You know, I'm not close to my mom or anything that. 23:19 I heard the voice that said, "Call your mother." 23:21 Because I mean, I was so distraught. 23:23 And I called my mom, I said mom I cannot have this child. 23:26 For this man I cannot, I cannot, I can't mom, I can't. 23:30 And she said to me, "Keisha, 23:33 it doesn't matter who or what the father is. 23:37 Your child is a blessing." Yeah, definitely. 23:39 "Carry your child and I will help you." 23:43 And let me tell you something. That was like a relief. 23:47 Me carrying my daughter 23:49 was the best gift that God has ever given me. 23:52 Next to salvation, that is the second best gift. 23:55 Amen. Because it is what it is. 23:57 I mean, whenever I would consider 24:00 because I was very suicidal for a time in my life, 24:02 I was very suicidal. 24:03 It was my daughter, God gave my daughter to keep me. 24:06 And so, I can say that that's... 24:08 Yes, if your gonna think if they know about an abortion 24:11 consider it. 24:12 God does not make mistakes. 24:14 Yeah. We make mistakes. 24:15 But God is the God who creates things within us. 24:18 He is the creator and so he will help you 24:20 and I am a firm believer of that. 24:21 Definitely, definitely. 24:22 Talk briefly about you both are single mothers, 24:25 talk about the joys, 24:27 the ups and downs of being single mothers? 24:31 Well, I guess, I was thinking about the right choice, right? 24:34 Okay. I chose that path. 24:35 Okay. 24:37 You know what? 24:38 It is a challenge because you're doing it by yourself. 24:40 And the values that you're teaching your child 24:42 that you're teaching your child by yourself. 24:44 And then the child becomes more like you by environment 24:46 rather than by genes, you know, what I mean. 24:48 So, it is a struggle. 24:51 It's a struggle because you're putting your life 24:53 on hold many times. 24:55 To make sure that your child, you know, 24:56 gets the best of everything and that's what I find. 25:00 And that's what I find that has happened to me. 25:02 However, what I look at is the fact 25:04 that I did bring my child 25:05 and I have a beautiful, beautiful daughter. 25:09 Amen. And who brings joy to my life. 25:11 I feel like there is really 25:13 that's one of the strongest love 25:15 a human being can ever experience 25:17 that for your child. 25:18 So it is hard, it is challenging. 25:21 And I honestly wouldn't do it again. 25:23 I wouldn't do it over, I'm sure wouldn't, 25:25 I love my daughter but I wouldn't do it over. 25:27 But, you know, 25:29 there's that rewarding part of it 25:30 is just seeing your child looking at you 25:31 and loving you the way that she does. 25:33 Amen, amen. 25:34 Now, looking back over your life real briefly, 25:37 talk about the joy that you have now 25:40 in serving God versus the false happiness 25:43 that you had out in the world "world" 25:45 where you were doing drugs, 25:46 dancing different things like that. 25:48 Talk about, talk about that joy that you have now 25:49 that everlasting joy. 25:52 What God brings to your life, 25:53 I mean, what God brings to your life is, 25:57 it makes you speechless. 26:00 I struggled with love, I guess because of the abuse. 26:03 I struggle with not having that love. 26:07 We want to be loved. 26:08 And let me tell you something, 26:10 I remember getting baptized, the day I was getting baptized. 26:11 I cried all day like a baby. 26:14 It was because that God loved me. 26:16 Okay. 26:17 He loved me, this part of myself 26:20 in spite of who I was, 26:21 He just loved me just like this. 26:24 Wow. That's unconditional love. 26:25 Unconditional love. 26:27 Definitely, I want you to-- 26:28 I want you to talk briefly into the camera. 26:30 And I want you to talk to that young woman, 26:32 that is dealing with some of the things 26:34 that y'all dealt with. 26:35 Give that young woman some encouragement 26:39 that's dealing with some of that same stuff in her life? 26:42 You know, sometimes you go through things 26:44 and you feel hopeless. 26:46 And you question if you were meant to be alive, 26:49 but you are meant to be alive. 26:51 Nothing that you go through is too hard 26:52 for God to break through, 26:54 and everything that you go through is for reason. 26:56 Sometimes it's your own choice and your own doing. 27:00 But, God can bring you out of it, so there is hope. 27:03 And it doesn't matter 27:04 what your life has been in the past. 27:05 It doesn't even matter what it is right now. 27:07 What matters is who God is? 27:09 And what God will do for you 27:11 because He has a plan for your life 27:12 just like he had a plan for Keisha and I, 27:14 he has a plan for your life. 27:16 And I want to tell you also 27:18 that God is no respecter of persons. 27:20 He is not. 27:22 Like I have a great career now. 27:24 I mean, I'm not where I need to be 27:27 but I am where, you know, 27:29 God wants me to be at the moment. 27:31 And so, if He can do it for me, if He can save you. 27:34 I mean, He can save me, He can save you too, 27:37 so I know that you may be in a place 27:39 where you are broken. 27:40 I know that you may be in a place 27:41 where you are hurting, 27:43 but let just, let God do it for you, just trust Him. 27:45 Amen. Amen. 27:47 I'd like to thank y'all for being on the program. 27:49 Viewers, we'd like to encourage you 27:51 to tune in next time for an exciting program 27:53 of the New Journey. |
Revised 2016-04-21