Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Tim & Maiesha Lawson
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000136A
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet a couple whose lives are a testimony
00:03 to the transforming power of God. 00:05 My name is Yvonne Lewis 00:07 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:31 Hello and welcome to Urban Report. 00:34 My guests today are Tim and Maiesha Lawson, 00:37 Panelists on D2D's Program, Pure Choices. 00:40 Tim is also on Chew's Challenge, 00:42 I was on the PC Set and heard their story. 00:45 Check out their amazing journey. 00:47 It's such a blessing to be on the Set of Pure Choices 00:55 with Tim and Maiesha Lawson. 00:57 Welcome to Urban Report. 00:58 Thank you so much. Thank you. 01:00 You know, I had the opportunity to produce Pure Choices 01:04 for this Season and you were both 01:07 on the Panel and what I heard you say 01:11 is so powerful, 01:13 I can't wait for you to watch Pure Choices. 01:17 These Programs are so profoundly impactful 01:21 and so, what you all were talking about 01:25 I had to bring you on Urban Report 01:27 because I want our Viewers to hear your whole testimony 01:32 and just know the power of God 01:35 to change your life. 01:37 So Maiesha, let's talk to you a little bit first 01:41 because I had Tim on before and our Viewers kind of know 01:44 Tim on Chew's Challenge 01:46 and also, I had you on Urban Report before too. 01:50 So, let's start with your lovely wife 01:52 and then I'm going to bring you in 01:54 and talk about some things too. 01:56 Where were you born Maiesha? 01:59 I was born in Oakland, California, 02:01 and at a young age 02:03 I moved to Sacramento, California, 02:06 my mother and my brother just us two. 02:08 Okay, so your dad wasn't in the home? 02:11 No, not at all well, to the age of eight 02:14 and then he... he had an addiction 02:16 so, he had to go take care of that 02:20 and go into Rehab and he missed out on 02:22 a few years of my life 02:24 so, I was in a single-parent home. 02:27 And was it a spiritual environment, 02:30 a secular environment? 02:32 I grew up Baptist but my mother... 02:37 she didn't know really how to have a spiritual home 02:43 she did the best of her ability 02:44 but we didn't have family worship 02:48 we were still able to listen and watch 02:52 secular things on television 02:55 and just still involved in secular things. 03:03 So, you grew up, 03:06 you were in Oakland, right, 03:07 you were born in Oakland Hmmm... hmmm... 03:09 and when you got to high school, 03:11 what happened, did anything happen to you 03:15 in high school, that kind of began to pull you 03:18 into the world or were you, 03:20 just, kind of, in the world anyway? 03:23 Yes, I was in the world anyway 03:25 so everything was normal to me and once I hit high school, 03:31 I got into boys, can't call them men, of course, 03:35 but I got into boys, and by the age of sixteen 03:39 I found myself in a relationship 03:41 with a guy that was three years older than me 03:43 and, of course I was sexually active, 03:48 I began to use drugs and drink alcohol 03:52 and it progressed to being abused as well. 03:57 So, he was... it was a domestic violence 04:01 he was abusing you, Yes. 04:03 and did you feel... because this is important for 04:07 young women who are in an abusive relationship, 04:11 did you feel that that was normal? 04:12 Yes, I did, because I grew up seeing it 04:16 not just only from my mother and my father 04:19 but maybe people out in the streets of Oakland, 04:22 I've seen women get beat up by their husbands 04:26 or their boyfriends, you also see it on TV 04:30 and, you know, other family members as well. 04:34 So you were sixteen and you had started... 04:39 you were sexually active 04:41 you had started drinking, using some drugs 04:44 and you were being abused. Yes. 04:46 How were you feeling about yourself at that point? 04:50 Well, by the age of 16, I was diagnosed with depression 04:54 severe depression, so I was very unhappy 04:58 me and my mother... 05:01 we didn't have a close relationship 05:05 in my teenage years, I guess, 05:06 once you hit puberty you think you're grown 05:09 and you don't need to listen to anyone 05:12 and me, I was hardheaded, of course, 05:16 and I needed someone to have, 05:21 I needed that discipline but what I really needed was 05:25 some attention and I needed love, 05:28 and I'm not saying that my mother didn't love me 05:31 but she loved me from a mother's perspective 05:34 and not a father's perspective 05:37 and that's what I needed the most. 05:38 Maiesha, this is such an important point 05:41 because on Urban Report, a lot... 05:44 I talk about the impact of fathers 05:47 the importance of the father being in the home 05:49 and how... not just for sons 05:52 but for daughters, daughters need their dads 05:55 because their dad is the first model 05:57 of what a man is supposed to be like 06:00 and how he's supposed to be with his wife 06:03 I mean, well, you hope that he would be the model for that 06:07 and so, without your dad, 06:09 you don't really know how to gauge things, 06:12 you don't know how a man is supposed to be 06:15 and you're not getting the affection and the attention 06:19 from your dad so you seek it in other places 06:23 and so, what I'm hearing you say is that 06:26 your relationship with your mom wasn't great 06:29 because as a teenager, you start challenging 06:32 their authority, Right. 06:33 and then you didn't have your daddy there 06:35 to kind of guide you 06:37 and then you had this guy that you were dealing with 06:41 that was abusing you, so you went into depression. 06:44 Right and I felt that he was everything, you know, 06:46 everything that I needed, of course, 06:48 and I felt that though we argued and we fought 06:52 I felt that, because he was still there for me 06:55 that that's what mattered, you know. 06:59 And so many teenage girls are dealing with the same thing 07:04 they think that that kind of treatment is okay, 07:08 it's not okay, they think that it's normal 07:12 it's not normal, nobody deserves to get hit 07:16 by their significant other, no one, 07:19 so that's sixteen, 07:22 tell us how your life progressed after that. 07:26 Well, I continued this relationship with my Ex 07:31 for the age of 20, I met you when I was 20 right? 07:35 yeah, okay, so at the age of 20 07:38 I was going back and forth with him 07:40 I was promiscuous and I engaged in doing fraud, 07:47 I would go into banks and withdraw money 07:51 and I ended up going to jail for that 07:55 and I was looking at jail... 07:58 well, I was looking at prison time 08:01 the Feds came and spoke with me 08:03 but, by the grace of God, that didn't stick, 08:06 so, I did a total of six months in jail 08:09 and then I got out 08:12 and there were no other charges against me 08:16 it was considered "time served" 08:18 so, as I'm in another State, there was no family, no support, 08:24 I met some women that allowed me to stay with them 08:29 but, of course, I had to fend for myself. 08:31 So, they were working girls, they were dancers 08:34 and they were in the prostitution business 08:38 and they introduced me to that, I had no choice, 08:41 I had to feed myself, I had to clothe myself, 08:44 I had to take care of myself, 08:48 and that's how I began my life, 08:50 in the Entertainment Business. 08:53 So, it's interesting because you know, 08:57 now that you are who you are, 09:01 you wouldn't say, "Well, I had to do that" 09:05 because you know you could depend on God 09:08 but then you didn't know that. 09:10 You're operating from a carnal mindset 09:13 because you don't know you didn't know, 09:16 so, they introduced you to the Entertainment Business 09:21 what does that mean, what were you doing? 09:24 Well, I started off dancing, and I wasn't making enough 09:32 I was making enough for me 09:34 but when I'm looking at the women are doing less for more 09:39 I wanted a taste of that 09:42 you know, I can spend eight hours to ten hours 09:46 dancing, and they can still... 09:48 they're still making more than me 09:49 and they're only spending 30 minutes to an hour 09:52 with just one person, you know, 09:54 and so I asked questions because I was curious 09:57 and they showed me the ropes to that type of profession 10:01 and I stuck with that. 10:04 And how long were you involved with that? 10:07 Well, I started at the age of 19 to 22 or 23 I believe, yeah. 10:17 And how did you get out of it? 10:20 Oh! the Lord is good. 10:22 Well, I got tired of the life that I was living 10:28 and in the midst of this I met Timothy 10:34 and he was going through his time with the Lord as well 10:39 and the Lord was fixing him, 10:40 the Lord spoke to him to witness to me, 10:46 and he continued to... you know... 10:51 pray with me and all that and then, I'm going through... 10:56 the Lord is speaking to me 10:58 through my heart and my conscience 11:00 you know, every time I'm working, 11:02 I'm like, "This is totally wrong" 11:05 I felt a sense of conviction and I've been around people 11:11 that were religious that went to church 11:15 but they... not only were they just religious, 11:17 but they had a... you can tell that 11:18 they had a relationship with Jesus 11:20 and I wanted that, I wanted that feeling, 11:23 I wanted the joy that they were talking about 11:25 I wanted the "peace" that they were talking about 11:28 because I know in this life... I'm not getting it 11:30 and that's where I began to change my life. 11:35 So, you met Timothy, let's talk about that 11:38 and I want to get Tim's perspective 11:41 on how he felt when he met you. 11:43 So, how did you meet Maiesha? 11:46 I was in the world at the time, 11:49 so we had just finished, you know, 11:51 partying and everything as it were, 11:54 and our friend said, he had some friends 11:56 that he wanted to invite over, and we were at my house 11:58 and so she literally walked in my front door 12:01 and through that we began to spark up a relationship 12:06 and a friendship and everything, 12:07 not even imagine it would go anywhere that it went, 12:12 it went through a turbulent year, 12:14 of... as you're in the world... worldly relationships, 12:17 kind of fussing and fighting and at the end of that year, 12:21 I went to prison, and so to fast forward, 12:23 when I'm getting out of prison, I'm starting to seek the Lord 12:26 and re-contacted her, sending her verses, 12:29 encouraging her, things of that nature, 12:33 and lo and behold, 12:35 she had started 12:37 wondering about church 12:38 and it would be her and her friend 12:40 they'd be on the phone and we'd be 12:42 you know, talking about Bible topics, 12:43 and Bible questions, and she... 12:45 once she came up for Christmas 12:47 and she said, you know, about the spiritual people 12:49 that I was hanging around, 12:51 she decided then that that's what she wanted, 12:53 and started taking Bible Studies 12:55 where she was at, which was Las Vegas, 12:57 so I was in Sacramento, 12:59 she was in Vegas taking her Bible Studies, 13:01 she came back to Sacramento and finished those Bible Studies 13:04 and then that summer, we both got baptized 13:08 on the same day. 13:10 That is tremendous, you know what's amazing to me, 13:14 you guys, is that 13:15 God knew all along where He would bring you to 13:21 you know, the enemy has a plan 13:24 and he's trying to just take you down 13:26 and he doesn't care what he does 13:29 to get you on that downward spiral 13:31 that's what he wants to do but God wants to prosper you 13:35 and give you the abundant life and give you joy, 13:38 and that's what he's done because when I look 13:41 into your countenances, I see the peace and joy 13:44 of the Lord, it's just amazing to me 13:47 I can imagine that when you were in the world, 13:51 and of the world, 13:52 your countenances were totally different 13:54 you can just see in people's eyes 13:56 you can see a totally different spirit. 14:00 I was always angry, negative, wary about people 14:04 and you don't know how to be a man either, 14:06 treating women and things of that nature 14:08 when the Lord comes upon your heart 14:11 you find out that gentleness and meekness and kindness 14:15 are really manly traits, not weak traits 14:18 and you find joy in helping and treating someone lovingly 14:23 and it's like, 14:25 everybody is trying to please the Lord and please each other, 14:29 and it's that circle of love that God creates 14:31 that we've been able to experience 14:33 and it's better than anything that the devil tells you he has 14:36 out there in the world. 14:38 Absolutely, absolutely, 14:40 what would you say has been the biggest challenge 14:45 for you to having left that lifestyle 14:49 and come into the truth 14:52 what would you say though 14:53 have been, rather than just one 14:56 have been some of the challenges that you've had to face 14:59 as a result of having come out of there? 15:02 Well, I would like to say was, how to love each other 15:06 the way God wants us to love each other 15:10 but before we can do that is how, you know, 15:13 we have to experience the love of Christ first 15:16 because, we can't give each other what we don't have 15:21 so we have to experience the love of Christ 15:25 it was very challenging because we're in the midst of marriage 15:30 trying to experience this love of Christ 15:32 so that's where it comes in, you know, 15:35 they didn't start where I have my, you know, 15:38 experienced the love of Christ first 15:40 and then get married, no, it was... 15:43 it was... doing it all at once 15:46 and that's the most challenging part. 15:49 What about you, Tim? 15:51 I think, it was, you know, in the Book of Genesis, 15:53 it is said, when... 15:55 after God created Eve 15:57 that they both were naked and not ashamed, 15:59 and when you're in the world, 16:01 especially in the profession she was in, 16:03 me being out in the world, being out in the street, 16:05 dealing with different women and selling drugs 16:09 you always have your guard up, 16:10 and then you take that into marriage 16:12 as we know... what does this person want from me 16:15 and I have to protect myself, 16:17 but that doesn't work in marriage, 16:19 you all have to be vulnerable, 16:20 and be willing to give a hundred percent 16:22 but in the world, you're always reserving key 16:25 because you don't want to get hurt, 16:26 you're always watching people, 16:27 and so, really, letting your guard down 16:30 has been, some of the, what was... 16:31 really challenging, yeah. 16:33 See, I really can appreciate that because, 16:37 I would imagine that in the beginning, 16:40 especially since, you were saying Maiesha, 16:43 that you guys got married first, 16:46 and then you came to Christ really, 16:49 is that what you were saying? 16:51 Well, we got baptized, okay, and then a year later 16:54 we got married, but as for me, you know, 16:57 Still learning, Yeah, we're still learning, 17:00 it takes more than a year to... to get to know who Christ is. 17:04 Yes, yes, but the beauty too is that 17:08 you have this deal where you and your husband 17:12 and Christ is at the center and so, He's guiding... 17:16 it's a covenant relationship with the three of you 17:21 and He's guiding and directing and, I mean, 17:25 it's just a beautiful thing. 17:26 Tim, give us a little summary, 17:29 for those who didn't see Urban Report before, 17:31 give us a little summary of your journey. 17:35 Well, growing up... raised in the church 17:38 but was basically just in the Seventh-day Adventist Church 17:41 but not converted 17:42 and so when you're growing up in the church, 17:44 sometimes you come into church you hear all the messages, 17:46 but it doesn't do anything inside into the heart, 17:49 and so once the messages really did start affecting me, 17:52 at 17 I decided to get baptized but it was more... 17:56 I was a soldier for the Lord I was into the messages, 18:00 and I didn't also learn how to have that 18:03 solid relationship with Jesus and so when trials came, 18:07 I got blown with the wind as it were 18:11 and left the church, and then I went into the world 18:14 and began a lifestyle of heavy fornication, 18:17 and I was addicted to alcohol, mild addiction to Cocaine, 18:21 and smoking and drinking and just a very selfish lifestyle 18:25 trying to get what I want out of life, 18:28 and it happened one night, I was drinking, 18:31 and if you can imagine, 18:33 I had my daughter in the car, two-year-old daughter, 18:35 and I decided to run from the police 18:38 in the midst of that the Lord saved both of us, 18:42 protected us, but I had to go to prison 18:44 and I can remember my first day being locked up 18:48 on the 8th Floor, Sacramento County Jail 18:51 by myself, not even in my own clothes, 18:54 in the jail clothes and in that attire, 18:56 and I sat on my bunk and said, 18:58 "All right, I'm listening, what do you want to say to me?" 19:02 He had your whole attention eh? 19:04 And from then on He told me 19:06 He wouldn't stop me from going to jail 19:08 I was going to have to go through it 19:10 but He would go through it with me 19:12 and I began a process to read my Bible in there 19:15 and start to change my thoughts and change my emotions 19:18 so He could change my character, which He's still doing today. 19:21 Praise the Lord, 19:23 that's a beautiful, beautiful testimony. 19:26 So, what is God doing not just in your marriage but 19:30 in your ministry? 19:31 Tell us about the ministry that you have together. 19:34 Well, right now, I'm an Elder of the church 19:38 and I never thought I would be Elder of the church 19:42 I didn't even know about church positions but 19:45 God saw fit to place me there, I'm a part of a 19:48 Christ Frontline Operation, 19:50 and so, it's a group of young people 19:52 who came through a similar experience 19:54 that I came through, being out in the world, 19:57 finding Christ and leaving the world 19:59 which is composed of me, Taariq and Adam Patel, 20:03 and Ameerah and Hassan Byrd, 20:06 and my wife is the Secretary of Christ Frontline Operations 20:11 and we go around doing Week of Prayers, 20:13 Evangelistic Series, 20:14 Medical Missionary Training Seminars at different churches 20:17 just trying to spread the Three Angels' Message 20:20 and also, my other duties that the Lord has given me, 20:24 we have a beautiful home with three girls 20:26 one is eight, and one is three, and one is... one year old 20:31 and their names are: Anaya, Alona, and Avia 20:35 and so they keep us very busy 20:37 and on my knees. 20:38 I'm sure, I'm sure, 20:41 where do you see your ministry going 20:46 I mean, of course, we don't know what God's going to do 20:48 but what is your hope for your ministry together? 20:52 I believe that our testimony is going to further our ministry 20:58 for young adults, 21:01 I'm really going for it to talk to young women 21:07 that are in bondage within the lifestyle that I lived 21:12 so they'll know that there is hope 21:14 and that they can be changed and become a Godly woman 21:18 and to be in the likeness and image of Christ. 21:22 That's wonderful and so what does it take 21:26 to change your life, 21:28 there's a young woman watching right now 21:30 who is caught up in the lifestyle 21:34 she wants the quick money she wants to strip, 21:37 she wants to... she wants to do the whole nine yards 21:40 because she wants that money, 21:42 what would you say to her right now, 21:44 look out at your camera right there 21:47 and talk to that young lady that's caught up 21:50 in that lifestyle. 21:52 Personally, I've been there 21:55 and I just let go... and let God... 22:01 I know you are struggling when it comes down to money, 22:05 or a place to live, 22:08 you don't know where your next meal is going to come from 22:10 but this is the time 22:12 that you should just fall on your knees 22:16 if you have never prayed before, 22:17 I want you to get on your knees today, right now, 22:23 and pray and ask the Lord to lead you and guide you 22:28 every aspect of your life 22:31 and to take the things that the devil wants you to do 22:35 to make them undesirable, 22:37 that you want to do everything in God's will, 22:41 you want to live your life according to His will 22:45 and ask Him for the things that you need 22:48 the Lord knows what you need before you even ask, 22:51 but still ask, and He will provide for you. 22:55 That is beautiful, what about you, Tim, 22:59 a young man is dealing with drug... selling drugs, 23:05 addiction to drugs, wanting fast money, 23:10 just kind of being out there, talk to that young man 23:14 and tell him what you need to tell him. 23:17 Well, first, you don't have to believe 23:21 all the lies of the devil, Society is trying to tell you 23:25 that for you to be a young man or a young Black man, 23:28 you have to act and behave in a certain manner 23:31 and a certain fashion and as I didn't know, 23:34 God has a whole different set of rules 23:36 on how to be a man that have longevity in them 23:39 and that are not just for the short time. 23:41 That life that you want to live, you might make those funds, 23:45 you might have a good time, but when things go bad, 23:49 they go horrible, and those horrible instances 23:52 will scar and shape your life in such a way 23:55 that sometimes, it might not be any recovery 23:58 but God is faithful, 23:59 He can reshape you, He can remake you, 24:01 and your worth as a man 24:04 is not just in the material things 24:05 it's just not in the outside things, 24:07 but your worth is in Christ and what He paid for you 24:10 and inside, you're worth more to Him 24:13 than any gold or any money 24:15 or any attention that the world can give, 24:17 and you can rest assured in that 24:19 and rest assured that He loves you 24:21 and if all these other people out here don't love you 24:23 or they only love you for the things that you have, 24:25 He loves you even though you have nothing 24:27 and though you have to be a man and take care of yourself, 24:30 as my wife just said to the young ladies, 24:33 God can take care of you, you know, 24:35 the greatest blessing that a man has 24:37 is he doesn't have to worry about 24:39 how he's going to take care of himself 24:41 because whatever problems he has, 24:42 he can fall on his knees 24:43 and ask Christ to take care of him 24:46 and God will do that for you. 24:47 That is beautiful, 24:50 I just know that someone watching 24:53 will be so blessed by your testimony 24:57 and your willingness to share 24:58 you know, there are a lot of people who 25:00 might not be willing to talk about this 25:02 but you are new creatures in Christ 25:04 that person that existed before... 25:07 she and he... they're dead... they are dead 25:10 you are new creatures in Christ so, I mean, 25:15 it's just amazing to me that God is so faithful 25:18 that He will just take us by the hand 25:22 and lead us through life if we'll just go with Him 25:25 Hmmm... hmmm... Oh yeah... 25:26 just go with Him, He'll lead us, 25:28 tell us what we can... in the one minute 25:31 well, actually, 30 seconds, what can we look forward to 25:34 on Pure Choices this coming Season? 25:36 Oh man, we have a jam-packed season for Pure Choices 25:40 you can look forward to some real topics 25:42 that people are really going through right now 25:44 if you watch the show, Pure Choices this Season 25:46 either you're going to go through 25:48 some of the stuff that we're talking about, 25:49 or you are going through it right now 25:51 and what's beautiful is everybody on the Panel 25:54 has been through the topics we're talking about 25:57 and so you're getting firsthand experience 25:59 on people that went through it 26:01 and how God helped them out of it. 26:03 Most definitely and I mean 26:05 the topics that we're talking about 26:07 are very popular in today's world, 26:09 you know, they're popular in the world, 26:11 and they're popular inside the church as well, 26:14 you know, so, we're going to give you a broad 26:17 view of inside the church and outside the church. 26:21 Awesome, awesome, 26:22 Viewers, you are not going to want to miss 26:26 this Season's programming of Pure Choices 26:30 God has just handpicked the participants 26:34 all the Panel members, God has handpicked them 26:37 to be on that Panel, our God is a mighty God 26:40 and our God is a faithful God, our God is a good God, 26:44 get to know Him for yourself today. 26:48 God bless you and thank you so much. 26:51 Thank you so much. 26:54 That was powerful, 26:57 well, thank you so much for joining us, 26:59 join us next time because 27:00 it just wouldn't be the same... without you. |
Revised 2015-11-19