Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Ken Blundell, Sherry Blundell
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR000054B
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00:13 Welcome back!
00:14 You know I'm hoping what this testimony does, 00:17 what this story does, what this journey does, 00:19 is help you to not ever look at the Pastor or 00:21 somebody in ministry. 00:22 Somebody that you put up on a pedestal and think 00:25 you know who they are. 00:26 Because God is helping everyone of us to stand, 00:29 to walk through this journey, to get over our junk, 00:31 to get out of, like Pastor Ken, his addiction. 00:35 It's amazing that we get to have these incredible men 00:39 and women of God sitting in front of us, 00:41 but sometimes I'm saying, if you can, pray for them. 00:45 I wanted to find out by Ken's wife did she know all this? 00:49 Did you know all this? 00:50 - no I didn't 00:51 - none 00:52 - no. 00:54 I knew that Ken had been in trouble before, but when we 00:57 got together he was 19 and I was 27 and had 4 children. 01:03 My oldest was 13, so there wasn't quite a bit of 01:07 difference between them, but there was between us. 01:10 I had not done the drug scene, I was too busy having 01:14 babies- right! 01:16 So you're busy telling him, you know what you have 01:18 to be done with this 01:19 - right, that's right. 01:20 - the story you told me on the break about his parents, 01:25 when his mom met you, I think that is hysterical 01:28 because you were not without your own issues, 01:31 you just hadn't done the Meth. 01:33 Yep, I smoked, I drank, I cussed and here was this 01:37 Christian lady that I volunteered her to stay at my 01:40 house and I must've terrified her at the time because 01:45 years later she told me that she had the whole Church 01:48 praying that we wouldn't make it. 01:49 - because now he's with this older woman who is not 01:53 a Christian, or were you a Christian? 01:56 No - oh man, and so your mom was hoping that you would 02:01 find your way back. 02:02 And it is funny because when you said Sherry, that you 02:05 come in with all this stuff I bet they were just dying. 02:08 You know I went to California to work for logger when 02:14 I met Sherry, and I brought her actually back to meet my 02:20 mother, but I was with Sherry's sister. 02:24 So there is a more confusing thing then that, when it 02:28 switched around and turned the other way, her sister 02:31 was younger than me and Sherry is older than me. 02:34 I think my mom thinks wow, which way is her son going? 02:38 She is wanting me to get back with God in my life and 02:41 she thought I was going way the wrong direction. 02:44 So you know to me how did you guys, and only because 02:51 of time, how did you guys get married? 02:53 Get into Ministry, how did God lead? 02:57 It just seems right now real crazy, real mixed up and 03:01 yet I know you stepped into Ministry because every 03:03 time I have met you that is where you have been. 03:05 - well you know the thing was every time I would 03:08 be around Ken's mother, she was an awesome lady and 03:11 still is an awesome lady, a Christian lady. 03:14 I would think wow, I would like to be like her. 03:17 Then that led us back to church and we would be in 03:22 and out of church constantly. 03:24 Then the drug issue started again 03:30 - because he would relapse 03:31 - he would relapse and he would disappear sometimes, well a 03:36 couple times you were gone for 3 months at a time. 03:39 Our daughter got killed in a car wreck. 03:45 We was going back to church then. 03:46 Ken had left home, we were separated for 3 months 03:54 and he came home and she was killed in a matter of a 03:57 couple months after that. 03:59 I think God led him back home because He knew I couldn't 04:03 handle all that without Ken. 04:05 - I can't imagine having to go through that, even with 04:11 all the support, being right in the lap of God, but you 04:15 went through that in the middle of all this chaos. 04:17 - there was a lot of partying, and drinking 04:20 - and your daughter was using when she was killed. 04:23 Yeah, she was using too. 04:26 We moved from California to Arkansas because we thought 04:30 that would be Ken away from the drugs, well it is worse 04:33 in Arkansas, and then he disappeared again. 04:37 At that point I had had enough. 04:41 I was going back to California and 04:43 I didn't want anymore. 04:45 Ken called me from a motel in town and asked if 04:52 he could come home, and I said I really don't care. 04:55 - I'm done, I can't do this again. 04:57 He came home. 04:58 You know I came home and I remember when I called you 05:04 that night, how I knew my life is over. 05:08 This wasn't the first time that this it happened multiple times. 05:12 I hadn't been faithful to you on more than one occasion. 05:16 I thought well Lord, I've hit the bottom. 05:18 What am I going to do? 05:19 In a motel room I prayed and asked God to help me. 05:23 Of course I was coming down from being on Meth for 05:25 several days and I got home and said hello to you. 05:31 We had hardly said anything, she had nothing to say 05:34 to me, and I walked back into the bedroom and 05:36 I picked up this Bible and I opened it up. 05:38 It just opened up to right where I am right now. 05:41 I said God help me what do I need? 05:43 Then I went to of all places the Chronicles, 05:46 some people say, wow, what can you find there? 05:49 I found so much there, my Bible is just marked up there. 05:52 It is the place that my life changed. 05:55 When I really came to the conclusion of where 05:58 I needed to be with God. 05:59 That He was my friend and He would help me. 06:01 And I read this line in chapter 15, and it says, in 06:05 verse 2, and I'm not going to read the whole thing. 06:08 Is talking about King Asa, but it says, 06:10 "The Lord is with you, while would you be with him" and 06:14 it goes on to say, "if you seek him, he will be found 06:19 of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. " 06:22 You see I hadn't had God in my life, not in a serious 06:26 way - right! 06:27 Not in a serious way. 06:28 I thought back to when I was 18 and I wanted to be a 06:31 minister and here now my life I knew my marriage was finished. 06:35 I knew it was going to be over. 06:36 In the previous chapter it talks how it is nothing 06:41 for God to help those with no power. 06:43 I had no power over this drug, over this addiction, 06:46 over the alcohol, over all the different things. 06:48 I didn't have any power... 06:50 - in lie of your whole life was this drug it was going to give 06:53 you power, and you're at the place saying it was a lie 06:56 the whole time because I'm losing everything. 06:58 I've lost everything. 06:59 - well you know Ken came out of the bedroom and 07:03 he told me he had read that and said, will you stay 07:09 if I get counseling? 07:10 I said I don't know if I can. 07:13 I have been hurt too many times, and he asked me if 07:18 I would make the appointment. 07:20 I said no - you have got to do it, 07:23 I can't keep doing this for you. 07:24 I said if you want it, you do it yourself. 07:26 He did and we went to some counseling sessions a couple 07:31 times, but it's been an awesome ride ever since. 07:34 - because you know what he was serious then. 07:38 Yes, you know I look Cheri, and I know how much 07:44 I hurt my wife because of an addiction I had. 07:47 But when I really realized if I would take the time 07:51 to keep you know God, get to know Jesus. 07:54 It took me back to where I mention Morris Venden, 07:57 that was his message. 07:58 Jesus can be your best friend, but it is going to 08:00 take your time, it is going to take something of an 08:03 effort for that to happen. 08:05 I have found since then, there is no high like the 08:10 high that comes from knowing Jesus. 08:12 From spending time in the Bible. 08:14 He said, if you seek Me, you will find Me and I took 08:19 Him up on that and we started going back to church. 08:21 - in the high, even for people that don't know too. 08:26 The high in the restoration of your family, 08:29 the high in all the sudden really being there as a 08:32 parent to your children, all of a sudden life becomes, 08:35 instead of an illusion that I am happy and everything 08:38 is in control, I literally am given my life by Christ. 08:41 I get to see the love relationship of my spouse grow. 08:47 The trust in my children grow. 08:49 The trust and my parents again come back. 08:51 All that kind of stuff that God says let Me give you 08:53 something that is real to hold onto now. 08:56 - Will it takes a while for that trust to come back. 08:58 There is many times when he was a little bit late from 09:02 work I would get that sick feeling again. 09:05 Here we go again. 09:08 Even my kids, our kids would go how long is it 09:12 going to last this time mom? 09:14 Because they had no faith in Ken either, because 09:17 he had hurt them too so many times by falling. 09:20 But now, they are so proud of him. 09:24 So, so then, God is restoring your family, 09:30 restoring all that and then He is literally pushing 09:33 you out to step into Ministry. 09:35 What did that look like you guys? 09:37 You know the Pastor that was at the church, when I got 09:40 into Ministry, was a man named Jerry Mays. 09:42 He had a belief that God can use anybody. 09:46 God can use lay people and part of that I think he, 09:52 how do I say it, when I get into doing something 09:58 I want to do it. 09:59 He saw that drive and an opportunity came for me to 10:02 Pastor, actually Jim Gilley was the president of the conference. 10:06 When I say conference some people wouldn't know, 10:08 he was in charge of who would be Pastor, 10:11 and he gave me that opportunity to be a Pastor. 10:16 I was a Bible Vocational Pastor for almost 10:20 4 years in Arkansas. 10:21 It was a lot of challenges. 10:24 You give a 100% no matter what side you are on. 10:26 You know I lived here at my church was 50 miles this way 10:30 and the work I did was 50 miles the other way. 10:33 I got into it and wanted to work for the Lord. 10:37 I have to stress this one point, I began to have 10:42 relationship on a daily basis. 10:45 When I say relationship I mean I spent time 10:47 in the Bible. 10:48 I spent time by just reading it and saying, 10:50 God what are you trying to say to me? 10:52 Speak to me. 10:54 Open my eyes. 10:56 And prayer is part of that. 10:58 Letting Him speak to me, and you are in 11:02 prayer talking to Him. 11:03 He just changed my life. 11:04 The minute I stepped into the water and wanted to 11:07 follow Him, and was faithful to Him, just like He says, 11:11 here seek Him and I will find Him and if I forsake Him, 11:14 and I think that means if I don't seek Him. 11:16 If I don't make that decision that I want Him as a 11:19 friend, you see I knew I needed Him. 11:21 Morris Venden would say, one of the things you asked, 11:23 how do you get to know God, by spending time with Him. 11:30 Well what else, that's it. 11:33 By spending time with Him. 11:34 By getting to know Him just like anybody else. 11:37 You get to know your spouse by spending time with them. 11:39 Same thing with Christ, as a result of that 11:43 He can shine through you. 11:44 In my ministry, my desire is to reach out to people 11:48 with addictions, and people with problems. 11:50 In my church anybody is welcome. 11:53 Greatest words I heard, there is a girl who stood up 11:56 in church last week and she said, I'm in recovery from 12:00 crack cocaine and I haven't had it for year. 12:02 I haven't done it, Praise God! 12:04 - I met that girl - you met her. 12:07 I will tell you we had just met her and wrapped our 12:10 arms around her, because that is what Jesus does. 12:13 He says I can help you and He pulls you in and He wraps 12:16 His arms, I don't care if you're in the gutter. 12:17 In fact one person in a church we Pastored says, 12:21 I want somebody to Pastor that's been in the gutter. 12:23 And Sherry says, well that's us because we have. 12:26 We know these problems. 12:28 She was talking to somebody else from off the street 12:31 there, when we was feeding the hungry, we met her. 12:33 Bad area of town, shootings and stuff all the time, and 12:37 she was telling another person I belong to this church. 12:41 Now she's not a member or anything, but her attitude 12:44 and feeling is, I am were I've belong. 12:47 You see that is what God has called me into Ministry, 12:50 because of my recovery, because of me knowing Christ, 12:54 because of the importance of the Bible and now my job. 12:58 Remember what I said about the trees, my job of an 13:00 apple tree is to reproduce apple trees so that I can 13:04 wrap my arms around other people like Jesus wrapped 13:07 His arms around me. 13:08 - and let somebody else wrap around. 13:10 Yeah, and take them and except them where they 13:13 are at and say hey we are going to help you even 13:15 if you fall down. 13:16 I have to say this, I don't know how to say this. 13:20 The same girl, in one of the church lesson studies 13:23 where it is interactive, here she is in a group like 13:26 this and she says, she talks about she's turning tricks. 13:30 - you know what I think it gets funny because somebody 13:34 that she was in that same study said to me, you know I 13:37 think she was saying that she still has Johns. 13:40 She still has clients. 13:42 They are trying to wrap their minds around that. 13:44 What is she doing in Sabbath school? 13:46 Yeah, but God forgave Mary Magdalene 7 times and 13:51 we told them, you have to forgive her too. 13:54 What is really interesting to me is because I think you 13:56 have been there, and know what it feels like to fall, 13:58 is that you are literally saying, fall this direction. 14:02 Because there is going to be a day you will walk away 14:05 from all this. 14:06 She is one of the greatest helps we have in 14:09 that church, she loves God. 14:11 - she's still not turning tricks today? 14:14 - well I threaten her, if you need money come see me. 14:19 I feel as a Pastor my job is to protect people. 14:23 The Bible talks about the wheat and the tares and 14:29 how they grow together in the church. 14:31 And the dragnet, it talks about bringing all the fish in, 14:34 my responsibility is to bring people in, let them see 14:39 the love of God, hopefully through me, hopefully through 14:42 my wife and our Ministry. 14:43 To nurture them, and to hold onto them, and to 14:48 pick them up, you see I can't change anybody. 14:51 There were so many people the church that wanted to 14:53 change me, if we had the time I could talk of people 14:57 who were, Ron Halverson Sr, from Gangs to God, he came from 15:01 the gangs of Brooklyn he's my best friend, because he has 15:04 been there for me to help me. 15:06 You talk Pastors need prayer and stuff, oh yeah they do. 15:09 The struggles and stuff we go through, 15:11 we are constantly helping others in their addictions 15:15 and different things, but what about us? 15:17 I got people to pray for me - to mentor you - yes. 15:22 - That's incredible. 15:25 It has been an awesome ride. 15:27 - you know it's not over yet which is fun. 15:29 I'm going to open it up for questions. 15:31 Because I know that there are people that want 15:33 to ask you guys some questions. 15:35 I want to start right here with Carolina. 15:38 Yes I have a question. 15:41 When I was 15 years old I had a cousin and 15:46 he died of a drug addiction. 15:47 He died of an overdose and that really touched me 15:52 so I understand how painful it is for relatives 15:55 who have family who is going through an addiction. 16:00 So my question is, how can you support or help 16:04 someone that is struggling with a drug addiction? 16:07 What attitude should you present to the person? 16:10 You know in my addiction, I think my example 16:19 is probably one of the best things I could do 16:21 and hopefully they can see Jesus through me. 16:24 The young man that was going to one of our Christian 16:29 schools, and I didn't know he was really watching me. 16:32 He saw how I was before I found Jesus in my life. 16:38 Later on in talking with him, I heard him actually 16:43 giving, sharing his testimony how Christ had changed 16:49 him, and he had brought my name up. 16:50 And I thought wow, I had no idea that I had been 16:54 any kind of influence to him. 16:56 So even what Sherry was talking about when she met 17:00 your mom, I want to be like her. 17:02 The fact of just being who we are in 17:05 Christ around the addict. 17:06 It's tough you know when people are heavy into drugs, 17:10 sometimes it is not the time you can give them advice, 17:13 they are not looking for advice, 17:14 they want to see something real. 17:16 They want to see if you are saying you are something, 17:20 they want to see that in you. 17:21 They want to see Jesus with the skin on, 17:23 not just a story. 17:25 I think of another one, there was a young man and 17:29 I was talking to someone else about this earlier. 17:32 How he looked up to me, when I was younger, when I was 17:36 really getting out on the wrong path. 17:39 As he grew up, he started going on that same path. 17:45 The same thing happened to him, what you said, 17:48 I saw him at a wedding and he wanted me to come drink 17:51 beer with him, now I had never done anything with him. 17:56 Drugs or anything like that, but he knew that was stuff 18:00 I had did from my example. 18:02 I said no, no way because I knew his parents. 18:06 I wouldn't do that even when he was growing up. 18:11 What happened, the next thing I heard about him 18:14 is that he had OD'd at a hotel in town. 18:18 He had done a speedball with heroin and 18:21 cocaine and he died. 18:22 I think the greatest influence we can be on people 18:25 is that they can see Jesus in us. 18:27 Not just what we say, who we are. 18:30 - Besides I believe that I am standing here today 18:35 because I had an aunt, I was 10 years old and got sent 18:38 to Canada to live with a Christian aunt. 18:39 From 10 I was homeless, a heroine addict and all that 18:43 stuff, but she prayed for me every day of her life. 18:46 I came to Christ before she died and went back and thank 18:50 her for that, but I think that we sometimes are helpless 18:54 and the addict is going to make choices that they are 18:56 going to make and we are going to feel helpless 18:57 as family members. 18:59 Sometimes we are going to feel like, is there anything 19:01 I can do, I just want to beg people not to forget 19:04 about prayer, don't forget that we literally can cover them. 19:08 God forgive them for their rebellion, forgive them for 19:11 their acting out, I love him and I'm asking you to not 19:14 let anything work for them. 19:16 I'm asking you to not even let them get high anymore. 19:18 When they take the drug let it not even be non-effective in 19:21 their body, let them go to jail. 19:23 Get them busted, I want them safe. 19:25 And as somebody that loves them, cover them every 19:30 time you think about it in prayer. 19:31 I believe we get to heaven God is going to open the 19:35 books and let us see how powerful that was. 19:38 In a time we feel powerless, you are watching somebody 19:41 make choices that are horrible. 19:43 Your mom watched you over the years, I am sure that not 19:46 a day went by that she didn't say, God do not forget my 19:49 baby, because I love him. 19:51 So there are times we can't make them make sense, 19:55 it's like talking to schizophrenic sometimes. 19:57 Talking to an addict, but God says don't forget to pray. 20:01 I really believe that when my aunt was dying and I said, 20:04 man whose going to pray for me now? 20:07 Who is to pray for our family now? 20:09 She looked at me, standing as a Christian in front of 20:11 her, she says it looks like you're going to pray 20:13 for our family now. 20:14 And just handed the baton to me. 20:16 You are going to cover them and if there is anybody 20:18 that is watching, anybody here that has family members 20:21 that you know it is hard when you see somebody die 20:24 in their addiction, but I know it is harder on God 20:27 then it is on us. 20:28 The grief that we feel, and I think it's billions fold 20:33 to God that says, I tried every single thing I could. 20:36 Every single thing I could, but right now as 20:39 we need to remember them in prayer. 20:44 And on top of the example, the example is incredible. 20:49 But sometimes they are too crazy in their addiction. 20:52 Ken in his diction, he was crazy and I'm sure, sometimes 20:58 the only thing you could do for him was pray. 21:00 God protect us and protect him. 21:03 - everybody I knew I called, his family they were all 21:07 praying for him when he would disappear. 21:09 Exactly and I know Joanie that you had a question too. 21:14 Yes, I was raised in a home where I had parents that 21:19 stayed together and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. 21:22 Which I know even today I have the sense of security 21:26 that my mom was home and I knew always where she was. 21:29 So when I got married I had two sons and I wanted to 21:33 be a stay-at-home mom too. 21:35 That was the plan, although when my sons were 2 and 4, 21:38 I became a single parent and had to go to work. 21:41 I don't how to be a single parent and didn't then, 21:44 I still don't now. 21:45 My sons don't follow the Lord now, but it did raise 21:50 them in the church, but they had 2 households, 21:51 a household at their father's, and one with me. 21:54 When you said the Scripture to raise your child 21:57 in the way they will go, they won't depart from it. 22:00 Well they don't follow God and the subject of prayer, 22:04 I have never stopped praying for them and have been 22:09 very persistent and it maybe think of your mom. 22:11 Did you ever tell her that you realize it was probably 22:16 her prayers that brought you back around to the Lord? 22:20 Then if you told her, and thanked her, how did she react? 22:26 Well my mom is the happiest person that can possibly be, 22:30 because she watches, by the way, way 3ABN all the time. 22:35 Yes I have told her, but my wife along with her at this 22:43 time in the prayers that I would get my life together. 22:46 I could remember my little brother told me one day, 22:51 when are you going to grow up? 22:53 Really people that are messed up on drugs, 22:57 they just haven't grown-up really. 22:59 God wants us to grow up close to Him. 23:02 That prayer thing, I mean it's the main thing. 23:07 - it's the main thing you know what Pastor Ken, 23:10 I just wanted to say, I wish I could say thank you 23:14 to your mom right here, but I'm going to say to you. 23:16 Thank you for coming and I would just for you and your 23:19 family, I just want to say thanks. 23:21 For sharing your testimony and all that stuff. 23:24 Well thank you for having me and my wife here, 23:26 it's a blessing. 23:28 I have made a commitment with a loud voice tell 23:34 people about Jesus. 23:35 You know as you are out there the only time we can make 23:39 that commitment is to leaning fully on God. 23:42 I can't even lean on my own understanding, and I can't lean 23:45 on my own stuff, I had to so trust the fact that God 23:48 is going to lead me to the next step, to the next step, 23:50 to the next, but as, we have been real clear about it. 23:54 If you have family members that are addicts pray for them. 23:57 But you know what more than family members, the 24:00 body of Christ, when you step into a church 24:02 pray for each other. 24:03 We are going to be right back, please stay with us. |
Revised 2014-12-17