Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Cheri Peters
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR00071A
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00:11 Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery
00:12 I'm Cheri and this is going into our sixth season 00:15 so today we are going to introduce you to all the 00:18 incredible guests we have had this season. 00:20 It's amazing and come join us in the café. 00:50 Hi I'm C. A. Murray and as Cheri said we are in our 00:53 six season, if you can believe that. 00:55 Six years, six seasons of letting people do their thing 00:59 and letting people talk about their problems and the 01:02 catharsis that comes from when you just lay it out 01:05 there, and the healing that comes. 01:07 It's amazing. - you know I need to do something before 01:10 we get into our season, I need to do something I know 01:12 you are not comfortable with, I need to pay you a compliment. 01:15 Oh great! Because I am so not comfortable with that. 01:19 But I want to give you flowers while you can still 01:22 smell them, because the other day we went to visit a 01:24 friend who you know has a diagnosis of cancer. 01:27 We went to cheer her up. 01:28 I saw you work with her and be very real with her. 01:33 We prayed together and had a wonderful time and when we left 01:36 there she felt a lot better about what she's going to face. 01:39 She has got to face some tough stuff, but we were there to 01:42 hold her hand and pray with her. 01:43 I wanted to say, because what people see on this set is the 01:46 real Cheri, you're like that on the set, you're like that 01:49 off the set and God has given you a special gift to pull out 01:52 the truth out of people in a very real way. 01:54 I want to thank you for that. 01:55 I've been watching you these six seasons that we have 01:57 been able to share a little bit, I want to say God's 01:59 Spirit is really with you on the set and it is a pleasure 02:01 to work with you. 02:02 Thank you, thank you C. A., and what is really amazing to 02:05 me about that is that I watch somebody that is growing 02:08 in the recovery, like you see them at first and think 02:12 you know what, how are you going to let God take over? 02:15 Are you going to let God do that? 02:16 Then you start to watch that and then when you say, would 02:20 you say, tell your journey on Celebrating Life? 02:23 Tell us what happened, who God is, and what your walk is 02:27 like now and you could see them just light up because 02:31 everything in their life has been so twisted and crashed. 02:34 Now they are going to say something to help someone else, 02:38 that is a part of the whole thing. 02:39 So you watch God do that healing here, and we only get to 02:43 see what is on the camera. 02:44 I almost feel sorry for the viewers sometimes because 02:47 as soon as the camera is off people are praying for each 02:50 other, people are holding each other up, they are talking 02:53 about one more thing and crying that they can't get over 02:56 this, somebody has given them advice, try this. 02:59 What happens behind the scenes is pretty spectacular. 03:02 What happens on the set is good too. - yeah it is! 03:05 You get to facilitate that and I need to say this, 03:08 there is only one Cheri Peters. 03:11 God sort of broke the mold and I don't know if the 03:14 world could stand two. 03:16 You know that's too funny. 03:18 You're a blessing for us, you really are. 03:19 You're funny, I have to just say that this season was fun 03:23 for me because there was a couple things that happened 03:27 to me this season, and I want to say preparing, I'm just 03:31 too flaky to prepare. 03:33 But as I am coming into this season and I knew it was 03:36 coming, we were doing prison ministries, traveling a lot, 03:40 and all of a sudden I had this major death in my family. 03:44 I just really, there was a part in me that said how am 03:48 I going to do this? 03:50 I went to God and was trying to process stuff knowing that 03:53 this is coming up, it was really a difficult time. 03:56 All of a sudden God reminded me, I didn't go back to any 04:00 addictions, I didn't lean that direction. 04:04 I didn't want to run an escape and that kind of stuff. 04:07 With all the stuff going on I wanted to celebrate that. 04:10 You know what for the first time in my life I can get 04:13 hit with things that would send people over the edge, 04:16 I'm not even close to the edge. 04:19 Because God said you're foundation is solid, you're okay 04:22 This is going to hurt, so this season I wanted to 04:27 really introduce that kind of concept that as you grow, 04:31 get things underneath you that are so strong that when you 04:35 get hit, because people think if I get hit, oh stop. 04:39 We live in a world and it's going to come in odd ways, 04:43 like it's going to come with a cancer diagnosis. 04:46 Or maybe a child acting out, with the husband you'll find 04:50 online porn, or with your own junk, I mean it is going 04:54 to come and when it comes, do I have enough in my own self, 04:58 with my relationship with God, that as it comes I can just 05:01 say, you know what? I'm going to get through this. 05:04 Pain is not going to kill me. - right, right! 05:07 A friend of mine told me years ago when I was going through 05:09 some stuff, and I say all the time I've got stuff, 05:12 and you've got stuff, everybody's got stuff. 05:13 Everybody gets a turn, nobody escapes, everybody gets a 05:17 turn, and you have found certainly that in helping others 05:21 you are yourself helped. 05:23 I mean it is a law. - Amen, and Amen! 05:25 When the Bible talks about, and you know I love the passage 05:28 where it says when tribulations come, not if they come, 05:31 but when they come don't back away from them too fast. 05:34 You really will find out who you are. 05:37 Sometimes I find out something, I think I never thought 05:40 I could get through this and then we go to dinner with 05:43 someone who is getting a cancer diagnosis, 05:46 or dealing with something is that I don't have to back away 05:48 from that because I have been through some of that and I 05:51 know what to say. 05:52 So it is like don't back away from things too quick 05:54 and let it play out in your life and really 05:57 develop who you are. 05:59 I love that that's John 16:33, in the world ye shall, 06:01 not might, not maybe, you shall have tribulation. 06:04 You know it is going to come. 06:05 So this season I want to share with you some of the guests 06:09 that we have had, some of them have been so amazing. 06:12 My most favorite is my husband is a fairly new Christian. 06:16 We've been married going on 22 years and he is amazing, 06:20 but he just now is giving it to God. 06:23 He is given it got in a way that he turned to me and said 06:27 I just want to show you how much I love you. 06:29 I'm thinking all right I'll love that. 06:31 So the first role in I want to say, my favorite one is my 06:36 husband Brad, talking about his testimony. 06:38 And speaking of Brad, I have to say this because we thought 06:41 he was a figment of your imagination. 06:43 We had never seen Brad before, heard about him for many 06:46 years and he actually came. 06:47 First of all he's a nice guy, loves the Lord and really 06:50 loves his wife, that is cool. 06:52 Watching his spiritual journey has been amazing to me. 06:55 For the first 14, 15 years of our marriage he could care 06:58 less about any of that. 06:59 I'm doing evangelism and all this stuff and God is telling me 07:02 someday he is going to step up and take spiritual 07:05 leadership not only of the Ministry, but of his home 07:08 and all that stuff. 07:09 I'm like, yeah right, because I'm not seeing it. 07:11 When he did, oh my goodness, it is amazing to me that he 07:16 literally is trying to win my heart, he's praying over the 07:20 home, and the family, and in the Bible. 07:23 So I wanted to share that, when a man steps up and takes 07:27 that role and their family it is absolutely amazing. 07:31 So it's fun that it gets to be my husband. 07:37 The next one that I want to talk about is a guy named 07:40 Reggie, I met him when I was doing prisons in Arkansas. 07:43 He is in prison Ministry, but he himself had been in 07:47 prison, in gangs, and just the way God got a hold of him, 07:51 right in the middle of almost getting killed, by just this 07:55 horrible fight when God gets his heart. 07:57 He steps into that, steps into his journey with God trying 08:01 to find out what recovery was all about. 08:03 He now has this family that is amazing so I wanted people 08:07 to meet the entire family. 08:09 I'd like to do a role ins with all of these, but the other 08:12 one is a guy named Aaron. 08:14 Aaron was another strung out, his parents were Christians and 08:21 Aaron been praying for him for ever. 08:23 One day he is just out of it totally, his heart is beating 08:26 and he thinks he is going to die. 08:28 He could just text on his phone, help me and sent it to 08:31 his dad and it changes everything. 08:33 So I would like you to do enjoy these role ins, man it has 08:36 been an amazing season with these guys. 08:42 But the path that God has walked me through, and the things 08:45 that He has shown me, both me and you have been nothing 08:48 short of miracles along the way. 08:50 So that part is really interesting, I think what's 08:52 really exciting for me is starting to really understand 08:57 what God intends for me as the man of the family, as the 09:01 head of the household. 09:02 - spiritual leader, - spiritual leader, yeah. 09:04 Understanding what that really is and what He is expecting. 09:08 As I start to take it that mantel on, assuming, that place 09:12 what happens to everything underneath me including what 09:16 happens to my relationship with you. 09:18 I didn't know this is going to take a toll on me but I 09:22 really wanted that relationship, especially with him, 09:26 with my father you know. 09:28 My mom was there and she did a whole lot of things for me 09:31 but that relationship with him, I wanted that. 09:35 I used to see kids, even in school, would come up with both 09:38 of their parents and stuff like that and I would just sit 09:41 there and stare, I wanted that relationship with my father. 09:44 One of the things that put things at a wedge for our 09:49 children was that because Gwen wanted to have a career and 09:56 the type of security she saw, she would say I'll deal with 10:04 the kids at a later age. 10:06 She couldn't deal with them when they were very young, 10:09 she said when they become teenagers. 10:12 Well by that time the tree has already grown and you just 10:16 can't bend it at that time. 10:18 So that became a real push and pull for us. 10:26 I love that, I have got to say that there were times in my 10:29 relationship with Brad where he literally got on his knees 10:32 in front of me and asked me to forgive him for the years 10:35 that he wasn't there spiritually. 10:37 As a woman I just wept like a baby, and nothing was fake 10:43 about that, he just wanted to say I'm sorry, 10:46 I just didn't get it. 10:47 I think for a lot of the people that you saw is that in 10:50 their life their walking around saying, I just didn't get it. 10:54 Like Aaron, and with his mom and dad just stayed faithful 10:58 in their prayers for him for ever. 11:00 He says to them constantly, I didn't get it and now he is 11:04 doing a Ministry, he's teaching people about health, 11:06 he's teaching people about how to get some solid ground 11:09 under them as far as their recovery, and he still is this 11:12 little gangster that has tattoos on his face. 11:14 When you look at him you think are you kidding me? 11:17 He is so in love with God, so in love with recovery, 11:20 there is a solidness about who he is and his whole family 11:25 stands behind him too, and it is incredible. 11:28 Look at Reginald, Aaron and wonder how these guys, 11:31 they don't look like gang members because God has done 11:34 such a great work in their lives and of course, Brad we 11:37 all wondered who is the guy that married Cheri Peters? 11:40 We wanted to meet the guy, off course having met him, 11:43 solid guy with a great testimony and it's nice to have 11:46 the whole family working towards one goal now isn't it? 11:49 Amen, and I think what God's goal is for us, in our 11:53 recovery, regardless of who we are, I not only want to 11:56 bring you to a place were you like being your own skin, 11:59 where you are going to be enjoying life and 12:01 you are getting it a being transform all that stuff. 12:04 We come from places where were we are lying, and 12:06 manipulating and running and playing everybody. 12:09 He said I would like to teach you not only how to connect 12:13 with Me, but how to connect with your family and have that 12:17 healthy thing in your home. 12:18 I mean it is huge because we think it is all about us and 12:22 recovery and God just wants to pan back and said you have 12:25 a generation that is going to follow you and all that is 12:29 important. - yeah, yeah, and Reginald has that whole family 12:33 all moving together, it's cool, singing together 12:35 working together and praying together. 12:37 You saw them what I brought them to church on 12:39 one of the Sabbath's and they were full of joy, full of joy. 12:43 Him and his little son doing an evangelistic series, 12:46 he's only 12 years old. - in a mall, that is so cool. 12:50 His whole idea was I think I can do that and his sister 12:53 being seven years old said something to me in church on 12:57 the Sabbath that they talked to me in church. 12:59 She said, I just didn't think God could use him, 13:02 he was eight of years old when he started. 13:04 I am thinking that this is from a gang member, this is the 13:08 children of a gang member. 13:09 I'm like God, how cool are You, I just want to kiss Him 13:13 on the face just and say. 13:14 I think we have no idea that God is capable of coming 13:18 into the worst situation and just bringing life and joy 13:22 and hope, which is amazing. 13:24 It is amazing and exciting, it really is. 13:27 And with this series, what was really interesting, 13:29 I learned about this season is that there was very little 13:32 teaching, because teaching was not a testimony. 13:34 You know that I introduce people right away and got them 13:38 up talking about their stories right away, and I didn't 13:42 even want to take time away from what you visually saw. 13:46 Because what you visually saw was the testimony, 13:48 they could not say anything, but you saw this health in 13:52 this life and joy, absolutely amazing. 13:54 The next role in I want to talk about is that I got sent 13:59 this book from Pacific press. 14:01 This book was about this guy that works for the police 14:05 department and he was the chaplain, but as I started to 14:08 research him, they called him the buzzard. 14:11 I thought buzzard, what is that about? 14:15 They said that if there was someone dead he was around 14:18 because he was gifted at being able to step into the pain 14:22 of someone, family members that lost someone with either 14:25 murder, suicide, or whatever and he was gifted at that. 14:29 So when he come in to talk about not only what he did as 14:33 far as for a living, but what his healing was that left 14:37 him with that gift, because what an odd gift. 14:40 - yeah, yeah it's incredible. 14:41 Several years ago Martin Weber and I did a panel together. 14:45 I made my presentation and then I just sat back and 14:48 listened to what he had to say, very, very powerful 14:51 and God has given him a unique gift. 14:52 And that was amazing, his gift came from his wounds. 14:56 That is where a lot of us don't know in our recovery and this 14:59 season especially I want to show that. 15:01 Most of our wounds, most of the darkest places in our 15:05 lives God brings us to a place of healing, and you think 15:09 He is going to take it from you. 15:11 There is a song that says, heal the wounds but leave the 15:14 scar, and the song refers that you think he's going to 15:17 take it but I'd like to leave that, because that is what 15:20 we are going to work with. 15:21 You can actually speak life into other people because of 15:25 that scar, that wound and that is what Martin Weber as 15:28 a child was so afraid all time. 15:31 Now he is walking into these incredible murder scenes 15:34 and he is not afraid and bringing that kind of hope 15:37 for someone else in their own recovery. 15:39 That term of you using your gifts from your wounds is a 15:42 fantastic concept and we are going to see that throughout 15:46 this year that God gives you victory over it, but leaves 15:50 just enough there to serve as a platform for your Ministry. 15:53 We see that here and it is a great thing. 15:56 The other group that we are going to talk about is my 15:59 favorite, I have had them on before, the Miracle Meadow 16:01 kids, these are kids that are in an alternative school. 16:05 Some corner pointed, some with horrendous issues and they 16:08 are trying to look at, what do I think about recovery. 16:12 Coming from these horrible backgrounds and a lot of times, 16:16 you know family dysfunctions and all that, they jump into 16:19 drugs at school, they are in gangs and all that and now they 16:22 are trying to look at, is it possible that God is bigger 16:26 than this and I can actually have a life? 16:28 And I love that, so just reintroducing some of the kids 16:32 from there, and it's not the same kids. 16:35 Because hopefully the kids from last time have graduated. 16:37 One in particular which was funny on this season, 16:41 I was talking to her and I didn't want to say it's been 16:45 three years isn't it time that you get it? 16:48 And finally she looked at me when I said something, 16:51 and she looked at me and said Cheri I'm staff now. 16:55 Oh good because I was thinking oh my goodness. 16:59 But what I really think about that as how God uses that 17:03 wound to do the Ministry and now she is working with the 17:08 very kids that she was, amazing stuff. 17:10 The last one is Tom and Vicki and you know them. 17:12 - oh yeah, yeah! 17:14 They work here at 3 ABN and have gone through so 17:16 much stuff as far as divorce and divorce recovery. 17:19 So enjoy this role in because each of the people here 17:23 are using what they have been through in order to help 17:27 the next person, so it is not only the recovery anymore, 17:31 it is how I'm going to use that to step out in the world 17:34 and speak life into someone else's life? 17:39 So here I am, the buzzard, venturing forth into these 17:43 deaths situations and I didn't go timidly, I went boldly. 17:47 This spirit of God came upon me and I realized that 17:52 Christ has conquered death. 17:54 It's a terrible thing it's an enemy, but it is a conquered 17:58 enemy, so we can storm the gates of hell. 18:01 We can go into these situations where people are suffering 18:05 the loss of their loved ones and we could bring them hope, 18:09 even though they are in the middle of shock and this is the 18:13 worst night of their life. 18:14 I'm going to be there for them and I'm going to be there 18:17 to represent God to them, and I will help them through that 18:20 night so that when day dawns and their friends wake up, 18:24 their pastor or priest wake up and the counselors wake up 18:28 they will be ready to connect with them. 18:31 But tonight I'm here for them. 18:32 When you meet a kid, for example when Caleb was fresh at 18:37 Miracle Meadows. We would back up constantly because he had a 18:41 way of life, I had a different idea as to where he should 18:44 be heading, and he was like, why are so interested in me? 18:48 He would use the meanest words, call me all the words 18:51 and tried push you right out his life. 18:53 Sometimes he would get in my face and we would have to 18:55 do pastor exchange sometimes, but the thing is working through 18:58 the kid and watching the kid until you're finished. 19:02 Two or three weeks after he understood what you were 19:05 saying, or are would get the picture and then we'd see 19:07 the kid marching at the graduation, they kid whose 19:10 parents had no hope for them. 19:12 Kid who was hooked on drugs, in an out of delinquent halls 19:15 and finally move forward, that in itself is a motivating fact 19:20 to be working with kids like those. 19:22 It's amazing, the day I was trying to, the first time I 19:26 wanted to end my life, right when I was planning to do this 19:29 someone knocked on the door and my dad shows up in the middle 19:32 of the day. A we started talking and I was telling 19:34 everything that was going on, and I think even made the 19:37 words I don't see any hope and he looked at me and said 19:39 you are trying to hurt yourself are you? 19:43 I didn't want to say yes. 19:44 He very clearly said you know you 19:48 have two kids and they need their dad so bad. 19:51 This is just stuff you're losing, 19:55 you can start all over and again. 19:58 I had also grown up in a kind of Christian 20:00 tradition where basic, this is what devastated me too. 20:03 If you get divorced you can no longer serve God. 20:06 It's out the window. 20:08 - a Lot people believe that. 20:10 A lot of people believe it and I was believing it too 20:12 until I had a very wise Christian woman pull me aside, 20:16 an incredible woman that pulled me aside, she was an 20:20 older lady and said to me, you know, He is going to take 20:23 this and uses for His glory. 20:28 You know Cheri, Martin Weber looked so professional, 20:30 he looks like he ought to be in a college, a guy named 20:32 the buzzard it shows what God can do. 20:35 I think it is amazing and even with the kids from Miracle 20:39 Meadows, as they stand up and talk about what their 20:42 journey is like, where they have come from, and some of 20:45 them are seriously gang issues and they are now looking 20:49 at how not to manipulate and how not to lie in 20:51 any of that stuff. 20:53 I love the fact that when they come and do these programs, 20:56 it may be that somebody said you know they're 20:59 not even there yet. 21:00 Our process of recovery is not about being there, I think 21:03 if the Bible is true, and I'm beginning to think it is. 21:06 If the Bible is true it's of the best of the best of us 21:09 are like filthy rags compared to God. 21:11 Compared what we will be at the end of all this, so it is 21:16 like that process of recovery, 21:18 I think is as critical. 21:19 Every step, every time I decide, like I said I'm dealing 21:25 with all these crises in my life and I'm not using. 21:28 Every time I decide that that is part of my recovery. 21:30 Being able to see that is amazing. 21:33 To recover and recovering like Tom and Vicky, they look so 21:36 whole, so healthy and are such good people now you wouldn't 21:40 know there was this kind of trauma in their lives. 21:43 When you go through a divorce and never come out clean, 21:46 you just don't. 21:48 The recovery is a testament of holding on to the arm of faith. 21:51 When Tom was talking up here, I just wanted the kill her, 21:56 and I'm thinking Tom I've known you for a long time, but 21:59 he said that rage that happens when you've been betrayed at 22:03 that level, and how do you then get to a point, like he 22:07 did in this interview, get to a point where you are 22:10 speaking words of comfort to the very person that betrayed you. 22:14 I love the fact that he said to her at one point, if 22:18 anybody tells you that you can't do something because of 22:21 this divorce, have him call me and I will give you a reference. 22:24 you a reference. 22:25 It was he got to that kind of healing and that is why I 22:28 think God is amazing, it is not in our own self that we can 22:31 give that healing, it is that God says that I will take you 22:33 to a place where you will forgive the very abusers in your 22:36 life and speak life into them a lot of times. 22:39 Not every time, but a lot of times. 22:41 And be whole in doing so, that is why we talk about 22:45 Celebrating Life In Recovery, that you are recovered and 22:49 recovering at the same time. 22:51 Every victory, every time you can call the name of your ex 22:55 or give it to the Lord, where they have a problem and you 22:59 can go to them and help them, that's recovery, that is been 23:02 recovered and recovering. 23:04 Not holding onto the anger and the bitterness and even 23:08 research is saying that holding onto that we get ourselves 23:11 physically sick, mentally sick and emotionally sick and 23:15 eventually we will relapse. 23:17 So God just says, get into the word. 23:18 I want to say, this season we are promoting 2 different things 23:22 We always have a book that we promote and one of them is 23:25 Shelley's new book 'Pressing into His Presence', 23:27 because we can't do any of this kind of journey, 23:30 this recovery journey, 23:31 without really pressing into the presence of God. 23:34 Learning how to say to God every day and I'm going to start 23:38 with knowing that You are going to walk me through this day. 23:41 You are going to teach me more this day, so that book was 23:45 I looked at it, how can you teach somebody to even pray, 23:49 I was glad that Shelley is bringing that book out 23:52 because that is one of them. 23:53 Another one and I have two Bibles here, because we always 23:58 look for other books, my husband has a Bible that's says The Book 24:03 He is just really straight- forward, where is my book? 24:08 So I have a recovery Bible that I like and in the recovery 24:13 Bible there are a Lot of them on the market now. 24:15 Goes through even people's testimonies, both through their 24:18 journey, and go to the 12 steps and all that stuff. 24:22 So get a Bible that you can hold onto because people can 24:27 tell you what God says and people can tell you what 24:30 this is all about 24:31 I think we can actually benefit every as we look at the 24:35 fact that God sings over us as we sleep. 24:38 Like it says in Zephaniah, or He has a plan for our life as 24:41 it says in Jeremiah, it says in John that I don't count 24:45 your sins against you and I'm thinking Wahoo, I need that. 24:49 There is another Bible that 3ABN offers that's amazing 24:53 to study Bible for people that literally have gone through 24:56 some of the recovery stuff and you have a sense of where 24:59 God is emotionally in your life and you want to go deeper. 25:02 Deeper is amazing because you start to realize that God has 25:06 been through history in the lives of people to get them 25:10 to stand up and just heal. 25:11 He does that in Nations, He does that in families and 25:15 He does that in individuals. 25:16 So the 'Bible' is one that we are promoting this season, and 25:20 the other one is 'Pressing Into His Presence'. 25:21 About learning to pray, what does that mean? 25:23 Learning to listen to the voice of God. 25:25 It is absolutely amazing when you start to learn 25:28 that, people can pull on you in different kinds of directions. 25:32 You can have all kinds of things hit you, but if I'm solid 25:35 in my heart towards God's heart I know He heart is towards me 25:39 I am going to be blessed. 25:41 So I want you to stay with us, we are going to come back 25:44 and I will show you more of the role ins, amazing who 25:46 has been on this season, but remember get that 25:50 foundation for yourself. 25:51 We will be right back so stay with us. |
Revised 2014-12-17