Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202229S
|
00:01 >> Welcome to It Is Written
00:03 Canada. 00:04 Thank you for joining us. 00:05 >> Our guest today is a young 00:07 woman whose big aspirations 00:09 launched her into the world of 00:11 R&B music. 00:13 Those big dreams were gently 00:16 nudged in a different direction 00:18 when an inaudible voice 00:19 confronted her with these 00:22 comforting words... 00:28 >> There is a power that no 00:30 human eye can see and no 00:31 human ear can hear 00:34 and that powerful influence 00:36 can produce a new life in 00:38 the soul, it can create a new 00:40 being in the image of God. 00:42 >> While the work of the Spirit 00:44 is silent and invisible, its 00:47 affects are obvious. 00:49 When the human heart is renewed 00:50 by the Spirit of God, you can 00:53 see it. 00:54 >> You can see a change in the 00:56 character, their habits, and 00:58 their pursuits. 00:59 >> The contrast is like night 01:01 and day between what was 01:03 and what is. 01:04 >> In a moment, you will meet 01:06 Jennifer Alvarado and see how 01:09 the powerful influence of God's 01:11 love changed her heart and 01:13 turned her dreams upside down, 01:16 setting her free to pursue a 01:18 fulfilling life of integrity 01:20 and peace. 01:23 ♪♪ 02:11 >> Welcome back to It Is Written 02:12 Canada, thank you for 02:13 joining us. 02:14 Our special guest is Jennifer 02:16 Alvarado whose life was all 02:19 about music while eating, 02:21 sleeping, dreaming, working, 02:23 Jennifer says that for her, it 02:25 was music, music, music 24/7. 02:29 >> And then that all changed. 02:31 Not that Jennifer lost her 02:33 interest in music, but the 02:35 influence of music moved from 02:37 centre stage when an invisible 02:40 hand gently nudged her in a 02:43 different direction. 02:45 Jennifer, we are looking forward 02:46 to hearing your story 02:48 and your music. 02:49 Welcome to It Is Written Canada. 02:52 >> Thank you, Mike and René, 02:53 it's a pleasure to be here. 02:55 >> So, Jennifer, it was all 02:56 about music. 02:57 Tell us about the music world 02:58 and why you decided to make 03:00 that your career. 03:02 >> So it all began when I was a 03:03 little girl. 03:04 I had a love for music from a 03:06 very young age. 03:08 I grew up with the likes of 03:09 Mariah Carey, listening to 03:11 Whitney Houston who had amazing 03:14 vocal range and just artistic 03:16 ability, as well as, later as I 03:18 grew up, I really loved 03:20 listening to music from Aaliyah 03:22 and Selena. 03:23 She was a Latina singer on the 03:26 scene and so that was very big 03:28 for us as, you know, the Latin 03:30 culture. 03:31 And as a result, I was able to, 03:36 I guess, see what it would be 03:39 like to go into a career of 03:42 music through these women that I 03:45 so admired for their musical 03:47 ability. 03:48 >> So, Jennifer, where did you 03:50 start your singing career? 03:51 When did you first 03:52 get on the stage? 03:54 >> So I actually used to work at 03:58 St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club 03:59 downtown around Bathurst and 04:01 Palmerston and as a result of 04:04 working there, I actually met a 04:06 lot of different people from 04:07 different walks of life. 04:09 And one person, he actually had 04:14 a friend in Scarborough who had 04:16 a studio and we became very good 04:18 friends, once he knew that I 04:20 sang, he was, you know, inviting 04:22 me to come to the studio 04:24 to try it out. 04:26 And that's where I met the 04:27 producer that I mentioned of 04:29 earlier and we sort of struck up 04:33 a friendship as well. 04:35 He really loved the stage 04:37 presence and whatnot and so he 04:40 decided to take me on and from 04:43 then on we started to work 04:44 together. 04:45 And he was the one who actually 04:47 produced my album. 04:49 And as a result of that, now I 04:51 found myself singing my songs on 04:53 different stages, I would sign 04:55 up to sing at concerts around 04:57 Toronto, I'd sing in bars when I 05:00 could, I was part of a group of 05:03 singers, song-writers, 05:05 producers, sound engineers, and 05:08 the nice thing about it is that 05:10 we would help one another. 05:12 Whenever they needed backup for 05:14 singing at a show, I would be 05:16 someone they'd call on. 05:18 I remember I also helped a 05:19 friend in a music video so I got 05:21 some exposure there, putting 05:23 myself out there as much 05:24 as possible. 05:26 That's pretty much where it 05:27 began. 05:27 >> So in the process of all 05:28 this, getting on the stage, 05:30 mixing with other singers and 05:33 celebrity, did you meet some 05:35 celebrities or some names that 05:37 became celebrities? 05:39 >> Yes, Mike, actually as a 05:41 result of working at St. Alban's 05:42 Boys and Girls Club, there was 05:44 one night when Drake, he's a big 05:48 name now, he's a rapper, a 05:50 Canadian rapper, he came and had 05:52 a little talk with the youth 05:54 there at the centre just, you 05:55 know, about chasing after your 05:57 dreams and not giving up 05:59 on them. 06:00 The youth were very excited to 06:02 have him there. 06:04 And around that time I was also, 06:07 as a result of being a part of 06:09 the group that I had mentioned 06:11 of young aspiring artists, there 06:14 were many of them that were part 06:16 of a program downtown Toronto 06:18 called "The Remix Project." 06:20 And so because I knew them, I 06:24 would go and visit The Remix 06:26 Project and find out what it was 06:28 all about. 06:29 And soon after I had actually 06:33 signed up and gotten into the 06:35 program myself, I was part of 06:38 the alumni of The Remix 06:40 Project 6.0. 06:42 And while there, the nice thing 06:45 that they provide is they bring 06:47 in different music producers who 06:48 are already in the music 06:50 industry to kind of sit down 06:51 with the young aspiring artists 06:53 and to talk to them about what 06:55 it takes to be a musician or a 06:57 singer or an actor in the big 07:00 business. 07:01 We got to meet a lot of people 07:03 who eventually made it big. 07:05 For example, Noah James Shebib, 07:07 he's also known as "40," he is 07:10 currently, I think, still 07:12 Drake's producer and Jessie 07:15 Reyez is another big name artist 07:17 today, she also went through 07:19 The Remix Project. 07:20 It definitely throttled me into 07:24 a bigger realm of exposure and I 07:27 really was able to, even if I 07:29 didn't meet big names 07:32 face-to-face like I am with you, 07:35 I met people who knew them or 07:38 were already in the industry or 07:40 on their way into the industry. 07:42 >> So, Jen, while you were 07:44 carving out your career in the 07:48 music world, did you ever feel 07:51 uncomfortable in the 07:53 entertainment world or was it 07:55 all lots of fun and applause and 08:00 attention? 08:01 >> Well, singing is always, it 08:04 has always been a joy for me, 08:06 however, I did, as I mentioned, 08:10 being part of a group of young 08:12 aspiring artists and helping out 08:14 fellow singers, I remember I was 08:17 at a particular location, I 08:19 think this was more for a friend 08:20 of mine, I was there to support 08:22 her, and that same day, 08:24 actually, we were recording a 08:26 video for one of her songs. 08:28 And I guess they decided to do a 08:32 photo shoot afterwards and so, 08:35 you know, my friend encouraged 08:37 me, "Why don't you take some 08:38 photos? I mean, you're gonna 08:39 need them anyway." 08:41 And it's true, as an artist you 08:42 wanna have a lot of head shots 08:44 and body shots and different 08:46 kind of things like that. 08:47 So I said, "Sure." 08:50 And even though I was a little 08:52 bit like, "I'm not ready for 08:53 this," but I said I'll just keep 08:55 them for fun. 08:56 So, you know, we were shooting 08:58 and the photographer stopped to 09:00 say, "Look a little more 09:02 sensual, a little more sexy, 09:05 give me a little more 'juice'," 09:07 as they say. 09:08 That's where I drew a blank 09:10 because literally what came to 09:13 my mind was the only time I 09:15 could think of being in that 09:18 kind of mood is with 09:21 my husband, right? 09:23 And I'm not married and I wasn't 09:25 married then and I'm not married 09:27 now, it was just a very 09:29 interesting thought and it all 09:32 of a sudden made me feel very 09:34 uncomfortable to try and be in a 09:37 very intimate way in front of a 09:40 camera. 09:41 And I know that maybe it comes 09:42 naturally for others, but for me 09:44 it was-- it just wasn't, it 09:46 didn't feel right. 09:47 And I believe that those were 09:49 the beginnings of me asking 09:51 myself, "I wonder if I'm really 09:54 made for this," because I did 09:56 have morals and I did have 09:58 values. 09:59 As a woman in the entertainment 10:01 industry, we do have to 10:04 sacrifice a lot because the 10:06 reality is that sex sells and so 10:09 I knew, slowly but surely, while 10:12 I could maintain my morals then, 10:15 going down further the line, I 10:18 wasn't sure if that would 10:19 be the case. 10:20 And so I was really beginning to 10:22 think, you know, maybe I need to 10:25 really think this career 10:27 through. 10:28 >> So this was a big challenge, 10:30 how did you deal with the 10:30 challenge? 10:32 >> So I kept asking myself how 10:34 much will I have to give up? 10:36 I really just wanted to sing for 10:38 the love of it and I didn't want 10:41 to have to compromise my morals, 10:43 my values, just to be able to do 10:45 what I loved. 10:47 So it was quite the challenge, 10:48 as you mentioned, it was quite-- 10:51 I found myself between a rock 10:52 and a hard place. 10:54 Around the same time in my 10:56 personal life, I was also 10:58 questioning, "What is truth?" 11:00 This time of my life found me 11:02 attending different churches and 11:04 I was attending the Baptist 11:05 church for a while and as much 11:08 as I loved the comradery, the 11:09 fellowship, something just 11:11 didn't sit. 11:13 And I remember one night I was 11:16 walking home and I looked up 11:19 into the sky and, you know, it's 11:23 not very often that you get a 11:25 starry sky in the city because 11:28 of all the smog, but this night 11:29 just happened to be a very 11:31 starry, lovely sky and I looked 11:32 up and I just said, "I just 11:35 wanna know the truth." 11:37 And that was a prayer from 11:39 my heart. 11:40 >> Wow! 11:41 Yeah, so what happened? 11:43 >> So it's amazing how from that 11:46 moment the Lord sort of, you 11:48 know, allowed things to happen 11:50 in a way that eventually 11:52 answered that very prayer. 11:54 And, again, being amongst the 11:57 group of young aspiring artists, 12:00 as I mentioned before, there was 12:02 actually one or two of them who 12:04 kept the Sabbath. 12:05 And it was through them that I 12:09 came to, you know, a knowledge 12:11 of Seventh-day Adventism. 12:14 I had no idea what that was, it 12:16 was like discovering a new 12:17 colour that you've never seen 12:19 before and I had so many 12:22 questions, but I was fascinated 12:24 with the fact that they were 12:26 so dedicated. 12:28 They allotted a whole day to 12:31 just spending time with loved 12:33 ones, with God, going to church, 12:35 and just resting, you know? 12:38 I had never heard of that 12:39 before. 12:40 Even for us, when we would go to 12:42 church on Sunday, afterwards we 12:44 would carry on with business 12:45 as usual. 12:46 We would go to the mall, we 12:47 would go shopping, but this was 12:49 an entire day just wholly 12:52 dedicated to God and I thought 12:53 that was very precious and very 12:56 special. 12:57 And so I would ask them 12:59 questions and there was one 13:01 night where I was supposed to 13:02 meet up with one of the 13:04 producers, a friend of mine, and 13:06 we were going to get together to 13:07 do something and he just said, 13:10 "Follow me somewhere first and 13:11 then we'll do what we have 13:12 to do." 13:13 And so I said, "Okay, sure," you 13:16 know, I said, "Maybe we're going 13:18 to a studio of some sort or..." 13:20 I was up for the adventure. 13:22 And it just so happened that 13:25 we ended up in an 13:26 industrial-looking place right 13:30 at Caledonia and Bentworth, not 13:32 knowing that this would be my 13:34 future church. 13:35 I remember he opened up the 13:36 door, we walked through the 13:38 hallway and next thing I know, 13:41 I'm standing in the foyer of a 13:45 beautiful church. 13:47 And I was surprised, I almost 13:50 wanted to ask, "What are we 13:52 doing here?" 13:53 But I remember when the doors of 13:55 the sanctuary were opened, he 13:57 actually went in to open up for 13:59 a praise and worship practise. 14:01 And so once those doors of the 14:06 sanctuary were opened, I was 14:08 enamoured with what I saw. 14:10 I saw chairs beautifully lined 14:13 up and plants, life, flowers 14:16 everywhere, and there was 14:18 something so...so unique about 14:21 that experience and it was as if 14:23 I heard a voice saying, 14:25 "This is it." 14:27 And I didn't altogether 14:28 understand that at that moment, 14:31 but by and by the Lord began to 14:33 reveal as a result of that 14:35 prayer, I now realize it was a 14:38 prayer, from my heart that 14:40 night, "I just wanna know the 14:41 truth," He then began to allow 14:43 different things to happen from 14:45 that moment forward that led me 14:47 to where I am today. 14:50 >> So, Jen, how did your parents 14:51 react to your new faith? 14:54 >> So when I was ready to get 14:56 baptized, I was very happy. 14:58 I was on cloud nine because I 15:02 found this new-found faith and I 15:03 had such a love for Jesus and I 15:05 was growing every day in my love 15:07 for Him and in truth. 15:09 And my mother was very 15:11 supportive, but she did come to 15:13 me one day and she said, "If 15:15 this is what makes you happy and 15:18 if this is what you want for 15:21 you, then I support you." 15:24 And my dad was there at my 15:26 baptism as well, but after I got 15:30 baptized, I noticed that it 15:32 began to be a bit of an issue in 15:34 the home. 15:35 So my dad is a big family guy, 15:37 he loves to spend time with his 15:39 daughters, with his wife, and 15:42 Saturdays just happened to be 15:43 the days that he would always 15:47 have us go out together and it 15:49 usually was to one of his 15:51 friends' houses, but what would 15:54 happen there is they would 15:55 drink, they would smoke, there 15:58 was loud music and all that. 16:00 And so for my sister and I, 16:02 because after I had given my 16:04 heart to the Lord, my sister, 16:07 she baptized as a Seventh-day 16:09 Adventist a year later. 16:12 And so we were both in this 16:15 predicament where, "Should we go 16:17 with Daddy and Mom this time?" 16:21 How would we really keep the 16:23 Sabbath? 16:24 And it was tough, but we 16:27 mustered up the strength to tell 16:28 him, you know, "We don't think 16:30 we'll go this time because it's 16:32 hard for us to really keep and 16:34 observe the Sabbath in an 16:36 environment where there's a lot 16:38 of stuff that just are not 16:40 conducive to that. 16:41 And he didn't take it very well. 16:44 He got upset and my mother was 16:46 able to, you know, speak to him 16:48 and calm him down and they 16:49 eventually did go, but I 16:51 remember that night very 16:53 vividly, that definitely, you 16:56 know, he wasn't happy with it 16:58 and it was a source of friction 17:02 in the home as well. 17:04 Friday nights, you know, because 17:06 we worship from sunset to 17:07 sunset, so we would do the 17:09 chores, but then all Saturday if 17:11 there was something to do at 17:13 home, my dad would be like, 17:15 "What kind of a God doesn't want 17:16 you to help your mom with the 17:18 chores?" 17:19 And even that night when we had 17:22 told him, "Dad, we don't think 17:23 we'll go with you," he said, 17:24 "What kind of a God doesn't want 17:26 you to be with your family?" 17:28 It did produce some challenges 17:30 as well, but now, I think that 17:33 over time my parents 17:35 realized it wasn't a phase, it 17:36 wasn't something passing, if 17:38 anything we have grown in our 17:40 walk with Christ and as a 17:41 result, now they say, "Happy 17:44 Sabbath, girls," and they've 17:46 warmed up to even asking about 17:48 the Sabbath and wanting to know 17:50 more about it. 17:52 >> That's wonderful. 17:53 So the area of your music, 17:56 did that change? 17:58 >> It did, it did. 18:01 It certainly did, Mike. 18:02 I realized, you know, what I was 18:07 wanting and what I was pursuing 18:09 before, ultimately what it leads 18:12 to is people praising you for 18:14 your gift, saying, "You did a 18:16 great job, you sang that song 18:18 well, you wrote that amazing 18:20 song." 18:20 And so in a very real sense 18:23 what's happening is it's more 18:25 self-focused, right, it's about 18:27 you, whereas when I came to 18:30 Christ, it was now no longer 18:32 about me, it was about Him. 18:35 And I have to say that I am more 18:37 happy now singing for the One 18:39 who gave me the talent than 18:41 doing anything else and I 18:43 wouldn't trade it for the world. 18:45 >> Jennifer, I wonder if you 18:46 would perhaps share one of your 18:48 songs with us right now? 18:50 >> Absolutely. 18:52 This song is a special song, 18:53 it's called "For You" and it was 18:56 written, actually, a couple of 18:57 years ago when our family got 19:02 the not-so-great news of my 19:04 sister who was diagnosed with a 19:08 particular autoimmune disease. 19:10 I remember when I went to go 19:12 visit her in the hospital, I 19:13 sang a portion of what I had 19:15 written to her and she began to 19:18 cry, she was overwhelmed, but 19:20 she was also very comforted to 19:23 be reminded that God was there 19:25 with her, even through the whole 19:27 ordeal of having been diagnosed 19:29 and finding out what was the 19:32 matter with her. 19:33 So I pray that it will be a 19:34 blessing. 19:37 [gentle piano music] 19:40 ♪♪ 19:55 ♪ I am perfect love 20:00 ♪ Love beyond compare 20:05 ♪ Take My hand 20:07 ♪ and walk with Me 20:10 ♪ I have so much to share 20:15 ♪ In your darkest hours 20:19 ♪ I have held you close 20:24 ♪ And I still hold you 20:27 ♪ by your hand 20:29 ♪ That never will let go 20:35 ♪ Oh, My love for you 20:40 ♪ Is so strong for you 20:45 ♪ I will do for you 20:49 ♪ What you cannot do 20:55 ♪ I will fight for you ♪ 20:59 ♪ And I died for you ♪ 21:04 ♪ So you'd see it's true ♪ 21:08 ♪ How much I love you ♪ 21:14 ♪ I have wiped your tears 21:19 ♪ When you've been afraid 21:24 ♪ And I have helped you 21:26 ♪ through your pain 21:29 ♪ I'll do it once again 21:34 ♪ I'm the One you yearn for 21:38 ♪ Though you doubt Me so 21:43 ♪ Give Me a chance 21:45 ♪ and I will show 21:48 ♪ The power of My love 21:54 ♪ Oh, my love for you 22:00 ♪ Is so strong for you 22:05 ♪ I will do for you 22:09 ♪ What you cannot do 22:14 ♪ I will fight for you 22:19 ♪ And I died for you 22:23 ♪ So you'd see it's true ♪ 22:28 ♪ How much I love you 22:33 ♪ Oh, my love for you 22:38 ♪ Is so strong for you 22:42 ♪ And I promise you 22:46 ♪ Always to show you 22:51 ♪ I will fight for you 22:56 ♪ Persevere for you 23:01 ♪ So you see it's true 23:05 ♪ How much I love you 23:13 >> Jennifer, that was such a 23:14 beautiful song that you sang 23:16 with Sanj accompanying you. 23:18 It was like God speaking to you 23:22 and for you, His words from the 23:24 Bible. 23:25 >> Yes. 23:27 There are-- there is a favourite 23:29 verse of mine, it's found in 23:32 2 Corinthians, chapter 5 and 23:34 verse 15. 23:36 I'll read it here. 23:38 And it says... 23:50 These are words that I live by. 23:53 Just reminding myself that now 23:56 my life is completely for 23:59 Christ, I am sold to Him and He 24:03 is everything to me now and 24:06 whatever I do, I seek to glorify 24:08 Him and to give Him honour, the 24:11 honour that is due as opposed to 24:15 reflecting that back on me. 24:19 >> And, Jennifer, right now 24:20 you've totally changed direction 24:23 with careers, you're studying as 24:25 a nutritionist now. 24:27 [JENNIFER] Yes, I am. 24:28 I have finished my nutritional 24:30 studies and I am now a certified 24:32 nutritionist, very different 24:34 from what I had thought and 24:36 intended; music to health. 24:38 It's been an amazing journey 24:40 just to see how God has taken me 24:42 from where I was to where 24:43 I am now. 24:45 I definitely would have never 24:47 imagined it, but I love it, I 24:49 wouldn't trade it for the world. 24:51 >> So, Jennifer, do you feel 24:52 like you found what you were 24:54 looking for that night when you 24:56 looked up at the stars and you 24:57 said, "I just wanna know the 24:59 truth?" 25:00 >> Absolutely, Mike. 25:02 I would have to say, yes, 25:04 I have. 25:05 I have found peace, I have found 25:07 joy, I have found a purposeful 25:10 life which, when I look back, I 25:13 don't think I would have had, 25:15 seeing how so many artists and, 25:18 you know, entertainers end up 25:20 taking their lives or being on 25:22 drugs, it's very heart-breaking. 25:24 I always thank Him for taking me 25:26 out of darkness into His 25:28 marvellous light because He's 25:30 given me a life I would have 25:32 never thought I'd have and it's 25:35 beautiful because it comes from 25:38 within, it's a peace that comes 25:39 from within, something that the 25:41 world can't take, something that 25:44 no career could really give and 25:46 it's a joy that continues to... 25:50 ...grow with every passing day 25:53 as I get to know Him more and 25:54 more, He gets sweeter and 25:56 sweeter all the time. 25:58 And I am so comforted by the 25:59 promise in Psalm 84, verse 11 26:01 that says that He will withhold 26:03 no good thing from those who 26:05 walk uprightly. 26:06 He has definitely proven that in 26:08 my life and I know He will 26:10 continue to do so. 26:12 >> Jen, I wonder if you can pray 26:13 as we've come to the end of our 26:15 program? 26:16 >> Absolutely, René. 26:17 Let's pray. 26:19 Loving Father, I want to thank 26:21 You for Your love, Your 26:25 goodness, Your grace. 26:28 I thank You, Father, for how You 26:30 lead us individually in our 26:32 lives and I want to thank You, 26:35 Father, for Your great love for 26:37 each and every soul. 26:41 Father, I pray a special prayer 26:42 for those who are watching 26:44 today. 26:45 Lord, You know where they have 26:47 come from, You know their walks 26:48 of life, and You know, Lord, 26:51 what they need, just as You knew 26:53 what I needed. 26:55 Father, I can truly say with all 26:58 my heart that having said yes to 27:01 You and having turned my back 27:03 from what I thought would have 27:04 been a fulfilling life has been 27:06 the best decision that I have 27:08 ever made and I pray, Lord, that 27:12 somewhere someone today will 27:14 also say yes to You and embark 27:18 on a beautiful journey that only 27:20 You could show them. 27:23 I pray, Lord, that they will 27:24 discover the loveliness of 27:27 Christ and that they will know 27:29 Him as Saviour and Lord. 27:32 Lord, I thank You for this time 27:35 spent together and I ask that 27:37 You will bless us. 27:38 In Jesus' name, amen. 27:40 [MIKE] Amen. 27:41 [RENÉ] Amen. 27:43 >> Thank you very much, 27:44 Jennifer, for sharing your story 27:45 with us on It Is Written Canada. 27:47 >> Amen. 27:48 Thank you, Mike and René, for 27:50 having me. 27:51 It's been a pleasure. 27:55 >> Friends, Jennifer told us how 27:57 her life and music were inspired 28:00 by the Word of God. 28:02 So we want to help you also be 28:05 blessed by God's Word, 28:07 the Bible. 28:08 Our free offer is a set of Bible 28:11 Study Guides. 28:12 >> Whether you want to learn the 28:14 major teachings of God's Word or 28:16 Bible prophecy, we can assist 28:19 you to find answers for how to 28:21 face the challenges you may be 28:23 dealing with today. 28:25 >> Friends, we want you to 28:27 experience the truth that is 28:28 found in the words of Jesus when 28:30 He said, "It is written, 'Man 28:32 shall not live by bread alone, 28:34 but by every word that proceeds 28:37 out of the mouth of God.'" 28:39 ♪♪ |
Revised 2023-05-18