Former Addict Now Free, Alison Hill's Story

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good

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story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with the Lord.

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I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and International,

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author and traveler on this journey with Jesus.

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I would love to hear from you.

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Let me know what you like about this podcast, how you first heard about it, who has been

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your favorite guest, and anything else you want me to know.

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Just send me an email at hergodstory at somebodycares.org.

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Francis Thompson was a 17th century British poet who wrote a famous poem called The Hound

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of Heaven.

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He was an opium addict in a day where it was sold as over-the-counter medicine, and he

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lived in poverty and poor health, but the unrelenting love of Jesus reached even him.

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The poem describes Thompson's flight from God and God's insistent pursuit of him.

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Here are a few phrases from that poem.

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I fled him down the nights and down the days.

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I hid from him under running laughter.

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I sped from the strong feet that followed after me.

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The poem ends with the pursuit realizing that he was followed out of love, not judgment,

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and he receives that love.

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John Stott, a famous theologian who went to be with the Lord in 2011, wrote, My faith

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is due to Christ Jesus himself, who pursued me relentlessly, even when I was running away

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from him in order to go my own way.

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And if it were not for the gracious pursuit of the Hound of Heaven, I would today be on

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a scrap heap of wasted and discarded lives.

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My guest, Allison Hill, has experienced the Hound of Heaven pursuing her and of realizing

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the love and freedom that come from complete surrender to Jesus, the lover of our souls.

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Once addicted to drugs, she found freedom and restoration in Christ.

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And years later, while working as a general manager for a car dealership in Pennsylvania,

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she also spent significant time ministering to those struggling with addiction.

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Allison is married, has two children, and now serves with her husband as part of a pastoral

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team at Bridge Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

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There are so many facets to her story.

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I know God will encourage and speak to you as you listen.

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Welcome, Allison.

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Hey, thanks for having me.

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I'm excited to be here.

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Allison, you grew up attending church, but like many of us, you wanted to do things your

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own way on your own terms.

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And your teenage rebellion led into something that had dire consequences.

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Share about your early life and what seemingly harmless thing nearly destroyed you.

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I grew up in church.

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My grandmother, my father's mom, she played the piano in church.

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She taught Bible study at her house.

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So my dad was, you know, just he was filled with faith.

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Everything was always like, let's pray about that.

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We should pray anytime you would call my dad, he was the prayer warrior.

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And so on Sunday, it was like, you know, we get up and we go to church.

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And so I grew up in that in my teenage years, like I had two older brothers who, you know,

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they stopped coming going to church.

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My dad didn't force them to go.

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And a lot of Sundays, it was just my dad and I that went to church.

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And then at some point, I stopped going.

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He didn't force us to go.

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But that's where he was going.

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You know, he didn't force Jesus on you.

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But like you knew that's where he was going up until like a certain point.

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And when I started in my teenage years, what I started doing, you know, I started experimenting

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and I thought I was partying and being social.

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And I didn't know that, you know, I was, I didn't know I was a drug addict.

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I thought I was doing what everybody was doing.

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I thought I was just, you know, having a fun time.

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And I thought I didn't really think much of it.

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And so it started out with, you know, like smoking weed and drinking alcohol.

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And then I found these little things that took me outside of me.

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And I thought, like, what a fun time I was just having, you know, I just I truly thought

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that and it just started out so little.

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And then eventually, what happened in our area, we had a lot of doctors who were prescribing

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opioids so they were prescribing Oxycontin to people.

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And it was huge where I was at.

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I quickly realized, you know, not only can I get involved in that, but I can also get

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stuff and have it all the time.

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And again, I thought I was just having a good time.

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And when I say that to just to clarify, I started using drugs at the age of 13.

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So using drugs and alcohol at the age of 13, I didn't just start with opioids.

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But we got there.

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And I wouldn't say I was in full blown addiction for a few years after that.

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But I was using pretty heavily and I was doing everything.

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So ecstasy and acid.

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I mean, you name it.

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I was trying it.

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And again, I just thought like I'm just partying and having just a fun time and I'm young.

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And I didn't realize all the consequences that were going to come down the pipe later

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on.

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I didn't realize.

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And drug addiction happens a whole lot faster than people realize.

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And as a teenager, you were prescribed these opioids by underhanded doctors.

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I mean, these were doctors who were prescribing it without beyond what people needed.

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And you had no idea that it would lead to long term addiction.

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It was several years before the effects of those prescriptions were really understood

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by the public, let alone you.

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And you went through your high school and college years really as a functioning addict.

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But when the doctors were arrested and the legal source ended, things took a real turn

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for the worse.

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So what did you do and where did you turn?

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You know, now what's crazy is there's movies about it, like the Big Pharma Company.

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There's all of these movies and so and there's documentaries about it.

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And so and I have watched them like now having, you know, significant clean time.

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I've watched them and then I'm like, oh, that's how that was going on.

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Oh, that's how that was happening.

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And it's so real because I actually experienced it and lived it.

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And so like I specifically remember like the doctors being there and there was the lines

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outside the building because you would just go and you'd pay your cash and they give you

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your prescriptions and everybody was just doing that.

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And so I was able to be a functioning addict.

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I did it.

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I still didn't know that I even had an issue.

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I didn't know that I had a problem because I never ran out of drugs.

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So it was never a problem for me.

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And like I remember in college, like my roommates and and then would say to me like, how are

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you going to like because I would get up and at this point, I wasn't taking pills like

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by mouth.

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I was breaking them down.

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Right.

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And so and that was another thing that with Oxycontin that when when the drug world learned

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that you can take that time release coding off, that's how it it went into this full

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sledge addiction for a lot of people in the epidemic and the pandemic.

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All these things started happening.

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But I remember my roommates specifically asking me like, you're going to take now you're going

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to go to class because you just took that.

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Like how are you going to go to class?

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And my mindset was like, how are you not going to take something and go to class?

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Because I if I didn't have it, I couldn't function.

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But I was fully functioning because I was dependent on it.

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So I needed it in order to function, you know, and because it was, you know, with the doctor,

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I thought that was OK.

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And then we slowly started doctors would get arrested and then other ones would come from

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like Florida or here and it would start a new cycle of it and then they would get arrested

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and then slowly it became very difficult.

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You couldn't get them.

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And so for me, it was street drugs.

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Now I have to go to the streets because I don't know where else to get this.

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And so, you know, that's it was like a transition.

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But still, my mind would say that, like, well, it's OK because like, you know, it's still

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your medicine or it's still your medication and you're just functioning off of it.

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It was a long process because that was 19 years from the age of 13.

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You know, it was 19 years of me battling this because I it was such a grip on me.

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It was such a grip and I had such a hard time even accepting it in the beginning when it

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was like, you're an addict.

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I refused to even admit that I stayed in denial for a very long time that I was even an addict.

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You know, we say denial stands for don't even notice I am lying.

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And I didn't know.

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I mean, everybody else knew around me that I was an addict, except for me.

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I was like the last person to find out.

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I just always thought like this is like somebody that's just dirty that lives by the dumpster.

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Like this was just my perception, not somebody that was like prescribed medication that was

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taking medication that now the doctors can't give me it.

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Like I just couldn't accept it.

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And so it kept me out there even longer.

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In your early 20s, when you're partying and doing the drugs, you got pregnant, which really

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the Lord used for good in many ways.

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Can you explain?

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When I found out that I was pregnant, size 20, everything inside of me was like you,

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you have to get off of off of these pills.

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Like you have to, you can't do this anymore.

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And smoking cigarettes, I mean, all of these things I was very heavily like convicted of.

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I needed to do this.

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And so I shared it with my doctor and I let him know that, Hey, I am using, you know,

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10 oxy Aedes a day.

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And he said, if you continue that you will lose that baby.

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I mean, they just, that baby cannot withstand that type of medication.

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You can't do that.

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I look back on it now and I'm very aware, but at the time I didn't know it.

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So I went home and I, you know, cried about it because I was like, I don't know how I'm

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just going to stop taking these, you know, withdrawal is a very real thing.

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And when you're on that much, I mean, it's severe.

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I just, every day I cut everything in half every single day.

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Like I didn't just go home and just, I just stopped, but it did take me a few days.

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I actually think that it took me 10 days to get completely off of it.

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But I like went from 10 to five down to like two down to one.

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And then I was cutting the one into pieces because I was sick, but it wasn't that terrible.

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I just remember thinking like, you know, like for this baby, like I'll do this for this

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baby.

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And I often now, when I look back at it, like, I know that God did that because God was like,

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I'm going to give you this blessing and this is going to help save your life.

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You know?

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And I wish I could be the end of the story where I'm like, and then I just stopped using

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forever.

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But so I did that and I stopped in that time.

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And then I ended up almost having a miscarriage.

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And when I had went to the emergency room, they were pretty certain that I had had a

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miscarriage and it was from the actual withdrawal of the opioids.

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Like the baby just couldn't withstand all of this.

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Right?

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And so it was from the actual withdrawal.

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And so they were pretty certain.

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And then we went in and they said, you know, like, I just specifically remember like they

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came out and their faces were just very like, and they were saying, you know, we just don't

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understand to be honest with you.

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Everything inside of you is like, like, you should have lost that baby.

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We don't know what that baby is holding on by, but somehow some way you still have that

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baby and that baby is still living inside of you.

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I know that it was God.

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Right?

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I know at the time, I still didn't know that.

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I still wasn't completely certain of where, you know, everything I have now.

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But they said that they were just amazed.

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I had to go on to, you know, mind you, because I was still in college, I had to get like

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a handicap pass because they wanted me on a complete bed rest.

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And I was like, well, I can't, you know, I'm finishing up at school.

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I don't want to like fail out.

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I wasn't allowed to pick up books.

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I wasn't allowed to carry anything.

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So I had to handicap park at all of my classes.

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So all I had to do was like walk right in there and walk right back out through God's

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grace.

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You know, he, he saved that baby.

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He saved my son.

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He gave me that gift.

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And now when I look back at like, that was the miracle, you know, those doctors and stuff,

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they must not knew either that it was a miracle because they were just kept saying to me,

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we don't understand that all.

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You should have lost this baby.

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There's just no way.

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So here you had a baby, you're a sober single mom looking for forward to caring for your

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son.

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You were looking forward to moving on with your life.

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And then the unthinkable happened.

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What was it?

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The doctor, after I delivered my son, um, they prescribed me pain medication, you know,

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and I look back on it now, it's totally bizarre.

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Um, but at the time it seemed normal.

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And at the time I also think that that is what was going on in the world.

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And I also see how heavily removed society was from the opioids stuff that was starting

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to, you know, blow out of proportion.

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Um, and just uneducated.

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So the, the doctor being uneducated, me coming and saying, Hey, I'm abusing this, you know,

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pain medication now would be a red flag that, Hey, she doesn't get pain medication for anything

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because she abuses it.

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But at the time it was like, okay, well you should stop taking it, you know?

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And then also at that time it was never brought up to me into like, maybe you should attend

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a 12 step fellowship.

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Maybe you should go try to get treatment or help.

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None of that was ever, um, brought up back then.

234
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Um, and my son is 19.

235
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So this was, you know, 20 years ago, had the baby and then I was prescribed the medication.

236
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And so I didn't know any better and I was taking it at home just like normal.

237
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And my addiction just came back right from square one.

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You got to a point with this addiction that you couldn't care for your son anymore.

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And your, your parents actually raised him for multiple years.

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Yes.

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Even in those years that when you were struggling with addiction, you were in and out of rehab,

242
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God was still pursuing you, wasn't he?

243
00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:54,320
Yeah.

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Share a few examples, share a few examples of how God pursued and protected and showed

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his love for you even then.

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00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:09,160
I often like will tell people that, um, you don't have to be in a place of like, like

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this beautiful place for like, you know, God to like reach down and say like, I'm here

248
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and I have you covered.

249
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I still don't deserve it.

250
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But then I was in full fledged addiction and literally like working with the enemy at all

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costs, you know, like I have specific incidences where like God just literally showed up one

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particular instance I was in my car and I was driving.

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And so, um, I was actually counting out money because I was going to go buy drugs.

254
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I was driving with my knee because I was using my hands to count my money.

255
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I was missing $10.

256
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And so, you know, that was my focus.

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It wasn't that I'm driving.

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It was like, I'm missing this $10 worth it.

259
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And I'm frantically looking and, um, I look up and I had missed a bend.

260
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And so when I looked up, I knew that I was going to go like off road.

261
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So I heard up and swerved my wheel, which then put me in the other lane, which now I

262
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was going to hit a guy head on.

263
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And so I swerved back.

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And so when I swerved back, I like literally flew off the cliff.

265
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And in the moment, um, it, everything went completely slow motion.

266
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And I remember I said two things in that moment of like being airborne.

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I could see the tops of trees below me.

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And I'm just like gliding through the air.

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And I said, dear God, I wish I had my seatbelt on.

270
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I specifically remember like saying that.

271
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And it was like, like I said, in slow motion, I yell out like, dear God, I wish I had my

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seatbelt on.

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Um, and then the other thing I said was, I wonder how big this drop off is going to be

274
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because I'm just floating through the air.

275
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And so when my car hit, it hit so forceful and I didn't have on my seatbelt, my head

276
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went through the windshield and it knocked me completely unconscious.

277
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When I came to, I was at the bottom of the cliff and, um, I was pinned in between like

278
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trees and all of the airbags in my car had came out and all of the windows and windshield,

279
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everything was smashed.

280
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And when I woke up, I actually thought that my car was on fire because, um, when airbags

281
00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,440
come out, it looks smoky because there's this powder in them.

282
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Um, and I, like I said, I thought the car was on fire.

283
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And so I panicked and I went to open up my door and I couldn't get out because I was

284
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pinned in there.

285
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Um, I pulled myself out of the passenger door, out of the passenger window that was broken.

286
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I laid there on the ground.

287
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I was like, you know, in and out of consciousness.

288
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And I heard this man yelling and he's yelling and I could see him coming over the cliff.

289
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Every time I'm like in and out, he's getting closer to me and closer to me as he's running

290
00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:03,120
down this cliff that I came down and he yells out, he's like, you know, is anybody dead?

291
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And I said, no, it's just me.

292
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And then the next thing, the very next thing he said, he said, do you believe in angels?

293
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And I said, yeah.

294
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And he said, good, good.

295
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:18,400
There was an angel on your shoulder that steered your car through all of the trees when you

296
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hit the ground.

297
00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:25,080
And I looked back and I could see that my car had like zigzagged because it's like a

298
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wooden like forested area.

299
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So I could see where my car had zigzagged through all of these trees to not hit these

300
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:33,320
trees head on.

301
00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,280
You know, at the time I just said, okay, now he's down there with me.

302
00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,840
I say to him, sir, can you find me my cigarettes?

303
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And he's like, are you serious?

304
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:43,760
And I said, yeah.

305
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:48,880
I said, you see that cliff I just came over, I'm dead serious.

306
00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,440
And he goes, okay, well, I don't smoke.

307
00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:53,760
But when I find them, I might need one.

308
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,360
I said, you can have the whole pack.

309
00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:56,360
Just let me get one.

310
00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:57,360
And he gave it to me.

311
00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:58,360
He found them.

312
00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:02,080
And then and then he said something about the money because money was everywhere, right?

313
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:03,920
Because I was counting that money.

314
00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:08,200
And I was holding it when I went off that cliff and it had a jack grip on it, that money.

315
00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:09,920
I said, oh, yeah, I need that money.

316
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,400
And he gave it to me, right?

317
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:12,560
And I had the money.

318
00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,080
So I have my cigarette, my money.

319
00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:19,400
The next thing when I'm waking up again, here come the fire trucks and the firemen and they're

320
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,680
trying to come over the cliff and they have this basket thing that they're trying to strap

321
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:24,680
me to.

322
00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:26,140
And, you know, it's a lot of commotion.

323
00:19:26,140 --> 00:19:31,120
And I asked them, I said, you know, where's the man that was down here?

324
00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:32,120
And they're like, what man?

325
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:34,080
And I'm like, the man that came down here.

326
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,880
And, you know, he talked to me and he called me down.

327
00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:38,840
And they're just like, there's no man.

328
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,200
And I'm like, oh, no, he was down here, gave me my cigarettes, my money.

329
00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:47,040
We talked and they were like, man, nobody can get down here to you.

330
00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:48,800
Like absolutely nobody.

331
00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:53,920
And I remember telling my dad when I was in the hospital, because, you know, my parents

332
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:58,000
come to the hospital and I told him that story.

333
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,240
And you know, he was just like, that's God.

334
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:01,240
Like that's natural.

335
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,040
And I remember the angel that came because he said, what did he look like?

336
00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,200
And I said, I have no idea.

337
00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,200
I don't know.

338
00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:08,200
Now that you asked me.

339
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,480
My dad would clarify things for me and says that because I wouldn't have known, I would

340
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,640
have just continued to say like there was a man and they just didn't see him.

341
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,400
But my dad was very, that was your angel.

342
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:25,160
Like he came to you, like he, you know, and he told you that somebody, like an angel steered

343
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,160
your car.

344
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,440
Like, and he was checking to make sure you believed in angels before he came down to

345
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:30,800
talk to you.

346
00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:31,800
That's one incident.

347
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:39,760
And that's when I was literally living an entire life of complete disaster, you know?

348
00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,240
And God still was like, I'm still going to save that one.

349
00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,360
I'm still going to give her grace and mercy.

350
00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:53,760
And I literally, you know, when people would say they don't deserve it, like I still didn't

351
00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,120
deserve in those times, especially.

352
00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:57,360
So God was pursuing you.

353
00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:01,920
I'm sure your father was praying for the Lord to protect you and watch over you during that

354
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:02,920
time.

355
00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,200
And that's an amazing story.

356
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,920
And as you said, I'm sure you've got more.

357
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:12,680
And I always will tell people that to like encourage people, like keep praying, keep

358
00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:18,040
praying for your family members because you know, I always say like God didn't even answer

359
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,960
my prayer because I wasn't praying for myself.

360
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:23,720
I didn't even want it anymore.

361
00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:25,520
I just wanted to die.

362
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,640
And that's where I was at, at the end of the road.

363
00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,160
Like I wanted to die.

364
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,480
God was answering my dad's prayer.

365
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,360
My dad was the one that was praying for me.

366
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,240
I wasn't even praying for myself.

367
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:36,680
I didn't even want it.

368
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,000
I didn't want no parts of it.

369
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,840
My dad was faithful and praying that.

370
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,960
Always tell people that like, you know, if you're praying for family members, especially

371
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,160
ones in addiction, just keep praying.

372
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:49,160
Yeah.

373
00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,280
So, Alison, what brought you to the point of surrendering your life to Jesus?

374
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:57,360
And how did you finally escape that terrible cycle of addiction?

375
00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,640
I had checked into rehab.

376
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,080
I have been to jail.

377
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,520
There was a lot and it was just a vicious cycle for years.

378
00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:14,240
I didn't go and check in to rehab one time and then quit using.

379
00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,240
I it was just a vicious cycle.

380
00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:20,160
The last time that I checked in as a patient was on November 29th of 2014.

381
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,080
That was the day that I checked in.

382
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:28,960
On November 30th of 2014 is my clean day because I checked in on drugs and I woke up with none.

383
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:34,440
While I was in there, I had phoned home to my parents' house.

384
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,960
And again, they were raising my son at the time.

385
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:38,120
He was 10 years old.

386
00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:39,120
I called him.

387
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:45,440
My brother had answered the phone and he was telling me that my dad, they had just found

388
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,960
cancer and he needed to have surgery and all of these things.

389
00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,680
I was immediately filled up with fear.

390
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,600
I remember thinking, who was going to take care of my son?

391
00:22:57,600 --> 00:22:58,600
It wasn't about me.

392
00:22:58,600 --> 00:22:59,600
It was about my son again.

393
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:05,360
A lot of things came back to my son and also to something that God worked that I often

394
00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:11,520
am like, wow, my son got baptized on November 30th of 2014.

395
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:12,880
And that's my clean day.

396
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,240
And so I often look at that.

397
00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:20,760
I cried about it selfishly because I couldn't be there.

398
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:27,400
But I am also always like, I wouldn't have been a part of it anyway, because I was incapable

399
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,680
of taking care of myself or a kid or functioning at this time.

400
00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,720
Again, so my dad took my son and I missed that.

401
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,840
But there's that connection that God always lines things up in my life with my son.

402
00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:40,480
I found out my dad had cancer.

403
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,720
I'm crying because I'm thinking who's going to take care of my kid now.

404
00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,840
And I went up in my room in rehab.

405
00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:52,160
I literally just hit the floor on my knees.

406
00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,920
I remember it so specifically and it was that December 3rd of 2014.

407
00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:03,640
And I just cried out like, God, if you're so real and you're just so great, and you're

408
00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:08,440
just so wonderful, then you're going to have to save me and you're going to have to do

409
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,160
something with me because I can't do it.

410
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:16,200
I don't know what I'm supposed to do, but if you can do something with me, then here

411
00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,200
I am.

412
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:22,640
I'm telling you and I'm giving you permission because I can't do this any longer.

413
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:29,440
And I get so emotional because he really listened and he really was like, okay, this is what

414
00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:30,440
I needed from you.

415
00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,600
This is what I've been waiting for, for you to invite me in.

416
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,480
It wasn't this beautiful thing.

417
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:43,040
I was crying and I was yelling and I was on the floor and I meant everything that came

418
00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:44,040
out of my mouth.

419
00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:48,360
And I was just like, God, if you can use me, then do it.

420
00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:51,400
This is the time I need help.

421
00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,280
And I don't know you like that, but everybody says that you can do it.

422
00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,360
And so I'm giving you permission to just do it.

423
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:00,640
Do it with me.

424
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:06,920
When I tell you, like, and we talk about like God is immediate, he is so immediate because

425
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:11,720
like he started a shift in me that happened so quickly.

426
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,080
Things were happening.

427
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:15,760
He was in control of it.

428
00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,600
And I didn't even really have a say in that.

429
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:25,560
You know, like I always say that God doesn't need my permission, but he would like my cooperation.

430
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:31,080
And so once I was like in tune and saying like, I'll do whatever and he was like, okay,

431
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,040
then we're going to have you do whatever.

432
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:40,280
He just started like a chain of events in my life that, you know, got me to where I'm

433
00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:41,280
at now.

434
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:48,560
I, in that time that I was there in the rehab, specifically like God spoke.

435
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:54,920
And so I hear things and have heard things from God on a very auditory level for a long

436
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:55,920
time.

437
00:25:55,920 --> 00:26:02,920
Even when I was in my active addiction, he had told me to go down to our aftercare office

438
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,880
and let them know that I will do whatever you guys want.

439
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:11,640
When I went down there, I specifically remember saying it, but not knowing why I said it and

440
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,880
not knowing like why I was down there saying it because it was like he put it in motion

441
00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,320
inside of me and I just did it.

442
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:24,040
So the Lord brought some people alongside of you to help you grow in your faith and

443
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,640
your whole life started changing for the better.

444
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,680
God provided you a job, a faith community that surrounded you, good friends, hope for

445
00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:32,680
the future.

446
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,200
Share some of those things that God restored in your life.

447
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:40,280
I told them and they were shocked because they knew me so well in there that they knew

448
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,320
that I didn't usually follow up and do what I was supposed to.

449
00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,880
I had a track record for that.

450
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,400
And so they were like, okay, you're sure?

451
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:49,400
And I'm like, yeah.

452
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,600
And they were like, okay, we're going to send you immediately.

453
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:58,520
Thank God that the woman who ran the aftercare, she was a believer and she loved the Lord

454
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,520
and she would tell you about Jesus in her own way.

455
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,600
And so she was like, we're going to send you to a halfway house.

456
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,840
And I was like, I don't want to go to a halfway house.

457
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:13,520
And she was like, we're going to go and something and we said, okay.

458
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,240
And I like walked out and I remember being like, why did I do that?

459
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,240
I don't want to go to a halfway house.

460
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,200
And it was like, I was like two different people, but the Lord was telling me to do

461
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,360
something and I was doing it.

462
00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:25,160
And then I would be like, why did I do that?

463
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,760
But I told him to use me and he just was like doing it.

464
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:29,760
Right.

465
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:34,920
And I said, she went and she bought me this Jesus Calling book because I didn't have money

466
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,400
like when I was in rehab and she bought it for me and she said, like, I want you to have

467
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:40,400
this.

468
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:45,320
And I thought it was like so precious that like she came in this daily devotional book

469
00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:46,960
and it was about Jesus.

470
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:53,840
And so every day I read that and that started my like actual relationship with the Lord.

471
00:27:53,840 --> 00:28:02,600
It started me like where I needed to be and that daily devotional book every day spoke

472
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:09,960
directly to me where I know that God told her to get me that book and her obedience,

473
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:11,800
she got it for me.

474
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:16,680
You know, she was very like, we're not allowed to give gifts here, but I just, I have to

475
00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,480
give you this book, you know, and I'm like, okay.

476
00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:24,000
And so, but I am often like her obedience to give me that book.

477
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:30,120
She, she knows because I still talk to her to this day, we're still talking, but she

478
00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:35,320
knows that like that book saved me because I would be going through something and I would

479
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,240
wake up and I'd be in something and I would read that book and it was like the Lord was

480
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:44,360
sitting on my bed saying stuff to me directly, exactly what I was going through, exactly

481
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:45,800
what I needed to hear.

482
00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:50,320
And I felt like, okay, well, he's saying I have to stay and I have to do this.

483
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,800
And you know, he's saying he hears me and he knows this thing and it was everything

484
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:54,800
every day.

485
00:28:54,800 --> 00:29:00,000
It was so on point that like it kept me grounded and put me in position and kept me pursuing

486
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,200
the one morning in the halfway house.

487
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:09,040
When I got up, God said very specifically to me, I'm going to send them people for you

488
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:12,760
and you need to go with them, you know, and I'm very, who, what people, what would they

489
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:13,760
look like?

490
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:14,760
How am I going to know it's them?

491
00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:15,760
Like what day will they be here?

492
00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:16,760
What time?

493
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:17,760
You know, and he doesn't answer that.

494
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,040
And so I'm like, hello?

495
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,480
And I get no response and I'm like, okay.

496
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:29,040
So a couple of days later, I think it was these ladies came from church.

497
00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:33,440
As soon as they walked in the door, I just knew like, like it was like, these are the

498
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,520
ones and I said, okay.

499
00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:37,320
And I didn't even know what they were doing there.

500
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,800
So lo and behold, they came and they did a Bible study and then they invited us all to

501
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:43,000
go to church.

502
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:48,720
And so I took the invite because I knew that that's where God wanted me to go with, with

503
00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:49,720
them.

504
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,240
They picked me up for Bible study every Sunday.

505
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:57,240
They took me to church every single Sunday and those women, and I still talk to them

506
00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,560
today too.

507
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,520
They showed me the love of Jesus.

508
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:03,840
Like they didn't judge me.

509
00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:08,480
They weren't like, well, you know, you don't really have nice clothes that you can't really

510
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:09,720
come with us.

511
00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:14,880
Or, you know, you're, you're just so wrapped around the edges.

512
00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,140
You know, we're not, we don't want to bring you to church.

513
00:30:17,140 --> 00:30:23,840
They just really showed me like the love of Jesus at a time when I needed that more than

514
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:30,560
anything and they just, they poured into me and they, but, and they wanted to, you know,

515
00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:36,080
it wasn't like, Oh, like they wanted to, and they would get excited with me.

516
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:40,640
And I would share good news with them and they were like, get very excited for things

517
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:41,640
with me.

518
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:45,360
Like they knew where they were going and they came in and they were the lights and they

519
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,760
were the love and they showed it.

520
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:56,440
And in that situation with that church, the owner of the one car dealership came in and

521
00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,200
I'm like, I know him.

522
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,840
Like I've seen him on commercials and the one that he says, that's my son-in-law.

523
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:02,840
And I'm like, what?

524
00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:04,880
I made a job with him.

525
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,280
And so I got with him and he gave me a job.

526
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:15,440
And I started to just learn that like, you know, like new routines and new habits and

527
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:16,840
new patterns for my life.

528
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:21,920
Like I started waking up and praying because I got with some women that told me every morning,

529
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:22,920
you need to wake up and you need to pray.

530
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:23,920
And I would say, well, what am I going to say?

531
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:24,920
Like, what am I praying?

532
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,880
And they'd say like, how about if you just start small, you know, so I always tell people,

533
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:33,680
if you don't know how to pray, just, you could say anything you want, but just start small,

534
00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:34,680
you know?

535
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,520
And then in the morning was like, morning God, thanks for waking me up.

536
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:39,520
Amen.

537
00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,440
You know, that was literally, I didn't know what else to say or do.

538
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:43,960
Oh, please keep me clean today.

539
00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:45,440
I always say that.

540
00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,520
And I always encourage people that, but like, if you don't know the words, it's okay.

541
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:53,000
Like if you know your heart, just get down on your knees and say what comes out and it

542
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,800
could be ugly and it can be, it can be not sound right.

543
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,720
And it could be this short, but it doesn't matter.

544
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:00,720
Just do it.

545
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:06,480
And it started a routine and a habit in my life of waking up, praying, going to bed,

546
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:07,480
praying.

547
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,800
Then I was told like pray in between, you know, and then I was like, okay.

548
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,240
And so it just started little habits in my life of getting in touch with the Lord and

549
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,920
starting to develop a relationship with him and going to church.

550
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,760
You know, I got back in the routine of like, we go to church and we go to Bible study.

551
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:27,080
And when they have a women's conference and show up to it, then women, they would buy

552
00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:28,720
tickets to the women's conference.

553
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,680
And for me, like they were like, I didn't know at the time, like they were sowing their

554
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,200
seed, but I didn't know that.

555
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,400
Like I was like, they bought a ticket for me.

556
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,320
Like they spent, you know, 80 bucks on a ticket for me to go somewhere.

557
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,280
Like I just couldn't believe somebody would do that.

558
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,680
I met the owner of the car dealership and I got a job there.

559
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:55,680
And I worked my way up in that company because I started at the very bottom, but like, you

560
00:32:55,680 --> 00:33:00,280
know, God was faithful and God put me in positions to do things.

561
00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:06,080
And even there, I was always able to share my faith because everybody knew one thing

562
00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:11,680
that God provided was, you know, you're not going to hide your story because this is a

563
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:17,440
testimony that I've given you to like go back and get people out of the same fire that you

564
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:18,440
walked through.

565
00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:23,040
So you're not going to ever have to hide it because even at that job and even with all

566
00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:31,000
of my promotions and at the end, I was the general sales manager running an entire dealership.

567
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,000
Everybody knew my story.

568
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,800
And then I would be in there with praise and worship music on and the younger kids that

569
00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:42,080
we'd hire, they knew like go to Ali if you have a problem because, you know, she'll get

570
00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:46,040
you with some type of scripture or verse or she'll pray with you.

571
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,000
And they allowed me to do it because they knew that's who I was.

572
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,920
They knew whenever I got there, this is who I am and this is what I'm doing.

573
00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:58,080
A few years later after you're working, your life kind of settled, you're in your new routine

574
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:03,560
and you started reaching out to others to help them out of the addiction.

575
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,920
And then you met your husband, which is a story all into itself.

576
00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:07,920
Tell us about that.

577
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:13,680
I started praying my, you know, God, I really, I want to be a wife and I want to have a family.

578
00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:21,560
And I got with some of the women that, you know, were in my circle and I was told like,

579
00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:26,200
we'll start acting like a wife and start, you know, getting more time in with the Lord.

580
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:32,160
And you know, when he says you're ready, he'll give it to you.

581
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:37,720
I had like specific things like God told me to like, okay, we'll make a list of the things

582
00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:39,240
that you're looking for in a husband.

583
00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:40,240
Right.

584
00:34:40,240 --> 00:34:42,240
And I had this extensive list of things.

585
00:34:42,240 --> 00:34:43,320
I would pray into it.

586
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:50,200
And God said to me very clearly, and I still have a screenshot of the text because I texted

587
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:56,960
my friend and because I said, God said that he is going to give me my husband in 2019.

588
00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:02,540
And she said, okay, you know, and I knew that God was going to give me my husband in 2019.

589
00:35:02,540 --> 00:35:07,080
And so, you know, January 1st, 2019, I got already because I knew I was going to meet

590
00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,280
my husband and I didn't.

591
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:15,120
And I was like, God, you know what you said, you know, and it was like, yeah, I didn't

592
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:16,280
tell you January 1st.

593
00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:18,480
I gave you like a year.

594
00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,880
And so I learned like some patience and stuff.

595
00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,400
And I learned it like I had to keep praying and pressing in and I had to stay connected

596
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,400
with God and I couldn't get distracted.

597
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,200
And so I did meet my husband until June of 2019.

598
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:40,320
But whenever when I did meet him, we I actually was going to an NA meeting with my friend.

599
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:41,840
He was speaking there.

600
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:43,880
I typically don't go to that meeting.

601
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:49,200
I was at the gym working out and he had called me and he needed a support group member to

602
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,000
come with him.

603
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:57,640
So I said, Oh, you know, I guess I'll go like in my gym clothes, I look a mess, but whatever

604
00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,200
out you so I'll come so you could share your experience, strength and hope.

605
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:03,200
So I go with him to this meeting.

606
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,520
And it was actually over the state line.

607
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:11,880
So in Ohio, we live in Pennsylvania, I see this guy, and I immediately know this is my

608
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:12,880
husband.

609
00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:14,560
I do I know everything in me.

610
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:16,160
I know this is my husband.

611
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:20,160
He offers that he's eating these little candies and he offers to like throw me one.

612
00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,440
And I said no, because I don't eat sugar.

613
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,600
And so he throws it to me anyway.

614
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:29,960
And I like moved and it hit the wall and it, you know, broke and everybody turned around

615
00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:34,800
and looked and we were like, and so after I was talking to him, you know, he had just

616
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:35,800
gotten out of prison.

617
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,080
He had nine months clean and he was in a facility.

618
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:43,840
That's like a step between prison and actually releasing from prison.

619
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,840
So you have some freedoms, but you're basically locked up.

620
00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,400
He asked for my number and whatever.

621
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,080
And he asked if we could go on a date.

622
00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,160
And I said, well, what church do you go to?

623
00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:58,440
And he's like, why don't go to church because I just got out of prison.

624
00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:02,680
And I said, well, I'll pick you up on Sunday to go to church.

625
00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:03,680
And you can come to my church.

626
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,360
Well, he couldn't come to my church because he couldn't cross the state line and my church

627
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:08,640
is in Pennsylvania.

628
00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,260
So I said, I'll, I'll help you find a church over here in Ohio.

629
00:37:12,260 --> 00:37:16,720
And so that's how we started dating and pick them up on Sundays and we would go to different

630
00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:17,720
churches.

631
00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:21,880
When I left there, I told my friends, that's my husband.

632
00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,400
And they said, Ali, that is not your husband.

633
00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:25,880
That man was just in prison.

634
00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:28,680
And I was like, no, no, you don't understand.

635
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,120
I'm certain that's my husband.

636
00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:36,320
And when he left there, he was telling his friends, that's my wife.

637
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:37,320
You know, that's, that's my wife.

638
00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:38,800
I'm going to marry her.

639
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:40,680
I already know it.

640
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:41,960
You know, I made a deal with God.

641
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:43,960
He could say, it's so funny when he tells it.

642
00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:50,080
I made a deal with God that I'd either meet my wife in church or in a gym.

643
00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:55,440
I met her in the church basement in her gym clothes and she wants to go on a date to church.

644
00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:57,560
Like, he was like, you know, that's my wife.

645
00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,320
He always say, I don't know if God agreed with me or what, but that was the agreement

646
00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:02,320
I made.

647
00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,360
Two weeks after we met, he did go get my name tattooed on his ring finger.

648
00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:07,360
We met in June.

649
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:12,740
We were engaged in August and we got married in December of 2019.

650
00:38:12,740 --> 00:38:18,600
And I always say that God told me I would have my husband in 2019 and I walked out of

651
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:19,600
2019 with my husband.

652
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:20,600
I didn't get a boyfriend.

653
00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:21,600
I didn't get a fiance.

654
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:22,600
I got a husband.

655
00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:23,600
That's what God told me.

656
00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:25,600
It was going to, it was.

657
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:26,600
Yeah.

658
00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,820
And just clarifying a couple of things.

659
00:38:28,820 --> 00:38:30,540
He had gotten saved in prison.

660
00:38:30,540 --> 00:38:33,500
He was a believer and he was pursuing the Lord.

661
00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:38,320
You were going to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, which is where you met him in case people

662
00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:39,800
don't know what NA is.

663
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,000
So you didn't just pick up, you know, the first guy out of prison you met.

664
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000
He was a believer pursuing the Lord.

665
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:53,920
He had been five years of active addiction and then was in prison for the last nine months

666
00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:59,120
right before he had actually went to prison in jail though.

667
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,720
He had given his life to the Lord.

668
00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:09,720
So and a very similar experience to mine, just on your knees, crying out to the Lord

669
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:14,600
and he gave his life to the Lord and then was in an active pursuit as well.

670
00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:20,520
So we both met each other at, you know, when we say God's timing, if I would have met him

671
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,880
at a different time, it wouldn't have worked out.

672
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,800
You know, if I would have been pursuing Jesus and he wasn't, or we would have met in an

673
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,640
active addiction, none of it would be what it is, but it's always God's timing.

674
00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:36,240
So you got married and things really had never been better in your life.

675
00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:38,760
You were experiencing the blessing of God.

676
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:43,400
And so just share a little bit about those first few years of marriage and how God was

677
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:48,040
really building you both up and preparing you for what he had in store for you.

678
00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:59,400
We started a ministry, even now a ministry, and we were traveling and it was really, really

679
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:00,400
good.

680
00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,120
We were traveling around on the weekend.

681
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:06,040
We were sharing, you know, sharing the gospel.

682
00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:11,120
We were getting to see things outside of, because I always had said, you know, I'd like

683
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:16,200
to like travel because I've never really been anywhere because I was on drugs for 19 years

684
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:17,200
of my life.

685
00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:18,200
I didn't go nowhere.

686
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:19,200
It was fun.

687
00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:23,920
And also at the same time, I had switched churches.

688
00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:30,000
So what happened was during the time when I was helping Jed find a church, we walked

689
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,480
into what became our home church.

690
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:40,120
We walked in, we ended up, I, we walked out and I was sobbing, crying.

691
00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:42,640
And Jeff is like, what?

692
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:43,640
You didn't like it there?

693
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,920
And I was like, no, I loved it.

694
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,200
And I said, this is my home.

695
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,200
And he was like, oh, wow.

696
00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:52,200
He's like, this is my home.

697
00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:53,800
Like, this is mine too.

698
00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,960
Like I just, like, we just knew we were called to be in that church.

699
00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:04,160
And I cried because those ladies that brought me to church, that was my church family and

700
00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:08,840
I was still going with them and I wasn't looking for a church and I didn't, you know, I wasn't

701
00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:09,840
looking for a church.

702
00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:12,040
I was trying to help him find a church.

703
00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:16,680
But you know, God told me to move and so, like shift.

704
00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,120
And so I did and great things happened.

705
00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:23,680
I mean, my husband got on staff there.

706
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:30,160
So he first got as a licensed minister, so he did that first.

707
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:37,040
And then he got on staff there and was the on staff evangelist and the outreach director.

708
00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:42,880
And we just like, we started a recovery ministry there.

709
00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:52,960
And when you've just been through literally like you've like walked through just the darkness

710
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:56,320
and you can like bring other people out of that.

711
00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,200
It's and like into like God's love.

712
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:01,680
It's just like the most amazing thing.

713
00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:03,720
And that's like what we wanted to do.

714
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:07,600
So we started the recovery ministry.

715
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:10,280
We've seen so many salvation, baptism.

716
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:12,200
I mean, it was just amazing.

717
00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:18,360
And then getting to travel and go to different churches and just preach and pray with people,

718
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:22,320
you know, has all been so amazing.

719
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:27,520
And we were well prepared to just stay doing that.

720
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:31,400
We were totally fine.

721
00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:32,880
I was still working.

722
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:37,280
So I was still the general sales manager.

723
00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:43,640
They were allowing me to take the time off during the weekends that we needed to travel

724
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:45,400
and stuff.

725
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:51,160
We had our family right there close by that, you know, we couldn't always bring our son,

726
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:52,440
our little son.

727
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:53,440
He's three now.

728
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:55,320
He just turned three, but we couldn't always bring him.

729
00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:58,360
But we have family that would keep him for us.

730
00:42:58,360 --> 00:42:59,360
We were traveling.

731
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:00,360
It was fun.

732
00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:01,360
It was exciting.

733
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:06,320
And so, yeah, I was like, then we moved into this house that was our dream home and what

734
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:09,320
we thought would be our forever home.

735
00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:13,320
My brother's twin brother bought the house next door to us.

736
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:16,160
So they live literally next door to us.

737
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:18,040
We were excited.

738
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:22,760
And you also were being really discipled in your faith so that you could minister to others,

739
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:23,760
weren't you?

740
00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:24,760
Yeah.

741
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:33,400
And we oftentimes like what we didn't know, you know, like when God told me that like

742
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,040
to move churches, because like, you know, my husband and I need to be at the same church,

743
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:39,040
right?

744
00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:40,640
This is like for us.

745
00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:45,400
We wanted to like be together, worship together and chase the Lord together.

746
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:54,040
And so we moved churches and we'd pastor there really, really poured into him.

747
00:43:54,040 --> 00:44:00,960
And like, and he allowed us to do things because he saw things in us that we didn't even know

748
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:01,960
was there.

749
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:06,440
You know, like, and when he allowed us to do that recovery ministry, like he was like,

750
00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:08,840
okay, you guys want to start a recovery ministry?

751
00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:10,960
And we were like, okay.

752
00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:12,960
And he was like, all right, so you're going to start on this day.

753
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:13,960
And we're like, start what?

754
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:15,600
You know, we were like, what do you say?

755
00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:18,160
And he was one of those like, just do it.

756
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:19,160
Let's just go.

757
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:20,160
You just got to take off.

758
00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:24,040
You just got to, you know, like, let's you just got to step in.

759
00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:26,200
You just got to do it.

760
00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:32,760
And so we were just blessed that we had that all around us from everybody really pouring

761
00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:36,680
into us and pressing us to do more and pursuing us to do it.

762
00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:41,560
So it seemed like you were in really your sweet spot, but the story doesn't end there.

763
00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:46,520
God had something more for you, and I'm sure he still does, but tell us the process of

764
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:51,080
your recent transition and what he's doing with you now.

765
00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:59,160
God had given me a clear that I needed to step down from my position at my job.

766
00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:03,800
And I was like, well, how will we pay our bills?

767
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,320
How will we do this?

768
00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:11,440
And I told my husband and my husband is very, okay, well, if God said that, you know, the

769
00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:13,400
money needs to do that.

770
00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:18,680
And so that was in June that he had spoke that to me.

771
00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:28,920
I battled with it until August, and it was very heavy on me because it wasn't like I

772
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,360
just heard him say and then he just left it alone.

773
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:35,200
It was like he said it and I knew it and I was convicted of it.

774
00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:38,480
But my own fear wouldn't let me do it.

775
00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:44,400
Every day I was waking up almost like chained down because I knew that I wasn't walking

776
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:45,560
in what God said to do.

777
00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:52,280
I knew it, but my own flesh fear of, you know, how will we pay this was outweighing what

778
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:53,280
God told me to do.

779
00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:58,480
At my breaking point, I in August, I stepped down from the position.

780
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,800
I went down to just working three days instead of doing the 50 hours.

781
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:08,960
And our ministry literally took off.

782
00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:14,720
And so I was needed to go with my husband because instead of just going on Saturday

783
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:20,680
and Sunday, it was, you know, a Tuesday thing and a Thursday and a Friday and a Saturday

784
00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:21,680
and a Sunday.

785
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,800
We were getting booked for full weekends and we were getting booked during the week.

786
00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:30,960
Now we're traveling and doing all these things, which was so exciting because I love traveling

787
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:32,800
and getting to see stuff.

788
00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:41,120
And so we had a beautiful home that was what I believed to be at the time my forever home.

789
00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:45,120
You know, my husband and I always said like, we're always going to have like our home and

790
00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:49,840
we're going to raise the family there because we traveled a lot when we were kids and we

791
00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:51,520
didn't want to do that with our kids.

792
00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,680
We wanted to have like stability.

793
00:46:54,680 --> 00:47:01,120
We got this phone call and offered to come here to Virginia and Chesapeake, take over

794
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:05,120
one of the campuses and be the campus pastor.

795
00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:07,800
And he said, okay, thank you.

796
00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:12,640
And he said that he knew that I was going to say absolutely not.

797
00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:18,800
And so when he called me, I had, since the Lord had already told me that we should be

798
00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,560
praying for where he wanted us to plan our feet.

799
00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:26,000
God spoke that very clearly to me, I had told my husband that a couple of weeks before we

800
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:27,960
had that phone call.

801
00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:32,760
And when he called me, I immediately was like, okay, let's sell the house.

802
00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:33,760
I'll get the house up.

803
00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:34,760
I'll call the realtor.

804
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:35,760
We need to start packing.

805
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:37,240
We need to find somewhere to go over there.

806
00:47:37,240 --> 00:47:39,880
And he was like, hey, where's my wife?

807
00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:42,680
And I said, you know, this is like the move, right?

808
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:43,960
That God's talking about.

809
00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:47,880
And then the technical me came out and was like, or is this the right move?

810
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,160
Wait, this might be why God told us this.

811
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:51,680
We need to pray about it.

812
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:53,160
And it was hard for us.

813
00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:56,160
And we prayed and we, we went back and forth.

814
00:47:56,160 --> 00:48:02,800
And what we were told by one of our mentors, she said, you need to follow God's peace.

815
00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:04,920
And we held that very close to us.

816
00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,840
She said, you go with the peace of God.

817
00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:11,000
Everything about the move was so easy.

818
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:15,240
When I was going to a women's conference a couple of weeks before we were coming down

819
00:48:15,240 --> 00:48:17,300
to actually check out the church.

820
00:48:17,300 --> 00:48:22,520
So we're at the women's conference and there was a song on and God spoke very clearly to

821
00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:25,000
me that we were going to come to Virginia.

822
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:31,360
But he also said, Holy Spirit said, you know, I will tell your husband, meaning like, this

823
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,120
isn't for you to tell him like I will tell him.

824
00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:36,920
So, and I always write everything down when I hear it.

825
00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:41,560
And so I went down to the altar and I was just really, I was just crying at the altar

826
00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:44,720
because you know, the decision had been made at that point.

827
00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:49,400
And I also knew that Holy Spirit was going to let my husband know.

828
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:51,760
And so we were going to be in agreement.

829
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:53,600
It just felt like a like a relief.

830
00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:58,400
But also I was like, so sad that we were going to leave our family and leave everything that

831
00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:01,680
we knew and everything that we were comfortable in.

832
00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:08,360
And when I came walking back, my friend Cindy was just standing at my seat.

833
00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:14,400
And she said, I got up to tell you that Holy Spirit told me that I have to let you guys

834
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:16,560
go that you guys are going.

835
00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:21,280
And I started crying because I said, well, Holy Spirit told you at the exact time that

836
00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:26,720
Holy Spirit told me because we both stood up simultaneously at the exact same time.

837
00:49:26,720 --> 00:49:31,240
And I stood up when I heard it and she stood up when she heard it.

838
00:49:31,240 --> 00:49:39,360
And so it was like another confirmation that I knew that we were coming to Virginia Beach.

839
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:44,560
And then when we did come, when we did get into church, Holy Spirit definitely told us

840
00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:45,560
welcome home.

841
00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:51,320
And that's when it was confirmed to my husband because he started a little cry and he came

842
00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:53,600
over to me and he's like, baby, we're home.

843
00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:55,240
And I said, yeah, I already knew.

844
00:49:55,240 --> 00:50:00,720
And I showed him in my notes where I had already written down what happened at the women's

845
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:02,840
conference for even more confirmation.

846
00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:06,080
So and now we're here, girl.

847
00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:07,080
Yeah.

848
00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:08,440
So Allison, now you're here.

849
00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,020
We're still listening to the Holy Spirit.

850
00:50:10,020 --> 00:50:12,400
What is he saying to you personally in this season?

851
00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:19,760
So right now I am in a season of bold obedience.

852
00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:31,280
I had been trying to figure out what my word and stuff was and what God wanted me to do.

853
00:50:31,280 --> 00:50:38,160
And I made a post actually maybe about a week and a half ago when I when the Lord really

854
00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:42,440
spoke it to me that, you know, boldly means to take risk.

855
00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:47,600
So taking risk and obedience, confidently walking in obedience, remaining courageous

856
00:50:47,600 --> 00:50:53,080
when you walk in obedience and have a strong obedience that others can actually see that's

857
00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:54,200
being bold.

858
00:50:54,200 --> 00:50:57,740
And then obedience is hearing God's word and acting accordingly.

859
00:50:57,740 --> 00:51:02,800
And so I put it all together and I had acting immediately when it is spoken.

860
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:08,040
When I feel the shift, I comply no matter what it looks like or what it feels like to

861
00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:09,040
me.

862
00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:13,360
I'm a doer of the Lord's work and call and others will know Jesus in me.

863
00:51:13,360 --> 00:51:17,960
Well, Allison, as we close, would you share about a woman of the Bible whose story has

864
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,160
inspired or encouraged or taught you something?

865
00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:28,720
I always will go back to in Mark five when we talk about the sick woman and how it'll

866
00:51:28,720 --> 00:51:34,280
say she had the issue of bleeding for 12 years.

867
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:37,600
I relate because I say, you know, I had issues.

868
00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:39,200
It was longer than 12 years.

869
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:45,040
Mine was 19, but she had, she was bleeding for 12 years and they couldn't find a cure

870
00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:48,360
and the doctors, you know, there was just nothing.

871
00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:50,840
And Jesus is the ultimate healer.

872
00:51:50,840 --> 00:51:53,720
And that is like literally me, right?

873
00:51:53,720 --> 00:51:59,640
So after 19 years and I couldn't stop using drugs and there was just no cure.

874
00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:06,280
The only thing like I always just had inside of me, this void and the only thing that fit

875
00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:08,800
perfectly into the void was Jesus.

876
00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:12,760
I tried to stuff things from the world and try to put all these things in there and I

877
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:15,360
just kept making the whole bigger and just making the whole bigger.

878
00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:21,400
And then finally realizing that Jesus is the only thing that's going to fit in the whole.

879
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:22,400
That's the only thing.

880
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:24,280
And that's the only thing that's going to fix it.

881
00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:29,000
And then it talks about how she knew she had to get there and she, if she could just touch

882
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:34,800
his clothes, she just believed that with everything in her that like, if I just get there and

883
00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:41,800
touch this person, that is just like, I want to have that faith at all times.

884
00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:44,480
Like I just want to walk in that at all times.

885
00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:46,200
I'm always reminded myself.

886
00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:48,560
Remember she was an outcast, right?

887
00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:49,880
I was an outcast.

888
00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:50,880
Nobody wanted me.

889
00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:52,320
Nobody wanted nothing to do with me.

890
00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:54,640
I didn't even want nothing to do with myself anymore.

891
00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:57,000
I was sick and tired of myself.

892
00:52:57,000 --> 00:52:59,760
And she, she was an outcast and she went anyway.

893
00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:02,600
And then, you know, and he was on his way to do something else.

894
00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:10,200
And when she touched him and he stopped and, you know, she, this, she had a faith that

895
00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:13,240
just stopped him dead in his tracks.

896
00:53:13,240 --> 00:53:18,360
And so I say that all the time to my husband, like, I want to have a faith that stopped

897
00:53:18,360 --> 00:53:20,120
Jesus in his track.

898
00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:25,560
And then, you know, the beautiful part of the story, which is my story is, you know,

899
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:30,720
she went from this outcast and he went from this man that just performs miracles.

900
00:53:30,720 --> 00:53:31,720
Right.

901
00:53:31,720 --> 00:53:37,160
And I'm talking about Jesus, everybody else, you know, and I just didn't know him on my

902
00:53:37,160 --> 00:53:38,440
own personal level.

903
00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:45,640
And he became her father and she went from outcast and she went from being called a woman

904
00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:47,560
in the Bible to being called daughter.

905
00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:51,400
Like he called her daughter and it was immediate.

906
00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:53,840
Like his love is just immediate.

907
00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:54,840
He is immediate.

908
00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:56,920
He healed her immediately.

909
00:53:56,920 --> 00:54:03,200
It took me crying out like an honest prayer to God and opening my heart and having a faith

910
00:54:03,200 --> 00:54:05,040
that this is the, this is it.

911
00:54:05,040 --> 00:54:10,560
You know, I don't have another chance in me for him to be an immediate and say, okay,

912
00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:11,560
it's done.

913
00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:13,520
You're healed right now.

914
00:54:13,520 --> 00:54:14,520
I've been stopped.

915
00:54:14,520 --> 00:54:15,520
Here I am.

916
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:16,520
I'm working through you.

917
00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:18,080
I'm going to give it all to you.

918
00:54:18,080 --> 00:54:21,000
And that's like my fate, like, cause that's me.

919
00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:26,560
Like I'm her, like I, I'm the woman with the, with the issue with, you know, the, the 12

920
00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:31,640
years of just, and no, there's no help and there's nobody that can help me anymore.

921
00:54:31,640 --> 00:54:34,840
And, and he is like, that's the answer.

922
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:35,840
It's Jesus.

923
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:37,080
You just got to get to him.

924
00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:38,440
You just got to get with them.

925
00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:39,920
You just have to feel.

926
00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:42,000
And then now I'm his daughter.

927
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:48,160
You know, I went from the homeless drug addict to daughter to the king in an instant.

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Amen.

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00:54:49,160 --> 00:54:56,760
Well, friends, the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah in chapter one, verse four and NLT

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saying, I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb, before you were born,

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I set you apart and I appointed you as my prophet to the nations.

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And in verses seven and eight, he says, don't say I'm too young for you must go wherever

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I send you and say whatever I tell you and don't be afraid of the people for I will be

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with you and will protect you.

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I the Lord have spoken.

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God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

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00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:28,880
He says a similar thing to each of us and to Allison.

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He knew us before we were born.

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He set each of us apart and appointed us for a purpose.

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He will empower and protect you as you fulfill that purpose.

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00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:43,240
So don't try to use excuses about why you can't do it.

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00:55:43,240 --> 00:55:48,320
Romans eight eleven reveals that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells

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in us.

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If you believe in Jesus as Lord and have committed your life to him, what more could we possibly

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00:55:54,440 --> 00:55:55,440
need?

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00:55:55,440 --> 00:56:02,760
Allison shared a few minutes ago about God calling her to bold obedience, immediate obedience,

947
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and it's the same call he has for each of us.

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I understand the word obedience has a negative connotation in many of our minds, but in my

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00:56:10,580 --> 00:56:16,880
journey with God, I have discovered that obedience is simply walking in step with him, doing

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00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:20,540
what we see him doing when he's doing it.

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00:56:20,540 --> 00:56:22,280
And that, my friend, is not a burden.

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00:56:22,280 --> 00:56:25,680
It's a delight to walk in step with our living father.

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00:56:25,680 --> 00:56:29,760
Allison, would you take a moment and pray for our listeners?

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00:56:29,760 --> 00:56:30,760
Absolutely.

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00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:38,160
Father, God, we just want to come to you in this moment, Lord, and we would just ask right

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00:56:38,160 --> 00:56:42,680
now that the people that are joining in more that you would sort of start to speak things

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00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:47,600
to them more that they would just hear from you, that they would just hear your words,

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00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:51,600
Lord, and that they would ask immediately upon what it is that you want them to do,

959
00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:56,680
Lord, that their prayers would be touching heaven, that your warmth, that your touch

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00:56:56,680 --> 00:57:01,480
would wrap your arms around somebody who's in need of your comfort and your love, Jesus,

961
00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:06,080
that they would just feel it from you right now, that you would just continue to speak

962
00:57:06,080 --> 00:57:10,800
things to them, Lord, and just give them the courage to carry out your will.

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00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:15,360
We just want to ask that you continue to guide and protect, Lord, that you would just break

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00:57:15,360 --> 00:57:19,560
off generational curses, Lord, that anybody who's listening in right now that's saying

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00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:23,320
that, I don't know if my prayer is being heard, that you would just let them know that their

966
00:57:23,320 --> 00:57:27,920
prayer is being heard, Lord, that you are working it out, that you work all things in

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00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:31,320
your favor for your glory, Lord, that they will see it.

968
00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:34,240
They might not see it right now, Jesus, but they will see it.

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00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:38,360
And we would just ask that you would just continue to guide each and every one of us

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00:57:38,360 --> 00:57:39,920
on our walk with you, Lord.

971
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:46,080
I just want to thank you for these moments to be able to press in deeper with you, God.

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00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:49,200
And we would just ask that you would just care for each and every one of us.

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00:57:49,200 --> 00:57:51,160
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

974
00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:55,280
You know, friends, there are orphans as well as widows all over the world who need to experience

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00:57:55,280 --> 00:57:58,140
the tangible expression of God's love right now.

976
00:57:58,140 --> 00:58:03,840
And together we are building an indoor bathroom and shower for a girl's home in rural Kenya.

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00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:08,040
The foundation has been laid and the building has begun, so please pray that the construction

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00:58:08,040 --> 00:58:10,880
will be done expertly with no delays.

979
00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:13,960
And if you haven't done so yet, would you consider joining us with a special gift to

980
00:58:13,960 --> 00:58:16,440
help widows and orphans through our fund?

981
00:58:16,440 --> 00:58:21,320
Just go to hergodstory.org and click on the Widow and Orphan tab at the top of the page.

982
00:58:21,320 --> 00:58:22,320
Thank you for tuning in.

983
00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:26,280
In our show notes at hergodstory.org you'll find scriptures and other information we talked

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00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:27,280
about.

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00:58:27,280 --> 00:58:32,900
And remember, I'd love to hear from you, so please email me at hergodstory at somebodycares.org.

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00:58:32,900 --> 00:58:37,520
If you'd like a free six-week devotional on Women of the Bible, you can download that

987
00:58:37,520 --> 00:58:43,480
at hergodstory.org or purchase a 12-week devotional that we'll send you for just $12.

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00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:46,760
Knowing all the proceeds, go to our Widow and Orphan Fund.

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00:58:46,760 --> 00:58:53,320
We'd love to pray for you on our 24-7 prayer and text line, so give us a call or text anytime

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00:58:53,320 --> 00:58:59,720
at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.

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00:58:59,720 --> 00:59:04,520
And now, dear friends, I leave you with a blessing adapted from 1 Chronicles 22 verses

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00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:06,760
11 through 13.

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00:59:06,760 --> 00:59:11,400
May the Lord be with you and give you success as you follow His leading.

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00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:17,580
And may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding that you may obey all His precepts and commands.

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00:59:17,580 --> 00:59:20,940
For you will be successful if you carefully follow them.

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00:59:20,940 --> 00:59:22,760
Be strong and courageous.

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00:59:22,760 --> 00:59:25,380
Do not be afraid or lose heart.

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00:59:25,380 --> 00:59:28,880
May the Lord be with you wherever you go.

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00:59:28,880 --> 00:59:32,880
Your God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

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00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:59,880
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.