 And pray you can't help you can't have patience without faith. Yeah, that's exactly Let me get into a different topic right now. Okay. Um, I know you're into fitness. I am what drove you into that career I've always I in high school from junior high school all the way to now I've always been into health and fitness. I I was in track and field volleyball love the sport of volleyball I Really kind of beat myself up about it sometimes because I was like I would have been in the AVP's didn't you she used to you play low rain Love. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah, low rain been on the show. Yeah, them love. Oh, yeah Them some them some girls Right been on the show absolutely So you're a personal trainer. I'm a person certified personal trainer in high-intensity interval training and resistance Training, but it's so crazy because then whenever I think about a personal trainer I'm thinking about somebody who's all cut up and you know what I mean Everything is all mental right still. So what would you say about people who think that way? It depends on the it depends on who you are what you're looking to do I mean I now that I'm older and I'm not afraid of my age I'm in my 50s and so now that I'm older, you know Being extremely cut in all of that. That's that's the outward look, you know, it's all good. I mean, I'm cut you know, I just got on clothes, but The the it depends on what you're going to do what you want to do You know, but I want women to understand and me and to understand even at my age and our age That we can be healthy at this age. It ain't all about cut being cut. It's about what you're putting inside your body What you're eating how you eat Your mental health so that's what I'm about I'm about all of that fitness and all in health and fitness all go hand in hand but your mental health as well you have to take care of that and training for me is It's a mental health. It's it's like a psychiatrist for me It's like going to the psychiatrist. It helps me to release stress It helps me to think and to you know be able to do the things that I need to do in our business That's why I train. I train pretty hard. You know, my workouts are our plus sometimes a day. I do spin classes I lift a lot of heavy weights as well. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah flipping tires Yeah, and you know people like, you know, I have a master training So I don't you know do this by myself every trainer has to have another trainer that helps them And so I just believe in making sure that women understand. I'm okay I don't care what size you are You can be healthy at that size and then you can you can fulfill the goal that you're looking to fulfill People think I've been through this trauma. I've been through all this. I've been through trauma But health and fitness. I believe for me helps save me. Let's talk about your business a little bit You get you what what is the what is the business the name of the company's called infusion design solutions? Okay, and infusion. I actually started in 2008 Okay, and out of necessity and it's a digital design marketing website development And print media. Okay. And so I had no I didn't go to school for anything It was out of necessity and at the time we were dating I was look we were looking to do a couture line Okay, and we needed a website build and we had a partner She had the money and I went to a black-owned web developer here In Dallas, okay I had to sketch out for the website and everything and I presented it to them and they came back with the the estimate and They were worth every penny. They were worth every penny like it was like six at that time six thousand plus And I said we can't drop six thousand right now And they were worth it though and I literally came home that day and googled how to build the website and At that time you could get like the trial photoshop trial You know web development software and I would stay up hours 16-hour days just learning how to code my space was big at that time. And so I cut that's how I met low-deasy I actually designed his my space page. Yeah, so I low-deasy And so there was several, you know, that's how I cut my teeth on learning how to code and and style sheets and HTML was Learning through my space and designing the custom my space pages for like local celebrities and rappers and different things like that And so from there it was my mom who she was like you need to make this into a business And I was like no because I was in corporate America. My wife was in corporate America I made good money, you know, she made good money and I wasn't thinking about you know What celebrities did you do that for? Oh? Wow, I did one for a Tyra Banks No, I think my crush when I was a little bit young I don't know if her and her team ever used it, but yeah Tyra Banks Taj Mowry that's you into And a couple of you know local artists as well That's what it's all about man Don't don't it make you feel good that you that you got that history to say I put that working absolute I mean, and that's we got yeah, and I would tell people, you know Business is not easy. It's not glamorous. I mean people are putting it out there on Facebook and social media like this is a glamorous life And it's hard. It's hard work I mean my wife and I we work harder more hours doing business for ourselves than we ever did in corporate America I mean and my wife can tell you like I'm I'm literally on fumes right now because I was up to like two or three This morning working he does the same thing every day absolutely for our clients. Let me ask you this Well, how when do you have time to do music? Well, I'll be honest. I had to put music on kind of a little bit on you see what I'm saying I had to put I know you tell me about the Kirk Franklin and doing the music with different people. Yeah You'd very talented brother. Thank you. Yeah, it's you know, it's tough And I'm starting to get my my my feet back wet with that. Yeah, my thing is more into production and songwriting And so having to work with with these artists, you know, it's time-consuming But right now I understand with business. See my thing was always about ownership and if I I want to own it and I've seen a lot of artists in particular go through the hail and brimstone and the pitfalls of not owning what it is That they put their hands to break and at the end of the day, they're getting fleeced Because they don't own it like I look at Anita Baker as great as she is a talented as she is You're talking about a 40 year old talent in the industry Just now getting to the point where she owns her masters. This is Anita Baker You mean to tell me that most of your whole career you don't own what you've seen You don't own what you wrote most artists then only a handful of them. That's exactly. So look how backwards it is That another entity higher than us and I'm telling my wife folks own What it is that we put out but Being a double the African The white folks provided opportunity a lot of times too when we didn't have Those doors I do agree with that I do agree with that and they opened doors that we didn't know of Correct. We didn't know about and then we couldn't that we couldn't I'll give them that but the thing of it is is that if I open a door for you because I want to see you succeed and I genuinely want you to make it Then the deal that we cut Is going to benefit you your family and the generation that comes after you huh and them too and and me too But if I'm only thinking about me and the lion's share comes to me and I'm abusing your talent That's what we that's what we messed up. I provided you an opportunity. That's cool But if I'm abusing your talent to where I make 80% and you take home a measly 20 Then there's something wrong with that and that's what we need to go back and and it's not a black or white thing We need to go back and say, okay, if I'm doing most of the work I appreciate you opening the door, but look at who's doing this work I think a lot of times just just from the outside looking in I get to say whatever I want to say when I say that That's what I'm setting up when I say that but From the outside looking in when I look at what Our people have endured and I know they started off that way I think we've crutched our own selves as a culture like I think there's a lot of times We should have stepped up long time ago, but we didn't because we didn't have the courage to You understand because there's a lot of time There's a lot of monetarily gain has come through the music industry And you still have a lot of those artists like the Anita Bakers and that that They didn't step up They didn't even when they when they could have a lot of time They became depressed because they already went through a lot of mental things that because our stories on her Funny you had made her the example, you know, yeah I've heard some things far as working with her and doing different things. I've heard these these rumors But I've heard them and for her not to own a home message, which she's not by herself There's a lot of them, but like I said, I think we have to We have to step up and like but how do you right? Some people it's because of fear It's fear and knowledge not knowing how to it's definitely fear because if you look at You look at the days of slavery, right? The purpose of the public lynching was to do what was in still fear fear in people So don't do this or this is going to happen. Yeah. Yeah, and so we see that within the music industry as well is that we see These mysterious murders or the mysterious passing ways of legends You know, yeah drug overdoses drug overdoses, right? And when they finally got their masters that happen right out there as soon as they get their masters and as soon as they get the financial freedom It's like they mysteriously pass away. So what is that? That is a public lynching If you will to say okay, this can happen to you so a lot of people stay silent a lot of artists stay quiet you think about, um Uh sam cook. Yeah. Yes. We just saw and we just saw the documentary about sam cook and how he passed And it was old. We gotta check it out. Where's that? Where's that on hulu? Where is it? I think it's hulu. It's hulu. It is. We're going to give it up. Give it up. Give it up. Give it up. Give it up. What's the name of it? Is this sam cook? Just the sam cook documentary. You look that up and you'll find it But it's so funny because how he passed he has some shady people You know that were executives that entered into his life And so and he was he was looking to make opportunities and get his own masters and create opportunities for people of color in the music industry and then he had suddenly You know been killed. Wow. And so I think a lot of people want to do what you're talking about But there is that fear factor there Well, you know, I agree a hundred percent, but I also want to say it's not just in music But I know we were talking about music but monique uh, the actress and the comedian she Felt like it was a disconnect from her black ball and because of her trying to get more money Provided to them because of her talking about yeah because she was she's not she wasn't quiet about it And I felt I kind of tend to agree with her in so many ways And I know already because of the people who She was connected to It was a lot of times doors being shut on her because of the way she responded to the way that people were You know coming at her about what she was asking for for her self. She wasn't fair for it. She wasn't fair for her self worth She she understood she has self-awareness and she understood But what we need to in place when that happens when you have someone like a monique who as Is assertive and outspoken as she is Is we need us as african-americans? We need to have people in place That have the money and the resources to be able to pull her in and say, okay They won't let you do it But we have the platform that you can do that and you can say it how you want to say it And so I I believe that we're putting ourselves in that position with knowledge Exactly And so it's it's going to take knowledge and it's going to take us doing it together the the the thing about us as a culture Unfortunately is we've gotten away from doing things together. It used to take the village And so now when money came in And after the people at the top were dangling the carrot in front of us It broke away that unity it broke away their family unit where we no longer look to do it collectively together And so now everybody's trying to come up on their own and they're finding it very difficult But we can create those opportunities of ownership create those opportunities for the moniques That have something to say and that still have the skill set and the talent To make the money Then you know, then we're talking about something. Yeah, her talent is undeniable. I wouldn't seen it You can't deny her it ain't you can try but it's hard and that's why I think steve already out on his show That's why people still tend to deal with her I went down there and seen tile appears layout, you know, we just come from down there I mean beautiful layout far as you know, what he's established down in atlanta You know, it's uh, it's people that are doing some things that are changing the mode of boy things always have been traditionally And I think we need to acknowledge those wins Absolutely, you know what I mean because there are some wins going on. I mean, I'm looking at y'all y'all got the t-shirts on That I love that they look really nice That's the gift that we You got and we can put it on on here We'll rock out with it. Yeah, that's what yeah, I should you should have told I'll put mine on today You know what I'm saying? That's what we messed up at. I thought I knew what was in that box. I just slammed it on right Oh, yeah, yeah, we'd have been kicking it up in there too. Do you have me? But we're gonna do it again. You know what I'm saying? That's the most important the law would say the same You know, um, I just hey, I didn't know what to expect with you guys, but I did know god was in the midst He's always I want to know what was it like working with kirk franklin and erica badoo. I didn't know he worked with erica This is what it is to the fourth person. I've been on here. Well, my yeah, my sister. Um, I'm so tired of this man Who are we gonna get on the show because it's too many of her cousins keep coming Everybody come through here Ericka by do story, but we don't have one But what I love about erica is the fact that a lot of people here in dallas have stories about Not people who live in la and everywhere else because you have some people who live in a city And they don't mess with nobody in that city. They mess with everybody else in other cities, right? So but here she represents Let me shout out mr. Landon Is it landon? Let me shout out mr. Landon aing Look at artistic visual studios. Uh, what's that other boy space boy who won't tour with her right now? I'm tired of this man. We're gonna have to get in here, right? Listen, let's hear. I want to hear this. This is something I'm a tool marion It's funny because my you know, we all went to the performing arts school Okay, look at t and so my sister actually went to school with her. I came years later And right around like 97 when she dropped Um here in dallas and she dropped her first album by the wisdom I was just up and coming musician I was really kind of just learning how to play and she was doing just you know little gigs and stuff around town Promoting the album everything and I didn't you know, I really didn't know who she was, you know I knew her name was was buzzing and you know everything like that So she did a gig here in dallas and I just kind of sat in and and and winged it, you know And so those opportunities have come, you know, because If you're a musician in dallas, you you've played for one or the two either kirk Or erica, right? And so I've I've I've been blessed that you know to to sit in with those guys and sit in with those bands and just You know absorb what it is, you know, the energy that they bring and phenomenal talents And I mean we're talking who has more energy You can't quantify that you can't To me it's two different kind of energy kirk is so hyper Yeah, he's so so hyper. She's seen she has energy, but she's more mellow. Yeah, you know what I mean But her vibes is just awesome. Right. You know, and it's funny about with erica You know, she's the same today that she was I believe that when I believe her nickname was apples. I believe really. Yeah, that's right And so and no, she originally went to like uh, gremlin and everything and so When she was was coming up in 97 dallas was on point because kirk had just dropped with god's property And what people don't know, you know, the song stomp was humongous It's just like one of the biggest selling gospel songs of all time His sister was yeah, my sister was in god's property. Wow. And so yeah, so they were touring, you know, uh, Shout out to robber c right and and and shon martin all those guys You know, I was a young guy I was a young cat in in high school just still learning And so I was in the middle in the midst of of a lot of that stuff that they were doing and I'm just kind of sitting in the cut absorbing or I'd be at a rehearsal with my sister whatever sitting in the back And just seeing that how dallas was popping musically back then and what all would definitely want to say is dallas I love dallas and dallas has a great music scene But we need to support one another in dallas and I say I say that because the talent is here The the representation is here, but we need the unity We don't have the unity like the atlanta's like the miami's like new york's and and so forth And that's so crazy that you said that because to me we have been dealing with a lot of Rappers rmb and so forth But when you're talking about a gospel side of it, it's still the same way even on the gospel side Right in every industry. I mean I don't I don't know a whole bunch about the gospel industry myself Because my background is rmb and and hip hop and you need to get out. Oh, I get down bro. I mean, I mean Wait a minute. Yeah, I mean you just what you play just you wasn't singing. No, I mean But you got a ear for the music playing produce anything anything anything that I hear and come on man I think you need to read our bios I don't I go from the hill like I said, I didn't go I didn't go up in church I go from the hip. I thought you was coming in here like you were Kurt franklin little brother That's why I go from the hill because I wanted to be organic That's what I'm saying I I didn't grow up in church. I didn't grow up in in the gospel arena So for me all of that was new so god so god pulled you into that god pulled me into this Amen I didn't when someone went looking for and see and i'ma tell you something Sometimes when god pulls you into something Other people that have been there before you got there don't want you there I agree with that, huh? They don't want you there because one you come with a different perspective different insight different ideas that may Taint or that may Conflict with what it is that they've been doing and how they've been doing it So I wasn't readily received You know, I wasn't received like that You know a lot of things that a lot of the ideas and and the musical ideas that I came with even lyrically You know, it's not for the church I didn't I didn't want to talk to the church You know and there's nothing against that and those who do who love gospel music or whatever But I wasn't talking to them. I wanted to talk to again. I wanted to talk to people who were hurting I wanted to talk to people In a real sense like early on I would I would use light profanity in my lyrics Because it was like I was What is light profanity? You know, I would say Yeah, I would say like the D word Like the D word, you know what I'm saying? No, no, no, that was profanity I was profanity You don't slide, you don't slide, but I mean I was dropping you was light profanity I was dropping F bonds Yeah, yeah, I was stealing you, you know, come on man Just because they say it's cool to do on tv don't mean you don't do it to me Right, right, right, right Now I wasn't dropping F bonds, you know, but I was I had to convey it in a way that was real And so I still do but I don't I don't you know, I don't use the profanity now, but it's like for me I didn't I didn't want to talk to who the gospel community was talking to because they were missing A lot of the people who needed God. They needed the real message of christ And so I felt better doing it through r&b through hip-hop through smooth jazz. And so That's the the lane I found. I don't think nothing's wrong with it. Absolutely. Everybody needs God, right? That's the biggest misconception everybody run around acting like they got something figured out But it's so free, you know to be hey, you're free in the larger free indeed, you know what I'm saying? I think We try to put it in a box and box it up, but it never was boxed up when you look at the word of God when you truly read it It's not like that But when you set up and look at the way that people profess it to be Religion make it out to be then you get a misconception as I said earlier on what it really is The word of God is the God is not the word is not bound It's it goes in and it taps each individual man when you look at the disciples They were so different and they were just normal people walking So when we start am I right? I mean so when we look at it It's not a thing to where you can put it in some type of little Box and say this is that and that's that and this was that no they god meet you where you at I was just going to say that If you look in scripture if you look in scripture every time Jesus went to when he met peter or whatever he found them where they were that's right I don't have an altar call experience where I went to church gave my life to christ at the altar I don't have that. I got a strip club experience man. Are you professed in the strip? No, no, no, I'm in I'm getting the lap dance. Yeah, real spill. I've told my wife this She's not just saying no. No, I'm getting a lap dance and god is in my ear Like, you know, you ain't got no business being here On the call and god talked to me like that. He don't talk to me like thou art thine song Thine art no, I'm hearing god like for real like you know, you ain't got no business being here I've been there you ever caught an emotion one one time I was in South Dallas I was Martin Luther King and I was rolling man. I had it going on I had my partners with me and I see this girl and she walking and we own I believe it's Martin Luther King 175 right there and you know where we used to go by the car wash We come around by the car wash and come back up and it was like I seen her and she was walking and she was bad I'm like, man, I gotta pick up and I picked up and it was my partner. She got in with us I'm nice, right? We get her, you know, I'm saying me my partner and her and I'm like, yeah, man Where you live? So we ride, you know, I take her home and I'm trying to highlight her, you know Yeah, it's about 12 one in the morning. Maybe two. Yeah, ain't nothing going on good at 12 one and two But we are and we get to the house and I was like to make a long story short I was trying to highlight her and to make a long story short some kind of way God got in the car. I don't know what happened He was already there bro And and we all end up giving our life to Christ rededicated our life right there about three in the morning Wow, I'm that's how God worked with me. I'm like you. I don't it ain't like everybody else Like we over here at the altar now the altar can be wherever you at think about let me think about paul Did you hear what I just said? Oh, absolutely paul was on the road to Damascus Probably up to no good Yeah, for sure he couldn't do what he had to do. He had to kill some folks and jesus had Found him on his way. Yeah, knowing you fit to act bad. Yeah, and so god would that and I would tell the listeners who are tuning in God will meet you where you are. Yeah Everybody's not gonna have an at the altar church call experience one last question for me Um, okay. First of all, how long have you received christ now? I'm 40 Since I was 24 so 16 years. Okay, and you know that once you receive him the devil comes at you even more and more force. Okay To your recollection, what would you say is your hardest testimony during that time like the thing that You had to overcome. He came at you so hard And maybe you're still going through it, I don't know no the enemy came at me When more so when my father my father passed in 2005 suddenly And it was about a year after I had met my now wife And when he passed I was I needed him I needed my dad and he didn't tell me he was sick But he he knew he was because he had written a will months ahead And I was angry Not just at him, but I was angry at God And the reason why I was so angry at God because I felt like I had even up to that point. I was living a life For him I said God, I don't do I don't do any file music. I don't you know, I don't put my hand on drink I don't smoke like that blah blah blah, you know, I didn't I did stuff But I'm like, you know, I felt like God, I know I live my life for you. Why would you take my dad? I need my dad and so I walked around with this anger and this bitterness still serving God But angry still helping people Angry, you know Trying to be a boyfriend to her at the time angry And so That was my toughest battle Was getting getting rid of the anger and the bitterness that I had toward God You don't know no anger until you're angry at God And the fact that he allowed me to be Showed me his love even the more That's why I don't play with him because he could have easily took me out for being angry at him But he allowed me to heal and he sent people in my life He sent my wife into my life so that I could heal And it was a process it took time And I allowed it to take time So I think that's been The biggest challenge for for for me. I want to hear your story. Okay. Now. Did we finish yours? Yeah I think you gave a good spiel. Yes, we're gonna go right back into it So so when I cut him off, he's gonna say something dramatic And then I'll go to her No, but now you guys are brilliant in the fact that you've been a gift this long. It's been 20 years Close to it. Yeah, you said she was eight. Now. I remember I ain't forgotten that now. I'm old You know And you see when y'all met but then you say y'all counting toward the well, we didn't get married till 2014 Okay, so y'all waited but y'all knew each other and had you know had been in a relationship Go ahead and talk talk that talk Go ahead um I think um Like my husband said earlier for me The anger Came for me is when I saw my daughter have having to go through the divorce and the separation How long have you had to accepted christ at in your life? Like really I'm not talking as a kid because I know that you were raising the church and All of that I'm talking about Because you can be in a church and then you as an adult teenager go through the thing and and let me just say Yeah, you you didn't you weren't reading like that. You weren't even Found him for yourself found him for myself who he was really I was in my 30s I was in my mid 30s almost I would say about 32 32 years old That I found them for myself. I get it. Yeah So I'm talking about trials after that because once you find that real Knowledge about him. That's when a devil come at you even worse. Absolutely Again when my marriage my my divorce and all of that when I you know Was first married to watch my daughter go through that I was angry with that because I said god, you know, I did the best I could I tried You know, I wanted to be married. I wanted my family and and to see him Do what he wanted to do and step out and and and cheat and had no regard guard for me, you know Had no regard for our daughter as far as just Wanting to be out out in the streets and I went through That period of anger a frustration of A feeling defeated depression So we all have our, you know, go-throughs. I mean, yeah, of course, you know When you accept christ that you know, everything seems like, you know The enemy is at you from the left the right the side the back and everything else, but Uh, because again, I kept praying through it You found christ in the middle of your marriage Yes, because you because that was during the time that you were married with your first marriage Yes, and at that time your husband hadn't found christ or was he in christ? He was he was in christ. He denounced him. He's totally atheist now Wow And the funny thing is his mom was my spiritual Spiritual mom Wow, you know, we still we're still talking everything like that, but he grew up in the church But he grew up kind of seeing the same things that my husband now sell, you know Mom getting hit on in the church and you know the ministers and all those type of things that were happening that he didn't like So when his father passed He and his father wasn't in his life He'd started to see well god. Where were you at? You know, where were you at in my life? You know, you let my mother go through all of this you let me go through all this I have my dad my stepfather was there, but then you took him he died You know and his step his stepfather was in vietnam So he died, you know cancer agent orange in his body and so he was angry So he's totally now denounced god Because he said god wasn't there for him So it's just you know for me I I held on to it because I had praying parents and grandparents, you know, my grandmother died in 2005. She was 109 years old My mother's mother and she prayed for us her kids and her grandkids her great-grandkids and all on and on We six generations my grandmother had a hundred grandkids And her husband and my dad and my dad's parents were married. They were 95 and 99 when they passed I want to interject something because when we went to a funeral yesterday I just never thought about it like this. Um ricky rush was you know, um preaching shout out to ricky rush at the inspiring body of christ He said, you know, he was talking about the same thing like a lot of people always ask in time of devastation Where were you guy when I was going through this, you know loss of a sister brother on uncle mom dad all of that And he said god said I was the same place. I was there when my son was being killed Absolutely, and I'm like I never thought about it that way. You know what I mean god doesn't leave us We leave him everything is there for a reason just like let's say everything happens for a reason, right? And how I look on life even before he said that I always would say We're here for a job when we're born we clock in at this job called world And we come here we do our job When our job is over no and each time we get a job There's no length of time on that job. You can either finish it tomorrow. That's why some kids Only here for a day Some kids are only you know here for the nine months or three months, you know, you don't know Their job is done And yes, some of them might not have been birthed But they've touched people's lives Absolutely Whether the mother the nurse the boyfriend the husband somebody's life is being touched by that child By anybody so that their their job is complete, right? And that's how I look on life. So whenever someone goes I look at their job here is done. I still have work to do that's the reason why I'm still here I need to turn around and do my job. Absolutely. Yes, we're human beings and we're gonna be sad and mourn and all of that But you need to rejoice we need to rejoice That you know, their job is done and God is ready for them and he's Taking them to be by his side I like the bible says we we that are in christ. We don't mourn is a world mourn You know, because God said he's gone to do what prepare a place for us. Exactly So where he goes with that place there he said then there will you be with me? So You're right. We don't mourn like the world mourns though. There we all have a responsibility God put us all here to do a job and You know, the bible says meeting a calm a few are chosen. Exactly You know, you have to choose the one to do what you guys do what we do You have to choose it and if you don't choose it Man, you guys are dope man. I just always like I like to see that God is working in your life like he is in mind You know, that's the way um, that's the way paul was he said he seen that he had gave the You know the ministry to the Gentiles to me like he had gave the ministry to peter them for the jews You know, they could they was having a good time about that, you know And I think that's what we got to have a good time about is when God is working in your life And he working in my life because he big enough for the job And what I what I love about you guys is you do it with your flavor Yes, yeah, yeah when you the moment you try to do it like first lady and pastor You just lost you just lost You can't make this up And so I would tell you know the people watching and listening When god calls you He calls you As you are as you are with your flavor with your uniqueness Your personality now, he'll shape you right if you got a little bit of anger a little bit of you know, whatever He'll use it, but he'll shape it and you got to give him time to Right, you think everybody thinks well, I gotta get I gotta get myself together You can't get yourself together. No, you can't you have to submit yourself to him And to his way into his will but use he'll use your flavor the earrings ain't coming out the hair is still straight I still got my flavor. I still got my ear. I'm I do I do lambda Right and if people don't feel it, they don't they don't rock with it. Okay, then they don't I'm not talking to them It ain't for them. That's right. You know, I'm still landa from old cliff My wife is still row from east texas. Yeah, yeah, right And so we gonna continue to be and there's some people in church that might not get with that And that's fine You be you the way god called you god how god called paul paul was very um Very learned. He was very knowledgeable of different cultures of chameleon, right, right And so the reason why he can go to rome and peter can't is because paul Is is is is knowledgeable about different cultures. He knows how to talk to the romans You don't go to rome talking chinese. That's right. You have to be able to speak the language of the people Right, so from wherever you from east texas. Oh cliff south dallas, wherever you from Your god will use the way that you talking your flavor to be able to pull in others that understand Where you're coming from exactly but the minute you go there talking about what's up bishop? What's up doc? How you doing doc? Yeah, and you speaking in tongues ordering sandwiches You're not even you're not even real with it and people can see through that God has called you the way that you are with your flavor with your style with your swag with your drip whatever That's how god has called you to do it. He let him do the shaping because he will He will do it. It is so important to do it that way It is if you don't right then you you you like you say you lost Right And I I was instrumental And my husband tried to change throughout the time we were together and dating and then we got married He wanted to take the earrings out and he wanted to take the long hair and in the bell bottoms And because he's an artist and he was trying to change that I said you forgot your earrings I said, uh, okay, don't forget that, you know, all of the flavor the the I mean when I met him You fell in love with right he looked like press to me I mean Lenny Kravitz and Prince the chokers of all I said no, this is what I meant I didn't ask you to change. Well, here's the thing. You got to realize man God doesn't look at that exterior. He looks at the heart. He looks at the heart So when you look at the way God deals with his children He went you know the people picked Saul in the old covenant. Yes, and he picked david You got to understand when God chooses he looks at it differently than us You know what I mean? So we can't get caught up. You was exactly right, you know And and and I've seen people who tell people you're gonna come here and you're gonna join this church You got to take the earrings out and you got to do this and you got and they start telling them this stuff Because of the way that they feel God receives people But that ain't the way God tell you fearfully and wonderfully made you between you and him He said you fearfully and wonderfully made when I read that scripture. That's for me. That's right And he met me where I was that's one thing we always say if somebody says something like, okay, show me the bible Oh, yeah, you're right. Right. See that was some of the that was something, you know after I got saved That was some of the pitfalls I went through like my wife touched on Because I was I was I already wasn't accepted in the secular in the world, right because I was different Yeah, like she said I was you know, I grew up a musician Lenny Kravitz prince, you know, that's that's that's who I rock with Right. So I was already ostracized by the world and and and that and then I get in the church and it's like, okay Here's you know, the devil reincarnated, right? Well, I'm coming in with the hair and the earrings and the jewelry and all this stuff But I did that on purpose Because I knew who I was and I like I said, I had a strong father I had a strong father that affirmed to me. I knew I wasn't gay. Oh man, you fruity looking I knew who I was I love numb but women always have But the thing of it is is that I had that I had that father figure I had that backbone that instilled in me This is who you are and you're different and God has called you to be that way And when you can when you have that comfort to walk in your own skin You can worship in your own skin You can worship how you can worship and freedom where the spirit of God is there's liberty I love the way how you say that because that's that's exactly who we are because no But what I'm talking about as a child when you're going through all that bullying and everything And you come back to your father and say these things and your father say to you Well, you're different But then you have to turn around with your father not by your side when you go back to school And get those bullying and have to deal with that every day And still overcome that I'm gonna tell you something though. I'm gonna tell you with that You do have to go through it. You do have to overcome it But To develop strength, it doesn't come in a day when you go into a to a gym to work out to build endurance You don't get it in one workout So God had me facing opposition early as a kid So I would have the strength that I have today as a 40 year old So if ignorant saying going nowhere So people are just as ignorant today if not more so and more brash about it and more outspoken about it Didn't they were when I was a kid So now that when I'm in business and me and my wife are traveling the world From Egypt to Africa to Europe to Asia or whatever and we're still getting that ignorance and we're still getting that angst from people I know how to deal with it now because I was able to deal with it at 10 at 15 at 20 I can deal with it at 40 Well, what you say to me today don't faze me because I know who I am in Christ If I know who I am in him and then my wife did it Then you can't tell me none none about me if my wife loved it When I take this this this hair down and this hitting past my my shoulder if she did it if she wanted then it's all for her Hey, man. Hey, if any man being Christ, he's a new creature. Absolutely When God tell you it's it's it's good between you and him It's already done. It's done You know, you that's the I love the fact that he he loves us where we are I keep going back to that. It don't matter what nobody thinks man And and that's the part where everybody tried to make it up to be something so they could use it as a Mechanism to control people. Right. That's what they were doing. That's what they still do today People would have you believe that you have to go through a man to get to God, right? This is what people do to try to figure out a way to keep this same Uh posture up that was, you know poor pit is only one place in the bible It's only mentioned in the book of Nehemiah and people wouldn't even know that if they didn't study So you got to be studied up and understand that okay when I say that I'm not down talking nothing I'm just telling you that God is God no matter what no matter where you're at Yes, it don't matter where you at. You right here. He right here. Say well to a more gather there I shall be in the midst So I don't go by what people if it's not the word You know, if it's not if you haven't studied to show that self-approval workmen that need not be ashamed Then you should be ashamed of yourself Because That's right. That's because because you have to understand you should be studying That's each and every individual they say they believe in God. That's it quit acting like it's somebody else's Job to study for you. You need to study Right, you got to pick it up and I love what you said at the beginning of the show you said that We have no excuse now you can go to google you can go to videos you can go to youtube Yeah, and you can find the truth the truth for yourself You ain't got to go watch a hundred no preachers or whatever But you can find the truth for yourself and my wife will tell you, you know, and a lot of Christians will have no, I don't listen to the lewis fair con There are bits and pieces and nuggets that I will pull from what he says I don't have to agree with everything. I don't agree with everything that maybe bishop jakes says or Pastor ricky russ says but I'm able to pull and discern Number one and then pull those bits and pieces that I need that fuel me And then I can take that and put that towards scripture and say, okay, let's let's let's beat it up against You have to read the scripture Right you Yes, I do the same thing. Yeah, you know what I'm saying you got to go and and and it's not just that Anything hindu buddhism. I'm telling you I had to when I studied all of that stuff now Why booism whatever I studied Even uh, the the what they call them the the masons all that I it all it's all out there But listen man, everything I studied brought me closer to christ. I'm being real for me I can't speak for everybody else, but I studied the jehovah witness all 144 thousand of them That's gonna make it in right and the angel michael being jesus as well I studied all that the marminism all that but I just stand and fell in love with christ Because the scriptures were standing true. It stood strong in the midst of everything I studied And I tell everybody that a lot of people they don't know the Canosity of the scripture when I say that they didn't they say well, you know the bible been changed Okay, well go find the scrolls that was done before it changed right you can go to the scrolls You can go research this stuff before it went from hebrew before it went from greek Before you with you know the aramaic all that you can aramaic or whatever you can go and study it before if you Want to learn the language quit trying to make excuses and we're trying to talk down on the bible Yeah, king james might have been gay. I don't know but in 16 the 1600s He's sending seven groups of men out three for the old testament two for the new testament one for the apocryphal period Yeah, go study. Don't come back with something else man. Quit playing with me because at the end of the day You can go research and get that information, but don't come to me like no cabbage all head nobody You got to come real you understand what I mean you need to be doing some studying people need to know like Did you I just said they're not studying bro and Christianity is not the white man's religion People need to understand and I and I say this and I probably getting a little bit of trouble. No, let's go. Okay My wife and I just came back from Egypt, right? Okay And when you put your hands on those columns That men built what no they try to give credit to aliens Men built them columns, right The bible says in the book of Isaiah. I believe it's Isaiah 19 that and god loved egypt Yes, he did he loved each love So we think of as egypt as an enemy of god. No god loves egypt too Of course, he loves everybody, right? So when I look at scripture And I have to study it You look at the world map and where egypt is and where israel is What we know today as the middle east they weren't calling the middle east in the biblical times, that's correct There was no middle east. That's correct It was asia africa and rome italy, you know, which was one of the world powers at that time But there was no middle east. That's correct. It was all africa. That's correct And people need to understand that and when we under when we get an understanding of that as black people Not only did civilization start where we're from in africa But the world religions Are based out of africa And it's one big piece of land that's separated by the suez canal or you know near the red sea That's all it is Definitely get it brother. It's africa And I will tell our people it's not a white man's religion the white man. The you know Has it's a research and stuff that have tainted it But it's your you have the opportunity now To research it if you ain't feeling king james go like you said find their original find a bishop bible Find a matthew's bible y'all gotta do your research I'm not here to tell you what to do and i'm not trying to tell you you got to do it the way I do Right, but i'm telling you if you're gonna speak about it then get it together Understand what you're talking about so many people speak, but they're ignorant The bible says they're like this to say you do er because you know not the scripture when he was talking to the Sadducees You know, you don't want to I can go there But I thank god for the word man. I think I thank god for you guys. I thank god for y'all coming We'd like to end in prayer Yeah, I'll get down over here. Yeah, we'll pray. We're talking to you from london. Can you pray? What Father god, we thank you right now For who you are father. We thank you father for the opportunity father to come before you father before your throne Ancient of days you've been so good to us. You've been glorious. You've been kind god We give you honor and glory god what we do father is for your glory and for your purpose god God, we thank you god that you placed us in your in this world god to do the things Oh father that you have us to do god god We will do it. Oh god. No matter what it looks like god No matter what people say father We will oh god do your work and do your will on this earth god god bless this oh god radio station Bless oh god the man and woman. Oh god that owns this oh god god We ask you oh god to continue about the best boss top 101. Oh god Bless every person that comes in god god. I pray oh god that when they come in the door father That your god your spirit hit them oh god and that they know oh god that these oh god people are your Oh god children father in the mighty name of jesus. Let it go around the world god Let someone see it. Oh god and say oh my god. I need to invest in this I need to do oh god those these oh guys that you're calling me to do father Father, we just thank you god for their family god Thank you for what you're doing in them and through them and god Thank you. Oh god for who you are in their lives god Continue show yourself strong father. Oh god bless them in every area. Oh god Everything they need god has already been given god because they oh god lean and depend on you father. We thank you Father, we give you praise. We give you honor. We give you glory for us in jesus name. We give you praise Amen. Amen. I see why you married a baby. All right, man. Thank you jesus man. Amen You know what's the funny thing? What's that? When you talking you so soft talking, but when you talking about god Oh man, she said i'm getting naked for the lord No, thank you so much for coming on out of that voice man god is so good man. Hey man, it's hey. Thank you Thank you. It's been another great segment of boss talk 101 and we out