WEBVTT
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00:00:18.611As I've listened to the stories of thousands of women of all ages in all kinds of stages through the years, I've kept their stories locked in the vault of my heart.
00:00:18.611 -->
00:00:23.472I feel as if they've been walking around with me all through these years.
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00:00:29.745They've bothered me, they've prodded me and sometimes kept me up at night.
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00:00:41.249Ultimately, they've increased my passion to reframe and reimagine the powerful positions of mother and matriarch within the family system.
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00:00:59.825I'm a problem solver, so I set out to find a way to perhaps change the trajectory of this silent and sad scenario about a dynamic yet untapped source of potential and purpose sitting in our homes and churches.
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00:01:08.546It is time to come to the table, heartlifters, and unleash the power of maternal presence into the world.
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00:01:15.191Welcome to Mothering for the Ages, our 2025 theme, here on today's Heartlift.
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00:01:16.373I'm Janelle.
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00:01:20.311I am your guide here on this heartlifting journey.
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00:01:26.191I invite you to grab a pen, a journal and a cup of something really delicious.
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00:01:34.391May today's conversation give you clarity, courage and a revived sense of camaraderie.
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00:01:37.421You see, you're not on this journey alone.
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00:01:48.692We are unified as heartlifters and committed to bringing change into the world, one heart at a time.
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00:02:03.106Oh, heartlifters, okay, I need you to find a quiet space, because I think that my conversation today with Naeem Faisal right.
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00:02:03.849I do it right.
00:02:03.849 -->
00:02:05.072Yes, you did.
00:02:06.540 -->
00:02:20.112Starting off with a win Is really going to arrest your attention, take your breath away and speak really providential, prophetic words into your life.
00:02:20.112 -->
00:02:21.705I really feel that way.
00:02:21.705 -->
00:02:25.341I felt that way when I first saw his book Tomorrow Needs you.
00:02:25.341 -->
00:02:29.724I mean, who wouldn't pick up a book whose title says Tomorrow Needs you?
00:02:29.724 -->
00:02:32.026Who wouldn't pick up that book?
00:02:32.026 -->
00:02:37.632I see it in airports Like it's crazy, okay, seeing beauty when you feel hopeless.
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00:03:11.536And I told you that you know, working in trauma therapy, like I do as a marriage and family systems trauma-informed coach, at the end of my 13 years, I just saw how vital it was that my clients get beauty in front of them, all around them, and activate all of their senses.
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00:03:15.521Here we are and I am so excited you have.
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00:03:18.350You're like a diamond to me.
00:03:18.350 -->
00:03:25.873There are so many facets of your story, naeem, and I want to talk about all of them, but we can't.
00:03:25.873 -->
00:03:38.287But I wonder if you could just give us a condensed version of the miracle content, condensed God's miraculous movement in your life.
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00:03:39.570Wow, wow.
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00:03:41.768First of all, thank you for having me.
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00:03:44.489Second of all, I don't think I've ever been called a diamond.
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00:03:47.439You are a diamond, I'll take it.
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00:03:48.986A prism, a diamond.
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00:03:58.201Yes, I think everybody needs to be a diamond instead of the old illustration of we're all onions that we peel back.
00:03:58.262 -->
00:03:59.947I think we're actually diamonds.
00:03:59.947 -->
00:04:01.651Yeah, I don't like onions.
00:04:02.319 -->
00:04:04.520Yeah, no one likes onions, no, but.
00:04:04.540 -->
00:04:06.228I love a good diamond, Like I like mine.
00:04:06.228 -->
00:04:08.046You put it in the light and it's just like.
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00:04:17.595Well, you know, Jewish rabbis had this idea of the I think it's called in the 70 faces of the Torah.
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00:04:20.970So they likened the Torah as like to a diamond.
00:04:20.970 -->
00:04:29.858They said that if you take a gem, for example, and you put it towards the light, and every time you move it you see a part of the gem you've never seen before.
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00:04:32.064That's right, and so it's really.
00:04:32.064 -->
00:04:33.749There's a phrase called turning the gem.
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00:04:35.333What?
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00:04:36.341Yeah?
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00:04:42.100And so when you turn the scriptures, you see something about God that you'll never see before.
00:04:42.401 -->
00:05:07.786What's beautiful about that is that when you consider people and souls as these gems which we are, you know we're wonderfully, beautifully created by God and we are complex beings, and so when we have the light of God shine on us in different seasons of our life, you see a particular kind of beauty, a particular kind of personality, something you've never seen before.
00:05:07.786 -->
00:05:19.249And so I think it's so tough, you know, because obviously, physically, you know, with lighting, you know people look so different depending on the lighting, Right, so your soul looks very different, depending on the light as well.
00:05:20.202 -->
00:05:25.329So anyways, so we're shining the light on a few of your facets today.
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00:05:33.473Yes, and there are the other books that you have that people, my readers, my heartlifters, can go get to learn about other facets.
00:05:33.939 -->
00:05:38.531But you do have a miraculous story of coming to the faith.
00:05:38.920 -->
00:05:41.387So I cannot be remiss in not asking you.
00:05:42.129 -->
00:05:43.963Okay, okay, so you want me to jump into that?
00:05:44.245 -->
00:05:44.887Jump right in.
00:05:45.488 -->
00:05:46.151Okay, I.
00:05:46.151 -->
00:05:47.555So you want me to jump into that?
00:05:47.555 -->
00:05:47.937Jump right in.
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00:05:52.620Okay, I'll do it, I'll do it.
00:05:52.620 -->
00:05:55.225So yeah, my story really started it starts when I came to faith in Jesus.
00:05:55.245 -->
00:05:57.711But I have to give the backstory a little bit.
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00:05:58.892So I grew up as a Pakistani kid.
00:05:58.892 -->
00:06:02.862I have two brothers, two sisters, and we grew up not in Pakistan, you know, but actually in Kuwait.
00:06:02.862 -->
00:06:05.002And we grew up not in Pakistan, you know, but actually in Kuwait.
00:06:05.002 -->
00:06:06.923We grew up in Kuwait, in the Middle East.
00:06:06.923 -->
00:06:13.007But since we are, you know, Muslims, the culture was Muslim as well.
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00:06:19.591So it was very similar to us and it was familiar to us.
00:06:19.591 -->
00:06:26.555But yeah, I grew up there and I came to the States in 1992 after the Gulf War.
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00:06:30.896Now, in my first book, called Ex-Muslim, I talk about that.
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00:06:32.478Yes, I have to get that one.
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00:06:44.632Yeah, so it's not about being anti-Muslim, it's just that I was a Muslim and now I've met Jesus and so, yeah, so I came here in 1992 after the first Gulf War, if you remember that?
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00:06:47.288Oh, clearly clearly.
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00:06:50.228Yeah, so my brother was in the.
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00:06:51.471So we were all in the States.
00:06:51.471 -->
00:06:53.185My brother was older than me.
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00:07:01.870He got accepted to a college in the States, came here, came back and told me and my siblings that he was a Christian.
00:07:01.870 -->
00:07:05.716Oh yeah, that was crazy and I threatened to kill him.
00:07:05.716 -->
00:07:08.247So that was the first time I heard about Jesus.
00:07:08.247 -->
00:07:14.793So now he goes back to college and Iraq invades Kuwait.
00:07:14.793 -->
00:07:16.377This is 1990.
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00:07:17.040Yes.
00:07:17.360 -->
00:07:19.348And we survived the war.
00:07:19.348 -->
00:07:22.850We were there throughout the liberation, you know.
00:07:24.800 -->
00:07:27.951And came here after that in 1992.
00:07:27.951 -->
00:07:35.089And my brother invited me to FCA Fellowship for Christian Athletes, and so I was like I'm not really interested in all that.
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00:07:47.485And I knew that he was like this Jesus guy and I'm like I just don't want to be a part of this man because I wasn't really looking for God, I wasn't looking for religion, I wasn't looking for religion, I wasn't looking for anything.
00:07:47.485 -->
00:07:55.800And in fact, you know, this might explain why I wrote this book and why the cover of this book looks like this is because when I came to the States, I wanted to be an art major.
00:07:55.800 -->
00:08:02.014So I was thinking I was gonna be an artist, I was gonna do this, yeah, so I end up in FCA.
00:08:02.819 -->
00:08:03.706Okay, this is starting to make sense to me.
00:08:03.706 -->
00:08:04.129Yeah, I end up in FCA.
00:08:04.129 -->
00:08:05.399Okay, this is starting to make sense to me.
00:08:05.418 -->
00:08:14.687Yeah, I end up in FCA and that's where I hear about the gospel, this idea of a God who's very personal, a God who's very relational, and you know, islam is just not like that.
00:08:14.687 -->
00:08:16.687So I was like I don't even believe any of this.
00:08:16.687 -->
00:08:22.088And then my brother was convinced that if I would just ask Jesus to reveal himself, he'll do it.
00:08:22.088 -->
00:08:24.492I thought this was just nuts.
00:08:24.492 -->
00:08:25.372He was crazy.
00:08:25.372 -->
00:08:33.407So we spent, like you know, weeks debating on it and I was being fun of him and it was.
00:08:33.407 -->
00:08:36.116It was not good, but I was like so intrigued by the idea that this could be possible.
00:08:36.136 -->
00:08:46.394Anyways, so once Tuesday it was a Tuesday night right after the meeting, they were ending in prayer, and and I looked up and I just said you know, this is even true, half true.
00:08:46.394 -->
00:08:47.195I want to know.
00:08:47.195 -->
00:08:55.886And so I, yeah, I went, I didn't, that's it, that's all I did, and that's nothing happened, and I thought nothing of it.
00:08:55.886 -->
00:09:10.184And then, a couple of days later, I was in my bed trying to fall asleep and all of a sudden I feel like my body is reacting to something that I can't really see, like it's not just, it wasn't just fear, it was like death had walked into the room.
00:09:10.184 -->
00:09:12.552I'm not quite sure, couldn't explain it to you.
00:09:12.552 -->
00:09:18.965And then I'm just trying to look around and see what's going on and something grabs me.
00:09:19.807 -->
00:09:19.889Oh.
00:09:20.539 -->
00:09:21.100I mean seriously.
00:09:21.100 -->
00:09:22.863This is where the story gets crazy.
00:09:22.863 -->
00:09:34.134Something grabs me from my and my shoulders, drags me and pins me into my pillow, and so I just react to get out of it and something sits on me and I'm now.
00:09:34.134 -->
00:09:53.059I cannot move no-transcript.
00:09:53.059 -->
00:09:57.071So now I'm like I'm distraught, I don't know what to do, sure.
00:09:57.519 -->
00:09:58.682Panicked, freaking out.
00:09:59.004 -->
00:10:01.130Yeah, freaking out, I'm looking at the room.
00:10:05.500 -->
00:10:06.749It looks evil, I'm like what is happening?
00:10:06.769 -->
00:10:08.240And I'm just thinking am I in a dream?
00:10:08.440 -->
00:10:09.946I just didn't wake up, you know.
00:10:10.408 -->
00:10:12.205Sure, and I didn't even fall asleep.
00:10:12.205 -->
00:10:13.028I mean nothing, you know.
00:10:13.028 -->
00:10:26.591And so the door opens up and I kid you not, you know, I kid you not this thing walks in and this is where the story gets really crazy and unbelievable.
00:10:26.591 -->
00:10:37.652Right, and you know, I like in Islam, we just don't talk about demons and angels a whole lot but, this thing was clearly like this walking gargoyle demon thing.
00:10:37.772 -->
00:10:52.312I didn't know, I didn't know what I was looking at, even, and so it came closer and it starts communicating and, basically, is saying something to the effect that I'm he's gonna kill me and I'm gonna die tonight and I'm just freaking out like now.
00:10:52.312 -->
00:10:56.451I'm like uh full-fledged panic yeah, yeah, I'm like did I?
00:10:56.451 -->
00:10:58.820Who did I, who did I take off upstairs?
00:10:58.820 -->
00:11:05.850Like you know, was it allah, because I went to to FCA.
00:11:05.910 -->
00:11:09.701Oh, you definitely stirred the pot for sure, yeah, was it Jesus?
00:11:09.741 -->
00:11:13.669because I was like arguing and making fun of him and I didn't believe any of this.
00:11:13.669 -->
00:11:15.173I was like who you know?
00:11:15.173 -->
00:11:17.706And so these things get closer.
00:11:17.706 -->
00:11:20.506I kid you not, I'm praying to any God out there.
00:11:20.506 -->
00:11:22.626I'm like Allah, buddha, oprah.
00:11:22.626 -->
00:11:23.931You know what I'm saying, anybody.
00:11:28.559 -->
00:11:28.900Whoever out?
00:11:28.900 -->
00:11:32.746There, I'm like allah, buddha oprah, you know I'm saying anybody, whoever, whoever, please who are you?
00:11:32.767 -->
00:11:33.008yes, anybody.
00:11:33.008 -->
00:11:34.109That's hysterical, I'm sorry.
00:11:34.109 -->
00:11:46.033So this thing yeah, this thing gets closer, oh, and all of a sudden is um disappears and I'm like stunned in my bed going what just happened?
00:11:46.033 -->
00:11:55.414So I run out of the room, wake up my brother and I tell him what happened and he goes oh, oh, oh, this stuff is all real.
00:11:55.414 -->
00:11:57.283And I'm like what do you mean?
00:11:57.283 -->
00:12:00.282This stuff is all real Because I was hoping he would just say you just had a bad dream.
00:12:00.282 -->
00:12:02.908This is not real stuff.
00:12:03.308 -->
00:12:05.614Well, he said let God reveal himself to you, right?
00:12:05.614 -->
00:12:06.434So here I know.
00:12:06.434 -->
00:12:08.419Yeah, I mean hello, yeah.
00:12:08.679 -->
00:12:14.828So then he says this to me which I'd never heard before, obviously, and he said oh, this kind of stuff is in the Bible.
00:12:14.828 -->
00:12:18.761And I'm like, what, what are you talking about?
00:12:18.761 -->
00:12:22.027Like I mean, and now, looking back, I don't realize.
00:12:22.027 -->
00:12:27.774I don't think people realize how many supernatural things are in the Bible, especially in the life of Jesus.
00:12:27.774 -->
00:12:33.004So he starts telling me about them and then I'm like blown, my mind is blown.
00:12:33.004 -->
00:12:34.726I'm like I just don't know what you're saying here.
00:12:34.860 -->
00:12:36.206Sorry, that's so awful.
00:12:37.639 -->
00:12:48.865And then so he tells me about the gospel, talks to me about what it means, what is salvations about, repenting of sins, and what God might be doing and this, and that it tells me a lot of things.
00:12:48.865 -->
00:12:50.905And then finally I just stop him and I go.
00:12:50.905 -->
00:12:51.408You know what?
00:12:51.408 -->
00:12:57.009Listen, I just think there's something out to kill me, so I need some real help.
00:12:57.009 -->
00:12:57.630Help.
00:12:57.630 -->
00:12:59.166And then he says this.
00:12:59.166 -->
00:13:05.426He says well, there's only one person I know who has authority over demons and angels, and I'm like who?
00:13:05.426 -->
00:13:06.847And he was like Jesus.
00:13:07.389 -->
00:13:09.370Yeah, and I was like all right.
00:13:10.312 -->
00:13:11.653I was like all right, let's do this.
00:13:11.653 -->
00:13:13.034And he's like all right, you want to pray?
00:13:13.034 -->
00:13:13.655I'm like yes.
00:13:13.655 -->
00:13:18.581So he said okay, why don't you repeat after me?
00:13:18.581 -->
00:13:26.075And I was about to, but before I did that, I wanted to have a really honest, real prayer, and so I remember saying this.
00:13:26.075 -->
00:13:28.668I said this is my first interaction with Jesus.
00:13:28.668 -->
00:13:35.308I said, jesus, I don't know who you are, so I can't say you're the Lord of my life.
00:13:35.308 -->
00:13:39.927I don't know anything about you, so I can't say I love you.
00:13:39.927 -->
00:13:45.849I can't make any promises, but if you will save me from this, I'll give you my whole life.
00:13:47.011 -->
00:13:47.432Been there.
00:13:48.802 -->
00:13:49.504So I did that.
00:13:49.504 -->
00:13:51.345He prayed for me.
00:13:51.345 -->
00:13:56.831You know, I repeat after him amen, amen.
00:13:56.831 -->
00:13:58.645I open my eyes.
00:13:58.645 -->
00:14:01.166He is like ecstatic.
00:14:01.166 -->
00:14:02.328You know, he's smiling.
00:14:02.389 -->
00:14:03.071He's so happy.
00:14:04.061 -->
00:14:05.105He was so happy, he was like.
00:14:05.105 -->
00:14:07.120He was like oh my gosh, I can't believe you did this.
00:14:07.201 -->
00:14:13.494Oh my gosh, I can't believe it and I was scared to it yeah, and I well for me.
00:14:13.679 -->
00:14:20.942I was like, um well, that's great, but I'm still scared to death like I'm saying going in that room yes.
00:14:20.942 -->
00:14:22.947So then he was like I kid you not.
00:14:22.947 -->
00:14:24.309He was like all right, man, I'll see you in the morning.
00:14:24.309 -->
00:14:27.937And I'm like no, I'm spooning you for a month, you know.
00:14:27.937 -->
00:14:30.743I'm saying like that's what's happening, I'm not doing this.
00:14:30.743 -->
00:14:33.429Like he goes no, no, you got to go back in the room.
00:14:33.429 -->
00:14:37.125And I'm like no, no, I'm sleeping here I'm sleeping right here.
00:14:37.166 -->
00:14:46.312Buddy, teddy bear, it's happening yes, crosses in my hand right, right, and he gives me uh, so he goes, I got you, I got you.
00:14:46.312 -->
00:14:48.126And he says let me give you a Bible.
00:14:48.126 -->
00:14:50.148And he gives me a Bible that's smaller than my eye.
00:14:50.148 -->
00:14:53.605Oh gosh, you know, isn't the Gideon Bibles?
00:14:53.605 -->
00:14:56.666Yes, you know the green ones.
00:14:56.666 -->
00:14:59.000I do so.
00:14:59.000 -->
00:15:00.125Imagine this.
00:15:00.125 -->
00:15:01.450Imagine this.
00:15:01.450 -->
00:15:03.105I have never held a Bible.
00:15:03.105 -->
00:15:04.482I'm a Muslim kid.
00:15:04.482 -->
00:15:06.830I'm like this is the bible.
00:15:06.830 -->
00:15:10.086My face hurts and I was like do you have something bigger?
00:15:10.086 -->
00:15:14.283I'm like because if I'm gonna go back in the room, I need something bigger.
00:15:14.604 -->
00:15:36.186I need a big family bible right, yes, yeah, but he was like no, no, you're fine, just go back in the room, you'll be fine, I need to go back to sleep right, and so, finally, I go back in the room, I turn on all the lights and I'm here and I gotta tell you I was freaked out.
00:15:36.186 -->
00:15:47.303I was like you know when you're spooked, not that you can't, you can't get it everything makes a sound yes, oh yes all the time become, it gets becomes alive right away.
00:15:48.046 -->
00:15:49.428Yes, so I'm like I.
00:15:49.428 -->
00:15:53.236I don't know what's going on, so an hour I know.
00:15:53.236 -->
00:15:57.447Now, an hour into it, I'm like I get so mad.
00:15:57.447 -->
00:15:59.471I don't know why I just get so mad.
00:15:59.471 -->
00:16:01.679I'm like you know what I just I was.
00:16:01.679 -->
00:16:06.030I just came here, uh, it's been like three weeks since I've been in the us.
00:16:06.030 -->
00:16:07.562Wow, I'm I.
00:16:07.562 -->
00:16:13.975I, you know, I didn't, um, like I, I don't, I'm trying to get into college.
00:16:13.975 -->
00:16:16.520I didn't graduate from high school.
00:16:16.520 -->
00:16:17.263Oh, I've got.
00:16:17.263 -->
00:16:17.864I've got.
00:16:17.864 -->
00:16:18.966I've been held at gunpoint.
00:16:19.427 -->
00:16:25.789I've gone through you know, all like all these not really the best time time in America to show up.
00:16:25.789 -->
00:16:26.871I don't think either.
00:16:26.871 -->
00:16:36.245Right your TED talk talks about that, so I'll just link everyone to that because it's very informative and very present day, very, very good so.
00:16:36.746 -->
00:16:38.682Well, thank you, yeah, so then.
00:16:38.682 -->
00:16:41.966So I just get frustrated, I go, shut off the lights.
00:16:41.966 -->
00:16:44.369I look up again, get to my bed, look up again.
00:16:44.369 -->
00:16:50.847I say you know what, jesus, if I died tonight it is your fault, like I don't even know what to say.
00:16:50.847 -->
00:16:51.571I honestly don't know what to say.
00:16:51.571 -->
00:16:53.539I mean, again, I don't know what to say.
00:16:53.940 -->
00:16:55.043This is fantastic.
00:16:55.043 -->
00:16:56.024It's so right though.
00:16:56.024 -->
00:16:57.609It's so honest, Like.
00:16:57.729 -->
00:16:58.490I don't know you.
00:16:58.571 -->
00:16:59.562Why would I yeah?
00:16:59.942 -->
00:17:06.426Yeah, so the next thing I so I put the, and this is where it gets crazy.
00:17:06.426 -->
00:17:19.751Next thing I know is I find myself sitting on my bed looking at this presence and he says I'm Jesus and your life is not your own.
00:17:19.751 -->
00:17:26.329Now I've never felt peace so aggressive.
00:17:26.931 -->
00:17:33.040Okay, yep, there you go piece so aggressive.
00:17:33.060 -->
00:17:36.288Okay, yep, there you go, and uh, I just I remember it's so crazy because I can't even explain what I look was looking at I.
00:17:36.288 -->
00:17:38.452I was looking at him, but I was inside of him.
00:17:38.452 -->
00:17:40.324It's the craziest thing.
00:17:40.324 -->
00:17:49.409It felt like like my body could not just handle being um in this dimension, like he was, like like I don't know I can't even.
00:17:49.429 -->
00:17:50.289It's liminal space.
00:17:50.289 -->
00:17:52.773It's yeah, it's unexplainable Mysterious.
00:17:52.773 -->
00:17:54.156Yep, yeah, yeah.
00:17:54.361 -->
00:17:57.767So, um wow, His presence was so intoxicating.
00:17:57.767 -->
00:18:06.221I again, I remember him saying your life is not your own and uh, yeah, I fell asleep and the next uh, the morning.
00:18:06.221 -->
00:18:09.167I woke up the next morning and I felt like I had gotten a download.
00:18:09.167 -->
00:18:11.093I knew I was supposed to be in ministry.
00:18:11.093 -->
00:18:12.886I knew I was supposed to change.
00:18:12.886 -->
00:18:17.693I was not supposed to go to be an artist, I just knew I was—I didn't even know what ministry meant.
00:18:18.381 -->
00:18:20.385And then, yeah, that started a journey.
00:18:20.385 -->
00:18:32.894A three-year—I mean I was in college and for three years I just focused on just understanding and developing my relationship with him understanding Christianity, understanding the Bible.
00:18:32.894 -->
00:18:36.189I didn't date for three years.
00:18:37.422 -->
00:18:38.606I love the three-year thing.
00:18:38.606 -->
00:18:39.905That's very biblical, by the way.
00:18:40.359 -->
00:18:41.683Yeah, I didn't even know.
00:18:41.683 -->
00:18:42.967Yeah, I didn't know.
00:18:42.967 -->
00:18:47.287Fascinating, yeah, and so, yeah, so that fast forward now.
00:18:47.287 -->
00:18:52.428Wow, that's the story, and then I'll just say this, then we can jump into Tomorrow.
00:18:52.428 -->
00:18:53.211Needs you my book?
00:18:53.211 -->
00:18:59.173But I have two brothers and two sisters and all have come to faith in Jesus since then.
00:18:59.173 -->
00:19:01.883Because every yeah, an ex-Muslim.
00:19:01.883 -->
00:19:06.329That book chronicles my story and the story of my family all coming to faith.
00:19:06.790 -->
00:19:08.834It's amazing In supernatural ways.
00:19:09.074 -->
00:19:09.595So that's that.
00:19:10.240 -->
00:19:29.326It doesn't surprise me that he reached out to you in that way, because I think, I mean, there's such a real war going on in between the kingdom of God and the kingdom here, and so it's amazing and tomorrow needed you.
00:19:29.326 -->
00:19:30.190So here we are.
00:19:30.210 -->
00:19:31.273Yeah, it seems like it.
00:19:31.273 -->
00:19:31.776It tomorrow needed you.
00:19:31.776 -->
00:19:32.196So here we are.
00:19:32.196 -->
00:19:32.799Yeah, seems like it.
00:19:32.799 -->
00:19:34.486It seems like it, yeah.
00:19:35.000 -->
00:19:38.351Your book is in three parts, which I really love.
00:19:38.351 -->
00:19:40.306Part one is yesterday has forgotten you.
00:19:40.306 -->
00:19:41.851Okay, we're going to talk about that.
00:19:41.851 -->
00:19:43.946Part two is today, is waiting.
00:19:43.946 -->
00:19:46.146Part three is tomorrow needs you?
00:19:46.146 -->
00:20:00.143So in the world that I live in, with counseling, psychology, therapy, coaching, the mental health field, right, emotional healing, all of that jazz, yesterday has forgotten you is not a common theme.
00:20:00.143 -->
00:20:07.931We spend a lot of time looking at the past.
00:20:08.491 -->
00:20:13.135You know, and here's your media kit that I love and adore.
00:20:13.135 -->
00:20:25.384That says forgetting the past, and I just wrote on there this, like if we are, let me read this God is calling you and me, regardless of what happened to us.
00:20:25.384 -->
00:20:29.109He's calling us to the future.
00:20:29.109 -->
00:20:36.463He knows that our dreams and aspirations and all the beautiful things exist in the future.
00:20:36.463 -->
00:20:40.171This evokes such deep emotion in me.
00:20:40.171 -->
00:20:49.954If we are consumed with the things of yesterday, we cannot tap into the possibility of tomorrow.
00:20:50.476 -->
00:21:06.067I mean that's a good preaching there, like right, good writing, but that idea of forgetting the past, you know, just let it go, just let it go, sister, just let it go, brother just let it go get in the prayer line, let it go.
00:21:06.067 -->
00:21:10.662Okay, and that yesterday has forgotten you, it's just.
00:21:10.662 -->
00:21:12.907It's a bit mind blowing to me.
00:21:13.769 -->
00:21:14.791Yeah, yeah.
00:21:14.791 -->
00:21:24.605So to me, you know, I don't like telling people like, hey, you know, don't worry about the past, Forget the past.
00:21:24.605 -->
00:21:35.496In my book I talk about the idea where we are infatuated with the past, like we're infatuated with a relationship, maybe a romantic relationship, maybe a friendship.
00:21:36.361 -->
00:21:50.029It's why we get on Facebook and all of a sudden go to the past and just go back and find all the people because we're infatuated with the past, and my idea is, the past is not infatuated with us.
00:21:50.029 -->
00:21:58.922So, if it was, a relationship like yesterday has forgotten you, like you, you guys were a thing, but you're no longer a thing.
00:21:58.922 -->
00:22:06.026It's like going back to an ex and still trying to rekindle something, and so, if it's good or bad, you can't rekindle the past.
00:22:06.026 -->
00:22:09.794And as long as you live there, you see, we have to reconcile the past.
00:22:09.794 -->
00:22:14.605We have to reconcile it, yes, and then move forward, but we can't rehearse it.
00:22:14.605 -->
00:22:16.089Oh, there it is.
00:22:16.089 -->
00:22:18.969We have to go back and rehearse it and rehearse it.
00:22:18.969 -->
00:22:25.832And you know, as you're an expert in this, we're trying to, as we go back and look at people's past trauma.
00:22:25.832 -->
00:22:28.894We're not trying to rehearse it just to regurgitate it.
00:22:28.894 -->
00:22:31.035No, we're trying to reconcile it.
00:22:31.055 -->
00:22:39.439So we can close the books on it and say, now that we've done this, we've got to move on and do something else.
00:22:39.439 -->
00:23:00.647Because, see, the thing is is that some people, like I talk about in the book, some people we think that moving forward in life is we need to concentrate, we need to conserve the past and if we can't live today our lives conserving everything that happened in the past, let's tell the story of the past.
00:23:00.647 -->
00:23:03.223Let's talk about the past, again and again.
00:23:03.906 -->
00:23:04.348Again, again.
00:23:04.348 -->
00:23:11.132No, because if you live, you can either live your life conserving the past or creating the future.
00:23:11.132 -->
00:23:12.674That's incredible.
00:23:12.674 -->
00:23:21.768In the book I talk about how hope you know we all want hope, but do you know one thing that does not exist in the past?
00:23:23.191 -->
00:23:24.554Hope, hope, that's what you say.
00:23:25.984 -->
00:23:39.413Hope doesn't exist in the past, it's really disarming and messing up my hair and my life, and I think I want it to mess up everybody's mind and shake it up in all the right ways.
00:23:39.413 -->
00:23:42.429Because you say yesterday has forgotten you.
00:23:42.429 -->
00:23:47.511Why don't you reconcile it and close the book?
00:23:47.511 -->
00:23:50.567I like the way that you say that, like the way I say it is.
00:23:50.567 -->
00:23:54.846We bring the past into the present long enough to make sense of it and make meaning of it.
00:23:54.846 -->
00:24:00.346And I would now add reconcile it so that we can move on and live in the present and have this future.
00:24:00.386 -->
00:24:04.388Yeah, we have to learn from the past.
00:24:04.388 -->
00:24:06.306You can't ignore the past.
00:24:06.380 -->
00:24:07.685No, you have to make meaning with it.
00:24:07.839 -->
00:24:08.721That's perfect, you got past.
00:24:08.721 -->
00:24:10.006No, you have to make meaning with it.
00:24:10.006 -->
00:24:11.529That's perfect, you got to, you got to.
00:24:11.529 -->
00:24:13.255And especially in trauma, you've got to.
00:24:13.255 -->
00:24:14.057Uh, you've got to.
00:24:14.057 -->
00:24:15.622Yes, yeah, you've got to have bring meaning to.
00:24:15.622 -->
00:24:18.391Well, okay, okay, not, why did it happen?
00:24:18.391 -->
00:24:24.102But, right, like, but there's so many other, so many questions, and that's why this book is really about post-traumatic growth.
00:24:24.102 -->
00:24:29.145Uh, yes, it's not about Sorry, I get so excited.
00:24:29.787 -->
00:24:34.790Yeah, it's about the fact that the trauma does break us.
00:24:34.790 -->
00:24:38.794It does, but it does not have to shape us.
00:24:39.855 -->
00:24:42.557No, tell me your thoughts on that.
00:24:43.941 -->
00:24:44.300Why so?
00:24:44.300 -->
00:24:52.940For example, like you know, one of the beautiful things about writing this book is that I've been able to tell the stories of so many people Like.
00:24:52.940 -->
00:25:14.670So every chapter is a book, is a story of someone who's come out of traumatic experiences Great and so and it's pretty hard-hitting stuff, yeah, but what happens is is that, like I'll tell you let me use my dad, for example and you mentioned the TEDx talk and he's in there as well, and so why did I call it Tomorrow?
00:25:14.670 -->
00:25:14.990Needs you?
00:25:14.990 -->
00:25:16.164Let me explain why.
00:25:16.880 -->
00:25:34.786Because my dad for those of you who do not know, my dad tried to commit suicide, failed at committing suicide, and as I was talking to him about it and his depression and he was sharing with me, one of the things he said was no one needs me, no one needs me.
00:25:34.786 -->
00:25:36.689And I said look around, dad.
00:25:36.689 -->
00:25:40.162He was like no one needs me, I've lost everything.
00:25:40.162 -->
00:26:06.005And what he started doing was he was starting to talk about how the business, the opportunities, the life that he lost in the war which, you know, I was a kid, I was a teenager, so I lost some things, but he was an adult and lost successful, very successful right yeah, yeah and then he came here and, because of the language barrier, I mean, all he could work was at a grocery store or, sorry, a convenience store.
00:26:06.285 -->
00:26:23.047Yeah, yeah, like the the yeah, yeah, like the typical idea, like, yes, the picture, you see, he lived it and it was like so heartbreaking for him, like he could not function and so it was traumatic for him to move to this state and it broke him.
00:26:23.106 -->
00:26:25.904It broke him when he said no one needs me.
00:26:25.904 -->
00:26:30.022I was like I said, dad, I need you, I need you, I need you.
00:26:30.022 -->
00:26:41.446And so then, that's why I wrote this book called Tomorrow Needs you, because the lie of depression, in a sense the lie of, of um hopelessness.
00:26:41.446 -->
00:26:44.092Hopelessness is that no one needs you.
00:26:44.512 -->
00:26:46.163I've been there, might as well, yeah.
00:26:46.163 -->
00:26:47.586Might as well.
00:26:47.586 -->
00:26:50.922They well be better off without me right, they'll be better off.
00:26:51.123 -->
00:26:59.067They'll be better off, and, and so that's why I wrote this book, because I just have too many people in my life who've committed suicide.
00:26:59.067 -->
00:27:07.526Now, my dad, uh, passed away a year or six months after he, uh, he tried to commit suicide, but didn didn't succeed.
00:27:07.526 -->
00:27:14.454Did not succeed, yeah, but yeah, and so what happens there, though, is is that so?
00:27:14.454 -->
00:27:20.038When people focus on the fact that trauma breaks them, they just broken, and that's why I love them.
00:27:20.038 -->
00:27:25.907That's why I talked about beauty, because I believe, with Jesus, we are the broken becoming beautiful.
00:27:26.601 -->
00:27:29.488Oh, Kintsugi, right, the Japanese art form.
00:27:29.627 -->
00:27:31.621Oh there's just yes, I mean we can.
00:27:31.621 -->
00:27:37.874The thing I say here is the longest journey to healing is from the head into the heart.
00:27:37.874 -->
00:27:44.712Right, it's this passage from brain to heart to really embodying the truth.
00:27:44.712 -->
00:27:57.153Like you could say to me when I was in a depression years ago oh, you know, there's brokenness in your beauty and I'm like, yeah, whatever, you know, when you're that dark, when you have that dark night of the soul, you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
00:27:57.980 -->
00:28:01.130My heart lifters really understand this concept.
00:28:01.130 -->
00:28:09.429That's why your work, your book, but the work behind your book, your story, has so much strength in it.
00:28:09.429 -->
00:28:19.259This is, you know, it's so important to know that fear you say fear, no longer dictates, no longer dictates.
00:28:19.259 -->
00:28:32.287So you also say, on the other hand, when we enter into suffering or enter a dark night of the soul, I love this, love is always questioned.
00:28:32.287 -->
00:28:34.893Why is that?
00:28:34.893 -->
00:28:44.555Why, how, before we talk about implementing beauty, why I was so intrigued by that.
00:28:44.555 -->
00:28:49.368You know, why is love always questioned?
00:28:49.368 -->
00:28:58.752It's hitting a little too close to my heart and a lot of hearts, you're not gonna flip the switch.
00:28:59.054 -->
00:29:12.623Um well, I mean my my off the top of my head would be that I have what we say in the therapy world, an insecure, ambivalent attachment.
00:29:12.623 -->
00:29:15.193I did not get secure attachment as a child.
00:29:15.193 -->
00:29:15.836I did not.
00:29:15.836 -->
00:29:38.346I came in an alcohol home so I was not seen, known that the love of God is pure towards me, it's unconditional, there's no conditions to it.
00:29:39.539 -->
00:29:39.641And.
00:29:39.701 -->
00:29:47.074I just think how can a person be in a state of being where they never question that?
00:29:48.761 -->
00:29:49.103Is that a?
00:29:49.182 -->
00:29:50.146weird question.
00:29:50.267 -->
00:29:53.567No, no, no, it's a real question.
00:29:53.567 -->
00:29:57.550It's one that we wrestle with subconsciously, you know.
00:29:57.640 -->
00:29:58.604Yes, that's it.
00:29:59.307 -->
00:30:05.094Yeah, Like in the book, I talk about people who've experienced.
00:30:05.094 -->
00:30:18.284The love we've kind of experienced is either deprived or depraved ah, tell me the difference so, so deprived is that you've been, you didn't get enough of it, but you didn't.
00:30:18.664 -->
00:30:27.988It's always like you were under loved and so now a lot of things you do is because of that, and depraved loved is it was a controlling kind of love.
00:30:27.988 -->
00:30:28.890So it was.
00:30:28.890 -->
00:30:29.130It was.
00:30:29.130 -->
00:30:32.224It was you got all the love but you had to do all the things.
00:30:32.224 -->
00:30:39.722So one was this idea of was that I just don't have a time for you, like we.
00:30:39.722 -->
00:30:41.307You know it was depraved.
00:30:41.307 -->
00:30:57.395It was like you're, you're, you're, I'm sorry, you're deprived, you're like I, I, I needed this and I and sometimes in real life, big families, you find a kid that goes does no one care about me?
00:30:57.576 -->
00:30:59.605Yes, no one sees me, right?
00:30:59.605 -->
00:31:00.166No one hears me.
00:31:00.166 -->
00:31:00.768No one hears me.
00:31:01.329 -->
00:31:04.828Yeah, and so they struggle their whole life with significance.
00:31:04.828 -->
00:31:07.767Yes, you know what's fascinating about significance.
00:31:07.767 -->
00:31:09.226You know what the word significance means.
00:31:09.226 -->
00:31:12.267Can't pull it out but you tell me.
00:31:12.267 -->
00:31:16.464It says this being worthy of attention.
00:31:17.428 -->
00:31:17.709Yes.
00:31:19.060 -->
00:31:23.392See, so many people are convinced I'm not worthy of attention, oh gosh.
00:31:23.392 -->
00:31:33.042So what that says is so now you've got this depraved kind of thinking, you've got love, that's.
00:31:33.042 -->
00:31:42.915You know like it's, and I think depravity and you know having enough, and both of these kinds of loves work together in a bad way.
00:31:42.915 -->
00:31:44.815But it's a bad milkshake.
00:31:44.815 -->
00:31:45.380You know what I'm saying.
00:31:45.380 -->
00:31:49.290It's like one says, hey, you're not good enough.
00:31:49.290 -->
00:32:17.940No-transcript.
00:32:17.940 -->
00:32:26.153And the word perfect actually in the text is the word complete, perfected, or mature.
00:32:29.579 -->
00:32:32.867Now, what's what's interesting about the word mature is it's basically like it's ripened.
00:32:32.867 -->
00:32:34.205It's like a fruit that's ripened.
00:32:34.205 -->
00:32:35.482It won't.
00:32:35.482 -->
00:32:37.161There's nothing more to it.
00:32:37.161 -->
00:32:40.887So God never has a moment that he looks at us and goes you know what?
00:32:40.887 -->
00:32:42.005I think I love you more.
00:32:42.005 -->
00:32:44.963Today, humans do that.
00:32:44.963 -->
00:32:47.584Yes, god goes.
00:32:47.584 -->
00:32:53.301I don't think I can, I can't love you more and I choose to not love you less.
00:32:53.301 -->
00:32:57.169So so I think.
00:32:57.169 -->
00:33:05.470That's why I think and that's why I've talked about how in one of my chapters, I talk about how, when faith fails, yes, take us there.
00:33:06.105 -->
00:33:06.326Yeah.
00:33:06.326 -->
00:33:12.747So when people talk about faith and they use faith faith is used for a lot of things In the Christian world.
00:33:12.747 -->
00:33:20.020Obviously we use it to fight fear and we've said, hey, you know what, we've got to be fearless, we've got to be faith-filled, fight fear.
00:33:20.020 -->
00:33:18.997And we've said, hey, you know what, we've got to be fearless, we've got to be faith-filled.
00:33:18.997 -->
00:33:29.609So there's always this implied that the answer to fear is having more faith.
00:33:29.609 -->
00:33:37.653Yes, the only problem with that is it's not necessarily true.
00:33:38.645 -->
00:33:53.500Now, what I mean by that, I know it's a pretty bold statement to say, because in the scriptures, what the scriptures say is that faith is the opposite of fear.
00:33:53.500 -->
00:33:58.112It's not the solution, like it doesn't dismantle it.
00:33:58.112 -->
00:34:06.872The only thing that does is perfect love casts out fear, first on four yeah, and then he says yeah.
00:34:06.872 -->
00:34:27.574He says and if you fear, it's because of fear of punishment, and that's because perfect love has not totally been completed in you, like you haven't totally identified with and believed that, oh, god loves me and I'm found in him, and that sets us free.
00:34:27.574 -->
00:34:38.367And so the reason why I connect beauty so much because I talk about in my TEDx talk, I talk about beauty, how beauty is the solution to fear.
00:34:38.367 -->
00:34:48.079It's because I believe that there is an undeniable connection with beauty and love, and because people go.
00:34:48.079 -->
00:34:50.168Well, what do you mean by beauty, right?
00:34:50.208 -->
00:34:53.554Yes, Talk to us from your artist soul, yeah.
00:34:53.835 -->
00:35:06.016So beauty is very interesting, the word beauty, because what is beautiful truly is in the eye of the beholder, and beautiful things does not have to be something that's attractive Like.
00:35:06.016 -->
00:35:14.699I think people go this thing, this person, this opportunity, whatever is beautiful, because it's attractive Of course that's not it.
00:35:15.144 -->
00:35:16.148Well, that is our culture.
00:35:16.148 -->
00:35:16.831Come on now.
00:35:17.092 -->
00:35:21.047Yes, yeah, I'm not talking about being attracted to something.
00:35:21.047 -->
00:35:25.010I'm talking about something that's beautiful.
00:35:25.010 -->
00:35:45.054Meaning the word beauty means you basically are saying this is the biggest thing Out of all things, this is the one, this is the thing.
00:35:45.054 -->
00:35:50.657This is more beautiful than that, which means to me this is a bigger deal than that.
00:35:50.657 -->
00:35:56.911And so when you think about that, when you think about, oh, that's what beauty is.
00:35:56.911 -->
00:36:07.135So I say, when you make something bigger in front of you, then the fear inside of you, that bigger thing, is called beauty.
00:36:07.135 -->
00:36:18.496So when you put God's love that's so much bigger in front of you, you have the power to defeat the fear inside of you.
00:36:18.496 -->
00:36:21.193And see, you know this and we know this.
00:36:21.193 -->
00:36:32.594I mean, sometimes we struggle so much with, like, I don't think I can muster enough faith, enough courage, enough positivity enough, whatever, you know, I can't play enough.
00:36:32.673 -->
00:36:33.356Affirmation.
00:36:33.356 -->
00:36:35.454What's the word today?
00:36:35.454 -->
00:36:37.164Manifesting right.
00:36:37.164 -->
00:36:39.474All of those things, yes, all of those things.
00:36:40.385 -->
00:36:41.648What that means is someone's got to.
00:36:41.648 -->
00:36:45.036We got to manufacture this, we got to manufacture it.
00:36:45.056 -->
00:36:50.233We got to keep on doing yes, it's works, it's me, yeah, and you know I mean.
00:36:50.233 -->
00:36:53.278That's why you know the addiction programs.
00:36:53.278 -->
00:36:59.918The first thing they say is you've got to acknowledge like you've got a problem, but then you're unable to fix it.
00:36:59.918 -->
00:37:14.380So I'm thinking why have we not understood that the biggest fears in us, the biggest anxieties in us, cannot be fixed by something inside of us, but maybe something before us?
00:37:14.380 -->
00:37:20.255That's why the psalmist says I've set the Lord before me.
00:37:20.255 -->
00:37:20.956He's right on my right hand.
00:37:20.996 -->
00:37:22.820Yes, I should not be moved.
00:37:22.820 -->
00:37:25.614He's saying I'm looking at something so beautiful.
00:37:25.614 -->
00:37:29.148That's why God would say go up, look at the skies.
00:37:29.148 -->
00:37:31.230You don't believe me, Go look at the skies.
00:37:31.349 -->
00:37:31.849Just look up.
00:37:32.791 -->
00:37:33.371David goes.
00:37:33.371 -->
00:37:38.416When I consider the heavens and the stars, the moon you've made, stars, you've ordained.
00:37:38.416 -->
00:37:41.000What is, man, that you're mindful from?
00:37:41.000 -->
00:37:58.208I look at your majesty, and so I'm hoping that this book allows people to say, hey, listen, listen, you can reconcile the past, but today is waiting, and today what you have to do is you've got to put a beautiful vision, a beautiful community, a beautiful relationship.
00:37:58.208 -->
00:38:13.128You got to put some kind of beauty in front of you, because what you can't make something or go for something or create beauty without love, you cannot do it, it's impossible.
00:38:13.971 -->
00:38:15.614Can you just give me a little bit more on that?
00:38:15.614 -->
00:38:19.574I know that our time is, but what does that mean?
00:38:19.574 -->
00:38:26.900Is that part of the beautiful vision in chapter 10, that I can't create or see anything without love?
00:38:26.900 -->
00:38:30.630I am right with you, but I want to hear your take.
00:38:30.670 -->
00:38:33.306So you've got this love, which is identity that comes from God.
00:38:33.306 -->
00:38:53.454But then the other thing is is that, as an artist, like, so I'm you know, I'm uh, if the use of the word I'm your, the, the, the standard uh description of an artist, as in I paint on canvas but then there are people who do artistry in writing, theater, uh, in work, and gardening right.
00:38:54.277 -->
00:38:55.398Uh, being entrepreneur.
00:38:55.398 -->
00:38:59.936They, they're creating beautiful plans, city plans.
00:38:59.936 -->
00:39:04.454People create beautiful families, so we create this beauty, beautiful things.
00:39:04.454 -->
00:39:12.510But see, the thing is is that once you want to create something that you believe is beautiful, you have to love it.
00:39:12.510 -->
00:39:15.373That's why you are committed to it.
00:39:15.373 -->
00:39:19.114It comes out as commitment, but you love it.
00:39:19.114 -->
00:39:20.733No one else has to like your family, but you do.
00:39:20.733 -->
00:39:20.778You're to it.
00:39:20.778 -->
00:39:21.016It comes out as commitment, but you love it.
00:39:21.016 -->
00:39:22.097No one else has to like your family, but you do.
00:39:22.097 -->
00:39:24.418You're creating it.
00:39:24.418 -->
00:39:31.409No one else likes your drawing, but you do because you love the process, you love what you're doing.
00:39:31.409 -->
00:39:36.358It doesn't matter, because you love what you do.
00:39:36.664 -->
00:39:43.034I was a dancer, so, yeah, I loved choreography and I would create and I choreograph in my mind, but I could not do it right.
00:39:43.034 -->
00:39:44.471You just can't not not do it.
00:39:44.471 -->
00:39:46.271You've got to create it, no matter what.
00:39:46.271 -->
00:39:47.315Yes exactly.
00:39:47.724 -->
00:39:51.699So if beauty has to be linked to love because not?
00:39:51.699 -->
00:39:53.565Then it's like linked to performance.
00:39:53.565 -->
00:39:57.195I do this dance, for example, to get a block.
00:39:57.255 -->
00:39:57.777Rewarded.
00:40:01.885 -->
00:40:11.567Make a a yeah, correct, make a team to get something that, even though you do a you, if you do a magnificent uh dance piece, was it really beautiful to you?
00:40:12.108 -->
00:40:13.409no, you can tell, can't you?
00:40:13.409 -->
00:40:13.931You?
00:40:13.931 -->
00:40:26.219Can tell on any sing show, idol voice, all these shows, or so you think you can see when someone is, when it's coming from their bones, you know, from their soul.
00:40:26.219 -->
00:40:31.385It's so recognizable you know, I see what you're saying.
00:40:31.385 -->
00:40:32.527Let me, let me just.
00:40:32.527 -->
00:40:36.746I jotted these notes down from your TEDx because, oh my gosh Beauty.
00:40:36.746 -->
00:40:44.692We've said this is the solution to fear, but here's what got me?
00:40:44.711 -->
00:40:45.373You say, fear knows this.
00:40:45.393 -->
00:41:04.925Now that I know more about your story, I think about like Godzilla, who walked through your door right, who knew what was right around the corner of your life, the corner of your life.
00:41:04.925 -->
00:41:05.527They were fighting for you.
00:41:05.527 -->
00:41:06.369They were wow, you got to see it.
00:41:06.369 -->
00:41:06.911Not all of us see it.
00:41:06.911 -->
00:41:09.777I can sense it when there's that kind of warfare going on in that liminal space.
00:41:09.777 -->
00:41:14.391Then you say so, if you remove beauty, fear sets in.
00:41:14.391 -->
00:41:17.376Beauty involves creating.
00:41:17.376 -->
00:41:21.793And then you say do I have beautiful relationships in my life?
00:41:21.793 -->
00:41:23.628Because we all need a reason to live.
00:41:23.628 -->
00:41:31.786So I think you thank you for bringing even more understanding.
00:41:31.867 -->
00:41:48.490I've been studying 1 John 4 for the last three and a half years because I had a situation in my life where I just felt like if I made a decision, a child might abandon me, or it was just something I don't really have permission to talk about.
00:41:48.490 -->
00:41:52.454But I was woken in the middle of the night, just went out and God said read 1 John 4.
00:41:52.454 -->
00:42:05.440And I don't hear him often, but it was like you cannot read that chapter because it says if you love me, then you know me.
00:42:06.367 -->
00:42:09.108And you know my love and I just went.
00:42:09.108 -->
00:42:10.072Well then, I guess I don't know you.
00:42:10.072 -->
00:42:12.369I guess I don't.
00:42:12.369 -->
00:42:26.467Because I am scared to death of being abandoned, of being abandoned, and it was life-changing.
00:42:26.467 -->
00:42:28.869But you now are bringing even more understanding for all of us.
00:42:28.869 -->
00:42:30.030That perfect love cast out fear.
00:42:30.030 -->
00:42:40.920So my attention, my focus if I'm someone who is trying to move from the past, having control on me, right.
00:42:41.402 -->
00:42:41.541Yeah.
00:42:41.985 -->
00:42:51.032I have to embody, like from head to toe, the love of God for me, you have to.
00:42:51.545 -->
00:42:53.585Yes, yes, you have to, you know.
00:42:53.585 -->
00:43:13.876Yeah, thanks for sharing that, you know, because it's so hard to walk out the incredible love that God has for us, because there are days you wake up and you go like I don't even know.
00:43:13.876 -->
00:43:24.478The world is tiring, subtiring, everything is just I'm just so tired, I'm so weary, I'm done fighting.
00:43:24.478 -->
00:43:25.505I just don't.
00:43:25.505 -->
00:43:29.856Why can't things just work out Like, why does it have to be so hard?
00:43:29.856 -->
00:43:31.947I mean, I get it, I get it.
00:43:32.407 -->
00:43:33.208I'm sure you do.
00:43:33.208 -->
00:43:39.679I mean, you can't be in your station within the body of Christ either.
00:43:40.480 -->
00:43:40.721Right.
00:43:40.985 -->
00:43:47.358Without having that kind of obstacles and depression.
00:43:50.231 -->
00:44:01.239You know, the great thing about that is because, you know, growing up in Islam I kind of felt like, you know, I had to prove that I was always worthy of God, you know, and most religions.
00:44:01.239 -->
00:44:08.708If you think about it, if you really study them, it comes down to that you got to prove to the God or the gods that you're worthy of them.
00:44:08.708 -->
00:44:21.742Yeah, then with the gospel, is that basically Jesus is like saying in one sense he's saying you know, religions want you to prove that you love God.
00:44:21.742 -->
00:44:24.789Yeah, but I am proof that God loves you.
00:44:25.731 -->
00:44:26.996I know that's so moving.
00:44:28.465 -->
00:44:43.202And so what that means is that when he comes down and he lives a life I mean, just look at the intentionality of God too because he came in as a child, lived among us, became one of us, lived like us, grew up.
00:44:43.202 -->
00:44:46.815So when he grew up in front of us, he grew up in front of God.
00:44:46.815 -->
00:44:54.617So that whole idea of like why would God enjoy seeing a part of himself grow up in humanity?
00:44:54.617 -->
00:44:57.393Yeah, because God likes to see things grow.
00:44:57.393 -->
00:45:00.172So we need to give ourselves a break.
00:45:00.172 -->
00:45:06.652That's just so good, right, because hey, you know what You're not amazing right now, that's fine.
00:45:06.652 -->
00:45:09.329Guess, what God loves to see you grow.
00:45:09.329 -->
00:45:10.574That's what he likes.
00:45:10.574 -->
00:45:15.376He likes when you get all awkward and he loves the whole part of it.
00:45:15.376 -->
00:45:23.891He likes the baby part of your spirituality, the teenage part of your spirituality, the sassy part, the whole thing.
00:45:23.891 -->
00:45:24.934He likes it all.
00:45:24.934 -->
00:45:26.617He just he likes.
00:45:26.617 -->
00:45:27.498That's why he's like.
00:45:27.498 -->
00:45:30.311I kind of like the messiness of your growth.
00:45:30.311 -->
00:45:32.655This is the God who grows.
00:45:32.655 -->
00:45:33.677He loves to see.
00:45:33.677 -->
00:45:33.985This is the.
00:45:34.045 -->
00:45:35.208God who grows.
00:45:35.208 -->
00:45:38.056You need to write another book on that, that's so good.
00:45:38.056 -->
00:45:39.972God loves to see you grow.
00:45:39.972 -->
00:45:44.757I really know somebody has said that before, but I don't know why all this is hitting me hard today.
00:45:44.757 -->
00:45:49.105It's just so right on time and I'm so grateful.
00:45:49.105 -->
00:45:58.371I just got back from our botanical gardens and everything's growing and it's just like that's why he that's my new thing Like God loves to see me grow, Come on heart lifters.
00:45:58.391 -->
00:46:00.983That's why he that's my new thing Like God, likes to see me grow, Come on heart lifters.
00:46:01.003 -->
00:46:01.284That's amazing.
00:46:01.284 -->
00:46:05.255Well, I mean, right in the beginning we said you know, when God said let there be light.
00:46:05.255 -->
00:46:09.373What we're realizing right now is that statement is still coming true.
00:46:09.373 -->
00:46:22.038Wow, yeah, so astrologers are finding out that there is still universes being created, even even now.
00:46:22.038 -->
00:46:25.166This is so good that crazy it's just so good.
00:46:25.226 -->
00:46:31.436I can't stop, but I have to okay, oh, I catch my breath.
00:46:31.436 -->
00:46:32.559I knew it would be like this.
00:46:32.559 -->
00:46:55.182So one step give us one movement from your work in just this book, sorry, one movement forward as you have moving on about awakening to, bringing beauty and love into our souls, into our life.
00:46:55.182 -->
00:46:57.132How can we do that?
00:47:04.364 -->
00:47:04.746our life.
00:47:04.746 -->
00:47:05.427How can we do that?
00:47:05.427 -->
00:47:21.280Well, I would say that the premise, if there was one passage of scripture that was the premise of the thesis of this book, would be the passage in Hebrews where it says hey, look to Jesus, because he's the finisher, he's the author and the finisher of our faith, right?
00:47:21.280 -->
00:47:23.492But then it says and here's what he did.
00:47:23.492 -->
00:47:28.838He said for the joy set before him, he endured the cross.
00:47:28.838 -->
00:47:47.840And so I think, right there, I think, as the one simple step is that, hey, kind of like the hack of life is, you've got to put joy in front of you, to endure your crosses.
00:47:47.840 -->
00:47:50.307So you've got to do that.
00:47:50.347 -->
00:47:55.637Because Jesus saw a beautiful humanity that was worth dying for.
00:47:55.637 -->
00:48:00.164He pictured a check this out, though.
00:48:00.164 -->
00:48:10.079He imagined a humanity that humans were temples of God's spirit.
00:48:10.079 -->
00:48:23.597He saw that the spirit of God could reside in them and they could have an open heaven relationship and that, even though hard times would happen, jesus said I've overcome the world.
00:48:23.597 -->
00:48:38.378Like he saw something that if he could go through torture, go through the cross, go through death, it would redeem us, rescue us, but then it would just reconnect us to God.
00:48:38.398 -->
00:48:38.838Brilliance.
00:48:39.867 -->
00:48:40.831What is a joy?
00:48:40.831 -->
00:48:43.068What brings me joy?
00:48:43.068 -->
00:48:49.114Love it Like very practical, what brings me joy and is it something that I've put before me?
00:48:49.114 -->
00:48:58.050You know, sometimes and you know this, I mean sometimes it's as easy as not easy, but sometimes it's simple, as I like a beautiful place.
00:48:58.945 -->
00:49:02.371I love a beautiful place that's why I went to the gardens today.
00:49:02.733 -->
00:49:04.387Yes, hey, what brings me joy?
00:49:04.387 -->
00:49:05.389Well, go there.
00:49:05.389 -->
00:49:08.978Yeah, do that thing, do that thing.
00:49:08.978 -->
00:49:11.032I don't know if people realize this.
00:49:11.032 -->
00:49:14.132Jesus exists in joy.
00:49:14.132 -->
00:49:17.349God exists in joy.
00:49:17.349 -->
00:49:18.554He does.
00:49:18.554 -->
00:49:23.335I mean, he sits with us in sadness, but he is in joy.
00:49:23.936 -->
00:49:28.092So I'm just talking about it Like makes me start smiling.
00:49:28.092 -->
00:49:30.451I'm already thinking I want to go to the Outer Banks, I want to go.
00:49:30.451 -->
00:49:31.072Where do I want to go?
00:49:31.072 -->
00:49:31.795You know, I want to go.
00:49:31.795 -->
00:49:35.666Yeah, yeah, and that's a discipline To me.
00:49:35.666 -->
00:49:38.288It's a rhythmic practice of my faith.
00:49:38.327 -->
00:49:40.050Yes, To me it's a rhythmic practice of my faith.
00:49:40.050 -->
00:49:44.454You know, even researchers have written about the idea of like.
00:49:44.454 -->
00:49:47.617Expressing joy is the most vulnerable thing people can do.
00:49:47.617 -->
00:49:54.909So sometimes that's why people, when they laugh, they cover their faces, they cover their mouth, because you know what they think.
00:49:54.909 -->
00:49:57.954They think I look terrible laughing out loud.
00:49:58.393 -->
00:50:00.336I have such a loud laugh.
00:50:00.336 -->
00:50:01.398It's embarrassing.
00:50:08.764 -->
00:50:09.146Right?
00:50:09.146 -->
00:50:10.469Yes, it's the most vulnerable thing to do.
00:50:10.469 -->
00:50:10.989So just think about it.
00:50:10.989 -->
00:50:12.612Is it hard for you to surround yourself with joy and laughter?
00:50:12.612 -->
00:50:12.934Yes it is.
00:50:12.934 -->
00:50:13.414Is it vulnerable?
00:50:13.414 -->
00:50:16.068Yes it is, but is it necessary for your soul?
00:50:16.068 -->
00:50:17.190Absolutely.
00:50:17.190 -->
00:50:20.637It is Children have no problem doing that, correct?
00:50:21.117 -->
00:50:22.409No, and my grand little grands?
00:50:22.409 -->
00:50:23.528There are three and under.
00:50:23.528 -->
00:50:28.108Now they, they don't mock me, it's just like I go cause.
00:50:28.108 -->
00:50:29.673I laugh so big and now they go.
00:50:29.673 -->
00:50:33.617It's awesome though.
00:50:33.617 -->
00:50:35.465All right, I'm not going to cover my mouth anymore.
00:50:35.465 -->
00:50:37.972I'm just going to laugh because I love it, I love it.
00:50:38.112 -->
00:50:39.315Okay, yes, do it.
00:50:45.664 -->
00:50:47.387I can't thank you enough, oh, my heartlifter, my community.
00:50:47.387 -->
00:50:58.596I know that they are just going to get so much out of this book and be able to add the necessary missing piece to a beautiful, meaningful, eudaimonious life, and that's beauty.
00:50:58.596 -->
00:51:03.677And you have brought your artistry to us today and I'm very grateful.
00:51:04.103 -->
00:51:06.192Thank you, oh, thank you, thank you so much.
00:51:06.192 -->
00:51:08.070I mean, that's my prayer.
00:51:08.070 -->
00:51:21.012My prayer is that anyone who is listening to this and who has heard maybe a thought from either their fears or the enemy of their soul hey, tomorrow doesn't need me, no one needs me.
00:51:21.012 -->
00:51:22.016That's a lie.
00:51:22.016 -->
00:51:23.628You know that's a lie.
00:51:23.628 -->
00:51:24.672Tomorrow needs you.
00:51:24.672 -->
00:51:26.251Someone else's tomorrow needs you.
00:51:28.346 -->
00:51:29.309That's just a prayer.
00:51:29.309 -->
00:51:31.536I'm sorry, go yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:51:35.045 -->
00:51:41.619I'm hoping this will you know, not confine people to like can I read one last thing?
00:51:42.065 -->
00:51:43.452Oh, I asked you to please, yes.
00:51:45.467 -->
00:51:49.878So I just want to read this because I feel like this is just communicates the heart of this book.
00:51:49.878 -->
00:51:58.239So I said I say this I said this book is dedicated to all of us who've ever felt paralyzed by our fears and failures.
00:51:58.239 -->
00:52:03.097You know, because I don't know if you know this, but I have dyslexia and dysgraphia.
00:52:04.407 -->
00:52:06.916So I heard you say your daughter has.
00:52:07.847 -->
00:52:09.934Yeah, my daughter has dyslexia, yeah.
00:52:10.215 -->
00:52:18.266Yeah, and then and I do too so like, yeah, this, this writing this book was so hard for me, but anyways, oh sure.
00:52:18.266 -->
00:52:20.768So I said, I said so.
00:52:20.768 -->
00:52:37.367This book is dedicated to all of us who have ever felt paralyzed by fears and failures, to all of us who have been through unimaginable trauma and pain, and to all of us who have been going through grief and despair, and to all of us who experience the ugliness of this world.
00:52:37.367 -->
00:52:46.177But this book is also a declaration to declaration to our fears and our failures, to our trauma and our pain, to our grief and our despair.
00:52:46.177 -->
00:52:58.086You will not imprison us, no, so that's my, that's my blessing.
00:52:58.086 -->
00:52:59.889Yeah, benediction, yeah, yeah, so thank you so much for having me.
00:52:59.909 -->
00:53:00.271You're so helpful.
00:53:00.271 -->
00:53:02.755Yeah, you brought us hope, and that is your whole desire, I know.
00:53:02.755 -->
00:53:03.978So thank you.
