Better Together - A Man's Perspective!
This podcast will feature Men from all walk's of life that have been married for at least 10 years that have a story to tell about overcoming, perseverance and success in their life, business and marriage! The focus will be to highlight why despite challenges we all have determined its better with our life partners together than apart!
Better Together - A Man's Perspective!
Episode # 2 - 6/17/2023 - Featuring Rev. Leland A. Core joins the show!
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In this episode we talk about faith, family, marriage and politics and growing up in NE Washington DC in turbulent times.
Sponsored by Redemption! Grace Extended & The Real Price of Success. Find it on Amazon or www.thebartbutlerstory.com. Proceeds to benefit my scholarship at my alma mater Virginia Tech.
Welcome to the Better Together from a Man's Perspective Podcast with your host, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and international best-selling author Bart Butler, where we discuss faith, marriage, family, and business along with today's relevant news. We also share practical tips from his book Redemption, The Real Price of Success, and show you how to learn, overcome, acquire, and most importantly, never, ever give up. So if you're ready to be part of this life's journey, then here we go. Better Together is sponsored by Redemption, Grace Extended, and the Real Price of Success. Buy it on Amazon or direct at www.thebartbutlerstory.com. Here's your host, Bart Butler.
SPEAKER_07Hello, hello, hello, and uh welcome back to uh my next or second episode of uh Better Together. Um sponsored by my uh international best-selling book, Redemption, uh Grace Extended, and the Real Price of Success. Uh, you can buy it on Amazon or uh check it out on my website, the Bart Butlerstory.com. Uh, we will be posting uh the podcast on the website as well, and you can also find it wherever you uh find your podcasts, uh including Apple and Google and uh many others. Uh so uh welcome back. Uh Father's Day weekend. If you recall, the first one we did was um right before Mother's Day weekend. So uh perfect timing uh today. I've got a great guest, uh, the Reverend Leland Korr, who uh is my oldest friend. Uh we've been knowing each other for I think 45 years, Leland.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, 45 years. So uh welcome, brother. Um I know we're gonna have fun today and uh talk about some uh some great stuff. So uh uh let's get started by um um um you defining who who is Leland Korr? You're your complex brother. I I just gotta tell you that. And and you're my oldest and best friend, and you've always been there for me through some of the toughest times. So I want to thank you um um for uh for coming out and joining us today. But uh tell us uh tell everybody who is Leland Korr.
SPEAKER_05Well, first of all, thank you for uh inviting me. Who is Leland? And if I would have to sum myself up in about maybe 30 seconds, or as I say, it's the elevator 30 seconds. You know, I'm a child of God, grew up in the inner city as you know we did.
SPEAKER_07Yep.
SPEAKER_05But you know, as we grew up there, we saw a lot, seen a lot, was involved in a lot. Leland now is a father, grandfather. Umfather of two, um, a pastor, and more importantly, um I have the heart to serve the people.
SPEAKER_07Yes, you do.
SPEAKER_05And and in this day and time where we are right now, we need more of that because when you look at the inner cities and you look at what's happening in the inner cities, we are so underserved that it just breaks my heart. And so at the end of the day, I'm a soldier for the army of the Lord and I'm here to serve the people.
SPEAKER_07Wow, well said, well said. You know, when you talk about uh the city that we grew up in, it's uh I go to DC these days and it's just not the same. It's just uh I don't even recognize uh my city, it's not chocolate city for sure. Absolutely. Um, and I think um uh the political leaders have done a disservice uh to our community. Um I even think back uh to stuff like um the I think it's the current political um uh leadership there now was trying to get rid of go-go music. Yes. And and and that's you know, I mean, everybody identifies uh DC with go-go music. That's a hard. And they try to get rid of it. I mean, um my boy Donald, you know, I mean, I it's it's amazing. So I don't want to get too deep into that, but uh talk about that because you ran for mayor.
SPEAKER_05I did, I did. And it's it's amazing that when you look at the structure of the city and you look at the things that are happening, of course, we've lost the basis of what we were in the city. So it's definitely not Chocolate City anymore, but we have lost, I think, the most integrated piece that we need, and that's the people. The people are underserved, the people are lost. And when you look at the processes, you look at the laws that are being written, they are writing our people off.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah. You know, DC used to be a place where everybody was homegrown. It was fun, you know, and now it's like nobody actually is born and raised there, you know, because everybody has been driven out. Yes. Um, it's so expensive. Um, you know, I tried to do business there and um basically the the government ran me out.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's it's so out of control that, you know, as I was in that Mary Oil um candidate pool, when I start looking at the budget, the budget is there's too much money for our people to be underserved. When I looked at the school budget and I looked at the disparity between the money that was being allocated per student in the Northwest Court off when I came east of the river and I looked at how there was a 38% difference of the money that was being allocated. I say, how and why is that? Right? Yeah, why is that? Right.
SPEAKER_07How they get it what's the biggest difference? Uh racial disparity, right? Exactly. And and income disparity. Exactly. Um, you know, it it's amazing. Um uh I I you know, you know, we're in Baltimore now, yeah. And uh you and I have we've done business in both DC, we're born and raised in DC, done business, we've had businesses in Baltimore. Yes. Um uh but it was described to me years ago that uh the differences, because people always ask, what's the difference between the two cities? And they are very different. Yes. Um, but the the way it was described to me is that DC is a wealthy town with pockets of poverty, poverty. Baltimore is a poor town with pockets of wealth.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_07Um, and I and that stuck with me. Yes. Um, because you know, here, yeah, I was just telling Monica, my wife, uh, who's with us again. Uh right. It's kind of depressing down here. Yeah. You know, this city needs help, you know. Uh whereas in in DC, they got the money, but they're using that to drive us out. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Baltimore, they definitely are not serving their folks. And again, you know, this is not a political talk show, but we're gonna, you know, over the course of uh of these uh uh episodes, we're gonna get into a lot of things about faith, family politics. Um so uh I do want to encourage you to run again. But you know, if I were your campaign manager, I'd say run for city council. Let's I told you that. You did. I did. Let's start a city council and then let's build that profile and then then go from mayor. Um but uh but we'll talk about that. So um both of us uh are married, uh I'm married twice. Um you uh uh married, divorced, divorced. So we'll talk talk about that a little bit, uh that experience.
SPEAKER_05You know, as a father and as a ex-husband to um my ex-wife, Katrina, um it's amazing the relationship that we have now. Um I spent I spent hours on the phone doing a weekday talking to my daughter, talking to Lachelle. And one of the things that I understand in my time of ministering inside of the correction facility over 10 years is that fathers are so critical. And it's interesting that we're right here at Father's Day.
SPEAKER_07Yes.
SPEAKER_05The man is so critical, and when you look at what the man really is to the castle, to the home, to the neighborhoods, and when you look at the man being drove driven out, and so as I begin to understand that, even from a church standpoint, looking at how important the man is, men has made a mass exit in the church, and the men are just not anywhere. And so, my situation, I just begin to pray and understand that I had to build a relationship with my ex-wife because at the end of the day, my healthy relationship with her would actually foster a healthy relationship with my daughter, and that she would gravitate to someone that would have the spirit that God has given unto me so that she don't find herself in a situation that she don't want to be into. So, you know, over the years, um Trina and I have established a good relationship where we can communicate back and forth. We realize that we both made mistakes.
SPEAKER_07Um that wasn't always uh the case because I know that there was a period of time where it was rough. It was rough, exactly. Yes, and I'm really happy to hear that uh uh you and Lachelle are are are in a much better place.
SPEAKER_05Yes, it it it and I would say to any man that if you can keep your family together, because that is an act straight from the gates of hell, you know, if you really look at what the man is, if you look at what God designed the man to be, man is the head, but we are supposed to fall under the auspice of the church, which is Christ. And if we do that, then we can keep our family together. But we know that the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Absolutely. And so as I begin to get that deep in my spirit and understand that I really need to fix this relationship with Trina.
SPEAKER_07And that long did it take you to come to that conclusion?
SPEAKER_05It probably took me after I got through my hurt and my anger and everything else, it probably took me at least three years to realize that I needed to, no matter what, be submissive and be humble so that it can kind of transcend back to her. And as time started to move, and as I began to eulogize the people in her family, our relationship just began to strengthen a little bit more and more. And to the point where I could actually really sit down and have a decent conversation with her now.
SPEAKER_07And how are those conversations these days? Are they are they um I know they used to be stressful and and a little bit, you know, um heated. Yes. Um, but these days you you find sound, seems like you found a peace.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, we have solitude in our conversations, we have peace in our conversation, and more importantly, our conversations, we talk about LaCelle, we talk about our two grandboys, what we need to do to make things right for them. And as we do that, that makes our conversations better and make the communication flow even more fluid. So at the end of the day, you know, when it all started, I felt like I was a failure. Um, it really hurt me to the core of my beings because I did not get married to get divorced. And, you know, I had a lot of things going on at that time. I was in the plight of my uh uh career in corporate. Yep. Um, that was when the cable companies were doing a lot of the upgrades, and so the demand was high. But if I could do it all over again, I would still marry her, but I would do something different over time as I went through all the certifications I've done as a life coach, as a mental health coach. Some of the things I realized I made a mistake from a communication standpoint, and just from being able to open up and say, you know what, I don't have the answer.
SPEAKER_07Wow. That's that's that's powerful because you know it's tough for us to realize as men that we don't always have the answer. That's true. You know, and so do you, you know, when you look back, did you you you you find yourself thinking you spent more time helping and fixing other people and neglecting yourself and your marriage and your family?
SPEAKER_05Absolutely, absolutely. And you know, the one thing that I've gotten better at doing, and in my singleness right now, um, I try to keep everything on schedule so therefore that if someone is in my life, that I do have time. Because you need to make time for that person that decides that they want to spend their life with you. And it's okay to be running around taking care of business, doing all the things that we men do.
SPEAKER_07Right.
SPEAKER_05But at the end of the day, when I see couples together, I have a mixed emotion. I enlist I enjoy it because I know that's what God intended, but at the same time, it just reminds me I'm still by myself.
SPEAKER_07Right, right, right, right. So what does the future have uh uh for you now? Unless you mention that, um, I mean, uh you you look into it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I I I do look to remarry. I do uh, you know, I I am a very, I call myself radical preacher.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_05So I don't believe in telling people to do something that the word of God teaches us that we should be doing, and I not follow that credence myself. So I am a full man and I love women. Right. Okay, so therefore I know that what God has intended for me, whoever that person is, my help meet is, I'm just, you know, as they say, as the Bible says, as a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing. What I'm looking at is, and and I think that's in some of the conversations in my coaching sessions, I tell people that the women, you need to be a wife before you even get married. So when the man finds you, he just finds his wife. You've got to be a wife before you even get married. So you have to understand that you have to understand that, and that's what I teach.
SPEAKER_07So, in other words, understand what it means to be a wife, and I guess that would apply to us as well.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07What does it mean to be uh, you know, a husband?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07A father. And and and those are things that we're not really taught, you know, especially, you know, I mean, you know, uh, we come from similar backgrounds, uh middle class, you know, and and and uh probably lower than middle middle class, but definitely middle class. We had both our parents there. Yep. But, you know, um, I know with with me, I didn't spend a lot of time with my dad.
SPEAKER_05Did oh.
SPEAKER_07And uh and and so I didn't really hear it. I know you got a strong mom, I had a strong mom. So yeah, we were mama's boys, yep. Um, and and and that helped shape who we are. Yeah, but the problem with that is when you don't have that leadership and and the person to guide you and tell you this is the way to go.
SPEAKER_06Very true.
SPEAKER_07Um, you know, it it gets to be hard when you get into that position. So we have to basically teach ourselves. But, you know, uh I I I was very I remember when when um uh Monica and I talk about this all the time, when um we were dating and her parents wanted to interview me, and uh uh and she was upset about that. I tell this story a lot, but I was intentional about wanting to have that that core family. Yes. Um, in fact, uh you were just telling me, uh Monica was just telling me this a story about I forget who it was. Uh oh, she was listening uh on on TV, and this person was talking about uh when they grew up how they didn't have uh family dinners.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_07You know, she said that's you you know, I used to tell her that. Yeah. I said, Yeah, we didn't eat together. Yeah, you know, my mom would cook or my sister would cook, and then it's it would be on the stove, and you just go get a plate and then go to your room.
SPEAKER_08Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_07And you know, the only time we actually shared a meal together was uh Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, and that was it. Yeah, and and and so, you know, I wanted to find that person that could establish a home.
SPEAKER_05And you did good.
SPEAKER_07And I did good. Yes, I did. You did.
SPEAKER_05I still remember when you met her and you called me, you were so excited, and you just I just you're like a kid in the candy store. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and and I was so happy for you because I know what happened on the first marriage. So you definitely, I was very happy for you. And you know, one of the things that's interesting that you say that, and the reason why I say that is so many of us, and I say men, especially in the black community, and the we don't praise our brothers when they find something good. When something when the blessing falls upon them, we don't really give the homage to that person and say, you know, I'm so happy for you, brother. That's good that that happened. You know, what's for you is for you. And if we just stay in the word of God, God says, What is designed to give to you, I'm going to give it to you. We just, as Christians, got to get in the place that God wants us to be so whatever He's blessing us with won't destroy our soul.
SPEAKER_07And we can be happy for others and share that. Why do you think uh we're like that? Because I see it all the time. And it's something that I lament uh about a lot. And I think, you know, and my my friendships and stuff, and it's like I'm always giving, giving, giving, but you feel like sometimes, and it doesn't have to be like 50-50, but you just feel like sometimes you don't get anything back, you know, and that's that's why we've been friends for 45 plus years, because it's give and take. You know, we're there to support each other, hold each other accountable. Yep. Um, me, you, Russ, only got a few of these friendships. Correct. But why aren't we able to do that more on a on a larger scale?
SPEAKER_05You know, that's a great question. And that's my quest as I preach now. My messages have become very uh focused on the communities, especially in the black communities. One of the things, if I go back, if I can go back to 1712, we've never escaped the curse of Willie Lynch.
SPEAKER_07Um when you I I say that all the time. I mean, slavery is a is a mother.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and and even though that we're free from slavery physically, we're still slaved in our minds. In our minds, exactly. And then when you look at that entire domicile of everything that we're doing, we are still trying to be like crabs in a barrel. I don't want you to get anything. We we and instead of us getting on our knees and saying, God fix this, right? And that's my that's my messages now to the church, right? And I believe that the church has failed the black man. I believe that because we um because of feminine uh femininity, the feminine movement, I believe because of those things, women now have become independent. Men are just looking and they're lost. But at the end of the day, if we go back to the core values, and there's a problem because if you look at the black community, and if you go back to eight, I mean 1965, 80% of the black families were married.
SPEAKER_04Wow, really?
SPEAKER_05Yes. I didn't know that. And then when you come, you fast forward today. Was it less than 50? Less than 50 percent.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. So there's a problem. So that that's the and that's really what we're talking about. That's the core of the black community was the church and the family.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_07So the church is failing the black man, and and and and we as black men are not leaders of our family. Right. And that's why you know this is so important. Yeah, and and that's why, you know, uh this podcast is called Better Together. So even though, like in your situation, you and Trina are apart, but you're back together now spiritually and and from a mental standpoint, right, where you're working together for the benefit of your daughter and your grandsons and so forth. And so, so you know, when you look at better together, there's a broad context there that we're talking about.
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_07So if you can't be physically together, at least you can be spiritually connected uh for a common goal. Yes. And I think and and I feel you on what you were saying, and and I'd like to go deeper in that um with the black men in church, because you go to uh most churches and brothers are just not there. They're not there, and and and we're I mean, everybody ain't in jail. Everybody ain't not hustling on the streets. They're not, you know. Um, so where where are they? They just they're just not engaged.
SPEAKER_05So I I the the the black man is not engaged with the church because what's happened is that the preachers have failed, the the shepherds of the house of the Lord have failed the black man. We've moved our messages to prosperity, we've moved our messages to the feminine movement, we moved our messages to enriching the black woman, right? And there's nothing wrong with that. But at the end of the day, when you come out of the content of the context of what the Bible teaches us, then that causes a problem. And if you're a black man, you're going to church and you're feeling uh like that you're not walking away with something to better your household, it weakens you in your inner man. And then you're like, what is my purpose then? If I can't be a man, because one thing God put in us, He put headship in us. Right. And if we feel inferior and we don't have if you can't go to the church for the answers, where is there to go? Right. That's the place that you're supposed to start.
SPEAKER_07To be empowered.
SPEAKER_05Exactly.
SPEAKER_07To, you know, to to learn about what it means to be a a husband, yes, a head of the household. Yes. But you're right. We've lost that. And you know, and that's why a lot of times, you know, um, you know, I mean uh Monica would tell you and and and you know we've we've been through a f a few churches absolutely and church hurt is the real thing. Oh my you know um yeah no I know and we're gonna talk about that a little bit you know and and and I'm happy uh to to say that um I feel like we're in a good place now we we're just kind of getting our feet wet at Zion um under the the stewardship of uh Pastor Keith Battle but uh I I think he's a great man of God and and and we need more um more more pastors like that who will hold you accountable and then be the kind of leader.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely absolutely you know and here's one of the things that I've I've learned that when you look at a pastor you also have to look at him and saying where was he a leader at? Because just because you preach a good message don't make you a good shepherd. Exactly don't make you a good leader. I think for me I look at my trials all through corporate America climbing that corporate ladder understanding people understand the dynamics of the country understand the dynamics of what people are are looking for, what their needs are helped shape my leadership skills. And then as I went through all the training that I went through going through school and things of that nature those things helped develop me as a person and then walking into a position of pastor it really helped me to be a better pastor because the fact of the leadership skills that I acquired prior to because at the end of the day people don't care what you know until they know you care, right? Exactly. And there's a lack of care in the church there's a lack of care in this country and and when you look at all the the the nuance if you just start at the White House and go through Congress go through Senate you listen to the debates that they have it has nothing to do with the people nothing at all.
SPEAKER_07It's all about power and and money I mean I I think our leadership today has been totally corrupted. Yes and I and it starts at the top so you know um from a church perspective we talked about the pastors and we got many examples of uh of of those guys who really focus on you know um the the uh what was the term you used for um the the the the basically promoting wealth yes uh the the feminine movement you know as opposed to oh yeah we're supposed to be doing in church and building strong absolut and men absolutely um but the the politics has just gotten ridiculous you know Bart if if the church is not providing jobs then why should they even exist yeah look look at what we what we do for our churches and the amount of resources that we give and time and effort and and and I understand you know we have the the churches that have international ministries and and and and and local ministries and all that but it can't just be about that you you know he it's something I was doing and you know statistician I thank Comcast for that for me the statistics and running everything that I had to do you know the church takes in more money on Sunday the black church taking in more money on Sundays than the NFL does no way I know the NFL is making a lot of a lot of coinage so when you look at our neighborhoods you've got to ask the question what are they doing?
SPEAKER_05What are they doing? Right and and and and so taking in that amount of money and then when you ride two blocks away and you look at the depression then the oppression you've got to ask yourself how does God feel about his house that's two blocks away right from people that can barely make it I mean look at the let's you know not to beat up Baltimore but let's look at what's happening with the kids here.
SPEAKER_07Yes I mean it it it's just horrific. Yes and and I can they're trying yes I'm and I'm not sure what the answers are right um but but I can tell you that they're trying I was you know disappointed that the police commissioner resigned uh Monica I met him uh um about a year ago when we met the governor yeah Wesmoore and uh um I remember thinking he's a great guy great candidate but he didn't have a snowball stance at hell and then as I got to know him and got to really hear his message I said he can win yeah he went up against uh some powerful people and I think he's gonna be a guy that's gonna help the city but you know Baltimore has a a a huge leadership void. Yes the churches could help out. Yes they could I and I don't see their impact on these youth. Yes you know you got these big old buildings then what are you doing with them other than you know Wednesday prayer service and and Sunday service.
SPEAKER_05At the end of the day if that is the only reason you open your doors then you need to shut down and go home. It just it it you know the church doesn't have a problem of taking up your time. Right and your resources and your treasures and everything else but what are you doing to provide to the communities that you are there that you are housed inside of and one of the things I uh one of my classes I went through we st we did an autopsy of a dying church. And when you look at the communities if your church does not have the communities in it and if you don't have babies crying in your church if you don't have those things in your church then you're doing something desperately wrong you're doing something so cynically wrong because the church should reflect the neighborhoods the neighborhoods should feel comfortable to come to the pastor no matter what the situation or circumstances even if they are drug written they should feel comfortable it should be a place of refuge exactly where you can where you can go and and whatever your your your problems are I mean and and if you look at you know uh the the black church because that's what we're really talking about.
SPEAKER_07Yep um and and I didn't know about that I I knew that you know a lot of money flows in but you go to a place like Atlanta but they got some in Texas. Yes uh and you've you've lived both places some of the biggest churches you're talking about mega mega churches with gazillions of dollars and and and you see the pastors how they're riding around and and and I I've seen some and know some that had limos and and private jets and whatnot and but what are you really doing for the people it's not enough to have food pantries absolutely and to you know um send the two people to Africa that's not enough it's not enough what are you doing to impact that's right the everyday lives of your people that's right because when you look at our neighborhoods and when you look at what's happening I'm over now in DC over in Southeast every day I walk in this little store and I'll tell you right now our young people are looking for guidance.
SPEAKER_05I had a young man I sit in there he came to me said OG you got 50 cents so I went in my pocket I gave him a dollar he said I'm gonna give you the change I said he called you OG huh yeah he called you OG He didn't really know though that you really are OG so so when I got to talking to him I said I just need one favor from you he said what's that OG I said listen I gave one of my cards I said we're gonna walk the streets of Southeast Washington we're gonna pray we're gonna talk to people and I'm gonna start working on a program or an initiative to help you young folks get jobs.
SPEAKER_07He looked at me he said I knew there was a reason God brought me in this store and he began to cry seriously yes and that is not the first time it's been several so our young people are looking for guidance right and so when I hear people saying they're out of control you know I'm like Michael Jackson take a look in the mirror before you look outside exactly right yeah take a look how much do you think you know and and I and and I I look back uh at all the you know the stuff that we've gone through and and and the challenges that we've had with with the legal system and and and mistakes that we've made yeah um but you know if I if I was being honest with myself which I always have to be I look back and I think I really wouldn't change it because that kind of helped make me very true who I am and and and and and I think I'm a pretty decent dad you know I'm working to be a a better father and and and husband every day but those trials and tribulations so talk about that a little bit that's the stuff because you know I'm back in the day when I mean you know so you know that's actually really good I I gave my testimony um in um one of my sermons you gotta write a book too you know because I talk about my my situation in the in in my book redemption yeah I I I I um talked about the inner cities and I talked about that there is still hope and I say you know why there's still hope and I said you're looking at hope right here you're looking at transformation right here I found myself in a four by six and um but you know I had a praying family and you know I never forget that when I went through what I went through the counselor looked at me and he said I just don't understand you you got all this education and I just kind of smiled at him I said you know I'll be all right and um as I begin to fall back that's why you have to teach your kids to pray the Bible says train up the child in the way they should go so if they so they don't depart but they have something to fall back on.
SPEAKER_05And so when I found myself there I looked up I'll never forget look getting on my knees and say Lord if you get me out of this I'm gonna look a different direction right now did I think you did I mean I and and and and I I I remember because you know you we we're the same age but you're like my idol yeah I mean you know you you pushed the $60,000 wins as a teenager so I I was like you know I I was I was happy to be your friend you know but but yeah I remember going through that and how much of an impact your mom was yes yes yes and and you know it it it's so as I began to walk and I never forget that um I was in Chicago and the Lord started coming to me and every night I would start picking up the Bible and reading and I would read every night and he began to say I have a bigger assignment for you and at this point then he said calling me and he said you need to pick up the phone you need to do then I ran from the Lord I went to New Orleans I ended up in Texas but I had a an awakening I would say that I had a uh a Jonah experience in my house in Frisco Texas I was asleep one night that was a nice house too yeah I was asleep one night and I got woke up by bright lights and a voice an audible voice calling me and when I come to to the come to my senses or come back to myself I hear him saying why and I already knew what the why was why are you still running right and when I got up I went out because now I'm looking for all this light where it and it disappeared on me right and I were you conscious were you a awake I was conscious and I um within a week I called Dallas Baptist University and I enrolled there. That's where I started my seminary training you know you and and you never told me that yes yes so that's where it started that's where it started and I laid myself down and um as things began to happen in 2004 I went through I came back to this area because of Shell being so small and growing up without me I came back to this area and um I ended up at Mount Jezreel Baptist Church and that's where I started myself in the ministry. I was the associate pastor for the prison ministry there um and I just went through the licensing the ordination and everything else and it I've never looked back but it seems as though that as time goes on and as I was still in the corporate flight plight going around still going around the country something changed on the inside and I start looking at the millions and billions of dollars that these corporations are making and they're taking this money out of these because you were a hired gun yes for the telecommunications and the cable industry so they were whenever somebody needed a system fixed and then and you were because you were all over the country all over the country. And you know what was so what was so sad that broke my heart Bart was that Dallas south side of Dallas the uh south side of Chicago they all look the same they all look the same the inner cities all look the same of course you know I lived in Louisiana I was in Madarina your home you know my mom was born in Madarina yes and so you know as that started changing me and I started looking I was like wow this is by design yeah for you to to to have this exposure and to to go visit these places so you can see what's going on Allentown PA Philadelphia PA Los Angeles I don't been all the same and and they yeah they have the same issues the same issues we in in our few moments we have left let's talk about um um I know you're planning the the ride for peace yeah this fall let's talk about that a little bit so that's great um we actually have postponed it we had two gentlemen that go down on motorcycles um have you ever been down I have yeah Monica won't let me get a bike I went I wanted to get one I went I went down I was in my 20s because I've been riding since I was a kid but I went down in my 20s that's when you had the the the go fast bike yeah yeah I went down in my 20s I had a Honda uh nighthawk I got uh ran off the highway down in Richmond Virginia I was doing roughly about 60 65 miles an hour thrown about 150 feet from the crash scene and um as I was thrown um one of the things that um I know that happened is I had my experience with God walked away from that accident with just a strawberry on my knee and one on my elbow. Wow and um so the ride of peace is designed to um bring us together I'm gonna use motorcycles cars for the ride of peace um so it won't be this fall now so what happened is we um there's a gentleman we call Mouse he's a great motorcycle mechanic he's the president of his motorcycle club he was gonna be my ride uh safety captain okay he went down on 50 he was actually test riding someone bike and they were riding together and this car came flying up the road and I guess he he was he was doing excessively speeding and he would look like he was about to go up underneath a tractor trailing bared to the uh left to the far left lane where Mouse and the other gentleman was at and he struck Mouse motorcycle and as a result my Mouse went down um and um he was on a ventilator for a little over three weeks had a tube in his throat he's doing good now but as a result the left leg the lower left leg they had the amputation no no but mouse is in good spirits and he's already done told him they need to get him a prosthetic so he can continue to ride his bike um and then the gentleman I don't know if you heard about the gentleman down in Clinton Maryland he was uh it was a hit and run on last this Tuesday that passed I went to the hospital with him and his family um so we're gonna push it to June of next year okay um it'll give me some time to go out because we're gonna change the theme a little bit the theme is gonna be the ride of peace but also it's gonna be a um a car show as well okay and we're gonna use the proceeds for the sales of the tickets the the proceeds of all the merch that we sell and and I have a couple of corporations that are going to support it and the theme is to get men to come together in unity right and if we come together in unity and bond then we can begin to fix our neighborhoods because the government's not going to show up because if they was they'd have showed up a long time ago the police can't do it all right exactly and I'm not I'm not knocking against the police but this is a village problem. It is and we've got to bring the village back together and we've got and in order to get the village together we've got to bring the men back together. So what your baby mama you got baby mama drama but you have a child that's being affected by it right and so it's about bringing the men together because we love cars and bikes. We do so we'll bring them together for that and then under that we'll have a whole lineup of people programs and things that we're gonna do with fun some God some fun and some loving on each other and we've got to have a paradigm shift in our mind that it's okay that I failed in the beginning but that don't mean you got to fail forward. Exactly and so that's what the ride of peace is I just want to say this also too we have another initiative called Hot Dog and Hope right so we've purchased a hot dog trailer and we're gonna take it out and hit the communities and the homeless areas and we're just gonna feed hot dogs to the the homeless people and I'm just gonna breathe a word into it and give them hope because you know a lot of these people that are out there on the streets and things of that nature you just don't know what their circumstance is.
SPEAKER_07Yes and just one word from God can change it can it can make a difference like the young man that uh you ran into yes um that that broke down and and and that could be just something that will ignite um something in their spirit yes that cause them to make positive changes. Yes and I think we gotta definitely do that. So uh um man at the time went by quick.
SPEAKER_05Yes um uh it was great uh we we should do this again absolutely all right um so you haven't launched yours yet so I'm gonna invite you on when we do okay and and and you can be you can be my my guest absolutely guest absolutely and you know um and just the we call on the show show 2D core um and it's our theme is real inner city issues with real inner city solutions. Right exactly um I'm gonna not enough just to talk about not just not talking but let's have some some let's some practical practical dialogue because there's gonna be people there that's gonna be taking notes and if there's a person that calls in or somebody says that we can help with that we're gonna assign them to a task right and then if that task works there right then we can start cultivate that across the country because one of the things and one of the roles I had I was responsible for five states at one time so at the end of the day that corporate plight that I have for being able to bring I'm gonna use those for the benefit of the community the kingdom of God yeah and bring these communities together.
SPEAKER_07So you know we got to stop this you know this this my block you don't own this block right this block is owned by a white man right you know we got to change that mindset in our kids and we got to give back and and you know to that point you know um uh as one of the reasons I started the podcast was to promote the book okay um because the book and I just had a conversation yesterday with uh a vice president from Virginia Tech and um about my scholarship uh because you know the the scholarship I started when Brian you know uh passed away uh years ago yeah and uh we're still you know fighting hard to endow it yep um but uh it it it goes to benefit young black men from DC and Baltimore yes the communities that that we live in yep that we love and that we want to help and make a difference yep so uh wherever I can I like to promote the book okay uh check it out Redemption Grace Extended Real Price of Success it's basically my story uh I'm gonna encourage you to to to write your story because it was very cathartic for me to put those words on paper and uh it's gotten some some good reviews um it made international bestseller in a couple of countries I don't know what they are but uh somebody's reading it but I uh uh I definitely encourage uh uh my listeners to check it out um it's to benefit my scholarship at Virginia Tech uh so that uh uh other young brothers can have the uh opportunities that that you and I had and you know I just want to say this um um I you know me and cars right so I have uh two Volkswagen Beatles that are registered to my corporation one of them um was waterlogged and it was probably it was pretty much Dean Total loss right said if you never be able to get it running never tell me never right exactly so since then the car is running I have it in a hundred pieces right now um another one of your projects another one of my projects but this one is different because we're gonna wrap it with the ministry yep um with the ride of peace and what God told me to do because you have that you you've been in that automotive culture so as we as we plight towards June of next year June the 18th of next year for the ride of peace what we're gonna do this year all the way out into next year I'm just gonna show up at car shows and then once we get the beetle together it's gonna be wrapped with the ride of peace we're gonna have a tent we'll have a a tent and and and and a merch and we'll love to put the book out there as well thank you so that as we as we as we go around the the country with the Beatle and with the ride of peace that we can have motorcycle clubs we can have car clubs come to know what the ride of peace is about so that we can get the buy-in my my my my my goal is to raise $500 million every year I'm just not gonna settle for anything less right in all the years that I've known you you've always shot high and and I applaud you for that yes because even if you don't get the 500 million yep uh just being in that ballpark yes will do a lot for the community and and you've never really cared about you know you're and I a lot like we've had the houses the cars yeah the the the the jewelry the watches and all that stuff yes and at some point you get to a a place where you're like you know what it's I can't be brought now yeah right it's it doesn't really matter the the the thing that's gonna make me a little different is is that reason and that reason alone I've had all that yes been there done that but I see what's happening and and and and sometimes I feel so bad that I just learned understand it now to the degree I do but God said not to worry right I'm using you right now in this season to raise up a new standard and that's what you hold to. Yeah and we start right with our families.
SPEAKER_05That's right.
SPEAKER_00Alrighty on that note uh uh thank you my brother thank you uh appreciate it um check out the uh podcast wherever you find your podcast Better Together a man's perspective uh my host uh a guest uh in the studio today is Leland Core longtime friend so uh until next time uh take care and uh wish all the dads a happy father's day absolutely happy father's day thanks for listening to Better Together from a man's perspective if you enjoyed this podcast please follow or subscribe on your favorite platform so you can stay up to date on new episodes Better Together is sponsored by Redemption Grace extended and the real price of success buy it on Amazon or direct at www dot the bark butlerstory dot com until next time