Trent had to raise himself, he made the wrong choices and chose the wrong family early on in life, falling in with a gang. He spent 20 years in prison and hurt countless people. But God had other plans, plans to redeem Trent, plans to use him for a greater purpose, plans to save him. You'll love hearing Trent's amazing story and if you listen close, you'll find some great wisdom to apply in your own life, and wisdom that you can use to help others who might be struggling and on the wrong path.
Trent had to raise himself, he made the wrong choices and chose the wrong family early on in life, falling in with a gang. He spent 20 years in prison and hurt countless people. But God had other plans, plans to redeem Trent, plans to use him for a greater purpose, plans to save him. You'll love hearing Trent's amazing story and if you listen close, you'll find some great wisdom to apply in your own life, and wisdom that you can use to help others who might be struggling and on the wrong path.
And it's a temptation to, to try to fall in with a gang or with others because they might make you feel loved. But it ends up not turning out the way you think it will. It's self
Trent:destruction. I spent 20 years of my life in and out of prison. That's something I'm not proud of. I had no one to turn to. I had no father figure. I had no mother figure. Everything that I did, I'm not proud of it. If I could change it, I would, but I can't. The only thing I can change is the way I live now and what I got going in my life now.
Phil Shuler:HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the Safe House Ministries podcast, where we share stories of the power of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. Safe House Ministries is based out of Columbus, Georgia, and we are a ministry that exists to love and serve people who have been affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. I'm your host, Phil Shuler, the Director of Development for Safe House Ministries here in Columbus, Georgia. Safe House serves over 1, 100 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services including 213 beds for homeless individuals and families, case management for obtaining job skills and long term employment. Over 300 hot meals every day, free clothing, and so much more. One of the most incredible services that Safe House provides is our free 9 12 month intensive outpatient substance abuse program, which is state licensed, CARF accredited, and has no wait list. Almost 100 percent of individuals staying in our shelters who follow our three phase program become fully employed within a few months. And 68 percent of individuals who stay at least one night with us End up finding work and moving into their own home. Thank you for being with us today and listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.
Phil:Good morning. Thank you for being here today on the podcast. This morning, I've got Trent Bonds And I got to meet Trent several months ago and got to learn a little bit about his story. A really amazing story. Trent is here today to share more of his story in the podcast. And Trent, glad to have you. Thank you for being here. Thanks for having me here. Trent, I want to start out by asking you if you had to think about one word that might best describe you, what would that word be? Blessed. Blessed. Yes. It's a good word. What makes you
Trent:say that? Cuz I am. Yeah. My childhood wasn't all that good. I kicked, I got kicked out of the house at a young age. I became a man at the age of 13. Wow. Which kinda turned me to the streets. I started gangbanging at a young age because the streets showed me love that I didn't get at home. Along with that came life of crime, to cause me to juvenile confinement, in and out of jail spending multiple years in prison, it was rough and, and thank God I made it through it, I wouldn't wish my struggle on nobody. Wow. Because it was hard for me, and I made it. That doesn't mean that the next person will make it. Yeah. I got locked up as an adult at the age of 16. tHat started my life in and out of prison. I'm 54 now. I spent 20 years of my life in and out of prison. That's something I'm not proud of. I had no one to turn to. I had no father figure. I had no mother figure. Everything that I did, I'm not proud of it. If I could change it, I would, but I can't. The only thing I can change is the way I live now and what I got going in my life now. I have two brothers and a sister, that I barely knew growing up, that I had no contact with for a long time.
Phil:Wow, so do you have
Trent:contact with your brothers and sisters now? Yes, I do now. Okay.
Phil:But you didn't for a long time. Man so what area did you grow up in? Did you grow up here in
Trent:Georgia? I do Georgia, Northeast Georgia. Northeast Georgia. Athens, Georgia. Okay. Yep. Athens,
Phil:Georgia. Okay. They sound like it was very rough. It was. It was. Kicked out of the house at
Trent:13. Man.
Phil:Yeah. Did you know your mom and dad much or were you, did you have parents that really you remember
Trent:much? Like I say I remember my mom like my dad. I really never got to know my dad. Yeah. I was raised by my grandma. Yeah. Was she there in Athens too? Yes but she put no boundaries on me. She just let me run freely And everything that I got when I got on my own. Yeah, even as a kid, you know So
Phil:yeah, I know you're in a very different place now, yes But you had mentioned at 13 getting kicked out and getting involved with the gang We've got a lot of young kids, I think, in Columbus that are in a similar situation. Maybe not kicked out of the house. Some of them may be kicked out of the house. But maybe there's no boundaries, and maybe they don't feel loved, and they're looking to the gangs for love. thinking about that, and when you were at that age, and maybe some kids that we might come across here in Columbus what, what can, can other people do that maybe can help kids at that time to, to maybe not start down that path?
Trent:Knowing now what I didn't know back then, we have choices. And the choices that were made, they will hunt you. Meaning they, it follows you all through life. Even when you think you're doing better for yourself, people will still reflect on your past. Yeah. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't show that type of life. Cause it turned me to somebody that I wasn't. And along with that, it caused me to make bad decisions, to hurt people, to take from people, to rob peoples, and, and today it still bothers me because I knew I was better than that. I came up playing sports, basketball, baseball, wrestling, four year state champ wrestling. Wow. I had scholarships. I could have been playing for the Atlanta Braves. Wow. And basketball, I ran cross country track, I played tennis. I did it all, but I threw it away. On one dumb decision, it cost me my career. Something that I can't get back. Wow. And it never ended. It's got worse and worse. So for the kids that's out there now listen to this sometimes we have to play the hand we deal, like Kenny Rogers say, you got to know when to hold or know when to fold them. And I don't choose that life for nobody. Because I know what come behind it. I know what I had to did. I know what I did. I know the peoples I hurt. All that and that's not the person that I am now. Yeah. I know now it's a better way. Yeah. And I learned that. The hard way. I ain't have nobody to teach me. I ain't have nobody to sit down with me at the table and tell me don't do this, don't do that. I done had that in my life. iT's a hard pill to swallow, but it's true.
Phil:Yeah. Some of the kids that may be in the, in a similar situation you can't choose the hand you're dealt sometimes. Can't. But you can choose how you respond to it. You can.
Trent:You can.
Phil:And it's a temptation to, to try to fall in with a gang or with others because they might make you feel loved. But it ends up not turning out the way you think it will. It's self
Trent:destruction. I got more love in the streets than I did at home. So I feel wanted. I feel needed. I feel at home when I didn't have no home because they was there for me just as much as I was there for them. But at the end of the day, that's not what's going on. You know what I'm saying? It's, you're wasting your life. You're throwing your life away. For me, like I say, it caused me to in and out of prison 20 years of my life. Something that I can't, something that I can't get back, you know, yeah.
Phil:Wow. So when you were in those teenage years did you have a place to live or were you just bouncing around to different places?
Trent:Yes, like my grandma. Like she was there for me. So you stayed with your grandma. Yes, but she couldn't give me what I wanted. Okay. Because it was just her and everything that she had coming in. It pretty much just took care of what she had going on. So like I wanted to be just like all the other kids, walk around with nice clothes on, but I had no one to get that to me. So I had to get that on my own. Yeah. In the wrong way. Yeah. At the time, I thought, that was what it was that, you know what I'm saying? That's what I had to do and at the time, it was, you know what I'm saying? But now, I look back like, I wish I could change all that, but I can't and the sad thing about it is, even though I'm here now I'm turning my life around, people still look at me as. The young kid, with no goals, with no way of life, but gang life. And that's not what's going on with me now. Yeah. It's not.
Phil:You're a whole new person
Trent:now. I am. Yeah. I am. You're on so much better of a path now. I had to give all that to Tomorrow's Hope. Yeah. Yeah.
Phil:So tell us that's awesome and I can't, I'm looking forward to hearing about how you got connected to Tomorrow's Hope and what that happened, what happened in your life during that time. From your teenage years, you said sixteen, you got arrested. And then you kinda started out in and out of juvenile. Still finishing, did you finish high
Trent:school? I didn't but I got my
Phil:GED though. Okay. So then, as you grew into a man, 18, 1920. Were you still living on the streets, in and out of prison? Like what happened at that point?
Trent:I was 21. I went to prison for 10 years. Wow. Drug conviction. Drug conviction. Robbery. Aggravated assault. I lived that life. You know what I mean? I'm not proud of it. Like I said, I heard a lot of people in my struggle because I feel pain and I wanted everybody to feel the pain that I felt no matter who it was. Family members, cousins, no matter who it was um, That's just the pain that I was feeling and I want to reflect that pain on everybody else because I didn't know no better. I didn't have no one to set me down to teach me right from wrong. At a young age, I took it upon myself to choose the past that I live. The choice that I made at age 13. I don't think no kid deserved to go through that. at a young age of 13. That's so young. That's young. We're not even mentally developed to make. You're right. Knowing the choices as a man. But I made the wrong choices.
Phil:At 21, you went into prison. That 10 years, how did that affect you? Did it change you in any way or did you just, were you still in that same mode and that same way of thinking or?
Trent:It made me worse. Oh. Yeah. It made me worse. You know what I mean? Because I did it by myself. I ain't have no family contact. Yeah.
Phil:It put you just even in a darker place, hurting more, pain. Yeah. What happened when you got out? I guess you were 31 when you got
Trent:out. I ain't have nowhere to go to. Back to the streets? Yep. Yeah. My grandma had passed away. So that pretty much just left me out on a limb, and I can pick back up where I left off at. That's all I knew. That's the life I knew. That was my life. Yeah. But I thank God that it's over now. Yeah. That I don't have to live that life no more. Does it hurt to this day? Yes. It hurt worse to this day than it did when I was out there. Wow. Because I know that I'm not that person. I got a heart of gold. I'll give anybody my shirt on my back. I will help anybody that I can. I guess I expected a little back that I gave you and I never got it.
Phil:I guess it was many years just out in the darkness. Just maybe in and out of prison more after that. And then What began to happen that made things start being different?
Trent:2021. had a bad car accident. I broke my back in two places. My spine, punching one of my lungs, broke my ribs. I had to get my ear sold back on. Paralyzed for 15 days. died and came back twice. Wow. Four and a half hours of surgery. So I knew God had a plan for me then. Wow. You
Phil:know, you knew it was God that kept you through that.
Trent:It had to be. When I seen that car, I was like, ain't no way I supposed to survive through that. Ain't no way. And I don't remember nothing after the wreck. I don't remember going in surgery. I don't remember nothing. All I know is I couldn't feel my legs. They kept talking about I was going to be paralyzed. 15 days paralyzed. I got my feelings back in my legs. I got up out of bed myself. started walking. No therapy, no nothing. Oh, wow. That had to be God's word.
Phil:God use that to wake you up and to make you look up and look at what he was trying to do in your life.
Trent:Right, sad story is I got back out doing the same thing. I got locked up again. And I got on my knees and I asked God, right? Help me. I can't help myself. I keep going back out doing the same thing, expecting different results when they ain't getting no better. I'm in the cell house. I'm trying to find a way out I don't want to go back to prison. They came to me with RSL. I ain't want that. They came to me with drug court. I ain't want that because I knew if I go back out there with drug court that I wasn't going to do it. I was going to agree with you just to get out of prison. Just get from going to prison or get out of jail. I was going to agree to it. I kept praying and then it's like my daughter, she was like, daddy, she said, go get some help. You're not a bad person. Go get some help. She said, but please. Go away from here as far as you can. I'm like, no, I don't need no help. I don't need no help. I applied for rehabs back home, paid cash money to get into the rehabs but for some reason, I didn't get accepted. It wasn't god will. I heard about safe health ministry and I went to my public offender. And I brought it to her attention and she said she can get me in it. So I went to court. I had to get it mandated through the judge. He approved of it. I did the proper paperwork that it took to get in here. And four weeks later, I was here. Wow.
Phil:When was that?
Trent:January of last year. Oh, January of this year.
Phil:January of
Trent:2023. Just about 11 months ago. 11 months ago. Okay. Almost and even though I was mandated and I got here, I was like, man, I ain't finna stay here. I ain't finna stay here. And I'mma say this, Onnie, if it wasn't for him, I'd have left. You talking about Onnie Boswell? Yes. Oh. Yes. And the sad thing about it is, me and Onnie's brother, Mark, who were best friends. Wow. In high school. Wow. And I didn't even remember Arnie. Yes. Wow. But he remembered me though, but he never told me. Because you guys both grew up in Athens.
Phil:Yes. But you didn't, he remembered you, but you
Trent:didn't remember him. I didn't remember him because he was a little baby. I didn't remember him like, he was like, I never pictured him to be as big as he was. Cause he wasn't no big baby when he was growing up. He was a little smaller thing. And he kept telling me, don't leave. Wow. And I
Phil:didn't. So when you got here in January, you went to the Freedom House. The men's shelter. And you started in the Tomorrow's Hope program. But you didn't want to stay. I just kept on encouraging you to stay
Trent:every time I got ready to walk out. That man came out of nowhere. He came out of nowhere. Where are you going? Who are you leaving with? You know what I'm saying? Like you ain't going nowhere. You know what I'm saying? And I stay and I stay and I'm glad I stayed. That's amazing. Yeah. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. If he wouldn't have been. That tomorrow's hope I wouldn't be here right now. Wow.
Phil:That's so neat to hear that how that the lord used Onnie. Yeah.
Trent:To save me. Huh. To save me when I didn't give myself enough confidence to save myself. Even though I know I needed help, you know what I'm saying? I was still looking for the for the a different way. Yeah. Yeah. And I stayed. And I thank Onnie for that. Wow. Yeah. Praise the lord for that.
Phil:So what did that time period look like? What else was going on in your heart and your mind? And as you started into the tomorrow's hope substance abuse treatment program, like what was that like?
Trent:It was something different. I've been inside the walls before, but not them type of walls, meaning like going to class First of all, let me give thanks to my counselors at Tomorrow's Hope. Art, Jay, Miso, Nessa, Kim, and all the other ones that I can't remember their names. The time they took out. What they seen in me that I didn't see in myself. The changes they brought in my life. The advice they gave me, the words of inspiration, like just believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. And today, 75 plus days from graduating. It's been a learning experience. And I made the best of it. I had some setbacks in the program, just because I got in my head. But through it all, if it wasn't been for them, there wouldn't be no Trent here today. They changed my life tremendously. A whole different mindset, a whole different way of thinking. A different way of life, a better way of life. I know now that I have a choice. They're giving me the tools to help me make better choices. I'd like to give thanks to my sponsor, Richard, for taking the time out with me to walk me through my steps, to show me how to work my steps. aNd it helps. And it helps. I'm more at peace. I'm happy. I'm content with what I got going on. I I'm planning on staying here, continue my recovery, go in the meetings because the meeting helps. Yeah. Yeah, they do. Man, I'm just blessed right now. That's so good. Like for real.
Phil:So when you were in the Tomorrow's Hope program, What began to change in the way you thought? You say you learned a lot. What were some of the things that really stood out, the things that you learned that you didn't realize and that just made such a difference?
Trent:I never meant, I never understood when they said, keep coming back, it works if you work it. Yeah. I never knew what that meant. And then plus, going in the rooms, I'm thinking, my life corrupt. But listen to everybody else, my life ain't as bad as I thought it was. Wow. So I'm listening to what this man went through, this woman went through, and to where they at now in their life. They 20 years clean, 30 years clean, and the only thing they did was work the program. So I'm like, if the program can work for them, it can work for me. Yeah. All I gotta do is put forth the effort that they put in. Here I am. Wow. And there's
Phil:three phases, right? Phase one is just classes and join the groups. Doing the sessions. Then phase two, you start working. You're still going to some, to the sessions, but you're working full time. And then phase three. It's like aftercare.
Trent:Okay. Yes. You go two days a week for 30 days, and then you go one day a week until you graduate. I'm a week from moving up to one day a week. Okay. Then, after that, I go one day a week until I graduate. And that's in February, and it's a blessing. Because they give you freedom. Yeah. You can leave when you want to because of what circumstances you're facing or whatever. And I still had a lot of time on my head still to this day. They try to get me 10 years on the recidivist act for the drug possession charges that I caught Prior to coming to here and still along with that over my head. I was still thinking about leaving. That's crazy. But now my mind is clear. I know where I'm at. I know where I came from. I know where I'm at. I know where I'm not going back to. My hometown is a dangerous spot for me. If I go back home, I know I'm not going to continue doing what I'm doing. I know that. So I choose not to. My kids don't even want me to come back home. I Got a son, 32. I got a daughter, 22. And they tell me every day, Daddy don't come back. You been down there for, going on 10 months. You doing better for yourself in 10 months than you did your whole lifetime back home. We grown now. You raised us. We got called. We can come see you. That's my plan. Oh, wow. Yup.
Phil:That's good. Yup. And that's so wise. It's so wise to understand and recognize
Trent:that truth. Yeah and that is the truth. Wow. And that is true. Cuz I figure man if Tomorrow will change me. They can change anybody. It changed me. It changed my life, like, for real, it changed my life.
Phil:Your kids, are they doing okay? Did they follow in your footsteps in some of those bad decisions? Or are they doing okay right now?
Trent:My son, no. My daughter, that's just like me looking at her. That's me like it's crazy, but it's true and like I have to stay in her here and her ear constantly like every day But since I'm here and got my life together She see that and she's turned her life around. That's so good. Yeah I'm grateful for that. I'm saying cuz I showed on what her father must use and she was Wow I talk to her every day. I talk to my son every day. They coming to my graduation. Yeah, hopefully I get to go home and see them on Christmas. That's awesome. Yeah Wow
Phil:Wow you working full time you're saving up money. Yeah You doing good with that doing good at work. I got a good
Trent:reputation at work. I'm down. Yeah, you know I'm not trying to make no friends at work I'm just trying to do my job and come on back. I'm not trying to get mixed up in that. You know what I'm saying? I'M better by myself right now. Trying to find who I really am. And what my purpose is. And, I think I'm on a good road. Man, I'm just blessed right now. I am. And I have to give it all to God. And to Tomorrow's Hope. For allowing me the opportunity to come here. Because if I don't want to end the way it is. I wouldn't have made it, I would have lived. Yup.
Phil:You mentioned giving glory to God. What what does your relationship with God look like? as you began to get clean and get into Tomorrow's Hope and come here to Safehouse in Columbus are you going to church anywhere? Or is that relationship that you have with God? What has what has happened to really improve that relationship?
Trent:Prayer. Yeah? Going to church. I go to the fort. Awesome. I'm not a member, but I go to the fort. Prayer has brought me a long way. That's something that I never really, I never really did. You know what I'm saying? And, I pray constantly because without prayer, there's no me. And, I pray all day, every day. Before I go to bed, when I wake up, I just pray. And it brought me here. It's got me here. Wow. And like I say, man, I had to give all praise to God, man, because without him, I wouldn't be here. Yeah. He loves you. I love him, too. He's got a
Phil:plan for you. I
Trent:hope so. Yeah, he does. He got
Phil:to. He does. He had a plan for you from the
Trent:beginning. He gave me chance after chance and so he believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I love the
Phil:mercy and grace of god.
Trent:Me too. It's no feeling like it. Yeah. I just wish I could embrace this long time ago. Maybe I wouldn't be going to the things that I went through. Maybe I wouldn't be the person that I used to be and I thank god today that I'm not that person no more. I don't have to Walk out, look behind my back. I don't have to see the police and hide my face. I don't have to live like that no more. You know what I'm saying? I'm clean, stay clean. I'm gonna continue doing what I'm doing even when I graduate, because you brought me this far. Like, why not? Yeah, it work. It's work. If they say if it's working for you, then why not? Why not? Keep doing what you're doing. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? That's good.
Phil:That's good. A lot of people that are in Tomorrow's Hope or have been in Tomorrow's Hope are going to the Fort Church. It seems like a great place. A great church just where people are loved. They share the truth about Jesus. Just how much he loves us.
Trent:I think that's awesome. Yeah, it is. I don't even feel right. I only feel like if I miss a Sunday, it's like a part of me is it's not the same. And I try to make every Sunday, because yes, that's my light. Yeah, that's my growth. You know what I mean? That's good. That's what brought me this far. Yeah.
Phil:Now are you do you read your Bible on your own? Do you try to spend a little time, I know you say you pray a lot. Do you read in the word a little bit? Just try to learn that
Trent:way also? Not like I should. Not like I should, but I do. But, I do pray. Yeah. I do pray. And he answer a lot of my prayers. He brought me out of that darkness. Amen. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. That was my main concern coming out of that darkness. Amen. You know what I'm saying? Showing me a different way of life. Showing me that I deserve better than I was given myself. And like I say, man I guess thanks to God. I just wish I could have embraced God a long time ago. Even as a child, I came up going to church, but you I shot away. I shot away. Yeah. I'm back now. That's good. That's a good thing about it. That is good. You wanna stay here in Columbus? I do. That's good. I don't know. I don't been home once or twice since I've been here and it don't even feel like home no more. Like soon as I get there, I'm ready to come back cuz I feel like this is my home. This is where Change brought change came in my life. This is where I was taught that I deserve better. I was given the tools to,, make better decisions from people that didn't even know, took the time to, take their time to, to guide me, down the right paths. whEn I ain't never had that in my life, I ain't have no father to turn to. I ain't have no mother to turn to. Everything that I went through, I kept it in. But once I got to Tomorrow's Hope and started working my foot, I started working my steps. Like I let all of it out and once I did that, all good things start coming back and I'm thankful for that. That's good.
Phil:That's good. I'm so glad and happy of what the Lord's done and the change that he's brought in your life. It thrills my heart with joy to hear that your daughter sees that and that she's starting to Choose a better path for herself because she sees what's happened in your life.
Trent:Because if it's one person that knows everything I've been through, it's her. Yeah. Yes. She's proud of me as much as I'm proud of myself. Wow.
Phil:That's awesome. That's good, man. So Trent, is there anything that I haven't asked you that maybe I should have or just anything else that you want to add or you want to share?
Trent:That's not a such word as can't change. Cause I just feel like if the man that I used to be, if I can change, anybody can change. It's something that you gotta want. You can want it, but if I don't want it, it's not gonna do no good. just gotta want it, man. Yeah. I was, like they say, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm 54, you know what I'm saying, what little time I got left, man, I wanna be happy. I want to be, I want to stay clean, you know what I'm saying? I want to continue to do what I'm doing, and hopefully, my testimony here today will touch somebody, open somebody's eyes because it's real. Everything I'm telling you is real. Everything I'm telling you, I've been through and I made it, out of the darkness, you know what I'm saying? And again, man, I'd like to thank Tomorrow's Hope for believing in me for taking the time out they did for, you know what I'm saying? Giving me the words to, to keep me coming back. Yeah. And again, man, I want to thank Ani, man. For real. Wow. Cause if it wasn't for him, man, I'd have been gone.
Phil:That's, it's so amazing that you bring Ani up. I have to. The last two weeks of the podcast. were about Ani. I don't know if you know the story. But, Ani, I got to know Ani when I started working for Safe House. I wanted Ani to tell his story on the podcast, so I asked Ani if he would do that, and he said, yeah. So we set up a date for him to come do it, and then two weeks before that, someone canceled on me, and I had an opening, and I called Ani and said, hey, Ani, can you come tomorrow? Can you do the podcast? I know it's short notice. And he said, yeah, I can do that. So we did the podcast two weeks sooner, but then the very next week, he died. The Lord just took him home, he had that heart attack. And that would have been a week. Before we would have actually had the podcast the way it was originally scheduled, but the Lord wanted to share his story. And then last week, we just aired many testimonials from other people on what Ani meant to them and the impact that he had in their lives. And now you're here and you're talking about Ani and the impact that he had in your life and keeping you at Freedom House and keeping you in the Tomorrow's Hope program. Oni just had a wonderful spirit of loving people. The Lord just used him in a powerful
Trent:way. And he showed it though, you know what I'm saying? There wasn't no color in his eyes. Just the spirit that he had within himself. And, I know Oni, through my cousin now. Oni served on the same block. that we served on honey hung on the same block that we hung on. I'm saying and for me to come here and really know who he was, like, you see the changes that like tomorrow's hope brought in his life. And he wanted the same thing for me as he wanted for himself. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah.
Phil:It's amazing, to hear Ani share his story of, the 32 years in the darkness for him. Yeah. And then coming to Columbus with Safe House and Tomorrow's Hope and going to the fort. And being down here, Ani. Really got introduced personally to Jesus and that's when he accepted Jesus as a savior and Jesus just changed his life totally. And it's amazing to hear how the Lord used Ani to, to work in other people's lives as well.
Trent:Yeah. A lot of people. Yeah. So many people. Yeah. So many people. Just for real. Yeah. That's awesome. I,
Phil:I just, I love that God always is there, that he has a plan, that he loves us, that he shows us grace and mercy and he's long suffering with us. Sometimes we're hard headed, but the Lord just, he's still there. He's trying to get us, trying to speak to us and bring us along.
Trent:He never give up on us. No, he doesn't. He won't give up on ourselves sometimes. Yeah.
Phil:Yeah, wow. Trent, let me ask you. If you had to give just one or two or three really strong pieces of advice to those that might be listening, what would you like to say? What advice would you like to give to those that might be listening?
Trent:No matter what you went, no matter what you go through in life, change is hard. Change is scary, but it's necessary. Never give up on yourself. Always believe in yourself. Never settle for less. Believe in God first and foremost. Just make the right choices. I learned today that I do have a choice. Just all about making the right choice. And I learned that um, I know somebody out there that's going through the same thing that I went through. But it's a better way of life. You just gotta want it. Yeah, it's not hard. You just have to put the time in it. tHey always say you get back what you put in. That's true. I'm not perfect. I never be perfect, but I'm better than I was. I'm at peace. I love myself more than I ever did. I learned a new way of life. I'm content with that. I'm happy with that. I know now that I don't have to live the way I lived in the past. I will never go back to that type of life. Never. No matter what my struggle is ahead of me, um, that's not an option at all. Yeah,
Phil:that's good. It's good to hear you say that. And that's some really good advice. Yeah. You know it's, it really makes me think when you, I hear some of the things that you say and the advice that you give. And how Before in your life, you thought you didn't have a choice, but now you realize you did have a choice and you do have a choice. I think there's a lot of people that, they're in that trap. They feel like, well, I either got to do A or I got to do B, so I don't really have much of a choice. I just got to, but there are other options and other choices and other alternatives and people just, They get trapped in their thinking and they don't
Trent:realize that it's easy to do that. Yeah, especially when You got that by yourself you have no one to turn to And it's like once you get trapped, that becomes a way of life And once they were calling your way of life that become that's the person That you is when you really not that person Yeah. I was young, man. I didn't know. I didn't know I had a choice or I did and they understand I had a choice because I was so young, but looking back, I did have a choice. Yeah. I chose to live that life. I chose to drop out of school, you know what I mean? And it cost me everything that I went through. Yeah. I lost a lot behind that, something that I can't get back and, I don't want nobody to, go through that. You know what I'm saying?
Phil:I'm just sitting here thinking as I'm listening to you think about many of the kids here in Columbus and just showing them love and maybe somehow trying to, as we come across people Just encourage them encouraging them that they're they do have choice. Yeah, they're options. There's other people that are willing to help First
Trent:you gotta want to help you. You're right. You gotta want it. I can offer it to you But if you don't accept it, then it's no good. You're right. He's just a waste of energy You know I'm saying and it's just something that you gotta want and I hate that I wait to get so old To want that help, I just think if Choices I've had now, if I'd have had them back then Or knew about them back then maybe I wouldn't be sitting here right now You know?
Phil:Yeah, you're so right that a person's got to make that choice themselves This morning I was just reading in the Bible about Jesus and he made the comment as he was teaching You know, as he often did Those of you who have ears to hear, listen, and a lot of people heard the truth that he gave, but not all of them received it, right? So the truth is there and God is giving us the truth, but we have to choose to receive it. And then of course
Trent:to act on it. And not only that, I was blind in both my eyes at one time. Really? I'm still blind in my right eye. I woke up like that for a long time. I thought maybe that was karma coming back at me for everything that I did to everybody else. Nine months. I couldn't see nothing.
Phil:Wow. For nine months, you were totally blind. Totally
Trent:blind. Oh man. And I had to, when they say your ears become your eyes, it That's for real. Wow. That's for real. For real. I can close my eyes right now and walk through this whole building. I ain't never been in here. Oh. Yeah.
Phil:Was that a result of your accident or was it something
Trent:different? Yeah, that was way before my accident. Oh, wow. I was married then. I laid in the bed from 3 o'clock that morning to 5 o'clock that afternoon. Couldn't see. For real, I just had to, they say your eyes become ears, man.
Phil:You learn to listen a little better at that point. Yeah. Wow,
Trent:that's I can hear stuff way down the hall.
Phil:That's fascinating. Yeah. But the Lord gave you that vision back. He gave it
Trent:to me back. I've been through it man.
Phil:You, you got a lot of testimonies of what God's done and just I've been through it.
Trent:Miracles. I've been through it. Wow. And I'm still him though. So like God got a purpose for me, man. Yes, he does. You know what I'm saying? And I see that now. You know what I'm saying? I got a testimony. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Even if it don't touch with one person, man, I feel like it's heard. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Phil:I want to tell you it's going to touch more than one people, and it probably already has. Yes. I know it already has. Yeah. I know your life has made a positive impression on my life. Yeah. And I think A few weeks ago at our leadership meeting for safe house, someone mentioned your name and the great things that you're doing and the change that the Lord's brought in your life and just how excited they are for you and the plan that God has for you. Yeah,
Trent:he definitely got one. Yes, he does. Yeah, he do. Wow.
Phil:That's awesome. Man. The longer we talk, the more I learn. So you know, the do you have any contact with your former wife or is that just gone? That's
Trent:My ex-wife's become my best friend. Really? Yes. But it is, it's all about my daughter now. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. But we communicate now better than, it's crazy than we ever have. Wow.'cause at one time we would just cutthroat at each other, but now we've. I guess grow it up and realize that, you know what I'm saying? We do got a daughter, so we got to communicate. So ain't no sense of trying to, dwell on what happened in the past. It's just, put her first, and that's what we have. And, we don't talk as much, but if I do call her, she will answer. But it's only concerning to my daughter, nothing else. I wish her the best. Like they say, when a woman fed up and ain't nothing you can do about it, that's for real. And I guess she just took all she can took from me, which I don't blame her. Like I told her you took more from me than I would ever take from you. whAt I put you through, I wouldn't let you put me through none of that. You know what I'm saying? But, she's still changing me. She's proud of me. She gives me words of inspiration. She sends me daily reflections. Everyday. I read them. I thank her for being the woman that she was, you know what I'm saying, for putting up with my bull, but she's a good woman. She's a godly woman. Yeah. She is.
Phil:That's good. It's amazing to just see and hear all of the changes that have happened in your life. Yeah, they have the peace in your heart, the clear thinking, the better relationships. Yeah. It's just It's awesome. Yeah.
Trent:It really is. It feel good though. Yeah. Yeah. It do.
Phil:That's awesome. It make, it makes me joyful in my heart. I just, it's, that's awesome. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. Trent, any last thing you want to say or share?
Trent:I just like to give thanks to God, man. That's awesome. That's it. I like to give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity that he gave me. Even when I probably didn't even deserve him. but through his eyes, I did for placing me where I'm at today, tomorrow. So, Because it had to be God's word. Nobody but God for bringing the changes in my life that he brought for opening my eyes, for bringing me out of darkness,
Phil:man. That's all. Amen. You mind if I close this in a word of prayer? Okay. Dear father, thank you for your goodness. Lord, thank you for your grace and your mercy and your love that is So deep. So great. We don't even understand why you love us so much. You love us so much. Despite the failures that we have, the way that we make so many bad choices, and the things that we do that hurt you and your heart so deeply, that you still love us. Thank you for loving Trent. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for working in his life. For bringing him To come to know you personally, to recognize that you love him. Thank you for bringing Trent to Columbus, bringing him to Safe House Ministries, to Tomorrow's Hope, to the Fort Church, just for what you've done in his life. Thank you for giving him sobriety, cleanness, victory, giving him a good job and good work. Thank you for his heart that wants to serve you and help others. Thank you for Ani and the part that he played in. Keeping Trent there at Freedom House and keeping Trent in the Tomorrow's Hope program. Lord, thank you for all in his life. Thank you that you used him in such an amazing way in so many other people's lives. Lord, help Trent and help me. Help us to yield ourselves to you. Help us to follow you, to make good choices when the devil places temptations in front of us. Help us to say no. And help us to Keep our feet pointed in the right direction to walk with you. Bless Trent and his future. Bless his son and his daughter. Just get their hearts, I pray, and keep them on a good path, I pray. We love you and praise you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen.
Phil Shuler:We look forward to being with you again next week as we share another testimony about the power and the goodness of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. if you are someone listening to this podcast that loves to hear these stories of the great things that God is doing in changing people's lives for the better, and if you would like to be a part of that work, please reach out to us You can reach us at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31,904. You can call us at seven oh six three two two. 3 7, 7 3, or you can email us at info@safehouse-ministries.com.
Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2:Thank you so much for being with us this week for the renew restore and rejoice podcast of safe house ministries, we pray that God will bless you this week. And we look forward to having you back with us again next week for a new episode.