From 38 years in addiction to now 38 years sober and serving Jesus. Chery's story is a powerful testimony of what it means to be born again by the power and the blood of Jesus. God has a plan for every person in this world, and his Spirit actively works in our lives to draw us unto himself. Chery's story is engaging and empowering, you'll be glad you listened!
From 38 years in addiction to now 38 years sober and serving Jesus. Chery's story is a powerful testimony of what it means to be born again by the power and the blood of Jesus. God has a plan for every person in this world, and his Spirit actively works in our lives to draw us unto himself. Chery's story is engaging and empowering, you'll be glad you listened!
When I was growing up and going through what I was going through and ending up where I ended up not understanding why that was happening, but I know today that again, I had to go through water. went through in order to be where I'm at today. The drugs, the alcohol, the prostitution the stealing, the jails all of that was for a reason. And having, getting to the point where at one point I was, I had two O. D. s before I finally understood that. I was powerless and I, that was in 1986 and I made a decision after going through everything that I went through, I left Grand Rapids, Michigan running. And when I say running for my life because I knew if I stayed there, I was going to die.
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. This morning on the podcast, I have a VIP all star, Cheryl Sapp. She's someone that I've gotten to know as I have worked at Safe House Ministries and she is one of the true pillars of the ministry just does so much with Safe House. And she's been in the ministry for a good long while, been working with Neil. Cheryl, thank you for being here this morning.
Cheryl:You're so welcome. Thanks for asking me.
Phil:Absolutely. We should have done it sooner. CHeryl, let me ask you, just starting out, if there was one word that might best describe you, what would that word be?
Cheryl:Determined.
Phil:Determined.
Cheryl:Determined, yeah.
Phil:That's a good word. How do you mean?
Cheryl:Determined to stay on top. The journey that I'm on, determined not to look back or go back or repeat. So I'm determined to get into heaven. That's my goal. And I'm determined to do whatever I need to do to get there.
Phil:Awesome. Jesus did all the work for that, but you are serving him now, aren't you? In a big way.
Cheryl:Yes. And one of the things that I believe Is that I'm only here. Because of a calling that God put on my life. This has nothing to do with Cheryl being a VIP. Or none of that other stuff. It's Cheryl's willingness to submit to the will and the call of God on my life. I truly believe that. And it started years ago. That I didn't even recognize God. What was going on, but it started with going through a whole lot of changes to get to where I'm at today. Part of it didn't really understand but I do know today that I went through what I went through so that I could do what he asked Peter to do. To when I'm strengthened when I'm restored and then to help restore my brother and all my sisters So I so today and I that's that determination is to do the will of God
Phil:Yes Awesome. That's a beautiful analogy. I love that you Brought Peter into it because that's exactly what the Lord did for Peter. Like he told him in advance, Hey, when Satan comes and you're sifted, I'm praying for you because I got bigger plans. And then he came and he, at the shoreline and said, Peter, feed my sheep, lead and help, and just, Be what others need. Yeah. That's good. I
Cheryl:think that's the determination I have to continue to do what he's called me to do, and it started way back in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When I was growing up and going through what I was going through and ending up where I ended up not understanding why that was happening, but I know today that again, I had to go through water. went through in order to be where I'm at today.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:The drugs, the alcohol, the prostitution the stealing, the jails all of that was for a reason. And having, getting to the point where at one point I was, I had two O. D. s before I finally understood that. I was powerless and I, that was in 1986 and I made a decision after going through everything that I went through, I left Grand Rapids, Michigan running. And when I say running for my life because I knew if I stayed there, I was going to die.
Phil:So you came in the midst of all of that darkness, you, there was a wake up call. There was a wake
Cheryl:up, a moment of clarity, yeah. The guy, the the prodigal son in the pigsty. Yeah. I had that moment of clarity that if I don't do something, then I'm going to die.
Phil:Wow. How old, what, how old were you at that point?
Cheryl:I was 38.
Phil:So you had been like, maybe since a teenager? Just in that world of darkness and
Cheryl:Living that lifestyle. And at some point really enjoying it and and then the pain began to outweigh the pleasure.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:And again, like I said my second OD is when I finally understood I, it was bigger than me. And the only thing I knew to do was run. And I had my daughter was stationed in Columbus, Georgia at Fort Benning, which is now Fort Moore. But and so I called her and told her, I need to, gotta come get me or I'm going to die.
Phil:Wow. Yeah. So
Cheryl:did
Phil:she, when, and she took that serious or did you,
Cheryl:they came and got me? I I This is, I had a 19, this is, I had a 1974 Fiat, rusted out Fiat, but that car not only got me to Georgia, that car lasted until I could buy me a brand new car. I drove it. No air. This is in July of 1986, 100 degree weather, no air, but that car lasted me until I was able to buy me a brand new car.
Phil:Wow.
Cheryl:Drove me all the way, got me all the way to Georgia. No, no air. I thought I didn't when I got here. I really didn't think I was going to be able to live here. It was hot Oh my god, i've never been so hot in my life I wouldn't even come out the house until after the sun went down But through it all I persevered and I knew I had made the right decision. I was able to Re establish myself. I was able to get a job and then the good thing about that I was 38 and that was 38 years ago
Phil:Wow!
Cheryl:So I've really gotten a chance to live two lifestyles in one life. Wow! So God, only God could do that.
Phil:That's amazing. Yeah. So when you had that wake up call and you came, did you live with your daughter? I did. Okay. Until
Cheryl:I, until I, I was able to finally get a job. I started working for the state of Georgia and was able to retire from that job.
Phil:Wow. How did you stay away from the Dr. So when you left Grand Rapids, I had a, how did you stay away from the drugs?
Cheryl:I had a made up mind. I was determined that I was going to do things different Now, I wasn't saved at this time, but I did find a 12 step program, and that 12 step program held me. And I believe today, and I believe in my heart, that's where God trained me. Through
Phil:that 12 step program. Through that 12 step program. So as soon as you came down, you started living with your daughter, you found that 12 step program, and you got plugged into that support structure. Got
Cheryl:plugged in, started growing along spiritual lines in that program, and it did, it really saved my life. I, I have to give all the glory to God. To God, sending me to that program today. I know it's a God sent program. Those 12 steps are powerful. They've saved millions of people. So I know that man can't do that.
Phil:Yeah, you're right.
Cheryl:And The predecessors, the founders, Bob and Bill, while they were writing the steps, God was holding their hands because it's so powerful. And it changed me. But one of the things I found out as I sat in that program I was there for 11 years
Phil:in that 12 step program, 12
Cheryl:step program, working at change doing, I was quote unquote, a great recovery person, but I was still able to do some things that wasn't Godly but I had a God conscience. But I was still cussing, and still had some character defects that, that were still in me, even though I was working steps, it didn't change me to the point where I was saved. And I found out that the 12 steps can save your butt. It can save your behind, but it cannot save your soul. Because the traditions, you don't talk about Jesus. You don't talk about the Bible. You don't talk about those kinds of things in that program, but it does give you a path or a blueprint to change a step back to God. And while I was in that program, like I say, I was there 11 years and I got it, I kept getting this unction. And it just, the unction was to go to church. And I'm like, I didn't even know where churches, I knew if I had never been to a church the whole time I had been in Georgia, I didn't know where the church was. I did grow up with a spiritual grandmother, a saved grandmother who raised me the first ten years of my life. Back in Michigan? In Michigan, I was raised in church trained them as a child. And they may depart, but they will come back. And I think that's what happened with me. And I had that unction to go to church. And I told my husband at the time, We gotta go to church. And he's looking at me like all crazy. I'm not going to church. And I said, we gotta go to church. And he flat refused he was not going, he's not going up there with them hypocrites, and he refused, and he didn't for a while, but I began to go to church. I said I'm going to church. I got my girlfriend, I called her, she was, she went to church every Sunday, so I started going to church with her. Still had not gotten saved, still had not met Christ, but I knew I needed to be in church. So for about a month, I was going to church and getting the word and listening and praising and going on, but I hadn't accepted Christ as my Savior at that time. And one Saturday, Charles says I'm going to church with you. And so we went to church with me and, but he didn't like that church. So I'm like, okay, I ain't letting Satan win. We just going to go to churches till we find one that we liked. And he was okay with that. And we did we visited different churches. We found one that we liked and we both joined that church. And we both got truly saved right around the same time we got saved. And from that kind of the it's kind of history, but one of the things, like I said, when we got saved and I was still in this 12 step program and I don't know I know you've experienced it when you find Christ. You want to tell the whole world about let me tell you about this man. And they was like, I couldn't do that in that 12 step program. Rob Parsley, the we did a visit to his church in Columbus, Ohio, and he had a bookstore and in that bookstore, there was this Bible. And I picked the Bible up and it was, it said life recovery Bible. And I looked at it and I went through it. And it was, I said, wow, this is awesome Bible. Cause he talked about. The 12 steps and he talked about Christ.
none:But
Cheryl:I put it down. I did buy it. And I was walking out, I was walking out the store and they said, go back and buy that Bible. And so I went back and I bought the Bible and I brought it home and I showed it to my husband and he looked at it and we put it on the shelf. About a year later, cause I'm struggling with trying to be, program and trying to be in church and it just was not working. And then God reminded me about that Bible. And so that's when we started what we call now the Elijah. Overcomers ministry that we do every Tuesday on be a Facebook every Tuesday night at 6 30. We talk about the 12 steps and we talk about christ. So that's how that's you
Phil:tie them together. We tied
Cheryl:them together Wow, so and that's what we've been doing now since 97 that's how I met neil is through christ centered recovery
Phil:Wow.
Cheryl:Yeah.
Phil:That's amazing. Yeah, that is such a neat story. That is, it's so amazing what the Lord has done in that journey. So when you met Neil, we were,
Cheryl:we were trying to coordinate. There were several different. 12 step spiritual meetings. They had celebrate recovery, we had ours going on. So what we were trying to do was make sure that everybody knew where the different ones were so that they could go. So we used to meet once a month. Really good, and It was a good fellowship and but it didn't really materialize, as we wanted it to do. But we kept our meeting. We were in several different churches at one point. We were at the Bread of Life. We were at South Columbus. We were at the House of Mercy. We were like, It was just too much and then we were trying to do our ministry. So we had to let some of them go, but we kept our ministry. And we to this day, we still do do the Elijah's ministry.
Phil:And this was way before safe house ministry,
Cheryl:safe house ministries. And we use the term Elijah for reason. And you think about Elijah, mighty man of God, powerful man of God. called down the thunder, defeated bail, and right after that, he let a woman speak a word to send him into a cave. This mighty man of God depressed, scared in a cave. And so what it said to us is that you could be a mighty woman or man of God and still have some issues. Still have some things that you need to deal with. So we wanted that Elijah ministry to be a place where you could come and deal with your depression or your anger or whatever else you were still going through that you couldn't do it in church because those church folk sometimes will kill you. They'll point their finger at you. They'll judge you. It's heartbreaking. You ain't supposed to feel like that. You are a Christian, but Christians have issues.
Phil:For people.
Cheryl:Yeah.
Phil:And we have human, physical, earthly bodies until the point we get to heaven and we'll have that perfect body. But right
Cheryl:now we don't. And so we, and we wanted a place where you could come and feel like, okay, I, yeah, but I wanted to call somebody out yesterday, I'm just kidding. That human part of us, and that's what the Elijah Overcomers Ministry is all about. A safe place to deal with your strongholds.
Phil:Awesome. It sounds like your journey just continued to grow from there. So at what point did you and Neal connect, about you working at Safe House Ministries?
Cheryl:I got a call from him and this was in 2019, I think. in, in July of 2019. Okay. I got a call from Neal and he was having issues with the state of Georgia. And he they wanted to do treatment. They had set up, Tomorrow's Hope was already set up, excuse me, but they they were using the word treatment, but they weren't legally a treatment. Center because they didn't they weren't licensed through the state. They didn't have the the Qualified certified staff to be able to do it. So he called and asked me if I would come and help them set up A state licensed treatment center.
Phil:So prior to this point, from the time that you got to Columbus and the Lord got you on track, you had developed some certifications and some other things. How could
Cheryl:I forget that? That was a bonus boy. I got I not only cause I got, when I got to Georgia, I had been to, I had some college and I had some experience, which was really enough to get you hired. through the state of Georgia. So I was working at New Horizons, had been with New Horizons all that time. And because of my experience and because of the college that I had, I was able to work my way through. I was at a master level position with no degree. Wow.
Phil:You were a counselor and. in doing a lot of leading, I would imagine, as well.
Cheryl:I was a substance abuse counselor at, I was director of programs. I was, like I said, I was in a master's level position. Wow. Something happened called managed care. And managed care came, and they were looking at New Horizons and other agencies and what they were saying, okay, we didn't see you got some experience and we see you got your college, but where is your initials, where are your credentials? So I was sitting there with no credentials. So I was like, okay. And I was angry at first, but then I had this wonderful, that caring person. Karen Kelly, I never will forget her, Dr. Karen Kelly. She was the first black PhD I had ever met. And so she was training us for, to become certified addiction counselors. And I was in that class one day and I was complaining about how unfair they were. And they weren't giving me my props and all of this kind of stuff. And she looked at me and she says what you gonna do? So she said, what are you going to do? And that's when I made the decision to go back to school. And I went back to school and and I started back in, I was close to 50 when this was happening. Wow. So you started a
Phil:graduate program to get a doctorate degree? Yeah,
Cheryl:I went, I got all three of my degrees, my associate's, my, my doctorate's. I got my bachelors and my masters from Troy State.
Phil:Wow.
Cheryl:And I and I just went straight through. Didn't stop.
Phil:That's awesome. But I
Cheryl:didn't go to get a masters, that's, this is really crazy because I was looking to, I, when you graduate at Troy State, you got your bachelors, you got your your masters and your PhD, all right there together. And so I was sitting there getting my back, my bachelors, and I was watching the people go. Wow. get their masters. And I got excited about that. I got excited, not about them getting the masters. I got excited about them being hooded. I wanted a hood. So that's made me keep going because I wanted that hood. Yeah. And, but not understanding you needed that that hood, but You needed that master's in order to do whatever it is. So that's how I ended up with the with my master's. All the
Phil:initials after your name. Now,
Cheryl:now I got a bunch of them. So the
Phil:Lord, I would love to take a minute. I would love to hear you share. about the shock, the journey of going from Michigan, coming down to Georgia in 1986. So like just being black, coming into the South, what was that like at the time?
Cheryl:Hard. It was a culture shock for me. I truly was in a culture shock. And the first job that I had at New Horizons coming straight from Michigan to Georgia, my first job was what was called the county. And it was like a clinic on wheels. And we went to all the small rural areas in South Georgia.
none:So here
Cheryl:I am, this Yankee coming straight from the north to. rural Georgia. So we were riding around and we would be visiting all of the health departments. That's what we would set up shop in the health departments. And it got all these little white ladies and here I am. And at there, and I'm not saying yes, ma'am. And
Phil:that Southern culture
Cheryl:and they were calling back to New Horizons and telling them how disrespectful I was because I wasn't saying yes, ma'am. And I'm like, what? That's not who I am.
Phil:It's not a Michigan thing. It's a Georgia
Cheryl:thing. We wasn't, that didn't mean I didn't like you. I was disrespecting you. That's just wasn't something I did, but that will finally, it finally got better, but most people would The way I come across a lot of times and I had to work on that still need some work, but that's not finished with me yet, but I would come across in a way that people thought was rude or angry or aggressive
Phil:because you're strong and assertive. Yeah,
Cheryl:They, so I had a hard time adjusting to that and trying to make sure that people knew what I really meant and how I really meant it. So it was an adjustment.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:To say, to now I'm I'm a peach. I fit right in. I talk, my talk is the same. I quit saying pop and start saying soda. I'm glad
Phil:to hear that.
Cheryl:Yeah. Cause I would, all of that had to change. In Rome you do what the Romans do. Yeah. But yeah, when I first got here, it was a culture shock.
Phil:Were you well respected? Was it hard? Just, did the color of your skin hurt you in those early days? I
Cheryl:was, I was used to prejudice. It was in, it was in the North. So it wasn't all that different? It wasn't all that different. It was more,
Phil:Out in the open. It was more subtle and behind the scenes up in the north. Yeah, you knew,
Cheryl:you knew, and you knew. I, I didn't go to a segregated school. I my school was always integrated. We didn't have the black, white things, but you knew.
Phil:Yeah.
Cheryl:You knew your place. I, we, when we went to the lunch counters, we could sit down at the the HL greens and those kinds of places we could sit, but you always knew that you were different. You, I, my, my whole community was black. The only time I saw white was when I was in school. I had this one incident where my fourth grade teacher, I will never forget her, Ms. Cloudweeder, I'll never forget her name. But she would walk around with a paper towel in her hand, making sure that she didn't touch what we touched.
Phil:And if she
Cheryl:accidentally touched you or whatever, she would immediately go wash her hands. So it was And in some cases it was blatant, but most of the time it was subtle stuff. So I wasn't real shocked. What shocked me was the living conditions down here. Like I said, when I would go to the rural areas and they were still having no running water and they still had outhouses. And they, I was depressed. And then I found out I was the only one sad. They were okay.
Phil:Like they were happy. Yeah.
Cheryl:Yeah. So I had to get used to that, kind of stuff. And just, being what it was. First time I found out about picking up pecans. Because I would talk to somebody and they would, How was your day? I went and picked up some pecans. So I'm thinking. They went to the store and bought them like I was used to doing it, but they were literally picking up pecans. So I learned all of that, our first first time I ever saw raw peanuts was down here. I always went to the store and they weren't picking them up. They were roasted already,
Phil:Wow. I
Cheryl:had it was a learning curve for a lot
Phil:of learning.
Cheryl:Yeah, but it was worth it the best that was the best Decision that I made it and I don't even think I can take credit for it
none:Yeah,
Cheryl:the move from Michigan to Georgia was the best move that ever happened to me It did wonders for me and my family. Yeah Because I, my family was the Hatfields and McCoys and we it was not a very pleasant, we all used together and drank together and all that. And when I left. They were angry at me when I left, but they eventually I would go back and visit and they would see the difference in me. And I remember my sister one time, I had visited home and she says, I don't know what you got, but I want it.
none:You
Cheryl:know, and so they, my immediate family, most of them ended up coming down here and I got a chance to see her. Saved. I got a chance to see my mom except Christ. And so I, it was a good move, not just for me, but for my family too.
Phil:God had a plan all along. All
Cheryl:along. All along. I just had to get obedient. I had to go to church Even when I didn't know why.
Phil:Wow. So did you meet Charles after you had come here to Georgia? I met
Cheryl:Charles after I got here. Charles, we met in the rooms of recovery. Charles had three years clean And I had five years clean when we met. And we lived in sin a little bit. We shacked up and all that. But again, God had a plan for us because it started to bother us that we weren't married. And so we decided to do it God's way. When we got saved, we we didn't know how to be in a godly marriage. We didn't know anything like that. So we decided to learn. And we went into the Bible ourselves and we researched and read scripture and decided that we were going to based our marriage on what the Bible said, and the two becoming one and cleaving and submission and all of that. I had a hard time with submission. Yeah. I had a hard time with that word, but I was able to find out it wasn't. Charles, the man that I was submitting to, as the head it was the God that I saw in him that I was submitting to. So it made it so much easier
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:To submit because I understood. So we learned how to be in a godly marriage together.
Phil:That's amazing.
Cheryl:Yeah. We, and it's, and that's been 31 years ago.
Phil:That's awesome.
Cheryl:And Charles is my third husband.
Phil:Wow. You say you had two when you were up in Michigan?
Cheryl:I had two that I chose, and for various reasons. One, because I didn't want to be 30 and not married. And one, because he looked good and was a good provider. But neither one of them lasted six months.
Phil:Six, wow. Neither one lasted six months?
Cheryl:Neither one. You put them together, it wasn't even a year. Wow. Because it was for all the wrong reasons. And then when I, when Charles and I met, I still had some issues with because he didn't look like I wanted him to. He wasn't flashy. He didn't have a flashy car. He was just a good old country boy, and I wasn't used to that. I wasn't used to a good man. I wasn't, and again, the Holy Spirit was working with me and I didn't even know it. It taught me how to look at the heart not the outside, but what is his heart like? And he was a good man and he had a God conscience. We neither was we, neither one of us will say, but he believed in God. And that was from the 12 step program. Wow. Wow.
Phil:So how many years have you and Charles been married?
Cheryl:Third, it'll be 32 years in November of this year.
Phil:What an amazing example of what happens when you pattern your marriage after what the Bible says.
Cheryl:Yes. That threefold chord. Yeah, that's not all the instructions
Phil:are there. We just got to read it study it And then the key is to actually do it,
Cheryl:believe it and receive it in your heart.
Phil:And I 30, how many years again? 32, 32 years. What a great example. So few marriages last that long these days.
Cheryl:They really don't.
Phil:And then a lot of times people don't even get married. It's just But how much better is it when you do it God's way?
Cheryl:When you can't go wrong, and that's what I've found out over the years. Whatever you do follow after the Spirit. If you're following after, He is not gonna lead you wrong.
Phil:He loves us and wants what's best for us.
Cheryl:Yes. He wants you happy,
Phil:joyous
Cheryl:and free, and that and getting back to the tomorrow's hope We were able to Get the program and it was a mess when I got there. So
Phil:this was 2019. So you had gotten all the initials after your name. You were well respected in the community. I've heard Neal talk about you. I have
Cheryl:been working in the field for years. Just
Phil:helping a lot of people. And then, so you had a reputation of excellence and Neal comes to you in 2019 to try to bring Tomorrow's Hope, the program that Safe House Ministries has, and bring that into excellence. And
Cheryl:to, and to being licensed. Yeah. And, and so we worked and man, it was a fight a lot of times between you and me
Phil:because
Cheryl:we can't do it like
Phil:you're both strong personalities. You, yeah. Yeah.
Cheryl:And and so we tussled a little bit, but he finally allowed me to. To do the program, and and we finally I think a year Maybe a year or two after we got the right staff on board with the right credentials with my license because the state is not coming in. You can't just have anybody Working you got they've got to be credentialed which is what that does that person told me.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:And and that, that's real. When you want a license, when you want to be professional, you got to have professional people, and you got to have people who have the right credentials. So we set that up. We got the right people in the right place and right. We got a curriculum down. And once we did that, then we petitioned the state. They came in and found paper.
Phil:Wow. So what, at what point was the first initial state licensing granted?
Cheryl:I think it was I think it was a year later maybe like 2020 or 21. Okay.
Phil:during the craziness of COVID.
Cheryl:Yeah. We stayed open the whole time COVID was open. Our COVID was open. We stayed open the whole time COVID was there. We did our groups on on zoom.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:Yeah. We, so we fought through that.
none:That's
Phil:awesome.
Cheryl:Yeah, it had to be in 20.
Phil:Okay. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about your role at Tomorrow's Hope now and what the ministry looks like and what Tomorrow's Hope brings to the table to help so many people in our community.
Cheryl:One of the things that that That we do we're under the same umbrella. We function a little bit different and because we're under the ministry, but we're not a ministry, so to speak. Yeah, you're
Phil:talking about under the umbrella of Safe House Ministries. Yeah,
Cheryl:we're under the umbrella of Safe House Ministries. We're One of the things we found out we have to allow people to have God as they understand him, not as I understand him not as Neil or not as Safe House understands him. They have to be comfortable with the God that's going to get them through this.
Phil:That's part of the 12 step process. We,
Cheryl:we focus heavily on, on the 12 step program. It's been proven that it works. We're not going to try to reinvent the wheel. That program works, and what we found is that it will do what we can't do. It will lead them to God.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:All we gotta do is just teach them how to stay sober, how to keep the junk out of them, how to put that disease, we believe it's a disease, how to put it in remission. And now once we get it in remission, then we teach them the tools on how to keep it in remission. And 12 step program comes in because that support is what helps them stay sober.
Phil:Yeah. So it's a, it is a. Intensive outpatient, typically 9 to 12 months, substance abuse treatment program. We go,
Cheryl:It can be anywhere from 9 to 12 months. We've got 3 phases. We've got phase 1, we've got phase 2, we've got phase 3. One of the things we found out was that, Earlier and when we developed the program is that we were sending them to work too soon, 30 days, they were working and they, as soon as they got that money, it was rapid relapse, so we had to put a heart to that and step back and we've got to treat them first.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:We've got to get them sober first. Then we look for job once one wants, because they're going to money is a true trigger. So once they've gotten Work in a program, got a sponsor, work learning tools. They got their tool belt on, then you can send them, let them go to work. Yeah. And that, that has worked wonders when we re, redid the program and put the phases in. So the first, first three months is strictly treatment all about staying sober, all about learning your tools, all about setting up your support system. Then, you can go and look for a job. And then after that, it's aftercare.
Phil:That's good. That's good. And
Cheryl:that, that, that's working well. We do a great job. Yeah. With keeping and helping people learn how to stay sober.
Phil:Yeah, I know looking at the data, tomorrow's hope compared to the national average of At least completion success, the program completion success, a huge increase in just the higher rates of completion, higher rates of success getting through the program with Tomorrow's Hope versus what the national average is. That's another. Just another a credit to the Lord, but to the Lord using you to Establish that program and to build it in such a way that it is high quality I'll be able to help so many people
Cheryl:He if he's in it you gonna win.
Phil:Yeah
Cheryl:You know it even and a lot of times like those that already hear about God aren't ready to hear about Christ, whatever they're getting the word. It don't even realize it, so that's the beauty of this thing, and that's what, that's where the 12 step program comes in because it was written by Christians, so they're getting the word.
Phil:It's awesome. You know that the truth is the truth. Yeah, and then we know it comes from God, right? He is the author and source of all truth.
Cheryl:Amen. So hey, so I love what I do and That's that means I don't go to work It's not a job because I enjoy what I do and I know That I was called to do it. And I think that's why it's just so natural. It's just a natural part of who I am.
Phil:That's good.
Cheryl:Because I'm walking in my calling and since then that same man that didn't want to go to church with them hypocrites as a pastor
Phil:Isn't that amazing yeah, just what the Lord does and then you know He sees it all from the beginning like he knows what he's gonna do. He knows the plans He's already got and I just Yeah, it's amazing.
Cheryl:I could just see him sitting there looking at me and Charles. I think I could use them I you know, like he was looking at Saul before he became Paul I think I could use that zeal that they have a turn that thing around and they're gonna work for me Yes, and
Phil:I love you know the Bible mentions in Genesis the first reference to the gospel that the heir of Satan would Bruce the heel of the Savior, but he would crush his head. Yeah, and just Satan thought he had you And that when the darkness and the bondage, he thought he was, and then all of a sudden God said no. She's not yours. She's mine. And now the work you're doing that's fighting against all that he's trying to do to destroy people's lives. And the Lord's using you to reach people, to save people. It's awesome.
Cheryl:It is. And I like to speak and let people know, especially those that, that are still struggling with addiction and that he's no respect that person. Yeah. If he did it for me, he'll do it for you. If he did it for Charles, he'll do it for you. That's that. Now that's why I love our church. Overcomers Christian church, that word overcome. If you go through revelations and see what good things happen to people who overcome. Oh yeah. Yeah. That's the good stuff. Oh yes.
Phil:Cheryl, would you. Take a minute and think about some of the people that you've seen over the years and you don't have to give any names or you can make up fake names, whatever, but I think it would be amazing if you would share a handful of stories of just some of the things that you have seen in the turnaround in people's lives and Just share some of the work and the results of the work that you've seen over the years that God has done with Through Tomorrow's Hope.
Cheryl:The first person that comes to mind is my sister. She's dead now. But when I look at Jeanette and Jeanette, And was what I would call hopeless. She she went through some things. I watched her go to prison. I watched her go back to prison. I watched her do the, her lifestyle. I watched her go into lesbianism, out of lesbianism. Just all kinds of things that I saw her do. And when she moved here to Georgia and to see that change and see her join church and see her accept Christ and see her get into and she didn't really go through a 12 step program, but she did get saved and she did turn her life over to the Lord and just seeing that Formation.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:Was awesome. It was one guy that kept coming back to the program and kept coming back to the program at least 14 times. Wow. What made the difference that 14th time? Who knows? But that 14th time was the one that did it. And that's when he came and stayed and changed and got his, and it's still sober to this day, being in a position to sponsor people. And by sponsoring people means that mentoring them through their their sobriety and just being able to work with those women and watch where they've done everything but killed the baby and burn up the church, but watch them again transform into a true living human being productive, working and doing it God's way. Some get saved, some don't some stay in the tossed up program that I've worked with, but that's okay because it's not my timing. It's his timing, but just watching, just being a part of that. And the only thing I do with them is just share. What God did for me, share how I got how I changed what I had to do and encourage it and showing them that if you just do the work, God will do the rest. If you take one step, he's going to take the two, and if and just being there and being a part of it. And again, watching what I call the Alpo glow. And that is used to be a commercial about the this food alpo dog food Yeah, and the dog would have this glow running around with this glow. And so that's what I say. You can see when the light goes off in them. That's the Best experience that's what makes me know that I've done what God has required of me.
Phil:I bet that's an amazing, it is, it
Cheryl:is. It's just, it's so awesome to sit in tomorrow's hope and watch these folks that come out of jails and come off the street with no hope. No, no kind of hope is the main thing that they've lost, but being able to see them develop some hope. Turn around from that hopeless and helpless state of mind and getting to the point where they, not only do they have hope they develop that Faith and that courage and they begin to work the steps and they begin to change and they be, they become productive members of society and they got jobs and they got wives and families, who wouldn't serve a God like that?
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:Yeah. So I'm in a win-win situation here.
none:Yeah.
Cheryl:I get paid to do what I do best. That's a win situation.
Phil:That is.
Cheryl:It's not a job. It's a call and I thank God that he called me for such a time as this.
Phil:I, I hear as I talk to people and do the podcast every week, it's a very common theme, maybe almost every single time, When someone comes out of the bondage into victory, they want to give back. They want to help others. It's a part of what it means to be in victory, that, that love in their heart for other people. Speak to that a little bit.
Cheryl:That's that 12th step when it says having had a spiritual awakening. As a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to the alcoholic and alcoholic and addict who's still suffering. What that's, what that says to me, having changed, I've changed. I'm a new creature. I'm a different person. And so because of that, I can carry that message. I can do the Peter. I can strengthen my brethren. I can help restore them. And that's what it's all about. Only way I keep what I have is by giving it back. Freely. It was given to me freely. I freely kill, and that's that once you get it, you want the whole world to have it. And people are anxious, especially their loved ones, especially other people that they know that there is, you're going to spend an eternity somewhere. You don't want them to do it in hell. If they go to sleep in their sin, they're going to wake up in their sin. So you your goal is to save as many people as you can. Not only from not right away. It's not, I'm not saving you from from hell, but I'm saving you from a living hell, and as a result, then you can get to the point where you can ask because it's personal, you can ask God. Or Christ to come into your life. So getting them to that point that I call it the 13th, the real 13th step not that other 13th step with that relationship that's going to save your soul.
Phil:It makes all the difference. It makes
Cheryl:all the difference. Again, the 12 steps can save my behind, but it cannot save my soul.
Phil:Yeah. Only God through Jesus can do that. Amen. Cheryl, any other people that come to mind that have a neat story, just a mere miraculous turnaround?
Cheryl:Mothers who get their families back. That that's an awesome story. They've lost their kids, the defects have come in, and they get their babies back, they get their family back. Those all of that, people who never worked in their lives, but finally are able to go to work. It's so many testimonies that I see. The main thing is people getting their self respect back, getting themselves back, because that's what you lose out there. You lose you, and getting me back. Knowing that I'm a worthwhile person and I deserve the best. Getting people to watch that light go off on people where they know that they are somebody and that they deserve good in their lives. And then and helping them get to the point where they began to experience that good in their lives. It's hard to just pick out one. Yeah, so many
Phil:that's powerful. Just, I can only imagine as you see that every single day, just. What it does in your heart to see a mother who's, who had lost her children because of addiction to get clean, to get. Her life on the right track and then to get those kids back.
Cheryl:And I've seen that over and can really tell them just trust God. Trust the process. Trust God. You and it takes me to this story and I tell him this story a lot. And you may have heard it, but it's a story about a little boy who wants to play with his dad who's come home tired and really don't want to play. And the little boy is like really pressuring him to do some things with him. So the dad is trying to figure out how can I get this kid busy so I can get me some rest. So he finds this map of the world. And he tears it up into a lot of little pieces and he gives it to his son, little two, three, three for your kid. Gives it to his son and says, now you put this map together and once you get this map put together, then we'll play. Now he's thinking he's bought him at least 30 minutes to get him some rest. Fifteen minutes later, here comes this little kid. He's got the map all put together and the dad is like, how did he do that? So he says, how did you do that? And the little boy turned the map over and there was a man on the map. And he says, dad, I put the man together. And when I put the man together, the world came together. And that's our message to the people. Put yourself together. And then your world will come together.
Phil:That's good. I've never heard that. At least I don't remember if I've heard that.
Cheryl:Yeah. And so that's the focus. Don't worry about the kids right now. Don't worry about the job. Don't worry about, focus on fixing you. And once you put you together, then you will be amazed. And how God will fix that thing.
Phil:That is a powerful picture.
Cheryl:Yeah.
Phil:Wow. Yeah. And that's what you see every day. That's what we get to see every day. Helping people to put their own individual lives back together.
Cheryl:Yeah. And then all those other things fall into place.
Phil:Yeah, that's so good. So Cheryl, think for a minute. If you had to pull out a handful of key lessons that you have learned over the years, or bits of wisdom that have really been profound in your life and in the lives of others what wisdom and key lessons would you share?
Cheryl:I think the best thing the best way to say this is I serve a God that has a sense of humor. And one of the things he did for me and I thank God that I was just obedient, but he did things backwards for me. He gave me my Ph. D. first, and that was poor, helpless, drunk. And then he gave me the master. And then he gave me my BA, which was my born again status. So that was the most important degree I got was the BA, the born again status. The wisdom I could give is to thine own self, be true, follow the spirit, whatever you do, follow after the spirit. If you can do that, you can be successful. It's when I get in the way don't disregard godly counseling. Listen to those who've been there, done that and got the t shirt. Even if it doesn't make sense. Even if I don't understand it, I do it because it worked for them. So don't try to understand this thing because you can't, because it makes no sense. Just do it because those who have gone before you, it worked for them. It'll work for you.
Phil:That's good. And that takes trust. Trust. In the beginning. Exactly. Trust. Like you say, trust the process. It works. It works. It has worked for so many people. And when you're the one that's in the addiction, in the beginning of the process, it works. You don't get it.
Cheryl:Quit listening to yourself. Don't listen to yourself. That's how we got into the
Phil:mess by listening to my own thinking.
Cheryl:That's another word of wisdom. Do not listen to yourself. Listen to those who know what they're talking about.
Phil:That's good. Yeah. Quit listening to you. Awesome. This has been really fun. It's been a wonderful time. Any last little thing you want to share at all?
Cheryl:Just thank you for again, for asking me. I'm just glad and excited about what God is doing in my life. I'm excited that that I heated. to that still small voice and went to church even though I didn't understand it. I do know that the God I serve is able and willing to do that for other people. sO just be attentive to that still small voice and listen so you don't be stuck in that cave. Yeah. Like Elijah was. That's good. Come out the cave.
Phil:And now, you are the director of Tomorrow's Hope which is a part of the Safe House Ministries wider, wider ministry, and Anybody
Cheryl:and if someone's out there listening to this podcast and you do want some help you can contact safe house ministries and just let them know that someone that needs some help, or, someone that especially if it's an addiction that they're struggling with and call safe house ministries, they'll get in touch with us. And we'll be glad to have you. It's free. That's the operative word. It's free. You don't have to pay a dime. All you have to have is a willingness to do what is what is told for you to do. Follow the directions. If you got anybody Safe House Ministries will get in touch with us and we will gladly talk with you.
Phil:Yes, absolutely. Get you
Cheryl:in, get you in there and get your head screwed back on.
Phil:Help us here. Yeah. Help us here.
Cheryl:It really is. It really is. And and there is no waiting list. If you call today and you need to get into safe house ministries if you need to get, if you don't have a place to stay, we've got shelters that you can stay in, still come to treatment. So there, the opportunity is there.
Phil:There's no excuse not to come. No excuse
Cheryl:whatsoever that you can't beat this thing.
Phil:Yeah, that's good. And if you are someone listening and. You want to partner with us in the work of helping people rebuild their lives, then reach out as well because this is a work that we cannot do on our own. We need partners in the community to hold hands with us and help us in this work, whether it's through volunteering time, through giving money, whatever it might be partners are what make this all possible.
Cheryl:And family members Don't be ashamed. Don't let don't love your family member to death. Don't go into denial with them Let them know that they need help and then you bring them in kicking and screaming Just bring them but if you don't then you're gonna love them to death.
Phil:That's a good word Yeah, powerful. Praise the Lord. You mind if I close this in word of prayer? Go ahead. Father. I love you I thank you for Cheryl. Yes, I just thank you that even You Before you created the world, you had a plan for Cheryl's life. Specifically, you knew her, you knew Charles, you knew what you were going to do in their lives. Thank you, Lord, for the miracle, Lord, 38 years in bondage, but 38 years in victory, and that's because of you. And I just thank you for what you've done. I thank you for what you're continuing to do. Continue to use Cheryl to be a light, to be a blessing, to be a help through Tomorrow's Hope and just through her many areas of ministry. Lead others to her. Lead others to Safe House Ministries who need help, that we can help to turn lives around. And Father, lead us in prayer. More partners that would come alongside us in this ministry and give their time, give their money in support of this work. Bring people that would catch the vision that you've given to us here at safe house and just partnering with us in this work. We love you. We praise you. And we are grateful to you. Jesus name. I pray.
Cheryl:Amen. Amen. Amen. 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.