Riding the Waves, Reaping the Floods, Rescued by Mercy: James Sanders (Sum up and Conclusion Episode)

This episode begins with multiple clips from the first two episodes to give a summary of Jame's entire incredible story, and then James brings us up to where he is today, and how incredibly blessed his life is now.  To many James' life might seem like a broken and scattered mess, but when you look at how God was there all along pursuing James with his unwavering mercy and you hear James' profession of the greatness and goodness of God, you realize that his life is an illustration of such a beautiful tapestry that only God could create.  The mercy of God truly knows know boundary, if you are running from God today please know that He loves you and is pursuing you as well.

Transcript

Phil Shuler: 0:00

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.

James: 1:12

It was before then. I had just turned 11, I think, when Mom and Dad got a divorce. It was Me, my daddy, and my little brother. Daddy had got custody of me and my little brother. After him, my mama got a divorce, and he was a single parent. That's another reason I fell by the wayside, as you would say. I started smoking marijuana at a very young age and that just led to other stuff. I've actually done every drug known to man except heroin. Wow. Every one of them. Abused it. And, I wouldn't work for nothing but drug money. That's basically all I did. Christmas morning in 1987, I woke up and I had to look at my kids because I had spent their Christmas money on that one. On drugs. And, I was a womanizer. I started verbally abusing, emotionally abuse. you got to be real careful with the devil. You got to be real careful because he will trick you. He talked angels out of heaven. So don't think he ain't got power.

2:19

Yeah. He's an angel of light. He's a deceiver and a crafty.

James: 2:24

Wednesday after that, my life ended as I knew it. Oh, wow long story short, April 2nd, they arrested me for a sex offense. when I went to trial, I wound up getting a hundred and forty years. Wow. That's what the judge sentenced me to serve. It almost destroyed me. It almost completely destroyed me. But, I wasn't like your average individual in prison. I took advantage of every opportunity and everything the state of Georgia had to offer, I even took classes that didn't even apply to me. I took them just so I could have them. Yeah. To grow and

3:03

to build your knowledge base. Exactly.

James: 3:04

Knowledge. I love knowledge. Now, I love knowledge, but while I was in prison, like I said, I took advantage of everything they had to offer. Like I said, I got locked up. April 2nd, 2019, I was in prison, I took every class. They said, this class don't apply to you. Is there a reason why I can't go? No. Then sign me up. Then sign me up. But in that time, I got my electrician certification with mobile construction and in that time, remember I told you I got thrown out of school. I studied for my GED with a vengeance. Wow. With a vengeance. When I took my test, when I took my pre test, I was one of ten in the state of Georgia to get a perfect score. On science and social studies. I had to better myself because if I survived this prison sentence and I got out, I couldn't come out the same person that I went in. I couldn't because where was that leading? Where was all that gonna go? Even though I'd quit the drugs, even though I'd quit all that, but I hadn't quit the womanizing, I hadn't quit the abusive, I hadn't quit all the other stuff. But I took a course. Corrective thinking. Miss Vickers.

Phil: 4:20

Oh.

James: 4:21

That class, if you've never took that class, and you've never heard about it, take it. It's a long class, but it's an eye opener. Wow. And you learn about the ripple effect. The ripple effect. You may not realize, just because you hurt that individual, you didn't just hurt that individual, you hurt everybody that loves that individual. Not only did you hurt that individual, you hurt yourself and everybody that cares about you everybody's hurt somewhere along the way. You may think it's an isolated incident. It's not. Nowhere close is it an isolated incident. That's true. But I got all the knowledge I could. I made sure that when I come out, when and if I did get out, I wasn't going to be the same person. I was not going to be the same person that I went in. I had been in church in my younger days when my grandparents, my papa especially, but I had never grasped it. I had never, like I said, I hadn't had that aha moment. I was young. Yeah. Some people realize, that's the work of God right there. You didn't do none of that. You can't take credit for none of that. You don't realize that at that young age.

Phil: 5:28

Yeah.

James: 5:29

But, as I got older, and like I said, when I was in the program, I got to thinking about how many times he stepped in, and saved me, and I pushed his hand away. Not real, not literally, but when I thought about it.

mixed: 5:44

Yeah.

James: 5:46

How many times he reached out to me, and I pushed his hand away. How many times were the drugs?

mixed: 5:52

Yeah.

James: 5:52

He saved my life.

mixed: 5:53

Yeah.

James: 5:53

He literally saved my life. And he gave me another chance. But I pushed his hand away. I started to womanize him. I let something else in. Instead of cleaning it, keeping it clean, I let something else in I pushed his hand away.

Phil: 6:07

Wow.

James: 6:07

But when I finished that course, actually before I even finished the course, I knew then what I had to do. I had to just let it go. I had to let You wanna You don't think God's got a sense of humor? Tell him your plan. Tell him your plan. You'll hear him laugh then. But I know what I had to let my plan go. I had to let my plan go and give it to God. Once I did that, everything changed. Everything changed.

6:36

You surrendered.

James: 6:37

I surrendered. They called me, and this was before I knew I was getting out. I thought I really, I wouldn't expect to ever get out. And one day they called me, they said Sanders, we need an address. And I'm like, for what? They said, you're going home what? When am I going home? Ain't nobody told me nothing. I ain't been to no parole hearing, ain't been to none of that. End of. They said we need an address on him. So I went to my counselor, and I was in the dog program then, training second chance greyhounds.

7:08

Really? Yeah. You really did take advantage of everything.

James: 7:11

Everything. I'm telling you, if you offered it, and I've stood benefit from it, Oh, I've got to have it. I've got to have it. If I'm going to gain knowledge from it, and I'm going to get some kind of what do you call it? Love from it. And dogs. I love dogs. I love dogs, but I come out of the counselor's office and I was bad because I didn't have nowhere to go. I was banished from the county that I'm from. That's where all my family lives. So I couldn't go there. I couldn't go to no other halfway house, no diversion center, none of that. I didn't have nowhere to go. So I come out of the office and I had my head down and the lady over the dog program, she said, Sanders, what's wrong with you? So I told her. She said, hang on just a minute. She said, come to my office in 30 minutes. And she walked out to the control tower and she told the guard, she said, send Jack, send Sanders to my office in 30 minutes. Exactly 30 minutes. 30 minutes rolled around and they said, Sanders, you need to go to the office. So I go up out of the office, she said, and you know who's had on the phone

none (2): 8:07

mike? Mike. Ha.

James: 8:10

She had Mike on the phone.

none (2): 8:11

Good ol Mike.

James: 8:12

Good ol Mike, saving grace. He was my saving grace. But she had Mike on the phone and Mike said Yeah, he said I got a bed for him. Send him on.

Phil: 8:21

Wow.

James: 8:21

And I was like, You gotta be kidding me. I'm going home. Wow. You've got to be kidding me. This is after 22 years and 22 days. Wow. And that was when he was running

8:30

the Beacon House. Beacon House, here in Columbus.

James: 8:31

He said, send him, I got a bed for him. She calls down there, her name is Ms. Coleman. She calls down there and tells my counselor, he's got a bed, give her the address, give her all that. She says, okay, you're going home Friday. Wow. And that

8:42

is amazing. Just seemingly out of nowhere. Nowhere. We know where it was from. It was from the Lord. Yeah. But just so unexpected and

James: 8:53

He said, my prodigal son, I'm going to give you one more chance, one more chance. That's

8:58

a miracle. Just wow. That God was working behind the scenes again. That's just amazing.

James: 9:05

Again. God's like my prodigal son, I give you one more chance, one more chance, 777. He said, you've used up quite a few of them.

Phil: 9:14

God is so good.

James: 9:15

Absolutely. Absolutely. Blessed beyond all measure.

9:18

So that bump up to 10 an hour in about three weeks. And then

James: 9:22

It just kept going. It just kept getting better. And I kept thinking back on that. One more now. One more. Don't mess this one up. Wow. I'm going to open this door for you, don't mess this one up. Wow. Like I said, I went from making minimum wage, 7. 25 to three weeks, making 10 an hour. Now what? I'm saving every dime I can.

9:41

That's good.

James: 9:42

Mike actually walked into my room and was like, James, you can't have this kind of money laying around. You can't do, you got to open a bank account. I can't be responsible for that. Ain't nobody going to bother just laying around there? And, not bragging or nothing, there's 3, 000 laying there that I've saved up. I'm eating bologna sandwiches. I don't go out and eat. I don't do nothing. Everybody's talking about, Oh, I'm going to go here. I'm going to get me this. I'm going to do that. No, I'm not. I'm going to try to You were really

10:09

thinking ahead and trying to, yeah.

James: 10:10

I had to, I had to make the best of this chance that I was given. I had to, because like I said God had many times opened the door for me and me and my ways kick it shut.

mixed: 10:25

Yeah.

James: 10:26

I couldn't do it again. I couldn't do it again. Wow. Because a lot of people don't believe me when I tell them this. God will smite you. He will smite you. People go, oh, he's not, no, he won't. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

10:39

I have I felt the chastening of the Lord when I was not in line where I needed to be.

James: 10:43

You will. It's

10:44

no fun.

James: 10:45

You will. You'll look at me and you'll be like, why me? I'm

10:47

thankful that His mercy and His grace Abundantly outweighs his judgment and wrath a thousand times over,

James: 10:54

but

10:55

it's still there. It is there. Like in the end. That's what hell is. If you just reject his grace and his mercy for your whole life and you don't receive Jesus as your savior, you have to experience his wrath.

James: 11:06

But it's all the doors that was open. And I told you, 725 to 10. 18. Wow. Within two months. Wow. Within two months. Just wow. Excuse me. Another avenue for Columbus Baptist Association safe house. All of it together. Mike says. You was in business for yourself at one point in time, right? I was like, yeah, but that wasn't a good time. That's when I was doing drugs. I was working more so I could buy more drugs, so I could work more, so I could buy more drugs and all that. He said we'll help you get your LLC if you would like to try it again. I'm working for Rich Electric then. Miss Bessie, she knowed about my past. She knew about everything and I explained it to her, was honest with her. She said, We'll give you a chance. And she's the one that gave me my first electrical job in Columbus after I got out of prison. But Mike and Safe House and Columbus Pipes Associates helped me get my LLC, my business license, and I started JLS Superior Interiors. And started my own business.

Phil: 12:09

Wow.

James: 12:10

So now, I'm an electrician and I'm the owner, sole owner of JLS Superior Residential Interior.

Phil: 12:18

Wow, that's awesome.

12:19

So now, and you were still at the shelter at that time. Okay, and started your business up and just. Continuing to grow and save and

James: 12:28

right. And then Mike told me one day, he said, look, you got to get out of here. We need to free up some space for somebody else who needs it. That's basically what he said.

12:39

You're doing good. Keep on going. Let's get somebody else in here to help.

James: 12:42

That's exactly what he said. He said, you can pay rent now. We, you got to go.

12:47

That sounds, that's the plan. That's the goal.

James: 12:49

That is exactly what it was. Mike said, you exceeded all of our expectations. You're good to go. Bye and it was a blessing. Like I said, he said that one more and he just poured it out and poured it out and poured it out and poured it out on me. Beyond all measure

13:02

That's amazing. Praise the Lord. Absolutely. Now was it, was the shelter when you left, was it Grace House at the time? They

James: 13:08

had, he had

13:10

Before Freedom House.

James: 13:12

Grace House, was the male side, and then they changed it over to the female side.

13:16

Yeah, when we got the building out on Chautauqua, that became the Freedom House for men. Okay, were you at that location? No. Okay, you were there before.

James: 13:23

That's before, right before they changed over to the Freedom House up there. Yeah. But I had one over when they changed over from the female to the man side. That's how I actually got started in trying to pay back because. Yeah? Allergical. I did all the electrical work in the Grace House, what is the Grace House now, when they changed the door to females. Yeah, the women's shelter. Mike said look, I need some get back. He said, we just.

13:50

We helped you get on your feet. You're doing great. Exactly. Give back to some more, some others.

James: 13:54

Exactly. I had been trying to think of some ways that I could help, that I could get back and it just worked out to be perfect.

14:00

Praise the Lord. That's awesome.

James: 14:01

Perfect. And I went over there and did that for Mike. I was like, what else? That's awesome. And as of, like I said, as of now, I've got almost 780 hours and it's still low. Wow. Thousands and thousands more for everything that Grace House and Safe House has done. Beacon House and Safe House Ministry has done for me.

14:20

Praise the Lord. You got out, got your own place, building your business. How are things now? Like where you at now?

James: 14:27

Well. Like I told you earlier, I went to the doctor today and didn't get some very good news, but it's going to be all right.

14:36

Yeah. You've seen some amazing things. Like you have seen the miracle working of God in ways

James: 14:42

That's what I ain't worried

14:43

about. I think few people probably have seen. Wow. Yeah, I know. How's your relationship with your kids?

James: 14:51

My daughters, it's, we communicate, but it's been like three, no, it's been longer than that. It's been like five years since I've seen my oldest daughter or any of my grandkids. My youngest daughter come Father's Day two years ago. Like I said, my oldest daughter lives in Lott, Texas. My youngest daughter lives on the Alabama Mississippi line and my son lives in Virginia. Yeah. Yeah. But. My son, and I can't blame him, he remembers the old The bad days. Exactly. Yeah. And I don't blame him. I don't blame him not whatsoever.

15:28

Yeah. So it's still a time of trying to heal and Exactly. Just

James: 15:34

A lot of pain there. Seeing

15:34

if you can rebuild.

James: 15:36

A lot of pain there. Yeah. With him. My, my daughter, my oldest daughter, my youngest daughter, they're I guess they're more Forgiven, but like I said, I don't hold against him because I wouldn't. Yeah. Wow. He's completely justified.

15:51

Wow. Praise the Lord. You have a really amazing story. I just, I have loved just hearing you share all that God has done. Thank you. But. We hadn't got to those Mike stories yet, so give me a couple of good Mike stories.

James: 16:07

Hold up, you are aware that Mike holds my will and testament. In that will and testament, he has the power to have me committed with no question. Oh. Oh. He has a little bit of power over me.

16:20

Oh but you know what? If those stories might boost our podcast, and people might say, those are great stories here, and share and listen to these stories, and then Mike would be like, oh man, I'm all for

James: 16:30

it. I'm not going to take that chance. Oh, but Mike is, he's, I don't know. Mike's a beautiful person. A lot of people don't know it, but Mike is a beautiful

16:42

person. Mike's seen some miracles of the Lord.

James: 16:46

That's why I tell Michael all the time, because it's been hard on him. It's been really hard on him, especially lately. I said, you know why that is? I said, cause you got a good job waiting on you up there. I told him all the time. I said, you want to advocate for me when you get up there. You want to advocate for me down here. Wow. I'm going to ride in on your coattail.

17:05

Wow. What's your relationship with the Lord like right now? Your daily walk, or are you going to church anywhere? What is your relationship with the Lord look like?

James: 17:14

I am a member of Calvary. Attend Psychic Baptist on occasion, but as far as me and God, I love the Lord with all my heart and soul it would be unjustifiable to feel any other kind of way than blessed beyond all measure. I wished, I look back on it now and I wished I had took the opportunity. When he first held his hand out in my younger life, if I'd have took it then and started walking the walk instead of pushing his hand aside, I would have never had to endure all that other stuff. But like I said, if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plan, because I had all these other plans, all these that didn't work out.

17:57

That is, that is a powerful lesson to ponder, and I think for anybody listening, no doubt there are going to be some people that if they stop and think about what's going on in their lives, they're in a time when the Lord is trying to reach out and they're faced with that choice. If they push him away, it's going to get worse, it's going to get worse, but They have the opportunity to let them in,

James: 18:21

yeah, reach out, open your heart, let him in, reach out.

18:25

So many good lessons that you have shared already. But I want to ask you directly if you had to think and just maybe pick out a few key lessons that you feel like are some of the things that stand out most that you've learned along the way. What would those be

James: 18:44

for one, God works at his own time. He don't work at your time. Another is, people don't like it when I say this, but I call God out. I call him out on his word, his scripture. I call him out on it. You said this, and I'm asking this, or I'm bringing this to you. You made this promise. I'm trusting in you, and I'm believing in you.

mixed: 19:09

Yeah. That's something

James: 19:10

you've got to put your trust, you've got to put your trust in God.

19:16

He loves it when people trust him.

James: 19:17

He loves it. Loves it. If you don't think he's going to reward you for trusting him, you may not want to. You may balk at the thought of trusting him. Please do. Yeah. Please do. There is. You've got to trust me.

19:32

There's a verse, I think it's 2 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 9, and the verse says that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth looking for those whose heart is fully trusting in him. And then it says. So that he may show himself strong on their behalf. Exactly. That's amazing. God is looking for people who will do just what you're saying and put their whole heart and trust. And when we do that's when he comes in and does greater things than we can imagine. He comes in showing out. I need that.

James: 20:15

I need that too.

20:16

Everybody needs

James: 20:17

that.

20:17

I need that. That lesson needs to sink into my heart and I just, I need to operate always in that mode.

James: 20:22

We can claim, to be religious. We can claim to be righteous and all that, in reality, a lot of times, We turn away from it, or we doubt, or we question. That's where we fall short. Never doubt, never question.

mixed: 20:39

Yeah.

James: 20:39

Never doubt, never question. That's why this little medical thing that I was telling you about. So be it, if it be at his will, so be it. Who am I? I'm nothing. If it be at his will, so be it. Yeah,

20:53

In reality, I would be lost without Jesus. There's just no other, there's no other way around it. I would be utterly lost without Jesus.

James: 21:02

Everybody is

21:02

lost without Jesus. You're

James: 21:03

right. Yeah.

21:04

That's the truth and it's up to us to receive that truth.

James: 21:08

You've got to seek it. Yeah. You've got to want it. Wow.

21:12

What other key lessons stand out from your journey that the Lord has shown you?

James: 21:16

Take what's offered. You may not realize the good in it at the time, but it's not for you to see. If it's offered to you, take it.

mixed: 21:29

Yeah.

James: 21:29

It's maybe a blessing in disguise and you don't even realize it. If it's there, know who put it there. If it's not there, know who didn't put it there. There's a time and a place. Yeah.

21:42

I think it's James 1 17 that says every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above from the father of lights and whom is no variableness. Every good thing comes from the Lord.

James: 21:54

There's no doubt about it. How can you justify saying it comes from anywhere else?

21:57

You can't. It just, it's it. Yeah. It just, yeah. Wow. Anything else? Any other key lessons that stand out?

James: 22:05

If you want to. Be the person you want to be sure it's the person that you want to be and lay it at his feet. That's all you gotta do. That's all you gotta do.

22:14

Lay it at the feet of Jesus. Yield. That's all you gotta do. Yeah.

James: 22:17

And he'll help you be that person.

Phil: 22:19

Wow. Yeah. He'll help you be better than you imagined.

James: 22:23

No doubt about it, beyond all measure.

Phil: 22:25

Yeah.

James: 22:26

Amen. That's why I love that saying, I am blessed beyond all measure.

Phil: 22:30

Yeah.

James: 22:30

All measure.

Phil: 22:31

Wow.

22:32

God has blessed you. Absolutely. And I pray God's even greater blessings upon you and just, yeah. It's, I have been encouraged in my heart with this time with you. And. And I know for me personally, I needed this, that there were some words that you shared that the Lord took and just took them straight to my heart that just, even in, I'm in the midst of some transition in my own life and having to come to the reality of letting go and just yielding to Jesus and trusting Him, not knowing what the future might be. So I needed that. Thank you. This is good. Thank the Lord. Amen. Amen. We

James: 23:15

are

23:15

nothing. Yeah. It is all. One last chance for a Mike story. Can I pull one out of you? Is there anything I can do to pull just a little one? It doesn't have to be anything super crazy bad. Just something that he won't mind you sharing.

James: 23:29

Honestly, off the top of my head, I can't think of nothing to be honest with you. Mike might have been exaggerating when he told you that. He

23:37

really was pretty emphatic about not knowing if he should send you my way, because you could tell some stories about him.

James: 23:46

That's not entirely true. I love Mike. I love Mike. I

23:50

do too. Jesus loves Mike. I it's, yeah, he

James: 23:52

does. He shows him favor all the time because how did I ask him all the time, how did you ever get this old? And because he is so accident prong, if it can go wrong, it goes wrong. For Mike I tell him all the time, how did you get this far? God got to love you.

24:10

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah I hope you don't get too big ahead listening to this podcast. He ain't perfect He sure ain't perfect. Just like none of us are perfect. Oh, absolutely. But he's a servant and he loves the Lord and he probably works too much He does. He works on my lands. I don't say how he does it, but I would say he a good word to describe him as a servant.

James: 24:31

That is and I was thinking when I was out there in the lobby, I sat there and I was thinking. The labor of the Lord is abundant. If you're going to work for God, there's a lot of work to be done. There is. But the rewards is

Phil: 24:47

Eternal. So

James: 24:48

great, yeah.

Phil: 24:49

Yeah,

24:49

eternal.

James: 24:50

Yeah. Amen. You may think, everything I do for the Lord. And you do. If you want the reward, you've got to

24:58

yeah, an internal perspective rather than an earthly perspective. Exactly.

James: 25:03

Exactly.

25:04

Yeah. We're wrapping up. I'm about to pray, but is there any last thing that you want to share before we close up?

James: 25:12

Oh yeah. We're just talking about now I have met a wonderful, absolutely wonderful woman.

Phil: 25:19

Wow.

James: 25:21

I told you I was a womanizer, and I was mean and abusive and all that other stuff. I wrote a letter and put it in my Bible about asking God to bring me a partner. He answered that prayer. Wow. He put her in my life. But, He also Since I'm extra along with her, this one has an opinion. This one has morals. This one has standards. This one has a mind of her own and she don't fall weak to her. Nothing, and he said I'm gonna answer your prayer, but this one's got an opinion. So let me know how it works

26:00

out. Sounds like someone that might be a good help to you.

James: 26:03

Exactly. It is. It's my soulmate. Wow.

26:08

So you guys are pretty serious. Are you engaged or?

James: 26:10

I bought her a ring Saturday. Wow. It was Saturday.

26:15

Wow. But you haven't given it to her yet for you?

James: 26:18

She's seen it. She went with me to pick it up. Okay.

26:20

So she's not going to be surprised if she hears that on this podcast. Oh, absolutely. Okay.

James: 26:24

Absolutely. Wow.

26:27

That is just an amazing blessing. What a joy. What an answer to prayer.

James: 26:33

I had somebody told me one time, matter of fact, this was from a guy at the Beacon House. He said, anything you want or you ask of God, write it in a letter to him. And put it in your Bible. And I was lonely on the land. Since I got out of prison, I hadn't been dating nobody. Hadn't been seeing nobody because I was trying to get me right. Trying to get my mind trying to get my heart and trying to live right. Trying to do right. And get on my feet. And I had wrote that letter, I had dated one or two in the last year or two. And they, it turned out to be really bad. It was. Devil let me know, you let your guard down, I'm gonna get in there on you. Wow. I had to send them away, get away from me Satan, get away from me.

27:14

The enemy wants to trap you every way he can.

James: 27:17

Oh he does, and he knows I have to fight it daily. But I put that letter in there and sure enough this is, it's strange how we met. Like I said, I was working with Mr. Sparky, and I got this work order. Anybody could have got this work order that day, and I went to this house, and there's this lady. When I see her, I think, oh my God, that's my soulmate. That is my soulmate standing there. And when I got out and I spoke to her, and she looked at me, I asked God in the letter, let me know her and let her know me when we meet. And she looked at me, and when I looked at her, when I first seen her, I said, That's my soulmate right there. I knowed right then appreciate it, big guy. Appreciate it. And we've been together ever since. We're going on our second year together.

28:04

How amazing.

James: 28:05

It is. What's

28:07

her name? Tara.

James: 28:07

Tara Renzi.

28:09

Tara. Awesome.

James: 28:11

Beautiful. Beautiful woman. Beautiful heart. Beautiful mind. Beautiful spirit, beautiful soul. Wow. You've probably seen her with me at Psycho Baptist. She's come with me a time or two when I come down here. I'll

28:20

have to make sure to meet her and talk with her next time I see her.

James: 28:23

I'll tell you what, I'll make you a promise Sunday. I'll bring her to church.

28:26

Awesome. I look forward to it. Okay. Awesome.

James: 28:29

I want you to meet this individual.

Phil: 28:31

Oh,

28:31

fantastic. Man, I'm excited.

James: 28:33

That's just another way that he's going. I got you. I told you. I got you, man. I got you.

28:38

We'll never go wrong trusting in the Lord.

James: 28:40

Now we're how could you? How could you? How could you?

28:43

Yeah.

James: 28:43

There's no way. Amen. He promises that.

28:46

Amen. All right.

James: 28:48

I had to throw that

28:49

in there. Yeah. That's a good thing to throw in there, Wow. That's a, that's awesome.

James: 28:53

It is.

28:54

Nothing else right?

James: 28:55

No.

28:56

All right, that was a big thing you were sandbagging there to throw it at the end all right I tell you what, let me pray and listen. Yes, sir. Father, I love you. I thank you for James. Thank you for this morning. Thank you for this conversation. God, I pray. I pray for your blessing upon James's life and Tara's life. I pray For your continued goodness and mercy, I pray that you would protect him and her both from the traps of the enemy. That you would just encourage James heart and help him to continue to trust in you through the news that he got from the doctor. And through whatever the future holds, Lord, help him to trust in you. Help him to continue to serve you and love you with all his heart. Give him wisdom, give him guidance, Lord. I pray that you would be with his children, Lord. And get their hearts and guide their paths and continue to bring healing and encouragement to them and to their kids as well. Father, I pray for your blessing upon this podcast, Lord, this conversation. There's so many things that are so good and so rich and so powerful that have been spoken here in this podcast. I pray that you would Bless it, guide it, that your power would even just spread this word farther than we can imagine to reach and to help more people than we can fathom. I pray in Jesus name, Amen. If you enjoyed this podcast episode, and if you've enjoyed any of the others that we've shared, please go ahead and give us a five star review, write some comments of encouragement, some positive things that you have found or what you've learned or what you enjoy about the podcast, and please share it. Please share it. And if you haven't already done so, go ahead and click follow or subscribe. And just help us to get the good word of what God is doing as far out in reaching as many people as possible. God bless you.

Phil Shuler: 30:57

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: 31:36

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.