Mavericks on the Mic
Mavericks move differently. They are known for disrupting the status quo and rewriting the script. Mavericks on the Mic uncovers the “Maverick Moments” that have shaped the lives of our guests. From personal stories of risk, unexpected pivots to moments of faith and resilience, these stories will inspire you to see your own Maverick Moment — the one that changed everything, even if no one else knows about it.
Mavericks on the Mic
Yocairys Diaz: From Rikers to Raise Your Spark
This week on Mavericks on the Mic, we are speaking with Yocairys Diaz. At just 17, she faced a life-altering challenge: a potential 25-to-life sentence. But through her faith, she found a path of transformation, emerging stronger and more inspired than ever.
In this episode, Yocairys joins the founders and executives of Maverick City Music and Tribl Records to talk about how she navigated the darkest moments of her life, leading her to empower others through her ministry, Raise Your Spark.
🎙️ Overcoming spiritual warfare and gang influence
🎙️ Her faith-driven transformation during her time at Riker's
🎙️ Building resilience through Bible study
🎙️ Founding Raise Your Spark: Empowering Women
🎙️ Navigating family dynamics in a Latino household
🎙️ Embracing purpose, empathy, and forgiveness
This episode is all about resilience, family, forgiveness and divine purpose.
🔥 Drop a comment to let us know who you want to see on the Mic.
👉 Don’t forget to rate, share and subscribe
🎧 Want to watch the conversation? Watch on YouTube
The power of God and his ability to really transform lives and transform communities is what we're interested in, but you have a very interesting journey.
Speaker 2:you have a very interesting sort of path.
Speaker 3:Number one, to God be the glory, because I would not be here if it had not been for him and I honestly didn't know that he actually had his hand over my life until you know, I was 17 years old and I was facing 25 to life in prison you know I was 17 years old and I was facing 25 to life in prison.
Speaker 1:Like I think, in the report it says you called the police before you did it, but when you just told us you didn't say that my brother was literally my best friend and when he walks in the house I have the knife in my hand.
Speaker 3:He stands in front of me like super close to me, and he's like go ahead, do it.
Speaker 2:What's up everybody? Welcome to another episode of Mavericks on the Mic.
Speaker 1:My name is JJ my name is Norman and we have a really, really special guest with us today. She's a motivational speaker, spiritual leader and co-founder of Raise your Spark.
Speaker 2:Her name is Yo Kyrus Diaz. Hey, hey, y'all, what's up? Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited and I'm grateful to be here we're excited, so we have brought you on mavericks on the mic. I'm sure you're probably familiar with maverick city music, but this is jj and I. We're the producers behind the music. You know we kind of run the brain trust of the business, and so we wanted to take an opportunity to highlight some unique voices in faith. A lot of times on Christian podcasts you see pastors, you see like really big worship leaders, or you'll see like you know safe what I consider safe talent but the power of God and his ability to really transform lives and transform communities is what we're interested in, like those unique stories, those stories that really show you the transformational power of God and his ability to rescue someone despite anything. And so we found you, we found your story. I think you were following Mav and I was like man. I was talking to our group chat, I was like she'd be a great person to interview, just because your resiliency, the joy that you carry and the peace seems to surpass all understanding.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and you know we all have a journey. We all have ways that we get here. We all have ways that we've gotten where we are. But you have a very interesting journey. You have a very interesting sort of path on your journey. I'd love to maybe just start there and maybe just, yeah, have you just share where you've been and how you got to where you are now.
Speaker 3:I would say number one to God be the glory, because I would not be here if it had not been for him having his hand over my life, and I honestly didn't know that he actually had his hand over my life until, you know, I was 17 years old and I was facing 25 to life in prison life until you know, I was 17 years old and I was facing 25 to life in prison. And it was at that point where I realized, like I always knew, there was a God my mama used to send me to Sunday school with, like the Catholic church, um, but I never had an intimate relationship with him. So I knew religion but I didn't know him. And so at that point, um, at 17, I'm in this. You know, they're like 25 to life, and I'm like in Rikers Island at this time, as I served my time in New York City. And you know, I'm in Rikers Island and they're like 25 to life, no bail. So they take me to Rikers Island, which is like the jail that they take you to when you're fighting your case, and I remember going into my cell and literally dropping to my knees.
Speaker 3:I don't know why. That was my first response, because I didn't know how to really pray. I didn't know what that was, um, but that's when I realized that he was always with me and so sometimes, you know, at the time it didn't make sense, but my prayer in that moment was I don't know why this is happening, this makes absolutely no sense, and what happened and what led to me facing time and all that kind of stuff, which we'll dive into it it was something that really shocked me as well, because I'm like this can't be real, like this is not who I am, this is not like I wasn't out there rebellion and like being a rebel in the streets and gang. I wasn't that kind of person. So I'm like, why, like how did this all happen? Like in a blink of a light, my life, my life changed literally, and my family's lives, everyone's life, changed, um, but fast forward, after doing my time in prison. Well, while doing my time, um, I literally learned to build an intimate relationship with God, and I was, um.
Speaker 3:I was so hungry for him because I don't want to get emotional already, cause we're just getting started, but I love Christ so much because when I couldn't love myself, he loved me and I think for me, that's what made me want to get to know who is he. Because in real life, you know we're human. So if you hurt me, if you offend me, you know I'm going to walk away like I'm cutting you off, right, that's what we do as people. But to see that there is a God that loves us in spite of you know, that has forgiveness in his heart, that that that can redeem you and set you free from your past and those things, I was like I need to get to know who that is. And so I was just so hungry and on fire for him that I was like at every Bible study possible, I was praise dancing, I was even on the choir and I can't even sing now, but I was on here too and it was all to his glory. And so fast forward. Here I am today.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, by the grace of God, I I was never afraid to share my story because I understood that my testimony wasn't for me.
Speaker 3:You know, a lot of people say things like I want to be like Christ.
Speaker 3:Right, but we are lovers of ourselves, and not just by the things that we do, but by holding our testimony to ourselves, because the Bible tells us that we conquer and defeat the enemy by the, not just the power of the blood of the lamb, but by the powers and the words of our testimony.
Speaker 3:And so a lot of people are afraid of sharing their story because it's like, oh, I don't want to bring shame and guilt to my life and I want to protect my identity and my image to the world, but I'm like man that's selfish, because when he died on Calvary he did that publicly, you know. And so for me, I'm like you know what, I'm going to share my truth and everyone's not going to like it. People are going to have some things to say and I've seen that. You know I've shared my testimony and you've had, you know, I've had like people say mean things but like put specific keywords that you don't want to ever see, and I never see the mean stuff because I'm like I'm not doing this for y'all, and since then I've been home. Now what, like seven years, and a lot of lives have been impacted, not because of me, but because I wasn't afraid to open up my mouth.
Speaker 2:So you're 17 and you're in Rikers Island, which, for context, I mean we did some ministry in Rikers a few years ago.
Speaker 1:It's not a. It's one of the worst prisons in the world. Yeah, it's not very nice, it's not the worst.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so maybe like, can we maybe talk about how you got there, how you ended up in Rikers and why you were there in the first place?
Speaker 1:Let's go a little bit further back. Let's go a little bit. So what was growing up like? Two-parent household, one-parent household, how many siblings? What did your parents do? What neighborhood are you from? That kind of thing?
Speaker 3:All right. So I would say I had a pretty good childhood. My parents were struggling, but I never knew that because I always had food on the table, I always had clothes on my back. I mean, we always had a bike in the summer and rollerblades, and so my brothers and I. So at the time it was just my brothers and I.
Speaker 3:My brother Frankie, he was like he was the oldest one, then my brother Kelvin, and then it was myself. I was the only girl growing up and it was just these two boys, and so Frankie and I, we were a little bit more adventurous. So he and I were like best buds, like best of friends. He was the oldest one, now Kelvin, love you Kelvin. He was like a mama's boy, like he was the one that wanted to watch cartoons all day and snitch on us if we did something bad. You know, he was that kind of brother, that kind of sibling.
Speaker 3:And so, growing up, my parents they weren't together, but I never knew that because my parents always kept a good friendship. So even though my parents weren't together, my mama would be in the house with her boyfriend and my mama would. You know, the first thing I always heard her say was if the daddy want to come, he gonna come. You know, he can come whenever he want, he has access to his kids at any time, which I think is pretty dope, because we have some people that are like bitter towards their, you know, ex-partner or whatnot, and so my dad was always in our life, he was very active in our life and so I would say again, we had a pretty good childhood. What I would say is that, as a Latina growing up, my parents did work a lot of hours because they wanted to provide. So we kind of raised ourselves in a way. So there was like no real structure, like I could like lie and say I did homework and I ain't never do my homework, kind of thing, you know. So that kind of structure was missing, and not because they didn't want to do it, they just didn't have the time to do it and so fast forward. You know, we're growing up.
Speaker 3:My mama was a little more free, like oh yeah, I want to go outside, go ahead. She went, I swear, get home at this time, no curfew. And my daddy, he was more structured, you know, in her own world kind of thing, and so, um, I would say for me as a young lady at the time, um, I kind of grew up way faster than I should have. Um, and I think that's because, again, my mama, she, she was a great mom, like. She made sure she was active, of course, but she also still wanted to live her life. And so, seeing that as an example, seeing her getting dressed up to go to club with her friends, I'm over here 14, like, oh, I want to wear a belly shirt. You know, I want to dress up like that because that was what I saw and so, innocently, these are the things that I wanted to do. So I was, you know, trying to get my aunt's ID to go to the club at 16, sneaking into the club, you know, acting like I'm 18 and I'm not, you know. So a lot of that was going on. So, fast forward to the age of 17.
Speaker 3:Something occurred where my mama was, she was out of the country. She, she will always travel to her, to the Dominican Republic, to visit, like my grandparents and stuff. And so this specific summer, which was 2012, she ends up going to Dominican Republic and she's like, ok, y'all, every time she'll leave, she'll say y'all be good, y leave. She'll say y'all be good, y'all old enough to watch yourselves, but your daddy is a couple blocks away, so he's gonna be watching y'all too. Um, and I was like all right, cool, so that's kind of how. She kind of left us um under my dad's supervision, but really our own, and so, anyway, um, so there was a specific day during that time.
Speaker 3:This was now in September. Well, let me back up to the summertime real quick. So that summer, you know, a lot of things were happening like weird things, supernatural, like spiritual things, spiritual warfare. I didn't know that that's what it was then. Now I do, but there was a lot of spiritual warfare going on within my brother, my brother Frankie, and you know he was like gangbanging, he was like in the Latin Kings and all that kind of stuff. So he was like dealing with a lot of like Santeria and like all this kind of stuff. You know spiritual stuff.
Speaker 1:Explain to the audience what Santeria is, just in case they don't understand.
Speaker 3:Well, I don't really know, by definition, what it is, but I do know it's when you're dibbling and dabbling with spirits that are not of God Witchcraft, maybe you asked me. So he would come home sometimes some nights and he'll say to my mama Mom, the devil is after me, I can't, and my mama would have to come and pray over him because he would be like freaking out. And I used to just be like and and fast forward to I'm sorry, but back back, back back when I was like 10, I saw someone possessed like with a demon in the Dominican Republic. So now it all makes sense, but then it didn't. But now it does and I'll explain in a second. So, anyway, fast forward to 2020, 2012.
Speaker 3:My brother would come home and he would have those moments quite often, and so fast forward to September. I was kind of like very overwhelmed. I'm 17 years old, my mama's on vacation, my brother's kind of out of it. He's been very angry and frustrated and he's just been showing up in a way that was new to me, because he and I were best friends from when we were kids up until teenage years, and so this one day it was September 7th. I remember this day so clearly. I was at work. I used to work at this like medical office as like a receptionist, and I was 17 years old and I was headed back home and my friends was like hey, we're going to pick you up so we can go dye our hair at our house and blah, blah, blah. I'm like all right, cool, but before you guys come pick me up, I want to pass by my house because I want to check something really quickly.
Speaker 3:So the night prior to that my brother and I got into an argument because he had a dog and I was like doing something. I was like bringing stuff in and out the house that night and the dog randomly ran out the house and I kept trying to find this dog and I like I don't know where he went. So quickly Like the dog disappeared, like I don't know where he went. So I'm like walking up the streets calling this dog's name. Dog, nowhere to be found. So that night when he got home I was like yo, bro, I got to tell you something. He's like what I said your dog is missing. Like I opened the door, I was taking stuff in and out the house to put in dad's car. I don't know where the dog is at.
Speaker 3:He immediately became so angry he was like he just started cursing me out Where's my dog? You know what you're doing? He thought I intentionally like got rid of his dog and I was just like I didn't. I didn't do that, you know, I was innocently like I did not do that, and so the next day I wanted to go home because from that night moving towards the next day, he kept threatening me like watch, you did that to my dog. Now when you come home, I'm gonna sell everything in your room, I'm gonna take all your stuff and I'm gonna break it. So he was. So now I'm at work and I'm like thinking about your stuff, thinking about my stuff and I'm like I actually work.
Speaker 3:So my parents give us everything but me working. I was able to get my little things, you know. And I'm like, oh no, I got to go home. Make sure he ain't do nothing, because like he really needs to know that I did not do that intentionally, like the dog really just disappeared, like he just ran out the house. And so, anyway, I get home and when I walk in the house, when, when I walk into the house, he's there, my cousin is there and my other brother is there. So, remember, I have two brothers, kelvin, frankie, and my cousin was there, and so they were all hanging out at the house.
Speaker 3:So I walk in the house and I go into my room to make sure everything is, you know, everything's all set and all good. And when I walk into my room, he barges into my room and he's like where is my cell phone? And I'm like, huh, he's like you took my phone. It was in the living room, you took it. I'm like, bro, I didn't take your phone. I walked in the house and I literally just came straight to my room. I'm leaving Like I don't want no beef, you know. So right now, and like now where I am today. I look at that and it was spiritual warfare because it was so much confusion. He's thinking I'm doing things I'm not doing. It was just a lot going on in that moment. And so he's like you took my phone and then he literally so when I walked into my room, I had my purse on the dresser, which had my phone, my bag, my wallet, all that stuff in it. He literally grabs my phone. So my phone is there, the bag is here. He literally just grabs my phone and he's like until you don't give me my phone, I ain't giving you your phone. And I'm like, again, innocently, I'm like, bro, I don't have your phone.
Speaker 3:So now he's like getting himself together to leave the house and I'm like nah, bro, you, you not leaving this house on my phone, like you're not leaving this house on my phone Cause I know that I didn't take your phone. So now I'm feeling a little bullied, like I'm overwhelmed, cause now I'm like man last night, you think I'm doing something to you. Today, you think it's this Like. Now I'm overwhelmed. So now he leaves the house and he walks away with my phone.
Speaker 3:So I start going after him barefoot. I'm like, I'm like yo give me my phone. He's like I ain't giving you nothing. Oh wait, I missed the part. Let me back up a little bit. Before he walks out the house, I go to the kitchen. He's in the living room getting his stuff together to leave. I go to the kitchen and I'm like in my mind I'm like he's not about to leave with my phone, like I'm not about to just let you do this to me right now, like you're not going to bully me, you're not going to, just for lack of a better term?
Speaker 2:Did he bully you a?
Speaker 3:lot.
Speaker 3:He didn't bully me, but during this year it was a lot of that going on and I was kind of just like I'm not with it and, for lack of a better term, I'm from Brooklyn. So I kind of just felt like he was sunning me. You know, I felt like he was sunning me so I'm like yo, you're not going to sun me right now, you know. And so I was like all right, I went to the kitchen and I don't want to say like any sibling does, any sibling does, but for the most part, anytime I've spoken to siblings who were able to relate to my story, you know, I went to the kitchen and grab a knife. And I grabbed the knife because I intended to go up to him and say give me my, give me my phone, and just kind of scare him, you know, with this knife in my hand. But when I grabbed the knife from the kitchen and I walked towards the living room while he was getting himself together to leave, I immediately snapped back in. So I was like what am I doing with this? I'm like this ain't even me, like not even to scare somebody, this ain't me. So I literally tossed the knife to the side. He walks out the door. I go after him. I'm like give me my phone, give me my phone.
Speaker 3:He walks like he was like a little bit of block, like ahead of me in a way, and I said I'm just gonna walk away because if we do get into argument or altercation he gonna beat me up. Because I'm a girl, I'm just gonna leave it alone. So I turn away to go. He turns back and he starts to follow me. So I'm like, oh nah, like bro, you think I took your phone. I didn't take it. You take my phone as a way to get back. Get back at me, I let let you go, you come back. All right, now again, I see it as spiritual warfare. That was not my brother, I don't care how anybody puts it, like that's just my revelation. So he comes, he turns around and comes after me and as he's walking behind me, we're like a little far. You know, we have this distance between us. He's behind me, me, he's calling me all sorts of names you, this, you that, you this, you.
Speaker 3:That I feel like he, low-key, had like a some sort of resentment towards my mom and I resemble my mom a lot and so I think for him because that summer she had kicked him out the house because he was gangbanging. So I think he had so much anger and there was no one to let it out on and I was like the closest thing to a mother, you know. I mean I was like the closest thing to to mother because when my mom was gone I was the only girl at the house. So I'm the one cooking, I'm the one making sure they ate, and doing this and doing that. So I think for him the resentment that he had towards my mama was like what he was throwing at me, he was calling me all types of things. So finally we make it to the front of the house. Um and I'm sorry this is kind of long.
Speaker 2:I never expressed it to this, to this detail.
Speaker 3:Um, so we make it to the front of the house and, um, the porch of the house, and um, I'm standing like on the on the steps, like towards the main door of the house, and he's like on the sidewalk, kind of. So I'm like yo, why did you come? Why come? Why did you come back? Like go with the phone, like what's your issue with me? I don't, I don't get what's the issue? Like in my mind. I'm like yo, we best friends, like where all this hostilities coming from? Like, I'm so confused. He was just so angry. So now he starts to walk up and now he's like at the, the bottom step. I'm like all the way at the top. Let's just say the distance is maybe where that cup is to where I am, and he's a little bit lower. I'm a little higher because I'm up the step and he literally just again he says some mean things and then he literally hawk spits at me and it literally lands in my face and at that moment I literally started to cry, because I'm like bro, like, and I'm crying now because, regardless of what, like, I just hated that. That was what he was going through in that moment and I couldn't see that it was spiritual and I couldn't, I didn't know how to fight that. But in that moment when he spit at me, I just looked at that and you know, when you're from the streets I feel like for me the lowest thing somebody could do is spit at you and I'm just like dang, like like when I tell you that was my road dog, like my brother was. So it really hurt me when he did that and so I literally was like bro, but what did I ever do to you? To like what's going on? And he did it again.
Speaker 3:So now at this point I go in the house and now he and my brother start to kind of tussle, because now he's trying to come in the house where I'm going, towards, where I'm going, and so my brother and him they kind of start to tussle in the vestibule because now my brother, kelvin, is like all right, like enough is enough, and so now they're tussling. So when I get to the living room part I go back where I threw the knife, and so I grab the knife and he and Kelvin are tussling. And when he walks in the house I have the knife in my hand. He stands in front of me, like super close to me and he's like go ahead, do it. Like he's in my face, like super close, telling me go ahead, do it, do it. And then he like kind of like um, jerked at me and my reflex, just yeah, and it punctured him in his collarbone right here and it happened so fast, like so fast, fast.
Speaker 3:And when it, when it happened, I remember I went to the kitchen and my brother, he just like went like this and he walks out with Kelvin, like Kelvin, just like your car is, and he walks out. When I drove a knife in the sink there was like barely any blood on it. So I'm thinking in my mind that I didn't hurt him bad. Like I'm thinking it was like literally, when I like you ever seen a steak knife, like the very tip of it, like that's all you seen, it wasn't like a, you know what I mean. Like it was literally like a. And so when my, when, when I throw the knife down, my brothers, they go outside and my brother is screaming, kelvin is screaming, help somebody, help call the ambulance. So I'm like ain't no way he's hurt like that, because I know that's not what just happened.
Speaker 3:So I get on the phone as soon as I throw the knife, I grab because remember he was in the living room with myself. So I grab the phone, I'm calling my dad. I said Pa, oh my God. And I I literally remember walking out the house with this phone in my hand, telling my dad that I just said Frankie, kelvin and Frankie are sitting on the stoop. Frankie is sitting there like this with Kelvin behind him, and I walked by them and I sit in the middle of the street to talk to my dad. I'm like barefoot, in shorts, a white tank top. I'm just like calling my dad because I'm like in my head I'm like yo, my brother ain't about to die, like I'm thinking he about to go to the hospital but when this is all over, he going to beat my butt, like that's what I'm thinking, you know. But I literally like that's one of like out of many regrets, one of the many is walking by my brother while he was sitting there just holding his collar Cause. I didn't know he was literally he was basically internally bleeding and I didn't know that. So he basically had a cardiac arrest. That was the cause of his death. That's what kind of went, thank you, that's what kind of happened.
Speaker 3:Um, after you know, um, the whole the incident happened and so, and so at this time, remember, my friends were coming to pick me up. So my girl, literally, she pulls up in the middle of all this happening and she's like come on, get in the car. I'm like Nina, I can't get in the car. And I'm like Nina and I tell her what happened. So she hops out the car, she goes, looks at my brother and she's like, oh, he's good, he's good, come on, let them go to the hospital with him. You come on, let's wait for your dad to come. And we just all won't get together. So I'm like you sure, nina. So I trusted what she said, because she used to be a dental assistant and I'm thinking, I don't know why I correlated that with a doctor. But I listened to her and I said all right, let's go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I stabbed him. She's like I'm so sick of this. Like this is what she says out of her, says it's out of frustration, because she's like I'm tired of these siblings fighting, I'm tired of all the arguments and the nonsense. So she says that out of her mouth. I get to my friend's house. I'm sitting there. My dad calls me. He's like what's going on? What happened? So I tell my dad what happened. He says your car is listening to me, do not leave that house, stay there, I'm going to come get you. I'm like all right, cool. So next thing, you know, I get there, my cousin is there and my friend Nina is there, and my cousin gets a text saying Frankie's dead and I'm like I don't believe that. I did not believe it. I refuse. I was so in denial. But I refuse to believe it in that moment because I'm like nah, my dad's on his way to the hospital. Until my dad doesn't say something to me, I don't believe it. My dad texts me. He says he's gone.
Speaker 3:In that moment when I tell you, my whole world froze. Like I was. I remember sitting outside on my friend's porch and I remember just literally staring to the sky and I was just like what? Like it? It just it blew my mind. I was just like ain't Like it, just it blew my mind. I was just like ain't no way. My brother's not here, and so my dad, now he's in a place where, as a man, as a father, he's like man. I just lost my son, but I can't lose my daughter to the system, because I know my daughter's heart, I know their relationship, I know this was a freak accident, that this was not the intention for it. And so now he's like your car, he calls me. He's like your car is staying in the house, don't let nobody see you. I'm coming. So I'm like all right. So I go in the house.
Speaker 3:Next thing, you know, these FBI agents come and they're knocking on my friend's door and they're like where's your car? We know she's here. She needs to come out, if not we're going to get a bigger team and get her out. So now I'm like scared Cause, I'm like where's my dad? And so I go in her shack. She had like a shack in her yard. So I go in, I hide in there.
Speaker 3:They still kind of came to it through the drive-thru and they were like listen, we know you're in there. We know what happened. Your brother is a witness right now in the precinct. We know what happened. We're not here to hurt you, we just need you to come out. So I just like stood there.
Speaker 3:I remember just being so scared because like it's just so much happening at once and I literally was like all right. So I came out and they looked at me. I really remember their like whole reaction. They I guess they were expecting to see like yeah, a big, tough girl or something. I don't know. But when they saw me they was like, like you can see that their hearts even like dropped. And so they were like listen, we're going to have to take you. And I said, but can we please just wait for my dad? Like I just want to wait for my dad, like that's it. And they were like, okay, we'll wait for your dad. And so literally we sat in front of the suit they didn't handcuff me or anything and we just waited for my dad.
Speaker 3:The minute my dad pulls up, he literally pulls up. And the way he parked his car, man, like I told my dad today like when I think of the love of God, I think of him, because the way my dad loves me and the way he's shown up for me is the same way God has. Like my dad, his heart never changed towards me, none of my family, and I'm so grateful for that, you know. But the way my dad pulled up at that scene, he got out that car. He said y'all not taking my daughter. And that's him as a man crying because he's like yo, my son, my daughter, like he's he. I'm sure he felt like a failure at that moment and so he got out the car. He's like y'all not taking my daughter. And they had to calm him down. And I looked at my dad. I said, dad, it's okay, i'ma go, like it's cool, i'ma go, it's all right. And when, like he looked at me, you could tell that he just felt defeated.
Speaker 3:And so I go in the precinct, whatever. And you know, I get there and my whole family's already there crying and screaming. And when I get there, the crying and screaming, and when I get there, the investigators, they are asking me questions because now, at this point, they still got to do their job. So they're looking at me like this murderer, like this intentional murderer. And I was like you know, I don't want to speak until I get my lawyer, you know, because that's what my dad told me to say. And so I did. And when they at me he said yo Kyrus, he said I don't hate you Like. And you know Kelvin still suffers to this day with this Like he. It weighs on him a lot but he still loves me like heavy. He and I are like super close still, you know.
Speaker 3:But he told me he wanted to take the charge because he didn't want me to go through that, because he knew it wasn't my intention. And I said nah, I said I know this wasn't my intention, but I still had no right to pick up a knife, to think that I could even scare or hurt somebody. That was not cool. So I took accountability for that. Unfortunately it led to that, but I still took accountability for it.
Speaker 3:And so, fast forward, you know I went to court. You know I went to court. You know they, they denied me bail. Um, they were offered. At first it was a murder in the first degree. Um, second degree, sorry, and I was 25 to life.
Speaker 3:But I had a really good lawyer. My father paid over 60 grand for a lawyer, um, and they, they built, I guess, uh, they DA, and the DA. She literally had them bring me out of Rikers Island to her office. She sat me there and said there's a lot of people that don't want to see you go down the hall like down a hole, like that.
Speaker 3:Your family still loves you, they still support you, but I got to give you something. I can't just let you walk. She said if you want to try to walk, you could go to trial, and I believe 95% out of that time I mean 95% chance you can walk, because no one's against you. She said but if you just want to be safe, then just take to sit, and I'm going to take the five. And then, once I started to serve my time, I went to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, which is the max prison in New York State, and I just started to serve my time. But as I was serving my time, I was building a relationship with Christ. And here I am. I'm sorry that was so long, y'all no it was good.
Speaker 1:It was really good, was so long y'all. It was really good. I mean, that was the. I mean, like I said, man, you know, we, we, we, we're in the space where let's stay in there for a second because there's some um, I'm just gonna ask some clarification questions because, hey, that's our duty, to kind of get to the me and this isn't to poke holes or anything like that just some clarifications, like um, like I think in the report it says you called the police before you did it, but when you just told us you didn't say that. Do you remember calling?
Speaker 3:oh, yeah, yeah so when I first got home and he started like before, let me see so when he, when he got my phone, I grabbed my brother, my other brother's phone and I and I called the police and I said there's a stranger in my house. Come, get him before I kill him. So I said that because a few weeks prior to that he and I got into altercation and when I called him and said my sibling and I are fighting, they took forever to come. And so in my mind I'm like, well, if I say a stranger's in my house, they'll come faster. And so that I did. And so that's why, when the DA told me, she said listen, there's a 95% chance if you go to trial you could walk, but that 5% of you doing life is from that call, because it sounds like premeditation and it wasn't premeditated. Again, it was me trying to get them to get to the house fast to avoid all of that and it didn't happen that way.
Speaker 1:Got it. So I think the next question would be like they claimed that the wound was really deep, like in the reports. That's what it claimed. I don't know. I done you know, and this is it. I think I'm more so to just to your state of mind at the time, like your brother. Your brother was sitting there. You mentioned Kelvin. He didn't feel like he was in danger either, mm-mm.
Speaker 3:So he didn't feel like he was in danger either.
Speaker 1:So nobody that was sitting there and he didn't seem to be in danger. No man, that's tough no.
Speaker 3:And that's the thing with the whole article thing you just said. Like I'm to this day, I'm still on Google. I could have paid to got all those articles removed and I haven't. But one thing I can say is that you know they painted it like oh, this girl is a monster. She was always a problematic person.
Speaker 1:If I was all of that, look at the fruit of my life.
Speaker 3:My, my family loves me absolutely people and this is not me saying that because it's me. But if you want to really know about a person, see how much who, who rock with them, who love them, who, who doesn't you know um that's one thing, and then another thing is they, you know, they said oh, she did this because of a cell phone. It wasn't because of a cell phone.
Speaker 1:So I said all that to say, like media, you can't believe everything you read on the newspapers that's the you can't believe everything you see on social media that was the purpose of me giving you the ability to clarify, because it's that oftentimes, like even the reports with spiritual warfare against you, you understand what I'm saying, like it was meant to. It was meant to diminish your witness and shape you into something that you weren't. Oftentimes, the devil's mission is to label us the opposite of what we truly are, or peddle our true identity in front of us in a different form. So if you're meant to be a great financier, he wants you to be a thief. You know what I mean. If you're meant to be a woman who has a ministry that is rooted in purity, he's going to want you to be a prostitute.
Speaker 1:My God, you know what I mean he tries to rob you of your identity. Exactly If you're full of happiness, you're full of joy. The very thing that he wanted you to be is a monster.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You see what I mean and I think that why what you're saying is important because such of the public nature of what you've been through is that like nobody looking at you, I mean, I mean you know nobody. That's what was such the interesting thing about your story. Like she killed somebody, like what it's like you couldn't imagine it you couldn't imagine it, and so, but that's that's, that's his thing.
Speaker 1:And that's where the beauty and the maturity that you have to denoted of what it is is that that wasn't my brother, you know. That wasn't. That wasn't him. I was being attacked spiritually by a demon that, through practices maybe my brother was participating in, you know it, allowed him to be open to such a you know nature of that you know amen, and you know what, though I can probably say, and and and boldly say that that curse of witchcraft and all that over my family, it broke. Amen.
Speaker 3:It broke through me, like that generational curse has broken through me. And you know, again it didn't make sense then, but now it does. And that's why, again, I love Christ so much. Because people always ask me the main question how do I figure out my purpose? And it's like, first you have to understand who he is, because he created you right. And understanding who he is and he said in his word I created you in my own image. So I gained my identity, I regained a new identity through that suffering, through that hardship, and now I mean ain't no telling what God can't do. I mean this is all his glory and his goodness.
Speaker 2:I was going to ask you what it meant to have the support of your family even during that. I mean, you've got all these things happening. There's cops everywhere. You're at the precinct. You've got your dad who's like trying to get you to stay home. You've got your brother who's trying to take the charge, like what. When you look back on that, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 3:It's pretty significant, very significant. At the time I didn't feel like I was worthy of it. When they used to come see me, I used to be like, stop coming At first. Before we came to a deal with the lawyers and the DAs, I was like I could stay here for the rest of my life. I don't care. What do I have to live for?
Speaker 3:You know, um, that was like my, my, my, my heart posture at that time. Um, now I look at it and again it all falls back to the first thing I ever experienced with God was his love, and I saw that love through my family. I saw that love through him when I would be in, you know, praying on my knees every night, in my word, and that's why, for me, my biggest goal in life is to let that be the first thing people experience through me is his love. You know, I don't, you know, just because I've I've come out of a lot of the things I used to do, I don't look down on anybody Like I love people for where they're at, because somebody had to love me for where I was at.
Speaker 3:Wow, they're at because somebody had to love me for where I was at. Wow, you know what I mean. And so we have a lot of people right now that you know. I'm so happy to see so many people coming to Christ. But you got some people going into this self-righteous mode where, oh, I'm holier than better than you, but hold on now, somebody had to love you where you was at you know they still have to love you.
Speaker 1:you should not sin.
Speaker 3:You should abide by the word of God, but the main thing he is is love, and I believe that the best way to bring people closer to him is by loving them.
Speaker 3:I don't care what you do, how you walk, what you. I'm going to love on you because that's going to make you look at me and say I want to know that Jesus, because these other Christians, they, they done rebuked me and sent me on my way, amen. And so my thing is love on people. That's the first for me, like that's what I embody and that's because that's what he's given me.
Speaker 2:You're bigger than your. Your worst mistake and remembering that someone maybe, maybe situations happen, maybe they've gone through something, but, just like your dad, when he came home he didn't see all the things that the media has painted you to be. He saw his daughter.
Speaker 1:He saw his daughter. He saw a daughter. He saw something that needed to be protected. And I think the beauty in this man my pastor always talks about this man and it's like the Bible has so many different lessons. But if we were sitting here and I told you the sins of David versus the sins of Saul in the Old Testament, the two kings Saul's issue was pride. David was an adultering, murdering fool. You know what I'm saying? That really, really, really loved God. You know what I'm saying? That really, really, really loved God. You know what I'm saying? Where Saul really really loved himself and one was made unfit to serve and the other one was anointed king, knowing what he would become.
Speaker 1:And what it often says to me is that we overanalyze people's actions and underanalyze their heart. Like we put a lot of inventory on what we see. We put a lot of inventory on what we say. See, we don't put a lot of stake in what we can't judge based based on our limited understanding of the power of God. Because when I go through scripture, when I go through scripture, I don't see people that we would, that we get selected today. You know what I mean, like when you really get down into the nitty gritty of things. You talk about a Moses. You talk like I mean again, a murderer, not living into his identity. He's been Egyptian but makes the choice Won't get circumcised, won't circumcise his kid Afraid, afraid to speak, has to weak. They got to hold up his arms, right, gideon. You know he's hiding Like it's so many examples whether it's Saul that became Paul in the New Testament.
Speaker 1:It's like, if we really really look at the Bible, these people today, we would like me for real Imagine Jesus walking here today. They would call him a false teacher. It's just what we is and I think we have to be very, very careful. We have to be very, very careful and appreciative that if your experiences don't allow you to relate to the difficult struggles certain people went through, you need to get on your hands and knees and be grateful that you never had to experience sexual immorality, that you never had to experience what it's like to need to rob and kill and steal to make a make a way, what it's like to be a slave to money. What is like these things? It's not something to be self-righteous and look down on people about Sadducees and Pharisees. Be self-righteous and look down on people about Sadducees and Pharisees. It's something to thank your holy stars that God positioned you in such a way to know him and love him early on.
Speaker 1:It's kind of it's one of the parables of Jesus where he talks about. I think he talked about how, like the reward, whether you showed up 99, I think it's years ago you show up an hour before, it's the same reward because it's years ago. Or you show up an hour before, it's the same reward because it's mine to give. And what he's talking about is salvation. And I think a lot of times we get lost in the fact that you don't have to. You don't have to become envious of someone that, on their dying bed, wants to give their life to God. Like you know, a lot of them say, oh, their heart ain't in that. You don't have to do that. You should hope and pray that that person gets saved right then you know why. Because, yes, although they did not get to live, their punishment is that for all the years they lived on earth they weren't with him. Is that for all the years they lived on earth they weren't with him. Your blessing is that for the majority of the years on earth you were with him and instead of we should be rejoicing, no matter what, like it's, like the people in the comment section calling somebody a false teacher. That false teacher comes out. That person you assume has ill intent comes out and tells you their actual intent. If they are lying, what benefit do you get from looking at their truth and calling it a lie? I just think that we go through these big gaps, these big chasms, like we want to diminish witness so badly.
Speaker 1:My God, when the greatest like we talk about all the commands of the Bible, all of the commands he said the greatest of them all is to love thy neighbor as thyself and as you love me. It's not to expose false teachers, it's not to. It's not to call people out, it's not to be the best, it's the study to show yourself approved. But that's not the greatest commandment. Even the great commission ain't the greatest commandment. The greatest commandment is love, and I'm not on some love, love, love, no truth. I'm saying that there's a reason. That's the greatest commandment, because when you put love first, it covers a multitude.
Speaker 1:It covers not the multitude, it fulfills the whole law.
Speaker 3:My God, that's good. Come on now.
Speaker 1:That's what it is. That's why it is the one it fulfills the whole. There is no. You cannot sin putting the love of another person first. Love Agape, god's love. You can't, my God, you can't.
Speaker 3:If I love you, I can't sin against you because God is love, you know what you can't.
Speaker 1:I think we lose sight of that If you in no comments love Say you know what. Man Maverick, I don't know what y'all got going on. Your car is out, girl. You a little willy nilly for me. You know, what I'm saying, but love, because you'll see that, and I say, man, maybe this is something we need to reflect on versus y'all false teachers, y'all Satanists, y'all brother man, let me tell you, go ahead.
Speaker 2:Well, I was going to say I think when we do that, we diminish the power of God's power in someone's life to you know, it's like what you're saying.
Speaker 2:You know, we know this in our lives Sometimes people just have moments where they do things they shouldn't do and things just go bad. But God can still do something. Amazing and I think that's a testament to the fact that you're sitting here sharing your story is that there are these clear moments, and I love the way that you even retell the story God fighting to like redeem the image of yourself. That, I think, is like being you're struggling with, you're fighting with like you see your dad fighting to say like no, that's my daughter, your brother's coming after you. And I think for me, when I was listening to the story, I'm like, and it's the power of the Lord reminding you, even in your darkest moment, I've got a plan for you. I still love you, I put people around you that are here for you and you're not alone. And so, yeah, I'm in total agreement with what you're saying that's beautiful.
Speaker 3:I mean so much is running through my mind right now as you guys are all speaking. So last night I had a beautiful, supernatural, amazing encounter with the Holy Spirit and I remember, just because I don't look at this as a oh my God, look at me, y'all look where I'm at. It's like I'm on assignment, like I know God called me here because I know there's going to be not just hundreds, but thousands, maybe millions, listening to this and being impacted by it. And so I'm like Lord, prepare me, allow me to decrease before you fill me up, empty me out. If I'm full of me, remove it. And so I was going through that and then a few other things, right, and my moments with him, intimate time, and literally he spoke to me.
Speaker 3:He says yo, kyrus, like, even when you fall short, even when you don't feel like you're enough, I still look down from heaven and I still smile at you because of your heart, because you are a woman after my heart, and we're living in a time with social media where, you know, I don't want to say I'm gullible or naive, but because of the love that I radiate, I used to view the world from my own lens, like there's nothing but love here, like I had one of my mentors say, man, they pulling Christ out of everything.
Speaker 3:I said really, because all I see is Jesus everywhere. And they're like, yeah, because that's your algorithm. But the world is dark. And I didn't believe it until, or at least I didn't want to see it, because I'm like ain't no way, and I see it now. There is a lot of darkness and that tells me that I got more work to do and not that I could save the world per se. But I need to allow my light to shine, raise your spark like so big and not let anything turn it off right. And so that's why, for me, it's like people may say things about me. They may not like that I've been called, not like that I've been chosen. But hey, baby, I didn't make that decision, he did, and so now I'm going to take it and run with it, right.
Speaker 2:And I'm allowed it.
Speaker 3:I'm going to allow it to multiply and, and you know, I'm just grateful, I'm just grateful.
Speaker 1:Talk more about Raise your Spark. What is? It how did you start it? Why did you start it? What's the mission? Talk to us about it.
Speaker 3:So Raise your Spark is my women's ministry and even I even struggled a lot with calling it a ministry because it was hard for me to step into who God fully called me to be, especially seeing what people in ministry go through with today's society. Like, cancel them, cancel it's all this. Cancel culture and expose. I have people tell me that God called them to use their platform to expose people. The Lord didn't call you to do that because you're dividing, you're spreading hate, you're gossiping, really, because what is gossip? You want me to believe your perspective and your opinion and you're trying to recruit people to do the same. Sound like a cult to me, right? So name sound like a cult to me, right? So for me it's like ain't God ain't tell you to do that? Because even when he had, like, let's say, the prophet Isaiah, he sent him to the nation. He said my church, our people, the nation. He ain't say yo, kairos, go, go to her. No, us as a people, us as a nation.
Speaker 3:But you have people who are being assigned and used by the enemy to just single out people and break the church down, divide the church, and so because of that, and many, the church down, divide the church. And so, because of that and many other reasons, I'm like Lord, I'm cool with being the girl that love Jesus, and that's it. I don't want to be a pastor, I don't want to be called a minister because I don't want to deal with that. But God says no, baby, you're going to do what I say you're going to do. And so I, finally, I want to say back in 2022, you know, for since I've been home, I've been posting videos on Instagram, just sharing my testimony, just being a voice for God and just being someone who just helps bring the light into people's situation and just reminding people that your past does not define you. And so, through all of that, I had a lot of women reach out and say can you mentor me? And because I didn't want to do that, I was like I'm cool, I don't want to do that. I ran from it. And so, finally, in 2022, I said you know what I'm going to surrender finally to what God is telling me to do. And so, through that Rage, your Spark was born and what I do is.
Speaker 3:Well, what I did was I started to do these Mindset Monday calls and every Monday, literally for the past two years, I do these group mentorship calls where we talk about different topics, whether that's financial, literacy, social media, but it's all. The anchor and the foundation of it all is Jesus. Because I tell women all the time like we can't be so heavenly bound that we're no earthly good. So we still have to be able to operate here, Right, but Christ has to be our firm foundation. So I always give them that.
Speaker 3:But you know I have like therapists get on the calls and you know, help them go through, you know just healing and overcoming traumas and things like that. So the overall goal for Raise your Spark is a place where women can come and be provided resources such as mental health, such as legal services, financial resources to help them overcome adversity or just to help them reach their goals and obtain their purpose. We have over 3,000 women in our ecosystem. I have over 500 women in my Raise your Spark app and you know I've, in the past two years I've hosted like over 12 events. I've had a minimum of 110 women in the room who fly in from all over the city, the states, and they just come in and you know what I hear the most is that they love this ministry because they can come in as they are, but never leave the same.
Speaker 3:And so I'm just grateful to be a vessel for God and his people.
Speaker 1:I mean we're really proud of that. I mean, I think that there's so much, especially in minority communities, that there's a real big need for support, especially for women. There's a real big need for support, especially for women. I think that you know, we do have a pandemic lack of resources that are provided. We have a fund called the God Problems Fund, which we give to different organizations that are doing the work of God, and so I think JJ and I are going to cook up a donation to raise your spark. I think that'll be something really cool and dope that we can do, I mean just to help you continue the work that you're doing. So we'll discuss that off camera.
Speaker 1:But, one of the things that I did want to ask and I think will be really important, is, like in this day and age where there's so much important is like in this day and age where there's so much, what do you see as the most common mental or emotional issues?
Speaker 3:that women are dealing with in your community, within, raise your Spark, or just in general.
Speaker 1:I mean in general or within Raise your Spark.
Speaker 3:I feel like identity and I think it's because right now we're again. I don't want to fully blame social media, because we know the enemy right, but let's just say social media right. A lot of women are so lost in figuring out who they are or who they were called to be, that they're struggling with loving themselves fully and wholly as God created them to be. And so we try to just like body dysmorphia, like just just wanting to change how we look, you know fillers, and we're trying to meet the standard of an image to keep a man or attract a man, and it's like, you know, it makes me sad and it hurts me because, again, I know that everything I created was beautifully and wonderfully made Right. We look at the ocean, the sky, the stars, the moon and we're like, wow, that's beautiful and that's who we are Absolutely. And so what I'm seeing a lot of women struggle with is that. And as a result of that, you know, we're seeing women, you know, committing suicide. We're seeing women because they're struggling with their identity and loving themselves for who they were created to be. We're seeing them stay in, you know, toxic relationships longer than they should. We're seeing women, you know, just truly giving up and not feeling adequate or worthy enough to open up their mouth to share their truth, to share who God called them to be and what God is doing in their life.
Speaker 3:So that's what I'm seeing is an identity Christ, even in men.
Speaker 3:Because for men and that's the thing, like I love that God is leading me to women. But I want to help men too, because, you know, being that I grew up with my brothers and my dad I'm seeing men also go through that struggle, like y'all you know not you guys, but men in general are struggling with I got to have a specific car, or I have to spend a certain amount of money, and if I don't do this, I don't meet the standard, I'm not valuable enough. And so I think, as a nation, as a people, we're struggling with identity, and I think the solution to that is again, I'm as transparent and as authentic as I possibly can be, because I believe that gives people the permission to do the same. And so I think, as the light of this world, if we just continue to show up and be real about who we are, that lets another sister or brother say you know what I can be? Me instead of love, like I posted myself today on the flight with no makeup, I have on some. Now a little bit.
Speaker 2:But on the flight.
Speaker 3:I had nothing, and I'm like you know. A lot of women are struggling with doing that, and so I think, as a light of the world, we just have to be more boisterous and saying, like bro, about our flaws and about the things that people normally don't talk about, and that's the thing with me. You saw me crying on Instagram. I know some people be like she's doing that for attention. Nah, we all cry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:But guess what, I ain't worried about the people talking about me because I'm crying.
Speaker 2:I'm focused on the people. Everything was with the family. How maybe God has been maybe putting some of the pieces back together. Now that you're out with family your, your brother now you mentioned him earlier how are mom and dad doing? How is like, how do you see God even redeeming your story still now that you're on the other side of it?
Speaker 3:Amen, so my family is now saved. I want to say that.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so my mama, she's Dominican and so you know she was doing her little ones and twos. You know, I seen it as a kid, you know. So she's saved, she got saved last year. My dad also is saved, wow, you know. So she was, she saved. She got saved last year. My dad also is saved, wow, my dad was just. Actually. He pulled up to Houston like a week ago. He pulled up on me. We was hanging out. My mom was just here, I just had my. I do this annual event it's called the design for destiny, um event, um summit and my mom pulled up and we were kicking it.
Speaker 3:I talk to my parents every day, so, honestly, it's not that we act like nothing happened, but it's just love. It's so mighty and so strong that we don't sit here. I can't remember the last time we ever even had a conversation about the situation. We never do, like my family, from aunts to uncles, to cousins like I mean, the love of God, honestly, everything is I couldn't. I'm blessed, I'm really really blessed. I'm really really blessed. I'm really really blessed.
Speaker 1:When you first start coming into communities of faith, giving your past, your history, did you feel accepted?
Speaker 3:I did, and let me tell you why Because God already accepted me, so I had the mindset of whoever don't, that's their business that's their problem.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you so. I had the mindset of like whoever don't, that's their business, that's their problem.
Speaker 3:And I ain't got time for that. You know, like I'm, I'm, I'm very let me put it like this I am very, very secure in who I am. I am very aware of who I was called to be. I'm very, you know, confident in my identity and I just know that if he's yes, if he says yes, nobody can say no. That's just my attitude towards life in general.
Speaker 2:What's amazing is, earlier you had said, before all this happened, you were still maybe trying to figure that out, like you were still trying to be confident in who you are and figure out your identity. So it's like you've got this all of these things that have now that identity being secure now leads you into your purpose of now helping other ladies and now, hopefully, men get to know the Lord through who he's created them to be, but also to celebrate that as as partners in the kingdom of God. I think that's really special.
Speaker 3:Amen. And yeah, it's. It's important because, again, once you know who you are and you understand whose you are, there's nothing too hard for God to do. Once you just come into acceptance of, like daughter, stop running from me, Stop running from who I called you to be. Okay, I made you whole. You know all things are passed away, All things have become new. Stop walking in who you used to be, Stop walking in who they said you would be and start walking in who I called you to be.
Speaker 3:And so now I walk into a room like God sent me there. You know I speak with authority, I speak with boneness, not because I have it all figured out, but because I know who does. And so I just walk with the confidence of knowing that I'm straight, because if God is before me, who could be against me? Greatest he does in me than he does in the world? So I really live my life in a way where you know you asked me earlier like, do I have any? Like you know anybody who inspires me and things like that, and I don't mean this in no way Like I look at people and I say, wow, that's beautiful, Because a while ago I remember struggling, trying to oh, my God, I want to do what they're doing and I want it to be like that.
Speaker 3:And God checked me one day. He said, baby, what I'm doing through you is new. You are the blueprint, so you can look at everybody, see my glory, give me thanks, but you are the new story. Let it be through you. It's, this is a new thing. And so I look at people and I'm and I'm excited for people and what God is doing in their life and I love it. But again, I'm confident in him.
Speaker 1:Man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey, man, we listen, you are. You remind me of my little sister, man, really, my little sister. She's a dynamic pastor down in Columbia, south Carolina. Her name is Dr Jackie Green. She's Travis Green's wife. I don't know if you're familiar, oh, I did. Yeah, yeah, that's my baby sister. I love it. And so, man like that, who it's not, you know, who you are through, who's your. That's like one of her taglines. So shout out to Permission Room Forward City Church that's my, that's my family. Forward city church that's my, that's my family, that's my family. Man, this is amazing. Man, like you really have like hit a lot of these questions already. Like you've spoken like so eloquently, full of hope, full of faith, um, this is great. Like like you, really, man, that's what I told you before you come into one of these podcasts.
Speaker 3:Man, you don't know, bro, you don't know, you don't know what you're going to get, but I thank y'all for creating this platform Because, let me tell you, you guys are also doing ministry.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Because, you know you show up as you, you're showing up as you. This is like it's so beautiful and it's definitely ordained and orchestrated by God. This is no coincidence and I want to thank you guys for creating a platform, because so many people try to get me to speak on my story and I never felt safe enough because I felt like it was like I need a story so I can pop, because I know. You know what. I had an experience where I came into business partnership with someone and they knew my story would sell and make us millions of dollars. But because I said you know what? Y'all ain't finna get rich off my story. We ain't doing that. I'm just going to use my story to glorify God, and what y'all are doing is listen. We just want to help the people. This is outreach, this is fellowship. Like I really feel like I'm not on a podcast per se. This is outreach, this is fellowship. Like I really feel like I'm not on a podcast per se.
Speaker 2:I feel like I'm having a talk with my brothers, so I want to say thank y'all for creating this environment.
Speaker 3:I feel so safe. I honestly wasn't like nervous because when I first first shared my story, I was up there like, but with y'all, I'm like man, I'm with my brothers.
Speaker 1:Like we talking, like you know, this is great. I'm going to be real with you. You know, when I first saw it, I was like man. You know, man, the world would be blessed by this story, and it was like it was always somebody. When I initially saw it, when we decided to do a podcast, and they were like we need a girl, and I said I know the perfect one. I had seen your story, I had seen you talk and I had seen, like the joy on you, man.
Speaker 1:And just to be real, it's not often you have, like you check a lot of boxes. That's just not often. Saying it's your boldness, it's your joy, it's your language, it's your humility, meekness and the journey you've been through. They don't generally all come together like that. You know, very few people get to that level of revelation at your age. I'm being honest with you.
Speaker 1:My sister, I think, is one of, if not the most dynamic female preachers that there are out there, and I mean you have a wealth of potential, like the way the will, what you speak from, the way scripture just roll and like you're sure, like you're sure that you never off. It's like you're sure of you know what you know, what you know. It's like you only get that from spending time with him. And so you know I think that this was a day to you know we gave Dante his flowers. It's like give her her flowers. Man, like what you've been through would have shattered most people, like not even 50%, 99.9% of people could not have come out of what you've been through. And so I'm essentially saying like man, you know, god has done his thing, you have done the work. I mean, hey, we have some mavericks sitting. Do you have any questions for us? You know what I mean. We don't never get nobody opportunity.
Speaker 3:You know? Yes, I actually do have a question for y'all. So Do you believe there's a difference between work and purpose?
Speaker 1:Do I believe there's a difference between work and purpose? Do I believe there's a difference between work and purpose? Man, I would have to say yes, and my yes is contingent upon this thing. I believe that if everyone worked in their purpose, then the answer would be no. I believe some people's purpose are contingent upon other people's yeses that have yet to come to pass. So, therefore, can God still get me to my person without that person's yes? Yes, but that's a process, right? So you have no Aaron if Moses doesn't do what he's supposed to do. Elisha and Elisha, elisha and Elisha Some people's purposes are directly connected, and so, because of that, certain people find themselves in the wilderness due to someone else's delay.
Speaker 3:Yes, Wow, so your yes is bigger than you, absolutely.
Speaker 1:You know what We've been preaching this whole time. You know what I'm saying, so that's why I say that.
Speaker 3:That's good, that's so good.
Speaker 1:If in a perfect world, no, in the Garden of Eden, no. If in a perfect world, no In the Garden of Eden, no. In a world where free will exists, very much so. Can your purpose be delineated or bifurcated from your work? Now, I just am not omniscient enough to understand how, without everyone in the appropriate position, the answer could be no. I mean, you know. I mean the answer could be yes, you know, if he's not supposed to be a videographer and he's waiting on me to become a pastor here in Atlanta, what I mean? Does he go to some other person? If he's directly supposed to serve me in ministry and that's his purpose, I mean, clearly his work can't be. And it's not that it's can't, it's that it should be. But there is just um, we don't live in a perfect world, we live in a fallen world, and because we live in a fallen world, oftentimes people's purpose is delayed.
Speaker 3:That's a that's a great answer, because again you just said like basically your yes is bigger than you.
Speaker 1:Everyone's yes.
Speaker 3:And and and. Along with your yes, come your destiny helpers, which helps them live in their purpose.
Speaker 1:And along with their yes, it becomes their destiny. Helpers, and everybody's, like we all are. We all are contingent upon the yes of Jesus. That's what you know what I mean. That's the first one. If Jesus says no, what is the world?
Speaker 3:My God, you just made me think about. I love this hymn. Oh, it's a song or hymn, I don't know, but it's this. I need you, you need me. We're all a part of God's body.
Speaker 1:Never heard of that song I never heard that I haven't. Huh, hezekiah Walker, I need you to survive.
Speaker 3:We need each other to survive. That's what it is.
Speaker 1:I just I mean a lot of people that work with me know that when I came into the Christian music business, I only knew Kirk Franklin, travis Green and Marvin Sapp. So no, maverick City didn't quite exist yet.
Speaker 3:How does it feel to be in this space? Didn't quite exist yet. How does it feel to be in this space? Because I know for me being in ministry comes with certain attacks. Do you guys experience that like being in the music industry?
Speaker 2:So we were just talking about this earlier. I think it's like there is significant warfare, there's opposition, there are attacks, because what we're doing is directly connected to transformation in people's lives, people's eyes being open for the first time and coming into their own. Yes, so absolutely, we experienced attacks, we experienced warfare, one thousand percent.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we, and it's a. There's a grace. I've become more sensitive, sensitive, um, I lacked a level of empathy in the beginning, that that that you know, I would see opposition is just haters and I think, when you see, when you look at it that way, you miss um. Like jesus did not have to challenge the ph, the Pharisees and the Sadducees he's God, he's God. But he wanted them to rid themselves of that self-righteousness. He wanted them to, uh, actually follow him, actually follow him. And so when you look down upon those in your comment section and you don't have the same righteous judgment for them, you actually do them a disservice.
Speaker 2:Thank you guys.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for coming and sharing your story. Yes, you are welcome. Thank you, guys.
Speaker 1:This is it. This is Maverick on the mic. My name is Norman. We had an amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing episode with Yochairis Diaz If you have not heard her story, I mean, it is one of the most transformative acts of resiliency I've ever heard in the faith. Please check out this full episode. Like, share, subscribe One. Thank you.