Celebrity Testimony 6: Chuck Norris(Walker Texas Ranger)

Chuck Norris Against All Odds Chapter 5 Life Choices: The world famous evangelist Billy Graham was coming to town for a crusade, and mom wanted our family to attend The crusade was held at the LA Sports Arena and the place was packed an hour before the service was scheduled to begin. People had come from all parts in Southtern California to hear the straight shooting preacher I was excited to go to the crusade,simply because it was such an enormous event, but I didnt expect to experience anything of significance in my life as a result.. After all I had committed my life to Christ and had been baptised as a boy when our family attended Calvary Baptist Church. But this was different. This was pure power. I listened to the beautiful music as Cliff Barrows lead the mass choir and the deep voice of soloist George Beverly Shea and finally Billy Grahams powerful words;I felt a tugging on my heart strings. The famous preacher explained that Christ had died on the cross in my place, that it really should have been me being punnished by death for my sins. But Christ took my place. Now by believeing in him and believeing that Jesus died and rose again from the dead, I could be forgiven of my sins,and I could be saved forever I listend intenly being mesmerized by the words that were searing into my heart. When Billy Graham invited those in the Sports Arena who wanted to be forgiven of their sins and wanted to commit their lives to Jesus Christ I walked down to the front of the stage, I almost leapt to my feet. Had mom Wieland and Aaron not wanted to go with me, I might have run down to the front. Whether my response was an intellectual assent to the gospel or a recommitment to the faith Id embraced as child, I really cant say. All I know for sure is from that night on my life was in Gods hands. I believed as mom frequently reminded me"God has plans for me." I stood in the midst of about a thousand people as Mr Graham explained Gods plan of salvation. He then prayed a collective prayer for the large froup of seekers. A counselor gave me some literature that clarified my decision and gave me some basic tips on how to study the Bible. We prayed together and he encouraged me to go to church which I was alredy doing. It was a rather simple unemotional affair but a very real transaction between God and me took place at the arena that night. I committed myself to follow him no matter what and he committed himself to me as my Lord and Savior. Over the years I havent always held up my end of the bargain,but Im thankful to say he has never done it on his side.

Chuck Norris Against All Odds Chapter 27 Spiritual Surprises: Funny thing is for years I simply went about my business going through life, doing my own thing, almost unaware of Gods presence in my life or his workings in the lives of my frineds. Now that Ive traveled a few more miles in my spiritual journey, Im able to reconize the hand of God in ways I never knew before. Amazingly he has been there all the time working all around me. I just didnt know it. Sometimes Ive simply had to step back and say,"Whew! I didnt know that God could do such awesome things nowadays, but apparently he can."

Berry Gordy: A Svengali Manager

J Randy Taraberellis Michael Jackson Magic and Madness Chapter 2: Over the years the Motown artist began to think of eachother as family and many of the more naive ones still do today. To Berry Gordy each son daughter sister and brother was a corporate asset. He wanted the best for them-he would be protective of them and nuture their abilities-but mostly he wanted what was best for himself and possibly what was best for his real family, the Gordys. "It was a family thing at Motown alright," Melvin Franklin of the Temptations would say. "It was the Gordy family, and everything was for Berry and the Gordy family." The biggest criticism leveled at Berry Gordy-by outsiders at first and then later by the artists themselves- was aimed at the complete control he exercised over his dominion. Practically none of the artists had any idea how much money they had generated for the company and they were always discouraged from asking questions. Books written by members of the The Supremes and the Temptations have underscored the fact that most of the artists who recorded for Gordy in the 60s have made very little-if any money- for themselves. Motown management customarily lied to them about their sales figures, and many Motown artist still havent a clue as to how many records they really sold or how much money they should have had in their bank account. "I never saw a tax return until,1979," Diana Ross who signed with Gordy in 1960 has said " Berry was such a mentor and a strong personality, you found yourself relying on that.You didnt grow." Ross would leave Mowtown bitterly in 1981 with just a few hundred dollars to her name, after selling millions of records for Gordy and performing in nightclubs for twenty years. Though some of the fame starved youngsters recruited for Mowtown did become stars, the price od success was high. Some of the singers were jailed for drug abuse,tax evasion,and wife beating. Other suffered for emotional problems and alcholism.Many have illegitimate children they dont even know about,care about, or recognize. There would be tragice deaths as well: Florence Ballard, a former Supreme,died at the age of thirty-two from a heart attack after spending two heartbreaking years as a welfare recipient;Paul Williams, a former Temptaion who was $80,000 in debt, shot himself in the head at age thirty-four;Marvin Gaye fourty-four was murdered by his own father. Its as if something went wrong,very wrong, in their upbrining as members of the Motown "family." Most of the members have long since forgotten what Berry did for them and can only remember what he did to them. As the late Florence Ballard once said,"You hope you can leave it all behind and start over.But you cant. You cant just forget what should have been when your own family has done you wrong."

Celebrity Testimony 5: Natilie Cole (Daughter of Nat King Cole)

Natilie Cole Angel On My Shoulder Chapter 10 Busted: We had just arrived in Toronto and I was settling into my room at the Lake Shore Boulevard Motel when there was a knock at the door. I opened it and it seemed like a platoon of Toronto police rushed in in both two legged and four legged. Between the uniformed officers the detectives and the German sheperds it got real crowded in there real fast. The cops started tearing the room up until they found what they were looking for. Eventually they unearthed a $25 bag of Heroin along with my hypodermic needles and various paraphanalia from my suitcase and I knew I was in deep trouble. I was put in handcuffs and taken to the police headquarters. The laws are deadly regarding drug possession in Canada. After I was booked fingerprinted and photographed they brought me into the interogation room shined a bright light in my face and kept asking me "Where are the kilos? We know you got some kilos." The captain or head detective really thought I was a big time pusher. Of course I couldnt tell them anything because I didnt know anything. I was kept in a holding tank until it was time to transfer me along with some other female prisoners to the womans prison: I think most of the others might have been hookers; they knew the names of the guards and what the drill was. Eventually we were all herded into a paddy wagon and taken to the womens prison. Here I am in a jail cell ,thats bad enough, and Im with some pretty hard looking women who are looking at me crazy too. Im terrified. Yet they knew I didnt belong there and that I had bitten off more than I could chew. They treated me kindly and were sweet to me in their way. We pulled up to the prison door which, I swear, looked like those massive doors with steal knockers that squeaked and groaned before they close with a resounding clang. We were all put in a waiting room. One by one they called the names of the other women in the group. Each one was given a set of jail clothes and told to hit the showers Finally a matron bellowed out "Cole" handed me a prison uniform and pointed towards the shower stalls. It was just like it happens in the movies, only worse,because it was real. As I headed to the showers I offered up another bargain to God. I said, "Lord if you get me out of this one, I will never do it again." So Im sitting on a cold steel bench outside the showers contemplating suicide and praying feverishly and crying like a baby. Just as I finnished removing my left boot, this woman called out, "Cole,you got visitors." God had delivered me. As it turned the guys in the band had gone to the owner of Adams Rib where we were about to open. We hadnt gotten paid yet but when they told him what had happend he was kind enough to give us advance and fired us. They came straight to the jail and got me out. I was a very thankful little girl! Eventually I had my arraignment before a juge and a very pissed off one at that. I believe that man took my getting arrest as a personal insult and thereby took it upon himself to chastise me like I was his daughter. I had been give a court appointed attorney and I expected the worst and deserved it.Even though he could have ended my career before it started he de cided to give me another chance and put me on probation in the province of Ontario. But to make sure I did not leave the country I had to sign in at the Toronto police station every Wednesday for the next couple of months. Well the good news was I wasnt headed for the slammer. I bad news was I wasnt headed back to Chicago anytime soon. I was stuck in Canada. When I was in Canada I had a dream. In it I was in hallway where I could hear footsteps. I was walking into a room where the windows were open. It was nightime and two angels came and lifted me up and carried me out over the city.When I told Aunt Janice about the dream she said," That was your father, coming to protect you." That was 25 years ago and I havent had a dream about my father since. But that doesnt bother me because hes inside me.I believe that I have his spirit with me always. There are time when I sense him as a presence, but I never see him; sometimes I wish I could. The time passed quickly enough and Aunt Janice left for Chicago before I did and the band left too. By the time I got to the end of my probation there was no one left but me and the van. Natilie Cole Angel On My Shoulder Chapter 11 Expect a Miracle: The idea of driving alone from Toronto to Chicago,more than six hundred miles,was a big deal to me,and the van and I eyed each other warily as I got behind the wheel. The back of the van was full of amps and other band stuff, but very little else.By this time my entire wardrobe fit into a knapsack and a small suitcase. Its funny although I had been driving for ten years, Id never really driven this long distance by myself.As it turns out I was not alone. I had a very important passenger; it was the Lord. I could see him because God had given me spiritual eyes for the trip and it was the most memorable drive of my life. That was the best drive Id ever taken by myself- I was singing and humming all the way through Michigan. At one point there was a guy hitchhiking on the other side of the road. I pulled over only to tell him,"Sorry I cant pick you up. I already have a passenger." He looked at the empty seat and then looked at me like I was some looney tune as I drove away.I didnt care. I was completely and utterly happy and I was free at last- thank God almighty. Natilie Cole Angel On My Shoulder Chapter 20 Jellinek: I had alot of ground to cover with my progress I had to deal with alot of problems I was having with my mother. I had to deal with the shame I had done to my fathers name. And then there was the closure that I had never really had after my father died or the grief I was unable to express after all these years. When a counselor said I was still grieveing for my Dad, I resented it bitterly. "What do you mean when you say I am still grieveing for my Dad?" I responded indignanatly. "H died almost 20 years ago!" As I said it I remembered with sharp pain that I had always felt that a piece of me had died on that day, too. As we talked I recalled how, as a child, I hungered for his infrequent visits home and for the warmth of his unconditional love. He was a powerful balance to my mothers well meaning but austere parental behavior.I treasured those memeories of baseball games and car rides and family evenings when hed smile at me and I just glowed. But the sudden tragedy of his death had cut it all off. I was an even more lonely girl when I was forced to return to Northfield and I suffered all my life with the deep lingering regret that I had never been able to say goodbye. Of course I was grieveing for him! I was finally able to admit it. And after I had admitted it to myself the emotional floodgates broke.I wept tears of grief about those childhood years of missing him at home,about being kept away from him when he was dying,and about the early death that never allowed me to tell him how much he meant to me. From the weeks of tears and long postponed confrontaions with grief at Jellinek a new insight emerged:By denying my grief and the trauma of my fathers death, I was blinded to the truth that dad was very much with me.His spirit his love of music-all were there inside me. I can hear his voice now-singing joking and talking. Evenmore powerfully, he had been there in my darkest hours, guiding me, protecting me, and forgiving me- an angel on my shoulder. Each of us was assigned a personal counselor. Mine was named Vicky. She was only 26.She had become an addict when she was 12, had gotten sober when she was 19,and then became a counselor.Id say to her,"This isnt going to work and youre to young to be telling me anything." But Vicky was wise beyound her years and she was good. She helped me to articulate my real feelings. The program at Hazelden is buit on the AA-twelve step program and we began to go to meetings daily. Im not going to pontificate on all twelve steps but the first and most important is "We acknoledge that our lives are have become unmanagable. We are out of control." Its really hard to acknowledge this,because it means you have to start looking at all the stuff youve done to yourself and others and that doesnt make you feel very good. Some people handle not feeling good by taking a walk or a nap or maybe they go and exercise like crazy. Other like myself need to feel better fast. Hence we look for a way out and the way I had chosen was self medication, consequently self destruction. It starts off very innocently but for those of us who have a natural addiction to things whether its to drugs, alchohol,sex, gambling,bad relationships whatever, we inevitably get into trouble. We dont know when to stop and after awhile we dont know how.I never intentionally tried to kill myself. I thought about it but I never tried to do it. Infact its about the only thing I didnt try. The second AA concept is that "We believe that only a power higher than ourselves can help us." AA does not promote religion, but it does promote the need for a spiritual perspective,not merely a physical one. In AA they say you come into the program emotionally, physically,financially, and spiritualy bankrupt, For many addicts the first thing they lose is spirituality, and in recovery it is the last thing they get back. I think the hardest step for me was the eighth one. I had to make a list of everyone I could remember who Id harmed with my drug problem. That was a long list I was surprised at how many people I could find that I had hurt. And then I was suppose to attempt to make amends with each and every one of them, knowing there was no guarantee they would forgive me. There is no guarantee they were even going to respond, but I still had to do it. I was really resistant and asked,"Cant we just take the list and pray over it?" I hated this step, because it forced me to feel humiliated all over again. But I had to do it I had to see this through. There were other parts of the process I didnt like very much. I had to keep a journal every night i hated seeing my thoughts on paper- it was so invasive- and I hated having my counselor look at them.However toward the end of winter I had a breakthrough. Vicky was excited and said," I think youre starting to learn about forgivness- begining with yourself." This is a crucial and powerful tool. Forgiving myself was painful, but once I started,I was able to do something that was also very important-I could start to forgive my mom. As I continued to write in my journal, my perspectives started to change. I needed to forgive her for not being there for me as a child, and for not being a more nurturing parent. I had never thought about forgiving my father for dying because I blamed everything on her. But Vicky helped me realize that I needed to focus some of that forgivness on him too, because many times he was not there for me either, but I had made excuses for him. Forgivness is one of the hardest virtues to attain. Its not part of our nature. It is not human to forgive. Its divine. It was kind of a conscious decision to be as music less as possible. I think in many ways I was more normal during that time than Id probably had ever been. I had grown up with so much music around me that I didnt really have to think. But when I made the decision to get sober, I was able to take advantage of an addictive characteristic, which is to go from one extreme to another. The first time I cried tears of joy at Hazelden was when I saw my son.I was just really really happy, about a month before I left Jellinek, they let him come visit me, and he taught me the meaning of unconditional love.I felt so guilty about what I had done; I had made such a mess of his life as well as my own. He didnt care he just wanted his mom. He came with Drue and we all stayed in a hotel together and went to lunch and dinner. He was so cute. We walked and I held his little hand and looked down into his beautiful face. One some level I had almost forgotten I was a parent. But I was a mom and there was never anything physicaly wrong with me-so what was I doing there? I was making progress and that was what counted. Toward the end of six months my counselors at Hazelden started getting ready to kick me out. They felt it was time for me to step back into the real world. All of a sudden six months didnt seem like long enough. Was I scared? You bet I had been given the tools to make it, and if I was willing to continue to "work the program" I could change and improve the quality of my life... or I could chuck it all and throw away six monthe right out the window, take my chances and probably end up dead. Leaving Hazelden was a bittersweet departure. Undoubtedly it helped to shape, or should I say reshape the woman I am today. To use the tired but true cliche it was both the best of times and the worse of times. When I left there thats how I felt. I graduated from Hazelden on May 16, 1984. When I had arrived six months earlier, it was like I was entering a frozen wasteland- everything looked and felt like Siberia, which was a good reflection of what was going on inside me. And now the timing for my departure could not have been more perfect. It was Spring the land was thawing and the flowers were starting to blossom everywhere. The world was full of color. The contrast was amazing. My own appearance had also changed drastically. My skin was glowing and my hair was growing out, but I was thirty pounds heavier. I hadnt been this heavy since I was pregnant with Robbie. But I could lose the fat. It was how I felt about myself that had changed, and I wasnt about to lose that. As I walked out the doors of Hazelden, hopefully for good,I carried my six month commemorative chip in my hand and a new word had been embedded in my heart-gratitude. It was the best thing I ever did. The best! Natilie Cole Angel On My Sholder Chapter 22 Be Careful What You Pray For: For most recovering addicts the last thing that you usually get back is your spirituality. In my case it was the first thing I got back, and it came back stronger than ever. Even though emotionally I was still pretty shaky, I learned to depend on God. No matter what else happend I was going to be okay. I was able to surrender(but this is a daily process). I began to read my Bible daily-thats where my strength is. The hardest thing for me is to not put so much hope in other people, because I have always been so trusting. This continues to be an issue I have to work on. Natilie Cole Angel On My Sholder Chapter 30 A Work In Progress: Ive spent my last few years trying to strengthen my relationship with God. What a surprise to see how I have gotten closer to who I am and who he wants me to be. I am quite happy seeing myself through Gods eyes. We all come to self-knowledge in different ways and different times.Sure I wish I could have been smarter when I was younger, then again, I know women my age and older who still havent figured this out. Can they be judged or criticized? No more than any body else. I may be the last person who can give any advice about anything but I am willing to share the little Ive learned and its an ongoing process. Sometimes its about choices. You can choose how you will use the world around you. But the trick is also how will you let the world use you. Where am I now in life? Well, I know that God knows best what I need-better than I ever could. But I have to stop fighting him. There is a saying that goes," Get out of Gods way and into Gods word...and dont block your blessing!" This is not to say that now Im doing everything right. Far from it. I still may not be what I ought to be, but thank the Lord, Im not what I use to be.

Tabloid Junkie

Nailie Cole Angel On My Shoulder Chapter 29 Heartbreak: Being a celebrity means both your triumphs and your failures are out there for all to see and judge.Eventhough we celebrities develop a tough skin on the outside were mush on the inside. We hurt and we bleed like everybody else. Its painful to have your life spread out infront of people who dont even know you; then they get to decide who you are by what someone else has written Chuck Norris Against All Odds Chapter 16 Close Calls: Donahues response revealed much about the television medium and himself, He looked at me without apology and said,"We'll get great ratings for this show, Chuck. Its controversial, so our ratings will go through the roof." Sadly thats the bottom line for many Donahue types in the news media as well as entertainment industry even to this day. Its not about truth, right,and wrong, or moral issues; its about ratings and money. Chuck Norris Against All Odds Chapter 22 Walker Texas Ranger: Peter than turned toward me and said,"And I would like to introduce Chuck Norris, who has the most violent program on television."\ That was my introduction I realized instantly that I had been set up, that Id walked into a trap again, similar to the one I had encountered withe Phil Donahue years earlier. Peter Jennings wasnt interested in how KICKSTART could help kids raise their self-esteem,get off drugs,get out of gangs, and start living productive lives. He obviously had an entirely different agenda from the one hed proposed to me in asking me on his show. I wasnt going to sit back and allow this statement to go unchallenged. I didnt know if it was my turn to talk or not, but I jumped right in."Id like to rebut that, Peter. If you ever watch the show, which I doubt that you do,youd see that Walker Texas Ranger deals with good versus evil. Walker is a family show, and if you went through our mail from veiwers, youd realize that families are sitting down together on Sunday night to watch this show and that Walker is one of the few programs on television that families can enjoy watching together." That set the tone for a virulent hour of discussion between Peter, the panel, and the audience. When Peter asked one woman on the bleachers her opinion concerning the violence on television she responded,"We know the difference between reality and the movies. If you dont then youre stupid." Peter didnt ask that woman any further questions. He really started to get hot as the discussion turned in a direction that he hadnt aniticipated. It got worse when he introduced a rap song with sleazy, violent lyrics, in a effort to illustrate the pernicious material being recorded by rappers. As the song played over the speakers the female rap artist just sat there staring straight ahead. When the song ended she looked up at Peter Jennings, and said,"Peter thats not me. Thats not even my song. Thats somebody elses." The production department had made a mistake;theyd literally gotten the wrong music from the wrong rap artist as an illustration. Peter Jennings was flabergasted. "What do you mean thats not you?" Thats not my music," the rapper repeated. I could see heads rolling in the ABC production department. I cant say I was sorry to see Peter Jennings so thoroughly discredited in front of his own audience. In a way it served him right for attempting to stack the deck to support his own prejudices, a procedure that is extremely common on most network programs and supposedly "unbiased documentaries" on television today. Thats one reason many conservative leaders refuse to engage in the programs: the utter bias of the host precludes a fair representaion of the issues.On the other hand thats also why programs that do make an honest attempt to present both sides of the issue are thriving. I felt no sense of glee over Peters embarrassment; I was too angry at him. I was thoroughly disgusted that I had allowed myself to be pulled away from my work and to be lured to washington on false pretenses. I had come to promote myself something good wonderful and wholesome, and we hadrly talked at all about KICKSTART and the ways it could help kids. I decided that from now on Id make my own publicity for KICKSTART,and when people realized the good that can be done in schools they would rally to our side

Celebrity Testimony 4: Smokie Robinson (Motown Legend)

Smokie Robinson Inside My Life Part 5 Chapter 38 Brother Brother: Months passed he went on tour and there was talk that the tour was bedlam talk that Marvin was so cocked out he was dropping his pants during the shows talk like he was acting crazy and falling into despair I tried contacting him but never got through. The on April Fools day 1984 the news came in. It was a cold shock a kick in the groin I heard it on the radio: Marvin Gaye was killed. Killed by his own father. My first thoughts were- its a mistake, its impossible, the news is wrong. But the news was right. I wept. I sang and spoke at his funeral. A friend- a beautiful man gone so early so foolishly. Now I was moving in the same direction. Why couldnt I stop myself? Why couldnt I turn it around?. My days were dark my nights were filled with fear. The knock on the door was loud an persistent. At first I thought I was dreaming. Then I got scared. Maybe it was the cops maybe a killer. Fear was all up in my face. " Open the door man! Open it now!" I knew Leon Kennedys voice. I let him in. "Smokie," he said "You look terrible. What in the world are you doing to yourself, man? Do you want to die?" "I aint dying just cooling out." "Coke's got you so disgusted with yourself, you cant stop. Cant you see the vicious cycle?" "Get off my back, Leon. You dont know what youre talking about," I lied. Dopers always lie to cover up. I didnt tell him about the stomach pains, the puss passing out of my body,the heart palpitations, the cold sweats. "You look like a ghost, Smokie. Your skins turning green, your eyes are all sunken into your head, youre wasting away to nothing." " I dont want to talk about this anymore. Im doing fine man, just leave me alone." "No Im not leaving at all. Im staying here and Im going to pray for you. I dont care how long it takes." Leon stayed and prayed for me all night; he prayed till the sun came up; he wouldnt leave me; he stayed at my house all the day and that night insisted that we go to a place called Ablaze Ministry. I called Ivory Stone, my close friend and back up singer, to come along.I'd been in contact with Ivory during those miserable months. Shed been about my only source of comfort. The few times I did eat she was the only one who fed me. When she first came to sing with me in 1975, I loved her immediately. Shes a warm and wonderful person, physically gorgeous, inwardly beautiful, the kind of woman any man would be proud to call his own. She turned me on to Jesus; shes been a strong spiritual amd emotional influence on my life. Ablaze wasnt a church just a small building in a working class neighborhood on Florence Avenue where people were up and singing. Everyone looked joyful and glad.It wasnt an all black hallelujah holy revival but rather a room filled with different type people- orientals, chicanos, whites and blacks. The leader was a heavy set black woman. "That's Jean Perez," Leon whispered in my ear. I'd never seen a preacher woman before and she was dynamite. She didnt come at you from the Bible; she came from the street, said how shed done it yourself- the drugs and drinking-and shed seen another way. She was real. Her speech was captivating. "I feel the anointing coming on," she said. " The anointing is very strong in my hands. Everyone who feels like theyve got arthritis, come up here now." Five or six people got up and started walking towards her while I started thinking,Oh boy, here comes the show. No aint this a mess! Leon brought me here to see some weird woman who's planted people in the audience to make us think shes a miracle worker. I stayed skeptical, even as she started healing people with arthritis,cancer, and heart disease. I watched as she touched them,prayed over them and caused them to pass out from the power of her prayers. "You", she said, pointing to me. "Would you please come up here?" I looked around embarassed, hoping she meant someone else. She didnt. Tentatively slowly I made my way to the podium where she stood. She hugged me as a mother would hug her child. I fel the heat of her breath as she whispered in my ear away from the microphone so only I could hear. " I know who you are." she said. "I didnt call your name because not everyone reconized you. You look so bad. I been praying for you for a year now. The Lord put you on my heart. He really loves you. Youre one of his children and he sent you here to night so I could heal you in the name of Jesus. I know about your pus, I know about your stomach, I know about your heart palpitations, and the way you sweat at night." I was stunned I hadnt told anyone about any of those things. "The drugs," she said still in a whisper, "are eating at your stomach lining. If you hadnt come here you would have died. Saying that she started praying over me. Suddenly she passed out, falling back behind the podium. Chills ran through me. I stood there stund. They tried to revive her tried to lift her up but she was a big woman and it wasnt easy. When she came to she looked at me and said, " I never pass out during prayer. Youre a powerful spirit in the Lord. I want you to stay after everyone leaves."\ After the service Ivory, Leon, and I followed her into a small room in the back. There she prayed on me agian, holding me close to her, her eyes closed tight, her heart beating loud. Then for the second time, she passed out. Whe she came to the woman said," Ooo wee, your spirit is strong smokey! Youre a positive influence on people and your influence was about to be taken from you. But now youre alright. Now youre cool. The Lord has his arms around you." " What does that mean?" I asked. " You'll go on with your life and you'll be a stronger person. The Lord doesnt want you to start preaching, doesnt want you to sing only gospel music. If you do your secular fans will drop you and the gospel fans wont take you seriously. Just be you. Doing what you do you can get millions to come over to the Lord from all over the world. Dont push your testimony. He will let you know when to give it and he will tell you how." I left the Ablaze Ministry that night feeling higher than at any moment in my life, higher than Id ever been on coke, so good and so high I felt like I was walking on air. Since that night-its been three years-I havent touched or wanted any form of any drug. Just like that the desire left me. Being in show business Im always around that stuff. There have been endless oportunities to get high. Miraculously, Ive not even been tempted. Miraculously I was saved. The Lord washed me clean.

Celebrity Testimony 3: Duane Lee Chapman( Dog the Bounty Hunter)

You Can Run but You Cant Hide Chapter 9 Muder One: The judge set bail at $50,000 each. There was no way I was getting out of jail. As it was my job barely paid me enough to pay my bills. I tried to make extra money by renting a room to women but I always ended up sleeping with them before I could collect the rent. They'd leave or I'd kick them out so LaFonda( his first wife) wouldnt know the truth. Whenever I had a few extra bucks, I squandered it on weed, whores, or my bike. I sat in my cell with nothing to do but think. I had really messed things up. I did'nt realize how much I loved LaFonda and our boys until I sat alone in my cell that first night in jail. I'd taken so much for granted my family, my freedom, my entire life. Suddenly it was all gone. Yeah I know. A guy died. Someone had to pay for taking his life. Someone had to own up to the crime to take responsibility for what he'd done. Why did Donny do it? Why didnt I stop him? Why didnt I know he had a gun? There were many times I wondered if Jerry Lee would have been shot if I was not there that night. He was my friend. I dont believe Donny would have gone to his house if I hadnt been in the car. Did that make me respnsible? The more I thought about this the angrier I got. My rage was becoming unmanageable. If I was going to rot in jail for killing a man I might as well kill one. I wanted to rip someones head off. I didnt care who it was. My rage was out of control. The sheriff would put all the drunks and" Encourage them" to help settle me down. I beat the crap out of every guy they put in there with me. I was unstoppable. I would have beat up a minister it they'd put one in the cell with me. Reverend Gerald Middaugh from Pampa's Assembly of God church wasnt your typical preacher man. He looked 18 years old eventhough he was in his early thirties. He didnt seem like he was old enough to be a reverend. I wasnt sure why he came to visit me in jail but I was certain I wanted nothing to do with whatever he had to say. I was still angry about the whole situation. I didnt do anything wrong. I wasnt suppose to be in jail. The reverend stood outside my cell and began to talk. "Dog do you mind if I call you Dog?" He looked scared to death. "LaFonda tells me you were once a spiritual man. She said you have a strong belief in the Lord. I'm here to talk to you about that." I stared him down. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. "Move along reverend. I aint got nothing to say to you." I spoke in a soft low growl "now listen Dog. I know your angry. God knows youre a good man. A decent man. Youre in a bad situation here." I slowly moved my face toward his. " What do you know about my situation,reverend? You dont know nothing" I held on to the cell bars as tight as I could. My knuckles turned white from the strength of my grip. "Dof you of all people should know that God will show you the way. He will lead from this dark place into the light. You have to trust the Lord. Put your life in God's hands." I was pissed. I didnt want to hear about God or his almighty plan. All I wanted to hear was that I made bail and was a free man. " Unless youre hear to post bail reverend I suggest you get out of here. I aint interested in anything you have to say. I'll use your Bible for rolling papers." The preacher stood motionless unfazed by my anger. Hec I was locked up behind bars. What was I going to do? I couldnt touch the guy and he knew it. Still his willingness to take my mouth was surprising. "If you want the lords help Duane, you have to ask for it. If you want your bail reduced then ask God for reduction in bail. Ask and you shall receive." He spoke with such confidence and assurance. I didnt care. I walked to the back of my tiny cell and never turned around until I heard the reverend slowly walk away. Darn him I thought. Who does he think he is coming in here telling me about the ways of the lord? I walked in small circles thinking about what he had said. He didnt know me. He didnt know nothing about my life. If he did he sure wouldnt be wasting his time on a guy like me. Life in jail wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. I had been arrested many times before so I kind of knew what to expect. I was able to sneak in some drugs mostly pot which helped calm me down and pass the time. It was easy to smuggle in the drugs. I lowered a string from the window of my third floor cell and one of my disciple brothers always hooked me up. Usually it was Little Earl who tied a bag of weed or Fiorenal to the string so I could pull it back up. To be perfectly honest I could have gone down to get the stuff myself. I discovered that previous inmates had tried to saw through the bars on the window. It took me a few days but I finished the job useing a sharpened metal lid from a jar. Id sneak out at night shimmying down a drainpipe. Little Earl was always there. Wed head over to the local bowing alley and grill a couple cheeseburgers. It never once accured to me to run. Where would I go?. Besides if I ran I would be giving up Lafonda and the boys. I wasnt willing to sacrifice my family for freedom. Those kids meant the world to me. They needed their dad. I wanted to be around to see them do the kids stuff. I wasnt going to do anything stupid like bust out of jail. Sheriff Rufe Jordan didnt see it quite the same way as I did. "What on earth are you doing,Dog?" the sheriff asked as I swung my legs through the window leading back into my cell. I was speechless. The sheriff looked completely shocked. Im guessing it was a first for him to actually have an inmate break into jail! He never said another word about it. Despite my constant dismissals the reverend kept visiting trying to lead me back to the lord. LaFonda even brought my Bible in hope that I would find Gods love and light. It had been years since I read my Bible. It took me a few days before I cracked it open. But as I began to read I kept denying the reasons why. I read it because I was bored, alone, sad, angry, frustrated. Thats what I kept telling myself. But looking back it was because of so much more. Reading the Bible brought back many happy memories from years ago. It reminded me of when I was a boy going with mom to Sister Jensens mission and to church with her on sundays. Slowly I began to realize the words were uplifting and healing. I began reflecting on my life. I knew I had made some bad choices along the way, but reading the Bible in jail helped me see that I had probably done more damage than good in my first 19 years. That wasnt how I wanted people to think of me. I am a proud man. I had set of values that guided me. I thought of myself as moral criminal. Yes I stole but that didnt make me a killer. I fought but I wasnt a violent man by nature. I sold drugs and partied. I could chalk up that to being young and stupid. But deep down I wasnt an idiot. That I was sure of. I hoped it wasnt to late to change my life. In my heart I wanted to be good. I wanted to be on the straight and narrow. I didnt want to waste my life spending the rest of days and nights as a hoodlum biker. So for the first time since I was a boy. I began to pray. I asked the lord for help. I begged for his forgiveness and guidence. I took the reverends advice and asked God to reduce my bail. I pleaded with God to show me the righteous path. I promised I wouldnt run around with the Disciples or cheat on my wife. I told the lord I would go straight get a jod and make money on the up and up. I even told the lord that if he helped me I would sell my beloved bike. That might be the hardest promise I had ever made. The proof would be at the hearing which was set fourty-eight hours after I began to pray. There was no way I could come up with fifty grand. "All right God. If youre really out there show me you have heard my prayers. I am being sincere lord. Please God. Help me. Let thy will be done." Two days later I appeared infront of Judge McIllheney. "Bail is set at $5,000." I threw my head back in utter shock "Wow," was all I could say. Darn I was going to miss that bike. When you make a promise to the Lord, you'd best keep it. As soon as I could I began to fulfill all the promises I made to God in jail. He showed me he is a man of his word. Now I had to be a man of mine. First chance I had I paid a visit to my old friend Dale from Bison who was now sellin Kirby vacuums. "Dale I need a job. You gotta help me." I was practically begging. He said,"Ok Dog I'll put you back on but you cant bring your troubles here friend." Next I went to see Reverend Middaugh. I wanted to thank him for his guidence and tell him he was right. I asked and God provided. I wanted to share my rediscovered belief in God. The reverend offered me a job as the church janitor. He even trusted me with a key to the church. That man was my friend. He said" and on Sundays you can help with collections." I smiled knowing no one would let Dog pass by without putting money down. The reverend told me tithing went up significantly in the weeks I passed the collection plate. He was a smart dude. I had to give him credit for seeing that opportunity. Finally I sold my Harley to friend fro $3,000. It almost paid for my fast growing legal fees. I loved that Harley Panhead. It was by far the fastest and best looking motorcycle in Texas if not in the world. For years my enitire indentity had been being a biker. Without a bike who would I be? I spent most of the year waiting to go to trial. I was trying to make up for all the years I'd wasted breaking the law and ignoring God. I committed myself to seeing the error of my ways. I went to church as often as I could. LaFonda and I went every Sunday. Duane Jr sat on my lap as we raised our spirit to God. In addition I often found myself alone in church praying for hope and guidence. I wasnt sure what the future held but I was confident the Lord had a plan.

The Svengali Managers

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVBkJBJpoEZ6EZRErDWCcyFl_5cyHmCUlVJG411t5J4xBFh2jFcZgUwBn2oXEaWXJUeHDJ6YRe_5lihNzBwZVQQQfGoi3XWWeO_LV_8hctBQEBIPKtbnyyDgWP2dQM8iUGfUGi93pSQuY/s1600/oher.jpg" imageanchor="1" > Michael Oher I Beat the Odds Chapter 9 Steve and Tony: From talking with other kids who grew up in the neighborhoods like mine, I have found out that very often, even the coaches cant be trusted. A lot of times there are guys who coach inner city teams just because they want to "discover" the next big pro athlete who will be their meal ticket in a few years. They arent coaching the kid because they care about them but because they want to be able to hang around when he gets rich and famous: they call him up or come to his house for money. The kid gets used for his talents and there is an expected "payback" for the coach. Its digusting and pathetic, but it happens all the time. Tony seemed to be concerned with helping me develop as a player as well as concern for my well being. I needed that kind of support and I was grateful for it. He tried to help me adjust my attitude and start thinking differently so that I would be ready for whatever opportunities high school sports might bring my way. Natilie Cole Angel On My Sholder Chapter 25 The Grammy Bonanza: Anyone who knows the music world knows how many down and out musicians there are out there.So many gifted and even famous musicians have died broke sick and forgotten-unable to provide for themselves. Not many musicians were born with the advantages my father had given me and they are in need of help and support.