{"id":303177,"date":"2014-08-28T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-28T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth\/"},"modified":"2014-08-28T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-08-28T15:00:00","slug":"reaching-out-to-urban-youth","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching Out to Urban Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tyrone Flowers was a young athlete whose career was cut short when a teammate shot him, leaving him paralyzed. He shares the details of his story, and how God has been working in his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-08-28.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"27.22M","filesize_raw":"28541665","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2818,2906],"tags":[5205,5414,5412,5415,5413],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[9354],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303177","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adoption-and-orphans","category-becoming-a-christian","tag-fatherless","tag-growing-up-orphan","tag-paralyzed","tag-troubled-youth","tag-urban-youth","cwp_profile-tyrone-flowers","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/303177\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303177\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"SJhszNCW0f\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth\/\">Reaching Out to Urban Youth<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-out-to-urban-youth\/embed\/#?secret=SJhszNCW0f\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Reaching Out to Urban Youth&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"SJhszNCW0f\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Tyrone Flowers was a young athlete whose career was cut short when a teammate shot him, leaving him paralyzed. He shares the details of his story, and how God has been working in his life.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2014-08-28.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Tyrone Flowers was a top high school basketball player, on his way to a scholarship, when a fellow teammate pulled out a gun and shot him three times, leaving him paralyzed.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Those three bullets weren\u2019t the worst thing that happened to me. The worst thing that happened to me, growing up, was not having adults that believed in me\u2014hearing people\u2014because of my background, my last name, or the color of my skin\u2014every time I walked up to someone and tell them, \u201cI want to be a doctor,\u201d or, \u201c\u2026a lawyer,\u201d\u2014or anything I saw on TV\u2014\u201c\u2026a police officer,\u201d\u2014they would always tell me I couldn\u2019t do those things.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, August 28<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We have a very special program today, where we\u2019ll hear about the power of foster parenting. Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. We are live at the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Chicago. That\u2019s the cue for the raucous applause. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Alright! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> A little bigger crowd than at the first Summit, down in the conference room in our offices, ten years ago; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There were 38 of us at that first event. The cool thing about this, as I\u2019m looking out over the audience, is that there are 35 countries represented here this year. [Applause] It really is\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd the thing that encourages me about this audience here is\u2014that they have found what Barbara and I have found\u2014when you go near the orphan, you go near the heart of God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, why don\u2019t you introduce our guest on today\u2019s program?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, we have Tyrone Flowers joining us on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Tyrone, welcome to the broadcast. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Thanks for having me. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Tyrone, I want ya\u2019ll to know, is a hero. He and his wife Renee have been married over 17 years. He lives near Kansas City and gives leadership to a ministry called Higher M-Pact. There\u2019s a way that he got into that\u2014and it really illustrates Romans 8:28\u2014that \u201cAll things do work together to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tTyrone, you had quite an upbringing. In fact, I\u2019m going to just cut to the chase. At the age of six, you got high.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes, unfortunately, on the day I was born, my mother made it very clear she didn\u2019t want to be a mother. So, thank God, my grandmother stepped in and raised me with her 12 other children. When you are raised with a bunch of teenagers\u2014They experimented with a lot of things\u2014drugs, sex, and alcohol. At an early age, they got me high and exposed me to those things.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> When there aren\u2019t parents protecting a child, they really are vulnerable to all kinds of things. Your grandmother actually helped raise you, but she became sick. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That really was a game-changer for you as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> When my grandmother became ill, I was removed from my home. That\u2019s when I was placed in foster care. From the age of seven through ten, I went through three different foster homes. At the time, I really didn\u2019t understand what was going on because I had a large family. I didn\u2019t understand why I couldn\u2019t live with one of my relatives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> The thing that I want to just emphasize here\u2014because we have a daughter\u2014and she and her husband have cared for 20 foster-care children, over the past half dozen years. I think what we don\u2019t realize, many times, is how a good, godly foster care family can make a difference in a boy\u2019s life. You did not have that kind of foster care experience.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> No. I just want to make it very clear that I truly believe in the foster care system and that they\u2019re doing great work\u2014but my experience wasn\u2019t the greatest. Part of the punishment from my foster parents was placing me in a basement overnight. It wasn\u2019t like a finished basement with carpet and all of those amenities. It was concrete, cobwebs, and cold. I can remember, vividly, sitting at the top of the steps, just banging on the door\u2014just begging for them to let me out and trying to negotiate whatever terms\u2014you know, just for them to give me another chance.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, as you hear that described, and as you\u2019ve said, we\u2019re advocates for the foster care system.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Absolutely.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But it really does mean that more people\u2014who love, and care, and are willing to sacrifice\u2014need to step in and provide homes for kids, like Tyrone, who are vulnerable; right? [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Amen.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> The church is the only institution, globally, that is large enough to address the needs of orphans.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I think it is a ready-made opportunity for the body of Christ to lock arms together and engage in the lives of boys and girls to make an impact in their lives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s really a hallmark of your story\u2014is the profound power of simple acts of love in the life of a child. You experienced some of those. In fact, you have some experiences that landed you in Juvi. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> There was a woman in the Juvi system\u2014who you still smile about her when you think about her; don\u2019t you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes, sir.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Tell us about her.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Well, you know, one thing\u2014like I said\u2014is that, once I was placed in the foster care system, you become very angry. There are several ways you can deal with anger, you know? You can take it out on others, or yourself, or destroy property. I was one of those angry kids. I went through the three foster homes\u2014then went to the residential treatment facility. I landed in Juvenile Family Court. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI can recall Ms. Collins. She was a cook, and I was just going through the meal line. One day, she just looked at me and said, \u201cYou remind me of my son.\u201d When she said those words, she didn\u2019t realize the impact she had on my life because, when she said that\u2014on the inside, I instantly said, \u201cIf I remind her of her son, then she could be my mother.\u201d From that day on, she was my mother; and she didn\u2019t know it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEver since then\u2014I mean\u2014if you add up all of the time we\u2019ve spent together in our interaction, it was less than 24 hours\u2014it was only when I was going through the meal line. The only way I can say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to her without saying, \u201cThank you,\u201d was that I made her a jewelry box in woodshop. I put her name on it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI went through the meal line, and I gave it to her. That was the last time I saw her. About 20 years later, I ran into her son. He looked at me and said, \u201cAre you Tyrone Flowers?\u201d I said, \u201cYes.\u201d He said, \u201cI want you to know that you\u2019re my mother\u2019s favorite son.\u201d [Laughter \/ applause] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was really interesting because, at that moment, it made me feel good. He gave me her number. She was living in Wisconsin. I gave her a call. I said, \u201cMs. Collins, do you know who this is?\u201d She said, \u201cYes, it\u2019s Tyrone Flowers.\u201d The first thing she said was, \u201cDo you know what\u2019s sitting on my dresser?\u201d I said, \u201cThat jewelry box.\u201d She said, \u201cYes.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> So, long story short\u2014when Ms. Collins expressed the needs that her family had and the things that she wanted to do for her son\u2014at first, I was mad at her family because I thought they were burdening her in making her provide for their children. But she did it with a smile. The thing I took away from that was\u2014anytime you\u2019re working with the kids, we need to make it abundantly clear that they are not a burden, no matter what the challenge is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, with the kids I work with, that\u2019s one thing I express: \u201cNo matter how challenging it is, you are not a burden.\u201d Ms. Collins gave me that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There was also a man who made a similar impact in your life\u2014Mr. Joyner. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Well, Mr. Joyner kind of caught me at an early age. In my community, sometimes, one meal a day was considered a good day. Every time I would knock on Mr. Joyner\u2019s door and ask for food, he would sit me down and feed me. Now, this was a painful experience because I was just wanting to grab some food and leave\u2014but he made me go wash my hands [Laughter], come sit at the table, and then he would put some drink in front of me and salad\u2014and ask me a whole bunch of questions. [Laughter] I was frustrated because I just wanted to leave; but, at the same time, on the inside, something in me said, \u201cThis is right.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI can recall telling myself: \u201cWhen I get older, I want to do this for me and my family.\u201d We would have that meal, and that was that; but anytime I asked Mr. Joyner for money, he would put me to work. In the early \u201870s, you know, all I wanted was a quarter or a dollar. He would put me to work. So, I never had a problem with work and compensation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut one thing happened\u2014I was working for a dollar one day. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe ice cream truck came by. He asked me if I wanted some ice cream. I said, \u201cYes,\u201d\u2014we had a Kodak<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> moment. After that, I continued to work; and he only gave me 75 cents. I thought, at that time, he was cheating me because one thing about working with kids, who come from that background\u2014you\u2019ve got a strong sense of justice and fairness. You\u2019re willing to throw away, sometimes, quality relationships when you feel that you\u2019re being done wrong. So, in order to compensate, I broke out all the windows in his house. Then I thought we were going to be even, but that wasn\u2019t the case. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDuring this process, I wanted to heal our relationship; but I didn\u2019t know how to say, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d I thought that was weak, and I didn\u2019t know how to say it. The only way I could say I was sorry was by working with him to pay for it. He gave me that opportunity. The lesson I took away from that was\u2014sometimes, in working with kids, they say they\u2019re sorry through their actions and through that relationship.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> From that point on, Mr. Joyner has always been in my life: When I graduated from community college, he was there. When I met my wife, I introduced him to her. When I graduated from law school\u2014undergrad and law school. And he always gave me the same gift\u2014a card and $5. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You did what a lot of kids do in their teenage years. You made basketball your escape. You had three offers to play college ball, graduating from high school; but an event changed the course, not only of your life, but ultimately your eternal destiny. Share what happened.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> After going through all of the juvenile facilities, the only thing that people saw in me\u2014because I\u2019ve never successfully completed one program \/ any of the programs I was in\u2014they kind of gave up on me and sent me home. I was 6\u20194\u2019\u2019, 230 pounds. All they saw in me was basketball. I played basketball and had those scholarships offered.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe sad part about it was that I didn\u2019t know what a scholarship was. So, I turned all three of the scholarships down because no one in my family had ever graduated from college, and I\u2019d never set foot on a college campus. I was more comfortable going to jail than I was going to college.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I turned those scholarships down; and I decided to go to the Army. I was used to people telling me what to do, and when to do it, and how to do it. I figured, \u201cNow, at least, I\u2019ll get paid.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was influenced by two movies\u2014<em>Officer and a Gentleman<\/em> and <em>Stripes<\/em>\u2014[Laughter]\u2014you know, if you think about it\u2014two individuals \/ knuckleheads decided to use the Services as their way out. I thought, \u201cMaybe if they did it, I can do it too.\u201d I remember vividly the scene between Lou Gossett, Jr., and Richard Gere, when he had messed up and lost his home visit because he was doing something he wasn\u2019t supposed to do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was that scene where he was, you know, spreading water in his face. He basically gave up on him and said, \u201cGet out!\u201d Richard Gere said: \u201cDon\u2019t you do this! Don\u2019t you do this! I have no place to go.\u201d I was sitting on the edge of my bed, with tears rolling down my face, because I\u2019d never had a Plan B. So, when they bonded and he ended up being successful, that\u2019s when it really gave me hope that, if I could make it through the Service, maybe I could be successful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you get in to the Army?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Well, I passed the written and physical exams to make it into the Service. The next day, I got on a bus to go and celebrate with one of my friends. On the bus, was the starting point guard on my basketball team. We had gotten into a verbal confrontation. I thought, \u201cWe\u2019re going to get off the bus and potentially get into a fist fight or get into an argument.\u201d That\u2019s when he pulled out a .357 Magnum and shot me three times.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You ended up being paralyzed, obviously. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You were filled with rage \/ bitterness, trying to think of how you could get back at him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn the midst of that, somebody invited you to go to church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Well, one thing about getting shot. Those three bullets weren\u2019t the worst thing that happened to me. The worst thing that happened to me, growing up, was not having adults that believed in me\u2014hearing people\u2014because of my background, my last name, or the color of my skin\u2014every time I walked up to someone and tell them, \u201cI want to be a doctor,\u201d or, \u201c\u2026a lawyer,\u201d\u2014or anything I saw on TV\u2014\u201c\u2026a police officer,\u201d\u2014they would always tell me I couldn\u2019t do those things.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, here I am now, in a wheelchair, and really no direction with this anger and rage. My goal was to either kill him or put him in a wheelchair. I had a lot of questions as far as, \u201cWhy me?\u201d As far as, \u201cWhy did I have to get shot this way?\u201d Being a young, African-American male, everybody assumed that it was drug or gang-related. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI grew up religious. You know, I didn\u2019t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; but I knew God. So, I kind of went to Him to ask Him that question. Basically: \u201cIf you don\u2019t accept Me, there\u2019s another place for you to go\u2014and that\u2019s an eternity in hell. You\u2019ve got another shot at this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tPart of salvation is forgiveness. I was the type of person who wanted to get this guy back. I figured I\u2019d get him first, then God could forgive the both of us. [Laughter] But, as you know, we can\u2019t work things out in our own timing. You\u2019ve got to do it in God\u2019s timing. I was fortunate that God gave me enough strength to forgive the guy that shot me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> There were two things that happened at church. Obviously, you met Christ; but you also, for the first time in your life, had a glimpse of how God takes a broken man and turns him into a real man.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> That was a huge impact because these young men I was seeing\u2014you could see that they could be successful in the world if they choose to use their talent. I\u2019ll never forget\u2014I was there, waiting on my ride. One of the ushers came out. He came out with his wife and his three children. He pulled the car up, and they all got into the car. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat was the first time I saw a family\u2014an African-American family\u2014intact. In my mind, I was saying, \u201cWhen I grow up, I want that to be me, and taking my family to church.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You got set on a new course. You, who \u201cweren\u2019t going to amount to anything,\u201d wound up in community college; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes. At this point, I only had five goals in life: I wanted a house that had heat in the winter because I was tired of going to bed with my clothes on and socks on your hands. I wanted a house with air in the summer\u2014if you\u2019ve ever experienced triple-digit heat, it\u2019s miserable\u2014a house with no rats\u2014and no roaches\u2014and reliable transportation. I figured, if I went to this community college\u2014everybody was stressing the importance of education\u2014maybe, I\u2019d have the opportunity to get those five things.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would drive five miles, each way, in my wheelchair. I saw something, again\u2014that I had never seen in my life\u2014it was an African-American man, making money, using his mind. Again, when I saw that, it gave me hope that maybe I could be successful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You went from community college to college\u2014graduated from law school.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Yes, sir.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But there was something in your heart that kept pointing you back to the childhood you had had. Instead of going down and being a corporate lawyer somewhere, God had a different plan for you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Once I got saved, I was adamant about finding: \u201cWhat\u2019s my purpose? What is it that You saved me for?\u201d At the time, I wasn\u2019t really clear on it. But, my senior year, I was required to do a paper. I decided to do it on the juvenile justice system. I figured it would be an easy \u201cA,\u201d which it was. [Laughter] The only other requirement for me was to make eight site visits to some of the facilities. I chose to go to some of the same facilities I was incarcerated in because it would be easy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThree kids changed my life. One kid was young\u201414 years old. Eventually, I asked him what he was there for. He was there for murder. The circumstances surrounding that really bothered me because it was a situation that I could have easily been in. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen there was another kid who was 360 pounds \/ 6\u20197\u201d. Because of his height, they socially promoted him from middle school through high school. He didn\u2019t know how to even tell time. Within ten minutes, I taught him how to tell time. That really bothered me\u2014how many kids are in that same situation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, lastly, there was this kid who was locked up in another facility that I was in. His story was that he grew up, middle class, and had all the things he wanted in life; but, at eighth grade, he realized his mother was a high-end prostitute. Because of that, he started going to school a little bit late because he was staying up late to avoid her activities. When he would get to school, they asked him, \u201cWhy are you late?\u201d Obviously, he couldn\u2019t share. He carried that burden with him from middle school all the way through high school. I was the only person that he had shared his story with. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFrom that point on, I realized: \u201cThis is something I want to do for the rest of my life\u2014to give youth, who may not have that ability to be an advocate for themselves, and to be an advocate for them. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Tyrone, there are about 400,000 youth in the foster care system in our country right now\u2014100,000 of whom are adoptable right now. I think there\u2019s probably 10x to 20x children, who are orphans, but who are not in the foster care system. Comment on why you established Higher M-Pact and how you\u2019re addressing the needs of those kids.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes, you talk about urban orphans\u2014and it\u2019s different than we think about orphans; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Exactly. One thing I realized, from my own experience\u2014you\u2019ve got a lot of kids out here who\u2019ve got a lot of God-given talent. It\u2019s just a matter of whether we\u2019re going to go out there and reach them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI realized I was one of those kids who fell through the cracks. When I really wanted someone to love me and accept me, was really through that middle school through high school age. I decided to target that population. I decided to work with the ones who are high-risk\u2014not for the ones who are at-risk. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA lot of these kids\u2014when I say \u201curban orphans\u201d\u2014when you think about a traditional orphan, they lose both of their parents by circumstances beyond their control and people come in and take care of them. But when I say \u201curban orphan,\u201d you know\u2014what\u2019s the purpose of a parent?\u2014parenting. A lot of our kids may have a parent in the home, but there\u2019s no parenting going on. They\u2019re basically raising themselves, but they don\u2019t get a lot of the sympathy or empathy of a traditional orphan because most people assume that they\u2019re just being disobedient\u2014they don\u2019t want to listen to their parents. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNo, actually, they\u2019re making more positive choices than their parents. So, we find those kids\u2014acknowledge those kids\u2014and support them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe dilemma that they\u2019re in is this\u2014they can\u2019t express everything that\u2019s going on in the home because there are two ways a youth can be removed from his home\u2014something that he does or something that the family\u2019s doing. So, most of the kids I work with are not going to tell what their family\u2019s going through\u2014whether it\u2019s drugs, alcohol, or abuse. They\u2019re just going to absorb it, and keep moving, and try to make the best of it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Tyrone, I\u2019m going to give you a giant megaphone right now. I want you to speak to the audience, listening to our broadcast. Challenge them to make a difference in the life of a child, who\u2019s an orphan.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> I truly believe that maybe 90 percent of Christians don\u2019t know their God-given purpose. God has saved us for a specific purpose. Pursue that with everything that is in you!\u2014because, to me, these kids need us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I introduced you as a hero. You are a man\u2019s man\u2014a courageous man. I just want to thank you for your courageous faith. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Tyrone:<\/strong> Thank God\u2014thank Him. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Studio]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Again, we\u2019ve been listening to a conversation that was recorded back at the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Chicago, earlier this year. If you\u2019d like to find out more about the Christian Alliance for Orphans, and how you can get involved, or be a part of one of these upcoming summits\u2014there\u2019ll be another one in the spring of 2015\u2014go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d There\u2019s a link there for the Christian Alliance for Orphans website.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere\u2019s also information about resources we have, here at FamilyLife, from Hope for Orphans<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014resources designed to help you think through how you can be involved in orphan care\u2014whether it\u2019s through adoption, foster parenting, or supporting international orphan care through orphanages or outreaches internationally. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link at the top of the page that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you click through to Hope for Orphans, you\u2019ll find all of the resources we have available to help you decide how you can care for the needs of orphans in your community or in our world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me also mention Hope for Orphans has a special event coming up in September. It\u2019s an event called <em>Rooted<\/em> that is designed to help adoptive parents, who are experiencing some of the challenges that come with adoption. There\u2019s more information about the <em>Rooted<\/em> conference, again, at FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER,\u201d in the upper left-hand corner of the page; or call if you have any questions: 1-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I\u2019ve been sharing, this week, that we are about to wrap up our fiscal year, here at FamilyLife. We\u2019re about to close the books on one year and start a brand-new year in September. As we head toward the finish line here, we are hoping that we can end this year in a healthy financial position so that we can start the new fiscal year in good shape.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve had some friends, who have come along and said, \u201cWe\u2019d like to help make that happen.\u201d They have agreed that, this week, they will match any donation we receive, here at FamilyLife, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $100,000. It\u2019s kind of our last push to the finish line\u2014it\u2019s a little extra incentive for you, perhaps, to consider going to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link in the upper right-hand corner that says, \u201cI Care.\u201d When you make a donation, that donation will unlock the matching funds that will double it\u2014you make a $50 donation, and we\u2019ll get $100-worth of benefit out of your gift.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, would you consider, today, going to FamilyLifeToday.com and making a donation to help support this ministry? Again, click the link in the upper right-hand corner of our homepage at FamilyLifeToday.com. It\u2019s the link that says, \u201cI Care,\u201d\u2014you can make an online donation. You can call to make a donation\u20141-800-FL-TODAY. Or you can write a check and mail it to <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>at P O Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. Our zip code is 72223. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet me just say: \u201cThank you, again, for your support of this ministry and your partnership with us. We really do appreciate you<em>.\u201d<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we hope you\u2019ll be back with us again tomorrow when we\u2019re going to meet Daniel Kaggwa. God is using Daniel and his wife in Rwanda in some pretty remarkable ways to launch a movement of orphan care providers in that country and Africa. We\u2019ll hear that story tomorrow. I hope you can be here for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2014 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/303177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303177"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=303177"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=303177"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=303177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}