WEBVTT - Rise Above It

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome aboard. You found our podcast. My podcast. Normally you

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<v Speaker 1>hear me at night on the radio, as I broadcast

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<v Speaker 1>every evening Monday through Friday live. Then Saturdays and Sundays

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<v Speaker 1>are pre produced. But this podcast is not a replacement

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<v Speaker 1>for my radio career. It's an extension because in a

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<v Speaker 1>podcast I can share a lot more thoughts. I can

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<v Speaker 1>go a lot deeper, if you will, than I can

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<v Speaker 1>on the air because there's no time restriction. On the air.

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<v Speaker 1>I can only talk for a few minutes and then

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<v Speaker 1>I have to play music or commercials or take your calls,

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<v Speaker 1>which I love. But in this podcast, um, I can

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<v Speaker 1>share some of the longer phone calls that I take

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<v Speaker 1>at night. Do you know sometimes I talk to people

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<v Speaker 1>for twenty minutes half an hour when they call through

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<v Speaker 1>at night. What I do is I let Janey, my producer,

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<v Speaker 1>or Lisa or Peter mon whoever is running the board.

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<v Speaker 1>They can tell when I need time to talk to

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<v Speaker 1>someone at length on the phone, and so they will

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<v Speaker 1>run a call that was taken earlier so that I

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<v Speaker 1>can stay on the phone with you for however long

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<v Speaker 1>it takes to talk about your situation. I had someone

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<v Speaker 1>called the other night, Uh, and I want to share

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<v Speaker 1>some of that phone call with you. A listener named

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<v Speaker 1>Tianna who heard me talking about helping kids in foster care.

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<v Speaker 1>I have an in Geo a charity called Point Hope,

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<v Speaker 1>and what we do is we give hope to children

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<v Speaker 1>who have no hope. And there are a lot of kids,

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<v Speaker 1>half a million kids in our foster care system who

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<v Speaker 1>have little hope because they're stuck in a system that

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't meet their emotional needs, doesn't doesn't think about the

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<v Speaker 1>impact that moving them every few months has upon your life.

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<v Speaker 1>And I was talking about that and talking about these

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<v Speaker 1>bags that we are providing um totes for teens, their

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<v Speaker 1>backpacks or um duffel bags filled with things that they

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<v Speaker 1>will need should they be moved, which they will be

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<v Speaker 1>from house to house and foster care. And so when

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<v Speaker 1>they're moved now oftentimes they're given a garbage bag to

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<v Speaker 1>put their stuff in, and we're trying to give them

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<v Speaker 1>a little dignity with totes that are filled with toothbrushes

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<v Speaker 1>and toilet trees, deodorant, things that a teenager needs, and

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<v Speaker 1>a place to put their clothes, what few clothes they

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<v Speaker 1>might have. So I was talking about that on the radio,

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<v Speaker 1>and Tianna called and she said, I am one of

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<v Speaker 1>those kids that was in the foster care system for

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<v Speaker 1>most of her life. And we ended up talking for

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<v Speaker 1>a long long time, and I want to share some

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<v Speaker 1>of that conversation with the you a lot of that

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<v Speaker 1>conversation with you. Uh. We talked about things that I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't put on the radio, couldn't put on the air

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<v Speaker 1>because it's just too um tender or emotional. And my

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<v Speaker 1>show at night is a family friendly show, and the

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<v Speaker 1>things that Tianna shared with me on the phone were

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<v Speaker 1>not things that I would necessarily want a four or

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<v Speaker 1>five year old to listen to. And so in this podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>I am going to share some of the conversation that

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<v Speaker 1>I had with Tianna and then some thoughts on how

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<v Speaker 1>you can make the world a better place for children

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<v Speaker 1>in foster care. By the way, um, this podcast is

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<v Speaker 1>being brought to you, and it's funny that I'm I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking with Tiana, who is an African American girl who

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<v Speaker 1>was stuck in foster care for more than half of

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<v Speaker 1>her life and chose to rise above it, chose to

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<v Speaker 1>not let her circumstances determine her future. And there is

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<v Speaker 1>a movie out right now called Hidden Figures, and it

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<v Speaker 1>tells the story of three women who went to work

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<v Speaker 1>for NASA back in the nineteen sixties. They were mathematicians.

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<v Speaker 1>They were the team members that helped NASA with the

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<v Speaker 1>historic launch of astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't often hear about all the people working at NASA

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<v Speaker 1>behind the scenes, but the story of these three African

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<v Speaker 1>American women and their contributions is not to be missed.

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<v Speaker 1>The movie is called Hidden Figures and it's now in

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<v Speaker 1>theaters everywhere. Take yourself and if you have daughters, take

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<v Speaker 1>them to take them, let them see it. Let them

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<v Speaker 1>understand the power that women have that God has given us,

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<v Speaker 1>and just how much they can do and how their

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<v Speaker 1>contribution can change the world. Again, it's called Hidden Figures,

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<v Speaker 1>and they are sponsoring this podcast. So let's go to

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<v Speaker 1>the phone. Let's go to this conversation that I had

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<v Speaker 1>with Tianna. Hi, Welcome to the Delilah Shell. Who is this. Hi.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Tianna and I'm like a recent listener, but I've

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<v Speaker 1>been listening now for like two months, and I've seen

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<v Speaker 1>that you guys talk about foster care and I'm in

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<v Speaker 1>foster care. I kind of just got my place down.

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<v Speaker 1>I've been a foster care for eleven years and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>with my new born son. Wait wait, wait, back up.

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<v Speaker 1>You you have been in foster care for eleven years, Tianna. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>how old are you now? I'm twenty, I'm about to

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<v Speaker 1>be one. So I've been in foster care since I

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<v Speaker 1>was nine because my mom died and my dad's deported.

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<v Speaker 1>So how many placements were you in over those eleven years?

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<v Speaker 1>About ten? Ten fourths to homes, so basically you moved

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<v Speaker 1>every year. Yes, yeah, I've I've been in a good

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<v Speaker 1>home where I still have connections with the woman. I've

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<v Speaker 1>been a bad home so I slept on the floor

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<v Speaker 1>and didn't have anything. I've got my clothes stolen from

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<v Speaker 1>forster girls and stuff, and I learned a lot from

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<v Speaker 1>them and the whole system. I learned a lot from it.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's why I just I wanted to share a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of my story because God bless me so much.

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<v Speaker 1>I have my own apartment, now, I have my son

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<v Speaker 1>and smiling right now. I wanted to tell my story

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit. So you never you never got a

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<v Speaker 1>forever family? No, Um, I tried. But when when you're

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<v Speaker 1>a forster care and like you're nice, there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of girls who take advantage of it, and then you

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<v Speaker 1>get into fights, and then you have to move from

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<v Speaker 1>home and stuff, and then they still your clothes and stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a lot. They go through a lot. I've never

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<v Speaker 1>been to what they've been through. Some of their parents,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, are on drugs or they could have raised

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<v Speaker 1>them and stuff. My parents died, so I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>how it feels to be neglected by your mom and

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<v Speaker 1>your dad that you love and they don't really want you.

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<v Speaker 1>So I had to deal with their emotions that they

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<v Speaker 1>had and they got taken out on me. So I

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<v Speaker 1>never really get together forever home. But I have two

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<v Speaker 1>good relationships with two false to parents and I couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>asked off for anymore than that. Tianna, how do you

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<v Speaker 1>have such a sweet faith and such a deep faith

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<v Speaker 1>when you have been shuffled around, kicked around, moved around, orphaned,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet it sounds to me like you still have

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<v Speaker 1>hope because I have Christ as I didn't have the

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of kindness that He has given me even

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<v Speaker 1>through what I've been through. Because I'll tell you I've

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<v Speaker 1>been through like a lot, even up to this moment,

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<v Speaker 1>I've been through a lot, but I feel that so

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<v Speaker 1>many people have been through worse than what I've been through.

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<v Speaker 1>And seeing how my foster sisters, how they have felt

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<v Speaker 1>and what they go through. I don't complain. I don't,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't. I just every time, I just make away.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just a way for me to be happy. My

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<v Speaker 1>son is happy, he's healthy, so that makes me happy.

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<v Speaker 1>I have a roof over my head, that makes me happy.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just always happy. Well I am. I am so

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<v Speaker 1>proud of you, and I am so happy to hear

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<v Speaker 1>that God is your fortress and your strength because I

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<v Speaker 1>was when I was your age. I was a bitter, angry, selfish,

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<v Speaker 1>self centered young woman and it wasn't until I was

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<v Speaker 1>twenty six that I gave my heart to God and

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<v Speaker 1>God started healing my heart. But I was much older

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<v Speaker 1>than you are now before I had that kind of

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<v Speaker 1>piece that you have, and I hadn't been through anything

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<v Speaker 1>like you have. So I am so proud of you. Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>I can do a smile. I came out on the

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<v Speaker 1>winning team. I'm on the winning side. I'm about to

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<v Speaker 1>go to college. Just just three years ago and I

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<v Speaker 1>had three credits, so I'm blessed. We've been talking or

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<v Speaker 1>listening to a conversation that I had earlier. I took

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<v Speaker 1>this call the other night while I was on the air,

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<v Speaker 1>and I obviously couldn't air the entirety of the call,

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<v Speaker 1>or even a portion of it. It was so in

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<v Speaker 1>depth with Tianna. But I just want to encourage you, Tianna.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to encourage any young person listening who has

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<v Speaker 1>been abused, who has been shuffled from home to home,

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<v Speaker 1>who feels like no one cares. I want to let

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<v Speaker 1>you know. And I know it sounds trite, and I

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<v Speaker 1>know you're not gonna believe me, and you're going to

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<v Speaker 1>roll your eyes, but God does care. I know it's tough,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a big jump to make, it's a big leap

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<v Speaker 1>to make. But if you were listening to Tianna, you

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<v Speaker 1>could hear in her voice the sincerity when she talks

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<v Speaker 1>about her faith. I know in my own life, the

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<v Speaker 1>things that I went through, the abandonment that I faced,

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<v Speaker 1>I was disowned by my family and kicked the curb.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm glad now that I went through that. As weird

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<v Speaker 1>as that sounds, I am so glad that I went

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<v Speaker 1>through that and every other tough thing that I went through,

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<v Speaker 1>because in going through those tough things, it developed compassion

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<v Speaker 1>in my heart for others and a desire to make

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<v Speaker 1>the world a better place. So, if you are listening

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<v Speaker 1>to my voice right now and you have not been

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<v Speaker 1>able to forgive God for the abuse that was heaped

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<v Speaker 1>upon you, visited upon you by the foster care system,

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<v Speaker 1>by parents that didn't love you, by people that abandoned

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<v Speaker 1>you or hurt you or used you, please now there

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<v Speaker 1>is a higher being whose heart broke every time your

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<v Speaker 1>heart broke, and who saved all of your tears in

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<v Speaker 1>an alabaster jar. And one day it will all make sense.

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<v Speaker 1>Not today, but one day it will make sense. But

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<v Speaker 1>today all you need to know is that you are

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<v Speaker 1>here for a reason, and you have an amazing purpose

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<v Speaker 1>in your life, and I am here at night and

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<v Speaker 1>on this podcast to help you find that purpose. Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for sharing this time with me. So down and

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<v Speaker 1>lesson more where you line