The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Pastor Michael Todd & Natalie Todd Talk “Relationship Goals,” Therapy & Healing, Druski “Mega Church” skit + more
Episode Date: February 6, 2026Today on The Breakfast Club, Pastor Michael Todd & Natalie Todd Talk “Relationship Goals,” Therapy & Healing, Druski “Mega Church” skit. Listen For More!YouTube: https:...//www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Morning everybody.
It's DJ Envy.
Just hilarious.
Salomey Nagu.
We are the Breakfast Club.
Lawn LaRose is here as well.
We got some special guests in the best.
Building. New movie out. Relationship goals. We have Pastor Michael and Pastor Natalie Todd in the building. Good morning.
What's going on, family? Y'all good today?
Nice to feel it. Congratulations. Hey, thank you, man. This is an awesome moment, a crazy moment. A moment that I didn't know was going to happen, but God did.
And so to be here last night we went to Times Square and saw a billboard of relationship goals.
Wild. Like, wild in the middle.
of the street.
And matter of fact, the book came out during the pandemic.
The first time we did an interview was in 2020
when couldn't tour, couldn't do nothing.
The book came out and went number one New York Times
bestseller for 13 weeks.
Congratulations.
And six years later now, it's a movie starring Kelly Rowling.
We got one third of Destiny's Children,
one ninth of Wu-Tang Clan,
and partnered with my brother Devon Franklin.
So we're just excited to be in this moment right now.
Congratulations, couple.
Yeah.
So beautiful.
Thank you.
Like you said, it started as a book.
What made this story feel necessary to tell in film form right now?
Well, the truth of the matter is started as a sermon series.
I was just trying to help people around me.
Man, people are dealing with a lot of toxic relationships, a lot of hurt and pain around relationships.
A lot of people escaping in relationships that they don't even want to be with those people,
but it's a good time for just a moment to get their mind off of what's really going on.
And so I was like, man, how?
How can we help?
So I just did it as something to help.
Yeah.
What did you say?
I think the sermon series started because of our relationship.
Yeah.
Honestly, our good friends was like, you need to do a series about relationships.
Because we've been together since we're 15 years old.
We've went through a lot.
I mean, if you can imagine being with somebody through their evolution from a 14-year-old boy all the way to a grown man,
there's a lot of evolution that happens in there that you have to let go and allow them to grow.
Myself included.
But he did do more wrong than I did.
All right.
Go ahead.
I'm sorry, big guy.
What did he do, Natalie?
He lost his mind.
He lost his mind when he was 14, 15.
No, no, no.
It was like 18, 19.
Oh.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
21.
21.
25.
No, I just basically, we took a break because I was, it was super.
I mean, when you're 15 years old, you can't do nothing but be in love,
but then ask your mom and them for a ride.
So, you know what I'm saying?
So we're going through the motion, starts getting
more serious as I'm graduating high school, about to go to college.
And she's like, yo, what are we doing?
And I was like, most women mature way faster than men.
You know, so we was kind of talking about marriage.
And I was like, I don't have a credit score.
So I was like, hold on, let's take a pause.
And I just wanted to take a break for a second just to figure out who I was,
what I wanted to do, all that stuff.
Well, when I took a break, I seen cheeks and rest and people.
And I got distracted.
Listen, you ain't got to explain it to the quiet.
You already know.
And so what ended up happening was I didn't want to be with any of those people, though.
Yeah.
I wanted to be with her, but I didn't have discipline in my life.
I didn't have structure.
I didn't have character.
I didn't have integrity.
We didn't have mentors.
We didn't have any of that.
And so it was like, so both of us got with other people.
We hurt each other.
We did a whole bunch of stuff.
And then we realized like, yo.
He had to try to win me back.
What does that happen when you break up with someone?
And then all of a sudden the other guy comes in and he's like kind of feeling like,
like those little voids.
It caught me in a weak moment, you know?
And he was the complete opposite of what Mike was.
Complete opposite.
And actually Mike actually did.
Oh, my.
Let me just say.
That wasn't godly.
That wasn't very godly.
No, that is godly.
It was loud.
What?
Not at the time.
In the moment, though, it felt like this is what I was waiting for.
I just wish he could have done it.
And then someone else is there seeming like a prize.
You know what I'm saying?
And it feels like, okay, that might be the answer.
And they kind of swoop in.
And I feel like, honestly.
if you have a guy that doesn't have the best intentions,
they pick up on that, like, hero kind of thing in the moment.
And, you know, kind of play down the other dude,
and I would never blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
All that.
You know, that relationship wasn't a response to just the trauma of, you know,
not being with Mike no more.
Absolutely.
That's what I mean.
Like, if you've been a woman and you, like, had a man cheat on you
or leave you or whatever, like, there is definite hurt.
There is definite, you know, you're, you know,
comparing yourself and judging yourself on.
the other girl if you find out who that is and all those like natural things just being human you feel so
if you get someone else to come in and feeling like they're feeling that void which is actually not a place for a man to feel at all
it's me but at the time you know I'm I'm young so and there's no I had we had nobody that was like
another adult who had went further in relationships and had a healthy relationship to speak into that with yeah
there was no place for me to bounce off the thought so we had to figure all this out on our own and it was
honestly,
10 years of him
putting drops back of trust
into the bucket,
because you lose it in buckets.
That trust is gone.
But it's built back in drops.
And that is a hard concept
to get when you're 20-something years old
or whatever,
especially as a man.
It's like, you know,
you get that thing.
A lot of people quit.
And a lot of people quit.
Yeah, you don't need my codes.
If you trust me,
like, you don't need my codes.
You don't need my, like,
you're insecure, blah, blah, blah.
And that's dumb.
Because I messed up.
Yeah.
And I had to be the person to do the work on the inside of me.
And so I had a revelation and God really challenged me to become the man that I wanted my daughters to marry.
And that was my wake up call.
Like, it's like, what type of man would you want your daughters to marry?
And I tried to become that.
We didn't have kids at the time, but I knew one day we would.
And so I started doing all the things.
And his genuine relationship with God.
Yeah.
And I actually shut myself in the room.
And I was like, Lord, I'm not coming out this room.
until you give me an answer.
And this is,
swear to Jesus.
This was,
I have never experienced this since then.
To this degree,
he literally,
like felt it in my,
like, soul,
like he's going to change.
He's going to honor you.
He's going to treat you like a rare jewel.
And the crazy thing is,
once we got back together years later,
he literally said those words to be.
And I was like,
God, you are,
this is just wild.
So relationship goals is y'all's story.
Yeah.
So the movie is not our story, but it's got a lot of...
The book.
It's a rendition of it.
It's a lot of, yeah, it's a lot of things that happen to us in relationship because everybody deals with this.
Right.
In some way or another.
Don't matter who you are, what language you speak.
It doesn't matter.
Everybody is meant for love, is meant for connection, is meant to be together with somebody.
And you're trying to find that person, but a lot of people won't do the work that it takes because it doesn't just click in like Legos.
And that's what I had to see.
before I came back, before I entertained anything.
I had to see that the work was actually happening.
And I had to know, I think the biggest guide was knowing that that work that he was doing or the
changing, how he was evolving wasn't solely because of me.
Because I'm human.
I'm going to mess up.
I'm not going to hit every mark that, you know, a man would want me to have.
And so when I knew that his measuring gauge was higher than me,
that gave me a lot of security to know that like at the end of the day,
I know I can pray to God and that's going to switch that whole man up
because his heart is actually devoted to him, you know?
What do you say to those individuals, especially those men,
you hear this a lot, right?
A man to mess up in a relationship.
And then after a month or two months,
like, all right, enough enough enough.
You got to forgive.
But that doesn't necessarily mean the woman is healed.
It doesn't mean that the trust is given.
What do you say to those individuals?
I love what you said about the drops.
Like you lose it in buckets, but you get it back and drops.
And that's the sad reality.
that you should be thinking about before you mess up.
And most people don't do that.
It's like, ah, it's just one night.
Ah, there nobody ever find out.
Ah, da, da, da, da, da.
And you go off that impulse and your feelings and all that other stuff.
And you don't realize this one 10 minutes is going to cost you 10 years.
10 minutes.
I'm just saying, brother.
Oh, my God.
There's some people out here and it's 10 minutes, brother.
Act, act like.
What I'm saying is, we're talking about all the pre-up to it, okay?
And ain't the after, the actual act, unless you out here, I don't know what's either.
You know.
All I'm telling you is it can cost a lot more than you're willing to pay.
And that's what sin does.
It takes you farther than you want to go.
It leaves you in a place that you never thought you would be in.
And then it leaves you there to try to figure out how to get back.
And a lot of times for men, our pride gets in the way of staying in the fight for what we know we need.
And so what ends up happening is we're like, man, this is too much.
Man, forget this.
I'll go find somebody else.
No, no, no, no, no.
You can keep that.
You can do that.
And then you spend all this time searching for what you already had, but you wouldn't work for.
And the thing for me is, I just think that is a new revolution of men that need to come into the fold of taking accountability and actually being ones to be like, yo, I messed this up and I'll do whatever I need to do to get back to the place.
Because you cannot go and plant a bad seed here and expect to overhear reap good harvest.
And as a woman.
As a woman, all those natural human emotions that he's talking about, we went through them too.
But like I said, I saw the work and I heard what God had told me and he was matching up to that.
But as a woman, there is still this like lingering comparison that you can have in the background of your mind.
And like I figured out with him, I was like, okay, a man doing his work trying to put those things back in drops.
but I had to realize I got to do my work too,
meaning that it takes two people.
That means I have to let my,
the validation that I feel for my hurt or my anger.
I have to, if I desire this to really happen,
I have to work on trying to trust him.
And that takes a lot of your valid anger,
your valid emotions to try to control him
and really give him to God.
Because if he is actually doing the work,
that's like, I got to try to do my work too.
and that is my healing just for my own self.
We've counseled a lot of people,
people that are married or in whatever relationship you had.
Situationship.
Yeah.
There is this natural comparison,
even when it comes to sex,
that you don't feel completely safe
to be completely yourself in the most intimate way
because you feel like they cheated on me.
So there's this level of when we got married,
it was like it took me years to get to the place
to where I feel.
felt fully myself to allow myself to be everything I wanted to be even in the bedroom.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
What the, oh, good.
Did you feel like Natalie, you needed that single season that you had?
Because that's also a conversation woman, too.
When you go through the heartbreak, it's like, okay, now I got to be in my whole phase.
I got to do this.
But people will say, no, spend time with yourself.
And I know you talked about that in your digital series, right?
Single but not alone.
Yeah.
Do you think that that's needed?
I think so.
I did not do it perfect.
Like I said, the guy, the other guy came up in there.
So I found that out the hard way.
But I will say because of that separation,
it put me in a place where I felt like I got to the point where
if this happens, where we get back together or we don't,
I'm going to be okay.
Like that took a lot of work to get there.
And it feels like when that actually happened,
like I was willing to let him go.
I quit doing like this and I went like this.
Like God, if this is for you,
or for me, I'm gonna hold it like this.
And I feel like once I actually really did that
and was settled in my soul,
that's kind of when everything kind of started.
Started working.
Got you.
Took a lot of work after that though.
I mean like years or whatever, but yes,
that answer a question.
It did.
How do you get over that though?
Like what is that?
That's what I was going to ask you
when you were talking about you being basically bitter
after a man like hurt you, you know what I'm saying?
And then he comes back and you wanna be with him,
but you don't know how to not be angry with him.
You don't know how to try to trust him.
Like you said, you got to start.
You got to try.
How do you get to that point?
What is the work?
Like, how do you start that?
I would say, for one, don't negate that you're the victim in the relationship.
So it's kind of like you got to lead this.
And so if the man is not leading this because he was the offender,
then it's like, okay, well, then I'm out.
There's no reason for me to.
work on not being better there's no reason for me to to try um but if you see that that feels like
that gives you the assurance and safety to try to let your guards down so let me be let me jump in
right here like she wasn't convincing me to do nothing and that's the thing i was leading the charge
to do the work on myself and and if you're not willing to lead as the man of the relationship
get up out of there.
Young lady, old lady, middle-aged, auntie, grandma, get up out of there.
Because a man knows what he wants.
He knows what he wants.
I don't care what nobody talks about.
I don't care about this indecisive culture that's in here, this passive.
A man knows what he wants.
If he wants steak, he's going to get a steak.
If he wants chicken, he's going to get chicken.
And all these people, I don't know, I don't know.
When you know what you want, you go after it.
And I think that we have, I would say to all my sisters out there, we let a lot of dudes pass.
because they will not make a decision.
And I really believe that it's manipulation in the long run.
It's like playing with people.
Let them people go and find their freedom and find their healing and find their,
but I had to lead the charge.
And I really had to disconnect for him to get to that place.
Yeah.
I was, he didn't know whether, I didn't know whether he was alive or dead for almost a year.
It was like, I was out of there.
You know, I went to death to me.
Bro, take you out.
Bro, man.
I found out where she was.
worked. I found out where she worked. I was going.
You didn't even know where she works. I didn't know where she worked. Then I found out where
she worked. Her and my older brother worked together. I started wanting to go and
chill with my older brother, which I never did before. Because that's where she worked.
She would come in there. She would act like she didn't see me.
You tell me, I was the top employee. When he came in, I was the MVP employee. You hear me,
I'm scrubbing stuff. I don't even got to do. I was like, he is not in here. I cannot believe
he's here.
That movie, that's in the movie.
A little bit.
But what ended up happening in this journey is it made me understand the value of working for something valuable.
She was valuable.
And she was worth working for.
She was worth me changing for.
And as I started going up in my relationship with God, and she started going up in her relationship with God, we got closer together.
So it's a triangle in relationship.
And a lot of people have nothing higher than them to pull them to.
And that's like the, I don't want to say mystical, but when the average person will come and like, wow, there is this intangible part that.
Spiritual.
Yes, exactly.
That's what it is.
So that triangle that he just made for everyone to visualize, that brings it together.
But the moment that it ain't really there, it ain't going to really line up.
It's not really going to work.
What did that do, what did that do to your vulnerability, like having to, you know,
Put your tail between your legs.
What are you talking about?
It made me become a well-rounded, emotionally aware man.
Like you're told as you know, hey man, forget her.
Like, bro, there's tons of fission to see.
Girls are like buses.
Miss one, next 15 one coming.
I mean, just think about it.
It's in our music.
It's in our songs.
It's in the language.
It's all the things.
So you start thinking like, yo, maybe this is,
yeah, maybe she wasn't the one.
And then you start realizing like, hold on, but she was the one for me.
Like, hold on wait.
I mean, this may not be for y'all, but this for me.
And I'm about to let, I'm about to let what's going on.
So it made me humble.
That's the word I would use.
Can somebody now do that?
And the reason I ask, right, because now listening to your story, right?
I remember chasing my wife.
I was at her lock every day.
I went to her, you know, I was outside her window.
Yeah.
I pulled up wherever she was.
With the radio?
With the radio.
I was there.
But I pulled up everywhere she was.
But she was working, it didn't matter because I was like, I want that.
Yeah.
Today that's considered stalking now.
You know what's crazy.
It's considered stalking now.
Especially when you're talking about you outside of somebody's window.
Close to the door.
I'm loving you there.
But honestly, that's all facade.
Because there are women who are being pursued by men that love it.
Every woman wants to be pursued.
I don't care what nobody says.
Now, they might have particular ways they want to have.
They're a weirdo, you know.
It's stalking.
That's different.
I was a bit.
But what I'm saying is your relationship.
It finally worked, though.
See what I'm saying?
But what I think we've,
he's blurring the lines, though.
I don't like that, it's a difference between stalking.
No, the reason I'm asking, because they broke up.
He was never really messing with his big brother.
Now he's popping up at work all the time.
Oh, but I wasn't crazy with that.
You know what I'm saying?
Yo, I'm here to pick up my brother.
Right.
No, I never.
You know what I mean?
A hour.
Yeah, every trying to make it sound,
you're hitting the store.
No, I'm not behind things.
I'm not from money to bands.
No, I'm not doing that at all.
But humility is really the key, I think.
And knowing what you want.
And that's why even relationship goals, like, the whole concept is like aim.
Like, everybody's saying, shoot your shot, shoot your shot, but you got to shoot it at the goal.
Like, Steph Curry doesn't pull up from the half court and throw it into the bleachers.
He's aiming for a goal.
And I think too many people are shooting their shot, but they're not aiming at nothing.
And that's why we called it relationship goals, not for something to be comparative, is for something you.
you and the person that you are with to find a goal that you're going after.
And then I believe, and Natalie believes that you can win in relationships.
You know, the title, right?
I always thought about that term relationship goals.
It can feel aspirational, but it can also feel intimidating.
Yeah.
So how do you redefine goals in a way that's healthy and realistic?
You just said it.
You define them.
What's the goal of the breakfast club?
Y'all trying to reach as many people as possible and put culture out there and something.
You've been at other radio stations or other news outlets.
it's that that wasn't the goal. Do you understand? Every place you come into defines its own goals.
What's the goal of your family? What's the goal of how much money you make? What's the goal?
And so in other words, I see like principles. Yeah. Like I knew that he had a lot of the
principles that I wanted in whoever I was going to be with for the rest of my life. I saw those
things in him. So that's why it was such a struggle. I mean, it went through depression, all the things.
and I got to the point with asking God
when I got like this, I was like,
even though this man has all of the principles
that I would want, there's something in here
that he hasn't handled within himself.
I'm like, that's sorry for you.
Like, you're the one that's going to lose out
at the end of the day.
But seeing that he was willing to do the work,
those principles, so the goal or whatever,
like he was definitely a family man.
He absolutely loves the Lord with all of his heart.
He will pray.
Like, it's not the way.
Not that I don't pray, but I'm saying he would actually pray for us, like in our, in our relationship.
He would actually push me towards the goals and dreams and aspirations that I had.
I saw him have respect for women that was, you know, different standards of what women could be from like the Hoochie Mama woman to grandma.
I saw that he had the same type of respect for all, but then finding like, you cheating, like what?
But still immature, still growing.
I mean, he was young at the same time.
But those principles that I wanted or goals, that was something that, like, guided who I wanted.
That's why it was so hard for me where I was like, God, if this ain't it, I'm a hold it like this, but Lord, I might be single for the rest of my life.
I may not marry.
So what does this sermon, this book, this film say to couples who feel like they're failing?
Yeah.
Because their relationship doesn't look like what they see online or the so-called goals.
It gives them hope.
Like, the whole journey of life, and I need everybody to hear me say this.
It's about progression, not perfection.
And online tries to make perfection the goal.
But we have to make progression the goal.
I just want to be better this week than I was last week.
And I'm not even talking a lot better.
I'm talking just one step, one inch, one moment better.
I cussed you out last week.
This week I'm going to use at least two less words.
It's your bounce back time.
That's what I've told him before.
I'm like it's really, even in therapy,
you know, learning different pathways in your brain
and when you get triggered and trauma
and trying to learn a different way to respond
when you do get triggered.
A lot of that is just your bounce back.
It's not that trigger that trauma leaves.
It's just how I process it.
And even if I do feel my natural trigger response,
how quick can I bounce back?
And when you start exercising that different pathway,
then that's where growth happens.
And if you have two people trying to do the same thing,
then that's worth staying for.
That's worth fighting for it.
How do you all handle disagreements now?
Jesus.
Talk.
No.
Yeah.
What I'm saying is Jesus, because we always have them.
Talk therapy.
Yes.
Intensive.
Intensive therapy.
We're not perfect.
We're not perfect.
I want to make sure that everybody knows.
But you cut her off.
Yeah, yeah.
Because I want to make sure everybody knows we're not perfect.
I want to be very clear that this is a real relationship.
Absolutely.
I want to be very clear that we disagree all the time.
And because of that, we have figured out ways to be able to come back to center.
And it's the bounce back time where it used to take hours and hours and hours.
And it's work.
I mean, trying to learn different ways to communicate.
One of the things that our therapist told us was, and it's not perfect yet, is when you do have a discrepancy, try to not use the word you.
That's hard.
I mean, just imagine.
Okay, so a lot of times you take ownership for your own feelings and what that does that disarms your partner to not automatically feel defensive when you say,
when I was at work today and I didn't get the phone call, it made me feel lonely or unwanted.
That made me, that is disarming because if I say when I was at work,
and you didn't call me, I felt blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Like you forgot about me and then automatically.
And so it allows you to see the other person and go straight to their vulnerability.
And if they are doing the work and they really do care, that's like, I don't want you to feel
lonely or alone.
Like that's never my intention.
And now we can actually talk to try to rectify or come back together.
But it's hard not to use that word you.
And it takes sometimes our conversations take a long time because you really trying to.
I'm not a talk.
It's like, I went to, like, you really got to think about how you word stuff, but it really
is a technique that really does help.
And it's work.
And that's what I'm saying for everybody that's in relationship.
The relationship you desire is the relationship you design.
And the relationship you design is the relationship you work at, period.
What do you tell a couple about, you know, cheating, right?
Earlier today during Just Fix My Mess, a gentleman called and he said, a woman called.
Yeah.
What was it a guy?
It was a guy that called and was like,
it was a girl.
It was a,
it was a,
but they were both talking about cheating.
And the whole thing,
they were having problems
in a relationship.
And I guess the guy cheated
and the girl cheated.
The girl,
the guy cheated,
and the girl wanted to take him back, right?
And she was saying that what's wrong
with taking somebody back?
I think a lot of times we get into this thing in our head
if somebody does step out the marriage,
man,
a woman,
the first thing is leave them, leave them,
leave them.
Yeah.
What are your thoughts on that?
Because that's usually the first thing.
And like you said,
if you didn't give him another opportunity,
y'all wouldn't be here if you didn't take the opportunity and say i want to better myself you wouldn't be
there so what do you tell those couples and those individuals so to be clear i did not cheat on natalie
in our marriage okay so to be very clear this is before we got married but it's the same level of
injury correct so i just want to be very clear so it's still trust broken it's still all of that
but if somebody is in that situation right now the thing is what natalie's been saying and what i
believe fullheartedly is that person actually doing the work most people want the
cheating to have happened, them to say sorry, them to go to dinner, them to buy a burking bag,
and then it be over. And the gift does not repair the chasm you put in that person's heart.
And that's where it's going to take time. And if somebody is not willing to give the time,
the effort, the energy to the work that it's taken, and that's what everything else going on.
Like that's with kids. That is with your business blowing up. That is with all the things.
If you're not going to give that the time it needs to heal, nobody tells any of it.
that goes through a cancer treatment,
hurry up and heal.
Because you know that what happened,
your body is trying to restore itself after surgery,
after the, but in relationships,
we always be like, yo, hurry up.
Yeah.
So you mean like that, you mean like that once a cheater,
always a cheater kind of thing, mentality.
I would say a lot of times people feel like,
yeah, I think a lot of people look at relationships like that
and that if somebody steps out,
man or woman, it's like, they can never change.
I think it's the outside opinions too,
especially like when you marry,
like once you get to that married point, or if your
family just has like a certain view of the
person you're with, once they find out
something, they hold on to it. Right. You have to deal
with the embarrassment of them having conversations
about it, looking at you like, girl, but
they're doing the same thing or they're doing nothing
at all because they've got nobody, right? Right, right. But that's
hard to deal with sometimes. That's
real life and then I
always go back to like
whatever your opinion is.
like my real life is great.
Like my real relationship outside of all public opinion.
Like I am a introvert to the core.
Don't seem like it right now, but I love me my bed.
I love my TV show and my food in the bed.
So anyway, our real relationship is great.
But I would say patterns is the thing from public opinion.
Judge whoever you're with by their patterns.
Okay, so they cheated.
but from here on out, is the pattern repeating itself or is it starting, you're starting to see changes.
Now, don't be naive.
Now, if they say they cheated, but you see all the patterns are the same, there's no, no putting you above all the others.
So you got, he got whack friends that are just encouraging the cheating mentality.
If he's not, if he's hanging with them just as much as he was before, it's like, is that feeding our relationship?
And are you even wise enough to see that?
And are you willing to let that go?
Like, so patterns.
Say the B word, boundaries.
Yeah.
You also mentioned earlier about, you know, phone codes and being together.
What's your thoughts on that?
Because a lot of times in certain relationships, a man and have his phone, don't go on my phone,
a woman to have his phone.
Crazy.
What are your thoughts on that?
Whackety whack.
I mean, what?
She can open my phone right now.
Yeah, there's no.
Like she can open my phone right now.
Now that took work.
Now, we're not going to say that was perfect because that was part of the issue when we tried to get back together and it took years for us to figure all this stuff out.
But it was like the phone.
Y'all know that phone would be up here and it ring and they'll be like take off or whatever.
Like you already know like what?
Can I tell somebody that's listening to this, the greatest freedom you will ever have is when you have when you have no reason to lie.
Oh my gosh, the peace.
I cannot help but tell everybody when you don't have anything to hide, when you can't.
actually like if you get a call from somebody that suspect and be like for real like I have no idea
like grab that like y'all the weight of trying to keep up the stories them black screens
no anxiety around i can i can lose my phone and and not y'all yeah and so many people with all of our
our staff our people it don't matter people that know my code like the people that around me because
Because I decided when I came out of hiding, which was really came out of lying, I decided
that the only way that I could stay free is to live a life fully vulnerable of accountability.
And so the people that are around me, they got access to everything.
They can ruin me.
Because the truth of the matter is I'd rather be ruined financially or in a way like that
than my integrity be ruined.
Let me ask a question.
How did y'all, how do y'all balance faith-based values with just the real messiness of modern
relationship?
Because even when you talk about something like cheating, you hear things like, oh, the flesh is weak, or you have to forgive all the time.
So how do you, you know, balance the faith-based values with just the messiness of...
I mean, that's what Jesus came to show all of us how to do, how you could be in the world but not of it.
Like, how you can actually...
That's why I said, our real life.
Our real life is steady, solid, routines, consistent, loving, real good, like, friendships.
Now, also, we do live in total.
So there's nothing much to do.
You live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
But it's intentional.
And some people need to make their lives simpler
so they can live fuller.
And that's a bunch of boundaries.
That's all that that is.
Like, what do you allow in and what do you not?
So you're purposely not around the holes?
No.
Not around no.
Well, I mean, you don't know what somebody's doing.
I'm reformed.
What I'm saying to you is people.
Next book.
People are everywhere, okay?
The truth of the matter is
The life that we set up is one of accountability.
And that's what people don't understand.
The disciplined version of you is the best version of you.
You have never been your best version if you're not disciplined.
And most people don't live disciplined lives.
And I'm not just talking about working out.
I'm talking about what you say yes to, what you say no to.
I do, Charlemagne, one-fifteenth of the things that I could do to be out in culture.
I don't go nowhere.
I'd be at the house.
I take my kids of school every morning.
And because God gave me this wife,
it was like, what's going to be more valuable?
Money in the bank and people giving me likes and follows
are my three daughters and my one special needs son
being like my daddy was there
and he helped actually raise us.
We have inside jokes.
Like, he loves doing this with a, like.
You had a great father too.
And I had a great dad.
I mean, he's still a lot.
Shout out to my dad and my mom.
They are phenomenal.
Brendan Tommy, I love you.
so much but like I got five brothers my dad was there for everything gift giving all this so I saw what
it looked like he's like one of those men that's everybody's pseudo dad yeah he's like that that's that's
that's my pops and like when I saw that I was like I could never not be that and so again success to me
the goal for us looks different than it looks for other people we've defined success as peace
and not needing anything so what did you think about I know you probably seen it online when
Cam Newton had the conversation about he couldn't be friends with an attractive woman platonically.
Boundaries.
Congratulations for him.
If that's what he feels.
No, no, no, no, no.
He's saying that he couldn't because something might happen.
Is that what you say?
He said he don't have no platonic relationships.
Yeah.
Well, that's what I said.
Congratulations.
Women.
But is that congratulations boundaries or is that it depends to work on himself?
Either way, you got to start somewhere.
He knows himself.
He kept saying, I know me.
I can't be around a beautiful woman.
That's your personal conviction.
If that's your personal conviction, you know, like the real poking her.
Yeah, that's your, that's emotional immaturity.
And that's your personal.
Because I'm around beautiful women all the time, and that does not even cross my mind.
And you can ask all of them.
So I think that's a different level.
If that's the start.
But if that's the start of his standard, I'm okay with that.
That's protection for him.
Do what you got to do.
But, but him noticing like, yeah, I got a problem, but how do you fix it?
that because you just can't just you're gonna be right i heart radio is throwing it back 20s the decade to the days of huge hits
and unforgettable items a non-stop stream of the biggest and best drake riana viontie katea gaga the weekend
and more all your decade defining favorites all in one place hi it's katie peri hey it's brunomar's this is ketcher
find 2010's the decade on the free i heart radio app preset the station so it's always one
Have the way.
Welcome to the A building.
I'm Hans Charles.
I'm Inalick Lamoma.
It's 1969.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
had both been assassinated.
And Black America was out of breaking point.
Writing and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale.
In Atlanta, Georgia, at Martin's Almemata,
Morehouse College, the students had their own protest.
It featured two prominent figures in black history,
Martin Luther King's senior and a young student, Samuel L.
Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution. I mean, people will die.
1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a
Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more
than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A-building on the I-Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In the middle of the night, Sasquia awoke in a haze.
Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop.
What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.
I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.
And immediately, the mask came off.
You're supposed to be safe.
That's your home.
That's your husband.
So keep this secret for so many years.
He's like a seasoned pro.
This is a story about the end of a marriage.
But it's also the story of one woman who was done living in the dark.
You're a dangerous person who prays unvulnerable and trusting people.
You're a predator, Michael Levin Good.
Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast.
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, host of the unpurposed podcast.
On a recent episode, I sat down with Nick Jonas, singer, songwriter, actor, and global superstar.
The thing I would say to my younger self is congratulations.
You get to marry Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
And also, you know, your daughter's incredible.
That's beautiful, man.
Yeah.
Thank you.
That's so beautiful.
I can see that got you a little.
Yeah, for sure.
Our daughter, she came to the world under sort of very intense circumstances,
which I'd not really talked about ever.
Growing up on Disney in front of million,
how did that shape your sense of self?
I went blank, I hit a bad note, and then I couldn't kind of recover.
And I had built up this idea that music and being musician was my whole identity.
I had to sort of relearn who I was if you took this thing away.
Who am I?
Listen to On Purpose with Jay Chetty on the iHawks,
on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
For ugly people all the time, you can't pick who you be around.
Now, mind you, Jess is a little hurt because Jess is a friend and Jess is like you around me.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He said he told that guy he don't have one home girl, no pretty homegirls, no nothing.
And so you got to fend it.
But we're friends, though, so you're trying to say I'm ugly?
Get out of your friend.
Get out of here.
You know what I mean?
Right, right, too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
At the end of the day, I think that what you're saying is really, y'all are.
are crazy up here. What you're saying is actually something that people have to take accountability
for in their own selves. If he knows that he has an issue with being controlled around beautiful
women, I think it's good for him to be self-aware. Also and, I think that's a starting point,
not an ending point. Because at some point, you're going to have to mature and not just
him, I had to. So I'm talking about me right now. I had to mature to the point where this is not
somebody that I'm supposed to connect with. There may be another relationship that God wants
me to have with this person to help them, to bring them into some type of new understanding.
And that's where I'm just saying like you limit what God wants to do in relationships,
because I do believe relationships are key fabric to your purpose, destiny. I mean, think about
y'all being connected, how everybody's relationship in here took everybody to another level.
if y'all couldn't even stand around each other
without thinking like my wife is not going to like this
my husband's not going to like you couldn't even work together
that would be ridiculous so it does take work
and I just believe all of us got to do our work
but shout out to cam for knowing himself
because a lot of dudes won't even admit that
a lot of dudes will act like yeah I'm good around everybody
and then sliding into a room at 4 o'clock in the morning
definitely not the ending point because if he does desire
I don't know if he isn't one a relationship but if he does desire
to be in a relationship at some point that woman wants to know
He's in one.
Okay.
That woman or women, that woman, not just her, but women in general, do want safety.
So at the end of the day, I can feel that it don't matter who's coming in the room.
Like, you cherish me most, you know?
And I think that's with our relationship, that standard being God's word, put it above even me.
And so that is where like not only does my husband not want to disappoint or disrespect me.
he doesn't want to disappoint or disrespect God.
So that level of measurement is what brings peace and safety.
You use a great word though, safety.
Because even with that, even with Cam putting that out there,
now when other women are around him,
are they always going to be thinking,
that he might just try to fuck me.
Yeah.
We can't just do no business.
You know what I'm saying?
We can't just kick it.
At limit's all your limits, a lot of opportunities.
The movie made me think.
Oh, let her say on that.
Just follow that?
That limits opportunity.
It could limit opportunities because, like, what you just said,
like a woman can feel like, you know, am I in here?
Am I forming this relationship?
Say it's business related based upon how I just look.
And is it you try to do something more?
Or is it actually like my gifting, my talent or whatever?
And also limits the marriage or relationship that you're actually in.
It limits how far that can go because of safety.
always being a possibility of being breached.
I was just going to say, so because of that, right,
off of the point you just said,
where do as women or as people,
what are our boundaries? Because it's like, you want to have the empathy
of like, okay, he's a man, he's learning.
And especially as women, I feel like we get called out
for not having empathy in the accountability factor, right?
Especially with men in relationships.
But at the same time, it's like,
when you're going to wake up?
So what's that balance of like when you're going to get this together?
But I hear you and I know you're
human. So let me jump in. In this book, relationship
goals, there's a chapter called Does It Need to End? That's what I was about to say.
Because a lot of people won't even ask themselves that question.
Natalie told you our story and she got to the point she was like,
does this need to end God? That point is hard to get to
with a humble heart that is actually honest.
It's not you giving up. It's not you being naive. It is literally like
I've reached as far as.
as I can go. And so now
the intangible either needs to happen
or it's
just settled in my soul that I'm
out. This isn't enough. This isn't
what my principles are.
And again, it's the...
And again, it's the patterns.
So, yeah, I mean,
your girlfriend may be like, boo, like
the patterns, he's not changing.
And you see it yourself, but you're
kind of trying to excuse it.
Like, if that's happening, then it is
like, all right, it really is, does it need
And I think for us in this, there's a character in the movie named Brenda played by Robin Thidi.
And she's literally...
Love Robin Thedie.
I mean, she's the best.
Robin is the best.
But she's in the relationship everybody wants to be in.
She's married to a basketball player.
Or not married.
She's with a basketball player.
She's in this situation.
And she's like, yo, this is not going anywhere.
I have everything, but you don't really want me.
And she had to ask herself in the movie, does this need to end?
And I think there are a lot of women and men.
listening because I don't want this just to be women.
They're there are women
out here tricking too. And I want to be very
clear that in 2006,
there's some other stuff going on.
And like, I just, the
dating pool has pee in it. This is what I heard.
And so, man, I'm so glad.
But what I'm saying is there is a way to navigate it.
And that's why in this book I'm giving principles
no matter where you're at in your relationship.
And that's why the hope for me
was that this movie would be a wider net
to cast out to people who,
who would never come to my church.
You don't got to come to my church.
Like I'm saying it right now.
You don't ever got to come to my church.
You ain't got to, but I do want you to win in relationships.
And so, like, hopefully you'll see this movie.
If the message is a mirror to you at all, go get the book.
Like, borrow from somebody.
If you can't buy it, like go down somebody doesn't bootlegged it on YouTube.
Just go watch that.
Like, honestly, this is not about anything,
but I want you to win in relationships.
And it's very hard to be what you can't see.
And me and that wanted to just use what we've been through, not perfect,
put it in a book, be vulnerable, and hopefully somebody can move into the next layer of their
relationships so they can win, become okay with their singleness, actually get out of a toxic
or abusive relationship.
Like, I just hope nobody's in the same place relationally that they were this year, next year.
They're working on the book or the film or the sermon spark any new conversations or arguments
between the two years?
Completely.
We went to therapy.
Like, we believe in therapy and theology like, like, like, now.
nobody's business. A lot of people in church, they were like, let's just pray about it.
And it's like, we can't just pray about it. We got to talk about it.
Thank you for saying. We got to talk about it. So me and Natalie since 2000 and probably 21 have been doing five-day intensive counseling in Colorado.
Shout out to Julianne for two, three times a year. Yeah, it starts with you working on yourself.
I would say the catalyst that got us to intensive therapy was when our son got diagnosed with autism,
I went into a deep depression and still struggle with it now.
You know, it's like a, it's an everyday death, basically, when you see his siblings passing over him and all that stuff.
So anyway, our good friends was like, hey, there's this place and I think y'all both need to go.
because what will come against marriages more than anything is medicine and ministry are one of the hardest jobs to be in because they are for others and it can feel like 24-7 depending on where your boundaries are and then having a special needs child is really hard on marriages too a lot of divorce rates are very high for those three things and we got two out of the three and so our friends was like hey I think y'all need to go to blah blah blah this is a lot this is a very high for those three things and uh we got two out of the three and so um our friends was like hey I think y'all need to go to blah blah blah blah this is
This is us being pastors.
This is us reaching millions of people.
Yeah.
And they're like, hey, y'all need counseling.
Yeah.
And I thank God for the relationship goals of good friends.
Because some people are looking for romantic relationships.
And the real goals you need is good friends.
Yeah.
Because that's who you're talking to.
That's who you're getting advice from.
That's who you go to when you're about to pop off.
Yeah.
And we had good friends.
And they told us to go to counseling.
And so much of that therapy will start to go by yourself.
You know, we'll teach you.
about who you are, what your traumas, what your triggers are?
Because it took two years for me to figure out that, oh, I got some stuff.
I was going for two years.
I was so anti.
I was so anti.
I was like, I don't even know what I'm going to say.
I'm going to go in there.
I'm like, what I'm going to say or whatever?
And that woman told me.
But anyway, she broke it down and we learned a lot of things and still are learning a lot
of things.
But to answer your question with the book and the movie coming out, one thing, I think
the biggest thing that brought up between us is how do we want to go about
stepping into this realm, this world,
and how do we want, what boundaries are we going to create
of how this can affect and not affect our lives,
our actual real lives?
Why did you go back and going back to, you know,
you said you fell into a deep depression when your son was,
when your son was diagnosed with autism,
why do you think it was such a depression?
Do you feel like in some way like you blamed yourself or you failed him or like,
yeah, yeah, yeah, this is the therapy part.
So what I found out is that through my traumas, I grew up in a single parent home.
And a lot of times in family structure, you find out from your childhood what role you played in your family story, per se.
And I took on the peacemaker.
I took on the role of put everybody else first and make my needs small so that I'm good.
You know, like moms are struggling with money where, you know, I was always aware of finance.
when I was little. I got my first pair of Nike tennis shoes from a store when I was 13 years old.
So I was aware of everything, but realizing that like putting myself back so that I don't feel pain from
my father, I don't feel like I'm putting another burden on my mama what she's already got going on,
be almost like caretaker in a way. But a lot of that I felt like was that false control that I got it.
If I'm good, I can keep everybody else good. And that is putting yourself.
last. And so with MJ, I couldn't fix the situation. No matter what I did, I could not control it.
If I could take it and make it me, that would feel great. I can't. There's nothing I could do.
There is no real treatment. There is no reason why. And yes, I went through all the stuff like,
did I do something wrong? Is it the food? Is it the air? Is it this, that, and the third? And
that question is still up in the air. And trying to live with the unknown, everybody wants answers.
If we had answers, so many people would probably feel better,
but that's not the world that we really live in.
And so without having those answers and not allowing myself to grieve,
that's still a working process for me,
because emotionally I have learned how to remain like this.
And one thing my counselor said, I hate it.
But she said, the degree with you being so numb,
the degree of what you feel the lows is the degree of what you will feel the highs.
So if you allow and you live in this place of like this,
where you're kind of numb, you're never going to experience the amazing.
Like, you'll never appreciate it and realize it because you can't drop either.
And so, yeah.
And in a way, Mike, did you feel helpless in that moment?
Because there's nothing in that moment that you can do.
I told him.
Comfort her, fix her feelings.
That was the worst season of my life because I didn't understand how to emotionally connect
with her and I couldn't fix it.
So like it's like watching
And you've got your son going on too
So I can't imagine
The person that you love
Literally you're watching them kind of like
Disappear like
The joy come out of their eyes
They're getting pale in spirit
And it's like yo we were Superman and Superwoman
Like what happened like
And trying to do all the stuff that you used to do
And it don't work no more
And it's like let's go to our favorite spot
And it's like this wasn't good
It's like
And at the same time
I didn't emotionally at that time
know how to drop down and get in there and just sit with her right i'm i'm trying to figure out how we can
you know all right well let's go let's go to the cayman islands and you sitting looking at a beautiful
beach but it just feels great and what i realized then again is thankfully i learned how to do work for
my woman back in the day when i was trying to get her because i had to do now emotional work to
connect with her again and even two weeks from now i canceled a trip to london to go do some stuff because i'm
going to counseling by myself for five days because I want to learn how to and I said it last time
I was up here I think you asked me like what's one thing you would want to do better or something at the
end of my interview and I said I want to learn how to communicate with my wife even better I want I want to
I want to become elevated in my ability to articulate my heart and not just my my feelings
because automatically my my feelings will come out and I want you we'll get to
the heart but I just want to be able to tell it like today was hard for me and I feel like I'm
caring a lot and I just need you to hold me that's okay that it wakes up the nurturer inside of you
and that's easy right there I mean that's easy to do but my natural thing is like you good I'm like
I'm good like everything's fine like and she knows but to just and so I want to I want to become
more skilled in my language but that takes me turning down money that takes me canceling a
overseas that takes me intentionally setting aside the time because when all it is is done
i'll still have this yeah that's right i want to ask both you all something as a faith-based couple right
to the to the point about your son why doesn't the serenity prayer work in moments like that because we
live in a fallen world and when sin entered in with adam and eve there will be things that happened
that we would not understand and this is why god says in proverbs 5 6 he said trust in the lord in all your ways
and he will direct your path.
Lean not to your own understanding.
We don't understand this.
Like, we don't understand all these diseases, cancer and autism.
We don't understand it.
That was a big part of the depression, like I said,
is not having those answers, even with your faith.
I felt it feels like to me now,
now that what I know is not having the answers is,
you have this super heavy thing.
Imagine you just holding this huge.
huge thing that's just so overbearing.
And it's like that actually never goes away.
The weight of it never goes away.
But now my hand just got bigger.
Like your capacity can get bigger to hold the thing.
You can have supports from your relationships and therapy that may be holding your arms or whatever.
But that doesn't mean the thing actually left.
That doesn't mean the thing actually got easier or it got answered or the prayers worked.
perfectly or whatever.
And that's why that scripture says trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Lean out to your own understanding and all your ways acknowledge God and he will direct your path.
That's what we're doing.
All we're doing is trusting.
We have a beautiful family.
We lead a lot and we're trying to help people.
And sometimes all you can do is just lean back and be like, all right, God, I guess you got
this one.
Yeah.
Because I don't have anything to make this happen.
And that's why, again, if those things, I want to tell everybody looking for a relationship,
if you can't go through hard things with that person,
they're not your relationship goal.
I'm just telling you right now,
everything will not be red carpets and Instagram pictures and vacations.
The majority of your life will be trying to figure out navigating hard things with this person.
And where you put most of your time is where you're going to succeed.
The most successful things in your life will be where you put most of your time and effort in your resource.
And that's why people don't succeed in relationship because they don't put enough time and effort there.
I got to ask, you know, the church recently has been criticized in pastor's wives, right, and what they've been wearing, right?
We've been seeing that a lot online.
What are your thoughts on that?
On what, you know, I feel like they dive more into.
Tell what Pastor Jamal and Brian is.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's been outside of just women in general.
But it seems like, you know, they put more effort into what the woman wears.
Yeah.
Compared to the sermon.
So what are your thoughts on it?
Man, I think that's just humanity.
I mean, that's another one of those things we live in a fallen world.
And a lot of it can be.
there are some valid points, you know, to that.
I also think that dressing for the occasion is a big thing.
I also feel like how you care yourself if you are classy and sophisticated,
but you feel like being sensual for your husband out in the real world,
not just in the room, then that's a great thing.
He's a man at the end of the day.
Like, hello now.
I'm not saying come out and look super thirsty or whatever,
but you are we are women like we have sexual needs we want to be attractive we yeah we desire
for that for ourselves not only for my husband but for my own self like I'm a woman at the end of the day I'm also a mother but at the same time I'm not walking in that making pancakes in the morning for my kids while I take them to school or drop off and I'm also not wearing it if I'm trying to do you know morning announcements at church but
If we are going to the beach, if I was able to put on the bikini, I'm wearing a bikini.
Why would I not?
And also as a woman having four kids, them stretch marks happen.
And there is this stigma of like if you got stretch marks all on your stomach, no, you put that one piece on because you want to cover it.
You don't want to be judged.
You feel almost embarrassed.
And the best thing he told me is that he loved.
I love everyone.
Love my stretch marks.
And so.
And so.
And so.
The moo-moo either, though.
Grandma got mad kids wearing that moo.
I don't want to even think about that.
I don't even want to think about that.
What I am, what I'm going to tag on to what Natalie's saying is that, I think sometimes
there are things that we do that go over the line, and that's going to be in any field,
pastor or postal worker.
Okay, let's just say that.
And I think there is some crazy, hypocritical situations on body shapes and sizes.
If you got curves.
can wear something tight as all get out but because she is a larger woman big chest big booty any
it's not considered attractive and so what ends up happening is you give a sermon about gluttony
oh completely and and and and then people are frustrated about it but but i'm saying that hey it's it's
okay like we just got to make sure we have grace yeah grace for people absolutely the same level that you judge with
is the same level you're getting judged with.
And I just think that a lot of times people are so quick in this rage, bait error to point out and judge what other people are doing when there's not a spotlight.
And so I just more grace, more grace, more grace to people so that they can have the ability to change.
And, yeah, learn what you can and then change it up from there.
You know, Pat Sout, I saw your reply to Druski skit about megachurch passage.
And you said it was hilarious, but it was a distraction from.
from what you should really be focused on.
Yeah.
Can you respond on that?
The craziest thing is people don't realize that our word for the year,
which usually we always have one at the beginning of the year,
was forward.
And that was before the thing even happened.
Forward.
And so if you can imagine what you would give advice to someone
and that you're trying to encourage them in hard times to move forward,
what are words that you would say?
So what are we encouraging our congregation about the word that we are saying?
is the word for the year.
That's what he was addressing.
And through, and so some of the things that was said was like,
he was talking about our word for the year.
And it wasn't no reply.
Believe me, in our real life, like I said.
Well, you brought up the photo, though.
Well, you brought up the photo.
And you mentioned the Rosary.
So what ended up happening?
Yeah, we're not.
Acting like we didn't hear it.
We don't go around anything.
I get what you saying.
Yeah.
We're going through it.
And so my church.
is a church all over the world.
I don't, we're in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
but we literally have members of our church all over the world.
So if something happens with the extent that that happened,
I'm going to let them know that we're, hey, we're good.
Because they're humans too.
And we want them like, I don't want our people to be feeling like you need to,
you know, knuck up your buck online.
You don't got to create a fake account so you can go off on somebody.
Like, you don't got to like do all that or whatever.
And so it is our responsibility to respond to our congregation.
But it's a response, not a reaction.
And so what I was telling everybody, that's the word of the year.
We're going forward.
And the thing that tries to stop people from going forward is lack of focus.
There's a scripture that says forgetting what's behind me, I press towards the things that are forward.
And so that's all I was saying.
And then the thing that, you know, I'm a pseudo comedian.
I'd be trying to just make people laugh.
And so it, I said, number one, there was a, there was a AI.
picture going around that somebody made
of me in the suit and I was like
I knew. Well that wasn't you?
Blake, what?
Oh my gosh.
I've never been that big. I've never been that big
a day in my life.
Remember I was big.
We found a picture last time.
I was big.
I never worn that suit.
Wait.
No, the face though.
It's Ricky Ricardo.
I mean, I didn't marry
Dominican.
I mean, I know I did it.
You thought you wanted to though.
I did.
I thought that's what I wanted.
I did.
Strong black man.
What you did say to Drusky's skit, you said,
you framed it as a parody of a broader critique of misplaced priorities within
completely.
Yes.
And so I think that there was some truth in it holistically.
Which every, any person that goes to church and lives in church,
we've been making jokes like this for years.
They're nothing new or whatever, but there is definite truth.
But the link to me was something that I was a little taken back by because we have done
things in our ministry intentionally to not being that we don't have an offering time at our church and
you know what pass buckets you won't you won't hype our ministry or yourself up or whatever but for me
y'all there is so much money our church has given and like i said the top of the year word of the year
and then we also give statistics for the year prior to the church so they know like finances where we
gave to how much how many salvations um all this stuff and even in our local news don't nobody come to
say like your ministry has given over
$36 million away
to other ministries and other
organizations. Don't nobody
come and cover like
you gave, how much do we give to
the survivors of the
We bought every survivor of the
Tulsa Rass living.
Living Tulsa Rase Massacre,
we gave them $200,000, which would
have been the medium
age of their house that got burnt down
and we gave it to them. But ain't nobody
covering that.
Well, more than Tulsa's
well, more than Tulsa,
the city hasn't done anything.
So again,
again,
we have,
me and Natalie been pastor
11 years.
In 11 years,
our church was started
in the hood of Tulsa
and we didn't have anything.
And God bless us
to help people.
And my burden was that
we are going to give back
to the community.
And if you check the records,
we have given away
over $36 million in 11 years.
And he ain't going to say,
I only said it because she said.
I know.
And you ain't going to say,
you know,
that we personally hire auditors to come,
to come audit us.
Black excellence is not just what you see.
It's how you handle business behind us.
Because we know a spot's like.
You're like, he ain't going to say it, but I will.
They know what I'm saying?
Like we are in the spotlight.
We're dumb.
Like auditors come.
And when I tell you our friends and the people that we hired,
they ain't played no games.
You know what I'm saying?
Like things was tight and right.
We had to even change how we gave.
Because if we're giving houses,
just a way to the widow or, you know, there's a way you got to go about that and a way you can't
or whatever for good things, you know, and we had to learn that the hard way.
We had to learn that there was a way to give because at the beginning of our ministry,
when we started to bless the Bible says to bless the orphans and the widows, we bought people
houses, like $250,000 house like this woman.
And then we found out, hey, there's better ways to do this.
Dealing with big money, there's the way the IRS wants you to do that, to give money away.
So I say all that today, all that to say is that I wasn't offended by the Drewski thing
because you could only be offended when it applies to you.
And so I thought it was hilarious when I saw it.
I was actually off of social media the whole time.
I've been on a 21-day prayer and fasting.
And I actually didn't even know what was going on.
And people told me to me like, you good?
I was like, good.
Yes.
But at the same time, let's put two and two together, y'all.
People are going to tell him what is going on.
So to say like, well, you say you weren't in social media.
Yeah, well, you said, it's like there's other human beings in the world that can tell you what's happening right now.
That can show you a picture.
Because I feel like when people came for the mess, they got a message.
I mean, I'll watch you anyway, but I talked about that on the podcast.
Like, you still preached and people got a word, but they came because they wanted to see what you're going to say.
And it worked.
I agree with that, but I did bring it up because, you know, you said there were people who did not do what God said to do this week because they needed to be in the know of what was happening in the culture.
Yeah.
You got a movie coming out this week.
So again.
Is that a distraction?
that people decide to go
for some people there is
I don't please believe
what I'm supposed to do
is what I'm supposed to do
if God tell you to do something else
you better do that
and he's also
he's also addressing our people
like that was during
that was during trade
he's speaking to our people
who wanted to defend
and wanted to
I'm like yo God told you
to spend time with your kid this week
and you over here in the comments
with Christman 622
talking about
did you don't know him
And I was like, that's a distraction, y'all.
I tell people this all the time.
Like, what the enemy can't get in front of and stop,
he gets behind and pushes.
And he pushes people till they get distracted
off of what they're supposed to do.
I said this was the biggest publicity.
Annie loop.
Allieupe.
Alliute.
Don't watch one's basketball.
Allioub from God.
Annie loop.
Forget you.
Okay.
Annie loop.
Annie loop.
Any loop.
Annie loop.
Any loop.
Alliope from God.
From God, because I was like, you know what?
Now everybody's going to go watch this movie because they went like, oh, he's at a
dad.
I was like, well, God, you know, what they say all publicity is good publicity.
So I think that was strategic too.
And the truth of the matter is, shout out to turn that thing.
Shout out to everybody.
Hey, he's getting paid.
Yeah.
I mean, congratulations.
But I do think there are broader conversations that have to be had, not
just in the church, but outside the church of the way that we do things.
And I think that at the end of the day, critique with the right heart makes everybody better.
And so in my mind, like, if there's anything that I can be better at,
again, the whole journey is progression, not perfection.
I'm going to get better.
The next time we come up here, we're going to be better than we was this time.
And so that consistency in him is what made me stay.
And I tell people his consistency is what I,
I think him for the most.
Hold on now.
Don't start up here.
Your consistency to change and to be better for me and our kids and for the people that you lead,
that is what makes me proud to stand next to you no matter what.
Because our real life, I tell you all the time, is amazing, is blessed, is actual goals.
Those are the things that people actually do aspire.
At the end of their lives, all these great men and women, one of the number one things they say on their deathbed is,
I wish I would have put more time into my marriage and my children.
And I told him, I said, that's not going to be our story.
That's not going to be our story.
And that is the number one thing that he prayed before he became a pastor with all these
older saints around him when he was about to get.
He prayed that he would not lose his family.
And I never will.
Let's close this out on the prayer.
Relationship goals available right now on Prime Video.
Pastor Michael, Pastor Natalie, not Todd.
Let's lend this on a prayer, please.
So let me say this for our pray.
They made relationship goals number six on Amazon Prime in 24 hours.
I heard you overheaded at number one.
So I hope it's from your mouth to God's ears.
It might be number one by the time.
Hey, hey, y'all, if we want to keep getting good, positive,
positive, hopeful, black stories told, we got to support.
They don't care none about opinions.
They care about numbers.
And so even if y'all have a watch party,
y'all just want to stay on the breakfast club everybody stream it on their phone too like turn it down it's
numbers it's all about numbers no i mean we got to be smart y'all because this is not a step just for
us or divine franklin or this is a step for all of us to be able to make impact in big ways and so
um grateful for that and this is what we're going to do we're going to pray to everybody wins in
relationships so god me and natalie we come here with charlemagne loren dj envy father god and
jess and we're asking that you would make all of us better in relationships god i'm asking
that every marriage, every single season, every situation,
everything, Father, God, that is hurting or hard right now,
I thank you that you would speak into it
and bring hope, life, and transformation.
Today, Father, for the person who feels lonely,
I thank you that you would be a comforter.
Father, for the person who feels forgotten,
I thank you, Father, that you're sending right relationships
into their life.
And God, for the person who's in a relationship
and they don't know if it needs to end or not,
would you send them confirmation?
God, I thank you that you would use this platform to bring people ultimately closer to you
because you should be everybody's number one relationship goal.
Bless this station, bless these people, bless all of their families.
And I thank you, Father God, for all you're doing in our lives.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Amen.
We love you.
Good morning.
Every day I wake up.
Wake your ass up.
You're going to finish or y'all's done?
In the middle of the night,
Saskia awoke in a haze.
Her husband, Mike, was on his laptop.
What was on his screen would change Saskia's life forever.
I said, I need you to tell me exactly what you're doing.
And immediately, the mask came off.
You're supposed to be safe.
That's your home.
That's your husband.
Listen to Betrayal Season 5 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Malcolm and Martin are gone.
America is in crisis.
And at Morehouse College, the students make their move.
These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson,
locked up the members of the Board of Trustees,
including Martin Luther King's senior.
It's the true story of protests and rebellion
in black American history that you'll never forget.
I'm Hans Charles.
I'm in a McLembourg.
Listen to the A building on the IHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Black history, live.
in our stories, our culture, and the conversations we still having today.
This Black History Month, the podcast, I didn't know.
Maybe you didn't either.
Digs into the moments, perspectives, and experiences that don't always make the textbook.
Let me tell you about Garrett Morgan.
Brough had to pretend he didn't even exist just to sell his own invention.
Listen to I didn't know.
Maybe you didn't either from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHard Radio app,
Apple Podcast, or simply wherever.
you get your podcast.
Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, host of the On Purpose podcast.
On a recent episode, I sat down with Nick Jonas, singer, songwriter, actor, and global superstar.
I went blank.
I hit a bad note, and then I couldn't kind of recover.
And I built up this idea that music and being musician was my whole identity.
I had to sort of relearn who I was if you took this thing away.
Who am I?
Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHeart Radio app.
podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
