Living out your faith is difficult for all of us, but what about for those who are in the spotlight? How does one balance faith & fame in the secular world? Join us as we hear from Grammy award winning artist CeCe Winans about how she has navigated secular places with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
they are so glad that you were here I’m
Priscilla welcome to the chat we get an
opportunity to chat about a lot of stuff
around here that’s going to be hopefully
very very exciting to you I think today
is going to be very exciting if it’s not
exciting for you it’s exciting for me
I’m glad to be here because we get to
talk to one of my favorite people on the
planet let me just tell you she’s not
only my favorite because she has brought
so much light and love and beauty
through music to millions of people all
over the entire world she’s beautiful
because behind closed doors and the
spotlights aren’t on her she’s just a
woman of humility and integrity who
loves her family and loves the Lord and
really believes what she proclaims when
a lot of people are around that’s what I
love about
they were going to be talking to her
stick around who and not
hey there welcome to the chat pull up a
chair get a nice hot drink or something
like that and just kind of snuggle up
with us for just a little while we’ve
been already having a conversation that
I hope that you’ve already seen it’s
part one of a conversation we’ve been
having with the lovely miss CeCe Winans
will you help me welcome her if you have
not already seen part one please make
sure that you see it we’re on every
Tuesday and Thursday this month this is
part two of that conversation we’ve
already been having she’s been giving us
advice on being a wife and being a mom
balancing it all
I’m loving the Lord with all of our
hearts and minds and strength we want to
talk to her now about the next
generation because she’s got a passion
for the next generation why why is that
so important to you why because it was
it was so important that the generation
before me had me in mind you know and I
know that I’ve been able to stand
through all of life challenges because
of what was instilled in me as a child
the importance of sunday school the
importance of hearing the Bible stories
the importance of count Christian count
all of that stuff played a very
important part in my foundation and yeah
I think I realized who I was earlier on
in life because people took out time to
teach me who I was these are people your
parents included but would you say that
there were other older women definitely
I think any parent that has been a
parent for any length of time
understands that you need help yeah you
know in that old village that held
exactly it takes a village to raise a
child is so true and so yes definitely
the people in the church that other
ladies the other young women the
teenagers I mean people everybody poured
into us me and my siblings growing up
and it made a huge difference don’t you
think we’ve lost that village mentality
though it’s like everybody you almost
can get in trouble if you tell another
child hey you know what don’t talk to
your parent like that be more respectful
then the mama’s mad at you whereas you
said something urgent and you’re helping
out yeah yeah we have lost
we need to give back to it I think a lot
of our kids are suffering because we’ve
lost that and do you think that maybe
you know I’ve always thought that maybe
that is one of the reasons why the
church is so important because that is
the the extended family that God gives
you to help to raise the next generation
totally agree it is a it is definitely
our extended family and it’s so
important that the church realizes that
even though we have mega churches and
that’s a great thing because we want
everybody to be safe you know Jesus paid
the price so that everybody could live
but it is not to be anything other than
a family and it’s real important that we
understand that it’s not just an
organization or it’s just not it’s not a
business it’s not a business it’s a
family yeah we’re not there to perform
and right it’s nice to have community
yeah that’s good yeah what are some of
the things you would think that well you
know you mentioned yet your momma made
you say yeah mom and mom and pop wine
and said get up there that’s a you’re
going to say you’re going to get a piano
lessons too I wonder
no no I never took panels you never took
all of them I think every other sibling
except for my baby sister
you know Debbie mm-hmm we don’t play you
don’t play I’m surprised I didn’t make
you do that you know no no well you know
actually all of us at that time we
weren’t even taking lessons
most of my siblings learned how to play
by ear just a musical family yeah yeah
my mom and dad both played really a gift
just passed my head that’s okay it all
went into your throat okay so they made
you do certain things they made your
siblings do certain definitely what do
you think are some of the things that
parents aren’t making their kids do
anymore well they made us go to church
okay there’s one of we had to be at
Sunday school we had to you know why pww
things we had we had to attend they made
us not just a temple we had to be
involved like you said we had to be in
the choirs and yes they made us
volunteer for everything you know but
they understood the importance of that
and they raised us all in the inner city
of Detroit Michigan which was not an
easy task so they made us do that let me
see they only thing we could listen to
in our house
was Christian music we used to sneak and
listen to Motown music in the car you
know but they said no this is what we’re
going you guys going to be raised in
this you’re going to hear this and then
they lived the life in front of us you
know they just didn’t teach us but they
lived it in front of us which was
definitely the most impactful thing but
but yes they did not play we had no
choice it’s your haratz were strict very
strict very strict but not not to the
point where it was too strict but they
were straight yeah we’ve lost some of
that I think we’ve lost nothing I feel
like children are setting the pace for
the home instead of the parents setting
the pace of the home and not by not you
know I just don’t want to put that as a
blanket statement over everyone but it
seems like we have a culture where
mostly you know I’m guilty of that and
you know a lot of times we grow up and
we feel like oh they were so strict in
this and so strict and especially before
you get old enough to really the wisdom
kicks me Yeah right you think oh I’m
allow my children to do this and they
can choose that they do that and I have
to admit that those places that I those
places that I were I was a little bit
more easy those places that I kind of
loosen the the rain a little bit I
regret
Oh with your kids oh definitely really
yeah yeah okay can you give us one
example can you think of anything
specific where you kind of loosen the
reins a little bit and you wish that you
hadn’t um anything come to mind I mean I
just think I mean if we just take them
going to church I mean I made Minds go
to church but I didn’t make them really
get involved in church I’m not just
being there but pretty exactly
participating because nowadays I mean
what do we spend most of our time doing
parents where they’re in dance class
they have this class there and they’re
in all the sports and where is the Bible
study in all of this hmm
you know and you before you know it
they’re full of more of the world than
the church but yet you’re a believer yet
you consider yourself a strong believer
and it’s like where did I go wrong oh
you didn’t do what your parents did in
this area you thought you were going to
be more of their friend
than their parent and it’s backfiring so
do you think that we tend to
overcompensate for what we thought our
parents didn’t do right or but a little
bit right now to overcompensate the
anyway so if you had to go back and do
that again with your children you would
just be stricter oh definitely really
they would be upset with me but but it
would but it would be okay it would be
okay yes so we need to be okay with our
kids being upset with us definitely if
they’re not something’s wrong they
should be upset with you mm-hmm
yeah what discourages you when you look
at teenage girls young 20s maybe even
people young women who want to do what
you were doing so they have a good heart
they are skilled they’re talented they
love the Lord but but still you see a
little discouragement in what way with
some of the younger women you see coming
along after you Oh hmm I would say that
they don’t have the passion just for
knowing the Lord growing up to me that
was everything um though I could cry
think about I’m not gonna cry I’m gonna
make it there
um and so that that breaks my heart they
don’t really understand the value and
just being a believer you know for some
reason that doesn’t seem to be enough
and so that lets me know that they don’t
have the relationship that they should
have because whenever you had that
relationship in the place that it should
be it’s more than enough and it takes
the striving out the trying to achieve
it takes a it makes life so much better
okay so much easier rescue yes you can’t
you can’t and you can have joy and when
they don’t have that they’re missing joy
they’re missing happiness yeah they’re
so bogged down and they’re dealing with
so much depression and it’s hard to find
people with a smile on their face how
many young girls that when they should
be enjoying their lives at this at the
fullest at this time yeah a lot of
sadness what encourages you when you
look at young women you
you oh thank you
am I still young I’ll take that up
you’re very young yes but I could cry
over that too because I’d like we we
talked about earlier in part one I have
a daughter that’s 26 and yeah for her to
be able to see you
is a blessing oh yeah that’s a gift to
me because yeah she I again I just
remember her being so little and running
around your legs and so to hear that is
a blessing to me that that’s kind of
like my gift to you
to be able to be a blessing of your
daughter slicing that’s not just gold
generational isn’t it to generation yes
you
she’s your wife for one change the world
for one change the world
orphans don’t need stuff orphans need
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what makes me you’ve told us why you’re
passionate about pouring into the lives
of younger women huh what do you think
keeps some women that are in your
generation from seeing the value in
taking time to just literally disciple a
younger woman like there are a lot of
older women that aren’t doing the
tightest two thing you’re right they
aren’t you know Titus 2 talks about
older women pouring into the lives of
younger women which means there has to
be a younger woman willing to listen
that’s right that’s true I’m gonna be
Angela yeah that’s true but there also
has to be a woman who has gone before
that sees the value in going out to
coffee with this younger woman and
helping her with her family and how to
love her husband and and sometimes there
are not there aren’t women to be found
to that are willing to do that why do
you think that is well you know it’s I’m
so glad that you brought that point up
because it’s a very important point a
lot of us as believers we just become
professional believers you know and
we’re so wrapped up in our own lives you
know we go to church all was so good or
we heard a message it was so great and
we and then the next week we’re down
again or we forget what we heard and I
think it’s primarily because we haven’t
poured out and we haven’t poured out
what we’ve learned what God has put into
us into somebody else and I can’t really
take the credit for the mentoring that
I’ve done over the years I think because
of where God placed me on stage you know
and I met wonderful ladies like you and
different people that would ask me
certain questions then I started pouring
out but it wasn’t like it was something
that was really taught to me to do and
so I think we as as the body of Christ
the church is the pastor’s we have to
begin to teach that scripture in Titus
that the older women teach the younger
women and the importance of that because
really that adds to your growth yes
that’s a part of your life going to
another level yeah that a lot of us are
missing out on because we haven’t taken
out the time and we as women older women
we really need to look at our schedules
and say who am i pouring into mmm and
re-align your whole life to fit that in
because it’s that crucial not just for
somebody else but for you okay I love
something that you
said a few moments ago but you said that
it was because you weren’t like trained
to be a mentor it’s just people started
younger for folks to start asking you
questions actly so I think that it’s
kind of like gives permission for
younger women to start going pinpoint an
older woman in your church or in your
neighborhood or in your life that you
don’t you know what she has done life
well and then go ask her questions go go
put yourself in front of her and say how
did you do this how do you make that
that meal for your family every night
every night and get it on the table
on time how do you do that you do it as
a question and then it stirs you up to
have to answer that’s right right that’s
right I love that without the right buzz
when you see those faces in front he is
like oh okay okay yeah you know you have
to do it and it’s a joy it’s been a joy
of mine to do so I think that all of
that plays into what we do today is well
I want to ask you about one younger
woman in your life her name is Bobbi
Kristina yes she has had a lot happening
in the past few years of her life with
the loss of one of your closest friends
I know miss Whitney Houston yeah um tell
me first how that was for you just that
that a tragic loss of a legend and then
how you’ve been able because you’re
you’re her godmother Bobbi Kristina’s
the godmother right so what kind of role
that you kind of play in her life now
just praying a lot yeah praying for it
was just what you said it was a tragic
loss for me and and I can’t even imagine
what it was for Bobbi Kristina you know
we were dear friends and sisters Whitney
and I and I talked to her that week
before she passed and I was just calling
to check on her and she was on her way
to California and so I got the news from
my my daughter she was in New York
visiting friend and saw it on the press
the saw it in the press and called me
crying and mom is it true and I’m like
what are you talking about and I just
thought of no it couldn’t be true I just
talked to her you know and unfortunately
I found out it was true and so yeah it
was it was a real real loss for me
mm-hmm
you know I didn’t I didn’t plan for
things to turn out this way
mm-hmm you know but but God has been
faithful through it all you know and so
now my prayer for Bobbi Kristina’s is
that God will begin to mend her broken
heart you know and so I just want
everybody every
a woman out there to just really begin
to pray for her yeah meanwhile you have
an organization that is designed to
reach out to the younger generation
we’ve been talking a lot about women
younger women but also to young men yeah
as well and tell us about that
organization and how it got started and
what you’re doing with it these days
well it’s called always sisters forever
brothers and it started out really as
always sisters it was just for teenage
girls and after the first conference the
mothers like what are you gonna do first
sons I was like I don’t know nothing but
but I have I have a son and a daughter
and so we did a couple years with just
the girls and then we added on the guys
as well because then I figured out you
know we can’t just get the girls
together we don’t have the guys together
and so it’s been a joy of mine to do
this and it’s just a conference we do
like a two-day conference and I bring in
incredible speakers and singers to
mentor to teach people should I say to
teach the younger people and it’s been
great lives have been saved life have
been changed and redirected and kids
have been put on the right path they
they understand their value you know
after leaving the conference and and
that’s really my prayer is that it would
be an event that would really bring in
lasting results I want you to know that
you we’re going to put her website up so
that you can see it right there on the
page that you’re watching this program
but you’ll want to go to always sisters
forever brothers com you want to go
there because I’m you can support that
ministry that really is reaching out to
the next generation and just be a part
of what Missy C is doing and blessing
people that are coming along behind her
and so are these people that are
necessarily interested in music or this
is not for oh there’s ears everybody
okay definitely a lot of people show up
that love music but I mean we’ve had
kids to come and tell us this is my last
resort if this doesn’t work that I’m
committing suicide I really yeah just
that just that bulb and I’m happy to say
that God is faithful yeah every time you
know and so so yeah literally saving
lives yeah so it’s just for any child
who wants to come some kids are doing
great
and it’s just going to encourage them to
continue to serve God some kids come in
have never heard a sermon before in
their life and they end up giving their
lives to the Lord and so it’s been
pretty it’s been amazing that’s good
yeah that’s very rewarding what would
you say was the number one most
impactful lesson that an older woman in
your life taught you other than your
relationship with the Lord that being a
side we know that would be the most
important like a practical lesson that
really mattered to you maybe once you
got into your 20s or maybe you got
married or had a kid and you’re like oh
yes I remember what this woman told me
it really has made a difference it’s so
funny you guys are gonna laugh um it
would have to be my mom okay my mom
taught me this lesson and to this day no
matter who you are or what you’re going
through if it’s a marital problem and
you come to her and you could be so
emotional I’m so distraught okay her
response is going to be honey he’s a man
what does she mean by that exactly he’s
a man he’s a man yeah you know and and
and for me it was you know as women we
we love to turn our husbands into what
we think they should be we want them to
be like us
yeah and that’s not God’s plan and it
will never happen that way you know
they’re gonna respond differently and
they’re supposed to okay single women
laugh I hope you were listening
so welcome or this will be just as cool
no matter what it is mom but you noticed
it honey
he’s a man so no matter what the issue
no matter what the issue is calm down
shoes be peaceful mm-hmm choose to be
victorious and choose to allow the Lord
to work it out because we can go through
all the fits and all the emotional ups
and downs and it’s not going to change
anything that’s right yeah well you know
that is a lesson for single women yes a
man this ain’t married right now married
yes
you’re not gonna say I do and then
there’s a magical change on the other
side of it these just that’s who that’s
who is growing maturing all that serves
in other words we all improve yes but
the basic framework is right this right
there yeah just a minute okay
I’ve got something else for you your
sister
told me of something that your father
used to tell you guys and I actually
wrote this down because I’m like this is
good and my husband actually said it to
somebody this week s like yeah we’re
gonna use that he said anytime y’all
would all get off stage or anything and
you’ve been saying anything he you know
people are saying how wonderful you are
you know what I’m gonna say I think I do
he would come up behind you and say get
that praise off of you that praise don’t
belong to you
exactly those belong just constantly
reminding you that praise is not yours
not yours it’s not reasonable but
another Saint used to tell us is that um
if you got prideful you know you’re
gonna go down like the Titanic oh if you
get pride you’re going to the right
content the pride comes a fall that’s
good and so ya get the praise off you
yeah it’s not about you yeah he kept us
balanced she kept it down mm-hmm what
what is your last question well maybe a
couple more no that’s okay
what is your I don’t know any other way
to put it someone from the audience
asked me about this one what is your
life song like not necessarily a
particular songs on a record of yours
but what is the theme of your heart the
or maybe it is the name of a song that
really encapsulates all that matters
most to you
oh he’s faithful he’s faithful he is
faithful God is faithful from beginning
I mean he’s just been faithful every
stage of my life he’s been faithful yeah
throughout all my failures he’s been
faithful and that is a song you recorded
isn’t it I didn’t record somebody else
recorded do you know what he’s been
faithful yes do you know what in faith
see just sing something like that no I
really don’t I think a little bit I
don’t even try it okay pick any song and
sing a little bit of it is okay sing a
little bit of it come on now
Oh God just a little piece and come
smart watch the people you mentor watch
them
let me see you got to sing with me I
wanna mess up great is thy faithfulness
great is thy faithfulness morning by
morning new mercies I see all I have
needed thy hand hath provided great is
thy faithfulness Lord on to that’s what
we were waiting on we love that thank
you so much you’re welcome I love it you
came and sat down on our sofa I just let
us pick a transit chat with Priscilla is
so grateful to you again I want to
direct you to her website because you’re
going to want to find out all the miss
CeCe’s doing of course you can catch her
singing in different places various
places all over the world and you’ll
you’ll want to make sure you continue to
support her minute her ministry there
are very few people that have had this
much longevity I mean when you think
about it some sometimes some people are
kind of like one-hit wonders and they’ve
got this song that maybe lasts a little
while but there are very few people that
you can see over decades have continued
to be just who they are in the body of
Christ and who they are in their craft
she’s just a just skilled in her craft
and so we’re so grateful that she’s come
and been with us today thank you for
joining us – it’s been so much fun would
you please help me to thank this