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 when 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 the BC One
they were going to be talking to her
stick around whoo and not
hey there it is going to be a great day
it’s a good day for you to be here
because we were talking to one of my
favorite people in the world her name is
Miss CC and she’s come to join us to
talk about just some things that are
important to us that she can offer us
some wisdom on and then we’re also going
to talk about some things that are
important to her and so it’s all going
to happen today while you’re here which
is why you want to stay tuned so please
help me welcome CeCe Winans on my spot
yes okay so can I tell people your real
name cuz I captain to like your names so
much I happen to love yours I happen to
love you yes you can go right ahead and
tell them my real name
real name is Priscilla Love that’s right
Priscilla Marie love oh yes
straighten it up yeah beautiful name
that I don’t get to hear you heard that
often well I hear it enough for both of
us that’s right okay I want to know what
it’s like to walk around with that voice
in your head all the time
oh and just act like everything is
normal oh please oh please what is that
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of put
that way Sylla
well you know it’s just it’s a blessing
too to have a gift that God has given
you to bring people closer to him you
know but but yeah I’m just a normal
person with a voice that’s all how old
were you and you realized you had did
someone else point out to you that you
had this gift or did you figure it out
uh my parents pointed it out to me they
did yes yes I was forced to sing uh you
have you know I’m serious I had no
choice you know it was back then when
you didn’t have a choice I know new
parents nowadays they give their
children choices maybe we need to talk
about that today
my parents said you’re gonna say you’re
going to sing and you’re going to leave
this song and my first song that I led
was fill my cup Lord and I would sure go
eight years a result right yes yeah I
thought since I was an adult it would be
good for me to sing it without crying
because for the first few years you know
it was during a conference that they
would do every year back then they call
it a convocation
I had to sing fill my cup Lord and all
my friends my age knew the point that I
would break down and cry it happened
every year but they saw the gift in me
and they kept pushing me and and
probably a few years in I realized that
it was more than just a gift to sing but
God had anointed me to do something that
was special ah you know
were you ever resentful of the push by
your parent did you ever just resent
ministry or resent singing or just all
that because your whole failure you were
so inundated and surrounded by it all
the time right right no no I was
probably simple at the time you know at
eight you know cuz I just didn’t want to
do it but but no no I found out very
soon on that this is where I was
supposed to be now why did you not want
to do it though what did you want to do
well I mean I was very comfortable in
saying it singing in the background all
like the background yeah the background
the choir was fine I never liked being a
front like sitting here with you now
that I would just never thought I would
do this okay so people would find that
hard to believe that standing on stage
for you is it still difficult to define
difficult it’s not that I mean I still
get a little nervous before I start but
I think that’s good for anybody you know
because I’m always praying and depending
on the Holy Spirit yeah but uh but yeah
I was um I loved being in the background
I don’t ever have to be out front ever
and you’re just happy that way I’m so
happy that I could stay at home I could
be at mature in my church choir I could
just be a mom and a wife and I’m happy
yeah but God had other plans did you
find that you had to kind of really
adjust your desires and adjust your
willingness to go with God in the
direction you saw him leading you in
other words would you have been did it
require a lot for you to kind of go okay
Lord I’m gonna go against what I really
want which is to stay at home and just
do the wife and mom thing in a regular
traditional way and I’m really going to
have to surrender yield to you in order
to go with what I see you charting out
as the path for me uh
no it really wasn’t difficult it wasn’t
difficult again because I started so
early on mm-hmm
by the time I was 16 I was singing and
going everywhere doing different things
17 I was a part of a PTL Christian
Network only thing I had to do was
really just like he said surrender but
surrender in a way that that I gave God
everything so that I could be used that
so that he could use me to the maximum
every time I stood before his people
earlier on because I saw the anointing I
saw people’s lives being changed and and
I realized I think for everybody when
you really find were you supposed to be
then that becomes home for you even if
it’s not what you want to do you know
even if it’s not your most comfortable
place you know I’m not going to be happy
doing anything else you know this is my
calling this is what I was this is my
purpose this is why I was born God had
this in mind for me before I was formed
in my mother’s womb
and so I’ve always had that peace doing
this and so it’s just the odd ongoing
decisions that you have to man you know
you know how it is to live in the
airport living out of a suitcase you
know it’s those everyday small
sacrifices that people don’t really see
that goes along with what we do yes and
you mentioned your family and I want to
talk about your family because that is I
think what a lot of women don’t get to
hear about as much from you that they
want to know about they want to know how
in the world are you balanced because
you know us normal folk can barely
ballots figured out what’s for dinner
every night that’s like a major a major
exercise for us is trying to figure out
what am I going to cook for dinner and
how many get the laundry done and
balance if I’m working outside the home
and balance that so how have you been
able to keep your family a priority
how have you struggled along the way to
bring balance to your life and as a
working mom well it’s not a one-word
answer yeah come on give it to us we’ll
take all of it looks like okay okay God
well the first answer is you already
said it that your family has to be
priority has to be first and if that’s
really settled in your mind and heart
and you never get that twisted then
you’re going to be okay you know because
God
I am a wife and a mother first that is
my first calling and so anything that
jeopardizes that has to go you know you
can’t even contemplate it you know I
have a wonderful husband who has
supported me down through the years
we’ll be married well we’re married
29 years this year to be 30 years next
year Wow working on 30 years um and he’s
always been there for me
200% you know he recognized the call on
my life he knew that I didn’t want to do
it I only did it because it was a call
and so he has always been there to
support me and without that there’s no
way I could have accomplished what I’ve
accomplished and what what does that
look like when you say your husband’s
been there to support you because you
know traditionally speaking into this
setting where the husband’s supposed to
be supported by his wife um in a
traditional sense right so what does it
look like when you know for many wives
that are in their home I’m not saying
this is your situation but for many
wives you know they both maybe work
outside of the home but maybe the wife
makes more money or she’s gotten a
promotion that he hasn’t gotten or her
career has taken off and his hasn’t you
know just in the regular corporate world
right and so there are many women
struggling because maybe they’re their
husbands are feeling a little displaced
by the fact that they’re yet we’re
intimidated by the fact that their wife
is successful in a particular area of
her life so how did were you able to
balance that you have a lot of questions
they’re not simple question so they’re
very complex question but they’re good
questions um because that’s different
levels first of all Alvin Alvin love is
his name when he told me his name was
Loeb I was like yeah right sure it is
you have a very handsome husband by the
way yes I think he’s really cute yes
gets cuter every year he gets older why
is that with me and they get older and
get cuter I’m like what is up with this
they can have the grey show and they
look this thing with we have like show
ours and it’s like no that’s not gonna
work
and and you should know that her
brothers did not want her to marry Alvin
at4all know this that’s another whole
story exactly had seven older brothers
though that’s another whole testimony um
but but he was very secure in who he was
and and you know whenever whoever’s in
the light and the in the light and in
the public they get all the attention
and sometimes your other half can get
pushed aside and disrespected and all
that all that incredible stuff that he
has taken with a smile all these years
but it’s because he was solid in who he
was people would call him sometime mr.
Winant
of course you know that yeah it’s like
well no that’s not his name yeah but but
he could take it you know he loved me
well but he understood that he was my
covering he understood that no matter
where God took me it did not diminish
him if anything had brought him along
with me we were one and so because he
was solid he was a man of God he he
understood the importance of him praying
for me him covering me Hill making those
sacrifices it wasn’t just about me but
it was for the kingdom of God and then
we had a lot of great help he was not a
mr. mom’s I don’t get this thing twisted
I could not I remember one day I was out
of town and I think he attempted to do
my daughter’s hair and she was fine
until she walked past the mirror she’s
like that’s the mirror it just broke up
so I always had great help my mother he
was the heir when they were small when
we all lived in Detroit my mother-in-law
was there my sister so they all it was a
team ever it was a family effort and so
whenever I went to went out of town I
made sure they were taken care of I made
sure they had meals I made sure that
somebody was there to take them to
school so my husband could could really
continue the the pattern in the routine
he was used to yeah because he worked a
full-time job and he was there for them
when they got home from school and so I
made sure that the home was in place you
managed it you managed
I wasn’t there I managed it to make sure
that they had probably more than what
they would have if I was there my kids
really end up getting spoiled more
because I was away okay how do you keep
from feeling displaced as the mother
because you know our mom’s my mom my
grandmother
they have no help you know they had
meals hot on the table and all the
laundry just folded and everything I
mean I just don’t know to this day how
my mother made a Sunday dinner
that huge Sunday spread she made every
week and it was all hot at the same time
with one oven I just can’t one of it yes
yeah now I have one oven I cannot for
the life of me figure out how to get
everything hot on the table so they did
all the stuff and they seemed to do it
without the help that’s right they did
so they didn’t do it without they’ll do
it so what do you feel how do you keep
yourself or how did you keep yourself
when your children were smaller from
feeling that sense of guilt that
sometimes mom feel when they when they
need help and they’ve got to ask you
know they’ve gotta hire somebody once a
week or once every other week to come
help them cleaner sometimes thank you
baby I ever feel guilty for hiring help
I don’t think I ever felt guilty to just
give us permission we all go home with
permission yes we have permission for me
to lose the guilt and get the help yes
the Lord um
oh what’s this whole interview for me no
no because you know before I could hire
help you know I did those things you
know when I was home I cooked that Queen
died I folded the clothes you know like
you said my mom had woo I only have two
I call him Alpha and Omega you know my
mom and 10 kids she had seven boys
straight three girls she worked outside
the home she cooked did y’all do a lot
she did all that oh yeah you know yeah
you start training those kids when
they’re young for everybody to help out
you babysit this one you help this one
you know and when you have army like
that you can do that um and so so I I
did those things but when I realized
that um you know I was going to be gone
or I always had certain people to come
in and help and and I didn’t feel guilty
about that at all because you know I was
there I was the mom I was the wife I’m
going to spend the time and and the good
thing about what we do or what
did you know when I’m gone I’m gone but
when I’m home I’m home I didn’t work a
regular job so if I wasn’t on tour I was
home you know I was able to take him to
school and pick him up and go to the
things it’s just those certain times and
then I would limit the times I would be
away from home you know I wouldn’t go
out there well we have a month tour what
no I can’t do that I have kids yeah you
know so you’re traveled with them I know
you took them with them yeah when they
got to a certain age I took him out of
school and I put him in home school hire
somebody to teach them and they were on
the road with me my husband my children
all of us was out on the road and so
family always remained first and if that
meant all of us going out on tour we
would do that if that meant hiring help
you know to make sure everything was in
place
that’s what we did you know but but I
cannot exclude the most important thing
and that is always staying prayed up
always allowing the Holy Spirit to lead
you know a lot of times we try to figure
everything out on our own and we can’t
yeah well you know formula and it’s like
the Holy Spirit has to lead you what’s
good for your family yes and for each
child yeah you know every child is
different you know for your husband to
minister to your husband in the right
way you have to pray you have to really
think don’t you think that we give each
other as mom’s such a hard time that if
you’re what’s best for your family does
not look like what I’m doing with my
family that sometimes we make each other
feel so bad because we just cast this
judgment on the way she’s mothering her
family or fact that she’s not
homeschooling or she is homeschooling or
she travels a little bit or she works
outside of the home or she has someone
to help her why can’t she do it herself
I think we give each other a hard time I
think we give you the other hard time
more so than that I think we’re so hard
on ourselves hmm you know and God never
expected us to do everything perfectly
mm-hmm you know but just according to
his way and that’s real everybody’s
perfect looks different yeah you know
perfectionist you being submitted to the
Holy Spirit yeah and a lot of times
perfection looks so far from perfection
but when you’re submitted to the Holy
Spirit and you’re loving according to
how the word teaches us how to love and
your your including him in all your
plans you know I had to depend on that
word the Bible said if you acknowledge
me
all our ways he’ll direct your path I
had to depend on that Lord look I
acknowledged you and this is what I’m
feeling in my spirit this has got to be
you you know and as you walk out in that
daily you begin to trust and you begin
to really learn the Holy Spirit it’s a
voice that you have to say okay lord I
will take care of your business but I’m
going to trust you to take care of my
business that’s right I’ll do my part
Lord I’m going to ask you to do your
right and you know what – just – all
you’re saying about prioritizing family
I have to tell you that I remember and
I’ve told a CC this before but I
remember being 14 years old
some kind of way after she and her
brother BB had done a concert we ended
up at dinner together at the hosts house
whoever the host was of this particular
event and CC’s kids were little really
little really little and I remember you
know Here I am a teenager and CeCe
Winans is in the house and I was just
like you know watch it every day I was
just so excited to be there and these
folks were trying to treat her like a
celebrity and Oh CeCe Winans is here and
they wanted her to come in a certain
room with just the adults and I will
never forget watching her because she
what she just wouldn’t have it she
wouldn’t have anybody treating her like
a celebrity and she was going to mother
her kids they wanted to kind of put the
kids off to the side so they could just
be with CC and BB you were with those
kids and I will never forget seeing that
at 14 years old and seeing you
prioritize being their mom and not
letting them feel pushed off to the side
and some of the decisions that Jerry and
I have made as parents now and as people
that have to travel a lot and we’re in
ministry and stuff some of those
decisions I literally go back in my head
to what I saw happened that day when I
was 14 and that’s really helped to kind
of govern decisions that we make in
parenting okay so it’s like you never
know who’s watching you never know you
know and the imprint that it makes on
their life so thank you for attaching
your you got it
you
she’s your wife for one change the world
for one change the world
orphans don’t need stuff orphans need
families join me Steven Curtis Chapman
and show hope as we help provide orphans
with forever families now you’re talking
a how old boo boo children my son is 28
and my daughter is just turned 26
can we just say we cannot believe you
have children that are almost 30 years
old yes you had to get a married off I’m
praying for it they’re really great kids
they really are um but yeah I’m looking
forward to being a grandma I was just
gonna ask you that but I gotta get a
married offers that’s right what
according to the word that’s right
but yeah so do you feel like as you look
forward to this next kind of phase of
your life we talked about your kids
getting older and getting married and
grandmother and all that do you want to
slow down some or do you want to keep on
at the pace you’ve kind of held for the
last few years
oh no I have to slow down yeah I’m
starting to give signs here and there
that I need to slow down you know like a
sign like today I was in the wrong place
that means I need to stay home you know
she showed up for our interview for
those of you were watching she showed up
for our interview at the wrong studio so
we had to call her and redirect saying
Nessus eyes but you started getting
signs like that’s like okay you know
it’s time for you to slow but you made
it you’re here I made it I made it I
made it but yeah I look forward to
slowing down I think I will always as
long as I can sing I will always sing
and lift up a praise and to the Lord but
I think it’ll look differently it’s
already starting to change I don’t I
don’t travel as much as I used to travel
but I still go quite a bit well I know
you’re traveling with women of faith
bits um yeah and them that you enjoy
that and you’ve got other things that
you’re doing as well are you you have
any new projects coming out yeah that
way yes yes it’s coming out probably in
spring 2014 perfect yes if I stay on
this schedule I’m supposed to be on if
it’s a little later just forgive me but
it’s coming it’s coming yeah I’m really
excited about it though I want to ask
you
though before we in this time together I
want to ask you about the balance of
faith and fame how do you keep that
equilibrium how have you kept kept at
equilibria because we see so many folks
that kind of lose their integrity yeah
or lose their humility along the way
somewhere it all kind of gets lost in
there and you are and people like you
are really a breath of fresh air that we
just know that you just are the same
person you were two decades ago and you
still have the same not just message
when the lights are on
uh-huh but when you’re in the quiet
nobody’s looking you just are who you
are how do you think you’ve been able to
maintain that what keeps that steady in
your life well I think a lot of things
go into that I think again I go back to
my parents who raised us in the church
but also raised us in a way that we
understood what ministry was all about
and and we understood that whatever
platform God gave us was not about us
but it was about him they taught us the
importance of home church you know a lot
of times you asked a lot of believers do
you belong anywhere are you planning any
where are you submitted to somebody’s
leadership and a lot of people are hurt
and you just can’t make it that way
no yeah it wasn’t designed for us to
make it that way and so it was real
important that if I you know went out
and received an award of some sort that
I came back home and I was planted and I
heard the word and I understood Oh flesh
has to die every day yeah or you come
off the stage and you have a baby and
you know everybody else was just oh and
you get your baby they throw up on you
like this really yeah great humility
class you guys started a church to the
you we did your husband yeah we just
started a church probably about a year
and a half ago so that’s nothing else
about yeah now you’re a pastor’s wife on
top of it all yes yes yes and so when
you say balancing faith and Fame your
faith just has to be the most important
thing keep it prioritized as it goes
back to priority if if you keep your
relationship with the Lord first then
everything else will fall into the right
place once you let anything else come
before that then it’s going to be out of
balance you know you start believing
your press when it’s good you start
believing when it’s bad and then you’re
happy today and you’re depressed
tomorrow and you’re happy when soon
you’re depressed variety but when you
stay plugged in then you’re able to live
a life like this you know yeah okay
personal question you can tell me that
you don’t want to answer it if you don’t
know Lord here we go pursuing it but it
is leading somewhere it is leading
somewhere okay how old are you oh that’s
no problem
oh you can’t no actually I’m about to
have a birthday are you yes I’m trying
to 49 turning 49 yeah okay I’ll be the
big five old next year okay all right
right 49 now the reason I asked you that
question is because there is something
that I’ve heard happens in your 40s so
I’m 10 years younger than oh okay yeah I
heard that in your 40s you kind of
settle into this you know I am Who I am
I’m feel free to be Who I am I don’t
need to impress anybody in here I don’t
worry I’m not worried about what y’all
think about me yes and I’m wondering if
that happened for you before 40 because
you’re so comfortable in your own skin
right we’ve seen you be comfortable in
your own skin for a long time did you
ever go through a season when you were
kind of wrapped up in I mean you know
being in front of people it has been
your life and did you have to grow up or
mature in this area of not needing to
get the applause er
not that you ever needed it or wanted it
but right you just you’re okay you’re
just okay with who you are the way you
look just satisfied and settled yes well
you grow into that you grow into that I
mean as a young artist again I started
out as a kid yeah 16 17 years old and so
you’re always I don’t think I was ever
to the point where was where I had
anxiety attacks or anything like that
but as you get older you definitely get
wiser and you definitely begin to
appreciate all the things that maybe you
didn’t appreciate when you were younger
you begin to see the beauty in in the
life that you have and who you are and
so that is a great thing about getting
older yeah yeah you understand that yeah
I got it I got it going on
if nobody else thinks that because again
that comes from the Lord as well your
your peace your happiness your joy your
appreciation you know when you get older
you the things that used to worry about
it’s like really I used to get uptight
about that even in your marriage you
know as you grow in your marriage the
things used to fall out about oh god all
the Misha
the emotional roller coasters I used to
get tired of myself as I knew my husband
had to be tired of me cuz I’m like what
you’re crying about now I don’t know I
don’t know why I’m crying so things just
don’t matter that much some of this
stuff doesn’t matter unless you realize
that it’s not important at all
so should those of us who were in our
20s and are 13 or don’t chill out now
fill out now you can have that now I
don’t think you have to wait yeah do you
get older I think a lot of us have
because we probably didn’t listen to
those that went on before us but if you
listen to me now okay we’re listening
you could chill out now chill out could
be cool right now yeah just let it go
yeah just let it go just let it go in
hindsight looking back on two decades in
ministry and as a wife and as a mom
other than chill out now what would you
say you would have maybe done
differently I would have chilled out
earlier yeah differently differently I
would have consulted the Holy Spirit
more I think as women as mothers as
wives we kind of fall into doing what we
saw other people do you know and it’s
just I love my mom she’s an incredible
yes she is woman of God an incredible
role model I only pray that I could be
half as great as what she is but but
everybody’s different your life is we
are really all unique yeah you know and
so I did a lot of things just because
they did it that way yeah and it’s like
you know what if I would consulted the
Holy Spirit and really prayed over every
decision I wouldn’t have gone through
the suffering that I went through you
know so it’s like you have to give
yourself permission to just walk your
own yes to be yes called you to be
perfect yes that’s a way yeah that frees
us up doesn’t it frees us up ms CC is a
wonderful gift not
to the church not just to the body of
Christ but millions and millions and
millions of people have been blessed by
our music and we are so blessed to have
had her here with us today we are going
to have a part two to this conversation
because she cares passionately about the
next generation of men and women so
we’re going to talk to her about what’s
encouraging her and discouraging her
about what she’s seeing in the next
generation and how she thinks that she
can help and that we can help so join us
for part two but thank her for being
here for part one please