Faith Through Hardships and Inspiring Today's Youth

In this episode, Angeline and Resa discuss key takeaways from recent sermons, the significance of youth engagement in worship, and the uplifting song of the week. They delve into the themes of faith, gratitude, and resilience as highlighted in sermons from First Baptist Church and Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church. The episode also features a heartwarming Dove of the Day story about Christopher Gutierrez, who helped a missing woman, and a review of the documentary short 'The Quilters,' showcasing creativity in a maximum-security prison. Finally, they share the inspiring journey of VicBlends, a barber and TikTok sensation, who overcame personal struggles to find purpose and connection in his work.

Transcript

WTQ Intro (00:08)
Yeah, you, you always make me

You're

You're

Just

Trying to boost my subscribers, I'm trying to maintain the vision People that know me closely slip different than what they show me It's to feel like they know me when I'm scrolling through images Truth be told I feel pain but I'm on the pinnacle Chasing this music thing for a minute though Know some good people that never see success And here I am sitting worried about show appearances

Angeline Bishop Thomas (00:53)
Hello everyone. I'm Angeline and she's Resa and we welcome you to season four, episode 157 of With the Quickness.

Resa Crippen (01:01)
Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (01:03)
Happy Tuesday indeed. Today we're gonna share our takeaways from the March 18th, 2025 sermon given at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey, and a past sermon given at Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. So Resa, what was your big takeaway from First Baptist this week?

Resa Crippen (01:23)
Faith won't allow the details to derail divine directives.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (01:29)
Okay. My big takeaway was faith understands that the promise involves pain and provision. What was your takeaway from Lily Grove Missionary Baptist Church?

Resa Crippen (01:41)
we must reflect on the ways God has made a way, even in the most challenging times.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (01:47)
Okay, my takeaway was we should celebrate and honor God not just after miracles, but during them. So we're going to get to those two sermons a little later in the broadcast, but right now it's time for Resa's playlist. So Resa what's the song of the week this week?

Song of the Week Intro (02:05)
Are we ready? It's time! We narrowed it down to one song. This is Song of the Week, currently featured on With the Quickness Spotify playlist.

Resa Crippen (02:25)
So the song of the week this week is actually called Most High by the group, by the Christian group, excuse me, Transformation Worship, featuring Christian Spaulding and Tye Tribbett It's from their September 2024 album titled Thy Kingdom Come. And just a little background about Transformation Worship. Around April of 2024, Pastor Michael Todd

introduces the first collective from Represent Records called Transformation Worship, birthed out of the Transformation Church in Toulouse, Oklahoma. Transformation Worship seeks to represent God with a Kingdom sound for a transformation in Christ. Since its inception in 1999, worship has remained a cornerstone of Transformation Church's beliefs and values.

Under the visionary leadership of Pastor Michael Todd, who assumed stewardship of the music industry in 2010, worship at Transformation Church has continually evolved, guided by a prophetic vision of global impact. Transformation Church invites those around the world to join them on the journey of spiritual transformation, where worship transcends mere ritual to become a lifestyle. And a fun fact about

Transformation Worship, the group, they actually released four albums in 2024. So their first album was titled Undefeated Champion, came out in November. Then it was their second one, Thy Kingdom Come in September of that year. Then in July, they released Dominion. And then in May, they released an album titled Overflow.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (04:15)
I love the song you selected. I really do. What was the kind of vibe you felt when you were listening to it?

Resa Crippen (04:21)
So it's definitely one of those like feel good songs and it's very like upbeat. So that's why I picked this song.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (04:27)
Yeah, when I was listening to it, Resa, it reminded me of that video Summertime that Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff did because it had all the things about summer that you like. It had them at the pool. It had them on the basketball courts. It had them in the dirt bike, the back ramps and everything. And then it had them at the end at the roller skating rink. All the things you like to do when you don't have to do it. We're about school or work anymore and you're just off for like summer break.

And the teenagers, oh my gosh, all of those young people, I think they probably had them from like young 16 all the way up to like, you know, in their mid 20s, early 30s, they could dance their tails off. And I don't know if all of them come from the church or not, but they are very gifted dancers too.

Resa Crippen (05:15)
Yeah, the dancers are like incredibly gifted. So I think they all come from the church, I'm not mistaken, but I have to double check on that.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (05:24)
It kind of made me want to do the dance. Even though it's like the song of a year old, it made me want to do their dance because they were having so much fun. Like there wasn't one person that wasn't smiling and enjoying themselves. And I don't know how many times they did the dance for the video. And we put the video on our website, but it's just a feel good. It makes you feel good. It makes you bop. So when did it come on your radar? When did you hear about this song?

Resa Crippen (05:50)
Honestly, I heard this song like last week when I was like basically I had my Spotify on shuffle so it came up through because Spotify has this feature is called I believe a Smart a smart shuffle so it'll just play songs that are similar to the To whatever song that I had picked initially it'll play songs that are kind of similar to that. So when it came up

on my algorithm, was like, wait, I've never heard this song before. So I had to add it to our playlist. And then I found out it came out last year. So I was like,

Angeline Bishop Thomas (06:23)
Does that deter you? That doesn't deter me when I hear a good song because I know when it comes to some music genres, I can't listen to everything. So even though it's old, does that bother you at all that it was like a year ago if it first came out?

Resa Crippen (06:37)
No, it didn't bother me that it came out like a year ago. I was just kind of like, I'm surprised I didn't hear it last year when it first came out. So I was just like, I was a little shocked by that. But then I was like, I got over it because honestly with me and music, like I try my best to try to like stay up to date with what comes out. But because there's so much coming out right now presently, you know, things will rightfully fall through the cracks. like that's what-

Angeline Bishop Thomas (07:03)
And some things are regional. Like the group Fire is known for New Jersey. So we'll hear it here in New Jersey before the rest of the nation hears it. So maybe the same thing with these singers, you won't hear their stuff and their albums until later on because it really, it's like a grassroots type of thing. Like their region, we'll hear about it way before we will.

Resa Crippen (07:23)
Right, because the fact that they released four albums last year and I'm just like, wait, what? I had no idea. But then again, like we just said, like the group and the church is based in Oklahoma. So by the time we hear over here in Jersey, we're a little late. And you know, I could acknowledge that, but.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (07:36)
Mm-hmm.

I was a little worried. went to their website to watch, to see some of the other songs. And what's the name of the group again? I mean, their official name.

Resa Crippen (07:46)
⁓

It's transformation worship.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (07:49)
Yeah, Transformation Worship. went to their YouTube site and they were singing a song and when they went to jumping, the people on stage were jumping, the people in the crowd of the, you know, of the church were jumping. I worried about the foundation, how much jumping was going on. I'm not going to lie. They were like, the camera guy must have been jumping because it's moving a certain way to camera, right? And I was like, I know you guys are feeling the Holy Spirit and enjoying yourself, but.

Part of me is also thinking about supporting beams, nuts, bolts, things of that sort, because I've been watching too much 911 lately, Resa. I just started the series. I've never watched it before. So I'm thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong when I see certain things now.

Resa Crippen (08:32)
I'm like a huge fan of 9-1-1 like I binge watched it. I started watching that show I want to say about two years ago ⁓ And I feel like because of that show I noticed things like that too like if something could possibly happen because of what I saw in that show I try to be super Precautious about it, but I will say you should definitely have some tissues on standby because that show didn't make me cry a couple times Yeah, it's a good show

Angeline Bishop Thomas (08:39)
Mm-hmm.

⁓ well, I'm so

glad you added this song to our season four playlist because we're moving into the summer months. is going up. I mean, we're almost going to be at Memorial Day before you know it.

Resa Crippen (09:06)
I know. And I also think too, because Pastor Mike Todd basically made this group in 2024, I wonder if it's going to inspire other churches to have like, I don't know, like, I know churches have their own choirs and things of that sort, but to have a group kind of similar to this for their own church, I wonder if they're going to do that just to highlight different talent.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (09:31)
Wouldn't that be cool? I mean, I think more young people, they're drawn to their music. They just are. mean, since you can remember, there's been a teenager with headsets on or locking themselves in the room listening to their albums or their CDs or whatever it was. to reach the in that way and say, okay, you're going to be part of the young adult choir. And if you want to, if you wish to audition for this certain group over here that's going to sing this kind of music.

Yeah, that would be kind of thrilling. I mean, I think the bad thing about it is everybody's wondering about record deals and money and stuff like that. Can you keep it where it's just mostly along the faith or is everybody gonna be like, New Edition "Where's our money?" Everybody's signing contracts wanting to know where the money is for all these kids that are a part of this.

Resa Crippen (10:20)
Well, yeah, but like, you know, but if the focus is just based on, we're getting everybody together just to express themselves and, you know, be able to create community and like, you know, and actually create like original music that they can just sing along their peers. I think that might be a great thing. Because the fact that this is happening in Oklahoma, there could be something in the tri-state area or even the South. I don't know, something.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (10:45)
Yeah, think a lot of churches are, that's how they're getting the youth to come back. And you can see some churches have such a big youth presence and some, it's very scarce. It's all about reaching them on what they communicate with, whether it's social media, whether it's music.

Some of them love spoken word. Some of them like acting and like performing. So if you can reach them where they're at, that's how you're gonna grow a big chunk of, or at least draw a big chunk of the youth there. And once you get them there, then you have to remind them how much Christ loves them, et cetera. And youth will bring other youth. If you're having a great time at church or at a function or...

an event, you're going to bring people that, you know, that, you should come to church with me. I hear it all the time when I teach in my college courses as a professor. They'll say to each other, we're doing XYZ at my church. You should come because you're excited. You had a good time, you know, and what your church is doing is great.

Resa Crippen (11:38)
Yeah, I do think having like those types of functions and those types of get togethers definitely helps people not only come together, but it also helps them like, you know, create and like maintain an actual community.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (11:51)
Isn't it a lot of pressure though too to expect you to sing a certain way? It reminds me of when Joe Clark had everyone singing the new anthem and he would stop you in a hallway to sing the song on Lean on Me. And if you didn't have good rhythm or you were pitchy in the way you sang, it didn't land right. mean, those that were talented, it was a good thing to stop them and know the anthem, but those that put on notice by your principal, that kind of pressure, I don't know.

Resa Crippen (11:57)
you

But see, I was thinking more along the lines of Sister Act 2 with Whoopi Goldberg where it's like, okay, you have these talented people that may feel like, I want to, but I'm not quite sure. But you just need that special person that can be like, hey, you're meant to be here. Let's figure out what your strengths are and then let's pair everybody up and let it rip.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (12:26)
you

Yeah, it's like Sister Act and also like Praise This. Remember that movie where she just came in and she, they took secular sounds and they gave it up to the Lord by singing for the Lord. So it sounds like, you you're onto something. If that's what's really drawing people in, if that's what's making everyone on the stage jump up and down and everybody in the congregation jump like that, like I saw, it was kind of like, I felt like I was at a concert that they had so many lights and strobes of my thing is like, did I enter a concert all of sudden?

Resa Crippen (12:54)
Mm-hmm.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (13:13)
It felt very concert-like and I kind of wondered about that.

Resa Crippen (13:17)
Yeah, like I only brought that up because I just noticed this when I was like doing my research on them like prior to me finding out about them obviously everybody knows I was in I'm into Maverick City, right? And then even after that, I want to say it was last week, Adrienne Bailon and her husband Israel Houghton just released another album called Coritos

Angeline Bishop Thomas (13:23)
Mm-hmm.

Resa Crippen (13:40)
version one and it consists of Adrienne, her husband, her sister and all these other church goers where it's like I'm starting to see different collectives have these types of worship albums which are great but then I'm wondering, I wonder if that could inspire other churches to have something like that in their church because I think it would be great to have

a Maverick City or a Transformation Worship come to your church, but if you can't, I'm pretty sure there's talent within the church that may want to have that outlet to be able to be like, hey, let's do something like this and be able to support our community.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (14:23)
Yeah, you're absolutely right. Absolutely right. So anyone that wishes to hear this week's song of the week, they can go to www.withthequickness.com and they can go on the playlist tab and actually see the video that we were talking about for this song. I mean, it's really well done. Everyone involved was having a wonderful time, including Pastor Mike Todd, who kicks everything off. And it's also on the Megamix.

on Spotify and the regular season form mix for With The Quickness. Right, Resa? Thank you so much for adding to the podcast today. I really appreciate you. And as you can see, I'm doing something different with my head wraps and things. What you think?

Resa Crippen (14:51)
Absolutely.

It's definitely given me the vibe of Queen Mother from Wakanda mixed with Mama Odie from The Princess and the Frog. And I say that with love. Yeah.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (15:10)
Mama Odie, that is true.

That's true, I say have some gumbo cooking up right now, right? While I'm doing this. Yeah, it's kind of a mix of the two. You're absolutely right. Queen Mother mixed with, you know, the cook of the house.

Resa Crippen (15:16)
yeah.

Well, yeah, I only said that because the glasses, because Mama Odie has glasses in the movie, so.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (15:27)
Yeah, she does, she does.

Exactly. It does make me feel like I should know what spices should go into what recipes. I should also be able to give words of wisdom, you know, and be fierce about my family, fiercely protective, like, you know, the mother and the queen mother in Wakanda, Ramonda, yeah.

Resa Crippen (15:38)
and buffer.

Right, and

both of those things you do very well. So I'm like, hey, the perfect mix.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (15:49)
Aww, thank you, thank you.

You know, I like to mix it up. I had a hat on at one point, you know, this month. said, I'm gonna, you know, be a little regal. Maybe next time you see me, I might slay it like you and blow dry my hair all out or something, you know. But thank you for noticing. I did a little bit of a change and that you liked it. Thank you, you know. If it goes over, great. And if it doesn't go over well, that's all right. I'll do another color for another time. You know, I'll do it in white. Maybe you like it better in white.

Resa Crippen (16:04)
Hey.

You're welcome.

You

Angeline Bishop Thomas (16:18)
When I

first saw myself like this, the first thing I thought was Game of Thrones, where she goes, tell Cersei I did it. You know, that's what I felt. I felt like that a little bit because head wraps kind of make you feel. And then you said, I think you said, I reminded you of another Disney character.

Resa Crippen (16:24)
Hahaha

yeah, like you also reminded, well only because for the hunchback of, what was it, the hunchback of Notre Dame, yeah, Notre Dame. Yeah, so like the guy in there, but the guy was evil though, he wasn't a nice person, so I was like, let me be nice.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (16:40)
of Notre Dame.

Yeah, don't compare me

to an evil dude just because we both have a head wrap on. You know what I'm saying?

Resa Crippen (16:51)
Well,

like he had like his wasn't even a head wrap. It was like a hat. I believe it's like based in like in Europe. So they have like, you know, those fancy hats, but.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (16:58)
Okay.

Okay. Okay. Cool. I might bring this back. I mean, I also got a little Eartha Kitt vibe. know, ...Marcus!

Resa Crippen (17:07)
Yeah, it

definitely, I think when I initially saw it, I first thought of Eartha Kitt because I could have swore that she did a guest appearance on Living Single. And she, yeah, she had a head wrap and she had like the long cigarette, it was a throwback to old Hollywood. So I was like, oh.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (17:19)
And she had a head wrap, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Well, the reason why I like wearing them, even though I do have my hair, is because when women are going through chemotherapy and they lose their hair, the first thing they feel really self-conscious about is putting on scarves and head wraps to cover the baldness, because they don't normally wear those things. And just like we are normalizing in the Black community to be more natural and wear your natural hair or have...

shortcuts and not so much processing. It should be normalized that we also can wear head wraps when we choose to. It's a choice. not something that, can be a protective style. It could be something you do when you just want to look more pulled together. But it's not just when you're fighting a battle of cancer. You can also tap into your heritage and wear a head covering or a head scarf. Our Muslim sisters wear hijabs.

You know, so it's like, it's just tapping into culturally what would, you know, has existed in our own race for a long, time.

Resa Crippen (18:27)
Yeah, I agree. I know when it's super hot outside and I'm not trying to deal with my hair, a head wrap is on. And I have nice earrings on. Yeah.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (18:34)
Yeah, for a brief moment, because it's hot. You can't do it

too much of a hot. You can't do it in June like that, the way you want to. You might have to do something lighter or lighter fabrics. But yeah, that's the reason why I wanted to wear it too. I anyone that is going through any struggle and they go out and they see someone wearing a head wrap, it doesn't have to, but they're wearing it in solid. They feel less conscious because they're not the only one wearing a head wrap. You know, when they see, it's almost like seeing somebody with a fro. You have your natural hair out in a fro and you feel self-conscious because...

you know, because your hair is not as long as it normally is and the protective styles with the braids or whatever. And then you see someone else with a fro and you both give each other a look and go, nice hair, like, yeah, your hair looks nice too. You know, a little, little acknowledgement that yeah, I see you and you're good. You still look beautiful kind of.

Resa Crippen (19:19)
Yeah, like I live for the big curly fros. I'm like, my gosh. That to me is art to me.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (19:26)
It is, it is. God bless those girls that can do it. Cause I know when my hair gets to the big fro part, sometimes I'm like, I just want to pull it back in a ponytail cause it's just too hot. Sometimes the fro be like in the summertime feeling like a hat race. It's like, love my fro, but at the same time, if it's a humid day and it's hot and humid, feels like a hat. I just can't do it.

Resa Crippen (19:45)
Yeah,

like, that's the thing, because it's like, for like, my natural hair, obviously, like, when there's heat, it will revert. So it's like, I don't got time to be playing with that.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (19:54)
Yeah,

true, true. So once again, thanks so much for songing today. I hope everybody gets a chance to listen to it I loved it. I think it's a great song. It's a good way to go into Memorial Day weekend. So thank you.

Okay, now let's move on to the bulk of our show. Let's stop over at the Sunday service at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey. The praise and worship ministry had the youth. It was all about the youth this Sunday. It was youth Sunday and they were singing and they were saying the prayers and they were doing announcements. They were all over the place and they look good, right, Resa Yeah, but they're white and tan. I like how they decided to do that. A lot of churches when certain choirs sing,

Resa Crippen (20:28)
They did.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (20:36)
they'll have like white shirts and black slacks and skirts. And I liked how they did a play on it, but they did tan. It was more youthful, it was more springtime feeling, and they were enjoying themselves. It's what I liked the most. Every song they sang, they really enjoyed it.

Resa Crippen (20:53)
Yeah, they definitely were having a great time and jamming out.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (20:56)
I think they would actually appreciate what you were saying about a lot of churches are, you know, making musical moments for their own youth, you know, and finding ways to engage them. Like that group that we saw this Sunday got together and said, we want to do our own version of XYZ song. I would listen to it. I'd buy it. I'll download it, you know, cause they, they were pretty good. I mean, they to, they have to work on some things, but it would be pretty good. The musicians were great backing them up.

So I would just love to see them try to do anything like that. But just having them period once a month was really nice.

Resa Crippen (21:31)
Yeah, like just to have them with the band and just having like that jam session, I'm sure it was amazing.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (21:39)
It really, really was.

So this Sunday's sermon at First Baptist was titled, They're Not Like Us. The speaker was Reverend Dr. Dante R. Quick.

His scripture was Numbers chapter 14, verses 20 through 25 of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

This passage of scripture recounts the Lord's response to Moses's intercession after the Israelites' rebellion and murmuring against the spies' negative report about Canaan.

The Lord initially forgave them, but then issued a decree that they will wander in the desert for 40 years, suffering for their unbelief, and that none of those who saw the signs in Egypt and in the wilderness, who had rebelled and tested the Lord, will enter the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb are spared.

Pastor Quick delivered an inspiring sermon that urged us to free our minds and lean on our faith through tough times. He reminded us that faith is a powerful tool that allows us to rise above fear, self-doubt, and the mental change we often place on ourselves. Drawing on Kendrick Lamar's poignant mega rap song, They Not Like Us, Pastor Quick challenged everyone to free themselves from mental and spiritual chains and step boldly into a life of purpose.

He began his sermon by addressing how many of us are still carrying the weight of psychological burdens shaped by generations of oppression and societal expectations.

He urged us not to be defined by those who want to live their life in fear. Instead, he called the Black church to celebrate God's message of empowerment and liberation. His words were a reminder that we are wonderfully and fearfully made, created with a purpose and potential. I like that, I like how he started reminding us about how powerful a people we are. What do you think?

Resa Crippen (23:39)
think it's extremely important in this day and age to remember how powerful we are and where we come from so people can just move accordingly.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (23:52)
Exactly. Now he gave three key messages in his sermon. One was faith won't allow difficulties to derail purpose. He encouraged us to remember that challenges are not the end of our story. He also told us to reframe the phrase, the Dove is in the details to God is in the details. He reminded us that God can handle even the most complicated struggles. Our ability to thrive through difficulty.

as a people just serves as a testament of his grace. He reminded also the congregation of how First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens began in a humble gas station. And yet by faith, it grew into a thriving community that it is today. It starts with one person who allows faith to guide their life. I like how Resa, took the time to remind us to look backwards. Everybody forgets as we're going through this difficult season of remembering how far

our forefathers, ancestors, grandparents came to get us to where we are at this point.

Resa Crippen (24:55)
Right, because again, I feel like a lot of people, me included sometimes, can be so focused on the future and what's ahead that sometimes we forget to look back, especially when we're going through any type of hardship to really acknowledge and understand that we have been through far worse and that even though times may be hard right now, it's not gonna last forever.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (25:18)
Exactly, exactly. The second point that Pastor Quick made was faith sees beyond pain to promise. Trials and pains are just part of the process, but so is provision. Drawing an analogy to grasshoppers that hide to blend in, Pastor Quick challenged us to reject the tendency to camouflage ourselves and to assimilate for safety. He emphasized that we must work for our freedom, not simply pray for it.

He also revisited the dark history of drapetomania, a term once used to pathologize the desire for freedom among enslaved blacks to illustrate how deeply fear can imprison us. Pastor Quick reminded us to dream big because God created us to be more than we can imagine. I like that, Resa, because when it comes to all the young people that are graduating right now,

They need to keep being told to dream big. Like just achieving your graduation isn't just enough. I mean, you worked hard. I mean, yes, all the tests and exams are over and everybody's celebrating you this May and this June, but you got to think beyond. What's the next step? Where do you see yourself? And are you limiting yourself from what you're thinking you can do? Are you really just dreaming big?

Resa Crippen (26:37)
Right, I think the first victory is yes, graduating and getting your degree. Now the next step is trying to find that adults with benefits type of job, which is gonna be another battle.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (26:53)
think it's great how he reminded the young people how mentally you can lock yourself in a position to the point we don't think you can have freedom. There's some people that young people have never been outside of their home state or never been out of their own city before because their family doesn't travel like that, right? So their life can be in just a certain circumference of their city. And to have the opportunity to go to the next county or go to the next state.

or get on a plane and go to the next country even. It actually opens your mind up to a lot. I was talking to your Nana once and telling her, said, you should travel more. I now that you're older, don't you always think about maybe traveling? And she's like, no, there's nowhere I want to go. Because she's always afraid you're going to leave the country and not get back. And a lot of people have that fear. I'm not going to travel because I'm scared what happens if I can't return to the United States. But if you let your whole life

be fixed by the fears, and enslaved by the fears, like Pastor Quick says, you limit yourself the ability to dream bigger.

Resa Crippen (27:57)
Right, like I've seen like a plethora of people on social media who will document their solo travels, whether it's, you know, they're going to the city by themselves or going to a concert by themselves. They're going on a solo vacation by themselves. like, yes, like I can understand the rationale of being afraid to do it because you're going by yourself. But when you see other people do it and they talk about the different safety protocols that they do to ensure that they can enjoy their

their trip adventure safely. It makes you want to at least try because I know that's what I did when I started going to concerts by myself. I was like, I'm going to go because I was tired of not going to shows because I didn't have anybody to go with.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (28:40)
And then you can start small, people go to the movies by themselves. go eat there. He had a nice restaurant by themselves, even Pastor Quick, though, about he was eating in a nice restaurant. Why? Because he wanted to take himself out and go to a nice restaurant. And it's perfectly OK to do those things.

Resa Crippen (28:54)
Yeah, like that was like before the pandemic hit, like my favorite thing was to go to my local movie theaters by my house by myself because I was like, that's me. That's me time. And, you know, I haven't done it in a while because like life has just been life in. But not not not in a bad way. Just like I've been doing other things. But, you know, I think starting small, if you if you have a dream.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (29:03)
Mm-hmm.

Resa Crippen (29:19)
of doing something big like going to the city or going to a concert, I would definitely suggest starting small by doing something like that. And if you're able to do that, then try to broaden your horizons.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (29:30)
Yeah, and the thing is you don't have to be totally without support. You know, that's why we have these wonderful cell phones, and that's why people, meet up. They say, I'm going to drive my own car. will meet you there, rather than just, come to your house and you all have to go over together. And we all got to count heads to see we're all in the car. Sometimes you can say, no, I'm taking my own car. So when I'm ready to leave and you guys are still having fun, I could still leave when I'm ready to leave. That's one thing about driving yourself. You can leave whenever you are ready to go.

then when you're riding with other people, you leave when the driver wants to leave.

Resa Crippen (29:57)
year.

Right, like I feel like I learned that in high school and college. was like never again. It wasn't bad, but when I wanna go, I want to go. I don't wanna stay too long.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (30:10)
Yeah,

yeah. And a lot of people realize that in high school and college when they are at certain parties, because your friends wanted to go so bad and you're sitting there going, yeah, this party wasn't exactly what I thought it be. I'm ready to go. Exit stays left. Yeah, yeah. Well, the third point that Pastor Quick made was faith recognizes favor when it shows up. God's favor doesn't always look the same for everyone, but it is always present.

Resa Crippen (30:23)
Right, right.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (30:38)
Pastor Quick urged the congregation to remember that when trials feel overwhelming and when we're on the verge of giving up, that's when we must take our struggles to God because God's love and favor will see us through if we just keep walking in faith. I love that point, Resa, to remind us that we're not in this by ourselves. We gotta remember how powerful our God really is.

Resa Crippen (31:02)
Yeah, it's true. It's like when you are at that point, we're just like, I don't know. You just gotta get on your knees and pray.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (31:09)
Yeah, mean prayer is like a lifeline like you were talking about before we watch 911. I'm sorry. I said too many ones 911. And the thing about when you call that number, they're picking up. It's not like one of those businesses where you call like, Oh, it be after hours and catching one or one. No, there's always someone there. That's why you cannot play around when it comes to calling 911. It's for real emergencies. I liked how the show

shows not only the emergencies, but also people that are calling for frivolous things that misuse it from time to time to remind us it's a lifeline. Prayer is also like a lifeline. It's a lifeline to our deity, you know? our heavenly father, and, his son is right there advocating for us. So to use it like flippantly, like only when you, you know, I need this from you, God, it's not a big deal. Can you? Is God in the mundane things, the small things? Yes.

So there's nothing too small, which makes him different from the 911 calls that we make in our world. You can call him about anything. Like, Lord, I don't know if I should eat this for dinner or this for dinner. They're both good, but he's in the mundane, he's in the small. There's nothing too small to talk to him about.

Yes, there are big things where you're on your knees, you're advocating for someone, you're taking it very, very seriously, but it's also you're driving in your car and you want to pray to your Lord. You can pray to your Lord while you're driving your car. Don't close your eyes for Pete's sakes because you're driving, but yes, you can pray in a car.

Resa Crippen (32:41)
Yeah, like I think for me, like when I was younger, I would only pray when I was like needing something. But then as I have gotten older and wiser, I like now view it as like having a conversation with God throughout the day, whether it's like, you know, thank you for letting me get home safe or as you know, like, or if I have some type of concern, then I'll be like, I have a concern. But it's like I view it more as a conversation.

So I can continue to have that open dialogue with him. So it's like I'm not only talking to him when I'm like in dire straits. So I'm just like, that works for me.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (33:20)
Yeah, I think you said that very succinctly. for me, we got to remember we also have the Holy Spirit prompting us and helping us and guiding us. maybe not everything is, you know, has to be such a, you know, reverent prayer where you say everything right and you quote scriptures back to God. He knows his scriptures. If you can do that, that's great. But if you don't do that as a new believer in Christ, I want you all to know he's okay. If you can't, you know, say a beautiful prayer like you hear in your churches on Sunday.

And please be mindful that even a lot of them that are praying on behalf of a congregation, they wrote some stuff down. They're taking pieces of paper up there with them. There's not too many of them. There are some that can do it off the cuff and really tap in because they have a very strong prayer life or they're really good with words or have no problem public speaking, but other people need to jot down some notes and it's okay.

But does God expect you to do that in order to pray with him? No, your personal prayers are just that, they're personal. Now, go ahead, Resa.

Resa Crippen (34:19)
And then,

also think too, to your point that you made earlier about when people call 911, they can hear someone speaking with them. I know at first when I was like, when I had rededicated myself back to Christ, and I'm just like, I don't hear anything. So I'm just sitting there, I'm just talking, I don't hear anything. But then again, to your point, he may not be talking back to me in that moment, but throughout other...

Angeline Bishop Thomas (34:30)
Mm-hmm.

Resa Crippen (34:47)
different circumstances, I'll get a.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (34:49)
Yeah, it's a prompting. It's not like, I think I said this in the podcast a long time ago. I don't know about other people, but as far as my God has been with me in my lifetime, he doesn't talk that much. Like he does not have all these, you know, big long sentences and conversations with me like that. So people that goes, my God told me this and he told me this. He, if anything, I get impressions from the Holy spirit and every blue moon I'll get, you know, an impression that is like,

the words are like almost in my head. can hear like, like, you know, do this. And I'm like, Oh, I don't know if I want to do this. And I'm like, talk, try to talk out of it. And I know when it's the Holy spirit prompted me to do something, I'll have it. It's more repetitious. I can't get away from that impression. I need to do X, Y, It's like annoying. Like, Oh, you know, you need to do this. You need to do this. It feels, it feels like it's my voice, but it's not my voice because I don't even want to do what I'm being prompted to do. You know?

wasn't even thinking about doing whatever it was. And then I have things that say, remind me that it's a good job. Like I get a tightness in my throat or I get close to tears or the spirit gets really sweet and I know that he's present in those things when you get choked up.

Resa Crippen (35:48)
right.

Yeah, I definitely, know for me, I've gotten a lot of promptings through different channels, whether it's a person, a situation, what have you.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (36:11)
Yep. yeah, from the pulpit, sometimes Pastor Quick says something

that was like the answer to something that was just said in my prayers this morning. Yep.

Resa Crippen (36:19)
that happens more times than not.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (36:22)
Yeah,

definitely. Now, ultimately, Pastor Quick's message was clear. His message was, God did not create us to live in fear or limitation. He created us to grow, to thrive, and to lean on Him when the path feels uncertain. Like Caleb in the Bible, we are reminded to act with courage, knowing that God's promises come with provision. And when we step forward in faith,

we open the door to a life that exceeds our greatest expectations. So no matter what you're facing this week, don't let fear win. Lean on your faith. Trust that God is with you every step of the way. And watch how he transforms your trials into triumphs.

So what did you think of the sermon, Resa? Did you like it?

Resa Crippen (37:09)
did like it, was a very informative sermon as always.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (37:13)
think it was poignant for the time, don't you? Because everyone's full of fear about different things. And I think it really just reminded us, know, got to have faith through this. If he just keeps hitting us home with these faith sermons, you know, every now and then to encourage us, I think we're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.

Resa Crippen (37:29)
Yeah, I think so too. We just have to just keep him in the mix and just sometimes we have to lean not on our own understanding.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (37:38)
Reverend Dr. Dante R. Quick's sermon, They Not Like Us, was live streamed on May the 18th, 2025 on the FBC YouTube channel. So when you get a moment, please check it out. Now let's go on to Lily Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. They posted a February 11th, 2024 sermon that we know you'll enjoy. It's titled Things Remembered. The speaker is Reverend Dr. Andre Jermaine Lewis, the senior pastor of New Faith Church in Houston, Texas.

Now the scripture he referred to was Joshua chapter four, verses one through three, and one through nine of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. These passages of scripture are powerful. In Joshua chapter four, verses one through three, it instructs the Israelites to take 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River as a memorial, one for each tribe and to place them at their camp. This is to be a symbol of God's miraculous power.

in drying up the river for their passage. In Joshua chapter four, verses eight through nine, it describes how the Israelites carried out this instruction, placed the stones in the camp, and also marked the spot in the river where the priest stood with the ark. Now, Reverend Lewis's latest sermon, it kind of felt like a heartfelt call, just like Pastor Quick's, to remind us of God's faithfulness.

but he also added that we also need to live in gratitude. He draw inspiration from Joshua chapter four and he shared the story of how Joshua built a personal memorial to God in the river, an act of praise and remembrance of God's provision and goodness, even in the midst of all the challenges he was under. Now, Reverend Lewis invites us to think about how God has shown up in our lives, how he's performed miracles and he's provided for us, even in times of struggle.

or even when we're being disobedient. I think it's so poignant that he reminds us that, know, gratefulness, we have to have a grateful heart, no matter what's going on. We can't remember God's goodness, right, Resa?

Resa Crippen (39:42)
I strongly agree with that.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (39:45)
It reminds me of how Oprah was always talking about gratitude journals. Remember that time in the 80s and 90s she was talking about gratitude journals all the time?

Resa Crippen (39:52)
yeah, like I remember going to the book fair and they would have like gratitude journals.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (39:56)
Yeah, I think we as a nation and maybe even the world have to get back to that. Because if you have to, some of us can think mentally every day about what we're grateful for on their walks or as they're getting ready for work or before they go to bed at night and their prayers. But some of us, our lives move so fast, you need to actually carve out time and actually physically have a way to make yourself stop. And gratitude journals maybe will stop and write down five things that they were grateful for.

Resa Crippen (40:24)
Yeah, because I feel like if you don't take that time out to give gratitude and you're always focused on what you don't have, it'll never be enough.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (40:31)
True. Now, through powerful storytellings and parallels with Israeli journey to the promised land, the sermon reminded us that God's promises are always fulfilled in His perfect timing. Whether through unseen works or grand acts of grace, we're challenged to honor God with His own memorials of faith, celebrating His works both privately and publicly.

not just after a miracle unfolds, but also during miracles in our lives, we got to remember to acknowledge Him. That's the hard part. Sometimes when we're going through it, everyone says, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Nothing but the goodness covered by the blood, right? But when they're after and they're over with, to remember to look back and say, I'm so grateful for that, that He did that for me. And to say your prayers, I haven't forgotten, Lord, how good you are, how good you've been.

and I know how good you'll be in the future to me.

Resa Crippen (41:28)
feel like I've seen people do that when they are at the place where they want to be. Then they go back and say, you know, I thank God for those, you know, for those moments where I didn't know why I was going through it. But now that I'm here, I'm thankful. But in those situations where you're not where you want to be, I don't know what they always say. Like, thank you for, you know, putting me through those trenches. And I'm still not where I want to. I don't know. I don't.

I haven't really seen that too often.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (41:59)
Yeah, I mean, I think when people feel hopeless, you hear a lot less gratitude. And that's why Reverend Lewis and Pastor Quick are reminding people of the good to remember the goodness of God and to lean on their faith. Now, Reverend Lewis, he also shared an uplifting reflection on Christ's redemptive love. He recalled how Christ gave his life for us on the cross and rose again and offered hope and salvation.

His message was just a stirring reminder to express our gratitude and blessings for the grace and deliverance we're already receiving. I think everyone should give it a chance to watch it. He has a feeling in his voice when he preaches that reminds you very much of Martin Luther King Jr. where he's like, you he has a certain rhythm and a cadence he does. And I know it's very distinct for him. He's not imitating anybody. So if you get a chance to watch his inspiring sermon, you'll realize how much he wants everyone to lean into.

remembrance and gratitude to deepen our faith. Like you do these things to transform your everyday walk with God. You know, don't just do them just to do them. There's a purpose to the things you're supposed to be doing. Like it's one of the fruits of the spirit. So you can view Reverend Dr. Andre Jermaine Lewis's sermon, Things Remembered, on the Lily Grove Missionary Baptist Church's YouTube channel. So when you get a moment, please, please check it out. Now let's move on to one of the segments I adore.

Resa, who's the Dove of the Day today.

Dove of the Day (43:26)
It's time to celebrate an amazing person doing amazing things in this world. This is Dove of the Day.

you

you

Resa Crippen (43:50)
So Dove of the Day is brought to you by Prayer Bowls. So our Dove the Day for today is actually Christopher Gutierrez Just a brief backstory. So Tiffany Slaton is a 27-year-old woman from Georgia who was found alive after being missing for nearly three weeks in the Sierra National Forest, thanks to the Vermilion Valley Resort owner, Christopher Gutierrez.

who discovered her when reopening the resort for spring. Tiffany had been reported missing on April 29th after her parents lost contact with her. And despite extensive searches hindered by heavy snow, she emerged from an unlocked cabin near the resort seeking shelter. After being given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she was then taken to the hospital for evaluation, but was otherwise in good condition.

Her survival in such harsh conditions is considered remarkable, highlighting her resilience and the outdoor skills instilled by her parents.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (44:52)
I remember when we came across this, everybody's been talking about this, you know, since she's been found on three weeks to be missing, to be missing. And then they found her so far away from where they thought, where they were looking for her.

Wow. I'm very grateful that Chris decided at his resort to keep those cabins unlocked for any hiker that might be in very dire conditions can seek refuge.

Resa Crippen (45:20)
That was my first thought, if those resorts were not unlocked, I don't even know what could have happened to her if she wasn't able to go in and seek refuge for the time being.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (45:32)
Yeah, because she had a bike, they said, and she had some provisions, like a tent and other things. But she had to ditch those things when it came to just trying to take care of herself. I think they had a blizzard or something or some really bad storm that hit. And she was just trying to look for cover at that point.

Resa Crippen (45:47)
Right, like they had like quite a few different snow storms that she basically needed to find shelter from. I'm just like, the fact that she is, you know, that she even survived all of that is a blessing in itself because I don't know if I could handle all of that. Cause I don't like, I'm not like an outdoorsy person. So I don't even know like what to do.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (46:00)
Yeah.

Yeah.

I think it's great she had her sleeping bag. That's one of the things that could help insulate her, you know, from some of the elements. And then she had parents that really, I think her parents had said on Instagram that their kids didn't watch very much TV. They were always out learning how to do things out in nature and stuff like that. And so they really believed in the adventurer spirit in their household, which saved her life, I think. I think it saved her life being an adventurous person.

Resa Crippen (46:32)
Right, I think so too because it's like I went out as a kid but it was just like to ride bikes and play basketball. I didn't like I did have some friends that were like in the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts so they could probably survive. I don't know about myself.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (46:47)
Well, you know, I took girls out into the woods and stuff and do those life skills and all that stuff, those survivor skills, you know, making a fire and how do you, you know, take, put up a tent and how do you cook on a fire and all that kind of, and what can you eat and not eat. And it's quite challenging because a lot of young women, when you take them camping, they want to take a lot of their stuff with them. They want all the beauty stuff with them. I tell them, you're around other girls. You're to look like the rest of us.

You know, but they still want to take makeup. You know, you can't get them out of that, you know. And I think it's unfortunate because when a person gets so into seeing what they look like with their face dolled up or so into Instagram filters, you forget the natural beauty of your face because you're so used to the makeup or so used to the filter. So one good thing about camping and, you know, being on the elements, it makes you get back to basics. It's OK that your hair is up in a ponytail. It's OK that, you know,

you did not put on lashes. Girls are putting on lashes. But put on lashes and things. You don't have to do that much stuff to go out and catch a fish and fry a fish and tell stories over a campfire.

Resa Crippen (47:57)
Yeah, it's like my issue isn't so much the glam, because don't get me wrong, I do like glam, but I'm also like, I could be natural. My issue is I don't do bugs. I don't like bugs because it makes me like, so that's why.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (48:06)
Yeah, that is an issue

a lot of young women had a problem with. What do we do if bugs? What do we do if we are too hot? Some people don't want to be hot at all. They don't want to sweat at all. You can tell them how much you're going to go into the nice river or the nice pool or whatever you have, because some cabins have pools. So you can tell them all the wonderful things you can do and the bonding and the testimony that could happen, especially at a church camp. But no, yeah.

Resa Crippen (48:31)
Yeah, like I remember when I was, I think I was in the fourth or fifth, think the fifth grade, we had like this overnight camping trip called Stokes. So we were there for like, I probably three four days max. Like obviously we had some students, parents were to chaperones because there were a lot of us going. It was like our whole grade. But I remember, like I didn't mind the elements, but I remember I had to get like a full thing of,

not Raid that bug repellent spray was because it was just like I was getting bitten up. Yeah, off. So I remember spraying myself with that because I don't... Listen, I'm that girl that every time we're outside in the elements, somehow, someway, I'm getting bit by a mosquito or something. So by day two, I was over it. I was just like, I'm ready to go home. It's hot. I'm getting bit. I can't do this.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (49:05)
Like off, off, okay.

I can understand that. I can understand that.

It definitely tells you what you're made of. So for Tiffany to go through as a young person, knowing that she'll be okay and surviving off the land for three weeks. And they found her, she's like, I've been eating leeks. I could really go for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's kind of good that her parents put forward in her enough survival things because our kids today, they're mostly watching TV and playing video games. I don't know how many of them you could say,

If I give you this tent, could you go out in the backyard and put it up in like less than 20 minutes? lot of them be like, if you give me a video, no, no, no video. It has instructions in the bag. Go give it a shot. They'll look at you like you're crazy because they do everything with technology.

Resa Crippen (50:08)
Yeah, I was gonna say now I can do it if I have paper instructions, but but but

Angeline Bishop Thomas (50:12)
Yeah, paper instructions will

be with you and the tools you need to use, along with the tent itself and the stakes and everything. But there's been many people that when it comes to doing little things, it's hard. when there is a disaster in your city or a national disaster, it's hard to know how to navigate and what to do first. And that's why everybody runs to the grocery store and gets a bunch of toilet paper, a bunch of water, and then they don't know what to do after that.

Resa Crippen (50:38)
Right.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (50:38)
You know,

you got to tell them, do you have a flashlight? Do you have a radio that has batteries? And you got to walk them through the rest of it. Because they only remembered a couple of things they've seen their parents do or their neighbors do, which is get toilet paper and get water and get food. They don't remember the rest of the stuff you have to do.

Resa Crippen (50:55)
Yeah, I feel like that's the equivalent of a story that I heard a couple years back when I was watching The View and this mom had like let her kid go to New York City to Times Square by himself. And she was like, yeah, I did it on purpose. Like she dropped him in the middle of Times Square and said, basically, you know, figure out how to get home. And everyone was like, why would you do that? And she was just like, no.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (51:12)
no, child abuse. I don't like that.

That stuff could, I mean, that would have went bad. If somebody, pedophile, somebody would have picked them up, it would have been bad. So I really, wow. How old was he?

Resa Crippen (51:24)
I can't remember, I don't remember how old he was, but he had to be maybe like somewhere between like maybe sixth or seventh grade, so maybe like 11, 12-ish, but her.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (51:35)
But there were adults

nearby that were watching him though, Hopefully.

Resa Crippen (51:38)
I don't think so.

I don't think so. I do, because I remember this because, okay, was a years back. was during the summertime. It was on the view. And she was on there trying to, because it basically, it made the headlines. If anybody has a story, feel free to send it to us. you know, he sent it to me. But, you know, the mom caught a lot of flak because they were like, why would you do that? Like your kid could have got kidnapped or whatever. And her thing was like, listen.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (51:53)
Send it to Resa, Resa @ WithQuickness.com.

Resa Crippen (52:06)
I need to make sure that my kid knows how to get home. Now, of course, are there other ways to do this? Of course, like taking your kid to New York and staying with your kid and showing them how to do it. But it's like, could understand why for certain things such as camping or teaching your kid how to navigate home, you might do something drastic like that. I wouldn't recommend it.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (52:31)
I don't

think that's good. think like, most young people don't leave home until they go to college and they go with their parents on adult on college tours. If you ever notice anything about college tours, they always have the students that are at the college, giving them the lay of the land of the college. Right. And, they lead the tours, not professors, not other, you know, not advisors, but fellow students lead students throughout the campus.

And they do that because they're speaking the language in a way that it can resonate and it can reach them better. Sometimes it's not what you say, it's how you say it. So she wanted her young eight-year-old to learn how to navigate, how to get home, drop them off in the city, get home. It would have been great if she would have also dropped off a teenager with her son and said, let him help him figure out how to get home.

because we tried everything and it's not getting in his ear the importance of getting home. And try your best to let him lead more than you. Then you know your young person is safe with someone that's, hopefully a cousin, an older brother, you know, older siblings, something like that. And they're going through the process and it's not gonna be fun. I mean, part of it's gonna be like, what do we do now? And the older kid's gonna be like, what do you think we should do? Because you know how older kids are. It's like, what do you think? You know, and have it.

He would remember it more and be less afraid or she would be less afraid knowing they have the safety net of not the parent, but someone that would make sure this goes okay. That if God forbid, you I fall and I stumble and I hurt myself, this person will be like, no problem. I got you. We're going to get you cleaned up and they will take care of you in a way. Not saying they would baby them and not help them get home, but they would help them get through the process. That one show where they...

take the stars and drop them out in the woods and they have that guy. What's the name of that guy? Grylls something. I forgot what his name is, but he's with them telling them to live off the land and killing animals and stuff till they get to the part where they get to picked up. And so many stars have done it with him. And my first thought was one, he's taking them out their comfort zone, which is what they want to do, what they signed up for. They had a choice in it and they're learning a life skill. This young man didn't have a choice.

His mother woke up one day and said, I'm dropping you off in the city. I have a problem with that. At least have the kid know, you know, by the time you're 16, you're going to have to, you know, have a survival test of, know, trying to get back home. We'll give you what you need and you'll be going with your older cousin, so-and-so, but you got it. We're going to drop you off in New York city and you got to get back. At least the kid knows it's coming and the kid has a choice. You're like, if the kid can go, I don't want to do that. And they say, I don't want to do it all the way up to their 16th birthday. I don't want to do it. Then you can reevaluate.

But to make a kid do it, I worry about that, Resa. That might be a little bit up there with child abuse, I don't know.

Resa Crippen (55:23)
But see,

when I watched the episode again, this is from a couple years back, she didn't say that her kid was like, oh, he was traumatized. He actually enjoyed it. It's like she only caught backlash. The public was like, oh, that's horrible. And then she also brought up, too, great example, right? So sometimes when people get divorced, people, the mother or the father or what have you, might live on opposite ends of the country.

So in that case, the kid is on the plane by themselves. Yes, they may have a chaperone, but your kid could still get snatched. you know.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (55:57)
Yeah, usually

the airlines have to know you have an unaccompanied minor and there's a whole process for that. But I get what you're saying. The kid will be less afraid and the kid at this point seemed to like the adventures like that. Well, that's different. The kid liked the adventures and has agreed to some of it. I can understand her testing it, but the way she tested it without anybody nearby, I don't like that. I think the kid should have somebody that's shadowing or nearby watching the progress because anything can happen.

Resa Crippen (56:01)
Right.

Right.

Right.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (56:24)
anything can happen. And if it goes, you can't give a kid their innocence back, no matter how much you wish things didn't happen, you can't rewrite time and bring somebody's innocence back once it's taken.

Resa Crippen (56:24)
Yeah.

Right, like I know there was another news anchor, I think it was Hoda. Yeah, she was talking about how her child wanted to go to the store by themselves. Now the store from, so the length from their house to the store is like probably like up the street, but because Hoda is close with her neighbor, she told everybody like, hey, my kid's gonna go up the street to the store, like, and just keep an eye out. So like, she did it that way. So the kid thought.

that they were just going by themselves, but everyone was looking out and making sure that like, hey, like, you know, everything's copasthetic.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (57:04)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I remember the first time I gave you and Nicole money and said, go in the subway and get your subs yourself. Y'all look at each other like, what? And y'all went in there. You said, you're like, you're for real? I'm like, yeah, I'll be in the car. Go get yourselves. And then y'all came back happy as larks, but I was right there. You know, I was only like a couple of car lengths away from the store, you know.

Resa Crippen (57:13)
Yeah

Right.

You were like right in front of the store. So it wasn't like we were walking 10,000 miles to the subway.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (57:31)
Mm-hmm. No. And you

do small things like that to give young people courage, but also realize that the hovering over you as a parent, the helicopter parent, has to end at some ages. Some things have to end and the autonomy has to begin. And you do it in stages so that it's less jarring. Wow, that's pretty interesting. It's very interesting. But Tiffany was prepared for what she went through, even though

Resa Crippen (57:55)
Yeah.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (57:58)
It was a lot longer than you thought. And if it wasn't for Chris, who is our Dove of the Day, if Chris did not unlock those cabins, it would be a different story. No matter how much training she might've had or how smart she was, elements can still take a lot of souls out. think she's the longest. I think the police said she's been missing longer than any other hiker and still be alive.

Usually the longest was only like six or seven days before they had to be found. know, because after that most likely the body would be a body. And she was so lucky that she, you know, had provisions and she was smart and she was very far from where they were looking for her. But she definitely walked and moved and biked until she got somewhere where she could be safe.

Thank you so much for providing double the day today, Resa.

Resa Crippen (58:53)
You're welcome.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (58:55)
Now let's move on to the screening room.

The Screening Room (59:00)
It's time for that weekly movie review in the screening room.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (59:19)
Today's screening room is brought to you by Netflix. They're not a sponsor of the podcast, but they have a wonderful documentary short that I wanted to share. It's called The Quilters. It's directed by Jennifer McShane. It features Jimmy Williams, Richard Richie Sanders, William Chile White, Fred Brown, and Christopher Potter. Now, the documentary, The Quilters, offers a

deeply moving glimpse into the lives within the South Central Correctional Center. It's a level five maximum security prison located two hours south of St. Louis, Missouri. At the heart of this story lies a tiny sewing room, a stark windowless space that transforms into a sanctuary of creativity and resilience. Here, several incarcerated men gather daily to design and craft quilts.

each one destined to become a heartfelt birthday gift for a foster child. Through the lens of the quilters, viewers can witness the profound emotional journeys of these men. Each quilt becomes more than fabric and stitches. It's a labor of love, pride and purpose. I like this film because it captures not only their individual struggles and triumphs, but it also talks about the collective rhythm that emerges between people that are working together.

and they work to make seamless patchworks of humanity. The sewing machines hum like a shared beating heart. Their synchronized efforts echoed the strength and beauty of community, even within unimaginable confines. I like this movie so much, Resa. I found myself thinking about my grandmother's quilts and how she talked about all the work that went into it. Because when I was younger, the older ladies at the church would get together and make quilts.

They would get pieces of fabric, you know, clothes that were worn, no one was wearing anymore. And they would make beautiful quilts and they also put ribbons and stuff throughout it. So it had a nice uniform pattern. And to see these incarcerated men talking about design and pattern in my quilt will have X, Y, Z. And I like to get my colors from X. It was really nice. It reminded me of those women that I saw sitting there and the kind of things they would say as they're picking out and putting together quilts.

Resa Crippen (1:01:36)
Yeah, I feel like the whole creation of a quilt is like, it is a adventure in itself because you're like trying to figure out what fabrics you want to use and honestly what patterns you use and those patterns tell a story. So to have them do that and create this beautiful garment for someone to have is definitely a beautiful thing.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:02:02)
Yeah, I mean, I just really loved it. The cinematography brings every detail to life. Framing the callous hands in motion and the vibrant fabrics, I mean, the designs that they were doing. It was only a half an hour long, like 33 minutes, right? But you can see how the children were so happy to get these. They would write notes back to the prison about saying how much they loved their quilts and being thankful for their quilts.

because these kids had experienced their own hardships. So to have like this full circle moment of connection in the community and hope and healing, I kind of like that. Like, you know, it's like two totally different worlds were brought together by this program. Powerful stories. The other thing I liked about it was even in confinement, you can still tap into your creativity as you have hope and you can still do acts of kindness that can kind of ripple beyond.

your situation. So I like that when you think beyond yourself, you can still make a difference.

Resa Crippen (1:03:05)
I like those types of programs within the prison are definitely needed to help the rehabilitation process and also just, like you said, to spread positivity throughout the world.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:03:18)
Yeah. The themes of this documentary short is creativity, resilience, acts of kindness within an unexpected setting, life choices, jail, connection, hope, healing, redemption, and social change. Like I said, you can watch the quilters on Netflix this month. You can also see the trailer for this film at www.withquickness.com. Now let's move on to our final segment Before the Bema

The Bema Seat (1:03:45)
Come before the Bema Seat Come before the Bema Seat where life's journeys and stories meet

Every week a testimony of one who brings hope and victory with joy and reverence. We'll sing our praises to the King of Kings. The Bema Seat. Come before the Bema Seat.

Come before the Bema seat.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:04:34)
Today's story

Victor Fontanez better known as VicBlends, is a walking testament of perseverance and passion. He grew up as an army rat, the oldest of four siblings. Now he was born in Germany and he later found himself coming to the United States and then moving from Texas to Lafayette, North Carolina. He remembers being a small, sensitive kid who sometimes was picked on and bullied. But even then, he had an innate ability to soak up lessons and advice.

trying to distill Sunday's sermons into his words to friends that his friends could understand as if one kid could teach another about redemption. Now his life reached a meteoric Hollywood-esque kind of origin story, but in real life, it hit pretty hard in October, 2023. That's when everything seemed to change. At first, every little success sent a jolt through his veins, a euphoric high that felt like he was unstoppable.

He said, and I quote, my mind is running almost a thousand miles an hour. You kind of feel like you got everything in the world figured out. Victor explained, I cracked the Da Vinci code on every secret in the world. That's what it felt like. Yet that high didn't last him. It came crashing down in a crushing, consuming darkness that hurt not only emotionally, but physically. Days without rest turned into despair.

which caused him to lose everything. One day a friend finally recognized what was happening to Victor and urged him to seek a professional. A diagnosis came back and it was clear, yet kind of difficult to accept. At 24 years of age, Victor learned he had bipolar one disorder. For someone who had long defined himself as a positive force capable of transforming every step back into an opportunity,

this new realization was a seismic shift. He says, and I quote, for the rest of my life, I'm going to change things, he admits. This acceptance didn't come easy. It doesn't feel normal, he said. It definitely doesn't feel normal. But that diagnosis gave him a new lens through which he views both himself and the work that he does. So instead of burying the emotions,

He began to channel his emotions using these experiences to deepen his connections with the people that sat in his barber chair. He listened, he absorbed, he wielded their insights to not only improve his craft, but to grow as a person. he said, someone told me that God hides the best resources in the world.

Diamonds and golds are found when you dig for them. They don't just lay on the surface. And perhaps that's how he sees his own diagnosis now, not as a limitation, but as something to be mined for strength, wisdom, and clarity. Victor's philosophy ties deeply into the symbols he carries, like his brand and even his tattoo, planted. To him, it represents a tree, enduring through life's seasons.

The vibrant greens of summer, the fiery hues of fall, the stark bareness of winter, and the hopeful bloom of spring are all represented in the phases of a person's life. He said, unless you remove your roots, you'll stand tall enough through whatever it is, through all four seasons. I believe being planted is just being grounded in who you are and what you believe. Isn't that wonderful, Resa? mean, he has...

clothing line, planted. Now I kind of want a shirt or something because I didn't know it meant that when he first formed it. Doesn't that sound so cool? Let me just finish up and we'll talk about on the other side. Now walking out of Victor's of his barber space, a person can walk out with a clean cut, sharpest beard they ever received in their life, but he'll also carry more than just a polished look.

He'll leave with VicBlend's philosophy of being planted. The wisdom that Victor shares as the TikTok barber preacher that they're just not just words. It was life in its rawest and rarest, sorry, they're words, they're not just words. It was life in its rawest, realest form. Lessons dug deep like gold and diamonds. I really adored learning about Victor.

And when you go on TikTok or Instagram, you'll see that he's very straightforward and transparent with what has gone on in his life, how he had so much and he lost so much when he was in a manic episode and how he rebuilt everything back up. What do you think of this story, Resa?

Resa Crippen (1:09:19)
I actually love this story and I definitely want to get a shirt from his lines. I had no idea like the meaning behind it until you just spoke about it.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:09:29)
And one of the highlights of his career is he actually did a haircut for Barack Obama. He done Tom Brady, a lot of other people. If you go on his Instagram and his TikTok, he just got engaged to his fiance. He had once lost her because of his manic episode when he was not diagnosed yet. But now he's taking his medication. He is, you know.

living his life with purpose. He understands what he needs to do to keep being centered and he's leaning heavily on the Lord through all of it.

Resa Crippen (1:10:02)
I think this story is a beautiful thing about how it's okay to get help and how when you lean on getting help for your mental state and also leaning on God, the beautiful things that could come about from that.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:10:19)
Yeah, and reminds you of transformation and that when God has you, even if you do lose a lot, he can restore. He can restore. He's living a really happy life right now. And I just adore the story. We wish him and his fiance the best. mean, the pictures of her being surprised in the park, my gosh. He had everything set up just perfectly, so she was totally not expecting anything, but yet her nails were done. She looked great. Her glam was good.

So he made sure he proposed on a day where he made sure that she had like a take care of yourself girls day where she looked really nice before he surprised her. So they did a really good, he did a really good job. Very romantic, very romantic.

Resa Crippen (1:10:52)
you

Kudos to him.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:10:57)
Yeah, Victor. So if you would like to share a story from your Christian experience, one that would inspire new and rededicated Christians, please visit www.withthequickness.com and select the Bayma Seed tab. There you'll fill out the interview form so we can schedule your virtual interview. You can also just email Bayma Seed at With Quickness to begin our guest process. So, Resa, another episode down. We're doing pretty good. Now we're getting in a good rhythm.

Resa Crippen (1:11:27)
Yes, we are getting a good rhythm.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:11:29)
Yeah,

I'm glad that, you Memorial Day is right around the corner. Everyone's starting to get happy and think about that. The graduations on the college level, you know, in the four years and the university level are all taking place this month. Rutgers just had theirs. Went to Rites of Passage, that was really nice. Rites of Passage was, it was really a lot of fun. They also did some stomping on the podium. You know how different fraternities and sororities like to get up and pose or do steps.

you know, like you would see in a step show. Yeah, I don't know how well we reinforced it, but I was on that podium and it was definitely lively. It definitely, I'm glad they were always brief step periods and not a very long one.

Resa Crippen (1:12:07)
gosh.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:12:09)
It was a lot of fun

though. Graduation is a lot of fun. It's a lot of hope in it. And those that are on that next chapter, enjoy this achievement. Enjoy every bit of it. I know we like to go onto the next thing so fast, but seeing that I got my mother, my motherly look on today with my head gear, let me say this to you. Things go by a little too fast. So at graduation time, take the pictures.

Go see the different people that are in your class that you might not ever see again. Say goodbye to the roommates or keep in touch, but do all the things so you will have no regrets when you actually pack up those things for the final time on campus and go on to your next chapter. And in high school too, write in the yearbooks, get people to sign your yearbooks and enjoy the pictures and the graduation, because it goes by so fast, Resa, it goes by so fast.

Resa Crippen (1:13:03)
No, it does. I kind of wish, and I don't know if we had it at that time, but I kind of wish I would have gotten a college yearbook when I graduated to be like, hey, sign some of these things. Because obviously I had one in high school, and I do cherish that. I read it from not all the time, but maybe once in the blue moon if I am compelled to. But college is like, there were a lot of people that I was cool with.

You know, I guess we haven't talked in over like 10 years now at this point. So I'm just like, I would have had something just to capture that time.

Angeline Bishop Thomas (1:13:38)
Yeah.

Yeah. So that's why when you, I'm telling the graduates, they go through it, you know, make a little, make some time to take some pictures. Cause you don't know if you'll get a chance to take that same picture. It don't mean something to you later in life. It really, really will. So we are so grateful that you tuned in today. Our prayer for you is that God reveals to you that he is real and able to meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Have a great rest of the week, everybody, and a great Memorial Day.

Resa Crippen (1:14:10)
Have a great week, everyone.

WTQ Outro (1:14:12)
I've been trying to forget But you won't let me Something in my brain wants you I've been hanging by myself Asking for help But nothing seems to work on you With everything crazy You still my source of peace You filter out the lows You give me what I need me feel like oh yeah You You never leave

You're the reason I'm going out with mind I just can't stop thinking about you You got me feeling some type of way You make me wanna stay in all the you You're the reason I can't get out of my head I just can't stop thinking about you