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A LOT OF FUN.
AND GET TO KNOW STEVEN CURTIS
CHAPMAN A BIT MORE AND VISIT.
YOU AND I HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.
OF COURSE, YOU'RE A LOT YOUNGER
THAN I AM.
A LOT YOUNGER LOOKING THAN I
AM.
AND WE'VE GOT KIDS.
I'VE GOT THREE DAUGHTERS.
AND JUST RECENTLY WALKED ONE
DOWN THE AISLE AND YOU DID THAT
TOO.
YEAH, YEAH.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR
FAMILY?
>> WELL MY OLDEST DAUGHTER
EMILY IS NOW EMILY RICHARD.
IT'S THE WEIRDEST THING.
>> CHANGED MY DAUGHTER'S NAME
ON THE CELL PHONE AND THAT WAS
EMOTIONAL.
NO MORE--.
>> I CALL HER EMILY CHAPMAN AND
KEEP GETTING THE LOOK FROM MY
SON-IN-LAW.
BUT HE'S A WONDERFUL AMAZING
YOUNG MAN.
A NEW SON TANNER.
CALEB IS MY NEWLY ENGAGED SON.
IN FACT HE'S GETTING MARRIED IN
MAY.
AND THEN MY SON WILL FRANKLIN
AND WILL AND CALEB HAVE TOURED
WITH ME.
WILL IS A GREAT DRUMMER AND
CALEB IS A GUITAR PLAYER AND
GIFTED SINGER AND SONGWRITER IN
HIS OWN RIGHT AS WELL AND BOTH
JUST GREAT HEARTS FOR GOD AND
THE THINGS OF GOD WHICH I
COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT
ALL MY KIDS.
SO HANNAH IS OUR NINE YEAR OLD
GENIUS WHO LIVES IN THE HOUSE.
SCARY TO HAVE THE SMARTEST ONE
IN THE HOUSE TO BE NINE YEARS
OLD.
BUT SHE'S BRILLIANT AND AMAZING
YOUNG LADY.
ADOPTED FROM CHINA.
EIGHT YEARS AGO.
YEAH, I GUESS ALMOST NINE YEARS
AGO COMING UP ON NINE YEARS IN
MARCH THAT SHE WAS ADOPTED FROM
CHINA.
STEVIE JOY IS SIX YEARS OLD.
FINALLY GOT ONE NAMED AFTER ME.
TOOK ME FIVE.
BUT SHE'S AN AMAZING LITTLE
AMAZING HOW MUCH ENERGY PACKED
IN THIS LITTLE BODY.
STEVIE JOY IS OUR LITTLE
CHEERLEADER AND SHE'S AT A GAME
CHEERING FOR HER BROTHER WILL
AT A BASKETBALL GAME TONIGHT.
MARIA SUE IS OUR YOUNGEST AND
MARIA IS FIVE AND SHE WENT TO
BE WITH JESUS IN MAY OF 2008.
AND SO THIS HAS BEEN A JOURNEY
OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND THE
LAST YEAR REALLY HAS BEEN ONE
WE NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED
TAKING AS A FAMILY.
MARIA BECAME A CHAPMAN WHEN SHE
WAS ABOUT A YEAR OLD AND
AMAZING THREE MIRACLES THAT GOD
DID IN OUR FAMILY WAS TO BRING
THESE LITTLE GIRLS INTO OUR
LIVES.
OUT OF THAT WE STARTED REALLY
OUR HEARTS JUST GREW IN WAYS WE
NEVER KNEW THEY COULD FOR
ORPHANS OF THE WORLD.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT
THROUGH MY WIFE AND I FOUNDED
AND GOD BROUGHT WONDERFUL
PEOPLE ALONG TO HELP US WITH
THAT.
WE JUST FINISHED BUILDING AN
ORPHANAGE IN CHINA THAT TAKES
CARE OF SPECIAL NEEDS ORPHANS
AND WE'LL BE MOVING CHILDREN IN
THERE IN A FEW MONTHS.
IT'S CALLED MARIA'S BIG HOUSE
OF HOPE NAMED AFTER OUR LITTLE
GIRL MARIA.
SO WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, YOU
KNOW, WEDDINGS AS, YOU KNOW,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
MOST WONDERFUL DAYS AND THEN
CERTAINLY MAY 21 WILL ALWAYS BE
A DAY THAT WILL REPRESENT SO
MUCH SORROW AND GRIEF AND PAIN
AND THE BEGINNING OF A WHOLE
JOURNEY FOR US AS A FAMILY BUT
ALSO WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT
WE'RE DOING TONIGHT AND THE
TRUTH ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GETTING
TO COMMUNICATE.
ONE THING FOR ME FOR SURE MAY
21, 2008 WILL BE ALWAYS THE DAY
THAT I SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME
JUST HOW REAL AND HOW TRUE WHAT
WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT TALKING
ABOUT TONIGHT IN A RESURRECTED
SAVIOR, THE HOPE OF THAT.
>> THERE'S PROBABLY NOT ANY OF
OUR AUDIENCE WHO ISN'T AWARE OF
WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT JUST IN CASE, TELL US A
LITTLE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE THAT
DAY BROUGHT TO YOU.
>> WELL IT WAS JUST A TERRIBLE
ACCIDENT.
MY SON WAS COMING HOME FROM
SPENDING SOME TIME WITH FRIENDS
AND HE HAD BEEN IN A MUSICAL
AUDITION ACTUALLY FOR OUR
SCHOOL IN FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE
AND CAME UP THE DRIVEWAY AND MY
THREE DAUGHTERS WERE ALL
PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND.
AND MARIA WAS TRYING TO DO THE
MONKEY BARS AND NONE OF THE
SISTERS COULD REACH HER HIGH
ENOUGH AND HER OLDER SISTER WHO
ALL OF THEM LOVED HER SO WELL
AND GREAT SISTERS AND THEY SAID
HEY HERE COMES WILL.
WILL IS THE GREATEST BIG
BROTHER THAT EVER WALKED THE
PLANET.
LOVED HIS SISTERS LOVED THEM
DEARLY AND LOVED MARIA SO MUCH
AND HE CAME UP THE DRIVEWAY.
AND CAME AROUND THE CORNER AND
DIDN'T SEE HER AT ALL.
AND SHE JUST RAN IN FRONT OF
HIM.
SO IT WAS JUST A TRAGEDY UPON
TRAGEDY TO LOSE A DAUGHTER AND
REALLY IN THE HOURS AND EVEN
DAYS FOLLOWING JUST ONE OF OUR
PRAYERS WAS GOD DON'T LET US
LOSE A SON.
AND THE HEART OF A SON, IF HE
SURVIVES PHYSICALLY JUST THE
WEIGHT OF THIS.
SO THAT IS THE EVENTS OF THAT
DAY.
AND IT REALLY IS MIRACULOUS TO
SEE WHAT AN AMAZING COURAGE AND
WORK OF GOD THAT ONLY GOD COULD
DO IN HIS HEART BUT A WHOLE LOT
OF COURAGE AND I'M SO PROUD OF
HIM.
GOD'S OPENED A DOOR FOR ALL OF
MY KIDS LARRY KING LIVE,
DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION THAT THEY HAVE ALL
SHARED THEIR FAITH AND JUST
SHARED AN AMAZING STRENGTH.
>> HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOUR
FAMILY COPE OVER THE LAST FEW
MONTHS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY,
THERE ARE A LOT OF DAYS IF MY
WIFE WAS HERE SHE WOULD SAY IT
MORE BEAUTIFULLY WITH TEARS IN
HER EYES, SHE WOULD SAY A LOT
OF THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU SAY,
I SEE SO MANY AMAZING THINGS
GOD HAS DONE, IS DOING, OUT OF
JUST, EVEN I MENTIONED MARIA'S
BIG HOUSE OF HOPE AND OUR WORK
WITH ORPHANS.
THERE'S BEEN OVER EIGHT HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS PEOPLE
DONATED.
INSTEAD OF FLOWERS HELP US HELP
ORPHANS.
THAT'S WHAT MARIE DOES WANT
SITING IN THE LAP OF THE FATHER
TO THE FATHERLESS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE HAD ALL THIS MONEY
BEGAN TO COME IN.
YOU SEE THESE AMAZING THINGS
HAPPENING AND BEING DONE.
AND YOU SEE REALLY TRULY GOD IS
FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD.
WHAT SATAN MEANS FOR EVIL GOD
TAKES FOR GOOD.
THE HEART OF A MOM AND DAD AND
YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY FAMILY
AND SOMETIMES TEARS MY EYES
SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T BELIEVE
IT'S STILL REALLY REAL.
I HAVE A LITTLE PICTURE OF
MARIA HANGING AROUND MY NECK
AND I SEE IT IN THE MIRROR AND
I STOP AGAIN.
EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THAT AND
MY WIFE SAYING I JUST WANT MY
LITTLE GIRL BACK EVEN IF THE
WHOLE WORLD GETS CHANGED FOR
THE BETTER, THE ARMS OF THIS
MOM ARE EMPTY FOR THIS LITTLE
GIRL.
AND BUT WE'VE BEEN SO PRAYED
FOR.
AND REALLY THAT'S A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO THANK YOU
ALL OF YOU WHO PRAYED FOR THE
CHAPMAN FAMILY I KNOW PEOPLE
HAVE ALL OVER THE WORLD PEOPLE
LOVED ON US, PRAYED FOR US. I'M
TELLING YOU, PRAYER REALLY DOES
WORK.
WE WOULD NOT BE BREATHING.
THERE ARE DAYS WE DON'T WANT
TO.
DAYS CERTAINLY YOU WAKE UP AND
SAY, OKAY, GOD, I WAS KIND OF
HOPING I WOULD WAKE UP WITH
MARIA AND WITH YOU IN HEAVEN.
BUT WE'RE HERE.
SO YOUR MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY
DAY.
AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE.
IF I HAD TO SAY IT IN ONE
ANSWER OF HOW HAVE WE COPIED
AND HOW HAVE WE SURVIVED?
IT'S BEEN BECAUSE GOD'S MERCIES
ARE NEW EVERY DAY AND EVERY DAY
HE MEETS US AND GIVES US THE
STRENGTH FOR THAT DAY.
YOU PRETTY SURE YOU DON'T HAVE
ANY STRENGTH LEFT AND WAKE UP
THE NEXT MORNING AND HE'S
FAITHFUL.
AND HE'S THERE.
>> YOU KNOW, NONE OF US HAVE
ANY GUARANTEE OF LIFE, DO WE?
WE WRITE WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE
THE MANUSCRIPT OF LIFE AND WHAT
WE READ AND WHAT WE WROTE ARE
OFTEN TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
STEPHEN AND I JOIN OUR HEARTS
TOGETHER TONIGHT AND PRAY FOR
YOU.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PASSING
THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES.
THE CHAPMAN FAMILY IS JUST A
TROPHY OF GOD'S GOODNESS.
JESUS NEVER SAID LIFE WOULD
BE EASY.
HE SAID JUST THE OPPOSITE.
IN THIS WORLD YOU'LL HAVE
TRIBULATION.
NOT THAT YOU MIGHT OR COULD OR
WILD CHANCE YOU WILL.
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WHEN THE DISCIPLES FOLLOW JESUS
THEY GOT INTO THE BOAT AND A
STORM HIT.
THAT'S THE CRAZYEST THING.
YOU THINK IF YOU FOLLOW JESUS
RAINBOWS WOULD ARCH IN THE SKY.
THE WATER WOULD BE, YOU KNOW,
ICY SMOOTH.
THEY GOT IN THE BOAT AND THE
STORM HIT.
THEY LOOKED OVER AND JESUS WAS
SOUND ASLEEP.
THEY HAD TO WAKE HIM UP.
DON'T YOU CARE WE'RE ABOUT TO
DIE.
SOME OF YOU ARE FEELING THAT
RIGHT NOW.
YOU FEEL THE STORM AND YOU FEEL
THE WAVES AND THE ANSWER IS
JESUS.
THAT DAY IN THE STORM IS HIS
ANSWER TO YOU.
HE STOOD AND HE SILENCED THE
WAVES AND THE POWER THAT HE HAD
TO COMMAND THE WAVES IS THE
POWER HE HAS TO BRING HOPE TO
YOUR HEART.
WHO ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S
WAYS?
HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OURS.
WE'LL NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL WE
GET HOME.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THIS
BLESSED GIRL IS IN THE LAP OF
JESUS.
AND WE'LL SEE HER.
YOU KNOW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
THE SCOPE OF LIFE, ALL OF OUR
LIVES ARE SHORT COMPARED TO
ETERNITY, YOUR SWEET DAUGHTER
LIVED FIVE YEARS OF AGE,
SOMEONE MAY LIVE TO BE HUNDRED
BUT COMPARED TO ETERNITY IT'S
ALL JUST A BREATH.
>> YEAH.
AND THAT'S I THINK TRULY ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN THE
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR US TO
RECOGNIZE REALLY THAT WHAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS
REALLY WHAT THIS LIFE IS ALL
ABOUT.
SOMEONE MIGHT BE WATCHING THIS
SAYING THAT'S A RELIGIOUS
PROGRAM.
I'M NOT A RELIGIOUS PERSON.
WHEN YOU STAND THERE AT
ETERNITY'S DOOR, WHEN AS I TOLD
YOU EARLIER, I FELT I HANDED MY
LITTLE GIRL INTO THE ARMS OF
JESUS.
AND IT WAS SO CLEAR IN THAT
MOMENT THAT THIS IS ALL THAT
MATTERS.
WE ARE MADE FOR ETERNITY.
THAT GOD HAS HAD A PURPOSE AND
PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.
AND THAT PURPOSE IS ETERNAL.
NOT JUST FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN
THIS FIVE OR 105.
I HAVE A GRANDMOTHER PROBABLY
IN HER LAST DAYS AT 96 YEARS
OLD.
IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH TIME.
IT'S WAIT A MINUTE I WANT MORE.
WE WERE MADE FOR MORE.
WE WERE MADE FOR ETERNITY.
SO THAT HAS BEEN THE HOPE FOR
US AND FOR SURE THE HOPE FOR
ALL OF US WATCHING THIS PROGRAM
TONIGHT AND LISTEN TOGETHER HIS
WORD.
FOR THE FIRST TIME I CAN REALLY
SAY I TOLD YOU I FEEL I CAN NOW
LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE AND SAY,
I'VE BEEN TO THE BOTTOM.
I REALLY BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN AS
LOW AS WE COULD EVER IMAGINE
AND COULDN'T EVEN IMAGINE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND YET TO KNOW HOW SOLID THE
BOTTOM REALLY IS WHEN THAT
BOTTOM THAT FOUNDATION IS THE
HOPE OF THE GOSPEL.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS IF WE ONLY
HAVE HOPE FOR THIS LIFE, WE'RE
REALLY FOOLISH IF ALL OUR HOPE
IS WRAPPED UP IN THE LIFE WE
CAN GET IN THIS LIFE AND THE
BREATHS WE CAN TAKE.
WE WERE MADE FOR ETERNITY.
OUR HOPE IS SO FAR BEYOND THIS.
THE HOPE WE SING ABOUT.
WHAT YOU SO BEAUTIFULLY SPEAK
OF TONIGHT IS AN ETERNAL HOPE
WE WERE ALL MADE FOR TO KNOW
THE LOVE OF GOD AND THROUGH
JESUS CHRIST, THE RESURRECTED
SAVIOR.
THE ONE WHO CONQUERED DEATH.
THAT'S THE HOPE.
THAT'S WHY I'M STILL SINGING
THE SONG WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THIS.
I'LL SING ANOTHER SONG HERE IN
A MINUTE IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
NO WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH.
>> I THOUGHT MAY BE JUST ONE