TERRY: THE CINDERELLA STORY
OF KURT AND BRENDA WARNER
CAPTURED HEARTS WORLD WILD
FOLLOWING THE SAINTS 1999
SUPERBOWL.
BRENDA WALKED THROUGH HARD
TIMES.
I HAD DIVORCE, DEATH, SPECIAL
NEEDS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS
AHEAD.
IN HER BOOK "ONE CALL AWAY"
SHE SHOWS THAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE
NOT A MEASURE OF GOD'S LOVE.
TERRY: WELCOME TO THE "700
CLUB" BRENDA WARNER.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE].
TERRY: LET'S START WITH YOUR
LIFE BEFORE YOU MET KURT.
YOU WERE A MARINE.
YOU HAD KNOWN THE LORD FOR A
WHILE, THEN YOU GOT A HORRENDOUS
PHONE CALL, HOW DID THAT CHANGE
YOUR LIFE?
IN THAT SPLIT SECOND, YOU GET
THAT PHONE CALL, I LEFT FOR WORK
THAT MORNING, KISSED MY
FOUR-MONTH-OLD BABY BOY GOOD BUY
AND IN A SPLIT SECOND ZACH WAS
INJURED, IN AN INSTANT, WE ARE
FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE, BRAIN
SWELLING AND JUST AN INFANT
HAVING GRAND MAUL SEIZURES.
EVERYTHING CHANGED.
PAT: THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE.
HE HAD BEEN PERFECTLY FINE
BEFORE, NOW YOU HAD TO CONTEND
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO BE A MOM
OF SPECIAL NEEDS.
I ASKED IF HE'LL EVER GO TO
SCHOOL.
THE DOCTOR SAID YOU'LL BE LUCKY
IF HE EVER SITS UP.
THAT IS YOUR REALITY.
I HAD THIS INCREDIBLE FAITH, GOD
KEPT HIM ALIFE SO HE HAD A
PURPOSE FOR HIS LIFE.
TERRY: DID THIS PLAY A ROLE
IN THE LOSS OF YOUR FIRST
MARRIAGE.
YOUR HUSBAND WAS HOME WITH THE
BABY WHEN THE BABY WAS DROPPED.
ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONAL STUFF.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR FIRST
MARRIAGE?
I AM SURE HE WAS DEALING WITH
A LOT OF GUILT.
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
ZACH HAD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
AND BLIND FROM THAT INSTANT.
WE STARTED OVER, WE TRIED TO
HAVE A NEW LIFE.
HE STARTED WORKING, I GOT
PREGNANT AGAIN AND HE TOLD ME HE
WAS ATTRACTED TO ANOTHER WOMAN.
AGAIN, IN A MOMENT, MY LIFE WENT
IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
I LEFT HIM, I PICKED UP ZACH AND
STARTED OVER AGAIN.
DOWN A ROAD I HAD NO CLUE WHAT
TO DO, HOW TO DO IT.
I STOOD ON THAT FAITH THERE IS A
PURPOSE AND I AM GOING TO FIND
MY PURPOSE.
TERRY: TELL ME ABOUT LIFE AS
A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO, THAT IS
TOUGH.
IT IS TOUGH.
I WAS STANDING IN LINE IN THE
MARINE CORP. WITH HONOR, COURAGE
AND INTEGRITY, STANDING IN LINE
WITH FOOD STAMPS, YOU STILL HAVE
HONOR, COURAGE AND INTEGRITY.
TERRY: IT IS SO INTERESTING
TO SEE HOW GOD CAN TAKE OUR
PAIN, IF WE'LL GIVE IT TO HIM
AND CHALLENGES AND STRUGGLES AND
MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT THAT
MATTERS AND HELPS SOMEONE ELSE.
WHAT DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE
GOING THROUGH THAT TIME?
GIVING YOUR BEST, DONE
EVERYTHING THE WAY YOU KNEW HOW
TO DO IT AND STILL PUTTING YOU
IN CIRCUMSTANCES SO TOUGH.
I REMEMBER STANDING IN LIFE
FOR FOOD STAMPS AND LOW INCOME
HOUSING, MY CIRCUMSTANCES DIDN'T
DETERMINE WHO I WAS.
I KNEW HE CREATED ME THE HEAD,
NOT THE TAIL.
IT FELT LIKE THE TAIL.
I KNEW I WAS THE HEAD.
YOU HAVE TO STAND ON THAT, EVEN
IF IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU WANT
IT TO LOOK, IT IS NOT ALWAYS
PRETTY.
I TRUSTED IT FOR MY KIDS THERE
WAS A FUTURE AND LITTLE DID I
KNOW, WOMEN CAN RELATE TO THAT.
WHEN YOU MET, KURT, YOU HAD
DIFFICULTY, YOU MUST HAVE HATED
ANSWERING THE PHONE.
APRIL 14TH, 1986, BOTH OF MY
PARENTS WERE KILLED IN A A
TORNADO.
IT TOOK EVERYTHING FROM THEIR
HOUSE, EXPLODED THEIR HOUSE.
ONLY THING LEFT WAS THE CEMENT
FOUNDATION.
SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND MY
PARENTS HAPPENED TO BE TWO.
IT IS SO FINAL, RANDOM,
SENSELESS.
WHO DO YOU GET MAD AT?
THAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT
TIME.
ZACHARY WAS DOING BETTER.
I FELT LIKE I WAS GETTING BACK
ON MY FEET AND IN LOVE AGAIN.
THAT HAPPENED.
ANOTHER PHONE CALL YOU WOULD
THINK I WOULD STOP ANSWERING THE
PHONE.
IT IS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT WHEN
YOU ANSWER.
TERRY: DID YOU EVER GET
ANGRY WITH GOD?
OF COURSE I DID.
NOT ACTING LIKE I HAD IT ALL
FIGURED.
CALLING OUT TO HIM.
I WAS HONEST LIKE MY KIDS WERE
HONEST WITH ME.
I FELT LIKE HE WAS GRIEVING WITH
ME.
THE FACT THAT I AM STILL HERE IS
PROOF THAT I HAD PRESENCE OF GOD
IN MY LIFE.
TERRY: TELL ME ABOUT THE
MOST DIFFICULT ASPECTS OF BEING
MARRIED TO SOMEONE LIKE KURT?
SO WELL KNOWN?
BURDEN AND BLESSING WITH
EVERYTHING.
I DIDN'T REALIZE WHEN I SAID I
DO, IT MEANT FAME AND FORTUNE.
I AM HONEST TO SAY WHEN I WAS IN
LINE WITH LOW INCOME IF I RICH
WOMAN WOULD HAVE COMPLAINED
ABOUT HER SITUATION, I WOULDN'T
HAVE WANTED TO HEAR THAT.
I REALIZE MY PROBLEMS ARE
EASIER.
I KNOW WHERE I HAVE BEEN.
IT IS A MEANS TO GIVE BACK TO
WHERE I HAVE BEEN.
GOD IS USING THAT IN YOUR
LIFE.
YOU HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK INTO THE LIVES OF WOMEN
THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN YOUR
SAME SITUATION AND HAVE AN
IMPACT.
MORE PEOPLE RELATE TO WHAT I
HAVE BEEN THROUGH THAN RELATE TO
MVP SUPERBOWL TROPHY AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
BY WRITING MY MEMOIR, I CAN
REACH THESE WOMEN, THEY ARE
SAYING YOU ARE TELLING ME MY
STORY.
TERRY: WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
CYBERBULLYING.
THE MEDIA HAS BEEN RELENTLESS
AND RUTHLESS AND BULLYING TO YOU
ONLINE AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE,
WHEN YOU WRITE A BOOK, YOU ARE
BACK OUT THERE AGAIN, IN THE
LIMELIGHT.
I WANTED TO KEEP IT REAL.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK I
HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT, A
BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RELATE TO
PEOPLE ON THAT LEVEL I HAVE BEEN
WHERE YOU ARE.
I MIGHT HIT THERE AGAIN.
WE ARE ALL ONE CALL AWAY FROM A
LIFE CHANGING MOMENT.
IF YOU ARE HONEST AND REAL ABOUT
THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY, PEOPLE
ARE DRAWN TO THAT.
NO MATTER WHAT THE CALL
BRINGS, GOD IS ENOUGH.
HE IS ONE CALL AWAY.
TERRY: "ONE CALL AWAY"
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE
SOLD.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WATCH THE
WEB INTERVIEW GO TO CBN.COM
CLICK ON THE IN THE GREEN WEB
LINK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU.
