My Journey to Jesus: From Islam to Christianity

In this powerful episode, Aminah Lawson shares her bold testimony of leaving Islam to follow Christ. From her upbringing in the Muslim faith to the life-changing moment she encountered Jesus, Aminah opens up about her struggles, her transformation, and the freedom she’s found in Christ.

We discuss:

• Growing up Muslim and the role of community and identity
• Key moments that led her to question her faith
• Her dramatic “Paul-like” conversion to Christianity
• Challenges of leaving Islam and embracing a new identity in Christ
• Encouragement for anyone questioning their faith or seeking truth

Aminah’s story is a reminder that God is still in the business of changing lives and drawing hearts to Him.

🌐 Connect with Aminah: AminahLawson.com
| Facebook: Aminah L. Lawson | Instagram: @allthingscrie

Chapters

• 1:03 Guest Introductions
• 2:53 Aminah's Story Begins
• 18:11 The Transformation
• 36:11 Quick DIGs with Aminah
• 42:52 A Word for our Listeners

Transcript

welcome to dig deep conversations of Christian leaders where we go beyond the surface to inspire
change and empower purpose-driven leadership. I'm your host, Dr. Jaria C. Aljoe, and today we have a
deeply personal and powerful episode titled My Journey to Jesus. We're joined by a phenomenal
woman of God, Amina, who's bold and beautiful testimony of leaving Islam to follow Christ is
nothing short of miraculous. Amina, welcome to the show. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Absolutely. I have to tell you all. Amina reached out to me in our Facebook group. We have a
dig deep Facebook community. And she reached out to me wanting to share her testimony. And I thought
this was absolutely perfect. It's a conversation that I've wanted to have. I just did not have any
connections that had this testimony. So I really believe that this is a God thing. So I'm so excited
to have this conversation with you. Great. I'm looking forward to it as well. Awesome. So can you tell
us a little bit about who you are and what you're currently doing right now? Yep. So my name is
Aminah Latifa Lawson. My maiden name, my maiden name in Muslim name was Aminah Latifa Sharif. That
was actually one of Amina Latifa Sharif. My name is Amina Latifa Lawson. Now I'm married to my
husband of 25 years actually in two weeks from this week was our 25th wedding anniversary. And we
have two boys. 19 and 20 are oldest son is Tahir and our youngest is Ja'el. And I am a salon owner
and cosmetic chemist and also an author. In fact, that's how we met each other. Yeah.
Through our book community from our publisher. And so yeah, that's a little bit about me. I'm
from Boston, Massachusetts originally and I have been in North Carolina for the past 26 or 27
years. So I came here for college. Went to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State
University at Ubright. And that's actually where I met my husband. So we have been here pretty
much since we graduated from college. And so that's a little bit about me. Awesome. Fantastic. Thank
you. And I don't know. I mean, is the weather that different in North Carolina than it would be
in Boston? I feel like it's a little warmer. Okay. Absolutely. Yeah. I haven't seen real snow in
like a lot of years. Oh my gosh. Okay. Yes. So sometimes I'm like, isn't really that different
and people are always like, yes, it's you're in Connecticut, right? I'm in Connecticut. So I'm like
snow. Like I'm used to all. Yeah. I call that when the boys were little, they would say, Mommy,
is this real snow or fake snow? I'm like, this is absolutely fake stuff. Oh my gosh. No way. No way.
Too funny. So let's start from the beginning for you. What was life like for you growing up in
the Muslim faith? What was life like growing up Muslim? Honestly, it's so weird because it was just
one thing about being Muslim, it's just your way of life. It's just that's just the lifestyle.
Like everything from community to, you know, just different things you do within the home structure.
It's just, even though it was like, it's a religion, it's just like, it's kind of engulfed in every
aspect of your life. And so while we were at my mother was not a very like starch Muslim, but she
was very like farm in terms of like what we believed, what we, like we wouldn't, you know, celebrate
Christmas, even though our family would be like, oh, well, you know, we're still going to buy the kids
gifts. Like, so we did not, you know, celebrate holidays.
Interestingly enough, I always laugh about this. And it's, you know, kind of a northern thing. I
think you'll understand what I say. This like, even though it's Muslim, like I went to a Catholic
school, but that's because you got a Catholic school because Catholic school is the good school,
right? Yeah. Yeah. And so here I am this Muslim little girl who, you know, at the time, you know,
believed what, you know, her parents told her regarding her faith. And I'm at a Catholic school.
And I think the first memory I have was, I was probably about five, no older than six.
And the nuns called my mom in because I told them I didn't believe in Jesus.
And so they were like, what was she talking about? You know, right. So my mother, you know, came,
you know, to the school and she was like, well, we don't believe that. And so I remember, you
know, from a very young age, like I said, it was just definitely like just a part of just my identity,
who I was. Did you ever feel ostracized at all, like by other children in the school or growing up,
or did you have, you know, like you went to school, you went to Catholic school, but when you came
home in your community, like you were surrounded by other people or other children that had similar
beliefs or similar identity as you. I never, no, I never felt that way. And I think it was
because, you know, now that I'm older, I genuinely believe it was God showing me His love and His
compassion. Because I never felt that way. Like I just kind of can look back at little moments where,
you know, maybe it was the same. Remember that opened their home to us or, you know, my aunt who
they believed one thing, but they still were, you know, very accepting of, you know, what we believed
in not judging us. And so I didn't really feel that way. I don't recall feeling that way.
I, you know, I know that it was very different because there were just certain things that
my mother just did not allow, you know, like we, I never ate pork. Like, well, I was raised not
eating that way. So it was just like certain things that it was just like this is just how we are.
And those things, I think, would maybe different for family members, but it was more like they
understood that that was our belief system. And so, you know, if my cousin spent the night,
the parents just sent them food that they could eat, you know, some stuff like that. So,
but outside of that, I don't, I don't ever recall feeling judgment because of our belief system.
That's and that's a beautiful thing that you were able to see God's love in that regard. Because
I think about so many negative stereotypes around Muslims and Islam and how people treat those
of that faith. And I'm just wondering, you know, can you just explain for our listeners maybe who
are not aware of what the core beliefs are or core practices were that kind of shapes your
worldview at that time? So definitely that Jesus was just a prophet. But that's like the determining,
like that's the main distinction. And I always tell people who are even, you know,
considering Islam, like from being followers of Christ, that, you know, I need you clear about
who Christ is being represented as, you know. And so I feel like it's weird because right now,
I feel like this is culture of like Islam being presented like, oh, we love Jesus. We honor Jesus.
He's a prophet and it's like, yeah, but I need us clear about who we're saying he is. Like,
because that's different, you know, yeah. And so definitely the fact that he's just, you know,
he's just a prophet, you know, and it's like they, you know, put it under the guy,
say, well, we honor prophets. And it's like, oh, but do you? You know, so I think that's the main
thing. Of course, like dietary restrictions, like if I'm really honest about it, like,
they're just Jews that, you know, when I say Jews, like, religious Jews that believe in another god,
like living by the law. So everything is definitely works driven. You know, the praying five times a
day and, you know, you know, restrictions on diet. Now granted, I don't eat pork, but that's
just because I never ate it. So I didn't understand why I needed to eat it now, you know. Right,
right. Right. Right. Right. The restrictions in diet, um, women covering, you know.
So there's a lot of, um, just religious things that, you know, now that I'm free in Christ,
this is just kind of like, you know, those are like the main things I think that stands out when
you look at like being free in Christ and having a relationship with God versus my being religious.
Right. Oh, that's good. Yeah. That's really good. And you know, what's interesting, and I haven't done,
so a friend of mine who's a bishop, um, he's done like studies on how close Judaism, Islam and
Christianity are, but also like what some of the major differences are. And I like that you,
I'm just taking notes there. I like that you mentioned that, you know, it's, it's works driven.
And so the discipline in my mind, um, you know, to pray five times a day or when you're fasting
during Ramadan or, you know, that type of thing, like the discipline that it takes to do that
versus in Christianity, you know, if you want to fast, like you can under the leadership of your,
um, under the guidance of your spiritual leader, uh, but there is no, you need to pray three times
a day or anything in that regard. And so it feels more personal in that aspect. Absolutely.
Yeah. So I think that's, that's really interesting that you brought up, you know, the real major
distinction, as you said, was that Jesus is just a prophet, um, yeah, in Islam, which is very
different than Christianity. Um, as I start to sort of think about, you know, you growing up and
being a young adult, can you take us to the moment or maybe the season when you began to feel
drawn to Jesus? And what was happening in your life at that time?
So it was so funny. I was telling someone this recently, um, I can tell you exactly the moment
that God was dealing with me. I was 13. Um, and I don't, you know, now in retrospect, it's like,
oh, you just were like, I'm, you mine. I'm going to have you left me. So, um, I just remember,
I was 13. Um, we were having Eid, um, at the end of Ramadan in one of our really close, close
friends. Um, in fact, we lived with her, what I used to live in California when I was younger,
because uh, San Francisco had a really large Muslim community. And so at that time, my mother
would like really wanting to lean into her faith. And so we had lived there for a period. And so,
um, that's where when I was 13, our family friend Nabiha was visiting us.
And for Eid, for our celebration, here she came to the state, I mean, to, um, to Massachusetts from
California. And I remember her asking me who, who was a law. And I'm like, a law is God.
And I was just, and she's just like, okay, but who is a law? And I just remember being like,
really confused by her question. Because I'm just like, because in that moment,
there was never a thought that there was ever another God.
First of all, so that's the first thing I was like, and so I was just kind of very confused
by what she was asking me. So, but then the second thought came was, well, do I, do I know God?
Yeah. Because I thought I did. Right, right. You know, and so, and that was when I was 13. And so,
that kind of always is weird because it's like that small little conversation that probably
occurred for 0.25 seconds. Yeah. Never left my mind. Yeah. You know, um, that was when I was 13,
when I was about 16, the Lord separated my mother and I and she moved south. That's how we kind
of ended up in North Carolina. Um, he came here. What's so interesting was that this was when
the Lord started dealing with both of us separately in our own conversion. So she comes south,
she accepts Christ. She becomes a believer. Wow. And she, she says, I handled it a little bit
different than my siblings. Yeah. She was like, it's siblings. They were like, whatever.
And so she called to tell us like, Hey, I'm a Christian now. And she said, I went all the way off.
And she was like, you, you bought my custom mother out. You know, and, you know, because it was like,
you told me this was the truth. Yeah. We don't believe that. Well, what are you talking about,
lady? And she said, I was like, hi, whereas my siblings were just kind of like, Oh, okay. And
she was like, so it's, she's like, it's so funny to me that the way you responded and how, you
know, the one that was so firm, like, like loves the Lord. You know, she was like, is she so funny?
But now what I realized was that the Lord separated us because she needed my conversion to be,
because he drew me, not because my mother brought me into another faith. That's good. So like, I'm
like very clear. Like that our conversions had to be separate. And so, um, I don't, I don't think I
realized that until later on where my father who at the time was so practicing, what someone was
like, you know, brought it to me. He was like, you know, I never married again because your mom
became Christian. And she, she made you Christian. And it was then I was like, oh, that's why you
did that. You did that for that reason because you needed it to be clear that you drew me,
that you converted my heart, not anything that anyone had told me. So, um, I, so she moves
down south, she converts, I'm still going to the mustard. I still believe what I believe. Not,
you know, super firm in my face, you know, covered when I would go to Juma with my dad, but it
wasn't really, you know, sure, yeah, it was just, I was just Muslim because again, it was,
it was more like an identity thing. I was just who you are. Yeah. And so,
when I was, so during that time from 16 to right before I turned 19, when I'm finishing up high school,
it was like my mother literally orchestrated. So, um, so are you familiar with Boston at all?
Not at all. Not at all. Okay. So, I'm from Boston. I went to school in Cambridge. Okay. So,
Cambridge is like the neighboring city. Okay. Okay. It would be the distance of like,
um, Southern Connecticut to the Bronx or something like that. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And so,
I was literally in another city going to school. And so, in an effort to make sure that I didn't
have any issues getting to school. And, you know, I was finishing up my senior year. It was almost
like the Lord had her literally orchestrate like all of these homes that I stayed in. And every single
one was a believer in Christ. Like, everything. Oh, wow. All of these people opened their home to me.
And, you know, going back to what I was saying at the top of the conversation, it was like, he
was so intentional about making sure I knew what his love felt like, you know, through his people.
And so, you know, I remember, like, even to this, like, now, like, I remember reaching out to
like my family members over the past two years, like, you know, I didn't know it then, but, you
know, I see now what a little was using you to draw me to him, you know. And so, um, I was 19,
getting ready to leave to Boston to come down here for college. And one of my family members,
my aunt and my cousin, my cousin and I were at the same age. And so they went to church. And so,
it was like, I would go to church with them because that's what they did. But, you know, I couldn't
tell you I was, you know, it was no revelation. I wasn't here on anything. You know, and so I
remember when it was like one Sunday, um, our pastor's wife came up to me and just asked me
with I ready. And I knew what she meant. Like, I didn't need to love. What do you mean? Am I ready?
Like, I was very clear about what she meant. I always tell people though, if you had asked me
that morning, I would have told you I was Muslim. Like, I didn't wake up with the intention of
converting to Christianity. Right. Right. Right. I went to church because that's what their family
did. You know, not realizing that the law was like, you belong to me, you know. Right. Right.
If you had, like I said, if you had asked me that morning, I would have told you I was Muslim.
Right. I would have told you I was Muslim. Yeah. So it was definitely, I always tell people it was
definitely a, a Paul conversion. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We wrote to Damascus version. So yeah.
And again, I'm sorry. No, no, no, go ahead. Go ahead. I feel like any Muslim is kind of that way.
Like anyone who comes out of that because we believe that to be the truth so much and it's so
counter to Christianity, like God himself is going to have to drop me because they know the way.
There's no other way. Exactly. I'm even going to be like, you can't, you can't even really come to
the average Muslim, you know, try, you can't preach the gospel to them in a traditional way. Like,
right. Romans eight means nothing to me. Right. Right. Right. Right. You know, and so it has to be
the law converting your heart. It has to be. And so it sounds like again, you know, this
receiving love and the love of Christ and seeing God's word and action, other people throughout
your life. Because it could have been, I mean, people could have easily just said, you know,
hey, don't worry about it. You don't have to come to church with us. We know that this isn't what
you believe or, right. You know, I've been again, acting out of prejudice and out of biases and
negative stereotypes and that sort of thing. But it really sounds like the Christians and those
sort of believers in your life really embraced you. And, you know, I'm hearing ages 13 and ages 16.
Those are huge moments in any young person's life, huge, you know, milestone years where it's
so important as far as your, you know, development as a person, right. Your questioning things and
you're trying to figure out who you are and your identity. And so you'd have this, you know,
major transformation of identity in the midst of also trying to find your identity as a person and
like find your voice as a growing into adult. I can just imagine like some of the challenges that
you may have faced. Like what were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you decided to
leave Islam and follow Christ? I think the main thing for me was that connection to that identity.
Yeah. I remember the first, one of the first encounters, the identity and also the community.
I think that's honestly for me, I feel like a huge part of why Black Americans are drawn to
is because of the community. Yeah. Like it's super communal. And so I remember my first encounter with
a family who I grew up in a mosque did with and the son, you know, he and I kind of liked each
other. And I think I was in, he went to school in Atlanta and I had bumped into him visiting a friend
and we ended up going out. And I don't even know how it came up in conversation. And I don't know
if he maybe he asked me if I want to go to Juma with him the next day or and I was like,
he's like, which me? I was like, I believe in Jesus. And I just remember how he looked at me like,
and I was just kind of like, you know, and I don't think I was anticipating that.
But that was kind of, you know, some of the things was like, there was, there was definitely
getting ready to be a divide between me and that community. And so that was for the most part,
I think. And even with my mom kind of the same thing, like her friend Nabiha, the one I told you
asked me the question, I'll start seeing, when she found out my mother confessed Christ,
she was like heartbroken and never spoke to my mother ever again. And so when she died,
my mother found out she died. My mother was like devastated because, you know, they, and she was like
one of the first people my mother talked to when she was, she felt like, because my mother struggled
with that because she was just like, you know, I don't believe this. You know, I'm going to be honest,
when I first confessed Christ, I was like, this is, this is not what I believe, you know, yeah, yeah,
because my life was so different, you know, and so I grappled with that. Even though it was like,
I know in the deepest part of me, this is right. I know this is the truth. But I still struggled,
my flesh still struggled with, you know, moving in that direction. You know, it was honestly,
it was a season where I had convinced myself that, you know, you can believe in whatever God you
want, you know, you know, because I didn't really know, I didn't really understand all, you know,
all the, I don't even want to say the complexity is really the simplicity of yeah, following
Christ. Right. And so I, that was just something, you know, that I would say. And then honestly,
I wasn't really discipled. I literally confessed Christ and then came to college.
Oh, yeah, that could have gone astray. But even in that, even in that guy was so kind and gracious
because like at one point out, like studying with the jokes, witnesses. Right, right, right.
Y'all, y'all read the Bible. You believe in Jesus the same, right? You know, because I didn't know
that that was a difference. And even in that, he was gracious enough to be like, girl,
get over here. You know, so yeah, so it was kind of like all of those things just trying to
navigate this new faith that I was in. And I think when I was 19, that's when he really had me to
get still and be at a church where I could learn the word and understand the truth and understand
the word for myself. And like I said, I almost became a whole job of witness in the process.
My husband was like, my husband was like, so so funny is he was raised to witness.
Interesting. And so he was like, I know you're searching, so you can go, but I won't go.
And so I went to the kingdom hall with them. Again, I was trying to understand what I had just
confessed. And so I thought, because they were presenting the Bible and they had mentioned
reason. I thought it was the same. Right. And so I went and I remember I was like,
yeah, this is different. Yeah. Yeah. And so, you know, I think this was probably one of the
first few times. I'm sure there was some other time. So one of the things that I know,
in fact, let me just stick to where I was going to stay, because it's going to
tie into what I'm getting ready to stay next. So I go to the kingdom hall and I was like, okay,
God, like I'm trying to know you, like I really want to know you. What was that? And he was like,
my whole spirit is not there. Wow. Yeah. And so I was like, oh, okay. And so I'm like, well,
why? Because they say they believe, because they don't acknowledge Christ for who he is.
Yeah. So it's not until I come to know Christ that I begin to hear the voice of the Lord,
because I never heard that before. I never heard the voice. Like I pray five times a day as a
Muslim. Right. But I don't hear from God. Right. If I heard God's voice, I never got a prompting.
I don't know, you know, I don't. And so all of that is very new. So I get back from the kingdom
hall. And my husband was like, I know you enough to know that God was going to show you. And I didn't
have to tell you you couldn't go to the kingdom hall. Sure. You were going to see. And that was
going to be enough. So he was like, so I wasn't really concerned. Like you, you know, you're in a
place where you really want to hear from God. And he was going to tell you, and I didn't have to tell
you. And literally that's what happened. Right. And so from there, I just again, I kind of found a
ministry I could sit under and really understand my new faith for myself. Yeah.
I think that's important. It's an important lesson for us as believers to learn just in dealing
with or witnessing to anyone that's not yet a believer. I think sometimes we are so quick to try
and, you know, convert them. Yes, we're so quick to try and convert them. And we really just
have to preach the word of God and live the word God. And like the Holy Spirit will convict them
just like, yeah. Right. I was also telling my son recently, I was like, you know, I really need
you to get out of this thought process that it's your job to convert people. Yes. The
converter of hearts. Absolutely. Absolutely. The word tells us that somebody plants, somebody waters,
God brings the increase. Absolutely. Wherever you are in that, if you're watering a plant and just
do that, like, yeah, it's not your job. I was like, you know, we'll rejoice if that happens.
Right. But it's not your job to convert people. And the thing about it, I really genuinely believe
that the Lord makes it so so that we don't walk in pride. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Yeah.
I'm going to preach the gospel to that friend. Like, and then you make it about you, you know? So it's
like, yeah, not about you at all. It's, and I tell this to people, you know, you might sometimes be
the only Christ that, or not the only Christ, but the only person that believes in Christ, the only
Christian that someone has in their life that someone has a connection to. And it's just a matter
of how you treat people each and every single day. Absolutely. And it's, that's the important piece
of it. I don't have to go around and try and convert everyone that I'm in connection with. I just
have to live out the word of God. I just have to live like Christ had lived and put us to live. And,
and letting us always spirit do the rest. That's it. None of the people ever preached the gospel to me
who saw him as I was standing. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Their lives were preaching the gospel. Yeah. Like, never. And
like, not any one of them. Yeah. Yeah. Like, no one ever said, hey, do you know, well, I never
got a track, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't, it wasn't bad at all. It was just, you
know, constantly, you know, like I was talking to one of my, I reached out to one of my aunts not
too long ago. And I was just like, I just thought about things like her driving me to school when my
mother was working. Mm-hmm. Well, her pick coming to pick me my sister up, you know, when my mother
had to go, when my mother was traveling for work and her opening her home and taking care of us,
like we were at children, like those things resonated far more than anything she could have ever
said to me about God. Sure. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that's something, you know, that,
hopefully our listeners will take in today is that it literally is just about how you live your
life and how you treat people. Mm-hmm. That's it. That's the most important thing because I can only
imagine you questioning, you know, your beliefs. And then all of a sudden somebody is coming at you
with, you know, the gospel and kind of banging it over your head and being forced to with it. And,
you know, so it's, I mean, really and truly, I think I, one of the things I would hope that
fellow Christians would know is that it is just about being a good person and following Jesus
Christ and following the Word of God and just letting the Holy Spirit do the rest. Right.
Right. Following His leading in all things, like, yep. Absolutely. Was there any particular scripture
that you that kind of stuck out to you early on that helped you transition into Christianity or
any scripture that you leaned on? Mm-hmm. So I'm 96-4. Mm-hmm. And it's like, that was like the,
I think that was one of the first scriptures I remembered. And it was, do you know what it says?
Uh-uh. I was just nearing that. Go ahead. So for great as the Lord, he is worthy to be praised. He
is to be feared above all God. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. That was like, yeah, that was like the scripture
that I, the first scripture I remembered. In fact, for a long time, I used to have my Bible
opened up to that scripture. Mm-hmm. And so I don't know. He just kind of had me there for a while,
as I, especially as I, you know, because I was coming from believing in another God. Right. Right.
So that was like the main scripture that I think I just kind of clung to during the early part of
my conversion. Right. Right. And you talked a little bit about this, but I'm just wondering if you
could just give me, you know, two ways that your relationship, how your relationship with Jesus
transformed your identity purpose and other relationships? Um, first of all, I feel like it has helped
me to not be insecure because I stopped looking through Amina's lens. And I started to look through
God's lens, like started to see myself, you know, the way he sees me. Yeah.
You know, even to the point where since my boys were little, it's something we do, we,
we're doing as a family when they were younger, but we would do biblical affirmations every morning
and so in the purpose was specifically to make sure that we're identifying ourselves based off of what
God has said about us. Right. Right. And so definitely, insecurities and, um, and confidence, I felt,
I feel like my confidence, I got, I got, I don't know, I just, I feel like I became a different person.
Like, like just the insecurity that I used to have. And then I think the other thing, you asked
exactly like, how have I changed since I've been a vice? Yeah. Um, I feel, I used to be like a
huge warrior. Like, worry about everything. And so now I feel like I have like this reference point
that I can return to whenever I feel that happening, whereas before it was like, I just think about
who the person that I was like 10, 15 years ago, I almost feel like I don't really know her. Yeah. Wow.
And because I used to just like worry about everything. I just, it's worried like everything.
Like I used to just get so overwhelmed to the point where it would like almost paralyze me. Yeah.
Yeah. And so I feel, I feel like now I know whenever I feel that way, I know that it was like,
I need to see you. Like I go over here by myself. Like my husband drops me off. I go away for a weekend
by myself before the beginning of the year, just so I can hear from the Lord. Wow. And so,
and I've been doing that. Apparently my friends that I've been doing this in college. Wow.
I didn't realize that it was a thing, but my friends are like, yeah, you've been doing that. Wow.
Like I would go like have my friends drop me off at a hotel and they're like, are you going to see
a guy? No, I'm going to be still like, you know, but I just realized that I that was the way that I
could reset and get before the Lord. And so that has been a huge part of like releasing that worry
is like sitting before the Lord and his presence. Right. And honestly, I have to add one more.
So I'm a singer and I'd never sang until I got saved. Really? I'd never, I didn't even,
I felt like I like to sing, but I didn't really know what to do with that. Yeah, worship is my,
that's my space like listen. Like I love, love, love sitting before the Lord. Yes.
And thing, but it was like, but I didn't really, so this was funny. So I got to tell you
a quick funny story. Yeah, yeah. So think about this Muslim girl in her bedroom probably about 15,
16 melodies. Ma'am. Going in and down. I don't even know who we talking about.
Brand out on me. Oh, God. Shout out to my friends. Trying to play quiet in my room though.
Yeah, like put it like put the put it under your pillow. So just you can. Yeah. You know,
just I don't even know who's highly goes to be talking about, but I like it. Oh, my shout out to
Kirk Franklin. Shout out to all the little Muslim girls and boys out there that used to listen to
Kirk. Oh, I didn't even know. I didn't even know.
Ma'am, whenever I talk about husband, that he was like, you don't just say how funny that is.
That is hilarious. That's funny. No, that's funny.
No, that is too funny. Oh, my goodness. Now you mentioned your husband grew up. Jojo was witness.
Is that right? So was he a cook? Because you all met in college. So was he also a Christian at that
time? No. So what's so funny is he grew up witness from his mom, his aunt, I mean, his grandmother
who he ended up living with like through high school, she was like a firm like follow of Christ.
By the time I met my husband, you know, again, this is early in my walk. Right. So I don't really know
that it's important that we believe the same thing. Sure. Sure. He was kind of like, like,
he was a good man and he asked me to get married. And I knew he was going to say,
care me and I didn't realize, you know, until we got married, like, the important.
So because like, my husband was really like for real my best friend.
I hated that. That was the one component of our lives we didn't share because this was
genuinely my friend. And so I remember he was like, look, I don't do church. I ain't go in the
church. You know, ask me about church. Yeah. And he was like, wait a minute. But then you go to
church. And he's like, yeah, and I just don't do that. And so we went through a period where my
husband was not interested in anything. Yeah. Well, anything church. And so I remember someone
asking him, like, what changed? He was like, because I liked her and she was always at church.
So I wanted to be where her had to go to church. You know, and it was during that time that the
Lord started to like really deal with him. Like, it's crazy because now it's sometimes I'm like,
I just stare at him and I'm like, you see my shirt says look at the Lord has done. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Listen, because this is now the same man who at the beginning, at the beginning of every year
says down with us, gives us our family scripture, gives us our direction for the year. Like,
I love that. But this is the man who was like, look now, you can go and do your church, but don't
ask me about that. But don't come. Just leave me alone. I love you. I'll take care of you, but I'm
not doing that. But now I'm not doing that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then like, we're over like our
marriage ministry at our church. And I love that. I love that. I'll have to have both of you
I'll come back on. I would love to hear more about how you all piece your sons and marriage
ministry at church and all that other fun stuff. We were homeschoolers. Yeah. Really? We were
all the way up through until they went to high school. Oh, yeah. No, I'm definitely not
to have you all come back on for sure. Yeah. Because that's, you know, the fastest growing
population of people that are homeschooling their children are now black people.
Since I think since COVID. Yeah. And so to me, it's very interesting because I'm growing up,
I never knew anybody that was homeschool. And if I did, we're always playing. Absolutely. Yeah.
Apple, like 128 percent. That was true. Yeah. Yeah. So it's just interesting, you know,
when I started to look into that, just thinking about, you know, why that is and how people navigate
that. And yeah. So I definitely will have to have y'all come back on. Yeah. We love that.
So are you ready to go into our quick digs segment of the show today?
Absolutely. Did you ask me everything you wanted to ask me? Yeah. Just about.
I think I have maybe one or two others after this, after these, these quick dig questions.
So this section, this portion of the show is called quick digs, hot topics and Christian culture.
I'll throw out a topic or a question and you give me your quick unfiltered tape. Okay.
All right. So we were just kind of talking about this a little bit, but interfaith relationships.
Can a Christian, deep or marry someone of another religion? Absolutely not.
Interesting. We don't even, we don't even talk the same God.
What are we going to talk about? What are we going to talk about? I'd like, oh, it's the first
literally the first question when my children are telling me about a girl is she the follower of
Christ. Uh-huh. Yep. Because if not, what are we doing? What are we doing? Jesus, Lord, I thought
to you. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. That's it. So I say no. Like in anyone who says it like,
you're praying to different gods, which I'm going to talk about. And who are we praying to when we
get into conflict? Hello, because somebody's God's got to be right. And I'm like, are we calling on?
I'm just not calling on your God. Yeah. No. Yeah. No. So next question. Next question.
Is Christianity to westernize? So the angry black in me says American, the American church is
very westernized. Absolutely. Absolutely. Um, so I have my background in history.
My, my bachelor's in history. And so you know, I'm definitely the person who's like,
like, we're going to talk about the cops at church. Yeah. We're going to talk about, you know,
the, you know, like, because so yeah, I, I feel like it, the American church is so westernized.
Yeah. We have our cops and our comforts and our low lights. And I tell, I say it all the time
on this show, I had another guest song. We were talking about, um, you know, lights on or lights
off in, in the worship service. And I said, turn these lights on. Leave these lights on people.
Like, yeah. It just, it's, and that's just me. I know, I know something.
I got out there listening to our disagreeing. And that's okay. We're going to agree to disagree.
Right. Let's go to, let's go to this next one. Public testimonies on TikTok helpful or
performative. Um, I think it depends. I really think it depends. Um, so because I actually did
like a whole video where I talked about my conversion. Okay. So I think it really just depends on
how it's presented. Um, so yeah. So I'm, I can't 100% now. There's a lot of Christian content
that I feel is super performative. Um, like you didn't have that camera on while you got out of
the bed. Did it have devotion? Is more than you didn't? No, you didn't. No. You didn't do that.
So that type of stuff is like, and so, you know, I think it is important to be authentic to
the leading of the Holy Spirit. And you know, however, the Holy Spirit, how is you to share?
But like, I'm going to be honest, and I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not even on social
media right now. I actually completely deleted my account like last year. See, I'm so, I took a break
um mid. So if you're listening to this, we're not going to air this until, I don't know,
probably sometime in the summer, maybe beginning of fall. But at the time of listening to, uh,
recording this episode, I took a break in mid April. Um, I plan to go back on at the end of this
month. But a lot, I just, I do that at least once a year. Um, yeah. But I usually like deactivate
my whole account. And I'm going to be honest. I don't know if I want to come back. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I've enjoyed catching up with people in real life. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, yeah. So I,
again, so for that reason, I just feel like it is important to be true to yourself. So I think
it just kind of depends on how it's being presented. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. I agree.
A hundred percent. I'm always just like, wait, you're crying. So like you set up this video to
record yourself. To cry at the camera. To cry. Yeah. Yeah. Like, um, oh, let's not. Yeah.
Like, yeah. It's just a little, um, yeah. Oh, I hear this. Um, so my last one, uh, for the
quick digs section, uh, should churches do more outreach to Muslims?
I think they should. But I also think that there should be. I think that they should be more
teaching on understanding what they believe in relationship to what we believe so that they can
have greater understanding of a how to approach. Sure. Yeah. So I think that's really, really
important. Um, a few, it's been gosh, it's probably been like 15, 20 years ago. I did like a whole
series at my old church where we looked at other faiths and relationship to what the scripture
say. And in efforts to make sure that people understood like, you know, one of our things my
past has been saying this year is like, we got to be flexible this year with preaching the gospel.
And so everybody's not going to give us the opportunity to hand out the track or give them
the scripture or guide them through the scriptures. And especially like with Muslims, like they
don't believe that our scripture, they believe our scriptures are corrupted. And so that's the case.
You can't come at them talking about scripture. No. Yeah. And so these are things I feel like
are important to know. Like you need to know what they believe in relationship to what you believe
so that you can better defend the faith. Right. Absolutely. I think that is incredibly powerful
and helpful because again, I think everything that we believe that we know comes from some kind
of media and all of that is not accurate. I would say one of that is not accurate. And so I think
you're absolutely right. I think people like yourself who are willing to share your testimony,
who are willing to, you know, be able to kind of shed a light on, here's the differences.
Here's what we believe. Here's how you can most effectively witness to to someone of this faith.
I think that's really important. Absolutely. So as we get ready to close and in the conversation,
I wanted to know if there's a listener out there who might be questioning their faith,
questioning, you know, what they believe, what encouragement would you give to that person if
they were sitting on this call with us? Is this specifically someone who's Muslim or or just
I think anyone, however you so led. So I always, I always kind of start with
going to find Jesus in the Old Testament. Like that's usually my reference point. So
just recently, I'll use this as an example where I had a really close family member,
she was Muslim. And then, um, sorry, move a little bit. My phone was getting my job
dying me. I'm really close friends. Um, family member, she was Muslim. And then a client,
the Lord sent one of my clients, and she was also Muslim. And so I recommended that they went
and researched the temple and saw how Jesus satisfied everything.
And when they researched the temple, I also told them they were going to start seeing some
really close correlations to their Muslim faith. And they, and so for me, I always say,
go and look at all of the prophecies. He's prophecies, he satisfies.
Yes. Yeah. And then make a decision. Yeah. If he does not, if he's not being a firm,
then, you know, but I already know he's going to be so. So I always recommend like, before like,
in fact, I had a conversation with a client recently who is thinking about converting.
And I asked her, I said, before you make this decision, I asked that you go and research to see
how Jesus, Jesus satisfies all of this. Yeah. Everything that you're saying to me, he's
satisfied. Right. All of these prophecies, he satisfies these things. Right. And it, I was like,
and it sounds like you didn't know that for yourself. And before you make this, this really
important decision, I highly recommend that you do that. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, the word of God
tells us, and I think it was in the book of Acts that after the Marines heard the gospels,
they searched the scriptures to see if these things be so. So search the scriptures first.
Find out if these things be so. And so that's my recommendation is before you make the decision.
And if you're not sure where to begin, find someone that can help to guide you that you trust
to guide you through what that needs to look like. And more importantly, if you are not sure,
ask the Lord and he'll, New World tells us he'll give us wisdom liberally if we need it.
Absolutely. Yeah. So, absolutely. Well, normally, I ask my guests how, you know,
folks can stay in touch with them, but you're not on social media. But could you share with us
how they can stay in touch with you? Absolutely. So they can still find me at AminoLawson.com.
And then I'm Amino L Lawson on Facebook. And then I still have my salon page up. So if you want
to check out my salon and my business and, you know, in this particular season of my life,
I'm really allowing the Lord to let me show how he guides me through business. So you can follow me
at all things Cree. And that's Cree, C-R-I-E. And so again, AminoLawson.com. Or you can find me on
Facebook at AminoLawson or you can find me at all things Cree on Instagram. Awesome.
Yeah. That's fantastic. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for just sharing your story
with so much grace and transparency. And, you know, this conversation has really reminded me
that Jesus is still in the business of changing lives and transporations and transporations.
And as you mentioned, you know, that Paul conversion, where we think like, oh, that's, you know,
New Testament, that doesn't happen anymore. But your testimony is proof that God is still
changing and transforming hearts and minds of people. So thank you so very much for coming on
and being willing to share. And to our listeners, if today's episode moved you, share it with someone
who needs hope. And remember that no matter your background or beginning, there's a room at the
table for you and the family of God. This is Dr. Jury A. C. Aljo with Dig Deep Conversations with
Christian leaders, where we go beyond the surface to inspire change and empower purpose driven
leadership. Until next time, Dig Deep. Thanks, everyone.