April 18, 2025 • 25 mins
Billy Milan's journey from the streets of New York to the security team at Destiny Worship Center is a testament to God's relentless pursuit of those who seem furthest from His reach.
Growing up as the child of divorce in NYC, Billy found himself joining the NYPD at just 20 years old. Though married to Maria, a woman of deep faith, Billy admits he spent the first decade of their marriage living a double life – saying the right prayers to please his reverend father-in-law while drowning in excessive drinking and creating what he calls "a beautiful house on the outside, broken on the inside."
The turning point came in 2003 when, after years of his wife's faithful prayers, God radically transformed Billy's heart. "He left the 99 for me," Billy shares, describing how his life changed so dramatically that even his fellow officers took notice. By his retirement in 2013, one colleague who had never believed in God admitted, "What I've seen God do in your life, I now know there's a God."
What Billy calls their "30-day miracle" – a vacation to Destin that turned into purchasing a home – eventually led to permanent relocation and finding their spiritual family at Destiny Worship Center. Now overseeing security for the church and its school, Billy speaks candidly about maintaining faith amid tragedy, particularly reflecting on the recent death of Deputy Will May.
Most powerfully, Billy testifies to breaking generational curses: "There was divorce in my family... that was a generational curse. And guess what? No more." His story reminds us that no marriage is beyond restoration when surrendered to God. As Billy says, "You've got to work at it... you need to be selfless."
Ready to experience your own redemption story? Begin by reading God's Word daily, joining a Christ-centered church community, and connecting with a small group who can walk alongside you through life's valleys and mountaintops.
For more information contact us at
rtrdestiny@gmail.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own road to redemption.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to Road to Redemption.
I'm John Martin, your host, andwe've got an exciting show
today.
So fun, I'm so excited.
My good friend Billy Milan ishere.
How are you, Billy?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I'm doing well.
Thank you, John.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
We've gotten to be friends.
I see you at the school andyou're so great.
I get to see you every daydoing a great job of keeping our
kids safe here at GatewayAcademy.
So thank you for that.
Thank you, thank you and I justhave loved getting to know you
(00:47):
and really honored that youmentioned to me a while ago.
You're like John.
Hey, I think I'd like to sharemy story and I know people are
really going to be blessed.
So start off and just give us alittle background on you, where
you grew up.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
So start off and just give us a little background on
you, where you grew up.
Well, john, like I said, thankyou for having me, and this is
really, when we say my story,really it's God's story, right,
what God has done in my lifethroughout the years.
But I grew up in New York City.
I grew up in new york city.
(01:29):
Um, I grew up, uh, with my mom,um, only child.
Folks were divorced at a youngage, six years old.
Um grew up in a catholic church,basically raised by the nuns,
because mom was always working,trying to make ends meet.
Um, we were just barely makingit right, just trying to make it
.
But there was always love inthe house, right, but because of
(01:50):
the divorce, obviously therewas brokenness as well.
But I grew up in Catholicismand then I joined the police
department in 1991 at 20 yearsold, and I'm grateful for the
career that I had within the NewYork City Police Department.
I spent 22 years there doingthat.
But during that time I gotmarried to my wife, maria, and
(02:12):
we had two beautiful childrenthat are now today adult
children.
And that's a little bit aboutmyself in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I know you told me this before, but I forget.
How did y'all end up in theDestin Florida area from New
York City?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
That's interesting in itself, right.
So my wife had taken a job inTexas and so she was living in
Texas.
I was still in New York, kindof waiting to retire, and in
2014, I retired in 2013.
In 14, we decided to come tothe Destin area to celebrate my
retirement and we always wantedto celebrate the kids and how
(02:49):
well they did in school andthings of that nature.
So we wound up down here Augustof 2014.
And while we were down hereenjoying this beautiful part of
the country, my wife was onlinelooking for a vacation rental,
if you will and 30 days later weclosed on a home and we call it
our 30-day miracle.
And in owning that home, weobviously had to come down to
(03:13):
care for it.
So we started coming down two,three times a year, and then it
wound up four or five times ayear.
In any case, we needed a placeto worship when we were here.
So Maria found Destiny WorshipCenter and we would come on
Saturday evenings for the 5 pmservice every time we were in
town.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Awesome.
Yeah, let's talk just a littlebit about that.
When you started coming toDestiny, what was your
relationship like with the Lordand how did it progress?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, I had already had a relationship with the Lord
right, because I got saved backin 2003.
Now, mind you, I got married in1993 and I got saved in 03,
right, so that goes to show youthat about 10 years there I
(04:10):
wasn't walking with the Lord,you know.
But when we came to Destiny, wehad already been walking with
the Lord, marie and I, and wewere pretty established, if you
will, in our walk and we hadcome from a very strong ministry
in New York, long Island, newYork, and we served there
faithfully for many years.
But when we came here, therewas just something different,
(04:33):
right, it was somethingdifferent about Destiny.
There was just an automaticpeace.
And it's interesting becauseevery time we'd come back into
town and I pull into the parkinglot, maria would look at me and
say there's a piece, there's apiece about you, and I said I
just feel like we're home Everysingle time.
The only part that I would feela little grieved, if you will,
(04:56):
was when I would leave, becauseI wanted to be a part of Team
Destiny.
I wanted to go through growthtrack and I wanted to join a
small group, but we couldn'tbecause we obviously were going
back home to Houston at the time, but I was always looking
forward to that day and that daycame to fruition in June of
2022.
We were blessed enough to movedown here full time and talk to
(05:32):
us a little bit about what's Godbeen doing in y'all's life
since you've gotten plugged intothe church and boy, um, I'll
tell you.
I mean, it's, it's, the lord'shand's been all over it.
Um, we got here in june of 2022and I was, um, fortunate enough
to get hired on in august by thelocal walton county sheriff's
office, and I didn't think I'dstay in law enforcement after
all those years, but I gave it achance and I gave it a shot and
the sheriff was kind enough tohire me on and I stayed with
(05:54):
them for about 17 months.
In that time we obviously werenow here full time.
We went through growth track.
I got plugged in with the men,maria got plugged in with the
ladies, we got plugged in with asmall group.
Just, the Lord was working, butthere was something missing in
(06:14):
me personally.
I just felt that there was more.
I felt there was more as far aslaw enforcement was good to me,
but I just didn't feel like Iwas fulfilling the call at that
point in time.
And uh, and then, and then, allof a sudden, I uh, I got that
text message from Pastor Steven,and uh, and he asked if I'd be
(06:38):
willing to meet with him, and wemet and the door opened.
And um, and, since January 8thof ofth of last year I've been
blessed to be part of staff hereand oversee the security for
the lower school and the middleschool and the house.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And the church, and the church.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And boy, it's been a real blessing.
And yeah, it's just amazingwhat the Lord's been doing in
our lives.
I mean, who would have everthought in 2014 that I'd be even
sitting here today, you know,sharing with you, so I'm very
thankful yeah, well it's.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Y'all are doing a great job and I know it's not an
easy job because you're in,you're watching over a church
and kids, and it's anunfortunate thing about our
world that we have to do that.
That really wasn't as much thecase a few decades ago.
(07:38):
And talk to us a little bitabout just any what that
journey's been like for you justbeing in law enforcement
security but being a believer.
(07:59):
You've also a believer in Jesusand you're having to reach out
to people and share the love ofJesus and peace and joy, but
then you're also having to watchout for the bad guys.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So it's kind of I don't know if you have any
anything you want to share onthat, but well, I'll tell you it
, it actually became easier forme when, once I got saved right,
because from 1991, from the dayI swore in to about 2003, I
(08:32):
wasn't, I wasn't saved.
You know, I, I, I, I wasn'twalking with the Lord.
I mean, I got, I got marriedand with with Maria, and and I,
I said this prayer of salvation,if you will, I said it, but I
didn't mean it, it wasn't in myheart, I just knew my
(08:52):
father-in-law was a reverend,great, great, great man.
I miss Johnny tremendously andI went from Catholicism to this
relationship that everyone wastalking about, this relationship
with Jesus, and I just said theprayer, to say the prayer, but
in reality it was like one footin, one foot out.
(09:13):
I was not living for the Lord.
So it was tough.
Right, it was tough betweenthat timeframe in 2003, because
I was living in the world.
I was in law enforcement.
Yes, you meet great people, youmeet nice people, but in, in,
in, in, in the world that I wasin, in homicide investigations
you're dealing with,unfortunately, but you're
dealing with with death, right,you're dealing with things that
(09:35):
are just not positive in nature.
It's dark, it's dark, it's dark.
So, and just to continue withthat darkness.
That's where the strugglesreally really started happening
with me, because it led me toexcessive drinking, led me to
excessive drinking.
(09:55):
It led our household to bebroken on the inside.
You know, when I share with menand Maria and I share with
couples, the Milan's householdon the exterior was beautiful.
It was a beautiful home.
We cared for it, we manicuredit, we were always doing
upgrades.
We had one of the mostbeautiful homes on the block.
But the interior was justbroken.
(10:19):
Exterior surface looked great,the interior was just broken.
Exterior surface looked great,the interior was just broken.
And then, when the Lord finallygot a hold of me, thank God in
2003, it was just a radicalchange.
It was just amazing, amazing,instant, amazing.
And it was all due to you know.
(10:40):
Obviously, you know my wife hadevery biblical right to during
that bad season, if you will,that long 10 year bad season,
had every biblical right to walkaway.
But when I asked her, whydidn't you?
She said well, the Lord neverreleased you to.
He never released you.
He wanted me to stay in thereand fight and pray and you know
(11:04):
he promised me a godly man andshe held on to that promise.
She goes.
Yeah, it was easy for me toquit, but she didn't quit.
She prayed, she fasted and shebelieved, faithful, faithful,
faithful woman of God that sheis.
So I call her my Proverbs 21woman, right 21, 31?
31 woman.
(11:25):
So, in any case, so it becamefrom 2003 on, to answer your
question, it became easier forme in dealing with people, but
it was a little difficult withinthe police culture because I
didn't work with many believers,right, yeah, and they knew me
for my work ethic.
They knew the detective Milan.
(11:46):
They didn't know this newbeliever in Christ, this new man
of God, this new walk of life.
They didn't really understandit.
But I like to just bring it tothis point.
(12:07):
The day I retired April 30th of2013, and I did my final sign
out of my log in my office,there were 10 men in that office
crying and one of them said tome we cry because we rejoice
with you, but he said mepersonally, billy, he goes.
I never really believed in god,but what I've seen god do in
your life, I now know there's agod.
(12:27):
Yeah, let me tell you something, john I broke.
I broke.
It was just a powerful moment,uh, for me, right and um, and
that meant the world to mebecause of my walk, those final
13 years in the policedepartment.
The Lord was just shiningthrough me.
Am I going to say they wereeasy moments?
(12:48):
No, but it was just.
Those final 13 years were greatyears yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
What was it for you that clicked for you versus all
these other people?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Well for me.
I always tell folks for knowfor me.
You know, he came after me.
I was the one he left the 99for me.
So he came, he grabbed me.
You know, he came after me, heleft the 99 for me.
There's no doubt in my mind,right, I wouldn't be here today.
But that culture, you know thatculture can just consume you,
right.
But you know that culture canjust consume you, right.
But we don't have to stay inthat police culture, right?
(13:23):
The Jesus culture is a lotbetter.
Right, the Jesus culture is somuch better.
Right, that police culture?
I get it, you know, I lived it,I've been there.
I don't agree with it becauseit's not healthy.
It's just not healthy.
There has to be a balance.
But I stand wholeheartedly.
There's another culture outthere and that's the Jesus
culture.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Amen, that's the way to go Well and we were talking
earlier about Deputy May and hisfamily and I know it's a tough
thing to bring up but it's real.
I know that people.
It's just natural for us toquestion how can this happen?
For anybody listening, deputyMay was with Walton County
Sheriff Department and waskilled.
(14:07):
Just an awful thing.
A guy shot him going out of astore, really for no reason.
Very tragic.
It's got to be hard on peoplejust trying to understand.
Maybe people that arequestioning God, you know,
questioning their faith.
You know when you see thingslike that happen and I know you
(14:29):
being in law enforcement, youknow you've seen a lot of that
dark stuff Just do you have anywords to save to help reconcile,
you know, from a godlyperspective, when these things
happen?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Well, I'll tell you this one I think I shared with
you off the air there a littlewhile ago.
This one they're all sad.
Right throughout the years Ilost many friends and I've been
to many scenes and they're allsad.
They're all sad.
This one seemed to sting.
It stung me a little bit.
(15:03):
Um, you know, I, I, I knew uh, Igot to know deputy will may and
he was just a sweet soul man.
You know, he uh was very goodto me in those 17 months that I
was with the sheriff's office.
He, he answered any question Ihad.
He made sure to roll up on anyscenes I was at or come visit
and and and check on the uh, onthe old cat, you know, make sure
(15:25):
I was okay.
Um, so it stung, um, and youknow, I know, I know one thing
is that god is near thebrokenhearted right.
So I had to immediately standon that right.
I said, lord, I don't, I don'tunderstand.
Maybe it's not my job tounderstand it, but what I do
know is that you're near to thebroken heart right and it's just
(15:48):
standing on his word andstaying in his word.
But as far as his family andthe pain that they're going
through.
I couldn't even imagine right.
But what I do know is thatDeputy May wore that badge with
honor.
He had a spirit of excellence.
His name, his legacy, willforever be known in the Long
County Sheriff's Office.
I can almost guarantee you that.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, and I know everyone's continuing to pray
for his family.
There really are no words.
You know as humans, asbelievers, that we have.
We don't understand God's plans.
We won't understand that untilwe get to heaven why tragedy
happens.
But I just know you see a lotFor anyone listening.
(16:32):
What would you say to anyonethat's questioning God, that's
questioning their faith?
Maybe they've believed, butthey've fallen away and they're
just looking for hope.
Is there any advice from Billyto them?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
hope.
Is there any advice from Dilleyto them?
Well, I think one of the worstthings we could do is people
question God, if you will, butit's one of the worst things
that we can really really do isquestion him as far as, hey, god
, why and why, and why it's inhis will, right, we have to just
stand on his word and we say,lord, may your will be done
right.
But it's hard when these thingshappen because you say, well,
how can this be?
How can this have happened?
(17:12):
Honestly, I, just for me, Istand on my faith.
I just have to stand on myfaith.
I have to stay in the word ofGod.
I have to stay covered in thatcovering.
I have to find good biblicalcounsel, good men that I can
lean on, folks that I can leanon during those times right,
those times of not understanding, because sometimes we don't
(17:32):
understand.
But I may reach out to one ofthe brothers in the church that
I have a relationship with andsay, hey, I'm walking through a
tough season right now, thiswhole situation that just
occurred.
You know, I'm not understanding,you know, but we really got to
step from outside of ourselvesand it's hard to do, but we have
to step from the outside ofourselves, let go of the wheel
and just let God do what Goddoes.
(17:52):
And it's tough, it's not easy,but the one thing I know is that
he's near, he's near to us andwe have to just remain faithful
and stay in the word.
We have to stay in prayer andwe have to stay encouraged.
And this is a tough world outthere, you know, and bad things
are going to continue to happen,right, yeah, but we know who
(18:14):
stands to be true and that's ourLord, right and, and he's with
us.
You know he, he never leaves us, nor he forsakes us, and we
just have to stand on the word,on the word.
The word is the word is theword, and, and I'm grateful for
the word- yeah, that's actually.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
We have three key pillars of road to redemption is
number one is to read the wordof God, Because a lot of people
are like I don't hear from God,I don't know that God will.
If you start reading the wordof God today, you can pick up
the Bible Every phone has aBible, Holy Bible or pick up
your hardback Bible.
(18:49):
But if you just start readingright now or today, tonight, he
will speak to you through thescriptures, you will hear from
God.
And the second thing is to getinto a church community.
Get into a.
Christ-centered church.
There's many, many, many goodones across Northwest Florida
Destiny Worship Center and thelast thing is, once you're in
(19:12):
that church, is to get into asmall life group that you meet
with regularly, and these arepeople you can make yourself
vulnerable to.
That they can pour into you andpray with you and really
strengthen each other throughthese small groups is vital.
So we just encourage you folksto do that.
Billy, is there anything elseyou'd want to share for anyone
(19:34):
listening from your story, yourtestimony, anything you've been
through, or just your road toredemption that you'd like to
share?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
You know, I'd like to John.
If it's okay, I'd like to endby reading Psalm 23.
But before I do so, there's aword that's been in my spirit
for quite some time, and onething I'd like to share with
everyone is the word complacency.
In the police world we say thatcomplacency could cost you
(20:01):
getting hurt, ultimately causeyour death.
In the spiritual world,complacency can really cause
spiritual death.
So when I went through my yearsof turmoil, if you will, and I
was half in and half out, halfin the pool, half out of the
pool, if you will spiritually,complacency is what really got
(20:23):
me.
I became complacent Routine.
It's good to have a plan, butstay consistent.
Stay consistent in the word,Stay consistent in prayer, yes,
Stay consistent in the churchthat you're at, Stay consistent
in fellowship.
Do not allow complacency to setin right, Because that's
(20:46):
dangerous territory, if you will.
So that's a word that I justlike to get out.
There is just complacency.
Just be aware that we don'twant to become complacent
spiritually.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
That's really good and I also just felt don't give
up.
I was thinking about you, weretalking about your marriage.
The easy way would have beeny'all could have given up and
you wouldn't be here right now.
So I just know I see a lot ofmarriages out there that are
struggling.
I'm talking to people every dayand they're just like, yeah, I
(21:19):
mean, it's done pretty much.
It's tons of people every dayI'm running into and it just it
breaks my heart because I knowGod does not want those
marriages broken up His desireis to heal those marriages.
So we would just say anyonelistening, don't give up, seek
help, get into counseling, getinto a Christ-centered church,
(21:40):
give it one year of your life orgive it time, because if you
just go and start let Godworking on you and your spouse
and, just like you were saying,don't get complacent, he can
heal.
He can just dramatically domiracles in marriages and
families.
Billy, I think it's a miraclethat y'all are here and your
marriage is thriving now.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Oh, it's a miracle.
Yes, it's a miracle that we'rehere.
You got to work at it, right,even until today.
We'll be married 32 yearstogether, 33, right, we've been
on the mountaintop and we'vebeen in the valley, but you got
to constantly work at it andwhat I learned is I need to.
You know you need to beselfless.
You know I need to be selfless.
(22:22):
Maria needs to be selfless.
What's the end goal?
You know what's the end goalhere and you know there was
divorce in my family and thatwas a generational curse.
And guess what?
No more.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
No more, no more.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thank you, Lord.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
What a great testimony.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
You got to break that generational curse and but yes,
I echo your words, you know,get that counseling that you
need here at Destiny.
We've got.
We got Pastor Garland.
Exactly we got one of the bestout there Exactly, and he
devoted his, his calling, hislife to help marriages.
So there are people, there areresources.
We're here for you.
I could say that wholeheartedlyand full confidence.
(23:00):
We're here for you because wewant to see marriages restored.
You know, because that's goingto affect generations and you
know Pastor Stephen always talksabout the next generation.
You know, let's think about it.
There is no next generation ifyou've got broken marriages,
that brokenness.
Look at me.
I came from a broken family andit led me into adulthood, so we
got to jump on that early on.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
So anyway, and it's because you and your wife, you
trusted in God.
You seeked God, thatrelationship, and it wasn't easy
.
But through that relationshipand seeking Him and giving it
over to Him, that's the reasonwhy your marriage was saved and
you're living a vibrant,peaceful, joyous life and I see
(23:43):
that and it's just a greattestimony.
And thank you, too, again forwhat you're doing with the
security at the church and theschool.
You do a great job of beingthere in peace.
It's a very peaceful, joyous,security presence, which is good
.
That's what you want.
You don't want a fearful one,and y'all have done a great job
(24:07):
with that, you and your team.
Thank you, thank you, billy,thank you for coming on.
It's been a great, greatconversation.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Thank you.
Can I read Psalms 23?
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, please.
We'll be just closing that.
Yeah, let's do it.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
The Lord is.
He makes me to lie down ingreen pastures, he leads me
beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths ofrighteousness for his namesake.
Yeah, though I walk through thevalley of the shadow of death,
(24:44):
I will fear no evil, for you arewith me, your rod and your
staff.
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shallfollow me all the days of my
life and I will dwell in thehouse of the Lord forever.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Amen.
Wow, that's so great.
That really blessed me hearingthat Great show.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
You've been listening to Road to Redemption, sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own road to redemption.
If you have any comments orquestions, we would love to
connect with you.
You can reach out to us atdestinyradiolive.
Thank you for listening andwe'll see you next week on Road
to Redemption.
Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own road to redemption.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to Road to Redemption.
I'm John Martin, your host, andwe've got an exciting show
today.
So fun, I'm so excited.
My good friend Billy Milan ishere.
How are you, Billy?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I'm doing well.
Thank you, John.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
We've gotten to be friends.
I see you at the school andyou're so great.
I get to see you every daydoing a great job of keeping our
kids safe here at GatewayAcademy.
So thank you for that.
Thank you, thank you and I justhave loved getting to know you
(00:47):
and really honored that youmentioned to me a while ago.
You're like John.
Hey, I think I'd like to sharemy story and I know people are
really going to be blessed.
So start off and just give us alittle background on you, where
you grew up.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
So start off and just give us a little background on
you, where you grew up.
Well, john, like I said, thankyou for having me, and this is
really, when we say my story,really it's God's story, right,
what God has done in my lifethroughout the years.
But I grew up in New York City.
I grew up in new york city.
(01:29):
Um, I grew up, uh, with my mom,um, only child.
Folks were divorced at a youngage, six years old.
Um grew up in a catholic church,basically raised by the nuns,
because mom was always working,trying to make ends meet.
Um, we were just barely makingit right, just trying to make it
.
But there was always love inthe house, right, but because of
(01:50):
the divorce, obviously therewas brokenness as well.
But I grew up in Catholicismand then I joined the police
department in 1991 at 20 yearsold, and I'm grateful for the
career that I had within the NewYork City Police Department.
I spent 22 years there doingthat.
But during that time I gotmarried to my wife, maria, and
(02:12):
we had two beautiful childrenthat are now today adult
children.
And that's a little bit aboutmyself in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I know you told me this before, but I forget.
How did y'all end up in theDestin Florida area from New
York City?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
That's interesting in itself, right.
So my wife had taken a job inTexas and so she was living in
Texas.
I was still in New York, kindof waiting to retire, and in
2014, I retired in 2013.
In 14, we decided to come tothe Destin area to celebrate my
retirement and we always wantedto celebrate the kids and how
(02:49):
well they did in school andthings of that nature.
So we wound up down here Augustof 2014.
And while we were down hereenjoying this beautiful part of
the country, my wife was onlinelooking for a vacation rental,
if you will and 30 days later weclosed on a home and we call it
our 30-day miracle.
And in owning that home, weobviously had to come down to
(03:13):
care for it.
So we started coming down two,three times a year, and then it
wound up four or five times ayear.
In any case, we needed a placeto worship when we were here.
So Maria found Destiny WorshipCenter and we would come on
Saturday evenings for the 5 pmservice every time we were in
town.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Awesome.
Yeah, let's talk just a littlebit about that.
When you started coming toDestiny, what was your
relationship like with the Lordand how did it progress?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, I had already had a relationship with the Lord
right, because I got saved backin 2003.
Now, mind you, I got married in1993 and I got saved in 03,
right, so that goes to show youthat about 10 years there I
(04:10):
wasn't walking with the Lord,you know.
But when we came to Destiny, wehad already been walking with
the Lord, marie and I, and wewere pretty established, if you
will, in our walk and we hadcome from a very strong ministry
in New York, long Island, newYork, and we served there
faithfully for many years.
But when we came here, therewas just something different,
(04:33):
right, it was somethingdifferent about Destiny.
There was just an automaticpeace.
And it's interesting becauseevery time we'd come back into
town and I pull into the parkinglot, maria would look at me and
say there's a piece, there's apiece about you, and I said I
just feel like we're home Everysingle time.
The only part that I would feela little grieved, if you will,
(04:56):
was when I would leave, becauseI wanted to be a part of Team
Destiny.
I wanted to go through growthtrack and I wanted to join a
small group, but we couldn'tbecause we obviously were going
back home to Houston at the time, but I was always looking
forward to that day and that daycame to fruition in June of
2022.
We were blessed enough to movedown here full time and talk to
(05:32):
us a little bit about what's Godbeen doing in y'all's life
since you've gotten plugged intothe church and boy, um, I'll
tell you.
I mean, it's, it's, the lord'shand's been all over it.
Um, we got here in june of 2022and I was, um, fortunate enough
to get hired on in august by thelocal walton county sheriff's
office, and I didn't think I'dstay in law enforcement after
all those years, but I gave it achance and I gave it a shot and
the sheriff was kind enough tohire me on and I stayed with
(05:54):
them for about 17 months.
In that time we obviously werenow here full time.
We went through growth track.
I got plugged in with the men,maria got plugged in with the
ladies, we got plugged in with asmall group.
Just, the Lord was working, butthere was something missing in
(06:14):
me personally.
I just felt that there was more.
I felt there was more as far aslaw enforcement was good to me,
but I just didn't feel like Iwas fulfilling the call at that
point in time.
And uh, and then, and then, allof a sudden, I uh, I got that
text message from Pastor Steven,and uh, and he asked if I'd be
(06:38):
willing to meet with him, and wemet and the door opened.
And um, and, since January 8thof ofth of last year I've been
blessed to be part of staff hereand oversee the security for
the lower school and the middleschool and the house.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And the church, and the church.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And boy, it's been a real blessing.
And yeah, it's just amazingwhat the Lord's been doing in
our lives.
I mean, who would have everthought in 2014 that I'd be even
sitting here today, you know,sharing with you, so I'm very
thankful yeah, well it's.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Y'all are doing a great job and I know it's not an
easy job because you're in,you're watching over a church
and kids, and it's anunfortunate thing about our
world that we have to do that.
That really wasn't as much thecase a few decades ago.
(07:38):
And talk to us a little bitabout just any what that
journey's been like for you justbeing in law enforcement
security but being a believer.
(07:59):
You've also a believer in Jesusand you're having to reach out
to people and share the love ofJesus and peace and joy, but
then you're also having to watchout for the bad guys.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So it's kind of I don't know if you have any
anything you want to share onthat, but well, I'll tell you it
, it actually became easier forme when, once I got saved right,
because from 1991, from the dayI swore in to about 2003, I
(08:32):
wasn't, I wasn't saved.
You know, I, I, I, I wasn'twalking with the Lord.
I mean, I got, I got marriedand with with Maria, and and I,
I said this prayer of salvation,if you will, I said it, but I
didn't mean it, it wasn't in myheart, I just knew my
(08:52):
father-in-law was a reverend,great, great, great man.
I miss Johnny tremendously andI went from Catholicism to this
relationship that everyone wastalking about, this relationship
with Jesus, and I just said theprayer, to say the prayer, but
in reality it was like one footin, one foot out.
(09:13):
I was not living for the Lord.
So it was tough.
Right, it was tough betweenthat timeframe in 2003, because
I was living in the world.
I was in law enforcement.
Yes, you meet great people, youmeet nice people, but in, in,
in, in, in the world that I wasin, in homicide investigations
you're dealing with,unfortunately, but you're
dealing with with death, right,you're dealing with things that
(09:35):
are just not positive in nature.
It's dark, it's dark, it's dark.
So, and just to continue withthat darkness.
That's where the strugglesreally really started happening
with me, because it led me toexcessive drinking, led me to
excessive drinking.
(09:55):
It led our household to bebroken on the inside.
You know, when I share with menand Maria and I share with
couples, the Milan's householdon the exterior was beautiful.
It was a beautiful home.
We cared for it, we manicuredit, we were always doing
upgrades.
We had one of the mostbeautiful homes on the block.
But the interior was justbroken.
(10:19):
Exterior surface looked great,the interior was just broken.
Exterior surface looked great,the interior was just broken.
And then, when the Lord finallygot a hold of me, thank God in
2003, it was just a radicalchange.
It was just amazing, amazing,instant, amazing.
And it was all due to you know.
(10:40):
Obviously, you know my wife hadevery biblical right to during
that bad season, if you will,that long 10 year bad season,
had every biblical right to walkaway.
But when I asked her, whydidn't you?
She said well, the Lord neverreleased you to.
He never released you.
He wanted me to stay in thereand fight and pray and you know
(11:04):
he promised me a godly man andshe held on to that promise.
She goes.
Yeah, it was easy for me toquit, but she didn't quit.
She prayed, she fasted and shebelieved, faithful, faithful,
faithful woman of God that sheis.
So I call her my Proverbs 21woman, right 21, 31?
31 woman.
(11:25):
So, in any case, so it becamefrom 2003 on, to answer your
question, it became easier forme in dealing with people, but
it was a little difficult withinthe police culture because I
didn't work with many believers,right, yeah, and they knew me
for my work ethic.
They knew the detective Milan.
(11:46):
They didn't know this newbeliever in Christ, this new man
of God, this new walk of life.
They didn't really understandit.
But I like to just bring it tothis point.
(12:07):
The day I retired April 30th of2013, and I did my final sign
out of my log in my office,there were 10 men in that office
crying and one of them said tome we cry because we rejoice
with you, but he said mepersonally, billy, he goes.
I never really believed in god,but what I've seen god do in
your life, I now know there's agod.
(12:27):
Yeah, let me tell you something, john I broke.
I broke.
It was just a powerful moment,uh, for me, right and um, and
that meant the world to mebecause of my walk, those final
13 years in the policedepartment.
The Lord was just shiningthrough me.
Am I going to say they wereeasy moments?
(12:48):
No, but it was just.
Those final 13 years were greatyears yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
What was it for you that clicked for you versus all
these other people?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Well for me.
I always tell folks for knowfor me.
You know, he came after me.
I was the one he left the 99for me.
So he came, he grabbed me.
You know, he came after me, heleft the 99 for me.
There's no doubt in my mind,right, I wouldn't be here today.
But that culture, you know thatculture can just consume you,
right.
But you know that culture canjust consume you, right.
But we don't have to stay inthat police culture, right?
(13:23):
The Jesus culture is a lotbetter.
Right, the Jesus culture is somuch better.
Right, that police culture?
I get it, you know, I lived it,I've been there.
I don't agree with it becauseit's not healthy.
It's just not healthy.
There has to be a balance.
But I stand wholeheartedly.
There's another culture outthere and that's the Jesus
culture.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Amen, that's the way to go Well and we were talking
earlier about Deputy May and hisfamily and I know it's a tough
thing to bring up but it's real.
I know that people.
It's just natural for us toquestion how can this happen?
For anybody listening, deputyMay was with Walton County
Sheriff Department and waskilled.
(14:07):
Just an awful thing.
A guy shot him going out of astore, really for no reason.
Very tragic.
It's got to be hard on peoplejust trying to understand.
Maybe people that arequestioning God, you know,
questioning their faith.
You know when you see thingslike that happen and I know you
(14:29):
being in law enforcement, youknow you've seen a lot of that
dark stuff Just do you have anywords to save to help reconcile,
you know, from a godlyperspective, when these things
happen?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Well, I'll tell you this one I think I shared with
you off the air there a littlewhile ago.
This one they're all sad.
Right throughout the years Ilost many friends and I've been
to many scenes and they're allsad.
They're all sad.
This one seemed to sting.
It stung me a little bit.
(15:03):
Um, you know, I, I, I knew uh, Igot to know deputy will may and
he was just a sweet soul man.
You know, he uh was very goodto me in those 17 months that I
was with the sheriff's office.
He, he answered any question Ihad.
He made sure to roll up on anyscenes I was at or come visit
and and and check on the uh, onthe old cat, you know, make sure
(15:25):
I was okay.
Um, so it stung, um, and youknow, I know, I know one thing
is that god is near thebrokenhearted right.
So I had to immediately standon that right.
I said, lord, I don't, I don'tunderstand.
Maybe it's not my job tounderstand it, but what I do
know is that you're near to thebroken heart right and it's just
(15:48):
standing on his word andstaying in his word.
But as far as his family andthe pain that they're going
through.
I couldn't even imagine right.
But what I do know is thatDeputy May wore that badge with
honor.
He had a spirit of excellence.
His name, his legacy, willforever be known in the Long
County Sheriff's Office.
I can almost guarantee you that.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, and I know everyone's continuing to pray
for his family.
There really are no words.
You know as humans, asbelievers, that we have.
We don't understand God's plans.
We won't understand that untilwe get to heaven why tragedy
happens.
But I just know you see a lotFor anyone listening.
(16:32):
What would you say to anyonethat's questioning God, that's
questioning their faith?
Maybe they've believed, butthey've fallen away and they're
just looking for hope.
Is there any advice from Billyto them?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
hope.
Is there any advice from Dilleyto them?
Well, I think one of the worstthings we could do is people
question God, if you will, butit's one of the worst things
that we can really really do isquestion him as far as, hey, god
, why and why, and why it's inhis will, right, we have to just
stand on his word and we say,lord, may your will be done
right.
But it's hard when these thingshappen because you say, well,
how can this be?
How can this have happened?
(17:12):
Honestly, I, just for me, Istand on my faith.
I just have to stand on myfaith.
I have to stay in the word ofGod.
I have to stay covered in thatcovering.
I have to find good biblicalcounsel, good men that I can
lean on, folks that I can leanon during those times right,
those times of not understanding, because sometimes we don't
(17:32):
understand.
But I may reach out to one ofthe brothers in the church that
I have a relationship with andsay, hey, I'm walking through a
tough season right now, thiswhole situation that just
occurred.
You know, I'm not understanding,you know, but we really got to
step from outside of ourselvesand it's hard to do, but we have
to step from the outside ofourselves, let go of the wheel
and just let God do what Goddoes.
(17:52):
And it's tough, it's not easy,but the one thing I know is that
he's near, he's near to us andwe have to just remain faithful
and stay in the word.
We have to stay in prayer andwe have to stay encouraged.
And this is a tough world outthere, you know, and bad things
are going to continue to happen,right, yeah, but we know who
(18:14):
stands to be true and that's ourLord, right and, and he's with
us.
You know he, he never leaves us, nor he forsakes us, and we
just have to stand on the word,on the word.
The word is the word is theword, and, and I'm grateful for
the word- yeah, that's actually.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
We have three key pillars of road to redemption is
number one is to read the wordof God, Because a lot of people
are like I don't hear from God,I don't know that God will.
If you start reading the wordof God today, you can pick up
the Bible Every phone has aBible, Holy Bible or pick up
your hardback Bible.
(18:49):
But if you just start readingright now or today, tonight, he
will speak to you through thescriptures, you will hear from
God.
And the second thing is to getinto a church community.
Get into a.
Christ-centered church.
There's many, many, many goodones across Northwest Florida
Destiny Worship Center and thelast thing is, once you're in
(19:12):
that church, is to get into asmall life group that you meet
with regularly, and these arepeople you can make yourself
vulnerable to.
That they can pour into you andpray with you and really
strengthen each other throughthese small groups is vital.
So we just encourage you folksto do that.
Billy, is there anything elseyou'd want to share for anyone
(19:34):
listening from your story, yourtestimony, anything you've been
through, or just your road toredemption that you'd like to
share?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
You know, I'd like to John.
If it's okay, I'd like to endby reading Psalm 23.
But before I do so, there's aword that's been in my spirit
for quite some time, and onething I'd like to share with
everyone is the word complacency.
In the police world we say thatcomplacency could cost you
(20:01):
getting hurt, ultimately causeyour death.
In the spiritual world,complacency can really cause
spiritual death.
So when I went through my yearsof turmoil, if you will, and I
was half in and half out, halfin the pool, half out of the
pool, if you will spiritually,complacency is what really got
(20:23):
me.
I became complacent Routine.
It's good to have a plan, butstay consistent.
Stay consistent in the word,Stay consistent in prayer, yes,
Stay consistent in the churchthat you're at, Stay consistent
in fellowship.
Do not allow complacency to setin right, Because that's
(20:46):
dangerous territory, if you will.
So that's a word that I justlike to get out.
There is just complacency.
Just be aware that we don'twant to become complacent
spiritually.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
That's really good and I also just felt don't give
up.
I was thinking about you, weretalking about your marriage.
The easy way would have beeny'all could have given up and
you wouldn't be here right now.
So I just know I see a lot ofmarriages out there that are
struggling.
I'm talking to people every dayand they're just like, yeah, I
(21:19):
mean, it's done pretty much.
It's tons of people every dayI'm running into and it just it
breaks my heart because I knowGod does not want those
marriages broken up His desireis to heal those marriages.
So we would just say anyonelistening, don't give up, seek
help, get into counseling, getinto a Christ-centered church,
(21:40):
give it one year of your life orgive it time, because if you
just go and start let Godworking on you and your spouse
and, just like you were saying,don't get complacent, he can
heal.
He can just dramatically domiracles in marriages and
families.
Billy, I think it's a miraclethat y'all are here and your
marriage is thriving now.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Oh, it's a miracle.
Yes, it's a miracle that we'rehere.
You got to work at it, right,even until today.
We'll be married 32 yearstogether, 33, right, we've been
on the mountaintop and we'vebeen in the valley, but you got
to constantly work at it andwhat I learned is I need to.
You know you need to beselfless.
You know I need to be selfless.
(22:22):
Maria needs to be selfless.
What's the end goal?
You know what's the end goalhere and you know there was
divorce in my family and thatwas a generational curse.
And guess what?
No more.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
No more, no more.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thank you, Lord.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
What a great testimony.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
You got to break that generational curse and but yes,
I echo your words, you know,get that counseling that you
need here at Destiny.
We've got.
We got Pastor Garland.
Exactly we got one of the bestout there Exactly, and he
devoted his, his calling, hislife to help marriages.
So there are people, there areresources.
We're here for you.
I could say that wholeheartedlyand full confidence.
(23:00):
We're here for you because wewant to see marriages restored.
You know, because that's goingto affect generations and you
know Pastor Stephen always talksabout the next generation.
You know, let's think about it.
There is no next generation ifyou've got broken marriages,
that brokenness.
Look at me.
I came from a broken family andit led me into adulthood, so we
got to jump on that early on.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
So anyway, and it's because you and your wife, you
trusted in God.
You seeked God, thatrelationship, and it wasn't easy
.
But through that relationshipand seeking Him and giving it
over to Him, that's the reasonwhy your marriage was saved and
you're living a vibrant,peaceful, joyous life and I see
(23:43):
that and it's just a greattestimony.
And thank you, too, again forwhat you're doing with the
security at the church and theschool.
You do a great job of beingthere in peace.
It's a very peaceful, joyous,security presence, which is good
.
That's what you want.
You don't want a fearful one,and y'all have done a great job
(24:07):
with that, you and your team.
Thank you, thank you, billy,thank you for coming on.
It's been a great, greatconversation.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Thank you.
Can I read Psalms 23?
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, please.
We'll be just closing that.
Yeah, let's do it.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
The Lord is.
He makes me to lie down ingreen pastures, he leads me
beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths ofrighteousness for his namesake.
Yeah, though I walk through thevalley of the shadow of death,
(24:44):
I will fear no evil, for you arewith me, your rod and your
staff.
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shallfollow me all the days of my
life and I will dwell in thehouse of the Lord forever.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Amen.
Wow, that's so great.
That really blessed me hearingthat Great show.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
You've been listening to Road to Redemption, sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own road to redemption.
If you have any comments orquestions, we would love to
connect with you.
You can reach out to us atdestinyradiolive.
Thank you for listening andwe'll see you next week on Road
to Redemption.
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