The Story Behind the Red Letter Awards

Geoff: 00:00:00

to the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast.

Geoff: 00:00:02

I'm Geoff, really happy to be with you today.

Geoff: 00:00:05

Our guest today is Karla Jackson.

Geoff: 00:00:08

Karla Jackson is a dynamic force of inspiration, known for her profound ability to connect with audiences through her roles as a Bible teacher, author, storyteller, and author.

Geoff: 00:00:17

singer, and podcaster.

Geoff: 00:00:20

As the visionary founder of the Red Letter Awards, Carla celebrates extraordinary individuals who embody the spirit of faith and resilience.

Geoff: 00:00:29

With 21 years of ministry experience and a rich background in promoting world culture, Carla brings a unique and spirit filled perspective to her work.

Geoff: 00:00:38

she speaks powerfully on overcoming life's greatest challenges, including death, fear, abandonment, racism, hate, and the personal trials of living with third degree burns.

Geoff: 00:00:49

Her authentic and heartfelt storytelling resonates deeply, offering hope and encouragement through the love of Jesus.

Geoff: 00:00:56

Welcome

Geoff: 00:00:57

Carla.

Carla: 00:00:58

how are you?

Geoff: 00:00:59

Good, good.

Geoff: 00:01:00

Thank you.

Geoff: 00:01:00

And you?

Carla: 00:01:01

I am fabulous.

Geoff: 00:01:02

Great, it's good to

Carla: 00:01:03

Living in Tennessee.

Geoff: 00:01:04

Living in Well, we'll, uh, we'll hear a little bit about that, of course, because that's where the Red Letter Awards are, obviously.

Geoff: 00:01:12

That's where you are.

Geoff: 00:01:13

we'll want to get into talking about, the Red Letter Awards, considerably a little later on.

Geoff: 00:01:18

but first of all, let's hear a little bit about your background.

Geoff: 00:01:21

what led you to what you do today?

Geoff: 00:01:23

Okay.

Carla: 00:01:24

You know what?

Carla: 00:01:24

It wasn't something that I wanted to do.

Carla: 00:01:26

Let's just start with that.

Carla: 00:01:28

Um, when, the Lord asked me, I absolutely said no.

Carla: 00:01:35

I'm like, no, you need to get someone a little bit more suitable.

Carla: 00:01:38

Uh, you know, someone a little bit more, I don't know, wealthy, famous, you know, we can go down that checklist of what you're

Carla: 00:01:48

not

Carla: 00:01:49

. Geoff: kinda sounds like Moses.

Carla: 00:01:51

I could go down that checklist all the way to the bottom, daddy, all the way.

Carla: 00:01:54

And he's like, I didn't choose them.

Carla: 00:01:56

I chose you.

Carla: 00:01:57

I'm like, yeah, I think your picker is wrong.

Carla: 00:01:59

You need to pick somebody else.

Carla: 00:02:02

And, uh, that was my argument with him.

Carla: 00:02:06

And he said, well, there's only one problem.

Carla: 00:02:09

I chose you.

Carla: 00:02:11

And this was not a request.

Carla: 00:02:13

And when God says it to me, it's not a request that it means I don't have an option.

Geoff: 00:02:19

I'll

Carla: 00:02:20

And so he had me look at some shows and I started by looking at a couple different shows.

Carla: 00:02:27

And what I saw hurt my heart because it was a division.

Carla: 00:02:33

Like when you watch the Stella or the BET Awards, it's all black.

Carla: 00:02:37

You watch the other ones, it's all Spanish.

Carla: 00:02:39

I'm like, is that how it is in heaven?

Geoff: 00:02:42

is

Geoff: 00:02:42

in

Carla: 00:02:42

Because we're so divided and we're not even not even a good division.

Carla: 00:02:47

This is separation by color and we did it ourselves.

Carla: 00:02:51

And he said, this is not how it's supposed to be.

Carla: 00:02:54

You are a blended family.

Carla: 00:02:55

We are one body,

Carla: 00:02:57

but you don't act like

Carla: 00:02:58

it.

Carla: 00:02:59

And I need you to bring my people together.

Carla: 00:03:01

And that's how it started.

Geoff: 00:03:03

it started.

Geoff: 00:03:04

Interesting.

Geoff: 00:03:04

So, know that in your ministry in general, your personal testimony plays a big part in that.

Geoff: 00:03:11

would you like to tell us about life and what has, because we know that everything in our lives Everything in our past brings us to who we are and, where we are in the current place in our lives.

Carla: 00:03:24

Well, I think most people don't know when I was born, my mother died, she died having

Carla: 00:03:29

me.

Geoff: 00:03:30

Hmm.

Carla: 00:03:30

she had a choice and they said you, you could live and baby die or baby live and you die.

Carla: 00:03:37

And her choice was let me hold her and I will die and she was able to hold me and then she passed away.

Carla: 00:03:43

And then from there,

Carla: 00:03:45

when Satan tries to steal you in the womb and can't succeed, and that's what he tried to snuff up my life then, then he decided to go after the beauty, which is being burned.

Carla: 00:03:56

You know, I had, tilt hot water on me, third degree burns, if you know anything about that.

Carla: 00:04:01

when the water hits you, your skin falls off.

Carla: 00:04:04

and that's pretty much what happened.

Carla: 00:04:06

The skin fell off and, they rushed me to the hospital and, the doctors basically told my mom.

Carla: 00:04:12

who's my grandmother, if she flatlines, we can't do anything cause the scars are on the chest.

Carla: 00:04:17

The, the burns, there's nothing, there's no skin.

Geoff: 00:04:19

Uh huh.

Carla: 00:04:20

And she goes, you just save her.

Carla: 00:04:23

I got this.

Carla: 00:04:23

And sure enough, I flatlined.

Carla: 00:04:25

And then all I remember is walking with Jesus.

Carla: 00:04:28

And I was looking at his hands the whole time because his hands was so big and mine was so tiny.

Carla: 00:04:32

And I'm just walking with him, just happy, happy, happy, happy.

Carla: 00:04:35

And then I hear this voice.

Carla: 00:04:37

Little girl, I've lost a husband.

Carla: 00:04:40

I lost three kids.

Carla: 00:04:41

I'm not about to lose you.

Carla: 00:04:43

You get your butt back here and finish your journey.

Carla: 00:04:46

I looked up to Jesus.

Carla: 00:04:47

I said, my mama's calling me.

Carla: 00:04:49

I gotta go

Carla: 00:04:50

back.

Geoff: 00:04:52

How old were

Carla: 00:04:53

Three and a half.

Geoff: 00:04:54

and a half.

Carla: 00:04:54

and I come rushing back and I looked at her eyes.

Carla: 00:04:57

She goes, don't you ever do that again?

Carla: 00:05:01

I have survived too much to lose the one thing that God has given me.

Carla: 00:05:05

You have to fight.

Carla: 00:05:06

And a lot of people don't know because of my skin tone, no one in my family was like me.

Carla: 00:05:12

So they had to cut the skin off the other side to put on the other

Carla: 00:05:16

side So I was just an open wound strapped down to a bed.

Carla: 00:05:21

and that's what it was like as, as being strapped down, not only to do anything, but look up I couldn't move because then I would infect myself.

Carla: 00:05:29

and that's how it started, you know, with knowing God for me, it's like, okay, this is an interesting chapter in my life.

Carla: 00:05:39

you know?

Geoff: 00:05:39

Yeah.

Carla: 00:05:40

I would say being burned has taught me,

Carla: 00:05:43

A lot of valuable lessons, uh, the most important one was talking to a veteran.

Geoff: 00:05:50

Uh

Carla: 00:05:50

And, the reason why is because, my mom took me to see a shrink.

Carla: 00:05:55

So I came in and I'm looking at this woman, I go, do you got burns?

Carla: 00:05:59

She goes, no, then how are you going to tell me how to be burned if you ain't got any?

Carla: 00:06:02

Goodbye.

Carla: 00:06:02

And I walked out the door

Carla: 00:06:05

And so

Geoff: 00:06:05

that door.

Geoff: 00:06:06

She

Carla: 00:06:06

she goes, I'll take her to a veteran.

Carla: 00:06:08

And sure enough, I walked into this veteran place and there was this man sitting there and he's looking at me and I'm looking at him.

Carla: 00:06:14

I got attitude.

Carla: 00:06:15

I mean, I got

Carla: 00:06:15

attitude.

Carla: 00:06:16

So I'm looking at him.

Carla: 00:06:17

I said, what you

Carla: 00:06:18

got?

Carla: 00:06:19

And he goes, what do you have?

Carla: 00:06:20

And then we started showing each other our burns

Carla: 00:06:23

and then he hit me with the

Carla: 00:06:24

truth.

Carla: 00:06:25

He goes, as you were laying in the bed with morphine, I was trying to run to get to the morphine.

Geoff: 00:06:31

Wow.

Carla: 00:06:32

about that.

Geoff: 00:06:33

was this?

Geoff: 00:06:34

I

Carla: 00:06:34

I met him when I was 14

Geoff: 00:06:38

I noticed that, um, from your Facebook profile and such, that you do post a lot about veterans.

Geoff: 00:06:44

It probably comes from

Carla: 00:06:45

It comes, it, absolutely, because let me tell you, if you didn't know anything about burns, and that man had to run to the morphine, that should tell you how much pain he was in.

Carla: 00:06:54

Well, I wasn't in pain because I was already hooked up to the morphine.

Carla: 00:06:58

That's the difference.

Geoff: 00:07:00

How many years and how long period in your life were you dealing with, either pain or continued surgeries or dealing with the burns?

Carla: 00:07:10

Okay.

Carla: 00:07:11

they fixed me quite well.

Carla: 00:07:13

Uh, my grandmother threatened to kill them all.

Geoff: 00:07:16

kill them all.

Geoff: 00:07:17

She

Geoff: 00:07:17

brought

Carla: 00:07:17

She brought her gun to the hospital and said, I don't care what you got to do, but you're going to fix this and fix it all.

Carla: 00:07:22

I'm shooting everybody.

Carla: 00:07:23

So I didn't have any surgeries after that.

Carla: 00:07:26

there was one surgery I could have had, and that was the one over my shoulder.

Carla: 00:07:31

But when they asked me if I wanted it, because if they mess up, I could be paralyzed cause it's right over the

Carla: 00:07:37

muscle.

Carla: 00:07:38

And I'm like, no, I don't need it that bad.

Carla: 00:07:41

It's okay.

Carla: 00:07:41

I could deal with it.

Carla: 00:07:42

So I was never in any pain after I left the hospital.

Carla: 00:07:45

Pain was gone.

Carla: 00:07:46

The pain that I suffered was bullying.

Carla: 00:07:48

The pain I suffer is

Carla: 00:07:49

people making fun of

Carla: 00:07:50

me.

Carla: 00:07:51

That's the thing they don't talk about.

Geoff: 00:07:53

about.

Carla: 00:07:53

that's the pain that most people don't realize that the rate of suicide

Carla: 00:07:57

attempts for girls being burned is 60%.

Carla: 00:08:01

They will attempt it and they will try because they don't think that anyone can love them.

Carla: 00:08:07

They don't think that they're worthy, so they would rather just go ahead and take their life and get it over with

Geoff: 00:08:12

that's quite a statistic

Carla: 00:08:14

was not in any pain, you know, after that, um, at seven, then that's when God came into my life.

Carla: 00:08:20

I got baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit and started seeing

Carla: 00:08:23

things.

Carla: 00:08:25

But you would think the devil was finished, but the devil just got started because if you look at my throat, you'll see a trach.

Carla: 00:08:31

I swallowed my retainer doing a back flip and it got caught up in my windpipe and had to cut my throat open.

Geoff: 00:08:37

Wow.

Geoff: 00:08:39

Oh my goodness.

Carla: 00:08:41

Oh, honey, he kept trying to kill me off

Carla: 00:08:42

, so he can't get me in the womb.

Carla: 00:08:44

He can't steal my beauty, so then he tried to steal my voice.

Carla: 00:08:48

Didn't work

Geoff: 00:08:48

my voice.

Geoff: 00:08:49

out for well.

Geoff: 00:08:50

there's certainly been a lot of obstacles.

Geoff: 00:08:52

I don't even know if I've heard them all yet.

Geoff: 00:08:54

But, uh,

Carla: 00:08:56

Not even

Carla: 00:08:56

close.

Geoff: 00:08:57

no,

Carla: 00:08:58

That's

Geoff: 00:08:58

it's, uh,

Geoff: 00:08:59

yeah.

Geoff: 00:09:00

Well, there's one thing that's certain.

Geoff: 00:09:03

some people face obstacles and decide that they can't, decide that they're not good enough, decide they don't have the opportunities that others have, they decide to quit.

Geoff: 00:09:14

and some people don't.

Geoff: 00:09:16

And you're one of those.

Carla: 00:09:17

Well, I had a mama that told me that quitting is not in our DNA.

Geoff: 00:09:21

do

Carla: 00:09:21

So there was no option in

Carla: 00:09:23

that.

Carla: 00:09:24

So I didn't have a choice.

Carla: 00:09:26

There was just get up and go and let's go and got up and went.

Carla: 00:09:29

So there was no

Carla: 00:09:30

option.

Geoff: 00:09:30

her

Carla: 00:09:30

You know, and she believed that anything that's worth

Carla: 00:09:34

putting your feet to is worth having, but you got to put the

Carla: 00:09:37

blood, sweat, and tears in it.

Geoff: 00:09:39

sweat, and tears in it.

Geoff: 00:09:45

who others in their situation might, just consider themselves a victim.

Carla: 00:09:49

I never did.

Carla: 00:09:50

And I tell people, make no mistake.

Carla: 00:09:53

I am not a victim.

Carla: 00:09:54

girlfriend of mine asked me.

Carla: 00:09:56

If God granted me one wish, what would that wish be?

Carla: 00:10:00

And everyone

Carla: 00:10:01

assumed that it would be the burnt scars.

Carla: 00:10:05

And I said,

Carla: 00:10:05

no.

Carla: 00:10:06

She goes, what would it be?

Carla: 00:10:07

I want to be

Carla: 00:10:07

5'10 I wanted to be tall with long legs so I'd never have to wear

Carla: 00:10:12

heels.

Geoff: 00:10:14

very, very interesting.

Carla: 00:10:15

That was it.

Carla: 00:10:17

She goes, what about your burns?

Carla: 00:10:18

My burns has never stopped me from doing anything.

Geoff: 00:10:23

I noticed from your bio that you are a Bible teacher, an author, singer, podcaster.

Geoff: 00:10:29

Tell us about your ministry.

Geoff: 00:10:31

what led into all of those things?

Geoff: 00:10:34

and which of those do you, are you doing all of those currently?

Carla: 00:10:37

so

Carla: 00:10:38

the ministry early.

Carla: 00:10:40

was always singing in the choir at the church.

Carla: 00:10:43

I was always praying at the church, always seeing at the church.

Carla: 00:10:48

Um, so it was something that was just natural, but what a lot of people

Carla: 00:10:52

don't realize when I turned 18, I walked away from God,

Carla: 00:10:55

I wanted to see how the other side lives, so I went completely the other direction.

Carla: 00:11:00

And I tested God.

Carla: 00:11:02

Instead of God testing me, I test God.

Carla: 00:11:05

I

Carla: 00:11:05

said, okay, God, if you say who you are, let me go and join this cult and this cult and this group and this group.

Carla: 00:11:11

Let me go see if you're that powerful or not.

Geoff: 00:11:13

Well, he obviously, revealed himself to you through all of that and,

Geoff: 00:11:17

brought you back.

Carla: 00:11:18

Yeah.

Carla: 00:11:18

And

Carla: 00:11:18

that's, whole point being not just an overcomer, but the thing was,

Carla: 00:11:27

with my ministry is because of my mother.

Carla: 00:11:30

You know, I did a lot of stuff that I should be dead.

Carla: 00:11:32

Absolutely.

Carla: 00:11:33

Hands down, just dead.

Carla: 00:11:35

And it was because of my grandmother's covering that I wasn't,

Carla: 00:11:39

I should have been taken over by demons.

Carla: 00:11:41

I'm telling you, if I tell you something I say, you'd be like, how did you get it?

Carla: 00:11:43

Ain't got nothing to do with me.

Carla: 00:11:45

I was the kind of person who would play with dynamite and dare it to explode.

Carla: 00:11:49

But because of the covering of my grandmother, I did not fear.

Carla: 00:11:52

But the moment she

Carla: 00:11:53

died,

Carla: 00:11:55

I stopped

Carla: 00:11:55

being fearless and started being

Carla: 00:11:57

fearful because that means I have to have my own relationship with the king of kings And I relied on

Carla: 00:12:03

her

Carla: 00:12:04

relationship

Carla: 00:12:04

with him and i'm like, okay Well, then if i'm going to get into it, let's get into it.

Carla: 00:12:09

And so I I studied with a rabbi friend and I studied with, uh, two other pastors for about three years and I wanted to go in depth and I'm talking about all the way from

Carla: 00:12:22

Coptic to, you know, Hebrew to everything.

Carla: 00:12:26

I just couldn't get

Carla: 00:12:26

enough of just learning about him.

Carla: 00:12:30

And so he had to take me through the trials of knowing who he is.

Carla: 00:12:35

he's my

Carla: 00:12:35

daddy.

Carla: 00:12:36

So if you hear me say that, that's what he is.

Carla: 00:12:39

He's my daddy.

Carla: 00:12:39

Cause I didn't have a daddy.

Carla: 00:12:41

And if you don't know, all my family

Carla: 00:12:42

is

Carla: 00:12:43

dead.

Carla: 00:12:43

I don't have family.

Geoff: 00:12:44

Wow.

Carla: 00:12:45

yeah.

Geoff: 00:12:46

Wow.

Geoff: 00:12:46

yeah, that's, that's so challenging.

Carla: 00:12:48

Well, you know, think about it.

Carla: 00:12:50

he knew all

Carla: 00:12:50

this.

Carla: 00:12:51

What's going to happen?

Carla: 00:12:52

You know, when I told my grandmother at the age of 12, if I am not married by the time you pass, I will be without family.

Carla: 00:13:02

And she looked at me, she says, little girl, you have much family.

Carla: 00:13:05

I said,

Carla: 00:13:06

the family

Carla: 00:13:06

tolerates me because of you.

Carla: 00:13:08

They do not like me.

Carla: 00:13:10

I was right.

Carla: 00:13:12

My uncle who helped raise me died in 2015.

Carla: 00:13:16

That was the last living relative that was really a part of my life.

Carla: 00:13:20

So I have been alone since then ' cause God has not brung my husband and I do not have family.

Carla: 00:13:26

God will do something new.

Carla: 00:13:28

but man, it's a painful beginning.

Carla: 00:13:30

I wouldn't recommend it.

Geoff: 00:13:32

tell us what prompted you to start the Red Letter Awards.

Geoff: 00:13:37

That seems like a pretty big

Carla: 00:13:39

That was God when he asked me to bring his body of Christ together.

Carla: 00:13:44

And he wanted a program that brought not just movies,

Carla: 00:13:49

books, authors, music, and the categories of faith, because there was nothing out there like that.

Carla: 00:13:56

And he goes, why are we separating ourselves when the Bible is clear we are united,

Carla: 00:14:02

How are we going to explain what an ambassador of Christ is if we don't celebrate it?

Carla: 00:14:06

How are you going to

Carla: 00:14:07

talk about prayer words or good marriages

Carla: 00:14:09

if you don't have examples of that?

Carla: 00:14:12

And so that's when it started.

Carla: 00:14:14

I said, if that's what you want, I'll do it.

Carla: 00:14:16

I'll get two jobs.

Carla: 00:14:17

I'll give up my apartment.

Carla: 00:14:19

I'll rent a room.

Carla: 00:14:20

I'll do whatever it took.

Carla: 00:14:21

to do it.

Carla: 00:14:22

And I did.

Carla: 00:14:23

And then COVID hit.

Geoff: 00:14:24

Okay.

Geoff: 00:14:24

so that's, when it started, huh?

Geoff: 00:14:27

what year

Carla: 00:14:28

2019.

Geoff: 00:14:29

Okay.

Geoff: 00:14:30

2019.

Geoff: 00:14:32

And, did you, I know you have a live awards ceremony.

Geoff: 00:14:36

Did you, did do it virtually for a few

Geoff: 00:14:38

years

Geoff: 00:14:38

there

Carla: 00:14:38

did it virtually one year.

Carla: 00:14:41

and it was because COVID hit and everything shut

Carla: 00:14:43

down, you know, so you didn't really

Carla: 00:14:45

have a

Carla: 00:14:46

choice, so I did it all

Carla: 00:14:48

on, I had to learn what Zoom was and I had the whole show

Carla: 00:14:51

on

Carla: 00:14:51

Zoom.

Carla: 00:14:54

Yeah,

Geoff: 00:14:54

there was lots of that going on.

Carla: 00:14:55

it was.

Carla: 00:14:56

But you know, the most amazing part is I was able to speak to one of my kingdom

Carla: 00:15:02

legacy woman.

Carla: 00:15:03

her name was Madna.

Carla: 00:15:04

She's a Holocaust survivor.

Carla: 00:15:07

And I was able

Carla: 00:15:08

to talk to her to learn about her life before she passed, because the following year she passed.

Carla: 00:15:13

and her story is probably one of the most amazing things.

Carla: 00:15:17

And she told me, why do we

Carla: 00:15:18

hate?

Carla: 00:15:19

We hate, cause we don't understand.

Carla: 00:15:21

That's why we hate.

Carla: 00:15:23

And she said to me before she died, she goes, if there's one person that I have met that can stop the division and hate, that is you, because you love period.

Carla: 00:15:32

You just simply love.

Carla: 00:15:34

I've never met anyone just, just walking love.

Carla: 00:15:37

It's like, yeah, it took some time.

Geoff: 00:15:41

So, one year, virtually, and, uh, you were in California, but now you're in Tennessee,

Carla: 00:15:47

So last

Carla: 00:15:48

year,

Carla: 00:15:48

God asked me to move it to Tennessee and I fought him.

Carla: 00:15:53

I mean, I fought him tooth and nail.

Carla: 00:15:54

I'm like, excuse me, Tennessee, not doing that.

Carla: 00:15:57

That's not happening.

Carla: 00:15:58

I'm in California.

Carla: 00:15:59

I got the beach.

Carla: 00:16:00

I love the beach.

Carla: 00:16:02

I don't know anyone there.

Carla: 00:16:04

This is not going to happen.

Carla: 00:16:05

You ain't doing this to me.

Carla: 00:16:07

We're not starting over.

Carla: 00:16:08

I'm too old for this.

Carla: 00:16:09

This ain't happening.

Carla: 00:16:11

I said at least let me move to Oklahoma where I have some friends, some family.

Carla: 00:16:16

And he says, no.

Carla: 00:16:17

So I thought when we had it in Tennessee last year, I was just going to have it and then come back to California.

Geoff: 00:16:24

Right.

Carla: 00:16:24

that's, not what he meant.

Geoff: 00:16:27

So

Geoff: 00:16:27

I'm gonna guess, while you didn't have any friends in Tennessee, that you do now.

Carla: 00:16:32

I do, but let me tell you the difference.

Carla: 00:16:34

So when I moved

Carla: 00:16:35

it to Tennessee

Carla: 00:16:36

was the first year I started the veteran

Carla: 00:16:38

part of the award show.

Carla: 00:16:40

We celebrate veterans, we honor them in the middle of my show,

Carla: 00:16:45

So the first year was last year and it was the Vietnam

Carla: 00:16:48

Veterans

Carla: 00:16:49

Because I felt such a passion for them because we did a disservice.

Carla: 00:16:54

And when I mean we, I mean the church.

Carla: 00:16:56

I mean everyone.

Carla: 00:16:57

I'm sorry, but you're not going to treat them that way.

Carla: 00:17:00

And you think that's godly.

Carla: 00:17:01

That's just not happening on my watch.

Carla: 00:17:02

Sorry.

Carla: 00:17:03

And so that's when it started.

Carla: 00:17:05

And then, God had me to go and do an outreach.

Carla: 00:17:08

I'm like, uh, excuse me, God.

Carla: 00:17:09

award shows don't have outreaches.

Carla: 00:17:11

Yeah.

Carla: 00:17:12

Whose name is on, there?

Carla: 00:17:13

It says Red letter.

Carla: 00:17:15

And what is Red Letter?

Carla: 00:17:16

Jesus talking.

Carla: 00:17:17

It ain't Carla talking is Jesus talking.

Carla: 00:17:19

Get

Carla: 00:17:20

going.

Carla: 00:17:21

So I have a outreach, I go once a month to the veteran's home here in Murfreesboro

Geoff: 00:17:26

Mm hmm.

Carla: 00:17:26

and we put on a performance and, and have fun and talk to them and do amazing things.

Geoff: 00:17:32

them amazing things.

Geoff: 00:17:34

so under movies, um,

Geoff: 00:17:36

all

Carla: 00:17:37

Okay, so, under movies, um, we have all the movies, of course, directors,

Carla: 00:17:43

right?

Carla: 00:17:43

And then we have stunts.

Carla: 00:17:45

Because when I lived in California, a lot of people don't know

Carla: 00:17:48

one of the churches I went to in Malibu had a ton of stunt people and they were always talking about how they were disenfranchised from the world because.

Carla: 00:17:57

They're Christians and stunts.

Carla: 00:17:59

So

Carla: 00:17:59

then I also have podcasts and talk shows, documentaries.

Carla: 00:18:04

Then I have streaming shows as

Carla: 00:18:05

well.

Carla: 00:18:06

Uh, I have authors, kids, authors, regular authors, kids world, which is

Carla: 00:18:11

like a kid's show.

Carla: 00:18:12

Uh, I have creative artists.

Carla: 00:18:14

That goes with everything from dancers to illustrators to

Carla: 00:18:19

spoken word, flag person, sculpture, any type of thing that's

Carla: 00:18:25

art.

Carla: 00:18:25

That is the creative artist's field.

Geoff: 00:18:27

Right.

Carla: 00:18:28

And then we have the categories of faith.

Geoff: 00:18:30

So that's a whole lot of categories.

Carla: 00:18:32

Yes, that's a whole lot of categories.

Carla: 00:18:34

Yes, it is.

Geoff: 00:18:36

whole lot

Carla: 00:18:40

Yes.

Geoff: 00:18:41

Yes.

Geoff: 00:18:42

Yes,

Geoff: 00:18:44

you that, and then

Carla: 00:18:51

yes, You have that and then you have streaming movies as well and documentaries.

Carla: 00:18:56

So it still

Carla: 00:18:56

has more film.

Carla: 00:18:57

Yeah.

Geoff: 00:18:58

So when we look at your website, where does that fall on your menu?

Carla: 00:19:02

Well, under red letter words, if you look up movies, all of that falls up under that.

Carla: 00:19:07

And then if you go down, you'll see shows,

Carla: 00:19:09

you hit shows, and then you'll

Carla: 00:19:11

see

Carla: 00:19:11

documentaries, you'll see streaming movies, you'll see podcast talk show.

Geoff: 00:19:17

talk see Yeah, that's a lot of categories.

Geoff: 00:19:21

so I, know you have an awards ceremony.

Geoff: 00:19:23

Is there a larger event surrounding that or how does that

Geoff: 00:19:26

work?

Carla: 00:19:27

so Saturday night is the event for the award show.

Carla: 00:19:32

Uh, that's where we have all of the awards, including local heroes, which is the, people in our county or in our state or in America that is amazing.

Carla: 00:19:44

So we recognize them.

Carla: 00:19:46

we recognize our veterans.

Carla: 00:19:48

Uh, last year it was Gulf War Veteran.

Carla: 00:19:50

And if you didn't see it, it also has two special veterans.

Carla: 00:19:54

They were Korean veterans, but one was from the Marine Corps.

Carla: 00:19:58

He was from the Frozen Chosen.

Carla: 00:20:00

And if you don't know what that is, look it up.

Carla: 00:20:03

They were fighting 30 below zero.

Carla: 00:20:05

I don't know how anyone fight like that.

Carla: 00:20:07

I'd be going home myself, but that's just

Carla: 00:20:09

me.

Carla: 00:20:10

But I honored them and, uh, the Senator, Mr.

Carla: 00:20:13

Mark Potey gave them their award.

Carla: 00:20:15

It was the most amazing, thing to also give, the governor gave us award to give to them.

Carla: 00:20:21

So it wasn't just about red letter.

Carla: 00:20:23

It's just being recognized for the service that you've given.

Geoff: 00:20:27

this

Geoff: 00:20:28

country.

Carla: 00:20:28

So yes, but not all awards are, given out because it's, it would take too long.

Carla: 00:20:33

So we do pre record some of this stuff.

Carla: 00:20:35

Like I just make an announcement of the ones who are not going to be announced.

Carla: 00:20:39

Now you asked,

Carla: 00:20:41

And everyone assume

Carla: 00:20:43

that Jesus revolution was going to win because everyone was talking about, that's not how it works.

Carla: 00:20:49

40

Carla: 00:20:49

percent of the voting for public just anyone can vote.

Carla: 00:20:55

but 60 percent is a board of six.

Carla: 00:20:59

Six people and none of them know each other.

Carla: 00:21:01

And so I kept it that way to kept it right.

Carla: 00:21:04

So they would send me their voting so that I will know I am the tie breaker.

Carla: 00:21:11

Hasn't been a tie yet.

Carla: 00:21:12

And that's how that works to keep it even.

Carla: 00:21:15

Only thing is different is the categories of faith is only the panel of

Carla: 00:21:19

six, but everything else can be voted on.

Carla: 00:21:21

Yes.

Geoff: 00:21:22

Cool, And, I believe you were telling me earlier you also have a second day that you added on this past year?

Carla: 00:21:30

is called the Veterans, Gathering.

Carla: 00:21:32

And that's where a lot of us Sunday, as I like to call the day of service, we go to It's called Tennessee State Veterans Home.

Carla: 00:21:42

And we go there and we put on music and we have food and we celebrate with the veterans.

Carla: 00:21:48

And, it's a hundred and About 40 bed place, not beds, but people and, I would say 90 percent of them, or at least 80 percent don't leave the facility.

Carla: 00:21:59

So that's why I, go there.

Geoff: 00:22:02

there.

Carla: 00:22:02

And so it is amazing.

Carla: 00:22:04

And I wish the church would get more involved.

Carla: 00:22:07

You know, what really breaks my heart at this place is that, in 300 churches and maybe one or two churches go to visit them.

Carla: 00:22:16

And that breaks my heart.

Carla: 00:22:17

Cause you don't have to pay.

Carla: 00:22:19

You don't have to give anything.

Carla: 00:22:20

All you have to do is give your time.

Carla: 00:22:22

That's it.

Geoff: 00:22:22

Right.

Geoff: 00:22:23

And I'm sure it makes a big

Carla: 00:22:24

Oh my God.

Carla: 00:22:25

They are so full of life.

Carla: 00:22:27

when you go, I was holding a hand of a 90 year old.

Carla: 00:22:30

He goes, Carla, I go, you're mine.

Carla: 00:22:32

I'm like, uh, don't think that works that way, but okay, buddy.

Carla: 00:22:36

And then the other guy said, I thought you loved me.

Carla: 00:22:39

I'm like, honey, I do.

Carla: 00:22:40

But he said, no, baby, I love you all.

Carla: 00:22:44

But that's how they are.

Carla: 00:22:46

They're amazing.

Geoff: 00:22:48

So your awards ceremony, it's actually an awards show, much more than just the presentations of the awards.

Geoff: 00:22:55

Tell us more about the show.

Carla: 00:22:56

the show itself, we have singers that come on and, perform their gifts.

Carla: 00:23:00

Um, we have, comedians.

Carla: 00:23:04

Uh, last year, one of the guys who was supposed to come, a friend of mine, Mutsi, he passed away about a month before the award show.

Carla: 00:23:12

He won last

Carla: 00:23:13

year.

Carla: 00:23:13

He won last year and he was in the hospital.

Carla: 00:23:15

Ha And this year he passed away.

Carla: 00:23:18

I'm like, oh my god.

Carla: 00:23:21

So, this year we didn't have, any comedians, but we will next year.

Carla: 00:23:26

I try to use the talent that God has given each and every one of us, to promote their gifts to the world.

Carla: 00:23:33

hopefully next year, I have a vanquiloquist.

Carla: 00:23:35

I can never pronounce that name.

Geoff: 00:23:37

Ha ha ha

Carla: 00:23:39

That thing,

Geoff: 00:23:41

me!

Geoff: 00:23:41

ha!

Geoff: 00:23:42

we all have our words that we can't

Geoff: 00:23:43

say.

Carla: 00:23:44

one of them.

Geoff: 00:23:45

so what's ahead for the Red Letter

Geoff: 00:23:46

Awards?

Carla: 00:23:47

Well, we're looking now this year, uh, hoping to broaden it out a little bit more because God wants it to be three days.

Carla: 00:23:58

So I'm hoping to do Friday and Friday is going to be something so spectacular and new.

Carla: 00:24:05

I am not telling anyone yet.

Carla: 00:24:07

will tell you, get ready to put on your dancing shoes like David, baby.

Carla: 00:24:11

Cause we're gonna dance like David.

Carla: 00:24:13

Okay.

Carla: 00:24:13

Keep your clothes on Christians.

Carla: 00:24:15

Keep your clothes on.

Carla: 00:24:18

But we're going to have some fun, something that we don't know how to do anymore.

Geoff: 00:24:23

so we got some changes coming up in 2025, and what are the dates for

Carla: 00:24:27

not quite sure yet cause I'm looking at a place because God wants it to be at the university.

Carla: 00:24:34

and I've been going, I checked out the place, really liked the place.

Carla: 00:24:39

And now I know why.

Carla: 00:24:41

It's because, Satan is messing with our youth.

Geoff: 00:24:44

thought

Carla: 00:24:44

And, uh, and thought I was going to go to a Christian university.

Carla: 00:24:49

And then God says, why would you go to the save, go to the unsave?

Geoff: 00:24:52

mm

Carla: 00:24:53

so there's a beautiful university here.

Carla: 00:24:56

So I'm going to be in talks with them.

Carla: 00:24:58

So that means I'm going to be fundraising.

Carla: 00:25:00

That means, back at selling advertisement.

Carla: 00:25:03

And, you know, if you have a book that's coming out and you want to advertise with me, there's my email.

Carla: 00:25:08

You have ministry that you want to advertise.

Carla: 00:25:11

There it is.

Carla: 00:25:12

If you want to be a sponsor, contact me.

Carla: 00:25:14

Cause this is how we do it.

Carla: 00:25:16

I do not charge a submission fee.

Carla: 00:25:18

God does not allow that.

Carla: 00:25:20

He wants everyone.

Carla: 00:25:22

at any walk of life with a movie to be able to submit anyone who has a book because see, submission fees will take up everything and then you don't have anything.

Carla: 00:25:32

That's

Carla: 00:25:32

not how we work.

Carla: 00:25:33

We just want you to show your gifts and that's it.

Geoff: 00:25:37

Okay, so all of what you do, the Red Letter Awards, the outreach programs that are an extension of that, everything is funded by

Geoff: 00:25:45

donation

Carla: 00:25:46

Yes.

Geoff: 00:25:47

Is that correct?

Carla: 00:25:48

I did it for the first three years in California working two jobs.

Carla: 00:25:53

And I realized it's not feasible anymore.

Carla: 00:25:56

And so God says it's time for the church, it's time for the people to participate.

Carla: 00:26:01

And so this was my first year last year having advertisement and a sponsor.

Carla: 00:26:06

So that's what I'm looking for now is people to donate and advertise so that I can get this beautiful spot on this campus because it is gorgeous And just so that people know, a kid just jumped off the building two weeks ago.

Carla: 00:26:20

and killed himself.

Geoff: 00:26:21

So,

Carla: 00:26:22

Yeah, on that campus, yeah.

Carla: 00:26:24

It's time for us to show up.

Carla: 00:26:25

It's time for the body of Christ to show up.

Carla: 00:26:28

It's time for our movies to show up.

Carla: 00:26:30

It's time for our

Geoff: 00:26:31

for our

Carla: 00:26:32

up.

Carla: 00:26:32

It's time for us to show up.

Geoff: 00:26:34

time show up.

Geoff: 00:26:36

It's time

Carla: 00:26:38

will be in September.

Carla: 00:26:39

Always, in

Carla: 00:26:39

September.

Geoff: 00:26:40

Okay.

Geoff: 00:26:40

And we'll keep

Carla: 00:26:42

is either going to be the second week or the third week of September, I try to have it during that time period.

Geoff: 00:26:46

Okay.

Geoff: 00:26:47

So we'll watch out for those details we'll, check in when we publish this episode.

Geoff: 00:26:51

If we know the details by that time, we'll put it in the show notes.

Carla: 00:26:54

I'm hoping that, um, this year is going to be, as God has given me a vision for it, it's going to be really different.

Carla: 00:27:02

I'm getting international choirs to come and, put their videos and see, uh, I said, I'm opening it up to everyone.

Carla: 00:27:11

all the movies.

Carla: 00:27:12

It doesn't have to be American movies.

Carla: 00:27:13

I tell people this all the time.

Carla: 00:27:16

It's not about English.

Carla: 00:27:18

It's about the body of Christ,

Carla: 00:27:20

you know, and if you want to submit, submit your movie.

Carla: 00:27:23

submit your book.

Carla: 00:27:24

Let me know, you know.

Carla: 00:27:26

If we don't get things out there and we don't know about each other, we can't help each other.

Carla: 00:27:31

We need all of our brothers and sisters together, no matter what we need to come together and fight together.

Carla: 00:27:38

Because if we don't, where will we be?

Carla: 00:27:40

are you leaving to your kids?

Geoff: 00:27:41

I encourage, those who are listening, who are involved in film, to take a look at the Red Letter Awards show.

Geoff: 00:27:48

the website is redletterawards.

Geoff: 00:27:50

com and Carla told us earlier that all of the entries are free.

Geoff: 00:27:55

There's no charge, for the multiple entries that you can enter, under movies, acting, various shows and streaming content.

Geoff: 00:28:03

So take a look at that, redletterawards.

Geoff: 00:28:05

com.

Geoff: 00:28:07

And Carla,

Geoff: 00:28:08

is there anything you would like to share before we close off?

Carla: 00:28:12

You know, I would like to share this.

Carla: 00:28:14

when God spoke about Red Letter, He never spoke of a person.

Carla: 00:28:20

It was a group.

Carla: 00:28:21

It was the family.

Carla: 00:28:23

And this is what Red Letter is about.

Carla: 00:28:26

The family of God.

Carla: 00:28:27

The whole body.

Carla: 00:28:28

The arm can't do anything without the fingers.

Carla: 00:28:30

The fingers can't do anything without the hand.

Carla: 00:28:33

The feet can't do anything without the leg.

Carla: 00:28:36

We are all parts of the body, and it's going to take all of us to come together.

Carla: 00:28:42

And that's what I'm hoping that Red Letter can do, is to bring all of us, international, um, Catholic, Baptist, doesn't matter which denomination you are.

Carla: 00:28:53

Because if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, jump on board, you know, because we need your help.

Carla: 00:28:59

I cannot do this alone.

Carla: 00:29:00

And that is my stance.

Geoff: 00:29:02

is my cannot Well, Carla, if we get the information regarding the dates for 2025, we'll get them in the show notes prior to publishing.

Geoff: 00:29:12

And otherwise, we'll certainly get a link to your website and any other social links that you would like to include, we'll have them in our show notes.

Geoff: 00:29:19

Thank you so much for sharing with us

Carla: 00:29:21

Thank you.

Geoff: 00:29:22

It's been a pleasure.

Carla: 00:29:23

God bless.