(gentle music)

- Fame, fortune, devoted fans,

actress Brenda Epperson had them all.

So why was it never enough?

(wind whooshing)

- [Reporter] For three decades,

Brenda Epperson-Moore capturedthe hearts of her fans

as a singer, author, andfilm and television actress.

She's best known for herrecurring role as Ashley Abbott

on the popular soap opera,"The Young and the Restless."

(wind whooshing)

But Brenda's journeyto fortune and success

was filled with setbacks and losses.

Yet this courageous, unstoppable woman

would not give up on her dreams.

She tells her personal storyof overcoming disappointment,

and discovering joy inher new book, "Rise Up!"

- And welcome back to, "The 700 Club,"

my friend, Brenda Epperson-Moore.

Hey Brenda, great to see you.

- Hi, good morning (laughing),

it's so good to see youtoo, Wendy, I adore you.

- Likewise.- Thank you for having me on.

- Absolutely, well Brenda,

you landed the primerole on the hottest soap

with virtually no acting experience.

- Yeah.- How did you do that?

- That was a miracle, honestly,

it was miracle number,you know, 3000 in my life.

I'll tell you, I moved toLos Angeles from Oregon

to sing, 'cause I'm a singer.

And I ran into a girl who plays a part

on, "The Young and the Restless,"

and everybody said, "Oh,you look just like her."

And when I saw her, she goes,

"You should audition for the part."

And I went, "Sure." (laughing)

So I thought, "Let mejust call the office."

I started calling the casting office.

One thing led to another,

started going in on auditions,and got a screen test.

And God just opened those doors.

You know, he purposed for me to be there

at that studio and on that show for sure.

It was a miracle.

- Well, you were a natural, anatural born, actor, actress.

- Thank you (laughing).

- So why was fame though, andfortune, not enough for you?

I mean you had it all?

- Well, you know, it'sinteresting because you know,

what I talk about in my book, "Rise Up!,"

I talk about so many things.

And you know, God reallycalled me to ignite his people

when I wrote this book, andI'm so passionate about people

understanding the purpose andthe calling on their life.

And his book is foranyone who's been afraid,

or abused, or hurt, or lonely,or touched darkness like me.

And at the end of each chapter,

I give you challenge questions

that will help you uncoverthose limited mindsets

and thinking that are holding you back.

Because when I was on the show,

what the world has to offer is temporal,

but what God has to offer,

Jesus Christ who diedfor our sins, is eternal.

We will never be able to find our purpose

or our passion in the world.

We have to plug in to Christ.

And you know, being on theshow, and being on the set

was wonderful, and it taught me so much,

but then it became a verytoxic environment, Wendy.

And it was very clear tome that I needed to go,

and God opened another door for me.

I signed with Sony Tri-Star Music,

and I was able to open forLionel Richie all over Europe.

And even on the set of, "TheYoung and the Restless,"

being at CBS, I led acast member to Christ,

and prayed for people.

So God used me at that platform.

But when he puts us in places,

and pivotally puts us these places,

sometimes it's for a long time,

but often it's a season,and that season was over.

So it's up to us to knowwhen God is moving us

onto the next thing.

- Well, before you everbecame Ashley Abbott,

you were so, you had a greatrelationship with your father.

You adored him, and he diedwhen you were very young.

And then you actually wereraped by a little boy,

when you were only what, six years old,

was it xix years old?

- Yeah, seven yeah.

- Seven, and I know all thesethings affected you so much.

And, but your mom was a devoted Christian.

Why did you rebel againstGod when you were young?

- Well, you know, againI talk about in my book,

"Rise Up!" how you know,and I love CBN, by the way,

if you're not a partner with CBN,

I just tell you to be a partner,

because every blessing that CBN does

and gives to so many people,that's your blessing too.

And I'm so passionate aboutCBN, and all that you guys do.

Thank you so much.

You prayed one time, andmy mother was healed.

So, you know, God doesgreat things through CBN,

Wendy, and everybody there.- Thank you.

- You know, when my,yes, when my father died,

my life and my worldwas turned upside down.

We had no money, no life insurance policy.

And we lost our homewhere we lived, you know,

we moved out of the state,and we lived with my aunt.

And I was also carryinga deep, dark secret

of being raped as a young girl.

And my innocence was takenaway, my youth was stolen,

and I was so angry with Godbecause I didn't understand

as a young girl holding that secret,

that when I said, "I hate you, God,"

that I opened the door for that hate,

and that anger, and that unforgiveness

to penetrate into my soul.

And I began to hate myself and-

- Brenda, because when did youfinally surrender to Jesus?

'Cause you were going through so much.

- Oh, I was going through so much,

and I just hated myself,

and the world was tellingme I was ugly, I was abused,

I was abandoned, I would never measure up.

And then at a candlelit service,

I was standing there, andI felt the love of Christ,

and a warmth over my body.

Like that woman said in the story earlier,

then Jesus walked in,

and her life was transformedand she was healed.

And my soul was healed fromthat hate and the anger,

and the abuse, and all ofthe ugliness melted away,

and I accepted him into my heart.

And that's when my lifechanged in a moment.

And that's what God can do for everybody.

And that's what I talk about,

the emotional healing that I underwent,

and the practical, dailysteps that I give people

in my book, "Rise Up!" thatthey can take to overcome

those limited mindsets, and bondages

that are holding you back, and move you,

and propel you forward into the future,

and the calling, and the hope,

and a life of freedom thatGod has for each one of us.

- Amen, well you know,I've got several copies.

I've been giving it away.

I love this book, and Iwant everyone to read it.

Brenda's book again,it's called, "Rise Up!"

It's available wherever books are sold.

Get your copy, it's agreat read for this summer

while you're on the beach,you will absolutely love it.

Brenda, thank you so much,God bless you, my friend.

- Thank you, God bless you, thank you.