Letters from the inside, a phone call

My friend’s wife called me this week to give me an update and his address.

She was telling me that he is starting to settle in but he is depressed, he is seeing a prison therapist because of the nature of his crime but from what I understand it is a joke.

He is fortunate, I guess fortunate is a relative term, that he is in a low security facility and has some freedoms, he is able to call his wife occasionally.

From what I understand he has gotten a job in the laundry and has already been approached to participate in activities with other inmates that is illegal. His response to them was ‘I won’t do that because of my faith’.

His wife was telling me that there are concerns for safety even in low security facilities. My friend was telling her that several inmates don’t sleep at night and that they won’t go to the bathroom at all at night because of the fear of being raped or shanked.

I know this blog is kind of all over the place but I just wanted to give you the high points of our conversation and I will fill you in more with what he writes to me.

Letters from the inside update and some other stuff.

I have got to make a phone call to my friend’s wife today, she said she can update me as to what’s going on. If your not sure what I am talking about read here, this one, and this one. Which started this series of post.

Also, I want to say thank you to the folks that read my blog the last few days. Your words of encouragement and prayers are always appreciated. My only hope is that people that need healing for whatever situation they are in asks for it, to me it’s not a question of whether God heals your broken heart or not, he will heal it, all you need to do is ask.

I love Jesus!!!!

Letters from the inside day 1

My friend started his sentence today. He surrendered himself at 11:45 to the federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas. This is a bulletin his wife posted for him on myspace:

I asked Ruth to post this message for me on her myspace. Sorry I could not send out a very public note of apology sooner. To everyone that I have hurt or offended by my poor pathetic choice I offer my sincerest apology. I know I can never say or do enough to make up for what I have done. I am just extremely grateful that God loves us and takes us back just as we are and not as we should be. How amazing it is to know there is nothing I have ever done or will do that will make Him love me any less. It is great to know there is nothing I can ever do to make Him love me more. At the beginning and end of each day I am nothing but a heaping smelly dirty nasty pile of crap in His eyes and in His nostrils. While what I did shocked and hurt all who have known me it did not catch God by surprise. In the book of Galatians it is written “Do not be decieved God is not mocked. As a man sews in this life so shall he reap.” On May 19, 2008 I reaped what I sewed on October 6th, 2007. I was found guilty of crossing interstate lines to engage in sex and innapropriate sex acts with a minor. I was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. I report July 8th to Forrest City, Arkansas to serve my time. As tough as it will be to leave my wife and daughter I am blessed that God has restored my marriage and my relationship with my daughter. More important God has given me a hate for sin and a passion for Him and His Word as never before. Love me or hate me I know it was a tough lesson for many of you to learn but it remains true that I am a sinful flawed wretch. I failed you and God miserably however at the beginning and end of each day you can only look to God for you salvation. He is the only constant in this ever changing world and He will never let you down. People will. Romans 3:23 makes that abundantly clear. Please keep Ruth and Katelynn in your prayers. Pray for me as I enter my 3 year mission field. God is giving me an awesome opportunity to reach out to a part of the world that most in the church will never want to take the opportunity to share the love of Christ with. May God bless each of you richly in His love, mercy, and grace.

This is a note he had his wife write me lastnight (he is not allowed access to the internet):

Jason,

I am writing you from my hotel in Forrest City Arkansas. I will turn myself in tomorrow around 11:45. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. Please do so daily. I have a lot of work I must get done for God’s Kingdom. The good news is I don’t think I will ever go back to easy or ok after all this. God has me in a good place and honestly it feels good to be smack in the center of His will. When everything is stripped away from you and you have to start over with next to nothing we are finding the simple life is actually much better. For the first time in a long time Ruth and I are not consumed by the things of this world. I hated trying to keep up with the Jones’s anyway. Take care of yourself brother. I will write you as soon as I have the chance to let you know what God is up to. You know I love you. Peace in Christ.

Letters from the inside update

Just a quick update on my friend. He found out when and where he has to report to prison. He has to report on July 8th to a prison in Arkansas. Religious people may find this an odd request but please pray for his safety. Pray for his family, 30 months and two weeks is a long time to go without a husband and daddy. Like it or not, this man is still a husband and daddy. Pray that God will use him.

For those that don’t know what I am referring to read the post titled 30 months and Two weeks. It will give you the back story. It is under the church category of my post’s.