Easter freedom...

4/27/2011

Loaded down and carrying in the various items to the prison for the celebration, I could feel the anticipation building as I thought about the event today and I silently wondered about the outcome of MS’ clemency hearing. The Director of Catholic Detention Ministry and I cleared security and after a short wait, one of the guards escorted us to the visitation area rather than our normal classroom setting on the other side of the prison.

This area is nicer and resembles a park with large trees and covered picnic tables.  MS met us and quickly dismissed the fact that her clemency was denied. For her it was God’s will and she had already moved on. She told us that the ladies receiving their sacraments today were nervous and excited in anticipation of the celebration. She sounded thrilled too.

Soon, Fr. Ron, along with twenty-three women, arrived. They signed in and made their way into the area as Christian songs were played on the karaoke machine that we setup for amplifying the sound. Carefully laid out on one of the two tables were the “battery operated” Easter candle, two baptism candles (also b.o. – no fire allowed), an extra-large broad rimmed bowl of water, the Chrism oils and the red and white scarfs for the participants. Special chairs were setup for TS, DB and RS with chairs behind for their sponsors. We were surprised when the deputy-warden showed to watch part of the ceremony. Her presence intensified the already heightened awareness.  

The service began a little after 5 p.m. We started, as always “a cappella,” with an entrance song "Now We Remain." The sun was shining bright. The temperature was spring like – maybe even a little hot. The wind was blowing, swishing the tree gently and it provided a familiar reminder that the Holy Spirit can come like a strong wind on Pentecost.  We prayed that the power of the Spirit would be strong on this holy ground too and it surely was.

I know that many of you would've loved to watch their faces and see their eyes as they received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. The look expressed, as the water poured out, was excitement. Their faces happily reflected the laughter that spilled out of their mouths after the final anointing.

When the final song "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" was sung and the service concluded, it was evident that they did not want the day to end. We clustered together – not hugging – because it is not allowed, but wishing with all our might that we could express physically what was felt inside. Both the joy and elation were so strong that the corny phrase “leap for joy” came to mind and actually seemed appropriate. We could not keep still.

As they explored this experience with each other, RS noted that the holy oil gave off a perfumed scent. One of them asked Fr. Ron to tell them what the scent was. He said it was mainly balsam mixed into the oil and consecrated during Holy Week. Someone else commented that they hoped to remember that wonderful smell when they looked back on this day. 

Smiles were stretched from ear to ear on everyone’s faces.  The women kept trying to tell me what they felt and failed in words but expressed it very clearly in their eyes, faces and body language. We could tell that they were surrounded by the Holy Spirit and it was bursting out of them. It was an amazing transformation from the women they were 9 months ago. Today they stood tall. Today they looked happy. Today they were whole. It was a marvelous thing to see in this place surrounded by fences, barbed wire, guards and an atmosphere where the norm is pain, suffering, contempt,  and condemnation. But in spite of it all, God dwells in this place and on that day they found a different kind of freedom from within.   

As we left the prison and the automatic locking door closed, we heard them shout a final …. 

THANK YOU!
 

Life is a gift...

04/06/11

Having finished the textbook and still with three weeks to go until we celebrate Easter, the lesson for today was to read an article on assisted suicide. You may ask, “Why have a whole lesson on that subject? “ The purpose was not to debate the subject, it was to open up the discussion and to show the women how very hard it is to take a stand on life issues if you don't really understand how these situations are perceived by God and how they affect us all. The article is a good one - from  Catholic Update.

Each of the ladies agreed that they could not condone assisted suicide but that they weren't sure how to tactfully deal with someone who might want their advice on whether to do it. TS said, "You don't want to ask me, because I would tell you don't do it - its murder." DB said, "In my opinion it is just wrong." RS said, "It never occurred to me that I might have to help someone else decide something like this."

AB brought up the subject of an elderly relative that just wanted to die because of illness and old age. She was terribly sad thinking that this relative might die before she was released from prison. AB hopes that she will live long enough for AB to say goodbye to her. As compassionate people, we find it easy to relate to someone who is hurting so very much.

It is easy to be drawn into agreeing that, to be compassionate, we should always take the action of helping others to alleviating pain and suffering, even if it means ending a life. But as TS wrote in her reflection about this subject, "while on his way to death Jesus endured much pain and suffering yet he did not give up... (He) is with us always."

We are disciples of Christ and if we truly follow him it may mean much pain and suffering but we are assured that throughout our lives God is with us during those struggles. We are part of God's great plan to bring everyone to Him. It means that we must be compassionate to the person but true to our values on life. When others come to us for advice, it is because they know who we are and what we stand for. Instinctively, they really want to hear the truth, and we have an opportunity and a duty to give them advice based on the values we take from our faith and from the Word of God.

DB told us about the time her mom had a brain aneurysm and multiple strokes. DB was the youngest of her brothers and sisters, and 23 when it happened. In the rush of ambulances, police and seeing her mother literally dying on the street, she had to make a crucial decision for her mom. No one else could. DB's family was paralyzed by the tragic circumstances. So she made the decision and chose to give her mom a chance for life. She watched her mom spend months in a coma. She fought the court battles to keep her mother on life support. She resolve to never give up hope that her mom would live. Then days before the judge would rule on whether to pull the plug, her mom woke up.  But in spite of all those months of trauma, pain and suffering, DB recalled that it all was worth it because her family came together and became much closer than they had ever been.

There are times in our lives that we will have to make choices that affect the life and death of others. Though rare these are the hardest choices to make. How do we do that when we are wrapped up in the pain and emotion and suffering of our lives?

I loved RS's response to DB's story. She told us, she could not relate to what DB had to go through in deciding the fate of her mother. She explained that as a Native American, those kinds of decisions are never made just by the immediate family. All members of the family confer and meet several times. Those meetings include grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even extended members of the family. It is a group decision and no one is left to decide alone. To her, making a decision means bringing in others to help you see the whole picture.

The issue of making life and death decisions affects everyone in the family; in fact it can affect a whole community. To make a good decision, one must look at the effects of that decision. We can't always do that if we are caught up in the emotions and pain of our lives. We need to turn to others for guidance, but more importantly we must turn to God. He gave us this gift of life. It is important that in situations where the option of ending a life is being considered, we have a duty to consult him first.

As always, the women thank you for your prayers. God bless you all…krr

Special Prayers for MS

4/7

MS is asking for special prayers over the next three weeks. She filed for clemency and Governor Jan Brewer will decide her case on April 26^th. We would love to have another reason to celebrate on April 27^th  along with the baptism of 2 new members and 1 confirmation. Please pray with for her that God’s will be that she will be set free soon.  

MS has been in prison for just over 13 years and has 7 more to serve. She has been a wonderful example and sponsor for two catechumens over the past two years. 

Her prayer card states: I am a sponsor because I see the need for so many of these young women to have someone to help them when they have questions about the Catholic Faith. I pray that the Holy Spirit helps me provide good direction.

Please Continue to Pray for All Five Inmates

RS, DB, & TS

Pray that they complete their journey to Baptism and the Sacraments of full initiation into the Catholic faith.

Pray for MS and AB as sponsors

Pray that they love and serve God always.

A prisoner’s creed…

3/23/11

I can't begin to tell you how very committed these women are to completing their studies these past 28 weeks. Everything that I have asked of them, they have done and they have worked diligently to learn it all.

Last October, they were introduced to both the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. They barely understood what their own beliefs were at that time. So we looked at the similarities and the differences in the two prayers and as part of their homework, I asked that they write their own creed. I told them, "Tell me what you believe and tell it to me in your own words."

They apprehensively tackled the assignment and brought their finished work to the next class. During that class, all were given the opportunity to read their creed outloud to the rest of the group. And all but RS were too shy to read what they had written. RS read her creed calling it a prisoner’s creed. We all thought it was very good and she was proud of what she had written. Then, I collected the assignments, sealed them in an envelope, and promised to give them back in March.

Last week as part of their homework, I asked them to write a new creed, but this time they were to reflect on all 24 of their homework assignments. They also had to read the chapter for this week which was titled "I Believe." I suggested that as they reviewed their homework, they could look for sentences in which they had written what they believed.

They were instructed to write what they believe now. Secondly, as part of this assignment, they would have to share their creeds with the group. I explained that a creed is something that we believe in. It is something we stand up for and hold as a truth. And as followers of Christ, it is something we should not be ashamed to say outloud. I also reminded them that I would be returning the creed they wrote last October.

In our lesson, each read their creed to the rest of the group. There was no shyness. There was no fear in saying what they truly believe. They were comfortable with what they wrote but more importantly they understood what they were saying. The emphasis on the words, the tone of their voices, even the gestures showed the feeling and the passion of what they believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, the Saints, the Catholic Church and what God promises for them for the rest of their lives.

As I passed back the October creeds and they reread them, they were shocked by how different they were from the ones they just read.  They definitely liked what they wrote now a lot more. These "March creeds" matched more closely to what they truly believe. I can't share these personal creeds with you but one obvious difference was the length.  The "October creeds" were less than a page while the March ones were between 2 and 3 pages long. 

AB, MS and I were spellbound by the poetic and spiritual nature of their creeds, all different and all very wonderful. We all felt very blessed to be a part of their journey. 

Thank you Prayer Pals... I know your prayers are being heard and the Holy Spirit is taking a mighty hold of them. God bless you all... krr 

Death has no dominion

3/16/11

We began the session with reflection on the gospel.  Normally, we do this during the communion service along with the congregation, but today Fr. Ron celebrated Mass and gave a homily. When he is not here, the gospel is read twice, once as we stand, then after we are seated, I encourage the 12-18 women to close their eyes and listen a second time with their hearts. All are then given the opportunity to tell the rest of the group, what they think the scripture is saying to them today. One person starts and then after reflecting, invites another and then another until all have either contributed or passed.  No one is left out. I am always last. I answer questions and also clarify Catholic teachings since we have non Catholics in the group.

I am always surprised by how the Holy Spirit speaks so strongly in the hearts of all these women. But today it is just the six of us.  I see that they are growing strong in understanding of scripture. They are also becoming fearless in speaking out about what they interpret in the Sunday readings.  Last week, we listened as RS took all three readings and pondered what they meant. She reflected and linked the passages and interwoven themes back to all of us.  The topic was justification by faith and not works. At one point, frustrated because she felt that she wasn't saying it right, she stopped. Then, we all encouraged her to continue, because we did understand what she was saying, and it was very powerful. I was proud of her. It took great courage to do that.

After reflecting on the gospel this week, we took up the Chapter titled "Death Shall Have No Dominion." As part of their homework, they were given a medical explanation of crucifixion to contemplate.

DB spoke first. She relayed that this week has been filled with thoughts of death, even to the point of having nightmares. It is not a subject she wants to face. TS shared her thoughts on the handout. She was appalled by the horror of crucifixion. We see the crucifix and the tortured body of Jesus on the cross so often that we are made numb to the reality of the suffering Jesus endured before his death. RS points out that in spite of his pain, Jesus' last words from the cross are filled with forgiveness, compassion and prayer.

Next we talk about death and how hard it is to loose someone close. We all agree that none of us is ready to die. The mood becomes very gloomy. How can we not feel terribly down and sad about death? DB is the first to say that she is glad to know that her loved ones are with God.  All agree that it is something to be glad about that, and we know that heaven is a better place, but none of us is ready for that yet.

In trying to change the somber mood, I remind them that we should not focus solely on the death of Jesus. We must focus even more so on his glorious Resurrection.  We should remember that our God is an awesome and powerful God. We have seen His might in the Old Testament. In the miracle of the Resurrection, God shows us how very much He cares for us and that even death has no hold on those he chooses to be his own. We should delight in this promise.

Dear Prayer Pals, MS reminds me each week to tell you all that she prays for you Every Day and they all chime in that they are all praying for you too.  Thank You for your prayers.  - krr

Saints with a little s….

(3/2/11)

It had been two weeks since I visited the prison. Fr. Ron was able to cover for me the previous week, which was a real treat for the women.  He spent extra time talking to them after Mass. He answered questions for the entire community with his own version of “Everything you ever wanted to know (about being Catholic) but were afraid to ask.” They seemed to have really enjoyed the discussion and wanted to share some of it with me. They were relieved to learn that because of their special circumstances they are exempt from some church rules like abstaining from meat especially because the prison does not allow for non-meat alternatives.

Usually about 15-18 women come to the service each week and on that day the women are especially talkative making the service run long. We are told that S__ will be released before the next Wednesday service. Going home is a huge event for the women; it is a time filled with emotion for those leaving and for their friends who stay behind. The feeling are mixed with anticipation of seeing family and fear at facing a new life. It can be very frightening.


As part of this big event, we always have a little ritual for the one going home. We hope that it helps her to face the world knowing that God is with them. It is composed of prayers; a special blessing from all of us; and the woman writing her name in the “Book of No Return.” The “Book” is brought to each service and is held up during the Prayers of the Faithful. Our prayer is that our Lord guides them and that they never return to prison again. Also we read Psalm 121.

With only 2 hours for our services and classes, we were already running short of time as we began the lesson on Mary and the Saints. They all seem to understand the tradition of praying to Mary and the Saints for prayer of intercession. We discuss Mary as being the greatest disciple of Jesus and how the many Saints are great models of how to live a Christian life.

Then the discussion turned to the topic of “How do we, as Catholics, explain this practice to non Catholics?” Some people in other faiths believe this form of prayer is worship and idolatry of Mary and the Saints. DB added that she thinks that intercessory prayer is okay but that she doesn’t really understand the need to pray to Mary or the Saints when you can pray directly to Jesus. To explain this practice we talked about the communion of saints.

Catholics believe in the communion of saints. This is the union of all Christ’s disciples, those who are living (us) as well as those who are already in the next life. These saints (with a little “s”) are anyone who is part of the Body of Christ, not just those who have been canonized saints by the Church.

I reminded the women of the 70+ people who signed up to pray for them as they complete their journey to baptism and confirmation. This is a perfect example of saints interceding for us. All Christians ask family and friends for prayer. There are references throughout the bible encouraging us to pray for each other. We have no problem asking these faithful people to pray for us, so doesn’t it make sense to ask Mary and the Saints to pray for us? Of course it does.

In reaction to being told about the many people who signed up for Prayer Pals, they asked me to tell everyone “THANK YOU so very MUCH for your prayers.” They were touched deeply by your response. I know that they believe that their Prayer Pals are saints with a big “S” and I’m sure they are praying for all of you Prayer Pals too. God bless you all...krr    

Scripture shared by Prayer Pal Angie

 

 

Jeremiah 29:11-13

 

 

"For I know well the plans I have for you,"   says the Lord,

 

"Plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.  

When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. 

When you look for me, you will find me.  

 

 Yes, when you seek with all your heart,

You will find me with you,"  says the Lord, "and I will change your lot."

A chance for a blessing

3/1
So it begins. This past Saturday and Sunday, I introduced the Prisoner Prayer Pal ministry to our congregation. As a result 67 people signed up to pray for DB, TS, RS and their sponsors - MS and AB. They will be supported in prayer as they finish their last two months of preparation before receiving their sacraments.

During the signups, one person told me that she had a prayer chain of over 500 people that would pray for them. Another told me that her faith sharing group would pray for them. The response was unbelievable. I hoped for 10 and God gave me so many more! How appropriate was Sunday's gospel -- God does indeed provide - "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." It was as if those words were spoken directly to me this weekend.

At the end of each Mass, I spoke about the process that these women will go through and how they need the support of our parish. I prepared small cards in advance to hand out to people who signed up. Printed on each was a silhouettes of one of the women and a little quote from each on why they are on this journey. Isn't it amazing how God works? In purchasing the paper for these cards, I found bright orange paper on sale. As it turned out the cards looked a lot like the special cards you find in a Monopoly game - you know the yellow and orange ones? These resembled Chance Cards. And so with that little bit of inspiration from the Holy Spirit, the presentation turned out to be a great success.

Each participant received at least one "Chance Card" and their prayers and support will mean so much to these women in getting their Chance to "Get out of Jail Free.” Of course this is a freedom of a different kind. It is a freedom that can only be found inside the heart and that only God can give them. It is a freedom that can change their lives forever and that may very well keep them from returning to prison.

They are not the only ones who have get a chance. We all have a chance to be blessed by God by saying yes whenever He presents an opportunity such as this.  He is calling us daily to accept such opportunities... We just have to say "Yes, Lord."

Thank you for saying yes to this one and I trust God will bless you. Please continue to pray for these women and their small community of believers.

All Prayer Pals will receive a copy of this blog via email or regular post. If you want to be added to the distribution please contact me.

Wishing God's choicest blessings for you. - krr

What are my gifts?

(2/9) We opened with a beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit requesting that the Holy Spirit grant us the many gifts of the Spirit.  This week’s lesson is on the vocation of the laity. The mood of the group is downcast - everyone seems to be drained. This could be because they have been locked down all day during the packing up of 20+ prisoners, who are being transferred to Perryville.  

With F.A. gone our group has dwindled to three participants, two sponsors and me.  We have been temporarily moved to another classroom, our regular room is filled with the transferring inmates’ possessions. I thank God that we have a nice classroom though not as large. In the past year, the prison had difficulty finding a place for us and we had to use the “strip shack” for a couple of months. This “room” is used for searching the inmates as they return from their outside work details and dredges up unpleasant images for my girls.

   

We begin the lesson and during the chapter review, one of the women reveals that she did not read the chapter. This happens now and then. I am fine with it as long as they are honest with me, upfront. Then another says that she was unable to do the written homework. I recall from last year that the women in that group also had a hard time with this particular homework. The homework was to “Name the gifts God has given you and how God might be calling you to use these gifts in making the world a better place. If you don’t know what your gifts are - ask a friend.”

This homework is particularly challenging for these ladies because they find it extremely hard to name anything good about themselves. The whole concept of prison is to make you feel bad about what you did, unfortunately it goes overboard and makes you feel that everything about you is bad. They have been told for so long that they are bad that finding something in themselves that is good is almost impossible.

When asked why she didn’t find a friend to help her, T.S. said that she couldn’t find anyone to help her. D.B. also could not find someone to ask except for her cellmate who refused to help her because they don’t “share the same faith or beliefs.” D.B. was completely frustrated and did her homework on her own. R.S. asked her sponsor and came up with a long list of gifts. Before they shared what they had written, I asked one of the sponsors if she could give an example by listing her gifts.

M.S. has great self awareness and came up with a long list.  This helped break the ice and R.S. listed her gifts. D.B. read hers which was a short list but very insightful. We talked with T.S. who was sure that she did not have gifts. After awhile we found that she is very organized and taught herself how to take computers apart and put them back together again. We talked about how those gifts could be used to help others find Christ.

Sometimes one must take the time to look inward and list the many gifts that have been given to each one of us. If we don’t know our gifts, how can we use them.  God did not give us gifts to be used only for our own enjoyment or never using. We must use what he has given us, to promote the gospel and the message of Christ. Do you know what your gifts are? Are you using them for His glory?

Please pray for these ladies and our prison community as they continue their walk with the Lord.  

& then there were three

(2/9) Arriving at the prison today, F.A.  runs up to me. The words that come out don’t make sense to me “I’m leaving.” What? I recall her telling me that she has three more years to serve, can it be that they are letting her out early?  But then I listen. I see the fear in her eyes and hear the anguish in her words. “I’m going back to Perryville tomorrow.” She continues, “ I won’t be able to finish my classes and receive my sacraments!” 

It has been 25 weeks since F.A. started this process with 3 other women – to leave it unfinished is like another failure but more than that is means uncertainty and confusion. It also creates a gap of time in which doubt and futility can get in the way of her search for God.

Being in prison has a way of stripping away everything that is good and loving.  There are no guarantees that a person will be here one day to the next. Nothing is sacred. While that is true with life, it happens here more often and on most occasions there is no choice in what happens to you.

The chaplain’s assistant, S.B. tells me not to worry F.A.  will be fine at Perryville, they have some excellent prison ministers and she can start the process again. I know that is true. But what I also know is - just because someone can start over again and just because there are great “programs” that can help them doesn’t mean that F.A. will be able to continue.  S.B. doesn’t understand the close bond that has been formed in this small group of believers. She doesn’t understand the support and strength that F.A. has found in her own community. F.A. feels as though her family has been torn away from her – again. Her sense of normalcy, what little you can find in prison, is shattered. How many times does a person get knocked down and still come up in one piece? I know that God will be there for her, but will she get up and continue her journey to him? I hope so.  

23 women were sent back to Perryville. Perryville is the large facility north of Phoenix that houses the majority of women prisoners in the state of Arizona.  My visits are to the smaller unit in Tucson. I’m told that F.A. is going to the San Carlos unit. This is good news. A former sponsor and newly baptized member of our group - A.I. is there.  We hope that F.A. can find her and perhaps A.I. can help her finish her studies.   Pray that she finds the fortitude to finish. 

Loving More

(2/2) I arrived and checked in with the guard on Wednesday. Passing through the metal detector, I forgot to remove my keys and had to go through it again. It was cold by Tucson standards - in the 40’s, the 30 mph wind blowing. I limp up to the guard station because of a recently sprained ankle. The security procedure of locking us into the classroom area means I take a seat near the guard station to wait until the ladies have been fed and released to that area rather than wait in the yard, and be cold.

I see M.S. as she heads toward the chow line, she sees me and sits down. She decides to skip the meal today. We chat about her family. We talk about the progress of the four ladies in the RCIA program. This is her second time as a sponsor and many of the ladies look up to her as a mother figure. As she talks I realize what a wonderful blessing she is to them. M.S. has been in prison for several years and she has a gift for stating it like it is. She gives objective advice on how to deal with life in prison and she is a good Catholic. Her advice includes help for them on understanding God and how he needs to be a part of their life right now.

During our talk, she tells me that one of our ladies, R.M, who was released last year - has returned to prison. R.M. was so determined to stay out of prison. Why did she fail? There are so many reasons that could cause that “why.” We wonder aloud whether she had the support she needed to succeed. These ladies need to have loving support as they transition back into the real world and they need to be anchored in their faith in God, who will be their strength when it gets tough. This is disheartening for the both of us.

The guard announces the service and another arrives to escort us to the classroom area. As we make our way slowly along, a few ladies from our little church group join us – more follow behind. They tell me that R.M. is back in prison. Their faces reveal their concern for her but I see something more – compassion and love. Putting themselves in the place of R.M. they can truly feel for her. They are connected to her and her attempt to start anew. We all say a silent prayer for her. I say a prayer for each of them.

After our Communion Service, we begin this week’s lesson on Social Justice. I have asked them to read the chapter and a handout on Love. D.B. tells me that she really liked the handout. The others chime in that they did too. They understand right away that Social Justice is about loving your neighbor. We talk about the different kinds of love. We discuss how love can go wrong when it becomes obsessive or selfish. As part of the lesson, they were asked to contemplate the question, “Have I loved enough?”

D.B. says this question really made her think. She has always felt that love is the greatest of the virtues. She quotes Corinthians “if I am without love, I am nothing.” Each of the ladies reflected that they love others. They even love those who are not the most lovable people. They also realize that they need to love more.

Don’t we all need to love more?

R.S. and T.S. both feel that in the past they did not love themselves enough. They understand how hard it is to love others if you cannot love yourself. F.A. says that that the more she learns about God’s love the more she feels the grace and love within and she intends to love more as a result. I add that by feeling the love of others we also learn how to love ourselves and others. Self love is not a selfish love, it is a love of the person God created. We are special, unique and cherished by God for who we are – not for what we do.

F.A. says that “He alone is teaching me Day by Day to Love.”

I pray that is true for all of us.

Please pray for our prison community as they continue their walk with the Lord.

In The Beginning 1/30

Five ladies and two sponsors began the journey through study for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults on a sunny Wednesday evening in Tucson. Every summer, we find this happening in Catholic churches all over the country.  Directors of Religious Education have encouraged their congregations to find participants who are wanting learn more about the Catholic Church and what it means to be a Catholic in this time. The difference this time is that these women are in Prison.  One member of this group was released in October. She spent hours studying the Catholic faith, reading her bible, and learning everything she could about Jesus Christ while she was in prison. She was a star student and truly felt her faith coming alive. She knew that should could not complete the course but hoped to gain as much as she could before being thrust out into the "real world."

G___ sends me regular texts as she heads off to work each morning. She's one of the lucky ones. She found a job and is staying "straight."  Recently, I asked her if she was going to church. She explained that just didn't have time but she knew she should. I reminded her that God had helped her through her most troubling times in prison and in seeking him. My admonishment to her was "don't forget how you got to where you are and to remember to always give thanks to Him." She agreed. 

The ladies in the prison ask me if I have heard from G___. They ask, "Is she doing well?" I tell them yes, but they know this story and are frightened for her and for themselves. This group of 6 ladies and the other 12 who attend weekly service have found a great comfort in their search for someone who loves them no matter what they have done. They have found peace in a place that is fraught with angry and venomous women.They have learned to love and not to retaliate. They have learned to wait because they have no choice.  And they are frightened that when they are released from prison, they too may no longer have time for God.  Have you made time for Him?

We should all be frightened and worried. This "real" world sucks up the time and life through the busyness of life and our need to have more. Like G____, each of us needs to thank God everyday for the blessing we have. We need to lift our hearts to God and praise Him. We need to live our lives for Him - who never forgets us or is too busy to hear our prayers.