As I’ve shared, I have been participating in a prison ministry for over a year now. Since I started going with a group of ladies into our county jail once a week to conduct a Bible study with the inmates, I have had many profound experiences, but few as deeply moving as that which I had tonight. (more…)
No matter how many times God convicts me for “keeping score,” I admit that sometimes, like tonight, when only 2 inmates show up for our jail ministry Bible study, I’m a little disappointed at first. (more…)
No matter how many times God convicts me for, “keeping score,” I admit that sometimes, like tonight, when only 2 inmates show up for our jail ministry Bible study, I’m a little disappointed at first. But just like every other time, as the night went on, it became abundantly clear that God brought exactly those He intended to hear His message tonight — no more, no less. (more…)
Now I lay me down to sleep, recalling how earlier tonight I listened to a young girl, probably all of 20 years old, tell me how she wishes she was dead & that she deserves no mercy or forgiveness for what she did. I got enough details to know that she got drunk and as a consequence of her actions, her little boy is now dead. (more…)
I am overwhelmed — had jail ministry tonight and for the first time ever (according to the jail chaplain), 100% of the female population to whom we were ministering came to our group — 23 ladies! There was not a single lady left on the block. (more…)
This morning I visited an inmate I met at the weekly Bible study I do in our county jail. Through the chaplain, she requested a visit and through the chaplaincy program, I am able to come and visit her by means of video communications. While I waited for her to be brought to the designated room — her end of the two-way video conference — I watched the instructional video on the kiosk in the jail lobby. The video provides directions for those who wish to schedule video visitations with inmates. A company called Telmate administers the program. They allow inmates to connect with friends and loved ones via email messages, phone calls, photo sharing, and video visits — for a cost. Regardless of your opinion about whether inmates should have such rights, it got me thinking. What if I had to interact with my friends and loved ones in this manner? (more…)