Rona's Blog

Maybe you, like me, are struggling with thankfulness this year. Maybe you, like me, listen to network news too frequently. Maybe you pay attention to the stats of the economy too often, the unemployment numbers, the frightening foreclosure numbers.

Maybe to you Thanksgiving means, "how am I going to even feed my family any dinner, let alone a beautiful, traditional turkey spread?" Everywhere you turn people are talking about the Christmas decorations they are pulling from their attics preparing to decorate now and we haven't even thawed the Thanksgiving turkeys. You are thinking, "I don't even know how I'm going to afford Christmas for my family this year."

Pause. Just take a moment, a deep breath, and clear your mind. Now read Derek's letter. I pray that, like me, this letter will change your perspective....

Dear Friends and Family -   

As another year passes, by God's grace I am able to take time to reflect on what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. Even though I won't be able to join you for wonderful conversation and fantastic food, I am still grateful. Too many times we take for granted all that God has provided for us and even if He never gave us anything else, He gave us His Son so that we might be saved. I pray that we could all take some time this Thanksgiving to spend some personal time with God and thank Him for all the undeserved provisions He made for us this year. Most of the men in here (prison) will not be able to find anything to be thankful for, but will reflect on plenty of regrets that resulted in their incarceration. This Thanksgiving I want to paint a picture of prison for you that might put into perspective how great the God we serve is. For most men, life here is frustration, distress, and hopelessness. This is a lonely place where the longer you stay the more you are forgotten. Men struggling to figure out who they are and where they fit into this society and coming together in gangs so they can validate each other because they are not strong enough to stand on their own. It is mind numbing routine and countless arguments over meaningless things. It is the let down of set offs and the realization of powerlessness over your situation and bitterness in hearts of men devoid of hope. It is a place for lost souls who cannot abide by the restrictions society places upon them. To many, this is the place they call home.

This will be my third Thanksgiving here and this year I am thankful for prison. I am thankful, not because I found God here, but because He found me here. I am thankful that I have praying family and friends who knew that God was able to save a sinner like me. I am thankful that even though society meant this for a punishment, God meant it for good. He knew before I was born that I would be here and He has a purpose for me even in here. He has allowed me to be a light in place of darkness and hope in a place of despair. Most of all, I am thankful the He never let you give up on me or abandon me. He let you see something in me that I could not see in myself and now is allowing me to be an encouragement to you because you believed He would work a miracle in me! I don't know how many more Thanksgivings I will be in here, but I do know, despite outward circumstances, I will be thankful for each and everyone. The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people. So, this year as we thank Him and praise Him for what He has done, He will be there. If He lives in our praises as we praise Him, we can tell Him the desires of our hearts and he will honor them! We have plenty to be thankful for this year. I love you and God Bless you all! You are all in my prayers and can't wait until we can celebrate together.

Love Always,
Derek

So, did I get your attention boys? Yeah, I thought I did. Seriously, this picture is very symbolic of the show with Brooke. It is symbolic in so many ways!

I have had my shows and my guests feel the attack of the enemy many times over, but never like this one. Let's see, the first attack - they day we were originally supposed to record Brook's baby girl threw up all over her back seat while driving to daycare/work that morning. We rescheduled, no problem. I knew immediately that it was an attack - not because I think EVERYTHING is an attack from the enemy, I don't. Sometimes life just happens. But I could feel this attack in my spiritual bones.

Bill Dallas had to experience his own resurrection in order to live his purpose-filled life God had planned for him.

 

But wait. Is this rare? Do only a few have to experience this "resurrection thing?"

I spent the last hour of my work day Friday listening to the recording of The Freedom Hour with guest Marcus Hill. I was able to listen and get some much needed paper clutter taken care of. Nice way to end the week. A rare and precious gift in my world of chaos. Thank you Abba, Father!

Listening to Marcus's testimony again was just as inspiring to me as the first few times I heard him give his testimony live as well as the day we sat in the recording studio to record this episode last September. Isn't it so cool that God can make our testimonies so alive with His Word that it can be new each time it is heard? This time, although Marcus only briefly touches on this at the end of the recording, my thoughts were very pulled by his testimony of New Beginnings. It lingered in my mind all weekend.

I have been following Christ for fourteen years. I have tripped, stumbled, bumbled, fumbled, fallen, moved backward, forward, sideways, derailed, jumped the tracks, and crash landed time and time again. I have also moved forward, danced, laughed, loved, floated, slid into home plate just before the out, leapt over the wall, and most importantly I have learned and grown.

As he stood staring at the blue cooler filled with beer, his heart beat in his young teenage chest. Sweat broke out through his pores. Just staring at the cooler he knew he was on the brink of a life altering decision. It was just beer, no big deal. For Jay Dan, somewhere in his soul, somewhere in the recesses of his spirit, he knew it was a big deal. He knew he was standing on the edge of the teenage peer pressure cliff. He knew if he put one foot out, he would fall into that temptation and it would only spiral out of control from there.

To see the pictures of Cynthia Harris you heard us referring to on the show (her mugshot and a recent photo), be sure to check out my new blog at:  The Freedom Hour Blog

Check out my new blog site...The Freedom Hour Blog

If someone falls, do you step over them, look the other way, scold them or do you help them up?  Read the gospels.  Look at how many times the bumbling, fumbling disciples messed up.  How many times they said really dumb things like Peter and John asking to be seated at each side of Jesus in His glory.  Good grief!  Are you kidding me?  Who would have the numb sense to ask something like that of the Messiah??  After all, they had already spent a great deal of time with Jesus and while they were feeling cozy enough to be considered His close friends, that still took a lot of gumption.  My point, the disciples walked and talked with Jesus for three years.  They spent countless hours and days with Jesus.  Yet, they still managed to screw up quite often.  Judas betrayed Jesus unto death.  Peter, who loved and admired Jesus deeply, denied Jesus in that crucial hour!! 

IDENTITY - Who am I?  Am I the fat kid the kids make fun of?  Am I that ugly?  Am I the dumb one?  Does anyone see me?  Do I blend in and disappear?  I want to be different, but in a good way.  Who am I? 

As a member of Fellowship Church I listened to Ed Young teach us about the Real F word awhile back.  As I listened to the recording of this week's show that was all I could think about - that series of messages.  Grace's story is such an amazing example of the real F word, the F bomb I'll say - forgiveness.