Face to faith...

"I get asked all the time what's the best predictor of success when somebody's coming out of prison," says Ari Zavaras, executive director of Colorado's DOC. "Without question, if somebody had a true spiritual conversion — not the jailhouse kind that gets all the jokes, but the kind where they develop a spiritual base — I'd be almost able to bet a year's pay, without worry, that they're not going to reoffend."

This quote comes from a June 22, 2008 article from denverpost.com on the rehabilitation of inmates.

ED of CO's DOC is willing to bet a year's pay on the fact that true spiritual conversion will keep an ex-offender out of jail. If he sees the effects of such a decision, why are programs like Prison Fellowship's InnerChange Freedom Initiative being fought so hard against?

I think the mindset of this country is that prison is a place for punishment first, and punishment only. No amount of mercy should be shown because justice should be served. Its this idea that has resulted in the mess our prison system is today. Recitivism rates are higher than ever, prisons are packed, and states are spending far more of their budget on correctional issues than on other issues, like education.

Read this article. It will give you a personal story (or three) to put to the ever looming and abstract idea of "prisoner." It will help you understand that, if things are going to change, justice needs to include rehabilitation and restoration. No longer can justice simply equal punishment.

"Incarceration," a converted ex-offender says, "is no more than a captive audience for enlightenment and awakening." As followers, we need to hear the Master calling out, "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

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Lesson for Today: More a memorial than a lesson: 51 year old Donna Fitztgerald, a corrections officer at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Florida, was raped and murdered by 39 year old inmate Enoch Hall yesterday. Serving two life sentences already, Enoch Hall is imprisoned for charges of sexual battery with a weapon and kidnapping. "The entire department grieves the murder of one of our finest officers and we pray for the victim's family during this difficult time," said DOC Secretary Walter McNeil.

To Embrace Suffering...

This morning I sat through an interesting staff meeting, talking about Board Decisions regarding different aspects of the ministry. It was good to be there, and learn more about how the ministry works in process, not just vision. But I couldnt quite pay attention, as my mind was still on the topic of devotions that began the meeting.

Using verses like Romans 8.17-18 ("I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."), 1 Peter 4.16 ("...if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name..."), and Acts 5.41 ("The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."), we discussed the role suffering plays in our lives as Christians.

The reason I was so caught up with it during the meeting, and all day, is not because I havent heard the topic before, or even because it hit me in a new way. I have been so focused on this morning's devotions because of the story that was used to press home the point.

Esther and Phil, 29, have been missionaries overseas for close to 2 years. They have a been blessed with a baby girl, Anna, and a growing ministry. Three weeks ago, Phil contracted Dengue fever. On June 14, he went in for more testing and, while the Dengue fever was getting better, they found a bacterial infection in his system that caused his breathing to be severely labored. The next day, he was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and transferred to the ICU. On June 16, Phil died.

It all happened so quickly. But somehow, Esther walked through it like she had been prepared. On June 16, the day Phil died, her blog was entitled, "Perfect Faithfulness," a reference to Isaiah 25.1. This was a verse that Phil had long ago made the two of them memorize, knowing that they would need something to hold on to during their journey together: "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."

To be able to declare the perfect faithfulness of the Lord on the day your husband and father of your child dies... It shows complete and utter abandonment to the Almighty, a trust that goes beyond lip service or a false front. His strength in her is something that humbles me.

She wrote on June 17, after a small memorial service in their town, of how she rejoiced as the gospel was shared with several unbelievers who attended: "But the Lord is so good. I couldnt have imagined a service much more the way Phil would have wanted it... Four people went up and shared the gospel. Each in the unique way and how sure we were that he was with the Lord. It was great. People keep saying what a legacy he left here in such a short amount of time."

God, grant us the strength to so wholly embrace suffering as a way to walk in the likeness of your Son, that we declare you perfectly faithful in every situation.

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Lesson for Today: Interesting article showing the ever consuming struggle of separation of church and state...

Something Bigger...

Staff devotions this week were... refreshing. Walking into a mix of people from countries all around the world, united simply by their love for Jesus and their heart for prisoners and their families, is quite the experience. Imagine it. And if you cant, well then, take my word for it.

This week is board meeting week. The board of Prison Fellowship International met during the first half of the week, and today began the meeting of the PFUSA board. This meant that this morning, PFI and PFUSA members were both here, and they took part with the national staff in devotions. Not only did they take part, but the PFI board ran them.

As the board shared what the Lord is doing around the world through prison ministry, I found myself completely drawn. Raymundo Leal from Mexico was especially moving. He described his journey that brought him to this place. It started when he retired, an extremely well-known and successful business man, at age 50. He decided he wanted to spend his life helping the poorest of society. Through a series of events and talking with others about his new dream, he realized that he did not know how to pray. His prayers consisted of less than 5 minutes talkings "to the wall," and he was too bored to ever go farther. So he invested time and effort into learning how to pray. He gradually learned, going from 5 minute arrow prayers, to two hours a week, to multiple hours a day. This was the beginning of his ministry.

As it turns out, he was brought to a man who was fully addicted to drugs. Having never been in such a situation, he told the man, "I do not understand what you are going through. But I can teach you how to pray without getting bored, and it will change your addiction." So the man agreed, Raymundo taught him, and his addiction was completely broken. The man ended up taking a few of his friends to Raymundo, telling him that they wanted to learn how to pray as well. So Raymundo agreed to teach the friends with the man's help. Well, these men, too, were saved from their addictions. Before he knew it, Raymundo was brought to a group of 200 men, taught them all how to pray, and they were healed. He then began his own house to bring these men in and help them.

Soon, a governor in a northern state of Mexico heard of Raymundo and wanted his help to be broken of his own addiction. All done privately, of course, to save face, Raymundo taught him how to pray and God healed the governor. When the governor saw the power in this ministry, he asked Raymundo to start working with the men in his state imprisoned for drug addictions. A whole new ball game, Raymundo took the challenge. The governor watched as the 90% recitivism rate at the prison dwindled down to only 9% of the men in Raymundo's program being reincarcerated. He later became involved with Prison Fellowship, and his ministry continues to expand today, as already 8900 men have gone through the program.

Ian Elliot also spoke. From New Zealand, he talked of the secularism in his country, how leaders can never speak of being religious in anyway if they want a political future, how people on the streets do not profess faith, how privitized religion is. Far different from this country, he says. As he spoke, he portrayed his vision and belief that a revolution is coming. Not from evangelists or Bible scholars, not well known leaders or faces in the media. But from the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor. The incredible movement he is seeing through prison ministry in his country has him convinced that God is going to bring revival through these men, women, and their families that have been touched while in prison. There are too many transformations and changed lives for him to believe otherwise.

Chuck Colson, a part of the US board, then stood up and reiterated Ian's vision. Talking of the powerful stories we had just heard from ministries around the country, he quietly and humbly said, "This is God. Just like the rest of this ministry - its always been God."

Sitting there, listening to these men of faith describe their experiences with the God of Change, I realized how significant everything really is. In this ministry, I am part of something so much bigger. Bigger than myself, bigger than my own ministry, bigger than the national ministry, even. Its a world ministry. And not only Prison Fellowship. Being part of the body of Christ means being part of something so much bigger than ourselves and our local church. We dont always realize it, but when we do, a significance and meaning that can only come with being part of something so large, sets in. And it all becomes worth so much more.

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Lesson for Today: Apparently, pregnancy pacts are now a part of high school... Who knew?

The Soul's Common Cold...

Greg Levoy's "the common cold of the soul":

To sinful patterns of behavior that never
get confronted or changed,
abilites and gifts that never get
cultivated and deployed-

until weeks become months, and
months turn into years,

and one day youre looking back on a life
of deep, intimate, gut wrenching
conversations you never had,
great bold prayers you never prayed,
exhilirating risks you never took,
sacrificial gifts you never offered,
lives you never touched,

and your sitting in a recliner with a
shriveled soul, and forgotten dreams...

and you realize there was a world of
desperate need, and a God calling you
to be a part of something bigger than yourself-
you see the person you could have
become but did not; you never
followed your calling.


All too common to be sure.

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Lesson for today: Evening naps are a gift to humankind.

Momentary...

As I sat in church yesterday, I came to a realization. After a long week of failure after failure in living the life I was called to live, I was so refreshed to just praise Jesus. There was no trying to live up to expectations, no trying to be the best I could, no relying on whatever strength I could muster... It was true and honest praise for who He is when I am not. No, true and honest praise for who He is. Period.

And I realized that I had been striving all week long. I had been trying to be "good" in my own strength. I had been trying to make up for the previous sin by being better the next time around. I had been failing, then trying the same solution for the same problem the next time - and failing again. I realized that I needed to quit striving, quit working through my own ambitions, and simply lean on him.

It was one of those, "How did I miss this?" and "How am I so dense?" kind of moments. I was so excited to leave church and live in this new attitude, having a refocused mind.

Yet somehow, life hit, and it all left like a whisp of smoke in the wind. It was so strong yesterday, at least yesterday morning it was. Until I made it to the car and thought about all I was going to do that day, things I had to get done and places I had to be. And all of the sudden the person sitting next to me in church, whom I had just been called to love and reach out to, turned into no one more signficant than simply the slow driver I got stuck behind, the guy I impatiently passed on my way out of church as fast as possible. And today, not only is that mindset gone, its history.

Im reminded of how essential it is to seek victory moment-by-moment. If you take one look back, or let your eye off the ball for one second, you are overcome. Life isnt a stroll, its a battle. And when we forget that, the enemy knows hes won.

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Lesson for Today: Tiger is one great golfer. And Ive hit the understatement of the.... well, if ever there was an understatement, that is it.

I Learn of Love...

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love has been shown to me.

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Lesson for Today: Trying to trade city land for a free house will land you in the slammer, rather than a new home. Thanks, Diane, lesson learned.

Extraordinary Movement...

I went into the PF library this afternoon to glance over Chuck's books. I found his account of the growth of the organization, Freedom Behind Bars. Its a short book, and one I hadnt yet heard of, so I figured itd be a good grab.

A quote from the introduction is worth noting. Its one that shows the power of reaching out to the prisoner and the humility of the man behind this organization. But most importantly, it shows the greatness of a God that moves. Rather than risk tainting its impact, Ill let the quote speak for itself:

Perhaps God Himself is raising a movement in the prisons to bring the revival we all hope and pray for....

Ive had a glimpse of this. I recently visited the California Women's Prison at Frontera for a service attended by more than 400 women under a great tent in the prison yard. The speaker told her childhood, when she was abandoned by her father and abused by her mother. Then she told the inmates about God who will never abandon us, never hurt us.

As she spoke, I was amazed to see a Christian inmate walking up and down the aisle, unfurling a roll of toilet paper. I was sitting in the back and couldnt imagine what she was doing. Then I moved to the front and saw: she was handing tissue to woman after woman whose faces were streaming with tears.

Later in the service, it was my turn to speak. And as I stood on the platform, I sensed the Spirit descending on that crowd. It was all powerful and deeply convicting - clearly the touch of God Himself.

I have spoken in many of the great churches around the world. But Ive never experienced anything like I did on this day. As I looked out at those women under the sunbaked tent, I caught a vision of what God may be doing: working, as He so often has, through the powerless, raising up a mighty army of disciples.

In the pages that follow, youll read the story of how God has brought about this extraordinary movement. This is not my story, or even the story of Prison Fellowship. It is the story of a sovereign God who is utterly faithful.

Praise Him for the great things He has done!

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Lesson for Today: The best part of working in an office is the free ice cream and chocolate syrup that comes after an average meeting.. Some things in life obviously just need to be celebrated for celebration's sake.

Modern Love???

During work today, while researching for more information to add my already too long list on the Generation Y lifestyle, I came across an interesting article. USC senior Joel Walkowski wrote the essay entitled Let's Not Get to Know Each Other Better, which intrigued me enough to send me in search of more "modern love" articles.

Written for a New York Time's contest asking young adults what love means to them, 4 or so essays were published by Gen Y-ers across the country. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. Its not that it's that great of a topic - in fact, most were somewhat callous and harsh viewpoints on an incessantly overdone topic. But what caught me is that this is real life. Its a true lifestyle these people were writing about: hook up after hook up, casual relationships abounding, hearts hardening with each one.

In case you arent interested in reading the entire article by Walkowski, let me give you a quick taste:

This was a weird choice, as I’m not sure I know anyone who has ever had a real date. Most elect to hang out, hook up, or Skype long-distance relations. The idea of a date (asking in advance, spending rent money on dinner and dealing with the initial awkwardness) is far too concrete and unnecessary. As the adage goes: Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Why pay for dinner if you can sit around watching TV? If you stay at home, you hardly even need to stand up, let alone put on a nice shirt....

A friend of mine, a normal girl who is neither especially social nor aloof, engages in hookups unabashedly — she’s just doing what she wants and doesn’t regret or overthink it. Except for one time when she woke up in some guy’s embrace, got out of bed and noticed his bookshelf. I’m not sure what it was about the contents that impressed or moved her; maybe the books suggested a gentle soul. All I know is what she told me: “I only felt bad after seeing his books.” The books had made him a real person, I guess, one she liked. Or pitied. Because then it was on to the next.

One of the other essays especially caught my attention. Want to Be My Boyfriend? Please Define, by Marguerite Fields, discusses her lack of success with past boyfriends, and, to put it simply, the losers she has dated. Try this one:

There was the guy who wore more makeup than I did, and the one who waxed his eyebrows clean off his face. And the one who slept with a guy when he was drunk, then with another when he was sober. (But he insisted he wasn’t gay, just curious, and since when was I so uptight anyway?)

The real kicker is how she ends the essay:

I tried to remember that I was actively seeking to practice some Zenlike form of nonattachment. I tried to remember that no one is my property and neither am I
theirs, and so I should just enjoy the time we spend together, because in the end it’s our collected experiences that add up to a rich and fulfilling life. I tried to tell myself that I’m young, that this is the time to be casual, careless, lighthearted and fun; don’t ruin it.

At the risk of sounding naive and out of touch with my own generation, I wont describe my surprise, or my amazement, or even my gratefulness I have a guy who, a. isnt like this, and b. keeps me from being like this. I guess instead of that, Ill just leave it with the following thought: I wonder how it got to this point, and why its tolerated as a real way of life, when there is so much better to be had. As for me, I think Id rather buy the cow to own, than to get the milk for free.

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Lesson for Today: Im not one for blanket generalizations, but I think its safe to say that IT people as a whole can usually solve the Rubiks Cube in 4.5 minutes flat.

Hiring Ex-Offenders...

This is a "Did You Know?" day, because before today, much of this I didnt....

After attending the Hearing this afternoon before the Subcommittee of Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia on the issue of "An Examination of Federal Employment Practices/Policies on Hiring Ex-Offenders," I learned a lot about the reentry situation for those who have been incarcerated. First, recitivism rate can mean two things: rearrest rate, and reincarceration rate. I was unaware they were categorized as two seperate things within the whole of "recitivism." In America today, there are more people incarcerated per capita than any other country in the world. 2.3 million people are in prison in the US, compared to 1.5 million in China. 650,000 inmates are released every year, and within three years, 50% will be reincarcerated, and 66% will be rearrested. Those numbers are astounding, and quite clearly show a problem.

The head of the committee, Congressman Danny K. Davis, introduced the 2nd Chance Act, which "is designed to rehabilitate and to prepare ex-offenders for a healthy and positive reentry into normal society once they are released from correctional facilities and institutions and to reduce recidivism." Obviously, he has vested interest in determining whether or not the federal government is doing a decent job of hiring ex-offenders, providing jobs that enable them to become good citizens. At one point during the hearing, he stated that the government cannot expect private businesses to hire ex-offenders if it is not being done at a federal level... I think it was a really solid point.

Particularly interesting were the testimonies of Roberta Meyers-Peeples, Director of National H.I.R.E. Network, Mark Early, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, and William R. Calhoun, Jr., Executive Vice President of Clark Construction Group, LLC. Meyers-Peeples runs an organization that specifically works with ex-offenders to help them obtain employment. Of course, Mark Early had much a lot of good things to say on the subject. His testimony was extremely informative and persuasive on the up hill battle that reentry is for all ex-offenders. And Calhoun runs a prestigious construction company that hires ex-offenders. Read their testimonies (attached to their names). Youll learn a lot.

Today's hearing served to not only increase my knowledge about the problems involved in reentry in our society, but also to deepen my heart for the issues prisoners and their families face. Jesus' call to go to the prisoner was not in vain.

(To View PFM's new article on the hearing, and a summary of Mark Early's testimony, click here.)

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Lesson for Today: Or should I say lessons, for today's came in a set of three: 1. Women you dont know talking about weight issues in an elevator can be an extremely awkward situation. 2. Do not pass a cop going 62 mph on a 55 mph highway, as it apparently makes them pretty mad. 3. Walking with direction while dressed professionally will make you as professional as a real professional. At least on Capital Hill, it will.

Worth the Price...

Nothing profound, just a thought as my phone rang:

I have this song that I just changed to my ring last week. I had it set about a year ago, and now Ive brought it back. Its one of those songs that is good enough to let my phone ring a few times, just so I can enjoy hearing it, and perhaps sing along... Anyway, the best part of the song goes, "Thank You for showing me that I was made for something better. I will walk down the narrow road. And fear will never stop my love. Ill see You through to the end."

Last night as my phone rang, a thought flashed through my mind, just long enough for me to catch it. Heres the thought, expanded upon: Why is it that we need to be reminded that we were made for something better? Why is that such a hard concept? That it becomes so easy for us to fall into being okay with good enough, or even less than that? Why do we have to be told that we are called to something higher before we will actively pursue it? I think it's because, well at least for me, it takes work and effort on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, even moment-by-moment basis. I think I tend to forget that idea, and as the minutes for which Ive lived for myself begin to compound, I fall behind. Life starts to overwhelm me, and all of the sudden, its all about anything but Him again.

The ride must be worth the price of admission. To know and to love Him, to have Him show us we were made for something better, certainly is.

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Lesson for Today: The word macabre is defined: "1. gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible;
2. of, pertaining to, dealing with, or representing death, esp. its grimmer or uglier aspect; 3. of or suggestive of the allegorical dance of death."

Eternal Perspective...

It was McLean Bible Church's topic for this morning's service. One that we may have all heard before, but needs to be heard again and again, until it finally gets through. (Quick Side Note: According to The Washington Post, weekly attendance of MBC reached 13,000 by fall '07. You dont realize the enormity of that number until its applied to people belonging to one church. And see the size of the building to serve all of them. This morning, I realized it driving into their own two story parking garage and getting lost on my way into church...)

The service was centered around the following idea: Our ability to live lives of passion, filled with holy abandonment to the will of God, lies solely in our ability to interpret our circumstances with an eternal perspective. The pastor, Todd Phillips, then defined eternal perspective as interpreting sacrifices in light of the whole - glorifying God and spreading the gospel. In order to better communicate this truth, he used the real life examples of Steve Sawyer and David Ring. Their stories need to be shared.

Steve Sawyer had a significant impact on the Kingdom, all because of his perspective. "Id rather have AIDS and know Jesus, than not have AIDS and not know Christ." He chose to embrace his suffering and allow God to use it. And with that goal at heart, Steve reached students all across the nation, telling his story on college campuses. Simpy because, as he said, "my life took on a whole new perspective." Pretty compelling.

David Ring, likewise, has a powerful story. Check it out: David Ringer Testimony Wow. How can a man like that, with Cerebral Palsey, stand up there and honestly say, with joy in his heart, "If you dont like the way I am, hang in there, Im still in the oven...God's still cookin on me"? He can say that, instead of drawing pity and dwelling in resentment because he knows, deep in his heart, that God's strength is made perfect in weakness. His example brings me to shame, yet inspires me on toward Christ.

And one more quick note on the subject. I talked to Chuck Colson for a few minutes today. And to fit in with the theme of the day, we got onto the topic of God using suffering to make us more like Christ. Talking about his new book, The Faith, Chuck said, "I wrote something in there that many Christians do not like. I wrote that the closer we come to being like Christ, the more apt we are to suffer." He then went on to say that after having two out of three children battle cancer, he has found that God is good. Eternal perspective, indeed.

After all of this, I may go on to live my self-focused life. I may wake up tomorrow and be more worried about the feeling of loneliness that comes with being away from home than I am about how God is trying to draw me to Himself. I may get wrapped up in missing those I love, instead of getting wrapped up in the closeness of God's presence. I may fall into the mentality of simply getting through the day, and miss the joy God is trying to bring me in a bird's chirp, the sun's warmth, or the whisper of my name as He calls me. But I pray I will not. I pray His message to me today through these stories changes me, and tomorrow my perspective is completely eternal...

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Lesson for Today: Apparently its possible to drive from Hawaii to Virginia, if the Hawaii license plate I saw today on a Ford Escape is any indication.

People Watching...

Some friends and I went to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware today. Its one of those places where the whole town is centered around the tourist attraction, built and thriving on out of towners. Temperature was in the 90s, a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, at the beginning of the summer season. The perfect place and time for people watching.

I noticed a lot sitting on the beach and walking through the town of T shirt shops and ice cream parlors. I saw two little boys, one with blonde curly hair, the other black with his ear pierced, that rated about a 10 on the scale of cuteness. They made me wonder what makes kids so fun to watch, and whether their parents feel the same way. I saw plenty of girls dressed (if you can call it that) in bathing suits which, according to the law of nature, should not be staying on their bodies with the amount of material holding them up. And it made me wonder how wearing that makes them feel, and how wearing that would make me feel, short term and long term. I watched a grandma sitting behind me dealing with an obstinate grandchild who cried and screamed for a solid 30 minutes. And I wondered if her patience was just her saintly way, or if it was influenced by outside cirucmstances I could never know. I saw a Catholic and a Protestant having a peaceful conversation about Christianity, and wondered why that happens so seldom. I saw two girls taking pictures of a guy they thought was all that, and the awkwardness that occured when he realized it. And I wondered what theyll do with those pictures after today. I saw a tattoo artist sitting at his booth with a girl all over him, wondering.. well, I wondered plenty of things with that scenario.

And I thought: its funny how every person you see can make you consider something different about life, and your own story...

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Lesson for Today: When talking to a guy about his previous cheerleading coach, never, under any circumstances, refer to her as a dance teacher. Never.

Blogging...

Blogging... Confusing, or not? I never really saw the point in it. I guess it was always one of those, "If youre into it, sweet, but Im far too private for it," kind of a thing. But lately, Ive been rethinking the whole blogging deal. I think because Ive met some pretty cool people who blog, Ive read some fairly interesting blogs, and Ive opened my seriously restricted mind on the whole subject.

Once I realized blogging doesnt have to be telling your secrets, or revealing your inner soul, I made significant strides. Heres my take: Something hits me, and I want to share it, so I blog it. Its that simple. And thats what is so attractive to me.

There are things I think I think, but I want to test it out first, or I want to make the thought known more anonymously than just to tell the next guy over. Hence, blogging. So here is my attempt at it, whatever the result may be.

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Lesson for Today: While heading W on the Va 7 through Leesburg, the Target and Walmart will always be on your right. No amount of U turns or looking to your left, wishing it would appear at every stop light, will change that.