Volunteering Deepens My Walk
At a recent board of directors’ retreat, Chaplain Rodney Stilwell asked me to speak at Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries. I was humbled, yet extraordinarily thankful for the opportunity to share my answer to this question, How has volunteering and being on the board help deepen your walk with Jesus? The response required some deep […]
Serving the Least of These
One of my greatest joys of my life is serving “the least of these” in my role as a chaplain for the Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries. In Matthew 25, Jesus challenges His disciples to visit those in prison, and, in effect, do the most for those whom society considers to be the least. As a […]
The Season of Lent
Soon we are entering the season of Lent. It is a call to ponder our image of Jesus Christ. Peter’s Confession (Mark 8: 27-34) can lead us in preparation for Easter. Jesus went on with his disciples . . . on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And […]
God Overcomes the Storms of Life
The guys with young children had attended the parenting classes that had been offered in the chapel. They had spoken with their children and gotten them approved to attend the “Fun with the Father” program which going to be held on Saturday, August 6. All the supplies had been purchased, book bags had been put […]
Why Do We Go?
One night I asked for prayer requests. The requests were varied – “I’m completing AA this week and I need God’s help to see me through it; my mother is sick and in the hospital and we need to pray for her; I’ve got a job interview and I really need this job.” After what […]
7 Habits on the Inside for Women
Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries is excited to announce that after a brief hiatus, our “7 Habits on the Inside” class is back in session with the women at the jail! The month of June saw the relaunch of this much-needed and much-anticipated class designed to help the incarcerated women in our jail to change […]
A Smile of Hope
One day an inmate said to me, “Could I tell you something? I want to thank you for always smiling when you see us. Your kindness has ministered to me multiple times and I wanted to let you know that. You don’t have to say anything, you just smile.” Interestingly this inmate always greets me […]
The Freedom of Forgiveness
During the Lenten Season, Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries has been focusing on the theme of forgiveness in all of our worship services at both the prison and the jail. Through the generosity of our donors and supporters, we were able to purchase a copy of Marjorie J. Thompson’s book Forgiveness: A Lenten Study for […]
Blessing
One afternoon a couple hours prior to staff meeting, Chaplain Rodney Stilwell tapped me on the shoulder and said “come on let’s go for a visit.” I had no idea where we were going or who we were going to visit. In the car Rodney told me that we were going to visit Ron.* As […]
An Inmate’s 23rd Psalm
Over the last weeks I have grown sad over the backbiting and finger pointing of our various presidential candidates. Accountability is seldom, responsibility is rare, and forgiveness is nowhere to be found. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to have one candidate say, “I made a mistake back then? I ask for your forgiveness and understanding.” In […]
