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Christmas Time

Hello All,

My mom and dad got to visit with Randi a few days ago. Praise God! My mom said that she looks great and their time “together” was good. Because the jail is a local jail and Randi is a federal inmate, Randi isn’t allowed to have face-to-face visits. There are a lot of things that she isn’t able to do because she is “high-risk.” And though we all know this isn’t true, I have tried to get more of a grasp on it.

And the more that I think about it, the more it makes sense.

In my opinion, federal prisoners aren’t any more of a risk than local prisoners…BUT a local jail is designed differently. You dont drive through a gate to get there. You don’t see much barbed wire. No guards watching for escapees. The facilities just aren’t as well equipped as federal prisons. So, Randi – being high-risk and all – is under tighter restrictions than the local inmates. Which brings me to this: This is ALL the MORE the reason that federal inmates shouldn’t be held there as long as Randi has been held there! Ugh. It is so frustrating.

Federal prisons are designed so much differently. They are created for people to be there long-term. A local jail has people coming in and out all the time. They don’t have an organizational structure setup for long time living. Randi has been there for about 5 1/2 months. Living in a large room with bunk beds around it. Tables in the middle where they eat, read, pray, etc…One room. One room for 5 months. Can you imagine?

I can’t.

I think it is ludicrous. I pray that she has a sentencing hearing set soon. Please be praying with me for that.

Thanks!

God Bless!

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Change of Plans in Baton Rouge

Hello All,

I wanted to give you a quick update. Not sure if you watch the news or not – but it snowed on Thursday in Baton Rouge – and when it snows…(once every 10 years)…they shut the town down.

That being said -

Randi didn’t have a hearing on Thursday.

Please be praying that they will promptly reschedule her hearing.

My parents will be traveling to visit Randi this coming week. They are all so excited, and I am jealous!

I have been able to talk to Randi every other day or so lately, and I just want to let you know that the Holy Spirit is alive in Randi and in that jail. Every day that I talk to her – she has another story about God moving through the jail and lives that are changing daily! I feel inspired and rejuvenated every time that I talk to her.

Thanks again for your prayers and love sent in Randi’s direction.

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Praise God

Today is Thursday, December 4th. I want to thank everyone who has been reading our blogs. Sorry there haven’t been as many letters as before.

But God is still here in this place! Every day! And we are on FIRE! Every day!

We get confirmations from Him through His Word all the time. And prayers are being answered. We started praying in groups. Our little corner prays together every day. And let me tell you way – Lisa is growing! She is learning…and she is a praying fool!

She came to the table for count the other day, grabbed my hand and said, “I need to pray,” and she held nothing back! She is bold for the Lord. And she is definitely getting her blessings. She went to court this week and the judge gave her 4 months! So she will be going home in January! Thank you Lord!

Please keep her in the forefront of your prayers so that she leaves here with all of the wisdom and knowledge that she needs so she can take it home to her boys & share her faith with them.

I have a great bunkee and she has grown so much since she’s been here! God truly brings people here for a reason! And He is getting all the glory for whats going on behind these bars!

One of my favorite scriptures that I flipped open to this morning:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!” Ephesians 3:20

Love,

Randi

NOTE from SHAUNA: I just talked with Randi today and Lisa was baptized on Sunday!!! Praise God for one more added to His kingdom!
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Hearing on December 11th

Please keep Randi in your prayers over the next week. She has another hearing on Thursday of this coming week. It is not a sentencing hearing – I actually don’t know much about why they are even having it – but please keep her in your prayers!!!

Thanks,

Shauna

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Children of God

I think I have finally figured out the motives behind putting adults in jail.

You see, I used to think that jail was just somewhere they throw a bunch of criminals so that they can learn how to be better criminals. As my ex-boyfriend once said while he was in jail, “If I only knew then, what I know now….we could have done….”

But that is far from the case here. This place brings out the child in me. It brings out all my child-like tendencies.

What made me realize this was when I saw a picture that Bae-Bae was drawing of the Little Mermaid. I sat down beside her and started singing,

“I’ve got gadgets and gizmos of plenty.
I’ve got who-sits and whatsits galore..
You want thing-a-ma-bobs -
I’ve got twenty…
But who cares….
no big deal….
I want more…….”

I sang the ENTIRE song with no problems remembering a single word. Then we talked about how we used to play “mermaids” in the pool when we were kids. The memories were so vivid! Oh how I wish I could play mermaids now! I would just swim away…

Anyhow…

Every day we get to go back to our childhood. Most of our time goes by playing arts and crafts. We pull out our markers and colored pencils and make cards, color and make Christmas decorations. Just like a child would do in school.

When we eat – we usually always get to play with our food – tearing our turkey or chicken legs apart. I have to wash my hands, AGAIN, before I even start eating because I make such a mess getting it prepared to eat.

We don’t get napkins – we just wipe it on our clothes!

We have kool-aid to drink every meal. And we are too excited when they change the flavor!

Recess is our favorite time of the whole week – we look forward to the hour we get in the sunshine twice a week! We throw temper tantrums if they tell us we aren’t going outside!

The guards even treat us like children most of the time! Giving us rules…and turning off the TV and phones if we don’t obey them.

Ms. Louis likes to make us sit in the hallway in timeout when we are loud or talk back! She continually has to remind us to be quiet and “GET YA’LLS MINDS RIGHT!!” (We love you Ms. Louis!)

The best part about this place is that we are all babes in Christ! Even though I grew up in the church – I backslid for the past few years. And just like a lot of the women in here – we are all learning or re-learning what it means to be a Christian.

Ever time I open my Bible – I learn something new. Or get a new revelation of a Scripture that I have read before.

I am so thankful that God is such a forgiving God and through His grace, we are able to start anew…with a clean slate – a pure heart – and a child-like mind – excited and willing to grow and mature in a Christlike way – that we have never known before.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know, that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3

PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for bringing us back to our childhood. So that we can be your children once again. Thank you, Father for your grace and forgiveness, and your laws and your justice.

“Correct me Lord, but only with justice, not in your anger. Lest you renounce me to nothing.” Jeremiah 10:23

Randi Spearman
November 25, 2008