By God’s divine plan, we were recently connected with a blog similar to Randi’s Reality – please feel free to dive into Matt Maher’s story here: http://www.themattmaherstory.com/

Here is a recent announcement from Matt’s Facebook page:

Several groups of people across the country have been fasting and praying on Thursdays for the men on Tier 7East and God has been doing amazing things! Some participate in the privacy of their own homes and others meet together online, by phone, or in person, including a group of women in an Illinois prison (www.randisreality.com) who have been faithfully gathering to pray each Thursday for Tier 7 at Mid State. The coordinators of this event felt strongly that God laid on their hearts to include a time of “PRAISE,” as God promises to inhabit the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3)

If you would like to join with us (in spirit!) on Thursdays to pray for Tier 7 (and for all of those incarcerated, by extension) please RSVP. You don’t have to leave your home or commit to a certain time–this is a “virtual” event. Some will praise, some will fast, some will meet together–it’s up to you; but all of us will be PRAYING on Thursdays for repentance and for God’s will to be accomplished in each inmate’s life.

We hope you will plan to join us in the Throne Room of God as we intercede on behalf of these inmates. We look forward to watching God move in a mighty way and do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think!!!

Wherever two or more are gathered in His name, there HE IS in the midst of them. (Matt 18:20)

NOTE: Although you can fast and pray throughout the day,we have been concentrating on three specific times: 12:00 pm, 5:30 pm. and 8:30 pm.

Written December 26, 2009

At 1:15AM, we had a stranger in our room tonight.  I woke up to a blood-curdling scream coming from the top bunk.  Terri (my bunkee) was screaming and kicking until the stranger fell out of her bed.  After the stranger struggled with her blanket, she army-crawled on all fours and bolted out the door.

I thought it was Terri who fell out of the bed until I realized she was still screaming to tun on the light.  Once the light was on, the 5 of us were still panicking to figure out who and what was in our room.

It was scary that someone could come right in our room and crawl in her bed.

Sheila grabbed the broom and the padlock and said:
“Weapon Up Girls!”

We went to get the officer, who was only concerned about his turkey dinner getting cold.  He said he’d make a note about it.  Then he said all that he really needed to know was whether it was a man or not. Then he continued to tell us that it wasnt Santa Claus because he came last night.

“Very FUNNY…laugh out loud…THIS IS SERIOUS, MISTER!!!” I said.

After he left the room,we were trying to figure out if the whole thing really even happened. Then we looked down at the foot of Terri’s ladder to see a pair of slippers.

Our Cinderella stalker left her slippers as evidence.  Too bad everyone at the camp wears the same kind of slippers! So much for evidence.

In prison, we don’t have alarms on the doors…actually we don’t even have locks on the doors.  Being that we were still a little shaken up – kind of scared to go back to sleep – and not knowing if they would come back to our room… We decided to take precautions.

We dangled a pill bottle from the door..with yarn (only to find out that it doesn’t make any noise when the door is opened.  So much for homemade prison security systems.

The moral of the story is that even in prison, we are not completely protected!

Written December 25, 2009

The devil was trying to interrupt our Christmas play tonight. Before the play, my good friend and I got in a small tiff.

It was stupid actually. She felt left out yesterday because we played cards without her. So, when I asked her if she wanted to play cards tonight, she was still holding a grudge and tried to make me feel bad for not getting her yesterday to play.  I never realized just how frustrating the spirit of jealousy is. I recognize it in her because I used to always get jealous and feel left out.  I would get my feelings hurt and so – in return – I would try to hurt whoever made me feel that way.  I wanted them to feel bad for leaving me out.

Now, I look back and realize that it got me nowhere.  It probably only pushed people away.

Love is not jealous.

Of course, we made up right after the program.  The Spirit moved and we were both crying.  We are so much alike, it is scary. I see myself in a lot of the ways that she acts.

I feel like I have grown up so much in the past year and a half.  Things that would have bothered me then don’t bother me now. I don’t get stressed or upset easily. I am learning how to control my feelings. Now, I  just need to learn how to control my tongue. Still working on that one.

Written December 24, 2009

This morning I had this horrible thought about my bunkee.  I’m not even going to write it down because it wasnt right for me to think.  But it made me laugh out loud and I thought, “I’ll have to tell Jennifer this when she wakes up…she will get a good laugh too.”

At the same time the Holy Spirit convicted me and said “this is what you need to work on today.” Holding my tongue. Even when it is my close friend whom I trust and tell everything to. Even if I just want to make her laugh.

The Bible says:
” Let your conversation be full of grace”… “avoid godless chatter”… “Nor should there be any foolish talk or course joking.”

Sometimes I try to justify myself when I talk to my 2 close friends about someone.  “I’m only telling them this, and I know they wont tell anyone else….we just want to share a laugh…it feels good to laugh…especially in prison…”

I think that because I am in a dreary place, it makes it okay to laugh at someone else’s expense.  But there is no justification for sin! And gossip is a sin.

Lord, help us to be considerate of others. Keep a bridle on our tongue when we start to say words that tear people down.  Even if the words won’t ever be heard by anyone else.  I know that life and death are in the power of the tongue.  I will speak life into every situation. I will also love my enemies and pray blessings over them.  Thank you Jesus for showing me how to love. Amen.

Blog post from Randi Spearman, November 2009

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Acts 16: 25-26

Many people are trapped in the prison of their minds. Paul and Silas were imprisoned too, and it was their praise that set them free. When God heard their praises, He began tapping His foot.  Pretty soon, the earth, His footstool, began to shake.  The bands around the ankles of Paul and Silas fell off.  The prison doors swung open, and they were free.  If we will praise God as Paul and Silas did, we will see the doors of our own prisons swing wide open.

The Spirit-filled Life Student Bible says:

Prayer and singing were so much a way of life for Paul and Silas that even in difficult circumstances, they continued to respond from their hearts in praise to God.  The relationship between their song of praise and their supernatural deliverance cannot be overlooked.  Praise directed toward God can shake open prison doors!  Praise will also cause bondages and temptations to drop away.  We have to learn to praise God even when things are not going well, not only for the purpose of deliverance but because God is worthy of our praise regardless of what is happening to us.

Macy and I made this video post about prison life and thought you might enjoy it!

Macy & Shauna talk about Prison Life from Shauna Callaghan on Vimeo.

Hello All,

Just wanted to let you know that Randi has been transferred to a women’s prison in Ft. Worth, TX. She is now at Carswell Federal Medical Center & happy to be there.  Well, as happy as she can be. I have talked with her twice since she got there and my mom was able to get a special visit on Saturday while she was in town. I hope to visit this week if they get me approved on the list.  Federal prison sounds like it is a lot better than her living conditions over the past year. I will let her tell you about it but I just wanted to give you an update!

Please pray for Randi as she gets acclimated to new people and new surroundings.

I am so excited to see my sister and hug her neck in the next few days!

Hello All!

I am actually getting ready to fly out to Baton Rouge for Randi’s hearing but I decided to give Randi a makeover today!    Come by and visit if you are reading this in a feed or subscribe by email.  The site has a new look and some better functionality!  Now, it is easy to leave a comment – whether you have a blog or not.  And more great features will be coming soon!

• Please pray for Randi and our family this week.  Please pray for peace & confidence as she sits in the courtroom tomorrow.

• My parents will be driving from Florida and I will fly from DFW – pray for safe travels

• Pray that Randi does not doubt God no matter what happens

• Pray that God shows up in a big way in that court room.  She will be sharing a her testimony whether prompted to OR NOT.  She is excited to put it out there but a little nervous as well!

I will post on Friday with more details about the outcome of Randi’s sentencing.