Hey Everybody. Sorry I haven’t been writing much lately. My life is very boring. Everyday is the same routine with the same people. As a matter of fact right now I am sitting outside watching these ants. I never noticed that when they walk in a straight line, there are some ants coming and some going. And each ant runs into each ant along the way. It almost looks as if they are stopping to greet each other, but I don’t think that’s it. They are making sure they don’t get lost. Ants are so smart. That’s amazing! God’s Amazing!!

I tried to stretch my legs out in front of me – but I got in their path and the ants got real confused… First they tried to go around my legs, but then they started to climb on my pants so I moved and let them continue their work. Only in jail would I get so excited over watching ants at work. I can see it now….”What did you do for the 4th of July?” “Oh…just sat outside with a family of ants.”

I have a birthday coming up. A month from today I will be 27. My second birthday in jail. I never imagined spending my late 20′s in jail. But I keep reminding myself that sometimes we don’t have a say in God’s Plan for our lives. So I am Okay. I would love to be home to celebrate but we will have a party right here as well.

Keep me in your prayers the next few weeks. Things are happening. I should have more to write about after the first of the month.

The devil stopped by for a visit this morning. It was horrible! First, there is my bunkee…making fun of the new girl. She was saying how ugly she was-actually she was shouting across the dorm how ugly she was. Then she went on to say how her little 3 year old even knows how to say “She’s ugly mama.” Wow!! That’s bad when you teach your children how to call someone ugly!

Then at breakfast the same little girl went to sit down at the other table – but one of the girls jumped up from her seat and said, “Woah – That’s my seat… you can’t sit there.” And so the little girl came and sat at our table.

After breakfast I came back to my bed to pray and on both sides of me all I heard were inmates talking about other inmates. Then somehow the subject was changed to an argument about the Bible. Then others joined in, including my bunkee who doesn’t have any bit of knowledge about God. It was getting hot!! I just prayed. I knew better that to engage in any arguments about God. Titus 3:9 says “Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” So that’s what I did.

It’s quiet now cause everyone is sleeping. But lunch is fixing to be served… we’ll find out if the devil left or if he’s just taking a nap, too.

The day has finally arrived for sentencing. It is the day that many have prayed for and in the last month things have happened very quickly. On Thursday, July 23rd, Randi will face the judge for crimes that she has accepted responsibility for. It was exactly one year to the day that Randi came to West Baton Rouge and God became her focus. She has done a great work in many hearts. We are asking everyone to lift Randi and her family up in prayer on Thursday at 10:00. Prayers are powerful and God can do anything!! He is in control!!!

Diane

Finally – Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God. So that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. (Eph. 6:10-13)

Today is the day of evil this scripture is talking about in this dorm. Actually I just think the devil has sent a few demons to abide in some inmates – specifically to go to battle against us and try to block our blessings!
First I got my bunkee – who woke up talking about me- which I lightly ignore because I already know the devil is coming. But there is a bigger, meaner demon in Nathali’s bunkee. Woah!! Everyday it is something new. One day she has a strand of white girl hair on her bed. This morning Nathali dropped her headphones on the floor and the set her off. Keep in mind this girl is about 35o lbs and tall. And she’s been in jail for 10 years – since she was 17. This girl is very institutionalized. All she knows is jail because she has spent her entire adult like in jail.

Hi, this is Nathali. Anyway before my eyes even opened I started hearing the demons stir. The charge demon under one – noticed headphones on the floor – Great opportunity to threaten me – 110 lbs against 350 lbs! I immediately started praying in the spirit to myself. She comes at me louder and stronger. I calmly say “It was an accident and I’m sorry…. she replies it better not happen again, and blah, blah, blah… I’m still praying – “No weapon forged against one shall prosper!” The Lord commanded. “Touch not my anointed, and do my prophet no harm.” You know words are strong in here – but I truly believe God has me covered. I lay her (whole being) at the cross. It’s the evil that consumes the flesh. So I stand! And know that He is God!!!

I truly have amazing friends in here. They surprised me with their letters they wrote on my behalf. I had tears as I read them. We have been praying hard in here and God is hearing! And God is answering! And God is Blessing! Lisa and Songbird both went home. Nathali is in a lawyers visit right now as we speak. Vicki has a new court date on June 18 to amend her sentence. And we just know that God is going to do a mighty thing that day.

Vicki has been trying to get shipped to another facility for a few months, but she has been turned down every time. She even wrote a letter on behalf of herself and Kim to go to Cottonport. And sure enough, they came and picked up Kim, but left Vicki. Then she had a bed at a rehab center but the Judge turned her down for that. I keep telling her God wants her to be here with me – cause I wouldn’t know what to do with out her here. But I think really He has kept her here so that she could get sent home on June 18th. She’s got her blessing coming. I’m so proud of her. God has done a good work in her since we got here.

I can remember 5 or 6 months ago when we would sit back in her corner on the floor and make fun of people to make ourselves laugh. Oh, but not anymore. She can’t stand to hear anyone talk about anyone else. She will walk right away. Straight to her bed and into her Bible. Vicki also used to have an issue with cussing. Whoa!!! She used to make words up with a cuss word in the middle of it! But God said, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” (2 Timothy 2:16) Vicki wanted to fix her potty mouth – so she put a rubber band around her wrist and every time she cussed she popped herself —Hard!!! Her arm was all whelped up for a few days. But God took that from her. He renewed her speech. And now she doesn’t cuss anymore, but now she pops herself when she even has an evil thought go through her mind. She is finally letting God give her a new heart and a new mind. And she’s got a huge blessing coming on they way!! Praise God!!

As for me – my blessing is coming too. It will be here any day now. I fasted last weekend for my PSR to come back. I started on Saturday and I said “God I am fasting breakfast and lunch until I hear something about my case.” Monday was Memorial Day – so I knew That Tuesday I would have my PSR back. So Tuesday came. I woke up to the guard calling my name. “Whoa!!” My lawyer is here. I said a quick prayer – Thanking God – jumped out of bed. Only to find out it was not my lawyer. It was a lady from the Census Bureau. She had to ask me some questions. Not exactly what I was hoping for – but I took that as God saying. “Eat, your PSR is not ready yet, but I am moving.”

Maybe they are doing some more investigating in my case – trying to get my points a low as possible. That’s good enough reason to wait. In church on Wednesday the sermon was, “Wait on God.” So I get it! I am just going to wait. “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)

PS – Nathali just got back from her attorney visit and she is still waiting on God too. She goes to court June 22nd and we pray that she will get to go home as well.

Woah!!! This is only a test! Everyday is a test. I have a new bunkee. She is pregnant, but she is just trying to get in a fight with someone. She is one of these “Ghetto” women who doesn’t have any respect for anyone. She wants to be herd, she wants to make it known that she is going to do what ever she wants-she doesn’t care who she tramples on along the way.

Well she has a thing with slamming her drawer. Every time I get a new bunkee-they always slam the drawer once or twice because they don’t realize that it shakes the whole bed when it slams. But I ask them nicely to close it a little softer and they usually do. But not this girl. She makes a point to slam it every time she opens it.

Last night I was sleeping the lights were turned off and she comes to the bed slams the drawer extra hard and runs back up to the tables. I could here her friends at the table going “Ooh, she said she was gonna do that too.” She did it on purpose-woke me up from a dead sleep. Then laughed about it. I sat up completely amazed at how she could be so rude for no reason at all. So as I am still trying to figure out why she did that, she comes back and does it again. Ooh – I sat up and said “OK! That’s alright, I know how to slam my drawer too…I just don’t do it cause I try to respect everyone around me…But I do know how – and I do get up early…. so it’s all good.

That’s exactly what I said. I did not cuss – I did not sin in my anger, although I wanted to. Then I laid down and all I heard was,”If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them the other one as well.” Then, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” BUT GOD!!! I thought! I just want to slam my drawer just once and wake her up…. Please God?? So I prayed for her last night then went to sleep.

This morning I woke up – went to count – then laid back down before breakfast. I fell asleep and woke up to yet another slamming drawer. Vicki was walking over to wake me up and I sat up and yelled to her “Vicki, don’t you worry…I’m awake!” As my bunkee turned around to say, “I didn’t slam it on purpose that time, but if you got a problem with it we can handle it.” I simply ignored her because I don’t play into the games these women (girls) play trying to be tough. I’ve never been in a fight in my life and I do not plan on fighting in here.

So I went to my table to eat breakfast. I apologized ahead of time for waking anybody up when I slam my drawer in a little while. They said, “Do what you need to do.” But of course When I came back to my bed, I opened my Bible to Matthew 5, read about revenge and tried to convince myself that I shouldn’t get revenge. I should leave that to God. So I fell back asleep and when I woke up, she was gone, she had court. So God wasn’t going to let me get revenge on her any way.

But I do realize that God is testing us. Just little things, like slamming a drawer. And I know I have to pass the test to receive my reward. But with His strength and his wisdom I know I can do it. Oh my…..She just came and slammed it again. Jesus please help me….Jesus please help her…forgive her for she knows not what she does.
**********2 days later***********
Just a quick update. She quit slamming her drawer. We even played a game of cards together. If God can turn her hard, stubborn heart, He can turn any ones.

I’m going through a dry spell again. Trying not to fall into depression. It’s been a bad week. I have spent most of the days in my bunk. Everything around me seems to be irritating me. Normally I would put my music on and drown out all the noise around me. But there is a short in my headphones so they don’t work. I am forced to hear everything going on. Everything from people snoring to people clacking their shoes when they walk (kinda sounds like someone has on stilettos), to someone cursing someone out on the phone (probably her mother or her husband), to someone else singing off key. And then there is someone else bragging about how “gangsta” she was on the streets…. how much crack she sold…. and how many “crackheads” “worship” her. Whoa Baby… that is one thing you won’t catch me talking about. Drugs are not worth boasting about. After all – it got me no where but jail!!!!

But ” Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:31) Yup – that’s right! Let me boast about what God has done in my life. Hmmmmm…. I love how God works. As I was looking up the above scripture, I looked to the other side of the page and I Corinthians 1:8 jumped out at me, “He will keep you strong to the end…..God who has called you…. is faithful.” Then it goes on to say “agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (vs. 10) And that includes us in jail! Ugh!!! These people are so disagreeable though. I don’t want to be united in mind and thought with them. Sometimes some of the stuff God wants us to do is impossible. But God say “what is impossible with men is possible with God!” (Luke 18:27)

So I stand corrected! I absolutely love it when God turns what started as me complaining into a refreshing, positive word from Him.

As I look in the mirror, on the wall,
I see me, looking back, at who is suppose to be me….
Am I surprised at what I see,
or should I turn around, one hundred,
and eighty degrees?
That will make me turn the other cheek….
Take a good look around, before I speak….
Then I can think, before I say,
I want to look at myself in a different way…
I should always be happy, when I look myself in the face….
As far as I’m concerned, I can’t be replaced.
I’m one of a kind, and I’m unique,
when I look back in the mirror, and the mirror speaks……
It’s only myself, telling me, to do what it takes, to be a better me.

By: James A. Tinsley (JT)

This state is unbelievable! Everyday the news is full of murders or shootings. The newspaper is full of sex offenders and murderers. The front page says”Body Found in River.” This is an everyday thing. What is wrong with this state? I don’t remember Texas having crime like this. But I also didn’t watch the news everyday or read the newspaper because I didn’t want to know about all the suffering going on around me. When I lived in Phoenix all I remember seeing on the news was a bunch of car thieves, drug dealers, and people running red lights. But Louisiana is full of crime. No wonder the sentencing is more harsh here than in any other state.

The Bible says in Romans 1:23-30 that “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are back-stabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of evil and they disobey their parents.” This is exactly where the world is right now.

But Praise God!! There is still hope. Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” So as we live by the Spirit, we will produce these good fruits. And as we bring more people to know God, they will experience “The peace of God which transcends all understanding.” (Phil 4:7) And there will be more peace and less disorder. “For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33)

Glory to God!!! So lets stay on our job and spread the good news of what we have to look forward to in Jesus Christ!!