Adam and Eve walked with God every day and knew Him on a very personal level. Due to this intimacy, they knew God’s heart. But then the serpent showed up? How did he get Eve to take the forbidden fruit? He did not force it down her throat, but he cunningly tricked her by asking, “Did God really say …?” Ever since Genesis, the enemy has twisted the truth, lied, schemed, and fooled believers. No one is exempt from this…
The following letter to cancer was written by an inmate and submitted to Fortress of Hope. As families of prisoners, we pray for healing and good health for our incarcerated loved ones and ourselves. If you or a loved one is fighting cancer, I pray the following letter encourages you to keep fighting the good fight of faith (see 1 Tim 6:12). This inmate held onto his faith in Christ, followed the doctor’s treatment plan, and is now in remission.…
Every year in the US on July 4th, we gather together for parades, fireworks, hamburgers, and watermelon. In 1870, the US Congress made the 4th of July a federal holiday. This holiday reflects our nation’s patriotism regarding our freedom. As Americans, we celebrate the anniversary date that the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, which was on July 4, 1776. Did you know that it was seven years after the Declaration of Independence was signed that Americans were actually…
After my son’s arrest, I felt so much shame that I rarely left my home in order to conceal myself. The news of my son’s arrest hit the state news. Because of the media blasts, immediately my son’s identity became associated with the crimes he was accused of committing. Then the identity association hit my husband and I as his parents. We heard over and over in churches, “You’ll know what kind of parents people are based on the children’s…
My unexpected prison family journey began in 2011. It rocked my world when we received that middle of the night phone call about my son’s arrest. Then months later after his sentencing to state prison, the rocking gave way to shaking. Honestly, I felt like my life ended as I did not know how to move on with life. I secluded myself inside my own home—allowing the enemy to erect bars of despair and depression around my heart. As I…
Two years after my son’s conviction, I continued to struggle with living day-to-day life much less enjoying it. The enemy planted thoughts in my mind that filled me with despair. At that time, instead of taking thoughts captive that did not line up with the Word of God, I entertained those depressive thoughts and my life was filled with fear. But one evening, we decided to go ice skating as a family. I don’t remember whose bright idea this was,…
Our lives and the lives of our incarcerated loved ones are not defined by a moment in time. Perhaps some of our loved ones are falsely accused and wrongfully convicted, while others are guilty deserving the conviction. Regardless of how they ended up with a prison sentence, there is a common denominator—the label. Inmate. Offender. Prisoner. That label does not define who they are if they are in Christ. You see, my friend, as I continue to search the Word…
With the holiday season quickly approaching, many families with incarcerated loved ones begin to experience the tug of negative emotions. The empty place at the table and in family pictures is a reminder of not only who is missing but why. When we turn to the word of God, we find many comforting passages that remind us that we have hope in Him. “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped:…
As we live life, we naturally become accustomed to our ways. Habits form; routines set in. And frankly, we become comfortable with our lives. Even if we don’t necessarily like everything about our lives, we are used to it and any change will disrupt the pattern we’ve adapted to. We are focused on our present circumstances. The disciples were a lot like us in that regard. They had traveled the country side with Jesus. In Mark 9, as they traveled,…
Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the scroll, what we know as Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18-19 NLT) Jesus came to “proclaim that the captives will be…