The choices of other people may interrupt our lives. We didn’t ask for it. And we certainly don’t want it as it doesn’t line up with our dreams. My son’s choices that led to his incarceration were not what I dreamed or imagined for his life. Like other parents, I imagined my son growing up, going to college, finding a good job, marrying a godly woman, and having children. But my dreams for life were interrupted. With that interruption a…
Happy Father’s Day to you! The third Sunday in June is a day to pay tribute to the father’s. Fortress of Hope Ministries acknowledges you for a job well done. I understand that as a father who has an incarcerated child that you may not feel worthy of recognition. But you are worthy! My husband grieved for many months after our son’s arrest. It was heart-wrenching to watch him lament over this situation. Thoughts replayed in his mind about what…
The incarcerated men and women in American prisons remember those who served our country defending our country’s freedoms. Earlier this month, Fortress of Hope Ministries received a letter from an inmate that included a poem honoring the U.S. soldiers. As we pray for our incarcerated loved ones and our families, let’s remember to pray for those who serve our country and the families of those whose loved ones sacrificed their lives for our nation. In 1971, Memorial Day became an…
“Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38 NKJV). “Write down everything in that journal. Someday you’ll be sharing your story.” John handed me the red Moleskine® journal. Instinctively, I reached out and took it from him. “I don’t want this story.” Though devastated from my son’s arrest just weeks before, I attended a seminar training as scheduled. John, who was part…
“Are you ready for Christmas,” the clerk asks at the checkout. That innocent question can provoke a myriad of emotions. Especially for those who are struggling with the loss of a family member, chronic illnesses, the empty seat at the table due to an incarcerated loved one, or other difficult situations. The mind screams, “Do I look like I’m ready? I just want to make my purchases and get home!” Holiday music is piping through the store speakers. “It’s the…
This time of year we miss those who cannot be home with us. For families who have someone they love incarcerated, our emotions may run amuck. We might blame ourselves. We may feel angry with our loved one for putting themselves in this situation. We might run through a list of “could of’s” and “should have’s” wondering how we missed it. That’s how I felt the very first Christmas that my son was imprisoned. I found a letter that I…
God gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and lived a life without sin. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we can become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). After growing up, Jesus suffered and paid the debt for sin that we cannot pay. He became our substitute, which gives us eternal life with God the Father. That, my friend, is…
Holidays are a special time for families to get together. However, for some family gatherings they have someone they love missing. Some have lost loved ones who graduated to heaven. Others are separated due to other extenuating circumstances such as illness, finances, work, military service, or addictions. Then there are the families with a loved one incarcerated. When my son was sentenced to prison, I grieved. Hard. The life I imagined our family would have vanished with the incarceration. That…
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:…
The holidays are difficult when we focus on the desire to have all the family together. However, the reality is that most families are never ever really all together. For many families, someone is always absent. It’s the absence of someone we love during a special time that hurts. Some have loved ones who graduated to heaven leaving a void that cannot be filled. Others are separated due to military duties. Or there are the first responders (ER doctors &…