What an amazing weekend.  I have seen prison from the inside and thought I would never want walk back thru those doors.  I had the honor and privilege to return, this time as a volunteer to carry the message of the transforming love of Jesus Christ.  What a team God orchestrated!  God introduced me to an amazing 19 year old that is so in love with her God.  On the drive to Gatesville, Jordan shared that she had written a couple of songs.  What a blessing she was to the women in prison!  It is as if God gave her those songs specifically to speak to the Women\rquote s hearts.
I sat in each service totally in awe of my God and my Savior.  I had so many memories that returned as a part of me returning to a place where God changed my life forever.  Where He showed me He doesn\rquote t rescue me from the consequences of my sin, however, He does walk thru the fire with me and refines me on a daily basis.  In addition to 4 Chapel Services, God blessed us in a special way as the Chaplain let us  minister to the women in solitary confinement.  Sandy and Jordan started singing and it became so quiet  you could  hear a pin drop and one by one the girls would come to their doors to see who was singing the beautiful music .  We got to pray with each girl that had a heavy heart.  I have never felt the Spirit of God start flowing from my inside like He did as we were praying with these women.  God touched my life, once again, through this experience and I will never again be the same.
As we began the Chapel services, the girls would walk in the door and you could see the hopelessness, pain, and desperation in their faces.  As the service continued and Sandy and Jordan praised God from the depths of their soul, and during one of the songs, Sandy would tell the story of Hosea.  How he was a prophet like none other and how God had told him to go into town and to marry a prostitute and how the woman he loved would never be faithful to him.I watched as God began convicting these girls of their sin.  The tears began flowing as Sandy continued the story of how God finally got this woman alone and she thought the condemnation was going to come, but He showed her love and forgiveness instead.  You could see the hopelessness change to hope on the faces of these women!  Wow!  I am speechless.  I was blessed with the opportunity to share what God has done in my life.  I am so not a speaker; yet, God filled me with the words to say.  I had women say I gave them hope.    What an amazing Savior I have. He has taken those ashes of mine and has turned them to beauty.  I stand in awe of God's transforming power and love.How he took this lowly and despised person, the one the Court labeled as hopeless just 4 years ago and He is using me as a vessel to spread the gospel.  There is no feeling that compares to this!
It is so cool to see God working in others.  Valerie wanted to go so she could see the faces of the women who benefit from Set Them Free.  After the first service, Valerie was questioning whether she made the right decision to be a part of the weekend.  God wrestled with  Valerie that night and told her He wanted her to share on Sunday morning  Valerie  stood before these women and started sharing from her heart.    God gave her such an amazing scripture to read.  I don\rquote t think Valerie has a clue what it meant to these women for her to just be there. I saw a peace come over Valerie as she obeyed God\rquote s command.  She is such an inspiration to me.  God has given her such a servant's heart.
I just love how God works, how He takes the one thing satan intended to destroy me, and God has turned it into my  testimony.  I don't understand why God loves me so much, but I am learning to accept the fact the He truly does and I am so glad He is allowing me to serve with this ministry.