This week my grandchildren went to church and went to school and came to our family times on Sunday and Thursday night. Four of them worked hard on piano and art and dance. The two five years olds, independent of one another, sat with me and read books to me; whole books, unprompted and above… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
I Am Corrected…
…in that my grand daughter Faith did not have 44 points and 10 rebounds last evening. She had 44 points and 15 rebounds. She is five feet five and one half inches in her gym shoes, not five feet and five inches. Apparently, the extra half inch makes all the difference. She outrebounded girls seven… Continue Reading
I Do Not Mean to Brag…
…so let me gloat pompously, if I might. Last night was Senior Night Basketball at the Prep Academy where two of my grandchildren currently attend. The Senior in our family is Faith Atchley. She graduates in May and is headed to DBU to study Education with an intention to do overseas missionary work. A well… Continue Reading
We Have Our Failures
When we succeed, it is a success for which you and I can praise God loud and long. When we have a failure, it is a failure that lands with a thud. What constitutes a failure for us? I think it is when a resident proves to us that his/her recovery means more to us… Continue Reading
Late in the Week, End of the First Month
So, 2019 is nearly over now and what have we done with it? Look up. The first month of the year is in its last day. Thursday, 31 January, 2019. This month, Chains of Grace welcomed four new residents. We bade farewell to one of our fellows, who graduated and went on to greater things.… Continue Reading
We Could All Benefit…
…if we would take time to read William Lee Miller’s book Arguing About Slavery. Dr. Miller carefully studies the petitions from various societies concerning the abolition of slavery in the 1830’s in the US Congress. The fireworks are spectacular, ignited as they are by a former one term president of the United States, one John Quincy… Continue Reading
We Celebrate the Lord’s Work
God has provided us with people, support, vision and love for this ministry. We provide reentry services and supervision for men and women coming out of long term incarceration. We are called Chains of Grace. I blog about us here because I have a readership off which the ministry can be sustained in prayer and… Continue Reading
Chains of Grace: What We Celebrate
Well, we celebrate the oddest things. One of our guys is about to graduate from out program. He is moving on in his life. That means, he is coming off of parole. He has a job, one that his employers created for him because they did not want to lose him. It is a good… Continue Reading
At 65
At 65 You learn to treasure Each pain free moment and Every time you see a grandchild streak down a basketball court Ball a-dribble Furious in their cross over Foes in their wake. At 65 You learn to hold dear Each memory of each friend You recently buried; Scott, Bruce, Nick, Long Ago Kenny… Continue Reading
Prevention, Therapy, Reentry: What We Do and How It All Depends on Unconditional Love
At Chains of Grace (see www.chainsofgrace.org) we practice a triune ministry: Prevention-During this phase of the work we hope to educate persons about the possible consequences of criminal actions. This is the most difficult part of our work to quantify. Therapy-Wherein we try to comfort and encourage incarcerated persons by connection to family and friends… Continue Reading