I Choose Hope

7 Things You CAN Control That Will Make A Difference In Your Life Any control I think I have is a myth. I do have choices, but the longer I live the more I realize that I'm never really in control. This used to produce fear and anxiety in me because if I am not in control, who or what is? I am convinced that God is in control and ultimately His good, pleasing, and perfect will for my life will come to pass (Romans 12v2), but my choices have taken me on major detours from time to time. An inspirational group called "Fearless Soul" shared these 7 things we can control (or choices we DO have) regardless of our circumstances or situations. Let's make choices that lead us into the best place God has for us! 1.) Your Thoughts And Beliefs Everything begins in our minds. If I believe that every struggle I ever face is an attack from the enemy then I'm giving the "enemy" way too much credit. Resistance training (i.e. lifting weights) produces muscle growth and ...

Each week I have the privilege of walking through every wing of Administrative Segregation housing on the maximum security prison facility I am assigned to. A faithful team of incredible men spend every Saturday providing a church service for those who are unable to leave their cells because of their custody level. There are six wings, so we provide six, back to back services every week. This can be physically demanding and emotionally exhausting, but we press on because we have a goal: to show Christ's love to those in Seg. Our goal is to make sure that at least once a week every person on our unit knows they are loved. We are followers of Jesus, and we pray that those we encounter come to know Jesus too, but our simple objective is to consistently show the love of Christ to those assigned to Seg. "Seggers" have minimal contact with people who just want to love them, so naturally there is some skepticism at first. Our goal is not to fix anyone, our goal is to simply sho...

Simple Ways To Help Your LO Overcome Fear The single most repeated command in the Bible is not, "Feed the hungry," though that is a great thing to do...it is not "Forgive one another," but we benefit from doing so. The single most commonly declared command in the Word of God is "Fear Not." "Do Not Fear," is repeated over and over throughout both the Old and New Testaments by angels, prophets, and even Jesus Himself. God knew we would experience worry, anxiety, and fear. He created you and knew your vulnerabilities long before you were even born, that is why He repeated "Don't be afraid," so many times, He knew we would battle with fear. People who are incarcerated seem to have an extra dose of fear heaped into our lives. It's likely due to the many things that are stripped from our control, but regardless of the reason there are some common fears inmates experience and you can help your loved one overcome their fear. 1. Fear ...

Come Alive In 2025 I recently heard a story about basketball G.O.A.T. Kobe Bryant. Kobe allowed a renowned coach and trainer to witness one of his personal workouts and the coach was astonished by the simplicity of the drills Mr. Bryant went through. The same drills Kobe repeated throughout his workout were taught to almost every middle school basketball player around the country: dribbling, passing, and footwork. After the workout the invited coach asked Kobe Bryant why he, the greatest player in the game, did these simple and fundamental drills, Kobe simply replied, "Never get bored with the basics." In a world that always searches for a quick fix or a life-hack we can easily forget that the best way to grow is to return to the basics. When I neglect the foundational things I have a tendency to start to wobble. In order to truly Come Alive in 2025, here are 5 things to do every day: 1. Treat others how I want to be treated. The Golden Rule starts with me. When I feel pow...