Night Candle Meditations

Following the close of a Friday evening meeting, a visiting chapel volunteer proffered his hand and said, "Being here and with so much going on in the world, it must be difficult to sit by knowing you can no longer participate and be part of it all." I was a bit taken back by his words as I responded, "No, not really." It was time to go and there wasn't opportunity to say anything more, but his comment trailed as I walked back to my room. Yes, there are times when I wish I were able to be of more help to family and friends as they struggle with the difficulties of life. I sometimes find myself pleading with God for help in knowing what I can do from within the confines of prison. I am continually amazed when my devotional reading provides counsel relevant to the moment. The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. . . . Those who decide to do nothing ...

Do you hear the sound of Christmas knocking as Thanksgiving opens the door to another holiday season? With the blink of an eye holidays soon join the yesterdays of memories. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times of comfort and joy for many, but for others the holidays bring loneliness and sorrow. It is not difficult to notice the pain and sorrow in the eyes of the men around me. Their pain is real though the sorrow may not necessarily reflect repentance for the wrongs that brought them to prison. Men will freely admit that they are sorry because of consequences while at the same time wishing for a bottle of anything to help them forget. I suppose that is reason enough for staff to conduct daily room checks for home brewed intoxicants between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. I am not exempt from the pain of separation, but at such times I am thankful for a God Who understands and sends comfort by way of His Word. One particular passage provides soul warmth and explanation as to wh...

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck---then it's probably a duck. This familiar adage came to mind as a flight of mallards settled onto the walkway bordered lawn between our living unit and the dining hall. What began as a brooding pair several years ago has grown to a couple dozen intermittent visitors. In anticipation of dropped bread portions, the ducks are comfortable walking beside residents moving along the walkways. Despite how much they walk among men, they will always be ducks. It is regrettable that prison inmates are often stereotyped in the same manner without giving a second thought to the individual character. I must admit to unfavorable impressions when unable to evade the continual profane babbling passing as conversation among tattoo scarred bodies. Within this inside world, coarse talk and tattoos are rites of passage as weak-willed and immature minds struggle with the concept of what it takes to be a real man. Regardless how he ma...

For the moment election politics founder amidst the dreams of millions who contemplate holding the winning ticket in a one point six billion dollar lottery. Those dreams become fantasy when the odds of winning are considered. Hopes and dreams are a natural occurrence for those seeking security in our present world, yet they must avoid residing in fantasyland. "A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth." "He who chases fantasies lacks judgment." (Proverbs 17:24; 12:11). Our focus in life determines the reality of our dreams and goals. We deceive ourselves when we gage our worth with balance sheets and status within the community. Some strive for success in a chosen occupation while others seek affirmation under the threat of social network cancellation. We live in a materialistic society where money lies on the altar of worship. Lives begin and end with the collection and storage of wealth which cannot be taken beyo...