He Who Does It Unto the Least of These.....

                                                          SERVING OTHERS

Matthew 20:28     Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many people. 

Every community setting we have served in, we notice a common thread.  That thread is not over powering or wide, but rather bold and silent.  It is the thread of entitlement.  "Hey, I deserve that, I want that, let me have it first, I'm #1!  These are common things you hear after people are in community settings who are well taken care of.  Often, you ask yourself, what can prevent that?   The solution we have noticed that works BEST is a 5 letter word....

                                                                  SERVE

Putting the focus on others, their needs, their hurts and cares can turn a self-centered heart inside out with compassion and a desire to do something about what they see.  All of a sudden, they don't see the need to be #1, they put others first, they even give what has been given to them away!  It's the beginning of creating missionaries at home. Everyone is usually in awe when the foreign missionaries come and do a slide show with stories that seem unbelievable.  There really is plenty to be done right under our feet in our own communities.   

We seek to weekly serve our community here at Lifeway Haven.  We know the ladies are blessed here and we want them always grateful and ever focusing outward.  They have begun serving in many ways.  Several home cooked meals have enter the homes of those grieving over a loss of a loved one, surgery recovery, or to just simple bless others.  They see the value of sacking the vegetables at a local food bank because we receive some of those very vegetables every other Wednesday AM and bring them to Lifeway to cook from.  One morning, we met a ministry at the local bus station and handed out a bag with essentials and ladies clothing for those released from prison in men's clothing.  We pumped hot REAL coffee into their cups for the first time in YEARS.  The gratitude returned was worth all the long hours of waiting and shooing off pimps wanting to get a quick catch of a woman in desperation!  Our most recent service was cooking, serving, and cleaning for 65 at a Celebrate Recovery Program we attend weekly.  The ladies cooked homemade desserts and a meal that fed everyone with little left over.  Happy does not describe their countenances.  They were FULL of joy and never complained.  I remembered that they had only recently received their first pillow, had a private shower with a door, able to live in air conditioning, and had the freedom to make a menu, cook, and buy the groceries with me.

Like many of our diseases we face, entitlement has a vaccination that is found in God's Word and that is to Serve as unto the Lord himself.  This Saturday, we are working in a local retail store that sells to the community and provides food by the pallets to organizations who need large bulk amounts.  When we return home from serving, we are learning an art project to hand out to all those who have served us with discounts, donations, or helped us in some way.  The girls are catching on well and we love serving along side of them to bless others. Remember, that if you find yourself OR your children feeling entitled, the cure is to SERVE!!!!!!!!!

APPLICATION TIME

                                From the Head to the Heart

We have the joy to be working with 2 ladies at LH at present.  One of our ladies decided to return home.  One of our ladies has had 18 months in a faith based (FB) dorm with a 4 yr. sentencing.  To see her depth in the Word, her worship before God...… This is REAL!!!  One of our ladies has walked through breast cancer and is a survivor and now walking through the program to return to her children as a single mom.  We really enjoy them both!  We are accepting more ladies that fit this 2 yr. program soon.  Some are waiting on the release on parole.  

Our schedule is FULL from working to learn a business, Bible Studies, house keeping, exercise, Celebrate Recovery, Christian Women's Work Force, Church, game nights, a War Room for prayer, and family communication and visits. Our mornings begin at 4:30 am for our quiet times and the day wraps up around 9:30pm.  We have rotation in the kitchen, guest speakers who have recovered from serious incarceration into walking in His Kingdom.  The ladies are busy, excited, and responding well to the over all program. 

Our recent addition, has been volunteers.  Some are coming to teach, some to do quilts, sewing, and some to intercede for our ladies.  Each lady is assigned an intercessor for 2 yr. to pray her through this change and new beginning.  

One of our first business opportunities we are teaching is the selling of female baby kangaroos.  Our ladies do the bottles, pouching for sleep, diapers if they come inside to entertain, and making formula 3-4 x a day.  Motherhood has begun again for them!!! Even Coach is helping.  One of the ladies, "Little Bit", has taken to Coach and when he is in our apartment, she hops in and stands at the couch for him to pick her up and hold her while he watches TV !!!!!!! She follows him around like he's her mom.  From the track to the pouch!

  The kangaroos sleep inside in pouches that hang on knobs in the kitchen and out to the pen every am after breakfast.  

Recently, we viewed the new film on abortion, Unplanned.  There was complete silence in our car as we returned home.  Wow, the pain of abortion and the need for us to stand up as Christians.  We decided to let this move us into action.  There is a Planned Parenthood in Waco, TX.  We took a space of time and went to their hiding wall for prayer. 

There we prayed and worshiped with music from Bethel.  This is the 1st time our ladies have ever experienced putting feet to their convictions in such a way.  We have determined to return over and over.  

We realize that in incarceration, there is nothing but time.  They read, view DVDs, memorize, worship.....now they APPLY what is in their heads into their hearts.  They walk out passion, forgiveness, surrender, and put feet to prayers.  We are equipping them in every way we see they need to be productive, powerful, positive citizens for this world and the Kingdom of God.  We are hoping to turn out warriors and women of integrity.  

It is our JOY to see them experience lotions on dry skin.  To hand shower gel to replace lye soap.  To have haircuts for the first time in 4 yr.  We rejoice when they walk into the home in color and shoes that fit and shout freedom from white.  They are no long called OFFENDERS, but forgiven sisters in Christ.  They are like little sheep needing to nurse, be nurtured, and held close.  These 2 yrs. will be the GREATEST pause they have ever had.  They have entered the Bridal Chamber with their King and this time will remold them into His brides.  We are honored and reverent to work with this process. 

May Easter bring great moments with you and the Lord.  He is risen indeed and He is Lord of all.  We will be spending it with our ladies.  We will play, we will worship, we will remember the cross and all the healing it has been for us all.  No long OFFENDERS, but we are all sons and daughters of the Most High!. 

Happy Easter!

Made by one of our ladies for her door!

Delivery Time!!!!!

                            It's A GIRL!!!!

Coach realized the other day that we had been preparing at Lifeway Haven for 9 months. He looked at me and said, " I think it's time we have this baby!"  We couldn't help but remember our own deliveries of our children.  All the preparation we did, plus the planning and making everything just right.  The beginning of labor pains is a process you can't skip, and it's harder as the process developes to the delivery.  Many young ladies I have coached in labor all said, "I can't do it, I can't make it, this is too hard!"  Of course there is NO return at that point.  We MUST deliver the baby.  

Lifeway has been that perfect nursery, prepared for the ladies that will experience a new birth into a spiritual family.  The rooms are prepared, food is in the pantry, dogs all immunized, paperwork is all ready, and the family is pacing the floor for the delivery.  Everyone is excited and suddenly, it happened, we received the note that our new delivery could be picked up on February 4th.  Oh my, we all looked amazed, shocked, ready, and sober.  Our instructions were to be at a pick up point, park a certain way, bring clothes, and be on time! 

As we arrived, we followed all the above instructions.  The officer stopped her car, the one with a shot gun mounted in the front seat, and said "DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE FOR ANY REASON!" Of course, following instructions at that point was easy for us.  :)  After a 2 1/2 hr. wait, we were directed to the line to pick up the inmate who was released to our vehicle.  As she entered the car, we smiled, she cried.  ( just like a real delivery!)  We have never met our new delivery and only knew about her from a letter.  

The transition was awesome, slow, and peaceful.  Her first call home to mom and her child were timeless.  She had slept without a pillow for years, her skin neglected, and she came with only the clothes we provided for her.  As we took her into the donation area, she pulled a garment to her face and breathed in deeply.  She turned and said, "fabric softener!, oh, how I have missed that smell!" 

Over the next few days, she shared some of her experiences with our team.  It was hard to hear and hard to picture women coping with such circumstances during incarceration.  She had shampooed and bathed with lye soap and used the facility with only a partial shower curtain on it while a male guard watched.  That was only one of the multiple incidents she shared.  Meals were only for 10 min. and most of the time, the food is cold and over 50% of the diet is carbohydrates.

We have set her up for medical exams and dental help.  That is a common need among the incarcerated ladies.  Valentines was her first holiday with us.  Our family tradition in our home and also the ministries we worked in, is to have pink pancakes with hearts on them and pink milk.  She walked into the kitchen and just stood there!  We have played games, done Bible study, shopped, and taken her to church so far.  She is doing well and yesterday, we picked up another lady out of her same unit that was her bunk mate!  Now, we have 2 at Lifeway Haven.  

The doors are open, projects are being worked on, and we are in full swing after 9 months of waiting!  We suppose the Lord felt we were at "full term" and it was time for the delivery.  These are exciting days ahead.  Please look on our web site for ways to be involved or to donate to assist this wonderful opportunity.  We appreciate your prayers and support.  

www.lifewayhaven.org

Blessings to each of you, 

Conley & Nancy'    

He Hovered Over the Chaos

                               Bring Forth Fruit

In a quiet time recently, I was drawn to read Genesis 1:1 and continued over the chapter.  The passage seemed familiar to me until the Lord pointed out a few things.  It was a hard time in my life.  I needed answers, but felt the heavens were brass.  I KNOW HE is listening and desiring to say Yes to my petitions, because they were about souls and salvation of the lost.  

The Father whispered very softly what I had not noticed.  He hovered over the darkness, the formless world, it's chaos.  I pictured Him going back and forth, bending low and coming close to what He was observing.  What did He have in mind when He hovered?  

He first separated the dry land and the sea.  Well, separation can benefit I thought.  We often think it is a bad thing when people, events, plans, etc. are separated.  Here, I saw, even God felt separation would benefit the over all picture.  Earth and sea were formed.  Two entities that had very different functions and were both powerful and created by God for specific purposes.  When mixed together without form or purpose, they were chaos.  Thinking about the chaos I was facing and praying over, I began to ask Him and thank Him for hovering over what I could not. 

He then gathered what He had separated and gave it purpose, blessed it, and it brought forth fruit!  It was ready to give birth and purpose now.  All of that came out of chaos and God was there the whole time!  He is here now over my chaos and concerns.  He may have to separate somethings I wanted to remain one, but He knows what will bring forth fruit.  Do I trust Him to rearrange the chaos for me?  Does He really need me or my big ideas of how to do all that I think would be best???? 

I suddenly realized I was striving and struggling while He has it ALL under control, His bigger plan, His tapestry with many colored threads of free will, choices, and experiences.  I had recently bought the sign from Hobby Lobby that said "GATHER" and put it up over my dinning room window.  I felt He had told me He will gather those I intercede for. 

Do you have some chaos in your life that needs the hovering presence of God? Do you watch Him separate things without your input and wonder what is HE doing!!! Well, trust Him.  He knows best.  He will gather, bless, and then the sweet spiritual fruit we have prayed for and believed Him to produce in our circumstances.  

I can let go and let God now.  My field is white unto harvest and I must return to the labor I have been called to.  Thank you God for hovering over the chaos in my life and gathering, separating, and blessing it all to produce fruit.  What an AMAZING Father you are! Lasting fruit is what we want Father, that will increase the kingdom of heaven and bring those we love so much to Him.   

CHRISTMAS IN PRISON

                                                   THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE

Conley and I were teaching a Celebrate Recovery class a few weeks ago when the ladies stood to be thankful for volunteers that brought cookies to them.  My mind began turning.....wow, maybe WE could do that for Christmas.  I called the new Chaplain in one of the units to ask permission and she jumped on the idea.  They were planning a caroling on Dec. 17 from 6-8pm and cookies could be passed out with some donated calendars.  I inquired about the head count.  We wanted the entire unit not just the Faith Based ladies.  We were told between 550 and a few more.  Oh, my.... that's a LOT of cookies.

In my small mind, I had envisioned decorating sugar cookies with pretty sprinkles and color.  That idea fell off quickly when we calculated what really needed to be done. We didn't have the green light from the warden yet, so we waited.  When the call came that we could not only bake the cookies, but pass them out back in the units!!!!!!  We were pumped.  Our directors contacted a very well established Mennonite bakery that had the equipment and experience to bake 600 cookies.  They had in fact, just finished 4,000 cookies for other units!!!!!!  We joined the bakery team and whipped out 600 Chocolate Chip cookies and put them individually in baggies and see through containers.

When Monday night came, we were SOOOOOO excited!  This is our very first experience going into the back and seeing the ladies in their environment.  We practiced quickly with the Faith Based ladies a few carols and began the big adventure.  From dorm to dorm we sang, handed out cookies and calendars and said "Merry Christmas" to each lady.  Our team handed out 300 and the chaplain's team handed out the other 300!  

What did we see??????  We saw 25-30 women sitting on bunk beds per dorm,  all in white with hollow looks in their eyes.  They had smiled as we sang, and some began to cry.  A few clapped and danced at Jingle Bells.  As we pushed past the Faith Based women, we went to 300 bunks handing out ONE chocolate chip cookie and wishing them Merry Christmas.  Their faces lit up!, Smiles covered the sadness for just a moment.  Most said "Thank You, bless you for coming to see us".  We forget, some have NOT had one letter, one call contact, or one visit their entire incarceration.  You would have thought we had handed out $100 dollar bills!!!!!  Not one turned them down or showed ANY ungratefulness, not one! We did hear, "you sure smell good as my White Diamond perfume left a quick fragrance.  One lady said as I walked away....Love her boots!"  Another lady commented on the sparkling deep blue scarf I wore with a bling bling matching necklace I had received last Christmas for my present.  Coach was the only man, but he belted out those carols like a choir boy and gave his smile away bunk by bunk!

We saw women the ages of our own children and even our ages.  Dry skin covered most of the ladies and long hair pulled back in pony tails.  There was no sweet fragrances, soft lotions, or colorful Christmas PJs.  Not one picture on the walls and no piped in mall music with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas! My mind flashed back at times when had the circumstances turned just a measure one way or the other, those could have been my kids in there!  Had I acted on feelings my own heart felt and carried at times, I could have been sitting on those bunk beds.  Are they guilty of a crime?  Most are and they admit it.  They are paying the penalty.  A penalty most of us do not have ANY idea what it truly is to be a woman in prison.  One young inmate asked Coach if we would be bringing some cold milk with the cookies.  Sadly, to say, she was very serious.  She is a young, simple girl who has a sad story.  We saw the inner child in many women that night.  

We saw JOY and happiness for those brief moments.  The guards were eating the sugar cookies I had made for them and helping us pass out calendars so everyone got one!  The halls were lined with inmates, guards, and volunteers......and guess what???? Not ONE problem occurred.  Oh, happy day!  The warden will probably say yes again next year because of that.

We finished the evening sharing a devotional with the Faith Based women.  Coach spoke on the gifts through their respect and acts of kindness  we have received from THEM since we began coming into the units.  They did not realize the impacts they have on others.  I read a poem and true story about Christmas.  Before leaving, they asked the Chaplain if they could dance for us to Mary Did You Know.  7 girls did an interpretive dance with 2 ladies singing acapella.  Another gift given from inside the bars to us!  

We often think we have nothing to give at Christmas.  As we are shopping and hustling about in the stores, we are carrying the greatest gift of all, OURSELVES!  Giving ourselves to others takes a special form and it usually touches others deeply.  We left with another gift, they left with a Christmas cookies and a memory of a Christmas they will never forget.  It was the biggest Christmas party we have ever attended!!!!!!!  

This Christmas, do not withhold yourselves from others.  It maybe the only gift they get.  Give generously and give deeply.....He that waters shall be watered also himself...Proverbs 11:25 

Merry Christmas,
Coach & Nancy

YOU SAY

And The Spirit Fell

Lauren Daigle has a hit song our called You Say.  Last week we entered a State Jail with about 50 incarcerated ladies coming into a service.  Our ministry, Lifeway Haven was asked to speak and share the opportunity to enter this 2 yr. program.  We began with worship and the second song was You Say by Lauren Daigle.  As we stood to worship, a young woman in her early 20s slipped out of her row and went to the front.  I noted she was missing some front teeth and not a beautiful girl by the world standards.  She was dressed in her white uniform and tennis shoes.  She began an interpretive dance to the song.  It was not a smooth, soft, graceful dance at all.  In fact, it was jerky and rather aggressive in nature, but VERY expressive.  It only took us a few minutes in to note that she BELIEVED what Lauren was singing about what God said she was, NOT what the world said she was.  

The ladies in white quickly began to rise to their feet and all hands lifted to heaven.  Tears flooded down faces and some sobbed.  We were overtaken by their abandonment in worship.  We thought we had seen a deep level of worship, but THIS surpassed them all.  We were overtaken by our own emotions and wept as we watched these transformed women worship and embrace what God had revealed to them about how HE views each of them.  Tears were literally dripping off their faces into their laps as they sat down.  What had just happened?  What had we witnessed?  It was the breath of the Holy Spirit, He had come, He was welcome, He fell on us ALL!!!!!  As the dance ended, the young inmate said that the Lord told her that every time she dances, things "break off" those she abandons herself in front of.  

 

Oh my, how overwhelmed we were when we left.  Maybe desperate circumstances are good for us.  Loss of privileges, loss of personal items, loss of contact, loss of technology, and loss of freedoms.... can all lead to abandonment to God if we let our circumstances mold us and we turn to God.  Had we witnessed a room full of ladies that had come to the end of themselves and the beginning with God?  Jesus said when we visit prison, we visit Him.  We believe that we experienced a visitation from the Spirit of God.  He was honored, He was celebrated, He was applauded by His creation that had been given freedom within the walls.  We were just blessed to be present as He came by and left His presence among those who have turned to Him for a fresh beginning . 

    YOU SAY    

     by Lauren Daigle

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just a song of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am week
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, Lord you say I am yours
And I believe, yes I believe what you say of me
Oh I believe

The only thing that matters now is everything you say of me
Cuz in you I find my worth in you I find my identity

You say I am loved when I cant feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am week
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, Lord, you say I am yours
And I believe, yes I believe what you say of me
Oh I believe

Taking all I have now I'm laying at your feet
Cuz you have every failure, God, and you have every victory

You say I am loved when I cant feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am week
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, Lord you say I am yours
And I believe, yes I believe what you say of me
Oh I believe

And I believe, yes I believe what you say of me
Oh I believe