FaithWriters, the Ultimate Writers Community - November Contest Winner, Bound on Earth, Bound to Heaven by Haydee I

     Every month FaithWriters – The Home For Christian Writers sponsors a blog contest that promotes a ministry that helps in the natural and brings the gospel. This contest includes cash prizes for the winners or Paid Writing Assignments. First place is also posted on 100 Christian Blogs. Novembers contest promoted Angel Tree and Prison Fellowship Ministries. Here is the winner selected by that ministry.

Bound on Earth, Bound to Heaven by Haydee I.

      I was awakened by the tumultuous voice of my brother one Monday morning when he said that our dad was arrested by the police. He did not kill anybody nor committed any criminal offense. It was the ongoing business cases filed against his company.
      For the next days and weeks, I caught myself crying and wallowing in a sea of misery and depression. No amount of prayer and counsel took away the pain in my heart. I felt confused, afraid, crushed, abandoned, and unprotected. I could not imagine how Papa can survive standing in the city jail for many weeks and crushed by the bodies of fellow prisoners. He could not even go to the restroom when he needs to and change his sweat-soaked shirt.
      Prior to that, my dad used to take me to the National Penitentiary for many years. We signed a waiver before entering the Maximum Security Compound just in case something happens. One full day for every week, our prison ministry team visited and ministered to them.
      My friends said I am crazy going there with no assurance of protection whatsoever once someone throws a fit or our lives become endangered because of the environment. Perhaps.
       I will never forget the day my dad asked me to preach about God's goodness to them. I saw the tears in their eyes and the pain in their faces. I had no power to do something concrete like getting them out of jail but by just being there to listen to them, pray for them, feed them, clothe them, throw them Christmas parties, give them hope and share Jesus to them makes all the difference.
      James 1:27 echoes this: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
I saw many wives, children, and relatives visiting their incarcerated husbands, fathers and loved ones. They had the same facial expressions and the same story of loss, lack, and fatherlessness.
      The same story unfolds for every country, race or generation where a father or mother was sentenced to jail. Indefinite separation from parents sets the stage for them to lack
guidance and parenting thereby making them prone to a host of emotional trauma, abuse, rejection, and neglect. Couple these with the propensity to engage in illegal activities and addictions to drugs, pornography, sex, gambling, among others.
      But, there's good news. After serving time in prison, President Richard Nixon's "hatchet man" Charles Colson was empowered and anointed by God to impact the lives of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families through the establishment of
Prison Fellowship in 1976. This non-profit ministry aims for the redemption, reconciliation, and restoration of prisoners and their families through the love, power and gospel of Jesus Christ.
      Eventually in 1982, ex-bank robber and prisoner Mary Kay Beard founded Angel Tree in Birmingham, Alabama to help Prison Fellowship prisoners connect with their families especially children during Christmas. The idea is to allow a sponsor to give a Christmas gift to a child under the name of his own incarcerated parent. In its first year, 556 children were given and to date about 9 million children and 5.2 million inmate parents were ministered to.

~ There are now
1.7 million children who have one or both parents in prison.
~ You can change lives and make a difference right NOW.
~ Click
Angel Tree to know more details and how you and your church can partner with them.
~ Imagine what your Christmas gift and prayer can do to one of these kids.

Using Christian Book Marketing to share Christ with the world. Posted with permission.

The Blessings That Come from following Jesus - Experiencing Jesus' Joy

Dr. Joseph wrote Experiencing Jesus' Joy to help all who want to experience more joy and inner peace from their walk with God. Chapter-by-chapter, he has laid out a biblical overview of God's desired purpose for all looking in-depth at key points of God's desire and the crippling effects of Satan's deceptions as he turns many from God and the blessings that come from following Jesus. As you read through each chapter realizing more fully what God is asking of you and what Satan is doing to quench the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will be liberated to follow Jesus more fully realizing greater and greater godly joy and inner peace. Let this book help unlock key scriptural truths so that you will be able to walk with God in confidence and in so doing, experience firsthand His good plans for your life.

This last year, Brother James has conducted several group studies utilizing Experiencing Jesus' Joy resulting in some new and renewed commitments to follow Jesus more closely. This is a great book for personal Bible study or small groups to help develop a closer walk with God. With Christmas right around the corner, why not give a gift to family and friends that will help develop better godly understanding and potentially more godly joy and inner peace? Pastors, you might consider preparing for a church-wide study next year. Brother James will be glad to come and work through a one or two night seminar introducing the principles in Experiencing Jesus' Joy  to get your church started.

Contact Brother James at josephijs@roadrunner.com.
  
Take advantage of the holiday special and bless someone this Christmas with a copy of Experiencing Jesus' Joy, which is available through the author's website In Jesus' Service.

In addition, it may be purchased through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.