Three preachers, three churches
Mark is amazing. A 48-year-old professional engineer from New York, he has experienced first-hand the ruthless injustice of Michigan's notorious Berrien County. But this hasn't stopped him. He could be sitting in prison doing nothing but moping, facing the possibility that if all legal challenges go south, he could perhaps spend the rest of his years behind bars. He's never been in prison before.
Nope, this guy's glass is half-full...perhaps even more than that. That negative stuff doesn't enter his mind.
He struggled with some of his religious beliefs before going into prison, but not any longer. In fact, he has enrolled in a reputable prison seminary program. He's going to be a trained, educated servant of and for God one way or another.
He has a fist-full of degrees, but this prison business has changed his career thoughts, also. He's asking our board of directors if we would consider taking him aboard as an understudy with the possibility that eventually he'll take over my position as CEO. We'll be giving that serious thought. I am, after all, getting into the golden years.
When HFP first learned about Mark's situation, we instantly befriended him. For one thing, with my background in the Maurice Carter case, we're well aware of what can happen in Berrien County. But there was another matter, here. Mark is from New York State, and that's where his friends and family are. This means no visitation. No communication.
As things turned out, two other guys representing HFP started visiting him, and both are preachers: Al and Nate. Actually, I'm ordained also, so that made three members of the clergy all visting Mark. One might think God was ganging up on him. But he didn't take it that way, and we didn't approach it that way. It was just a simple situation of very good friends enjoying the company of each other.
Over the weekend Mark called me from prison to suggest that I stop there and pick up a gift from him at the front desk. Three gifts, actually. One for Al, one for Nate, one for me.
You should see the gifts! Beautiful, dainty, hand-made little country churches with steeple on top, sign board in front, little trees and shrubs. Each church much the same as the other two, but each individually made with its own unique characteristics. I know not how he could have found the time and especially the materials to put these together. Didn't know he had gifts like this.
Well, there are no words to describe the gifts. But there are no words to describe the friendship, either. As my friend would say, it's a "God thing."
Dunno where all this business is gonna go with Mark, but gotta admit that it's fun.
SOLI DEO GLORIA.
Nope, this guy's glass is half-full...perhaps even more than that. That negative stuff doesn't enter his mind.
He struggled with some of his religious beliefs before going into prison, but not any longer. In fact, he has enrolled in a reputable prison seminary program. He's going to be a trained, educated servant of and for God one way or another.
He has a fist-full of degrees, but this prison business has changed his career thoughts, also. He's asking our board of directors if we would consider taking him aboard as an understudy with the possibility that eventually he'll take over my position as CEO. We'll be giving that serious thought. I am, after all, getting into the golden years.
When HFP first learned about Mark's situation, we instantly befriended him. For one thing, with my background in the Maurice Carter case, we're well aware of what can happen in Berrien County. But there was another matter, here. Mark is from New York State, and that's where his friends and family are. This means no visitation. No communication.
As things turned out, two other guys representing HFP started visiting him, and both are preachers: Al and Nate. Actually, I'm ordained also, so that made three members of the clergy all visting Mark. One might think God was ganging up on him. But he didn't take it that way, and we didn't approach it that way. It was just a simple situation of very good friends enjoying the company of each other.
Over the weekend Mark called me from prison to suggest that I stop there and pick up a gift from him at the front desk. Three gifts, actually. One for Al, one for Nate, one for me.
You should see the gifts! Beautiful, dainty, hand-made little country churches with steeple on top, sign board in front, little trees and shrubs. Each church much the same as the other two, but each individually made with its own unique characteristics. I know not how he could have found the time and especially the materials to put these together. Didn't know he had gifts like this.
Well, there are no words to describe the gifts. But there are no words to describe the friendship, either. As my friend would say, it's a "God thing."
Dunno where all this business is gonna go with Mark, but gotta admit that it's fun.
SOLI DEO GLORIA.
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