Christmas 2012

Greeting dear one!

I pray that this finds you well and blessed in Jesus whose birth is the reason for the season. As for me, it is well with my soul, amen.

It has been an exceptionally eventful year for me. Jesse, my oldest boy, and Liz his significant other blessed us with a child just before last Christmas. Little Taylor and mom are both healthy as of the last report I have. My mother, Sharron, is well and continues to be a model of loving support. Big Russ has been busy about the Father's business and besides his CASA work is now involved in a re-entry ministry. My dear Aunts, Diana & Charlene, are well and such a blessing to me. My cousin Marvin, back in NE is also well and blessed. My step Dad, Gary, is a source of joy in my life these days also. As you can see I do have family, but most are not mentioned here. I am praying for full reconciliation with the rest and covet your prayer in this too.

Earlier this year I had a cellmate who suffered from a terminal illness. I was blessed to be of service to him. From that experience and after much prayer I am now working on a Volunteer Hospice Ministry. The state more often than not fails to move an inmate into the state Hospice Facility prior to death. Now we are going to step into that gap. Just yesterday a team was formed to assist in completing the training material. The first Hospice volunteer was also assigned and am waiting to get #2 up to speed.

On November 17, 2012 I mailed my last lesson to Lassen Community College, completing my AA Degree requirements. So I guess that makes me a college graduate. I also transferred from Southwestern Bible College to Christian Bible College & Seminary. I had 115 units accepted in transfer, leaving me only three courses to complete for my Bachelor in Christian Ministry. God is Good!

As a young child I dreamed of being a writer. I have recaptured that dream with the Good Lord's help. I am now studying how to write a novel and have enrolled in a much needed English course for this Spring. I am also blessed to have a blog up. An organization at MIT invited me to start a blog, so I am a blogger. :) You can access blog at: www.betweenthebars.org/blogs/806

Things are changing for the better in CA prisons. The overcrowding issue, which was not good, is being dealt with. There are now 400 less inmates on this yard than just two years ago.

More changes are in the works. The word is that the state will be going back to day for day good time credit earning. What that means is that I can earn 50% good time credit instead of just 15%. The chances are I will be released in the next five or six years. What that means is I have a lot of work to do, after all, God put me in prison to accomplish certain things and right now I am a bit behind! :)

Please know that I will be praying for your household over the course of this next year.

Numbers 6:24-26
Russ