Dec. 24, 2012

Greetings Dear One! (Christmas 2012)

by Robert Russell (author's profile)

Transcription

Christmas 2012

Greetings 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 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 prayers 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

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donalujano Posted 11 years, 10 months ago. ✓ Mailed 11 years, 10 months ago   Favorite
Hello Rob, please forgive me for not calling you "Russ", you have just always been Rob to me. Just got your letter and card today, thank you. As Im sure you know, I am not very good at writing and sending you photos, for that, I am sorry. I cant even begin to tell you how many times I have started to write, planned to write, thought about writing,,,,but didn't. Im hoping this blog thing gives us an opportunity to catch up, and so that I can go on and on about the wonderful Man our Son is becoming, and the amazing Father he is learning to be. I wish you could see the way Jess is with our Grandson Tyler. I am so proud of him! I can't believe Tyler is already a year old! I love him so much. I have so much to tell you, but it is late, I will talk to you soon, Dona

donalujano Posted 11 years, 10 months ago. ✓ Mailed 11 years, 10 months ago   Favorite
You Know it was late, because I forgot to tell you, "MERRY CHRISTMAS"

The kids will all be here tomorrow morning, and the Grandbaby, to celebrate Christmas. Its pretty quiet around here now that they have all moved out except Kaila. Im glad they all live close though. Jesse and his Family are only about a mile down the road, so of course, when Im not at work, Im spoiling Tyler:) Liz and I took him to the Angel Tree Christmas party last week, thank you for that. I took lots of photos and will try to send some soon.

Gosh, there is so much that I want to tell you, that I don't even know where to start! Pretty much the way its going with Brandons Dad, who, by the way, has been out for a year and a half, and lives less than three miles from me!!! Only, we did not find out until about three weeks ago! Its been pretty emotional, in a good way. 18 years to catch up on, the reunion was beautiful. So we are all adjusting slowly.

I recently came upon your photos, and photo album that you asked me to keep for you all those years ago. They are in Jesse's "Memory Box" I put together one for each of the kids. So, Jesse and I had some time to sit down and look through them, and I explained who each person was, and kinda helped him to know his Family. It was nice, and I could tell it really meant a lot to him. Do you still want me to hold on to these things, or would you like for me to send them to you or Mom?

I don't know if you know, but my Mom passed away 7 years ago on December 11th 2005. It is still really hard for me, especially around the Holidays. I try to just stay real busy with work, and Family.

Rob, I want you to know that you are always in my Heart, and I think about you every day. Have a very Blessed Christmas, and know we will all be thinking of you tomorrow. I will talk to you soon,
Dona

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