Notes from the Chaplain
A couple of months ago, I was given permission to go into the blocks and visit the guys in our jail. It was a great way to connect with guys and spend meaningful time visiting with them. I was also given permission to bring Jeremy Keller with me. Jeremy is a long time friend who does a lot of volunteer with with REC (Residents Encounter Christ). Jeremy has a heart of gold and I was grateful that he could come with me.
A few weeks ago, my schedule did not permit me time to go visit the guys in our jail as much as I could in previous weeks. In my absence, Jeremy continued to visit the guys, but I wanted to continue to connect with them as well. So I started writing a weekly "Note from the Chaplain" that I would share while I was away. I was told that the guys appreciated the notes, so I continue to share those weekly in addition to our visits. The whole purpose is to connect and encourage. And as I began writing this weekly blog, it occurred to me that we all need encouragement. We all face battles, struggles, and resistance. We all need someone on our side lifting us up. So I share these letters to you as a reminder to look around and find the hurting and lonely. Look around to find someone who needs a kind word and some encouragement. We have a responsibility to care for each other and show some kindness and compassion. These letters are for the guys in jail, but they are also for you. And they are also for me. Have an awesome day!
A Note from your Chaplain
January 29, 2019
Hey there, brother. Over the next couple of weeks, my schedule is pretty packed, and I won’t be able to visit you in the block. Visiting you all is one of the highlights of my week, but right now my time is stretched. So I wanted to touch base with you through this note.
I am Thankful!
I’m so thankful for the opportunity to come see and visit with you. It is truly a blessing. I’m thankful that Jeremy can come with me and can come in my absence. I’m thankful that the Sheriff, Jail Commander, and Jail Officers allow us in. And I’m thankful that you welcome Jeremy and me in to see you. You have no idea what a blessing it is to see you on a regular basis.
You are of Great Value!
I hope you understand how treasured you are. You are greatly loved. I know you’re facing obstacles and resistance in your life, but know that you are never alone in your struggle. You are never alone in your joy. You are never alone in your silence. You are treasured and there is great hope now and on the other side of these times.
Love Joy Peace
I think it’s awesome that when Paul writes about “Life by the Spirit” in Galatians 5, he compares how we live to fruit. Fruit is what we see, but the fruit comes from the tree and is totally dependent on the tree. And what is the fruit of our lives? It’s not a list of rules and beliefs. It’s a list of qualities. And it starts with the love, joy, and peace we receive from the Spirit of God. It takes patience, faithfulness, and self control to grow, but along the way we learn goodness, kindness, and gentleness to ourselves and to others. It’s the fruit that begins with love. Loving God and loving others. And that love is immediately followed by Joy and Peace. That’s pretty awesome!
Life SAVERS
In Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning, he identifies 6 life “SAVERS” to help us transform our lives. I love these. Each of the letters stands for an action to take. Spend time every morning in these areas and change your life. It’s true and it works. The 6 SAVERS are Silence, Affirmation, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. Silence - quiet your mind, breath slowly, and pray. Affirmation - you are worthy and deserving of transformation. Visualization - picture the person you want to be and what you can do today to live like that person. Exercise - take care of your body. Reading - learn and grow. Scribing - keep a journal. That seems like a lot but it’s something you can probably knock out in just a few minutes. Or spread it out and do it over the course of the day.
Believe
Remember that Jeremy and I believe in you. Remember that God believes in you. Remember that this community is full of people who believe in you and pray for you. Think about that. I pray that you will believe in yourself as much as we do. God bless and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12: 30-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 12:2
A Note from your Chaplain
February 5, 2019
Hey there, brother. I should be back to the block next week for Bible study with Jeremy. I miss being there seeing you all, and I look forward to joining you soon. Until then, I wanted to touch base with you through this note.
Thankfulness!
Again, I’m thankful for the time I spend visiting with you. It means a lot to me that the Sheriff, Jail Commander, and Jail Officers allow us in. You are a blessing to Jeremy and me and we thank you for welcoming us.
You are Awesome!
I hope you know that you are greatly valued. You are treasured. You are awesome! I know there are tough times and days but remember that you are not alone. You have access to a loving God any time of the day. In times of resistance, He is with you. When you face daily obstacles, He is with you. Every moment, He is a breath away. Why? Because you are His kid. You are in His family. Also remember you have an army of people in this community thinking of you and praying for you. There is power in know this. And you are worth it, you are loved, and you are awesome!
Love God, Love Others
Remember in Mark 12 when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment? What was his response? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Then he added, “the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus is the Word (John 1) and the Way (John 14). When the Word of God tells us the Way to live, I think it’s safe to say we should focus on what he says to focus on. The focus is not on a list of rules or beliefs, the focus is on Love. Love for God and love for others. That’s good stuff!
What is Prayer
So how do you pray? I’m not sure that there is a right or wrong answer to this. Prayer is simply time with God. We have the Lord’s prayer as a guide (Matthew 6: 9-13 and Luke 11: 2-4). And I see this prayer as a daily reminder that He is God and we are not. A reminder to rely on Him to sustain and lead us. But what does daily prayer look like? How do we pray?
Prayer can begin with simple silence and breathing. Prayer can be a journal. Prayer can be a conversation, a request for help, or an expression of thanks and praise. Prayer can be alone or in a group, quiet or aloud, but keep in mind that prayer is really acknowledging a relationship. And relationships grow with time together. Grow your relationship. Spend time in prayer and in listening.
The Power of Habits
Do you ever think about the power of habits? Basically, habits are regularly repeated behaviors. Habits allow our brains to do things without even thinking. The more we repeat a certain behavior, the more automatic it gets. We need to think about that as we think about our time in quiet and prayer. The more we repeat it the more natural it becomes. It becomes part of our identity. Habits are tough to break. So when we build the habit of quiet time and prayer, that’s going to build the habit of growing our relationship with God.
Prayer For You
You are continually in our prayers. Jeremy and I continually pray for you, and this community is full of people continually praying for you. Keep that in mind. Every single day, prayers are lifted for you. We are all worthy of love, so love God and love others. God bless and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 12:2
A Note from your Chaplain
February 12, 2019
Hey there, brother. I’m back this Thursday and looking forward to meeting with you and talking with you all again. You are amazing men, building your story that you will share for years to come. Your story is important and since we are all part of each other’s story, let’s listen to each other, learn from each other, encourage each other, and care for each other.
I am Grateful!
Visiting and spending time with you is an important part of my week. I am so grateful that the Sheriff, Jail Commander, and Jail Officers let us in to meet with you. You are a blessing to Jeremy and me, and we thank you all for welcoming us.
Struggles and Strength
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the struggles you face every day. I’m sure there are times when you feel like you’re facing the same struggles over and over, day after day. That has to be tough, but I hope and pray that this period of your life is a period of building strength. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 3: 16-19.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts with faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Wow! Did you hear that?! That’s amazing. Your homework is to read that passage over and over and over. Man, that is packed with good stuff!
Be Filled Every Day
I really love that whole passage, but listen to that last line. “I pray...that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Filled to the measure. The fullness of God. It’s like we’re constantly holding a full glass of water. All we have to do is take it in. Any time we want and in any circumstance.
Continually Pray
We need to be continually strengthened. We need to be continually transformed. We need to be continually joyful, prayerful, and thankful.
First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” Our circumstances help us grow stronger. And we find strength being rooted in love. Being rooted in God.
Prayers For You
You are continually in our prayers. And you have a community of people who continually pray for you. Think about that. Remember that in times of struggle. Every single day, prayers are lifted for you. You are worthy and you are loved. And that is awesome! God bless and see you soon!
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 12:2
A Note from your Chaplain
February 19, 2019
Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank God for you…” 1 Cor 1:3-4. Those are Paul’s words but they are true for me, too. I do always thank God for you. And I continually pray for grace and peace to you. I love our visits and am grateful for the opportunity to see you regularly. I’m grateful for the Sheriff, Jail Commander, Jail Officers, and staff who allow us in. And I’m grateful that you welcome Jeremy and me in. You are a blessing.
You Are Not Alone
I know these times can be tough. And it would be natural to feel alone in this period of your life. But I want to assure you that you are not alone. You have a community of people praying for you daily. You have a ministry team lifting you up. You have a Sheriff, Jail Commander, and department staff that allows us to come visit you. But most importantly, you have a God that is always just a breath away. Close your eyes, take a breath, know that you are surrounded by God. Know that you are surrounded by love. Know that you are valued. Know that you are not alone.
God is Patient, God is Kind, God Never Fails
One of my favorite passages of scripture is from 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13. It says, “Love is Patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...and now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And 1 John 4:7-8 says, “let us love one another, for love comes from God...God is love.” The entire book of 1 John is great, but I love that line. God is love. Think about that, then think about the passage in 1 Corinthians. Now re-read that and replace the word “love” with “God”. God is patient. God is kind. God never fails. That is awesome!
Continually Transformed
Be different today. Be changed. Be transformed. Romans 12:2 says, “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And listen to this! Then it says, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.” How amazing is that! Be different. Be kind. Be changed. Be renewed. By the way, that whole chapter 12 of Romans is pretty awesome.
Practice Your SAVERS
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning. He taught about 6 “life SAVERS” to help us transform our lives daily. Take time every morning to practice and change your life. It’s a great practice that really works. The 6 practices are Silence, Affirmation, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. Silence - quiet your mind, breath slowly, and pray. Affirmation - you are worthy and deserving of transformation. Visualization - picture the person you want to be, then live today like that person. Exercise - take care of your body. Reading - learn and grow. Scribing - keep a journal. Give it a try.
I hope you know how valued you are. Remember there is always hope with each new breath. I’ll close this letter how Paul closes his in 1 Corinthians 16:23-24, “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
Thom Miller
BCSD Chaplain
Mark 12:30-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 12:2, 1 Thes 5-16-18
