Notes from the Chaplain 2

Many of you know that I serve locally as a jail chaplain. It’s pretty humbling because I’m not a preacher. I’m just a guy who loves God and loves people. Fortunately, I’m part of a huge group of people serving on our local jail ministry team.

I do want to take a moment to specifically thank Sheriff Scott Southerland and Jail Commander Tony Sciscoe for their work here in Brown County and for allowing Jeremy Keller (REC volunteer) and me to go into the blocks to visit the guys in our jail. This is a great opportunity to connect with them and spend meaningful time visiting with them. I also want to thank retired chaplain, Don Whetstine and current asst chaplain, Teresa Harden for their support and decades of volunteer service here at our local jail. And thanks to Dean Keefauver, who joined the team as co-chaplain serving with the Sheriff’s department. As I said, the list of people serving is huge.

This week, please take a moment to pray for those in our jail and for those serving in the Sheriff’s Department. Please pray for the jailers, officers, deputies, dispatch, administrators, office personnel, and also pray for their families. These are amazing people doing important work and we are blessed to have serving Brown County.

So every week, I share a "Note from the Chaplain" to connect and encourage. I shared a few of these letters in a previous blog and thought I’d share a few more here today. I know that we all need encouragement. We all face battles, struggles, and resistance. We all need someone lifting us up. Hopefully these letters can remind us all to look around and find the hurting and lonely who need a kind word and some encouragement. We have a responsibility to care for each other and show 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

February 27, 2019

Hey there, brother. Let me tell you something, “you are a treasure, worth more than anything under the sun or the moon. God’s greatest treasure is the treasure of you.” These are words from a song by Steven Curtis Chapman. It’s important to keep in mind that you are not forgotten. You are not invisible. You are not alone. And you may not feel like it, but you are a treasure. We are God’s kids (1 John 3:1), and nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:37-39). That’s some pretty good news.

Thanks and Prayers

Just want to say thanks again for welcoming Jeremy and me in each week. And thank you for your prayers. We are thankful for you and also thankful that the Sheriff, the Jail Commander, and the Jail Officers allow us in. When you see them, be grateful for the work they do and pray for them. Remember, gratitude and thankfulness is a mindset. It’s a way of thinking. It’s an attitude. Give thanks always and pray continually (1 Thes 5:16-18, Rom 12:12, Matt 6:9-13, Phil 4:6).

Prayer, Thanksgiving, and Peace

There is a lot of mystery in our lives. Things we don’t understand and don’t know. Fear and frustration with the unknown can eat away at us and make us anxious, stressed, depressed, and even angry. It’s natural to feel these emotions, but we also have a path to peace. Listen to this passage from a letter Paul wrote.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!..Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7

There’s a lot of good stuff in there! But here’s my takeaway. I want peace in my life. Every day. I don’t want stress and anxiety. Sometimes I have it, but I don’t like it. So here’s the answer. Pray. Be thankful. Present your request to God. What do we get? Peace of God. Peace that transcends (goes beyond our) understanding. Peace that guards our hearts. Peace that guards our minds. Peace in the mystery and confusion of life. There are a lot of things that we don’t understand, and that’s okay. When we practice prayer and practice being grateful, we are given peace. Every day. Which makes that first line, “Rejoice...always...rejoice!” make a little more sense.

You are a Treasure

God’s greatest treasure is the treasure of you. I believe that! I believe that what matters most in life is our relationships. I think that’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others. Relationships matter. We are all imperfect, but we all matter. We are all a treasure to God and to each other. That’s a great reason to rejoice. That’s a great reason to have peace.

Right now, close your eyes. Take a breath. You are surrounded by God. Take a breath. You are surrounded by Love. Take a breath. You are surrounded by God. Take a breath. You are surrounded by Love. You are not alone. You are valued. You are a treasure. You don’t have to understand it, but allow it bring you peace. God bless you today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day...

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2,

1 Thes 5-16-18; Eph 3:16-21; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13,

Rom 8:37-39; Phil 4:4-7

A Note from your Chaplain

March 5, 2019

Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 1:2). We are blessed with this day. And here’s an amazing thought. Today we can choose to lay down the negative thoughts that weigh us down. We can choose to let go of the negative thoughts that cause stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. If only for a breath and if only for a moment. We can choose to feel the peace that comes from each new breath we are given. This breath reminds us that we live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28). He continually surrounds and fills us, and the thought of that should bring us great peace. Wow! Reread that and think about that for a moment. He continually surrounds and fills us. That is exciting.

Take a Moment

Here’s something you can try right now. Draw in a slow, deep breath. Slowly, let go and release the breath. Sit up tall, but relax your body. Draw in peace, release stress. Relax your neck and shoulders. Focus on your breath. Draw in peace, release the anxiety. In with peace, then release. Bring it in. Let it go. Take a moment to just feel that breath. In and out. Sustaining us. Bringing us a sense of calm. Bringing us a peace that passes understanding. (Phil 4:7). Sometimes prayer is simply that. Just being in the present. Being still. Knowing that He is God. (Psalm 46:10). This is good stuff. And it’s something you can practice all day long. We know that stress, anxiety, depression, and pain are very real parts of life. But we also know that a moment of peace and calm is always just a breath away.

Warming Up

Here’s another thing to think about. When athletes get ready to compete, they warm up. When a musician gets ready to perform, they warm up. Have you ever thought about “warming up” to pray? When we prepare to encounter and experience God, think about prayerfully warming up. Think about preparing our minds for action. We know that we should pray continually (1 Thes 5:17), but there are times when we need something more. More calm. More peace. A different, deeper kind of prayer. We can have these moments, but this kind of prayer requires more focus and some warming up.

Pay Attention

Take a moment to just breathe and quiet your mind. To build a strong relationship, we have to focus, pay attention, and listen. This is the same with prayer. This is our spiritual relationship. We’re practicing the presence of God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). Draw near with your heart. He says, “be still and know that I is God.” (Psalm 46:10). Remember that “the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything...the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:5-7). Pay attention. Pray with words and with silence. The important thing is to be present with God.

Make Today Matter

Today, be grateful. Look for moments of joy and peace. Know that you are are worthy of love. Accept and share love. Know that you are worthy of compassion. Accept and share compassion. Know that you are worthy of forgiveness. Accept and share forgiveness. Live today knowing that you matter and today matters. Live today in the presence of all that is good and all that is God. Read Ephesians 4:1-5:2, and pay close attention to verses 1-3, 22-24, 29, 32-5:2. There’s some great stuff in there.

Thanks and Prayers

Thanks again for welcoming Jeremy and me in each week. Thank you for your prayers. Be thankful for the Sheriff, the Jail Commander, and the Jail Officers who allow us in and pray for them today. Right now, take a moment, warm up, pay attention, pray, and make today matter. God bless!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2,

1 Thes 5-16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32;

1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;

Phil 4:4-7

A Note from your Chaplain

March 12, 2019

Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 1:7). Just a reminder that Jeremy and I are thankful for you and pray for you continually. We are grateful for the time we spend with you and miss seeing you when our schedules do not allow us visit. Thanks for welcoming us and praying for us.

Grace and Peace

I like how Paul opens his letters with greetings of grace and peace. Grace is a generous gift of love, compassion, and forgiveness. Peace is a sense of belonging, wholeness, love, calm, and wellbeing. Jesus is the model for living, and this is how Jesus greeted everyone in need. With grace and peace. Everyone who approached Jesus with guilt and shame, left with grace and peace. Imagine that. Wow! That’s good stuff.

Receive It and Offer It

So when we feel guilt and shame, we can remember grace and peace. Receive grace and peace, then offer grace and peace. Receive compassion and forgiveness, then offer compassion and forgiveness. Receive belonging, wholeness, and love, then offer belonging, wholeness and love. It’s an awesome way to approach daily living. Let’s try a little grace and peace today. Then let’s spread it around.

Breathe, Be Quiet, Be Still, Be Calm

We’ve talked about using Psalm 46:10 to help us “be still…” Just being in silence and breathing is a great way to calm and clear the mind. With a calm clear mind, it’s easier to focus on prayer or reading. A calm mind also helps us notice our emotions. If we can notice our emotions, we can be more aware of how we react. And with a little more control over our actions, it’s much easier to have peace and calm in our day.

Thanks and Prayers

Hey, thank you for reading these words. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for welcoming Jeremy and me in each week. Be thankful for the Sheriff, the Jail Commander, and the Jail Officers who allow us in. Pray for them. Thank God for them. Right now, take a moment to pray and give thanks. Grace and peace to you. God bless!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2,

1 Thes 5-16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32;

1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;

Phil 4:4-7

A Note from your Chaplain

March 17, 2019

Apologies

I want to apologize for missing you this past week. I’ve been sick and didn’t want to spread any germs. I’m so thankful that Jeremy could still come and visit. What an awesome man with a tremendous heart! He is truly a blessing.

I’m sending this note early because I’m going out of town for a few days. I’ll be back Thursday to start visiting in the blocks again. Sorry I haven’t been consistent. But know you are continually in my thoughts and prayers. And also know that you can always tell any of the jailers if you need me to visit you.

Thanks

We are so blessed to have such great support here at the BC Jail Ministry. We have great preachers - Don, Kenny, Chuck, Rick, Adam, and Jeremy. And great staff - Scott, Brad, Tony, Derek, and the jailers. These are awesome people doing good work. Please don’t forget to pray for them daily. Also, be sure to thank them with your words, but more importantly, thank them with your actions. (Philippians 2:4-5; James 2:22)

Things to Read

Philippians is a great book to read. It’s pretty short but is packed with lots of great lessons. I also love the books of John, Romans, and James.

Of course the whole Bible is packed with awesome wisdom, but these are three of my favorite books.

Things to Write

It’s also a great practice to write while you read. You can underline verses you like or find meaningful. But you can also keep a journal of things you like and are learning. If you’re like me, you can’t remember everything. A journal is a great way to catch some thoughts, then go back to reread and think about later. It’s a great way to keep those lessons fresh in your mind.

Thanks Again

Just a reminder that you are continually covered in prayer. By this ministry team and by this community. We are thankful for you and we know great things are in store for you. Thanks for allowing us in so we can share in your spiritual journey. And thank you for sharing in our spiritual journeys as well.

God bless you all and have a great week!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2,

1 Thes 5-16-18; Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32;

1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10; Rom 8:37-39;

Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25; John 3:16-17, 21

A Note from your Chaplain

March 25, 2019

Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy...” (Philippians 1:2-4). I love this greeting from Paul. What a great way to start a note. With thanksgiving and prayer. Speaking of prayer, I came across this prayer from Thomas Merton. Listen to these words. Spend some time with these words.

Thomas Merton’s Prayer

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though

I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

I love this prayer! It’s okay to be uncertain. It’s okay to not know the plan for our lives or what lies ahead. It’s okay if we don’t know or understand ourselves. What matters is the desire to please God and seeking to follow His will. We can be fearless, because we can trust that He will lead us. We can be fearless, because He is always with us. We can be fearless, because we are never alone. That is awesome stuff!

Hope, Affliction, and Prayer

Romans is a powerful book. It’s a great book to spend time in. One of my favorite chapters Romans 12. Lots of great stuff in there. This week, pay special attention to verse 12. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Think about that. Joyful, patient, and faithful. Those are great qualities and that is a great mindset.

Journal and Take Some Notes

When you spend time in prayer and study, it’s a great practice to journal and write some notes. You can write anything that stands out or underline verses you want to remember. It’s a good practice and habit to keep a journal of things you like and are learning, questions and struggles, prayers and insights. And of course things you are grateful for. Try that out today.

Thanks Again

Please don’t forget how blessed we are to have such great support here at the BC Jail Ministry. We have great preachers and great staff doing great work on our behalf. Remember to pray for them daily. Thank them with your words. Thank them with your actions. (James 1:22)

Also remember that you are continually covered in prayer by this ministry team and by this community. We are thankful for you and we know great things are in store for you. Have a great day.

Grace and peace to you all!

God bless you, and I pray you have a great week!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2, 1 Thes 5-16-18;

Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;

Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25;

John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12

A Note from your Chaplain

April 2, 2019

Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you...” (Colossians 1:2-3). Another greeting from Paul that I love. And this is true about your ministry team as well. We do pray for grace and peace to you. We do thank God for you. We do pray for you. This is good stuff.

Rules for Holy Living

In Colossians, Paul talks about holy living. Growing up in the church, I never really liked the idea of being holy. I always thought that God was holy. It seemed wrong, and impossible, to believe that I could be holy. But really, the word holy simply means “set apart.” Being holy means separate and worthy of respect. You could think of it as the opposite of common. This makes me think of Coach Tony Dungy. After Tony’s Hall-of-Fame career in the NFL, he wrote the book, Uncommon. I highly recommend reading it if you get a chance. It has a ton of great lessons on how to live. The cool thing is that it could have really been titled, Rules for Holy Living. In his book, he tells story after story and teaches lesson after lesson about living a life that is set apart and anything but common. Now take a moment to think about this passage from Colossians 3:12-14.

“...clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have for one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

How awesome is that! So now I’m okay with the idea of “holy” living, because I think of it as “set apart” living or “uncommon” living. That’s something we can all work toward.

Be Uncommon, Because I am ‘Uncommon

Another passage that I have struggled with is 1 Peter 1:16, “be holy, because I am holy.” Again, I have looked at this verse and thought, there’s no way I could be holy. But if we think of the word “uncommon,” it makes more sense. It makes living a “holy life more realistic. Be uncommon, because God is uncommon. And if we want to model and live this uncommon life, we can do as it says in Ephesians 5:1-2. “Be imitators of God...and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.” I like that a lot! We don’t need to be perfect, we just need to imitate God’s love. That’s uncommon. That’s holy. That’s awesome!

Thank You

Thanks for welcoming Jeremy and me when we come visit you. Thank you for your kind words to us. Thank you for sharing what’s on your minds and hearts. Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your prayers. We all need to remember to lift each other up. Pray for us. Pray for the jail commander and officers. Pray for our sheriff and department staff. Pray for their families and for your families. Pray continually (1 Thes 5:17). And remember that you are continually covered in prayer by this ministry team and by this community. We are thankful for you and we know great things are in store for you. Have a great day and week!

Grace and peace to you!

May God bless you, and I pray you have a great week!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2, 1 Thes 5-16-18;

Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;

Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25;

John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12

A Note from your Chaplain

April 9, 2019

Hey there, brother. Sorry I missed you Sunday. This is another busy week for me, so I won’t be in this Thursday either. But fortunately Jeremy will be able to join you. Anyway, I wanted to make sure to say, like Paul does in Ephesians 1:2, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thanksgiving and Prayer

As you know, I’m a huge fan of Paul. And I’m a huge fan of thanksgiving and prayer. Ephesians is a powerful letter. It’s a pretty short letter, so you could read it all pretty quickly, but take a look at Paul’s thoughts in chapter one.

I have never stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...may give you the Spirit of wisdom...so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart my abe enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”

That’s good stuff! Take some time this week to read this letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians. There’s a lot of great stuff packed in there. I really love that prayer in chapter one. I also really love the prayer in Ephesians 3:4-21. Take some time to read that when you get a chance.

Unity in the Body

As you read through Ephesians, think about the first six verses of chapter four. The topic is unity.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Living a worthy life is something we can all do. Here’s how...

“Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Okay, that sounds tough. But that what it takes to build unity.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Unity and peace. I like that a LOT! I can make that effort.

“There is one body and one Spirit…” Unity.

“...just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” Man, that is good stuff! One hope, one faith, one God. Over all, though all, and in all. We are urged to live a worthy life. And it looks like that means to be connected to God and to others. To love God and love others. To have unity with God and to have unity with each other.

Quiet, Thanks, Reading, Writing, Prayer, and Unity

This week, take time for quiet. Take time to be thankful. Take time to read. Take time to write. Take time to think. These are important, healthy habits to build. Thanks for welcoming the ministry team when we come visit you. Thank you for sharing what’s on your minds and hearts. Thank you for your honesty for your prayers. Let’s lift each other up. Let’s pray for each other. Let’s work for unity. Let’s pray for the jail commander, the officers, the sheriff, the department staff, their families, your families, and each other. Let’s pray for unity. And know that you are continually covered in prayer by this ministry team and by this community.

May you be filled with grace, peace, and unity.

Have a great day and week!

God bless!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2, 1 Thes 5-16-18;

Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;

Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25;

John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12

A Note from your Chaplain

April 18, 2019

Hey there, brother. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy...that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...” (Philippians 1:3-6) This is Paul’s greeting in his letter to the church in Philippi. What a great way to start a letter. Grace, peace, thankfulness, prayer, joy, and completion. There’s a lot of great stuff packed in that greeting.

Imitating Christ

Who are some people you have admired and looked up to? Some people you wanted or tried to be like? I think that by nature, we have people we admire and try to imitate. There is something about them that draws us in. There is something that makes them our role models. There is something they do that’s worth imitating

Growing up, I wasn’t really a big fan of church. It was okay, but usually I thought that services were boring. I also thought Christians didn’t always seem to act like Christ. But now I understand that church is really just a bunch of people trying to figure life out together. No church is perfect, no Christian is perfect, and I am most definitely not perfect. We all think and believe different things. We all act differently, make decisions differently, and live life differently. But one thing we have in common is that we all have a great role model. An example of how to live. Someone we can admire and look up to. Someone we can imitate.

Listen to this passage from Philippians 2:1-8

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

Wow! That’s powerful! Imagine the kind of love that would cause that kind of compassion and humility. No one took Jesus’ life. He gave it. He gave it in service and in love. That passage is packed with great stuff, but if you only take one thing away, try this. Imitate Christ. Just act like him. Look at people like he did. Treat people with the same kind of compassion and forgiveness. We’re not perfect, but he is. And that’s something we can at least try to imitate.

Study and Imitate

This week take some time getting to know Jesus a little better. Read through John. And Matthew. And Mark. And Luke. Look at the way Jesus lived. The way he treated people. Think of ways you and I could imitate this kind of life.

Thanks again for allowing us in to visit. You are a blessing and I hope you have a great day and week! God bless!

Thom Miller

BCSD Chaplain

Mark 12:30-31, Gal 5:22-23, Rom 12:2, 1 Thes 5-16-18;

Eph 3:16-21; Eph 4:1-3, 32; 1 Cor 13:4-7, 13; Psalm 46:10;

Rom 8:37-39; Phil 2:3-5; Phil 4:4-7; James 1:22-25;

John 3:16-17, 21; Rom 12:12