Prison to Purpose Retreat

Yesterday, Sally Maloney, Ora Cowan, Connie Costa, and myself along with about 300 area ladies attended a Becoming a Woman of the Word retreat, sponsored by the Prison to Purpose ministry. What a blessing to see so many Christian women coming together to explore the reality of God in our lives. No  matter what happens in our earthly lives, we can be assured that God's Word is there forever, with a promise of eternal life with Him.

Chaplain Kenneth DeWitt, from the McPherson Women's Correctional Facility in Arkansas conducted 3 sessions, based on sin, righteousness, and judgement. Chaplain DeWitt is a powerful, persuasive, and passionate teacher as well as a pastor, husband, and father of 8. He has trained hundreds of women inmates in understanding the Word of God, in order to turn their lives around and have a purpose for living. His own personal testimony was truly awesome to hear - and to see how God has worked in his life to bring him to where he is today.

Stacey Smith is the co-founder of the Prison to Purpose ministry, after being incarcerated for 12 years, becoming transformed by a Christian based program (PAL) for inmates. She too, has turned her life around after an early release granted by Govenor Huckabee ( her original sentence was 60 years for a drug charge). God's saving grace helped her to minister to other inmates, allowing them to understand God's wonderful  gift of forgiveness. "And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is by law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith". (Phillipians 3:9)

The testimonies of the women who were saved by God's grace were so amazing to hear - women whose lives were destroyed by their crimes and unbelief  - who now have hope for eternal life because their belief and newly found faith. We do not have to be physically inprisioned, we are sometimes bound by the bars of our human reasoning. We all need the Word of God to free us from that bondage, to be totally free in His love, wisdom,  and understanding. There is a great difference in believing in God and  believing God.  I hope that each and every lady who attendied the retreat came home with a new perspective of obeying God's word (being submissive) and applying it to our daily lives.  Are we submissive to God's will only if it fits into our will?? Or is it all about God and not ourselves?

Sally and I just pray that our God's Worthy Women retreat in the Valley in February will prove be be a huge impact on those attending. Will we eventually reach 300 women?? The question should be "Will God eventually reach 300 women through our following of His will?". Pray that we find the perfect speaker, one who will help all of our participents come away with the same sense of God's perfect will and understanding of His Word in our lives as we did yesterday.