The Hope of Jesus was delivered last night to the teens at the correctional center.  It was done in song and in word.  It was prayed that The Holy Spirit would be fully free.  This morning I prayed that the message would linger in the hearts of these kids.  When I spoke to them a couple months ago there were about 35 in attendance.  Last night there must have been about 60 of them.  They were being given cookies and milk during the program so more of them showed.  It seemed to go well.

As I started my journaling this morning I started to write:  “Thank you Father for  helping me to….”  At this point I was checked.  I was about to thank my Father God for helping me do my part so I could feel good about it.  I wanted to feel good for serving God so I could be important to Him.  This is that selfish side of me–man.  None of this was done for me, I was doing this for God’s kids.  There is nothing wrong with feeling good about it, but I had brought the entire event into my court this morning wanting to make it all for my benefit.  I truly don’t want it that way.  However, this is what the old Earnie would need in order to feel good about replacing the story of his past.  God is still teaching me that the new me has a value already that doesn’t need to be proven.  Those days are gone.

My daughter just called me interrupting my finishing this morning’s entry.  She wanted me to know she’d given my book to a lady she met a year or so ago who has a very troubling past.  In a conversation the two of them had last summer the lady informed my daughter that when she died she did NOT want the song Amazing Grace sung.  She hated that song.  I understand that hatred towards that message.  However, now I can pray for her time of healing just like God has given me.  The day will come when she will say–Wow, this Amazing Grace is for me too!  This is what I pray for the teens present last night.  The hopelessness man creates can be replaced with the HOPE of Christmas–The Amazing Grace story.  Join me in praying for these lost ones.