I am about to speak about something that I originally was going to maintain my silence about ....until it just became too much. There is a hashtag going around Twitter and Facebook that is as follows: #FightforGK. For those of you who do not know what this is about, let me explain in a nutshell (based off of news articles, tv interviews and the rational and irrational posts on social media) what this is about. Greg Kelley, 19 year old male from Leander, TX was found guilty of super aggravated sexual assault of a child (child victim is 4 years old). For the sake of this post, I will not go into detail about the offense, other than it was of an oral nature. He was found guilty by a jury and then, prior to sentencing, Greg Kelley requested to plea bargain for 25 years and no appeals. The prosecution accepted this plea (this is the main point of my speaking out on this case, which I will address in further detail in a little while). Apparently many people in Williamson county are not happy with their local judicial system and have found an opportunity to go after them, and in this process, have created a very large social media following.
I am going to address my frustration and disbelief in this entire event and I am not doing this to get into a confrontation with those supporting Greg Kelley. I am stating my opinion based off of my history with sexual offenders and my knowledge of this case, up to this point.
I understand that the supporters have obtained a hearing to try to obtain a new trial for Greg Kelley regarding this case. I hope Greg Kelley truly understands the massiveness of this, and the consequences of this, should it not go his way. I seriously doubt the prosecution would accept another plea bargain of this sort should he be found guilty again. I hope that someone is advising him well on this issue.
So, before I begin with my opinions, and that is what they are, MY opinions........ I know every teenager and adult on #FightforGK will refute, argue, and call me a pawn of Satan when I am done, and believe me, that is ok. The attacks I have seen on Twitter and Facebook from the church that is supporting Greg Kelley makes me very sad. What did Jesus say? They will know ME by your love? Anyway, I digress.
To begin with, I am not a random blogger, facebooker, Twitterer who is just trying to get in on the attacks against Greg Kelley. I do not know him and frankly, I don't think any of the basis and root of this has anything to do with him. My background is this, I worked in a legal capacity with sexual offenders for 10 years, then I began to work specifically with churches, day cares, schools, etc regarding sexual offenders. I have worked with thousands of offenders. I have trained under Dallas police department Sex Offender Apprehension Program, Dallas Probation Department, Behavioral Science Unit with the FBI, Robert Ressler, Roy Hazelwood, Anna Salter, Gene Abel and numerous other highly trained professionals in the area of sexual offenders. I am only stating this so that all of the people who are going to refute what I am going to say, understand that I DO have history and knowledge of working with sexual offenders.
My goal on this blog is to educate. If anyone takes the time to read it, then I hope they will at least become educated in the arena of sexual offenders. I spoke with a person associated with the #FightforGK arena privately for a while and I chose to remain silent for a long time until I discovered that some of the information that I was given from this person, specifically about how the plea bargain took place, was not the truth. At this point, I have decided that it is possible that a lot of what I was told may not be the truth, so I will now give my thoughts.
My first statement to the #FightforGK arena is this. If he did not do this, then have him take a polygraph and plethysmograph. NO, they are not admissable in court, but would go a long way in showing his innocence. I am not talking about a pre employment type of polygraph, I am talking about a polygraph with a professional polygrapher who handles sexual offenders. I can give you the name of a great one. A plethysmograph would show that Greg does not have any arousal to small children. Those are two great avenues to show that he would never have done this. Chances of this happening are most likely zero. Why? My guess is that he would not pass them. Moving on.......
My second statement to the #FightforGK supporters would be this......there have been many claims on facebook and twitter that there is " new evidence" of a person who committed this crime against this victim, but it was not Greg. IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IF YOU HAVE EVIDENCE OR AN OUTCRY OF A MOLESTATION AGAINST A CHILD, YOU MUST REPORT IT TO THE AUTHORITIES (NOT A JUDGE, BUT THE POLICE). I am seeing a lot of teenagers on these sites, and a few adults, spouting out the "evidence" and blaming the day care owner's son. YOU NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL! why? If you are in possession of this evidence and have privy to any of it first hand, (and you are NOT his actual attorney), then you are legally required to report it to the police, and if you do not report it, you can be charged and go to jail yourself. Do you really understand this? Spouting off things on social media can cause you to end up in jail. Be very careful! And if you are not in possession of this Evidence, and you are just spouting off something you heard...be very careful.....you can be charged with slander and libel by the person you are accusing. It is not your job to with hold evidence from the police, and it is actually against the laws of Texas. I would hope that the parents of these children and the church that is rallying this support is telling the social media world this. They are playing a very dangerous game!!
Lastly, I was told that the DA presented Greg Kelley with a plea bargain for his sentencing, and gave him 5 minutes to make a decision, and that is the only reason thatGreg went with a plea bargain with no appeal. Now...I understand that this is not true. Greg Kelley and his attorney went to the DA with the plea bargain. Greg knew exactly what he was doing when he agreed to take this to the DA. He did not have to make that decision. He could have been handed down a decision and then appealed it. He chose not to do this. Why? No one can seem to tell me the truth of this. I think this speaks very loudly in Greg Kelley's knowledge of what happened that day. So now the fight must be for a new trial? I bet everyone handed down a guilty sentence would like this too. It seems very desperate at this time. He should be very careful.....a new trial is a new verdict, and if it is guilty, the plea bargain probably won't be on the table anymore.
Let me now talk to you about sexual offenders. They come in every shape and size, every color, every gender, every age and every socioeconomic background. They can claim to be athiest, muslim, buddhist, mormon and even yes, an evangelical Christian. I have watched churches support offenders all the way through trial, and even up until they hear the polygraph and plethysmograph results and then they stand in utter disbelief. How could they have believed such a good person? Well, it is easy. Sexual offenders are one of the best criminal personalities to lead double lives. They are VERY VERY good at it. They will create a "support group" around them who will go to their deaths defending the offenders (see John Langworthy, Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Prestonwood Baptist Church) and yet victim after victim emerge. It is all preplanned, and they are highly qualified and great manipulators. Now, in this instance, you have a four year old child, who makes an outcry to his mother and states that Greg offended him. The big controversy is that this four year old has lied before (as have most four year olds at some point) and so shouldn't be trusted. I have worked with victims. Four year olds have a very small capacity to make up something regarding sexual assault. Yes, he may have changed some of his testimony regarding times and places, but he NEVER changed the offender.. I know adult victims who have trouble with time and places, but you never forget the offender. So the argument against this four year old is crap!
NOW......a 19 year old, he has a longer time to learn to lie and manipulate, and if he is sociopathic at all, he is very very good at it. Most sexual offenders are prolific liars! They have it down to an art, some even justifying their behaviors. And it is interesting that a witness, with no agenda, spoke about Greg lying to him, a blatant lie, not an omission or forgetting a location....a blatant lie. This is not looking good.......... character means everything. And sexual offenders are great at showing one character trait to one group of people and another character trait to another. (their victims)
It all starts out exactly as Greg described it.....wrestling, horse play, etc. He even made it known in one interview that he made sure the kids knew him, so they wouldn't be scared of him. Then why is the defense now saying that the kids just used Greg's name. I have a four year old. They are very good at identifying people!!!!!!
From what I can tell, this fight is not for Greg Kelley...this fight is about a group of people trying to "take it" to the Police Dept, DAs office and Advocacy Center. It is very very apparent, from the Facebook page and Twitter posts, that 99% of the people posting, have no idea how any of these entities work. I have seen the reports, I have seen the arguments, and they are very very weak. If I was fighting this fight, I would be fighting and arguing against my defense attorney for not providing these "facts of innocence" at my actual trial, I would fight against the juror that they are claiming felt pressured to find GK guilty (which apparently every other juror had no problem finding him guilty) and why did this juror not stand for a kids life? Are these things being addressed? NOPE The only thing being addressed is the horrible justice system in this county. Because I am sure it was set up. They set up this four year old kid to go take out a 19 year old hero of this town. They had it out for him! They planned it all! oh wait, no, they didn't. An outcry was made and a job was done. Facts were presented in a court of law, and a 19 year old boy was found guilty by a jury of more than one person. I am quite confident only a handful, if that many, of all of these supporters were actually in the court room and actually heard the evidence for themselves. They are getting everything second hand and that is very dangerous. Should a new trial be allowed, I will be very interested in going. I would love to see this new evidence, which most likely should have been reported to law enforcement, and should have been presented at his original trial.
I am interested in why everyone thinks Greg Kelley is innocent. I do not know. I know that the teenagers want their friend back, an that it is not fair that he might lose a scholarship.......yet, I see nothing of the innocence of this four year old child, who will be scarred for life. I have not seen the actual evidence presented, other than what has been in the news. I am not hearing anything about facts to prove his innocence, which should have been presented at his first trial.. I am seeing a lot of "deflecting to another person, reasonable doubt" but I am hearing nothing about actual physical proof of his innocence. There are only two people who know the actual truth: Greg Kelley and the four year old victim. Everyone else can speculate. In this instance, I know which I am leaning towards.
I can say this, I am very very saddened at the response from this church and it supporters who are leading this #FightforGK. I have never seen more unChristian, unloving, accusatory, hateful, spiteful, evil words spoken from people who claim to represent Christ. Just because someone does not agree with your fight does not make them partnering with Satan. This has been the worst part of this entire debacle, the way that I am watching Christians attack. It is unbelievable. You are right, God knows the truth.....and everything hidden will eventually come to light. A day of reckoning will be coming to those who do not support Greg Kelley, or are not jumping on the bandwagon for his release? That sounds almost like a threat. Did Jesus, on the cross, say these things to his accusors (and I am quite sure He was innocent)? NO. He did not. You are not acting, in any way, like Christ and should be held to an even higher standard, of that you are failing.
There is a four year old victim, who did the right thing, and made an outcry to his mother. He was put through hell (during his victimization and after) and will continue to live that out for the rest of his life. The people who are so vocal in #FightforGK are absolutely accomplishing one thing...they are preventing any other victims in this area to feel comfortable to report an assault. People who are still living in their victimization will absolutely not feel comfortable to report a crime after watching this circus. #FightforGK has effectively enabled hundreds of offenders to continue on in their assaults due to the fear their victims have.. That is a great accomplishment. If you don't believe me, again, go read the history. This sort of circus always has reprecussions for future victims. Look at Prestonwood Baptist church, Morrison Heights Baptist Church, and I can go on and on. That is what makes this so sad. There were other ways to fight this battle that they are choosing to fight, and the followers that they have.....no nothing about this case. It is a social media frenzy that is going to leave a lot of pain and hurt in its wake.
This entire situation is very sad. In the end, no one will win.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Spiritual Legacy
My Grandfather, Dore Dow Stephenson, known to most as Steve, chose Jesus! Not because he was forced to. Not because he was manipulated into it...but because he experienced the Love of a Savior, a Father who loved him no matter what...and he chose Him. That was a turning point in the line of his future generations that will forever be blessed! I can tell my children, and their children and their children and so on, that the decision that Grandpa Stephenson made, forever changed the course of our family.
He was raised in Texas, (whoo hoo) and then moved to New Mexico. He was working for the railroad when he met my grandmother, they fell in love, got married and my grandmother got pregnant! He left for World War II and my mom was born while he was overseas.
He was a pilot, flying from England over Germany bombing areas. His plane was shot at, and he had a very risky landing, which earned him a medal.(if I give you the exact account, I am quite sure I would mess it up, so this is simplifying it!) He would talk with anyone about his job in the military, about his flying experience, and his Love of our country. He would talk to you for HOURS about that! I loved it! I loved hearing about his joy and his passion!
the "jerilyne sue" named after my mom, you can see it barely written on the side of the plane
He returned home after WWII, and began to work on the railroad, he then transferred to a company in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he remained at his job until he retired.
During the early stages of his life, and in his marriage, he was not a Believer.
God was obviously protecting him, through 35 missions in WWII,, to prepare him to lead generations of people into a love of Christ.
My mother was in high school, attending church with her sister and mother, and my Grandpa would just stay home and read the newspaper. What they found out later, is that when they left for church, he would get his Bible out and begin to read. One week a revival came to town (Johnny Bisagno was the revival pastor) and he asked for people to walk over and touch the hand of someone they were praying for that did not know Christ. My mom went over to my Grandfather and touched his hand, but he was already walking into the aisle to accept Christ. And that was the beginning of a long, beautiful journey of following Christ with his heart, soul and spirit! He was a changed man!
I am sure that my mother and my aunt probably have different viewpoints than I do regarding the kindness and calmness of my grandfather (haha) but I only knew him as a kind, compassionate, loving, quiet, gentle man who loved Jesus. I have had the privilege of owning one of his Bibles and he read it and marked it up and prayed for people through that Bible.
The only incident I know of, regarding any anger, is when he was in a Deacon's meeting at his current church ( and they are all over 70 in that church) and one deacon basically called my grandfather a liar. Well, that was it! My grandfather was a quiet man, but when you attacked his character, he was ready to "take it outside" (my 6'3" grandfather and this very small man). The man, who apparently was very smart, decided against going outside...but I am sure my grandfather would have put the "love of Christ" into that man that day! I still laugh hearing him tell the story.
He created a legacy of loving Christ, loving people, knowing when to be quiet and when to speak up, honoring my grandmother with respect and dignity (even when she constantly talked his ear off!), and creating a safehaven for his family and for our generations to follow. I know that my sister and my cousins would agree with me, that he was a loving, Godly man that we all loved and respected and thank God for him in our lives and in our families.
When my grandmother passed away 3 years ago, my grandfather was there, holding her hand. He loved her and cherished her until the day she died. And he has missed her ever since.
He touched many lives in the last three years before he died, especially the lives of the people in the retirement home in which he lived. One lady who worked there, even nominated him to be able to fly in the same type of bomber airplane that he flew in WWII. Last year, at the end of June, he was picked to go up one more time, at the age of 93, into the big blue sky, and hear the roar of the engine and feel the plane lift off of the ground and experience what he loved to do, one more time!
waiting to get onto the plane in his original WWII bomber jacket
Following that, there are the couples who came every week to entertain at the home where he stayed. One particular couple would come weekly and my Grandpa loved them, and they loved him. He would get there early in order to have a good seat and be able to hear them. He requested one of his favorite songs "coming in on a wing and a prayer" to be sung, and they knew it. They would sing it every week for him when they came. Yesterday, they were informed that he was not going to make it much longer, so they came to his room, and the man who sings it, knelt next to my grandfather, took his hat off in respect, and quietly sang this song to him one more time. This is in honor of him:
He has been without my grandmother now for 3 years, and he was ready to go home. He was ready to go see the love of his life, go see the Savior that he faithfully served, and to be able to have a freedom to live in the fullness of Christ! It is finished and he has been a "good and faithful servant"
I thank him for being a wonderful father to my mother,
I thank him for being a wonderful grandfather to me
I thank him for loving on my children and being a patient great grandfather
I thank him for being a loving, Godly husband to my grandmother
I thank him for being a devout believer in Christ, and for following Him unashamedly for the rest of his life
I thank him for the spiritual legacy he has left behind, one that will be blessed from generation to generation.
20 Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
I love you Grandpa!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Equality ???
This is a symbol for me that represents my entire life. Not my Sunday morning life, not my Easter weekend life, but my entire life. I have been watching this week on facebook, especially, and a little bit on Twitter, and I have seen a lot of hatred being spewed. The issue of Equality has come up specifically this week due to "gay marriage". It has been very interesting watching people's view and convictions, watching intolerance of others (on both sides of the board) and the hatred that has been spewing forward. I have friends who live a lifestyle that is different from mine. They know my view point, my opinions, my convictions, and I know theirs. We disagree on things and we agree on things, but ultimately, they are my friends. I have friends who share the same convictions as me, and yet we still disagree on things, and disagree how things should be addressed. I am not typing this blog today to defend my beliefs, to attack others on their beliefs, or to get into arguments about my view points on "equality". That is not my purpose.
What my heart is feeling today is sadness. It is Good Friday. If you are Believer, it means that Jesus chose to go to the cross and be sacrificed for you. He did this whether you believe in Him or not, whether you choose Him or not, and whether you ultimately follow Him or not. He did this despite your choices or beliefs. He did this completely out of love. He did this because He created every single person with a purpose and a plan. If you are not a believer, it makes no difference to you, this is simply another day. This is where Good Friday and Equality cross paths for me today.
I watch my friends who live the different lifestyle from me getting pounded and beaten up by Believers. I watch them fight back for their opinions. I watch the definition of "sin" getting tossed around by people on both sides. I watch the phrases "love the sinner, hate the sin" and "all of the bigots" and multiple attacks get thrown around like a football on Friday night in Texas!
Here is the deal, we ALL sin. Whether you want to identify certain behaviors as sin or not, is not a discussion that I want to be in. All I know is that we all sin. It is humans that have defined what they believe are "worse" sins than others. There are biblical references for sins in the bible. Yes, there are references to homosexuality, as there are also references to adultry, pre-marital sex, lying, cheating, murder, slander, inciting those to confrontation, and the list goes on and on. That is the exact purpose of the Cross. The purpose of the cross was not to sit in judgement to identify which sin is worse, which person is worse because they commit this sin or behavior and how to condemn them. That is the exact opposite of the cross. The cross was to bridge the way into heaven where we are cleansed from any choice that we make which is against who God is, and we have freedom from the traps of the enemy's snare. We seem to forget that as Believers. We make it our goal to attack those who believe differently from us, to shame them, to level them to the ground. Really? Is that really what you were called to do? The cross is simply to bring Freedom!
I have been able to maintain relationships with people who live a homosexual lifestyle, with people who completely disregard God or His existence, or any belief in Him, those who have had abortions, those who have committed adultry, friends who lie, cheat and steal, girls who gossip and slander, and Believers who incite others to anger. I am not saying this to make me look great and holy. I am saying this because those people have also maintained relationships with me despite all of my failures, sins, choices, beliefs and decisions. I will maintain my belief in Christ, I will share my belief in Christ, I pray for these friends on a consistent basis, and I know that Jesus died EQUALLY for them as He did me. EQUALITY= dying for all of us, despite our beliefs, choices, or opinions. All Jesus wants is a relationship with us, where we are, who we are, and how we are. It is not my job to change hearts. I absolutely do not have that authority or power. I love all of my friends. I love who they are. I may disagree on issues, "sins" and beliefs, but I love them with the love of Christ, that is so overwhelmingly powerful that it is indescribable! I don't care about behaviors, I care about hearts. My heart will always be praying for my friends. (whether they like it or not! :) )
Today as I remember the Cross and what Jesus chose to do, I will remember all of my friends..those who partake in the Celebration with me, those who do not. Those who are fighting for things I may disagree with, those who disagree with things that I fight for. Those who are hurting and need healing, those who are joyful and peaceful. Those who are worn and tired, those who are refreshed and awake, those who fight against me and those who are with me. We are all equal in the sight of God, and we all deserve what He did on the cross as we all, in our way, sent Him there. Thank you for being my friend, thank you for letting me be your friend. Thank you for listening to me when you do not agree with me, and thank you for letting me listen to you and speak when I do not agree. This song is one of my favorite songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDGVl8D5UU Please feel free to watch it. This is the love I am talking about! "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." Eph 1:7. I LOVE YOU MY FRIENDS!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Silence
PSALM 30
I will exalt You, Lord because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
Lord, my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Lord, You brought me up from Sheol, You spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime.
weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning!
When I was secure, I said, "I will never be shaken".
Lord, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain; when You hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you, I sought favor from My Lord: "What gain is there in my death, in my descending to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim Your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.
You turned my lament into dancing
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with Gladness
SO THAT I CAN SING TO YOU AND NOT BE SILENT
Lord My God, I will praise you forever!
Silence......this is something that most of the time makes me uncomfortable. As many of you know me, I like to talk....ha! That is an understatement....let me re-emphasize that....I LIKE TO TALK !! My husband loves silence. Kind of a crazy, only God ordained relationship we have! I understand the purpose of silence. Be still and know that I am God. I understand the place for silence. I understand the importance of silence....but ....is it my love?
This psalm is one that I love. I have read it a million times and honestly, most people who have read this focus on the "pain in the night, joy in the morning" verse. While I love that verse dearly, tonight...as I was worshiping and listening to God, this verse exploded in my head.....SO THAT I CAN SING TO YOU AND NOT BE SILENT ! I love to worship! I love to sing to my Father! I love to "not be silent". I love the freedom in expression, in language, in shouts of joy, in loud weeping of our souls. I love to praise from the depths of my heart.
David wrote this Psalm after committing a horrible sin and deaths of his followers were a result of God's punishment for David. He writes this Psalm out of the truth that he knew of God. God loves him despite his failures, that it is total fear to live outside of God's face, and that His anger lasts only for a season and joy always follows. But that one thing that David was great at, was worshipping! His greatest joy was that He could Sing to God and not be silent!
I do not want to be silent towards God. I want to express my love, my joy, my passion, my fears, my failures and my release to Him, my Lord, my Savior, my hope and my Father! The truth is...how CAN I be silent? In Revelation, the cherubim are surrounding Jesus constantly singing and praising.....constantly, without fail. This is where I want to be!!
Where are you in your life today? Are you silent in your expression to Jesus? Does your heart fill with joy at just the thought of being able to praise Him? I challenge you to spend time today NOT being silent! Whether it is in your house, your car, your shower, or your sanctuary....do not be silent! Express out loud your love for Him, for what He has done for you and what He will do for you! Sing! Even if you cannot! Express to Him the reason that you follow Him! Get out of your comfort zone and do not be Silent! Enjoy the Freedom you have in Christ and relish in it! Love this day of Worship!
I will exalt You, Lord because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
Lord, my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Lord, You brought me up from Sheol, You spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
Sing to the Lord, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime.
weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning!
When I was secure, I said, "I will never be shaken".
Lord, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain; when You hid your face, I was terrified.
Lord, I called to you, I sought favor from My Lord: "What gain is there in my death, in my descending to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim Your truth? Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.
You turned my lament into dancing
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with Gladness
SO THAT I CAN SING TO YOU AND NOT BE SILENT
Lord My God, I will praise you forever!
Silence......this is something that most of the time makes me uncomfortable. As many of you know me, I like to talk....ha! That is an understatement....let me re-emphasize that....I LIKE TO TALK !! My husband loves silence. Kind of a crazy, only God ordained relationship we have! I understand the purpose of silence. Be still and know that I am God. I understand the place for silence. I understand the importance of silence....but ....is it my love?
This psalm is one that I love. I have read it a million times and honestly, most people who have read this focus on the "pain in the night, joy in the morning" verse. While I love that verse dearly, tonight...as I was worshiping and listening to God, this verse exploded in my head.....SO THAT I CAN SING TO YOU AND NOT BE SILENT ! I love to worship! I love to sing to my Father! I love to "not be silent". I love the freedom in expression, in language, in shouts of joy, in loud weeping of our souls. I love to praise from the depths of my heart.
David wrote this Psalm after committing a horrible sin and deaths of his followers were a result of God's punishment for David. He writes this Psalm out of the truth that he knew of God. God loves him despite his failures, that it is total fear to live outside of God's face, and that His anger lasts only for a season and joy always follows. But that one thing that David was great at, was worshipping! His greatest joy was that He could Sing to God and not be silent!
I do not want to be silent towards God. I want to express my love, my joy, my passion, my fears, my failures and my release to Him, my Lord, my Savior, my hope and my Father! The truth is...how CAN I be silent? In Revelation, the cherubim are surrounding Jesus constantly singing and praising.....constantly, without fail. This is where I want to be!!
Where are you in your life today? Are you silent in your expression to Jesus? Does your heart fill with joy at just the thought of being able to praise Him? I challenge you to spend time today NOT being silent! Whether it is in your house, your car, your shower, or your sanctuary....do not be silent! Express out loud your love for Him, for what He has done for you and what He will do for you! Sing! Even if you cannot! Express to Him the reason that you follow Him! Get out of your comfort zone and do not be Silent! Enjoy the Freedom you have in Christ and relish in it! Love this day of Worship!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sadness, abuse and John Langworthy
I am sitting here after a long week last week in Clinton Mississippi where I watched three victims finally get the one thing that they have been longing to hear for over 20 years....."GUILTY" for molesting them when they were young boys. No, John Langworthy did not receive any prison time as a result of his plea bargain (for many reasons) and yes, he does have to register as a sexual offender and receive a felony conviction. Was this justice enough? Some will say yes, some will say no. There have been much crazier sentences for these types of offenses going both ways...so it is all a matter of opinion. I believe that ultimately there will be more to come for Mr. Langworthy and so I rest in that at this time.
My sadness comes from many parts regarding this entire 30 years of molestation that this man has committed. First and foremost, his victims. Whether they have remained in silence and torture for the last 30 years with no where to turn, whether they have been outspoken and no one has listened, or whether they have received justice...they are all victims of this man, sexually, emotionally and spiritually.
My heart breaks for what they had to endure as children and for the people in authority who listened to what he did to them and then re-victimized them once again by failing to protect them legally.
My sadness is for the parents of these victims, who felt helpless, shame and did not know that they had a voice. Authorities telling them, or even pressuring/threatening them to not report these crimes...and they were unaware of their rights and voice. My sadness comes from all that they had to endure, and still endure to this day.
My sadness goes out to the current members of Prestonwood Baptist Church. They have no idea what took place 20+ years ago, and are still not being told the truth. I am saddened by an executive staff and the choices that they made at the time that John was on staff, and the choices that they are currently choosing to make by remaining silent in light of legal testimony showing otherwise. They had a LEGAL responsibility to report these crimes, especially when the offender admits these crimes against children to them and they STILL do not report to the police. I am sad for them that when even ONE victim comes forth in Mississippi after John's stay at Prestonwood, they will have to live with the fact that had they done the right thing...there would be no more victims. They are culpable for any victims that come out of Mississippi after 1989. I am sad that their choices most likely have resulted in a large amount of victims. I am sad they are not being honest with their congregation. I ultimately pray for healing for this church when this all comes to a head, and it will. Members of this congregation (at least those not involved in the John Langworthy case in the late 80's) had no idea and will still suffer consequences based on this staff's choices. I hope that through this, healing will begin in multiple levels at Prestonwood Baptist Church.
I pray for the congregation at Morrison Heights Baptist Church. I am saddened still by how this was handled, but ultimately it proved to be God's mercy and timing. I am sad that there is still a large community at this church who are more concerned about the welfare of Mr. Langworthy than his victims. They have created an environment which is very volatile for victims to speak out. They will be scared to death, especially since he is still out in the community and they see the outpouring of support for him. This community has made it almost impossible for any of his victims to feel safe. The school and the school administration of Clinton High School is also culpable for that too. Sadness for the victims still in Clinton and Jackson Mississippi who are not free to receive the help they need. I hope and pray that Morrison Heights will step up and create a safe environment and focus now on the potential victims of John Langworthy and not slide this under the rug as Prestonwood has done for 25 years now.
I am sad that there are so many people whose lives have been affected by this ONE MAN....from many, many victims and their families, to church staff members and the integrity and character of a church, to political leaders in Mississippi whose careers could be affected because of him, to judges and attorneys, and to many other parties and entities that we do not even know about. I am sad that his children have to endure what they will now endure and pray constantly for healing for them through this. Mostly I am sad that a man, who presented himself a follower of Christ, has caused SO MUCH HARM to the church body and to non-believers. He has yet again, allowed Satan to use his efforts to kill, steal, and destroy lives. Lives of victims, lives of believers, lives of non believers who will now again look at a church with disdain, contempt and refusal to believe in Christ. That is what overwhelmingly breaks my heart. I am righteously angry at John Langworthy for all he has destroyed and for the hundreds of lives he has impacted. There are some who say that he is the reason that they found Christ. My first response to that is that God can use ANYONE to lead you to Christ, even a donkey. John Langworthy did a fantastic job of leading double life...he was VERY good at it and manipulated and controlled a lot of people, and I suspect he still does. But JESUS CHRIST is the complete opposite of John Langworthy. He will never harm a child, He will never condemn you or spiritually manipulate you, and He will never shame you! He is TRUTH, He is LOVE, and He is COMPASSION and He will always be there for you, with no ulterior motive. So, despite all of your harm, Mr. Langworthy, JESUS WILL PREVAIL ! Despite Prestonwood's lack of character and legal responsibility, JESUS WILL PREVAIL, and despite Morrison Heights lack of a safe environment for victims, JESUS WILL PREVAIL!
My sadness comes from many parts regarding this entire 30 years of molestation that this man has committed. First and foremost, his victims. Whether they have remained in silence and torture for the last 30 years with no where to turn, whether they have been outspoken and no one has listened, or whether they have received justice...they are all victims of this man, sexually, emotionally and spiritually.
My heart breaks for what they had to endure as children and for the people in authority who listened to what he did to them and then re-victimized them once again by failing to protect them legally.
My sadness is for the parents of these victims, who felt helpless, shame and did not know that they had a voice. Authorities telling them, or even pressuring/threatening them to not report these crimes...and they were unaware of their rights and voice. My sadness comes from all that they had to endure, and still endure to this day.
My sadness goes out to the current members of Prestonwood Baptist Church. They have no idea what took place 20+ years ago, and are still not being told the truth. I am saddened by an executive staff and the choices that they made at the time that John was on staff, and the choices that they are currently choosing to make by remaining silent in light of legal testimony showing otherwise. They had a LEGAL responsibility to report these crimes, especially when the offender admits these crimes against children to them and they STILL do not report to the police. I am sad for them that when even ONE victim comes forth in Mississippi after John's stay at Prestonwood, they will have to live with the fact that had they done the right thing...there would be no more victims. They are culpable for any victims that come out of Mississippi after 1989. I am sad that their choices most likely have resulted in a large amount of victims. I am sad they are not being honest with their congregation. I ultimately pray for healing for this church when this all comes to a head, and it will. Members of this congregation (at least those not involved in the John Langworthy case in the late 80's) had no idea and will still suffer consequences based on this staff's choices. I hope that through this, healing will begin in multiple levels at Prestonwood Baptist Church.
I pray for the congregation at Morrison Heights Baptist Church. I am saddened still by how this was handled, but ultimately it proved to be God's mercy and timing. I am sad that there is still a large community at this church who are more concerned about the welfare of Mr. Langworthy than his victims. They have created an environment which is very volatile for victims to speak out. They will be scared to death, especially since he is still out in the community and they see the outpouring of support for him. This community has made it almost impossible for any of his victims to feel safe. The school and the school administration of Clinton High School is also culpable for that too. Sadness for the victims still in Clinton and Jackson Mississippi who are not free to receive the help they need. I hope and pray that Morrison Heights will step up and create a safe environment and focus now on the potential victims of John Langworthy and not slide this under the rug as Prestonwood has done for 25 years now.
I am sad that there are so many people whose lives have been affected by this ONE MAN....from many, many victims and their families, to church staff members and the integrity and character of a church, to political leaders in Mississippi whose careers could be affected because of him, to judges and attorneys, and to many other parties and entities that we do not even know about. I am sad that his children have to endure what they will now endure and pray constantly for healing for them through this. Mostly I am sad that a man, who presented himself a follower of Christ, has caused SO MUCH HARM to the church body and to non-believers. He has yet again, allowed Satan to use his efforts to kill, steal, and destroy lives. Lives of victims, lives of believers, lives of non believers who will now again look at a church with disdain, contempt and refusal to believe in Christ. That is what overwhelmingly breaks my heart. I am righteously angry at John Langworthy for all he has destroyed and for the hundreds of lives he has impacted. There are some who say that he is the reason that they found Christ. My first response to that is that God can use ANYONE to lead you to Christ, even a donkey. John Langworthy did a fantastic job of leading double life...he was VERY good at it and manipulated and controlled a lot of people, and I suspect he still does. But JESUS CHRIST is the complete opposite of John Langworthy. He will never harm a child, He will never condemn you or spiritually manipulate you, and He will never shame you! He is TRUTH, He is LOVE, and He is COMPASSION and He will always be there for you, with no ulterior motive. So, despite all of your harm, Mr. Langworthy, JESUS WILL PREVAIL ! Despite Prestonwood's lack of character and legal responsibility, JESUS WILL PREVAIL, and despite Morrison Heights lack of a safe environment for victims, JESUS WILL PREVAIL!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
"Doing His Thing"
Today I am full of joy! I am not sure why? I am homeschooling, dealing with a 2 year old who has decided to do the exact opposite of any instruction or anything I say, and a puppy who is very very full of energy! I feel like I am fighting twenty different battles a day....and yet I feel joyful?? There is a very big difference between happy and joyful. There are many, many times during the day that I am not happy. I am frustrated, I am mad (usually directed at a puppy!) and I am exhausted....but yet there is joy! Joy comes from a much deeper place than our emotions and our feelings. Joy comes from a constant knowledge that God is in control, He does not give us more than we can handle, and He ALWAYS provides a way out. Where do you see the joy in your day? Are you sometimes overwhelmed by "stuff" that is in your life? If you do not see joy, WHY? Explore that today. Where is my joy? Where is it coming from?
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It means the Holy Spirit is able to work through you, to you, and with you to provide exactly what you need, when you need it. He also uses the fruits of the Spirit to work in others lives. I have seen many people going through horrendous circumstances, and yet people walk away from THEM experiencing love and understanding and Christ. How? Because they have JOY that is flowing out of them, despite their circumstances, despite their feelings, despite their "lot".....they have chosen to let the Holy Spirit "do His thing!", (as one girl put it). She said she was just a container and the Holy Spirit used her to "do His thing". (She also was 13). Sometimes in our life and age, we forget that. We put so many boundaries around it and laws around it and legalism around it...that we forget to just let the Holy Spirit "do His thing" and enjoy being chosen to participate!
Look for examples today of Joy. Joy in others, and joy in yourself! Give us examples so we can all enjoy seeing the Holy Spirit "do His thing": !!
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It means the Holy Spirit is able to work through you, to you, and with you to provide exactly what you need, when you need it. He also uses the fruits of the Spirit to work in others lives. I have seen many people going through horrendous circumstances, and yet people walk away from THEM experiencing love and understanding and Christ. How? Because they have JOY that is flowing out of them, despite their circumstances, despite their feelings, despite their "lot".....they have chosen to let the Holy Spirit "do His thing!", (as one girl put it). She said she was just a container and the Holy Spirit used her to "do His thing". (She also was 13). Sometimes in our life and age, we forget that. We put so many boundaries around it and laws around it and legalism around it...that we forget to just let the Holy Spirit "do His thing" and enjoy being chosen to participate!
Look for examples today of Joy. Joy in others, and joy in yourself! Give us examples so we can all enjoy seeing the Holy Spirit "do His thing": !!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Parting ways
As my dear sweet friend is leaving to minister abroad....I am left with several different things:
The first, thank God for things like Facebook, FaceTime and Magic Jack, because I can still be a part of her life on a daily basis! Even though it is never the same as TRUE face time, it is as close as we can get at this moment!
Second, I am thankful that God is calling them on this journey and they are faithful to the calling. How many of us have a calling that has been on our life and for whatever reason we have justified NOT doing it. Our reasons may be money, time, fear, lack of resources, etc....but overall, we are failing in what God has prepared and maybe even chosen us to do, before we were even born. I want to be at the end of my life, whenever that may be....and know that above all, I was faithful to hear my Father and to obey, no matter what the circumstances or choices I made. I want to hear "Good and faithful Servant" and know that I fulfilled my calling. I want to be happy in that calling! That does not mean we have to be miserable! I am confident I DO know what my calling is and have seen harvest and reaping from it in so many ways! Do you? Where are you in your life? Are you at the beginning of it? Just finding out all of your opportunities? Are you at middle, regretting some past decisions and looking for opportunities to change? Are you nearing the end and cherishing memories, tasks, relationships and joy! I hope that you are all in these different stages loving on each other and loving God and following His call for your life!
Third, I am thankful that despite our geological barrier, we have a Heavenly Father connection that is faster than the speed of light! I can connect, pray and minister to her and her family a gazillion miles away, and know that God is there, instantly, to comfort and provide peace! No one else has that! No one! Only through our heavenly Father can you have that! How awesome is that!!
"Parting ways is such sweet sorrow"...I never understood that until this journey with my friend. I am so happy for her journey, and so selfishly sad along the way. Sad for me that is. It gives me new perspective on the friendships I currently have, on my prioritizing of those friendships, and how I need to be purposeful in my time with them. We never know how much time we have....at 16, at 28, at 45, or at 60.......and we need to make EVERY single moment count.
I love my friend and I am happy that I am walking through this journey and God is working on my heart!
Where is He working on your heart?
The first, thank God for things like Facebook, FaceTime and Magic Jack, because I can still be a part of her life on a daily basis! Even though it is never the same as TRUE face time, it is as close as we can get at this moment!
Second, I am thankful that God is calling them on this journey and they are faithful to the calling. How many of us have a calling that has been on our life and for whatever reason we have justified NOT doing it. Our reasons may be money, time, fear, lack of resources, etc....but overall, we are failing in what God has prepared and maybe even chosen us to do, before we were even born. I want to be at the end of my life, whenever that may be....and know that above all, I was faithful to hear my Father and to obey, no matter what the circumstances or choices I made. I want to hear "Good and faithful Servant" and know that I fulfilled my calling. I want to be happy in that calling! That does not mean we have to be miserable! I am confident I DO know what my calling is and have seen harvest and reaping from it in so many ways! Do you? Where are you in your life? Are you at the beginning of it? Just finding out all of your opportunities? Are you at middle, regretting some past decisions and looking for opportunities to change? Are you nearing the end and cherishing memories, tasks, relationships and joy! I hope that you are all in these different stages loving on each other and loving God and following His call for your life!
Third, I am thankful that despite our geological barrier, we have a Heavenly Father connection that is faster than the speed of light! I can connect, pray and minister to her and her family a gazillion miles away, and know that God is there, instantly, to comfort and provide peace! No one else has that! No one! Only through our heavenly Father can you have that! How awesome is that!!
"Parting ways is such sweet sorrow"...I never understood that until this journey with my friend. I am so happy for her journey, and so selfishly sad along the way. Sad for me that is. It gives me new perspective on the friendships I currently have, on my prioritizing of those friendships, and how I need to be purposeful in my time with them. We never know how much time we have....at 16, at 28, at 45, or at 60.......and we need to make EVERY single moment count.
I love my friend and I am happy that I am walking through this journey and God is working on my heart!
Where is He working on your heart?
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| My friend Amy Travis (red shirt) |
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