No Drifting Away

“IUB”…Intrauterine bleeding…That was the diagnosis that came back with this 40 something female inmate sitting on the chair in front of me, as I read her chart and treatment records that came from ER. She had missed her monthly periods for many months and started having abdominal pain. From the ultrasound, the doctors saw a tiny cyst inside her uterus.

“Drink lots of water, Ma’am,” I advised. “So you won’t get dehydrated. You were bleeding a lot earlier.”

“When will I see the doctor again?”

“Soon. You just need to be patient,” I reassured.

“Well, when is that?” she queried with an impatient tone.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry. When I told you “soon”, you need to trust me. Because here, we are not supposed to give you a specific time or hour or date. But when I say “soon”, it does happen. The reason you are not told is because of security purposes. I hope you understand,” I answered patiently.

“Okay. I know it’s true. But I am still having pain.” [She pointed to her lower abdominal area].

“I’m so sorry that you are still uncomfortable. Just be patient. You will be seen and I will do my best that it’s the soonest available time,” I added.

That’s the truth in the jail. Most inmates know that when they are told that the medical doctors will see them for follow-ups, that will occur. Except, having so many inmates who have gone to ER’s and other bad medical conditions, the doctors are always busy. Day to day, a list is generated for only a certain amount of patients. And the severity of their condition is assessed prior to being seen. The sicker they are, the higher they go up that list. They know that truth but they are not willing to wait. Some of them become disrespectful to staff, saying many bad things that are not necessary. Some fake their medical emergencies just to be seen right away. To their dismay. Because the nursing staff and the doctors would still be able to recognize the severity of their illnesses because of the symptoms that are manifested.

We, believers, have received that TRUTH. But living in this world, there are so many false teachings that surround us. It is a hard work to be able to be patient and to be able to pay careful attention to His Truth. It means fully listening to what His Word says. But the most important thing to do is to follow what He wants.

We all know Jesus is the truth as so many eyewitnesses had handed down this truth to us. We might have not seen the Doctor in the flesh but we know that we will see Him because of all the eyewitness accounts recorded in the Bible.

Long time ago, Jesus said this to Thomas: “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.” [John 20:29]

Our faith must always point to Christ. Be patient. That is the truth. For those who believe will see the Doctor. We don’t know when. But it will occur.

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” -Hebrews 2:1

“What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself? It was passed on to us by those who heard him speak, and God verified the message by signs and wonders and various miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose to do so.” -Hebrews 2:3

Be Alert

For other encouraging posts, please visit Spiritual Sundays. Thank you sisters Charlotte and Ginger.

Only The Lord Can Change Hearts and The Stats In Prison

This ad is funny…But not fun when the rise of number of women incarcerated continues to be on the rise since the 80’s. Most of them have drug convictions or violations. Look at these stats [source: Women's Prison Association]:

~ Over 200,00 women are in prison and jail in United States. More than 1 million women are under criminal justice supervision

There were 115,779 women incarcerated in either state or federal prisons at midyear 2008

• The average daily adult female jail population at midyear 2008 was 99,175

• At year end 2007, there were 987,427 women on probation, representing 23% of the total probation population.

• Women represented 12% of the parole population (98,923 women) in 2007

The number of women in prison has grown by over 800% in the past three decades
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• The female prison population grew by 832% from 1977 to 2007. The male prison population grew 416% during the same time period

• Oklahoma has the highest female imprisonment rate at 134 per 100,000 women. Massachusetts has the lowest rate of female imprisonment at 13 per 100,000 women

Two thirds of women in prison are there for non-violent offenses, many for drug-related crimes.

• Twenty-eight percent of women in state prison at year end 2005 were sentenced for drug offenses. Property offenses accounted for another 28% of the female state prison population.

Together, property and drug crimes – non-violent offenses – make up nearly 2/3 of the population of women in prison. At yearend 2005, 35% of women in prison were convicted of violent offenses

• Over 2.5 million women were arrested in 2007, accounting for nearly a quarter of all arrests. The arrests of women increased nearly seven percent from 1998 to 2007

• In the five-year period from 2003 to 2007, arrests of women for drug violations increased 29%, compared to 15% for men




Remember them in your prayers and ask God to transform the lives of these inmates, both women and men.

Change in our hearts only comes from the Lord. Nothing or no one else can.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 - “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” [NIV]


1 Peter 3:8-10 - “8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” [NIV]

Luke 6:35- “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” [NIV]

Stingball Grenades

You can also watch this video.


Stingball grenades are used to stop huge prison riots. It looks like a hand-held grenade and has 180 rubber pellets inside that can travel up to 50 feet from the area where it was detonated. When discharged, it produces a loud sound, a bright flash of light and sends those pellets everywhere to stun the rioting inmates.

I had seen the power of this non-lethal weapon used for many years in prisons. One night, out in the prison yard, obscured from inmates, the Sergeant demonstrated different kinds of forces and non-lethal weapons used to stop prison riots to us, the medical staff. Even when we were far, the sound it produced was scary, the light was surprising and blinding as it was thrown in the darkness of the night. And the medical staff huddled together… Frozen! Stunned! Afraid!

Sin had brought a lot of complications into our lives. Because of it, we, too, have a fight that goes on. Everyday. It starts with our decision-making. When we fall into sins’ traps, obviously, that’s when we make the wrong decisions. The Holy Spirit is here to convince the world of its sin. It comes like that stingball. When It hits you, of course, it hurts. Because He wants to bring you and I to repentance. He lets us know about God’s righteousness to anyone who believes.

John 16:8 - “And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”

He also disciplines His children. Sometimes, even those who had previously surrendered to His Lordship still fall back to their old, ugly habits. But He comes in a big surprise like a stingball to stun or stop someone from being trapped again. The only thing that matters is how that person will accept the Holy Spirit’s conviction and discipline.

It is not enjoyable to feel the sting from God’s discipline. We can either accept it with resignation, or with self-pity thinking that we don’t deserve it, or even with anger and resentment toward God, or perhaps gratefully? The last one is the right response. When we learn to endure, it produces righteousness in the end. God does this because He loves us.

Hebrews 12:4-11: [NIV]

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

And the beauty that comes from the sting of the Holy Spirit? It doesn’t kill anyone. Instead, it offers a gift of eternal life and righteousness!


[photo credit: bhigear.com]