I wanted to take a moment to say Happy Pesach to everyone. We’ve just started the beginning of the religious New Year and are enjoying the Feast of Unleavened Bread. While I may have celebrated Passover under much better conditions than those I had this year, I’ve discovered that the same Spirit that was present at a catered meal served in an impeccably-decorated room of 400 people and friends and family all around me is the same Spirit that graces us four guys who love Yeshua and honor His feasts here at the prison. Instead of a catered meal, it’s TV dinners. Instead of an amazing live worship band, there are songs played from an mp3 player over a 25-year-old sound system in the chapel. Instead of wearing nice clothes, we’re in our sweats. But the love we have for each other and the presence of the Almighty is so thick that it’s already brought tears to my eyes. And we haven’t even gotten to the actual Seder!

We’re given TV dinners for each of the seven days of Unleavened Bread and when the four of us pick them up, we eat together and spend hours talking and enjoying the Spirit of the Lord. Never in my life would I have imagined that I would be so excited about eating a TV dinner! Tonight we’ll do our small Seder. I’ll be sure to let you all know how it goes. For now, please know that I love and appreciate each of you more than you will ever know. I may not ever meet most of you, but my heart aches to be with you again. If there’s one thing that prison teaches you, it’s an appreciation for each and every blessing that comes your way, no matter how it’s packaged. You learn to live with little, love a lot, be patient with all, and pray non-stop. So no matter how your day is going or how frustrated you might be when things might not go exactly as you’ve planned, take a deep breath and say to yourself, “It could be worse. I could be eating a TV dinner with three former drug dealers in prison.” Smile. It’ll make you live longer. Hug those that love you and pray for those that don’t. Cherish every moment of life. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Chag Sameach (Happy Festival!) and Shalom my family!

Jim

2016