On June 5, 2014 through June 8, 2014, the Kairos Prison Ministry team at South Bay Prison, a maximum security prison in South Bay, Florida led a 4 day Weekend event where 36 inmates attended the program for the first time. In addition to those inmates, 25 other residents who had previously gone through the program were in attendance to assist with the weekend.

The Kairos team consisted of 22 lay persons and 5 clergymen. Their mission was to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to the inmates and those who work with them, and to assist the residents in the transition to become productive members of society. “Kairos” is a Greek term that means “God’s Special Time,” and the Weekend was indeed special. There were a series of coordinated talks, followed by discussions about the talks. For some of the talks, posters were drawn by the residents to express how they felt about what was said. In addition, there were chapel meditations for the entire group and chapel visits by each table family to pray together as a family. The table family names were James, Matthew, John, Peter, Paul and Mark. 6 inmates and 3 Kairos team members sat at each table. The balance of the Kairos team performed various functions during the Weekend.

On the second day of the Weekend, as part of a talk given by a clergyman entitled, “You are Not Alone,” many posters made by different churches and individuals, as well as a prayer chain which stretched around the entire room, were brought into the room for the inmates. Their reaction to the messages they received from the outside community of hope, forgiveness, love, redemption and salvation was very blessed and emotional. For many of the residents, the realization that so many people in the outside world were praying for them was earthshaking.

Throughout the course of the Weekend, the music ministry (composed of both residents who had already attended a Kairos Weekend and Kairos team members) helped to stir all those present to a closer relationship with Jesus and each other. Songs such as “Amazing Grace,” “Surely the Presence of The Lord is in this Place,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” (which was played each day as the 36 inmates entered the room) caused the flow of the Weekend to move to a higher spiritual dimension.

On Sunday, one of the last acts of the Weekend was for all 36 inmates being invited up to the front of the room table family by table family to receive the Cross of Christ. All 36 accepted, and 36 new Brothers in Christ are now present at South Bay Prison! Praise God for His work in them!!

A closing ceremony was held at the end of the Weekend. Individuals from the outside community attended the ceremony, including the wives of some of the Kairos team members. Those wives sang several songs, accompanied by some of the musicians. Also present were around 150 inmates from the South Bay community who had either gone through the Kairos Weekend previously, or who were interested in hearing more about the Weekend. As part of the closing, each of the table families appointed a resident representative to speak about the spiritual condition the members of each table family had arrived in, what they found at the Weekend, and what they were taking with them when they returned to the compound. Additionally, each of the 36 inmates was invited to speak about what the Weekend had meant to them personally.

There were many inspiring testimonies from the residents who spoke. The spiritual journeys the inmates recounted were a blessing to all those in the room. One of the inmates stated that the “Kairos Weekend was like a party that Jesus Christ would throw.” None of the Kairos team members had ever heard the Weekend described in that manner! The statement, along with the testimonies from other residents, certainly moved the team ministers to return once again to South Bay, and there will be another 4 day weekend in November, 2014. In the meantime, Kairos team members will be returning to South Bay on a monthly basis for Reunions hosted on the 3rd Sunday of each month by the residents who have completed the Kairos program. Those Reunions are truly a blessing for all who attend and help each of us in our earthly struggles and walk to remain close to Jesus Christ.

Thank all of you for your prayers! They were heard and answered. Please continue to pray for all of the Kairos community. God Bless.

Our family celebrated Mothers Day yesterday, but the day went by much too quickly. Before we knew it, dinner was finished and soon after our grandchildren were ready for bed. The events of the day were terrific, and our family was blessed being together. But today, it seems like the day should have been longer so we could have enjoyed our time together more.

As I reflected on how quickly the years have flown by, I began to think that we should honor our mother and our wife (as the mother of our children) more than just once a year for all they do in building up and keeping our family on the right track. Why not make one Sunday a month a special day to take time out to show our appreciation to our mother and wife for the sacrifices they make throughout their lives for their family.

A surprise visit to Mom’s house (or a telephone call if she lives too far away) to let her know how much we care for her might be just the ticket for her to feel she’s made quite a positive difference in her child’s life. As for your wife, why not make Sunday dinner once a month, or if cooking is not your forte, take her and the kids out for dinner.

Mothers are certainly very special and we should honor them more than just once a year. I am commited to doing that, and I hope you will as well. No matter how you choose to take the time and effort to recognize the wonderful women in your life, nothing but precious memories will unfold from those actions.

On Saturday, May 3, 2014, I was both privileged and honored to speak to the Magnificat group in West Palm Beach. The presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit could be felt in the room. The music team did an incredible job with their Christian songs, and brought everyone to their feet in singing and praising Our Lord.

It was a blessing for me to be able to share my testimony as to how Jesus has worked in my life and in my family’s lifes. The change in my career from trial lawyer to author of fictional legal novels with Christian themes has not been without its challenges, but Christ has been and will continue to support me in my endeavors as I strive to do my best to be an evangelist for Him.

During my testimony, I shared with the audience the incredible events I have witnessed while being a prison minister with Kairos prison ministries. On many occasions, I have been blessed to witness men who made mistakes in their lives, and were sentenced to prison, now turn their life over to Christ and have a positive effect on other inmates in the compound. I have attempted in the books I have written to portray the prison scenes in those novels in a realistic manner, and to let my readers know of the many men in prison who are doing their best to overcome their past, and becomes disciples of Jesus.

The Christ Our Light Chapter Magnificat Service Team in West Palm Beach is doing a wonderful service in dedicating themselves to lead Christian women, as well as men, to open more and more to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By doing so, the Magnificat Team is bringing other Christians to a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus, which results in multiple blessings in the lives of many people and their families. In this day and age when our society is confronted with numerous issues which detract from the quality of family life, the efforts of women such as those on the Magnificat Service Team are to be greatly appreciated.

Our Lord has blessed us all with our families, especially our children. I am finishing up a spin off from my trilogy of books known as “The Taylor Series.” The book’s title is “Life’s Choices.” The overarching Christian theme deals with an 18 year old single woman who becomes pregnant, and is faced with a monumental decision whether she will abort the baby or choose life for her child.

God bless all of you and your families. Let’s keep each other in prayer that we all honor God, and support our families, by living in a manner which follows His Commandments.

On March 13 and 14, I was a guest speaker at all the Masses at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Curch in Jensen Beach, Fl. I spoke about “Faith Beyond The Trials,” my new Christian-based, fictional legal novel. After the Masses, we had a book signing. The response was wonderful and very encouraging. I had shared with the congregation during my talk some of the trials and tribulations my family had gone through with the deaths of family members, and my desire not to wait until 65 to retire and pursue my dream of writing Christian legal novels.  In turn, many of the people who came to the book signing to purchase a book shared with me their personal adversities, or those of other family members or friends. I hope and pray that “Faith Beyond The Trials,” and the prayer I wrote as part of the book entitled “In Times Of Trouble and Doubt,” provides them with peace and comfort.  I intended the book to provide a message of hope and that with faith in God and Jesus Christ, and the love of our families and friends, we can overcome the trials of life which come our way.