LOST BOY, Found

REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL HOPE
DAR VUELTA
PARA VER
EN ESPAÑOL
A BETTER LIFE
LET YOUR LIFE SHINE
LOST BOY,
Found THE
STORY
OF
TIMOTHY
KANE
A magazine
on a mission:
see page 2
Issue 03 / 2024

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VICTORIOUS LIVING
Victorious Living magazine provides real life
testimonies of the transforming power of
Jesus Christ through our bilingual magazine,
available in print and digital formats.
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well as connection to re-entry support.
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PHOTO BY S.H.A.R.P.

ISSUE 3, JULY 2024
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.… Many will
see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40: 1, 3 NLT
Publisher & Executive Director
Kristi Overton Johnson
Editor
Rachel Overton
Spanish Translator
Ebert Morillo
Editorial Team
Karissa Anderson
Kristi Overton Johnson
Christina Kimbrel
Rachel Overton
Carla Owens
Creative Designer
Lauren Jones
Creative Content Team
Stephanie Carter
Deborah Griffin
Kristi Overton Johnson
Christina Kimbrel
Administrative Director
Carla Owens
Production Manager
Christina Kimbrel
Director of Digital Content
Sheridan Correa
Director of Prison Correspondence
Lauren Everett
Director of Care/Correctional Liaison
Pat Avery
Director of Partner Relations
Ashley Smith
Hispanic Outreach Director
Denise San Miguel
Story Contributors
Roy A. Borges
Sheridan Correa
Kristi Overton Johnson
Timothy Kane
Christina Kimbrel
Amber Leason
Naomi Lewis
Sherri Mewha
Carla Owens
Na’Kedra Rodgers
Chris Southerland
Robert E. Whitner
Cover Photography
Upon a Dream Photography LLC
Photography
Mike Barber Ministries
Kory Gordon
Deborah Griffin Photography
The Jesus Infusion
Kristi Overton Johnson
Tim and Ericka Kane (Courtesy of)
Joey Meddock Photography
Pathway to Freedom
Na’Kedra Rodgers (Courtesy of)
S.H.A.R.P. (Courtesy of)
Geri Simpkins Photography
Deanna Smith Photography
Upon a Dream Photography LLC
Robert E. Whitner (Courtesy of)
Artwork
Bill Coyne
Incarcerated Family Member
Victorious Living magazine is a publication of Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries, a 501(c) (3)
organization. Copyright © 2024, Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries, all rights
reserved. For permission to reprint or copy any material contained herein, please
contact us at admin@vlmag.org.
DISCLAIMER: The articles featured in Victorious Living are designed to inspire and encourage
our readers by sharing powerful testimonies from people who, we believe, have been transformed
by God’s grace, love, and power. The articles are focused on each individual’s testimony.
Although we conduct some independent research, we rely heavily on the information provided
to us by those we interview. Our articles are not intended to be an endorsement of the views,
opinions, choices, or activities of the persons whose stories we feature. The statements, views,
and opinions of those persons whose stories we feature are purely their own, and we do not
control and are not responsible for any such statements, views, or opinions.
HOW TO REACH VICTORIOUS LIVING
General, Subscription, and Partnership Inquiries
• Victorious Living
PO Box 2801, Greenville, NC 27836
• 352-478-2098
• admin@vlmag.org
All Prison Inmate Correspondence
• Victorious Living Correspondence Outreach
PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836
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Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, copyright
©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. | Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible, New
Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. | All Scripture is
used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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| Toda la escritura usado con permiso. Reservados todos los derechos en todo el
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VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
3

THE VICTORIOUS LIVING STORY
JOIN OUR MISSION
One visit with an incarcerated friend in 2013 opened the eyes
of Victorious Living founder, Kristi Overton Johnson, to the
hopelessness of life behind bars.
Soon after, this former world champion water skier traded in her
water ski career to serve the corrections community. Over the years,
God has blessed Kristi with an incredible team and opened many
doors of opportunities.
What started in 2013 with the delivery of
Victorious Living magazine into Florida
prisons has now expanded to a
comprehensive, international, bilingual
outreach to the incarcerated and
those working in corrections.
Millions of lives have been
impacted by the transforming and
empowering hope of the gospel
of Jesus Christ delivered through
our magazine, correspondence
and wellness programs, care
team, national event tours, and
broadcasting on prison tablets.
And the story is still being written.
Victorious Living encourages,
equips, and empowers
members of the corrections
community through biblically
based solutions that lead
to wholeness, fulfillment of
purpose, and positive impact
on those around them.
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PHOTO BY MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES PHOTO BY JOEY MEDDOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
VISIT VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM OR CALL 352-478-2098

ISSUE 3, JULY 2024
CONTENTS
8
9
STEPPING FORWARD
Ledge-Walkers, Beware!
BY SHERRI MEWHA
Live Like Others Are Dying
BY AMBER LEASON
29
What You Think Is What You Are
BY SHERIDAN CORREA
Satan strives to convince us we aren’t
enough. Scripture tells us who we really are
and how God sees us as His beloved children.
What we choose to believe influences our
actions, reactions, and life’s outcomes. Are
you believing God or Satan today?
20
Cancer, a car accident, the death of a
daughter, and so much anguish. But
God promises to redeem it all, and for
the Lewises, He has.
COVER STORY
Lost Boy, Found
13
Who’s Your Navigator?
THE STORY OF TIMOTHY KANE
17
25
18
BY CHRISTINA KIMBREL
On the Right Track
BY CARLA OWENS AND KRISTI
OVERTON JOHNSON
An Honest Crook
BY ROY A. BORGES
TRANSFORMED
LIVES
Let Your Life Shine
BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON
The way we conduct our lives is important.
If someone examined your life, what would
they see? More importantly, what does God
see? Live your life so that those around you
see only the light of your Savior, Jesus Christ.
10
14
FEATURES
A Willing Heart
THE STORY OF CHRIS SOUTHERLAND
“Every person is a human being with a
name and a story,” Chris says. A willingness
to learn the details of those stories helped
Chris see situations and needs from both
sides—an important ability for someone
God raised from clerical work all the way
up to warden and regional director in the
Florida DOC.
God’s Better Plan
THE STORY OF NAOMI LEWIS
Just as Naomi and her husband were
settling in to their golden years of wellearned
retirement, catastrophe struck.
26
Tried as an adult and convicted of
murder at age 14, Tim thought his life
was over. But God can find His children
anywhere—even in the depths of solitary
confinement. Tim spent the next 25 years
in prison. Released in 2017, he now shares
his experience with everyone he can,
telling them about the incredible mercy
and love of his Savior, Jesus Christ.
A Vessel for His Glory
THE STORY OF NA’KEDRA RODGERS
Trials and disappointments can deceive us
into believing that God and people don’t
care about us and that our lives have no
purpose. But God and the Bible soundly
declare that is not true. Satan will do his
best to defeat you, but he is a defeated
foe. Focus on what is true and let God use
your circumstances to glorify Him.
COVER PHOTO BY UPON A DREAM PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
ON THE COVER
Timothy Kane was a
lost boy, led astray
by wrong decisions
and associations.
But God, rich in
mercy, grabbed his
heart and hand and
helped him walk
through 25 years
of incarceration.
Throughout that
time, God used
this once lost boy
to help others find
the comfort and
goodness of God.
Today, Tim continues
to do the same as a
free and found man.
30
6
Man of Hope
THE STORY OF ROBERT E. WHITNER
Our choices, good or bad, have
consequences, no matter who we
are. Rob started out as a good kid,
but then his choices led him to drug
addiction, murder, and 20 years in
prison. Who could have imagined that
God would eventually use him as a
pastor, but that’s exactly where Rob’s
surrendered life has put him.
IN EVERY ISSUE
Publisher’s Note
A Better Life
33
Want to Know Jesus?
I’m Saved...Now What?
34
Ministry Info/Resources
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
5

PUBLISHER’S NOTE
A Better Life
Kristi is forever grateful for the support
her husband of 30 years, Tim Johnson,
has given for the Victorious Living
outreaches. Pictured above, Kristi
ministers to the men of Pathway to
Freedom at Wrightsville Prison in
Arkansas.
Would you like to partner with
our magazine to deliver God’s
hope and to impact the lives of
incarcerated men and women?
Your gift enables us to send
this magazine into prisons
around the nation. Each
magazine impacts many lives
for years to come. To help, visit
victoriouslivingmagazine.com.
The idea of sharing people’s life stories
had swirled in my heart and
head for years. Finally, one day, a
man who worked for our ministry said,
“I’m tired of hearing about this magazine
idea. Go into your office and do something
about it already. And don’t come out until
you have a name and a plan.”
The rudeness of his unusually outspoken
statement got under my skin.
My competitive nature kicked in, and
the words, I’ll show you, ran through my
mind. Then, as I calmed down and settled
behind my desk, a better thought arrived.
God, help me.
A couple hours later, I emerged with a
name, Victorious Living, and an overall plan
to share testimonies of God’s incredible
life-transforming power. In the weeks
that followed, I began writing the Christcentered
stories of people He brought my
way. I quickly learned that no matter what
your background is, true life is found in
only one person—Jesus Christ.
That was in 2011, and that decision put
into action an even bigger plan of God. It
happened when someone sent my incarcerated
friend a copy of Victorious Living.
They knew Bill was acquainted with me
and thought he’d like to read it. He did and
wrote me a letter to tell me so.
Shortly after, I visited Bill. And there in
that prison visitation room, God revealed
His desire for me to go into prisons and
share this message: “God sees you, He
hears you, and He knows you by name. You
are not a number to Him. Life is not over.”
I was to share God’s love and the gospel
message that Jesus saves with the incarcerated,
inviting them to join their lives
with His so they could experience new
hope, find purpose, and know they have
a future.
It’s been 13 years since I locked myself
in that office. Since then, Victorious Living
magazine has impacted millions of
lives, as have the other prison outreach
programs that followed. I never saw any
of this coming. I was simply going about
life and seeking to know God better myself.
That had been my commitment since
my mid-20s when I knelt on the dirty carpet
of an old cabin and gave my life to the
Lord. I’d believed in Jesus since I was a
child but never intentionally followed Him.
In that cabin, I said one simple prayer:
“God, I surrender my life to You. I don’t
want to be a hypocrite any longer. I commit
to knowing You better every day.”
That “Lord, I want to know You” prayer
and a commitment to study His Word, converse
with Him daily, and obey led me on
a journey that I wouldn’t trade for all the
world. It brought me to you!
So often, we want God to show us His
grand plan when all He wants us to do
is walk with Him and do the next right
thing. The daily surrendering of our
lives and commitment to obey (even
when it’s scary and hard) leads us to a
better life—which is what God desires for
all of us. As we draw close to Him, God
draws close to us and reveals His heart in
unmistakable ways.
You’re about to read stories of people
who said prayers similar to mine. I hope
you see how their faith in Jesus and daily
commitment to walk with Him changed
everything. God brought peace, joy, acceptance,
worth, identity, adventure, purpose,
and strength into their lives, as He
did mine.
God’s love will change your life, too.
Start by surrendering to Him and committing
daily to know Him better and obey
His leading. As you do, God will lead you
to a better life and the place He wants
you to be.
What do you have to lose?
Kristi Overton Johnson
Publisher & Executive Director
BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF PATHWAY TO FREEDOM
6 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Through the stories of
Victorious Living, men and women
behind bars meet the God
of another chance.
Testimony of
Victorious Living Impact:
Eddie Woodruff
PHOTO BY KORY GORDON
SPONSOR A PRISON IN YOUR STATE
AND IMPACT LIVES TODAY.
Visit victoriouslivingmagazine.com.
I first encountered VLMag in
2017 when I entered prison. I
enjoyed reading about people
who understood the trials and
sorrows I had experienced. I
saw I wasn’t alone in my poor
decisions and life’s unfortunate
circumstances.
I was in solitary confinement
when a chaplain slid an issue
of VLMag into my cell. God used
that magazine to change my life
forever.
I was wrestling with a lifethreatening
decision when I came
across an article about trusting
God. I realized I had trusted
everything and everyone but God,
and all I had to show for it was
pain and heartache. It was time
I took a step of faith and trusted
the Lord with my life.
On April 4, 2022, in solitary
confinement, I surrendered my life
to the Lord and haven’t looked
back. I thank God for His mercy—
He gave me the strength and
protection to leave my former life.
Now I am transitioning into the
free world, and I am trusting Him
to do the same again.
My tattoo of Matthew 6:33
reminds me daily to seek God and
His righteousness first, and that
He will provide all I need. It’s a
promise for everyone.
Thank you, VLMag and your
partners, for sowing seeds of hope
into my life all these years. I am
but one example of the fruit of
your labor. The Lord is doing a
beautiful thing through you.

STEPPING FORWARD
Ledge-Walkers, Beware!
BY SHERRI MEWHA
“YOU’RE THE OLDEST. YOU FIRST!” ment of danger and the forbidden? Our
Our cousin carefully rounded the old desire to test limits and vulnerabilities?
banister post and stepped onto the narrow
ledge. One misstep would land this King David was once a ledge-walker. In 2
The need to prove that we’re in control?
ledge-walker on the worn wooden stairway Samuel 11, we find David at home in Jerusalem
while all his men were away at war.
far below.
We held our breath as she clutched the One evening, as the king walked the roof of
railing and step-slid her feet along the 10- his palace, he saw a beautiful woman bathing
on her roof. Instead of stepping back,
foot ledge. The end of the ledge positioned
our brave cousin over the most extreme David leaned in closer for a better look.
drop of her journey.
He figuratively stepped from the safety
Her return trip was speedy and confident.
Reaching the banister post, she and onto the ledge when he sent for the
of the rooftop, over the protective railing,
swung onto the landing. Whispered cheers woman, the wife of one of his brave warriors,
and slept with her.
for the ledge-conquering hero mingled
with quiet cries of “Me next!”
David would soon learn that ledge-walking
We weren’t supposed to play on the always has consequences. He later repented,
but the consequences of his time on the
stairs or climb over the banister railing.
But technically, we weren’t climbing. ledge impacted his family for generations.
This scene played out frequently over Genesis 37–49 tells about Joseph, another
young man who had an opportunity to
the years, changing only with which cousins
were visiting my grandparents’ farm step out on the ledge. That pivotal moment
at the time. Miraculously, no serious accidents
occurred during our ledge-walking used him. It happened when the wife of
in Joseph’s life greatly impacted how God
adventures.
the man he served began pursuing Joseph,
Why are ledges enticing? Is it the excite- persistently inviting the handsome young
FIRST CORINTHIANS 10:12 SAYS,
“SO, IF YOU THINK
YOU ARE STANDING FIRM,
BE CAREFUL THAT YOU
DON’T FALL!”
servant to step over the railing and onto
the ledge of adultery with her.
When Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife,
her false accusations landed him in prison.
But that’s exactly where God prepared
Joseph for his next assignment—where he
would become second in command of the
mighty nation of Egypt.
There have been times when I’ve
climbed over the railing of life and walked
precariously along the ledge. But every
time, there were consequences. Those days
of disobedience, willfulness, and rebellion
altered my story for a season.
Lives that should have been touched
weren’t, and spiritual growth that should
have happened didn’t. And the deepening
of my relationship with God, which only a
fully surrendered heart could enjoy, was
long delayed.
I praise God for His long-suffering,
patience, goodness, mercy, and endless
love for me, His child. When I repented
of my sin and returned to Him, He forgave,
cleansed, and restored me (Isaiah
44:21–22; 1 John 1:9). In fact, every time
I’ve failed Him, God, the eternal promise
keeper, has received me back.
Have you taken to the ledge? Have the
things of the world caught your eye? Has
the thrill of sin enticed you? First Corinthians
10:12 (NIV) says, “So, if you think
you are standing firm, be careful that you
don’t fall!”
Ledge-walking will eventually lead to
your downfall (James 1:14–15). Maybe
you’ve already discovered this truth. If so,
it’s okay. God is in the restoration business.
No depth of darkness can exceed His grace.
Turn your heart to Him. Ask for forgiveness
and grab hold of His merciful hand.
He will forgive, cleanse, and restore you—
just like He did for King David, and just like
He did for me.
SHERRI MEWHA loves to speak and teach
about God’s transforming love, grace, and mercy.
After 30+ corporate years, then an art gallery
owner, her focus today is writing about Jesus in
devotions and Bible studies. She’s a wife, mom,
and mimi to five gorgeous grands. Connect
with Sherri Mewha at living-earswideopen.com.
8 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

STEPPING FORWARD
LIVE LIKE OTHERS
ARE DYING
IN OUR CULTURE, WE ARE ENCOURAGED
to “live like we are dying” and to “make every
moment count.” But what if we lived like
other people were dying? And what if we lived
with our eyes open, ready to make the most
of every opportunity, not for our gain but for
the gain of others?
Last spring, I was blessed with an unexpected
opportunity when God miraculously
raised my grandmother from the
dead. (Literally!) I am so thankful I took advantage
of it, too, because now I know my
grandmother is in heaven.
Grandma’s story begins with an ambulance
ride to the hospital due to shortness
of breath and low oxygen. Though she was
admitted under the diagnosis of double
pneumonia, doctors quickly recognized her
need for a pacemaker.
Despite several exhausting days in the
hospital, Grandma didn’t improve. Finally,
the doctors decided to move forward with
surgery; waiting for her lungs to clear was
no longer an option.
Everything went well, and Grandma was
recovering as expected—until the night she
coded. She stopped breathing and died.
The medical team placed a breathing tube
that pumped oxygen through her body, but
she remained completely unresponsive. She
was pronounced brain dead.
Family members crowded the room to
say goodbye. Pastors and friends prayed
over her. The medical team told us it was
BY AMBER LEASON
Amber will forever be grateful
for the second chance to share
God’s gift of salvation with her
grandmother.
time to let go. Grandma
was gone. The family
decided to unplug the
machines.
Mom stayed close to
the phone that night,
anxiously waiting to hear that Grandma was
no longer with us.
But in the morning, the most amazing
thing happened. Grandma, miraculously
revived, called my mom!
It reminded me of the scene in John
11 where Jesus stood outside the tomb of
Lazarus and called loudly, “Lazarus, come
out!” And the man did, to the amazement of
everyone, including his family. God proved
that day that He was in control.
He proved it to us, too, through Grandma’s
miraculous return to life. The next day, she
was transferred home under hospice care,
and my mom had the privilege of caring for
her for the next month. During that time, our
entire family gathered to celebrate Grandma’s
84th birthday.
As I prepared to go to Mom’s house that
day, I felt the Holy Spirit tug at my heart,
urging me to make sure that Grandma had
accepted Jesus as her Savior so that she
could have eternal life with Him. I knew
then that God had given Grandma more
time on earth for this very purpose.
I had no idea how many guests might be
in the room when I arrived or how many believed
in Jesus. And to be completely honest,
I was worried about what they might think
or say. But the Lord gave me the courage to
set aside my fear and do what He was calling
me to do.
I arrived at Mom’s house to find Grandma
more alert and understanding than she had
been the previous day. At my first opportunity,
I asked her if she had ever invited Jesus
into her life as her Lord
and Savior.
“Not really,” she replied.
I explained what
that meant and then
asked her if she wanted
to. I was elated when she
exclaimed, “Let’s do it!”
Right there in the
middle of that room,
surrounded by dozens
of loved ones, Grandma
prayed with me. She declared
with her mouth
that Jesus is Lord and
believed in her heart that
God had raised Him from the dead. And
she was saved (Romans 10:9). I left that day
with the secure knowledge that I would see
Grandma again in heaven.
I’ll always be grateful that God gave me
another opportunity to share Jesus with
my grandmother. But you know, we aren’t
always given extra time or another chance;
that’s why God says we should make the most
of every opportunity when it is before us
(Ephesians 5:15–17).
Don’t waste the precious opportunities
God has given you today to tell others about
Him. As believers, let’s live like others are
dying. Let’s set aside our fears and share
the greatest gift of all—Jesus.
AMBER LEASON works in special-needs
education and enjoys sharing the love of Jesus with
her students. Using her life experience, she serves
with Thrive, a women’s ministry that facilitates
a space for women to connect with God and
encourage each other in their faith.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
9

A Willing
Heart
THE STORY OF
CHRIS SOUTHERLAND
As a little girl, I dreamed of being
a singer, an FBI agent, or maybe a
forensic investigator like you see on
true-crime TV. What was not on my
list was working in the prison system.
In fact, I decided early in my life that
working there was not something I
was going to do.
Prisons surrounded our home in Raiford, Florida, and
my parents and other family members worked at one of the
nearby prisons. It wasn’t uncommon to see Department of
Corrections (DOC) vans racing by our house, responding
to escapes and other incidents. It was the only time we
ever locked our doors in our tiny little town. But I had zero
interest in anything that happened inside that razor wire.
My parents were young when they had me. They married
and grew up faster than if they had waited to start a family.
Soon after my youngest sister came along, they split up.
My sisters and I lived with our mom and visited our dad
on weekends and during school breaks.
Divorce brought many challenges, including a sense
of uncertainty for my siblings and me. But we managed
to adjust, even after both parents remarried. The upside
was that we gained new brothers and sisters, whom I grew
to love dearly.
My mom worked long hours, pulling double shifts to
make ends meet. Dad was strict and protective of his daughters.
He spoke his mind and tolerated no boys, nonsense,
or disrespect in his home. I lived with him for a while in
high school, and I remember complaining that I was the
only senior who had to be in bed by 9:30 p.m.
The family as a whole made it a priority to keep us girls
in church. We spent a lot of time there and at youth events.
I learned to regard the Lord with reverence and fear (Psalm
111:10; Proverbs 9:10).
If not for the foundation of faith established early in my
life, I could have easily become a negative statistic. But
Jesus not only saved me for eternity, He also protected me
from myself and the pitfalls of the world.
I developed a solid work ethic while in high school. My
after-school job at Hardee’s helped me earn money for
the things I needed. I worked hard for everything I had,
including good grades. In May 1987, I graduated with a
scholarship that opened the door for me to go to college.
Working full-time in fast food and attending a full schedule
of classes was exhausting, but I was determined to finish
what I’d started and graduate with at least an associate
10 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO BY DEANNA SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JESUS INFUSION
degree. While I hadn’t yet figured out what I wanted to do,
I was sure my career wouldn’t involve corrections.
But God’s agenda for my life looked quite different from
my plan (Isaiah 55:8–9), and He wasted no time putting the
right people and opportunities in my path.
One day, a lady from church told me about a job opening.
“We have a temporary position at the Reception and
Medical Center (RMC). You would be a perfect fit!”
RMC was a nearby prison that housed newly sentenced
inmates and those needing specialized medical care. Why
me? I wondered. I was only 17, and the position would have
me working in administration doing inmate banking. Surely
I was unqualified.
But the salary increase was appealing to a starving student
barely scraping by. It’s just a stepping-stone, I convinced
myself. You won’t be there forever. Besides, you’ve got to pay
your bills and eat somehow.
In August 1987, only three months after graduating high
school, I accepted the temp job at RMC, gave Hardee’s my
two-week notice, and changed my classes to nights to work
full-time during the day. Not long after, God blessed me with
a full-time position with benefits in the business office. He
used what I thought was only a stepping-stone to build the
foundation of my 30-year career with FLDOC.
The Lord surrounded me early in my career with women
of faith. These spiritual mothers and sisters prayed with
and for me and encouraged me in everything from finishing
my homework assignments to applying for promotions.
They celebrated with me when I married and became a
mom. If I had a problem or a tough decision, they pointed
me back to Jesus. They reminded me that He was the author
of my story and the One from whom I should seek answers.
I can’t tell you how important these women were in my life.
I worked in the business office until I earned my bachelor’s
degree in criminal justice. Then I pursued a master’s
in educational leadership. With my degrees in hand, I felt
better qualified to tackle whatever came my way.
I quickly learned that a willing heart was the only real
qualification I needed to answer God’s call on my life. He
would equip me for the journey. Desiring to go where God
could use me, I surrendered to His lead.
“Lord,” I prayed, “I will go where You send me to encourage
whoever You put in my path.”
I meant those words, but I didn’t anticipate He’d lead
me straight into that career with the Florida DOC that my
younger self had been determined to avoid. I wrestled with
the notion, but the Lord continually reminded me that He
equips the ones He calls for any task. He just wanted me
to trust Him for provision and protection.
So I agreed to follow His will and pledged to keep Him
at the forefront of my decisions as He directed my steps.
What followed was amazing. Over the course of 30 years,
I moved from that initial clerical position all the way up to
warden and regional director.
The Lord opened my eyes to life within the razor wire.
He allowed me to look past the differences that separated
the staff from the incarcerated, so that I could see both
groups through His eyes.
They were all His children, and each side had genuine
needs and concerns that I had to consider when making
decisions. Living and working in a prison environment
can be depressing and downright dangerous; I needed the
Lord to show me how I could improve things.
It took discipline and focus to avoid being overwhelmed
A willing heart was the only real
qualification I needed to answer
God’s call on my life.
by the challenges. To lead effectively, I needed to balance
the scales of mercy and justice. I had to find ways to show
compassion and hold people accountable for their actions.
Being a woman in leadership in a predominantly male
field wasn’t easy. Some didn’t like or understand my leadership
style or the culture I envisioned for the prisons I oversaw.
Still, God gave me the strength and determination to
stay the course and make decisions that would honor Him
and help other people. My faith wasn’t always warmly welcomed,
but it was not an area of compromise. I couldn’t run
through every compound evangelizing, but I sure wasn’t
quiet about Jesus being the Lord of my life.
Today, this former warden returns to prisons to minister
to the hearts of incarcerated persons.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
11

My faith wasn’t always
warmly welcomed, but it was
not an area of compromise.
Chris considers
sharing God’s
Word, His love
and salvation
message, and
baptizing new
believers to
be her highest
privilege.
My department colleagues provided me with fantastic
mentoring and training that helped sharpen my skills. I
was eager to learn and grow, so I soaked it all in from good
and even not-so-good human leaders. My best leadership
advice always came straight from the Bible, though.
I found examples of strong female leaders like Esther
and Deborah in the Bible. These ladies lived in a culture
that placed little value on women, but that didn’t stop God
from using them in positions of great authority. I admired
both women because they didn’t get caught up in selfish
ambition or become power hungry. Instead, they focused
on God and the welfare of the people they were leading.
I related to Esther’s story because of her humble beginnings.
(Read the Book of Esther and see how God used this
orphaned girl to impact the lives of many.) Her story gave
me the courage to walk through any door God was opening,
even when I didn’t know where He was leading or when it
looked like I was heading somewhere I didn’t want to be.
Deborah was a warrior whom God called to lead the people
of Israel in Judges 4–5. From her life, I learned that
having the authority to make decisions was important,
but I also had to be able to work through other people to
get things done.
Deborah empowered and encouraged others, giving
them the confidence they needed to fulfill the mission. I
especially loved how she valued volunteers (Judges 5:9).
She taught me to trust God in everything I did, to give Him
the praise and glory for every victory, and to look at the big
picture when making my decisions.
Whether I was working in classification, re-entry, as a
warden, or as a regional director, I remembered how these
women led their people. I viewed every job assignment as
a mission—souls were at stake. God impressed upon my
heart to consider the lives affected by the decisions I made.
Every person is a human being with a name and a story.
Learning the key details of their story helped me understand
why a person might behave or respond in a particular
way. That’s when real problem-solving could happen.
I retired from FLDOC in 2018 as a warden at the Florida
Women’s Reception Center (FWRC), but every decision,
position, and relationship I encountered during my years
with the department shaped and molded me for God’s
continued call on this new chapter of my life.
I’m still on a mission today, but now I serve with amazing
volunteer organizations. As a volunteer, I freely share the
hope of Jesus with men and women in prisons all over
Florida and even other states. I’ve been privileged to baptize
hundreds of women who have chosen Jesus as the Lord of
their lives. How exciting it is to help them start their prison
journey anew with the light and hope of Jesus.
Wherever you are in your life journey, I encourage you
to grow your faith roots deep in Christ. God will empower
you every step of the way with inner strength through
His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). Listen to the promises of
Ephesians 3:17: “Christ will make his home in your hearts
as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s
love and keep you strong” (NLT).
No matter who we are or where we live, we need faith
roots to keep us strong. And we need God’s love to lead
and teach us how to live so we can influence the world
for His glory.
All He needs is our trust and a willing heart.
CHRIS SOUTHERLAND volunteers at her church and with The Jesus
Infusion and Timothy’s Gift, two prison ministries that provide incarcerated
persons with hope, healing, and the love of Jesus. Chris serves the
“least of these,” from youthful offenders to lifers. She enjoys spending
time with her three children and two grandchildren.
PHOTO BY DEANNA SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JESUS INFUSION
12 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

STEPPING FORWARD
Who’s Your Navigator?
BY CHRISTINA KIMBREL
“SHOW ME THE RIGHT PATH, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow” (Psalm
25:4 NLT).
When David and I were newly married,
neither of our cars had a navigation system.
Eager to embrace my new role as my
husband’s helper, I seized the opportunity
to assist him with directions whenever he
drove somewhere unfamiliar. There was
only one problem. I’m not a good navigator.
In fact, my directions got us lost. A lot.
Even using a map app on my phone,
we routinely missed turns and whizzed
past the correct highway exits. David, who
likes to be on time, finally drew the line
when we arrived significantly late for an
appointment. My wrong directions had us
driving around in circles.
I was not only stripped of my duties as
his navigation helper, but another woman
soon replaced me. She wasn’t a relative or
even a trusted family friend, yet I watched
her influence my husband’s decisions,
and it was a little annoying how much he
liked her.
Who was this shameless, job-stealing
intruder? She didn’t even have a name.
She was the voice behind the navigation
system in our new car, and to this day,
she resides inside the dashboard. She
has conquered my husband’s heart as his
preferred resource for directions.
I must admit that “Dashboard Lady”
is seldom wrong, so, really, it’s difficult
to dislike her. She notifies us of dangers
and detours on the road ahead, and when
we listen to her directions, we get where
we’re supposed to be—on time! She and
I now coexist quite peacefully since she
has proven to be more of a help than a
hindrance in our marriage, particularly
on long road trips.
In our cars and in everyday life, it’s easy
to wander off the track at times. It’s easy
to get lost.
As followers of Christ, the path we’re
called to travel can be full of difficult circumstances,
situations, and even people.
If we aren’t getting our directions from a
trustworthy source, we’ll wind up in places
we could have avoided. When we go our
way, we complicate life for ourselves and
others unnecessarily. We stumble into
conflict with friends, loved ones, and even
strangers because we’re veering too far off
God’s path (Proverbs 4:26–27).
In contrast, if we seek the Lord in all
matters, He promises to direct our path
and keep us from going in the wrong direction
(Proverbs 3:6; Psalm 16:1). He equips
His children with the best possible navigation
system through His Word (Psalm
119:105), and provides unlimited access
to Him through prayer and the presence
of His Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 25, King David understood the
benefit of seeking guidance from God. He
trusted that the Lord would lead him with
unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm
25:10), and he depended on that direction
to help him find his way through life.
GOD IS GENEROUS IN
HELPING YOU. ALL YOU
HAVE TO DO IS ASK.
God freely offers His direction, and we
needn’t be one bit ashamed to admit that
we need His help.
If today you’ve wandered a little too far
from God or feel like you might be lost,
don’t be discouraged. You just need some
good directions or maybe some redirection.
God is generous in helping you with
His wisdom when you don’t know which
way to turn or how to live, think, act, and
speak. All you have to do is ask (James 1:5).
No matter how lost you think you are,
your Creator knows your exact location.
And He will never leave you stranded.
Open your Bible, listen for the Lord’s
voice, and walk boldly in faith. Trust that
when God is leading you, He has already
gone ahead of you to prepare the way. He
sees the dangers and distractions ahead
and knows when you might need to make a
U-turn or take a detour. He will never
abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:8) and will
always guide you in the best direction for
your life (Psalm 32:8).
CHRISTINA KIMBREL serves as VL’s production
manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers
hope to those held captive by their past and current
circumstances while sharing the message of
healing she found in Jesus.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
13

God’s
Better Plan
THE STORY OF NAOMI LEWIS
In
PHOTO BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON
1975, Henry and I met, fell in love, and got
married, all within eight months. It was
a whirlwind romance. Two years later
we had a son, and five years after that, a
daughter. Our family seemed complete.
Henry and I chased the American dream,
working hard to provide for our family. God
blessed us both with long teaching careers
within the Maryland school system and
other endeavors. Time passed quickly, and
Henry and I began imagining our golden
years. We saw much relaxing and reminiscing
in our future.
In 2016, when our retirement finally
came into focus, we felt God leading us to
downsize and move to North Carolina. We
were both excited about moving closer to
family and experiencing a slower pace with
the beautiful country life.
It was challenging, though, leaving our
adult kids, who were both experiencing
great hardships. Plus, our daughter, Nicole,
was pregnant with twins. She was already
raising two children as a single mom, under
some very difficult circumstances.
The twins were due the same week the
moving truck was to deliver all our belongings
to our new home, seven hours away.
Henry and I decided he should go ahead
and meet the movers in North Carolina and
that I should stay behind to help Nicole.
I was thrilled to be in the hospital room
when the girls were born.
Leaving our son, daughter, and grandchildren
was among the hardest things I’ve
ever done. I was guilt-ridden as a mother.
Shouldn’t we always be there to help our
children? Yet I sensed God urging me to
trust Nicole and our grandkids to His care.
“Lord, I trust You. I’m just going to wait
on You.” I prayed these words often. I was
trying to walk out Psalm 27:14, which says:
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and
courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the
Lord” (NLT).
Fear attempted to settle in my heart, especially
after our son was diagnosed with
a long-term health crisis that required
round-the-clock care.
I’m telling you—I was in a full-blown
fight of faith to keep from giving way. I
clung to Psalm 27:1, which says, “The
Lord is my light and my salvation—so why
should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress,
14 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

protecting me from danger, so why should
I tremble?” (NLT).
In 2017, I encountered some physical
challenges of my own when I was diagnosed
with Stage II breast cancer and told
it had entered my lymph nodes. I wrestled
with weakness and weariness as I underwent
a lumpectomy, 33 rounds of chemo,
and 16 rounds of radiation.
The treatments for my breast cancer
took a heavy toll on my health. The hardest
part was being isolated and unable to
attend church services. I was so grateful
when I finally had the strength to return.
On that first Sunday back, I was overcome
with gratitude and couldn’t stop praising
the Lord. This challenging season taught
me to appreciate the simple act of gathering
with my church family. We often take
our blessings for granted when we have
our health and freedom.
Not long after that, Nicole’s health took
a turn for the worse. I praised God that
my cancer treatments were over so that I
could focus more on helping my daughter
through this time. The distance between
us made it difficult, though, as did COVID.
I prayed a steady stream of prayers for
God’s protection over Nicole and my grandchildren
as I fought against a heavy spirit
of despair. I repeatedly declared Psalm
42:11: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my
heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I
will praise him again—my Savior and my
God!” (NLT).
I had to remind myself daily to take my
eyes off my circumstances and focus both
heart and mind on the Lord. I made many
“sacrifices of praise” to God during this
season; in fact, I learned why Hebrews
13:15 calls them a sacrifice. It’s because
praising God during those tough times was
never easy. The act went against everything
I felt.
Those were difficult years, but God
brought us through. And then came a series
of trials in 2023 that made the others
pale in comparison. It started in May when
my cancer returned, and I had to undergo
a double mastectomy. I didn’t need chemo
or radiation, but the healing process was
still challenging. A few months later, Henry
was in his car when it was hit from behind
and totaled. We were grateful Henry only
needed short-term physical therapy, but
still, this was an expensive and painful
inconvenience.
Then, in November, Satan delivered a
terrible blow that I am sure he thought
would take us down once and for all
(John 10:10). We had just returned from
church when the phone rang. It was our
oldest granddaughter. “Grandma,” she
said, “Mom died in her sleep last night.”
I dropped the phone and screamed, “Oh,
God!” It was every parent’s worst nightmare.
God immediately came to my aid.
His presence poured into that space like
a mighty flood. I had never felt Him with
me so powerfully before. God was there,
comforting me, a brokenhearted mother.
Psalm 94:14 is true, “The Lord will not
reject his people; he will not abandon his
special possession” (NLT).
Our church family was at our home in
what seemed like seconds. The funeral
home director, a member of our church,
immediately made plans for someone
to drive us to Maryland so that we could
get our grandkids and bring them back
to North Carolina. They had no one there.
I thanked God for His provision through
His people and that I was healthy enough
to travel. It had only been six months since
my breast surgery.
I also thanked Him for the text Nicole
had sent just weeks before. In it, she’d
shared how much she loved Henry and me
and thanked us for always being there for
her and the children. It was almost as if she
knew something was going to happen. I will
forever treasure the gift of her kind text.
Our granddaughters moved with us
to North Carolina, while our grandson
stayed behind with his mentor to finish
high school. We look forward to him joining
us soon, as he will attend college in North
Carolina. He misses his siblings terribly.
Praising God during those
tough times was never easy.
Since Nicole’s death, God has helped
our family pick up the pieces of our lives
and move forward, one day at a time. He
has lifted us, put us on His shoulders, and
carried us like children; He’s infused us
with His strength (Isaiah 40:28–31 and
2 Corinthians 12:8–10).
You know, people often believe that if
they trust God for salvation, they’ll somehow
be immune from life’s problems.
That’s never the case. Every person, no
matter their faith, will have trials and
sorrows. Jesus even guarantees it in John
16:33. The difference is that those who follow
Jesus Christ don’t have to walk through
trials alone. They have the presence, power,
and comfort of God’s Holy Spirit. And they
are guaranteed victory over those trials
(Romans 8:37).
I don’t know how anyone lives without
the Lord. It’s only been through His loving
care that Henry and I have survived these
trials. Jesus and the hope we have in Him
have kept our family upright when the turbulent
waters of life tried to overtake us
(Isaiah 43:2). That same hope continues
to be “a strong and trustworthy anchor for
our souls” (Hebrews 6:19 NLT).
Through all our trials, God has never
failed us. And that’s why I praise Him. “The
Lord is good. His unfailing love continues
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
15

Those who follow
Jesus Christ don’t
have to walk through
trials alone.
forever, and his faithfulness continues to
each generation” (Psalm 100:5 NLT).
God continues to work everything out
for our good, just as Romans 8:28 promises.
For example, the insurance money we
received from Henry’s car wreck helped
us pay for our daughter’s funeral. In our
retirement planning, we hadn’t anticipated
burying our daughter or raising grandchildren.
But God has consistently and
faithfully made a way.
Looking back, I can see how our move
to North Carolina was God-ordained. He
was preparing a new home for our grandchildren.
We now have a large backyard
where the girls can play and a safe
neighborhood where they can ride their
bikes. They just got their first bicycles at
Christmas, courtesy of Toys for Tots. Many
people in our community joined together
to ensure that our family would have a
Naomi’s days
are filled with
the joy of family
activities as she
and her husband,
Henry, raise their
grandchildren.
beautiful Christmas. We are so grateful.
To be sure, our golden years look nothing
like Henry and I had envisioned. We’ve endured
unspeakable pain. Yet, here we are,
thriving despite the challenges. Through
our beautiful grandchildren, God has made
this season of our lives more amazing than
we imagined (Ephesians 3:20). He has
given us new life.
Today, our home is filled with laughter
and music. It’s also busy with homework
and after-school routines. I’m telling you,
they don’t make enough Geritol for a couple
in their 70s to raise twin seven-year-old
girls. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.
God has given us everything we need to
do what He’s called us to do. And because
of His faithfulness in the past, we can rest
assured for our future.
All I can say is, “All praise to God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his
great mercy that we have been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the
dead. Now we live with great expectation”
(1 Peter 1:3 NLT).
How about you? Do you live with great
expectation? I don’t know what you’re
walking through, but you’re here on earth,
so I’m sure there’s something. It might be
small, but it might be huge. Whatever it is,
draw close to God. He promises to draw
close to you (James 4:8). Ask for His help—
He will provide it (Matthew 7:7–11). And
then receive the help of those He sends
your way.
Let my story encourage you. With God’s
help, you can make it through anything. He
is a God of hope, no matter what. He will
walk you through it.
In the meantime, pray and praise
Him for who He is. Thank Him for what
He has and is doing and what He will do
(Philippians 4:6–8). Your sacrifices of gratitude
and praise move God’s heart and usher
in His presence (Psalm 100:4). I know
it may not feel like it, but there is always
something to be thankful for. Find it, then
speak it aloud (Colossians 2:7). Praising
God will bring Him to the forefront of your
mind and strengthen you.
God’s got you. Trust Him. Don’t give up
on Him or your situation. It might not look
like it now, but He is doing a good thing.
He’s working behind the scenes, preparing
you and your family for His better plan.
And His plan will be better than you can
imagine.
NAOMI LEWIS and her husband, Henry, are enjoying
their golden years raising their grandchildren.
It is their goal to inspire hope and serve locally at
their church as a deaconess and deacon.
PHOTOS BY DEBORAH GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAP[HY
16 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

STEPPING FORWARD
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
BY CARLA OWENS AND
KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON
DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING
you do is wrong? And then, when it seems
you’re finally headed in the right direction,
some train comes barreling out of
nowhere and runs you over?
I’ve been there. Lately, it’s seemed that
there’s a whole line of people just waiting
to send a train my direction, knocking me
down and pointing out my failures.
It’s hard sometimes to believe anything
other than that I am a failure. I’ve cried
out to God countless times, begging Him
to help me get up and back on the right
track. It’s hard, and I’m struggling.
Studying biblical stories of people like
Joseph (Genesis 37; 39–50) helps me find
strength to keep going. He was knocked
down a lot, yet he lived an incredibly fulfilling
life.
Joseph was the youngest of his siblings
and his father’s favorite. His brothers grew
jealous of their dad’s lopsided affection. It
didn’t help that Dad made Joseph a special
coat of many colors or that Joseph had
shared his dream that his brothers and
father would someday bow down to him.
One day, his brothers decided to kill
him. At the last minute, his oldest brother
intervened and convinced the others
to “just” throw Joseph into a nearby pit
instead. But then along came a caravan of
Ishmaelites, and the brothers sold Joseph
into slavery. He was taken to Egypt where
he ended up serving Potiphar, an officer
of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard.
There, in Potiphar’s house, things started
looking up. Potiphar liked Joseph and
put him in charge of the household. But
Potiphar’s wife liked him, too, and she tried
to seduce him. When Joseph, a man of God,
refused her advances, the rejected woman
sought revenge and falsely accused Joseph
of rape. Potiphar threw him in prison.
Joseph’s life once again seemed to
be heading in the wrong direction, but
then he interpreted the dream of a fellow
prisoner, one of Pharaoh’s servants. The
servant promised to remember Joseph
when he was released from prison. For
a moment, there was a glimpse of hope.
Once released, however, the man forgot,
and Joseph stayed in that prison two more
GOD WAS THERE.
JOSEPH WAS
NEVER ALONE—
NOT IN THE PIT OR
THE PRISON.
years. Then Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted,
and the servant remembered
his promise. Joseph was brought up
from the prison to the palace, and after
a successful interpretation, was made
the second most powerful man in Egypt.
Joseph went on to save not only Egypt but
surrounding nations, including his entire
family, from an incredible famine.
Think about Joseph’s journey from the
pit to the palace. He experienced verbal
and physical assaults, abandonment, rejection,
imprisonment, and isolation. He
was sold into slavery, falsely accused of
rape, and forgotten. He was a man repeatedly
knocked down at no fault of his own.
It would’ve been easy for Joseph to grow
angry, seek revenge, complain, or give up.
But there is no account anywhere of him
being spiteful or dis gruntled or hopeless.
Instead, Joseph lived his life to the
fullest wherever he found himself. He
served God faithfully with integrity and
excellence. He focused on what God said
about him and his future, not what people
and his circumstances said.
A closer look of the story reveals another
beautiful truth: God was there. Joseph was
never alone—not in the pit or the prison.
Nor was he without hope. God was always
at work, moving Joseph to where he needed
to be and at just the right time.
In Genesis 45:7, Joseph told his brothers
that God had sent him to Egypt, not them.
God had taken what they had meant for
harm and used it for good (Genesis 50:20).
I want to be like Joseph. I want to trust
that God is with me and that He is in control
and at work. And the Bible says I can!
Isaiah 41:10 promises that God is with
me, strengthening, helping, and upholding
me. Psalm 56:8 promises that He sees
my sorrows and is keeping track of them.
And Romans 8:28 says that God is working
out all the pits of my life for my good and
His glory.
He’s doing all these things for you too.
CARLA OWENS loves the Lord and seeks to
know Him more intimately every day. She is Kristi
Overton Johnson’s executive assistant and the
administrative director of Victorious Living.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
17

TRANSFORMED LIVES
LET YOUR LIFE SHINE
BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON
HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU ARE ON A JOURNEY
to nowhere? Or that you’ve lost everything and everyone dear?
Does your future seem bleak and hopeless? Do you feel alone
with nowhere to call home? If so, don’t despair. God can redeem
the most desperate situation.
The book of Ruth, found in the Old Testament, tells the story
of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. It is a powerful testimony
of God’s redeeming love and people’s sacrificial love toward one
another. It also shows how our actions can honor our Lord and
position us for His blessings.
These women’s lives first intertwined when Naomi’s husband,
Elimelech, moved his wife and their two sons from Bethlehem to
Moab because of a great famine in their homeland. There was a
long, not-so-good history between the tribes of Israel and the land
of Moab, and the Bible gives no indication that God led Elimelech
on this journey. The decision most likely came through human
reasoning and desperation.
Regardless, they settled in and, in time,
didn’t recognize her. I imagine the weight of her tragic life had
impacted her appearance and demeanor. Naomi no longer reflected
her name, which means “pleasant.” She had lost her joy
and her confidence. She even asked her old friends to call her
Mara, which means “bitter.” Then, she publicly blamed God for
bringing such tragedy into her life.
I am so grateful that God doesn’t turn His back on us in these
not-so-glamorous moments. Instead, He actively pursues, loves,
and blesses us beyond anything we could deserve or imagine
(Ephesians 2:8–9; 3:20). Such was the case for Naomi and Ruth.
From the moment they returned to Bethlehem, God met their
every need and more.
I get so fired up when I read about the incredible God-victories
of these two ladies. I think my favorite part of the story is when
Ruth heads out to gather leftover grain behind the harvesters. Ruth
2:3 says, “And as it happened, she found herself working in a field
that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her
father-in-law, Elimelech” (NLT). Boaz was
their sons married two Moabite women,
a kind, protective man and a relative with
LIFE IS NOT ABOUT
Orpah and Ruth. Naomi and her two
the means and heart to help these women.
daughters-in-law developed a genuine
love for one another. This became evident
when Elimelech and the sons died, leaving
US OR ABOUT OUR
BEING BLESSED. IT’S
ABOUT HONORING
I don’t believe for one second that
Ruth just “happened” onto Boaz’s land.
No way. Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord directs
the steps of the godly. He delights
the women alone.
OUR LORD.
Heartbroken, Naomi decided to return
in every detail of their lives” (NLT). Ruth’s
to Bethlehem. Now, legally and traditionally,
after their husbands’ deaths, Orpah
and Ruth could have returned to their homes, remarried, and
started over. But both insisted on staying with Naomi.
Naomi didn’t want them to leave their families, and she encouraged
the girls to stay. Orpah eventually did return to her
family, but Naomi could not persuade Ruth to do so. Ruth even
made a permanent vow to follow Naomi wherever she went and
to follow the God of Israel.
The two poverty-stricken widows traveled back to Bethlehem
with seemingly little hope for their future. It had been at least ten
years since Naomi had left her homeland; could anything good
be waiting for her there?
Upon their arrival, many asked, “Can this be Naomi?” Maybe
they were shocked to see her back in Bethlehem or maybe they
steps were ordered by the God she had
committed to follow.
God delighted in the details of Naomi and Ruth’s lives by giving
Ruth a husband in Boaz. Together, they had a child, Obed, who
was in the lineage of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wow! Talk
about a redemption story. And He gave Naomi the joy of being a
grandmother through this child.
I can’t help but wonder, though, how differently this story might
have ended if Ruth had given up on Naomi, God, and the hope
of a better future. What if she had taken on a victim mentality,
grown bitter, and wallowed in self-pity? What if she had refused
to do what she could to move forward and instead sat down and
demanded that God just fix it all?
I think it is safe to say she would have missed her “Boaz moment.”
Her courageous response to her situation positioned Ruth
18 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

TRANSFORMED LIVES
ART BY BILL COYNE
to experience God’s blessings in a profound
way. God used her humble spirit, hard
work, and selfless actions to draw Boaz’s
attention to Ruth and Naomi’s plight.
We can learn so much from Ruth’s
character, conviction, and commitment.
I believe if we put these traits into action
in our own lives, we would find ourselves
blessed in unbelievable ways too. Proverbs
3:3–4 tells us that honoring God and His
people brings about favor—both from God
and others.
Let’s talk about Ruth’s honoring character.
Never has there been a friend more
loyal and kind than Ruth. And to think, she
stayed with Naomi when her mother-inlaw
was at her absolute worst, even after
she had just lost her own husband. John
15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to
lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (NLT).
In 1 Peter 5:6, we’re told that God honors
such humility and will lift us up in His time.
Ruth was loyal, kind, and humble. She
was also a hardworking lady. She rose daily,
took to the fields, and did what was needed
with integrity. And yet, not once did Ruth
seek recognition for her kindness. She
didn’t need to—God saw her good deeds,
which she did in private, and rewarded her
openly (Matthew 6:3–4).
Luke 16:10 is one of my favorite verses.
It says, “If you are faithful in little things,
you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little
things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (NLT).
Ruth was faithful “in little things” by stewarding well her time,
relationships, and the opportunities that came her way.
Notice, too, that with every blessing and opportunity, Ruth gave
thanks. She never once demanded more or acted as though the
world owed her for her hardships. “Be thankful in all circumstances,”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “for this is God’s will for you
who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT).
Finally, Ruth had a tender, teachable heart. She listened to and
heeded the advice of Naomi and Boaz. She never ran ahead; she
patiently waited for God and others to act. Proverbs 13:18 teaches,
“If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if
you accept correction, you will be honored.” Honored by whom?
By God and mankind.
We often underestimate the importance of our actions. Whether
in word or deed, our actions reflect to a watching world the truth
of who we are at our core. And God-honoring actions naturally
position us for blessings.
Here are some questions to ponder.
What’s our reputation among the people
around us? If someone examined our lives,
who or what would they see? Hopefully,
they see a person who is loyal, kind, patient,
hardworking, honest, humble, full
of integrity, and faithful. But more importantly,
what does God see?
The way we conduct our lives is important.
Titus 1:16 teaches that, even if
we claim to be His, we can deny God by the
way we live. May it never be so!
Instead, as Matthew 5:16 says, may our
“good deeds shine out for all to see, so
that everyone will praise [our] heavenly
Father.” Life is not about us or about our
being blessed. It’s about honoring our Lord.
And because He is so good, God will in turn
honor us and meet our every need.
KRISTI OVERTON
JOHNSON
encourages and equips
people for victory
through her writings,
speaking engagements,
and prison ministry.
To learn more, go to
kojministries.org.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
19

FOUND
THE STORY OF
TIMOTHY KANE
“You gonna be a man or a baby?” I was a
fourteen-year-old kid when that question
came my way. My response had consequences
that changed my life forever.
As the middle of five children, I didn’t adjust
well to my parent’s divorce. After they
split, Mom moved us to a different town
in Pasco County, Florida. The only thing
that made the transition bearable was that
I didn’t have to make new friends.
My best friend, Bobby, had the newest
Nintendo system, so I practically lived at
his house. That’s where I was on Super
Bowl weekend 1992. After school that Friday,
I jumped on my bike and rode 14 miles
to Bobby’s. I would never return home.
The weekend started innocently enough,
but trouble came knocking on Sunday
Above: Timothy was a young, naive
boy who was hanging with the wrong
crowd. His choices led to life-changing
consequences.
20 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY UPON A DREAM PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
when Alvin, the oldest in our group, showed
up and started talking about robbing a
house. He was nineteen, and I thought
hanging out with him was pretty cool.
We glanced nervously at one another.
Was he serious? Someone finally asked,
“What if someone’s home?”
“You little babies need to man up!” Alvin
sneered. My heart dropped.
Two of the kids wanted no part in the
plan. They jumped on their bikes and took
off, ignoring Alvin’s taunts and insults.
That left me and Bobby alone with Alvin.
By this time, we had walked down the street
toward the target house.
We stopped in front of it, and Alvin
turned and glared at me. “Okay. What
about you?”
I was 14 miles from home, it was dark,
and I had only my bike. What else could
I do? Seconds later, the three of us were
standing on the front steps.
The house was dark, as if no one were
home. Gripping a shotgun, Alvin kicked
in the door, and we went inside. A man’s
voice shouted, “Who’s there?!” Awakened
from their sleep, the owner of the home
and his elderly mother emerged to investigate
the noise.
I hid under a table as total chaos broke
loose. Alvin’s shotgun blasted, and from my
hiding place, I witnessed the kind of evil
most people only see in horror movies. The
first chance I got, I fled out the front door
and ran from the scene where two innocent
people lay murdered in cold blood.
When the cops caught up with us early
the next day, I felt like I’d been rescued. I
sat handcuffed to a chair, waiting for my
mom so detectives could question me.
In my head, I could hear her voice. “Tim,
stay away from that boy,” she’d said the
day she met Alvin. “Something isn’t right
with him.”
When she arrived, she was clearly wrestling
with shock. “Just tell them the truth,
son. Everything will be okay.”
I talked with the detectives for hours
without an attorney, telling them what I
remembered, from Alvin’s robbery plan
up to the murders. When the questioning
was over, I thought I would finally get to go
home with Mom and forget this nightmare.
To our shock and bewilderment, I didn’t
go home. In fact, the nightmare was just
beginning. The detectives charged me under
the Florida Felony Murder Rule. This
rule held liable anyone present during a
robbery gone wrong, regardless of their
actions or nonactions. That meant I was
just as responsible for the murders as my
codefendants, even though I hadn’t held
a weapon.
I was booked into the juvenile detention
center on two counts of first-degree
murder. My first night was terrifying. I
was stripped down to my underwear and
left alone in a cold cell, locked behind a
heavy steel door with only a blanket, thin
mattress, steel toilet, and a light that never
turned off. I cried myself to sleep, only
to wake in panic, haunted by the sights,
sounds, and smells of the terrible things I
had witnessed.
During the nine days that I was in the
juvenile detention center, the father of a
football buddy paid me a visit. He was a
pastor, and he didn’t come to scold or lecture
me. He offered to pray with me, and
I’ll never forget the first whisper of peace
that washed over me as he spoke. His visit
was significant because it was the first time
someone showed me Jesus, even though
at the time I didn’t see it that way.
The court decided to try me as an adult,
and I was transferred to the Pasco County
Jail to await trial. My attorney painted a
grim, realistic picture—I could spend the
rest of my life in prison.
Time stood still, and confusion mounted.
How had this happened? What could I
have done to change the outcome, not just
for myself but for those who lost their lives?
I was climbing the walls and would’ve
done anything to get out of that place, so
I attended a Bible study. There, I met an
old, tattooed ex-biker who came to talk
to us about Jesus. He seemed relatable
as he talked about how he’d done drugs,
drank, and did horrible things to other
people. I wondered why guys like him
wasted their time going into jails to talk
to people like me.
Jesus had come and willingly laid down
His life for me, even though I had
nothing to offer in return.
And that’s when he said, “But then I met
Jesus, and He forgave me and set me free.”
When the study was over, the man handed
me a Bible. “Jesus has the answers to
your questions, son. Start with Matthew
and read through the New Testament.
That’s where you’ll find Him.”
I took the Bible, put it in my cell, and
forgot all about it. But God didn’t forget
about me.
A few months later, a disciplinary writeup
landed me in solitary confinement for
45 days. Reality hit hard in that lonely cell.
With no distractions or anyone to talk to, I
couldn’t escape the despairing thought that
I might spend the rest of my life in prison.
I was 15, and my life was over, completely
without purpose.
Meanwhile, there was that Bible, sitting
in my bin—it was all I had with me. Desperate,
I finally did what the old guy said:
I opened to the book of Matthew and just
started reading. Jesus became so real to
me as the stories of His life carried me out
of my cell and circumstances. It was as if
I were witnessing Him perform miracles
and heal all those people, right there in
front of me.
As I read through each gospel account
of Jesus’s life, I would get to the crucifixion
and wonder why everyone was always
trying to kill Him.
When I got to John’s account of Jesus’s
death on the cross, something shifted inside
me. I’m the one who deserves punishment!
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
21

Far Left: In February of 2017,
Timothy was released from
the Florida Department of
Corrections.
Left: God blessed Timothy, as a
free man, with seven wonderful
years with his father.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM AND ERICKA KANE
For the first time, I realized that Jesus had
come and willingly laid down His life for
me, even though I had nothing to offer in
return. He had overcome death and the
grave so I could be forgiven and have
eternal life. Suddenly, Jesus’s sacrifice was
personal: He had died for me!
On September 12, 1993, while still in
solitary confinement, I believed in Jesus
Christ for salvation and accepted Him as
my Lord. There was no earth-shaking experience,
no fancy prayer, no response to
an altar call. I simply realized and accepted
that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had given
His life for mine (John 3:16). I had no idea
what following Christ would look like, but
I was committed.
One year later, at 16, I received two life
sentences with no chance of parole for 25
years. I was scared to death the day I boarded
a bus full of grown men and headed to
an adult facility in the Florida Department
of Corrections.
I had much to learn, both about prison
life and God when I arrived, and the Lord
sent Christian men to disciple me. They
were like brothers and helped me steer
clear of trouble. Through them, I witnessed
what walking with the Lord looks like. I
was baptized and developed spiritual disciplines
like prayer and spending time in
God’s Word.
Reading the Bible sowed many seeds
of hope in my heart. The story of Joseph
(Genesis 39–50) particularly impacted me.
Joseph hadn’t asked for any of the circumstances
that had altered his life, not even
the accusations that landed him in prison
for something he didn’t do.
I was particularly impressed with how,
despite all the injustices he suffered, Joseph’s
obedience and trust in the Lord
never wavered. He waited patiently for
the Lord’s deliverance, and God gave him
favor in whatever he did.
I wasn’t innocent like Joseph, and I
wasn’t always faithful like him either. I
had tumbled into a pit because of my bad
decision to go to that house that night. I
was present when two innocent people lost
their lives, and I was in prison because I
deserved punishment. But still, Joseph’s
story encouraged me. God was with Joseph
through every hardship, and the Bible
promised God would be with me too.
Understanding God’s level of mercy and
love for me (Romans 5:8) changed how I
did my time. I even thanked Him for my
incarceration—it’s where I learned about
my need for a savior. “It was good for me to
be afflicted,” Psalm 119:71 says, “so that I
might learn [God’s] decrees” (NIV).
I prayed for God to teach me to trust Him
and be faithful like Joseph. Lord, I don’t
want to be here forever, but as I wait, please
use every bit of this time for Your glory. That
prayer was a game-changer. Prison walls
didn’t have to prevent me from experiencing
the true freedom Jesus provides
(2 Corinthians 3:17), nor did they disqualify
me from being used by Him.
My first ministry assignment came after
my story aired on national television. Letters
of encouragement poured in, and God
showed me an opportunity to help people.
“Lord,” I said, “as long as the stamps keep
coming, I’ll keep writing.”
I responded to every letter with a pen in
hand and the hope of Jesus in my heart.
Remember how Jesus multiplied loaves
and fish to feed the multitudes in Matthew
14:15–21? Well, He did the same thing with
the stamps. I never ran out.
Ten years into my sentence, my mom
passed away unexpectedly. Losing her
broke my heart. Satan took the opportunity
to stir up old feelings of guilt and
regret. “She’d still be alive if you hadn’t
22 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY UPON A DREAM PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
gotten into trouble,” he whispered. I was
overwhelmed with grief.
The hardest part was not knowing if
my mom was saved and then realizing
she would never get to see what Jesus was
doing in my life. I was allowed to attend
her funeral—something almost unheard
of in the prison system. God’s undeniable
supernatural favor did the impossible on
that one.
I cried out, “Please, Lord. Let my dad see
me outside these gates with the freedom
You have given me.” His only response was
to strengthen me as I pressed on through
my grief (2 Corinthians 12:8–10).
Seven years later, I was walking from
the chapel to my dorm when God gave
me a glimpse of His plan for my life. I
was staring at the razor wire and fences
around the compound when the Lord’s
still, small voice told me, “Tell these fences
to come down.”
I obeyed and commanded the fences
to come down in Jesus’s name. I thought
I would see the fences collapse. Instead,
in my mind’s eye, I became like a giant. I
could see myself stepping back and forth
over those fences. Somehow, I knew in my
spirit that God wasn’t going to let me die
in prison. I wrote the date and vision in
my Bible so I could reflect on it anytime I
struggled to wait well.
In 2016, right before my 25-year mark,
I was interviewed for my upcoming parole
hearing. The investigator went through his
scoring system and told me he wouldn’t
recommend me for parole until 2027.
I would still have my hearing, but I wasn’t
expecting much more than that. I thanked
him for his time and started talking to God.
“Father, please!” I prayed. “You know I can
wait ten more years, but I don’t think my
family can.”
I couldn’t attend the hearing, but during
a call to my dad, a feeling rose inside of me
that I couldn’t shake. “Dad, please! I don’t
know why, but you’ve got to be there,” I told
him. He thought I’d lost it.
“Why would I go all the way there just to
be disappointed,” he responded. I didn’t
know how to answer him, but he finally
agreed to go.
Understanding God’s level of mercy and
love for me changed how I did my time.
Dad and everyone else in attendance
witnessed a miracle that day. The room
was stunned when Bernie McCabe got up
to speak. It was the first time in the parole
board’s history that a sitting district
attorney spoke on behalf of an inmate. He
acknowledged that the prosecution should
have handled the case differently from the
beginning and asked for my parole to be
granted. He closed with these words, “He’s
waited long enough.”
Mr. McCabe had examined my case
because of a review Judge John Blue had
written. Judge Blue had actually denied
one of my appeals but had been troubled
because he had to rule according to the law.
He wrote a review before retiring which ultimately
convinced Bernie McCabe to look
into my case. God used Judge Blue’s review
to set this history-making parole hearing
in motion. By unanimous decision, I was
granted parole and released from prison
within six months.
On February 23, 2017, I walked out of
those prison gates a free and redeemed
man of God. The Lord had set me free,
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
23

God gave Timothy a gift of a lifetime in his wife
Ericka. Together, they seek to share the good
news of Jesus Christ with others.
Prison walls didn’t have to prevent me
from experiencing the true freedom
Jesus provides, nor did they disqualify
me from being used by Him.
though, long before those gates opened
(John 8:32, 36). He had made me alive even
before I had been condemned, and He had
been preparing me for my new assignment
on the outside for all those years. Prison
time was just one big preparation season.
To this day, I praise God for hearing the
cries of a grieving boy who had lost his
mother. With my release, He gave me the
gift of almost seven years with my dad.
I am grateful to God for every second I
had with him. When Dad passed away
in 2023, I not only attended his funeral
but preached a message. And this time,
praise God, I wasn’t wearing leg irons and
a chain around my waist like I had to at my
mom’s funeral.
Living free on the outside of the razor
wire has had its challenges, but God
has been with me every step of the way,
just as He was when I was in prison. He’s
helped me experience many milestones,
like learning to drive, earning a paycheck,
paying bills, completing parole, and marrying
my beautiful wife, Ericka.
The Lord has also led me back to prison
to share my testimony, including the one
where I’d resided. There, I shared before
hundreds of men how I witnessed God’s
goodness on that same compound years
before. I pray that each man will come to
know God’s goodness for themselves.
My testimony is like the one penned by
David in Psalm 40:1–3: “I waited patiently
for the Lord to help me, and he turned to
me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of
the pit of despair, out of the mud and the
mire. He set my feet on solid ground and
steadied me as I walked along. He has given
me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to
our God. Many will see what he has done
and be amazed. They will put their trust
in the Lord.”
A day doesn’t go by that I don’t reflect on
my years in prison and pray for the brothers
I left behind. I pray for men and women
everywhere who are bound, whether in
prison or by circumstance. I long to deliver
the Good News of Jesus to them, for I know
that the power of the gospel can free anyone,
regardless of where they are in life.
I used to wonder why people would give
up their free time to go to prison and talk
about Jesus. Now I know why, because the
same love for Jesus and His Great Commission
that commanded them compels me
to walk back through those gates.
I have a burden to share the gospel—the
Good News that Jesus saves and frees—
with as many captives as I can in the time
I have left. I can’t imagine doing anything
else, for the gospel of Jesus Christ enabled
me, a once thoroughly lost boy, to find his
place as a son of the Living God.
Jesus strengthened and comforted
me, and He transformed my life into
one of purpose even while I was behind
bars. He will do the same for anyone who
comes to Him.
TIMOTHY AND ERICKA KANE team up to
bring the hope of Jesus and worship alongside
their brothers and sisters behind prison walls. Tim
is a business owner and serves with Generational
Change, an outreach of Empowered to Change.
In his role as chaplain, he helps give a voice to
and restore the lives of others through various
transitional programs. For more information,
visit empoweredtochangeint.org.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY UPON A DREAM PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
24 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

STEPPING FORWARD
AN HONEST CROOK
BY ROY A. BORGES
I’D JUST PAID FOR A COUPLE of bags
of corn chips at the canteen at Mayo Correctional
Institution, the prison where I
was doing time for a first-degree robbery
I had committed 18 years earlier.
On the way back to my dormitory, I noticed
the canteen operator had given me
three bags of chips, even though I’d only
ordered and paid for two. It would have
been easy to keep the additional bag; no
one would have ever known. But I went
back and returned it.
“Look, an honest crook,” one of the officers
chortled—and he didn’t mean it as a
compliment.
Although the bag of chips wasn’t expensive,
I knew God wanted me to be honest.
Honesty is always God’s policy.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Be careful to
live properly among your unbelieving
neighbors. Then even if they accuse you
of doing wrong, they will see your honorable
behavior, and they will give honor to
God when he judges the world” (1 Peter
2:12 NLT).
A dishonest life led me to spend many
years behind razor-wire fences. I received
a long sentence in 1990 for stealing a pair
of jeans. Stealing jeans had seemed like
a little thing, but because of previous
bad decisions, it turned into a charge of
first-degree robbery.
I choose, however, not to be chained to
the past. Instead, I take the advice of former
Secretary of State Colin Powell and
focus on the windshield and not on the
rearview mirror of life. God made me a
new man when I put my faith in His Son,
Jesus, for salvation.
Listen to how the apostle Paul put it:
“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become
a new person. The old life is gone; a new
life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).
These simple words describe God’s change
in my life. I once saw myself through my
sins and mistakes, but now I see myself as a child of
God (Galatians 3:26).
No matter who we’ve been or what we’ve done in the
past, we become someone new when we trust Jesus
for our salvation and receive the forgiveness offered
through His cross.
The blood of Jesus liberates us from sin and sin’s
dominating power and restores us to a new relationship
with God—where we’re free to no longer live for ourselves
but for Him. His transforming love compels us to live
with a new identity and purpose and to make choices
that glorify Him. And those choices will point others to
our Savior, the One who can make all people new.
Returning a bag of chips may seem like a minor deal,
but integrity in the little things sets in motion more
incredible things, just like Luke 16:10 says: “If you are
faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.
But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be
honest with greater responsibilities” (NLT).
How can God entrust us with more blessings if we
aren’t faithful where we are? He can’t. Prove yourself
faithful today by being a person of integrity. In doing
so, you will position yourself for greater things, no
matter where you are or what you’ve done. Live a life
of integrity.
INTEGRITY IN
THE LITTLE
T H I N G S S E T S
IN MOTION
M O R E
INCREDIBLE
THINGS.
ROY A. BORGES served 31
years in the Florida Department
of Corrections, where he realized
his need for a Savior. While
incarcerated, Roy ministered to
others through his writings, over
300 of which have been published.
Roy’s book, 101 Short Stories from
the Prison Cell, is available from
amazon.com.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
25

THE STORY OF NA’KEDRA RODGERS
A Vessel for His Glory
A serious betrayal early in life messed up my thinking for
years. I was just a sixth grader minding my own business
when someone I trusted not only accused me of stealing
but held me against my will, threatening me with jail if I
didn’t confess.
As an 11-year-old straight-A student who never got
in trouble, I was terrified, but I refused to admit to
something I didn’t do. It felt like forever, but eventually I
got to go home.
Today, Na’Kedra helps
others find their God-given
identity and purpose
through her writings and
speaking events.
26 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF NA’KEDRA RODGERS
Like many people in vulnerable situations,
I didn’t talk about what happened, ed Him to step into my situation. I began
with the Lord at the time, I knew I need-
but the incident traumatized me for years. praying for a child, petitioning for God’s
Over time, determined that I would never help the way Hannah had prayed for her
let myself feel that vulnerable and unsafe son, Samuel, in the Bible (1 Samuel 1:27).
again, I developed an unhealthy reliance God answered my prayers and granted
on myself.
me a successful full-term pregnancy. My
It was a survival mechanism, to be sure, husband and I welcomed our first healthy,
but it only brought more harm. I would beautiful daughter. I was grateful to God
have to endure many trials before I finally but didn’t learn to rely on Him. I got busy
came to the end of myself and let God take in my role as a new mother.
His rightful place in my life.
Eventually, my husband and I decided
The walls I had built for protection were keeping
even the people I loved at arm’s length.
I graduated from Louisiana State University
in 2002 and moved to Texas. There, suffered another miscarriage. It’s hard to
to have another baby. We got pregnant but
I eventually landed my first job as a microbiologist
and was determined to succeed. but even if I could have then, I wouldn’t
explain the pain of losing an unborn child,
I loved my job and excelled. Life was good have. I just kept pushing through life. Two
until the company was acquired.
and a half years later, God blessed us with
My department avoided the layoffs at a second healthy baby girl. But I was no
first, but in 2012, after nearly a decade longer happy.
of service and for no apparent reason, Day after day, life grew darker. And I
management eliminated my position. I grew more angry and bitter in my roles
felt humiliated as my former manager took as a mother, wife, and career woman. I
my badge and escorted me to my car. I felt was lonely and discontented. And then,
crushed and betrayed, just as I had as a my friends began leaving, one by one. Before
long, everyone I trusted and leaned
preteen, by someone I trusted.
I pushed down the pain and went on on was gone.
with life. In May 2015, I married my husband,
and right after our first anniversa-
knees and caused me to seek God. I needed
It was this loss that brought me to my
ry, we found out I was pregnant. Excited, more than a quick answer to my prayer;
we arrived for my 11-week appointment I needed Him to show me what was happening.
Why was I so sad? Why so angry?
and our baby’s first ultrasound. Our hearts
sank as the monitor revealed our baby had And why were the people I loved choosing
no heartbeat. A blood test confirmed I had to disappear from my life?
miscarried. I left numb.
God met me right in the middle of my
I didn’t cry until days later when a nurse confusion and showed me that because of
wheeled me into an operating room to the past pain I had suffered, my heart had
have a procedure called a D&C. When the grown hard and distrustful. The walls I had
tears finally came, they wouldn’t stop. Another
major disappointment struck my people I loved at arm’s length. I reacted
built for protection were keeping even the
soul, and another pain went unaddressed. defensively toward anyone who got close.
While I didn’t have a close relationship My strong, controlling personality pushed
many wonderful people away as I desperately
tried to protect myself.
In a pivotal moment, I realized these
friends were actually drawing healthy
boundaries for themselves. I wanted to
feel offended, but how could I be? It took
a good hard look at myself to understand
that the real issue in my life wasn’t what
others had done to me, it was me—I was
the problem
But what hope did I have? I had no idea
how to change or become a better person.
And I was sure my changing wouldn’t bring
the people I loved back into my life, so what
was the point?
During this painful self-reflection, God
stepped in and drew me close. I had grown
up in the church and knew about Him, but
I had never known Him by experience.
This pain led me to Him. God opened His
arms and welcomed me and all my hurts
and problems.
Childhood traumas led to a sense of
distrust and desire to control.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
27

I felt safe with God and prayed boldly
to Him. I knew of King David’s prayer in
Psalm 139:23–24, and it seemed appropriate
for me. Search my heart, Lord. Know my
anxious thoughts and let me know the parts of
me that need to change for Your glory. I was
serious—I needed God to show me what
was happening and how my actions affected
others and myself.
The first thing the Lord revealed was the
unforgiveness in my heart. If I ever wanted
to heal and be emotionally healthy, I had
to forgive those who had hurt me. And if
I wanted God’s forgiveness for my transgressions,
I needed to forgive others for
theirs. (See Matthew 6:14–15; Ephesians
4:31–32; and Colossians 3:13.) It didn’t
matter if those past offenders ever apologized
or acknowledged the damage caused
by their actions; I needed to forgive.
God also showed me how, instead of
looking to Him to meet my needs, I habitually
filled the space meant only for
Him with people, jobs, and status. It didn’t
After suffering
the pain of a
miscarriage,
Na’Kedra and
her husband
were blessed
with a beautiful
daughter. It took
years, though, for
Na’Kedra to give
that pain to God.
take a genius to realize that those things
had only led to more emptiness. God
wanted to give me lasting contentment
and purpose.
God’s grace brought me to my senses
just in time for the 2020 pandemic. The
Lord was right on time to help me find
my way out of this dark place. I would
hate to imagine where I’d be had He not
intervened.
We can’t escape the pain of this world,
but God promises that through His Son,
we can overcome it all.
God and I were still working on my
identity crisis when an idea came to me
about starting my own business. I didn’t
know what that entailed, and I made my
usual mistake of initially asking people
instead of God for direction. Still, God
worked through those people, and their
ideas returned me to Him.
One of my friends suggested I encourage
others through videos and inspirational
posts on social media. Not long after, my
ministry, OptimisticallyKe, was born. I
posted my first inspirational video on April
16, 2021. Since that day, God has faithfully
opened unexpected doors of opportunity.
I have even published two books.
I want to point others to the Lord by
sharing with them, through my posts,
speaking engagements, and published
works, what He’s been teaching me. I want
people to know the power they can find
in sharing their stories and that they can
trust God to bring purpose out of things
like betrayal, rejection, loss, and grief. God
doesn’t waste a tear!
We can’t escape the pain of this world,
but God promises that through His Son,
we can overcome it all. With Him on our
side, we are never defeated. Romans 8:37
says that we are more than conquerors in
Christ Jesus despite the hard things.
The key to being victorious, though, is
our being in Christ. Faith in Him is what
gets us there. It starts with surrendering
our lives to Him, including our pain. Have
you done that? Have you opened your
heart to Him and become vulnerable to
His loving care?
You can trust God; you really can. Trials
and disappointments can deceive us
into believing that God and people don’t
care about us and that our lives have no
purpose—but it’s not true.
Don’t do as I did. Don’t let painful events
and harmful people harden your heart.
That only leads to more pain. Give it all to
God. Cast all your cares on Him; He cares
for you (1 Peter 5:7). And then, be willing to
go on a deep dive of your life with Him. God
will lovingly and patiently reveal hidden
things that, when you deal with them, will
bring you to a place of freedom.
God has great work for you to do for
His kingdom. It’s not over. God can bring
you out of that dark place and soften your
hard heart. And if you let Him, He will use
everything about your story to mold and
shape you into someone He can use as a
vessel for His glory.
NA’KEDRA RODGERS is a Southern belle with
sass. She enjoys empowering women as a speaker,
author, and podcaster. Her mission is to inspire,
encourage, and point lost souls to Jesus. Connect
with Na’Kedra at www.nakedrarodgers.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NA’KEDRA RODGERS
28 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

TRANSFORMED LIVES
FROM THE MOMENT WE’RE BORN, Satan tries to convince
us we aren’t enough. His lies come through what we see, hear,
read, and experience. If we aren’t careful, his messages form
a belief system within us that leads to unhealthy actions and
devastating consequences.
Many of us have experienced harmful childhoods. If this is you,
I am so sorry. I know your pain from my own experience, but I also
know God wants to help you overcome all you’ve encountered.
He offers you the hope of a better future (Jeremiah 29:11–14)
and promises to restore all that Satan has stolen, corrupted, and
destroyed in your life (John 10:10).
I love the symbolism of our lives being like a fruit tree. A fruit
tree produces certain kinds of fruits. God wants our lives to make
good, healthy fruit, and He helps us do just that through His Holy
Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this
kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (NLT).
Good fruit comes when we believe God’s truth about us. His
truths lead us to become like flourishing trees planted by a riverbank
and help us produce good fruit in every season of our lives—
even in the hard seasons (Jeremiah 17:7–8).
I produced rotten fruit for years. The lies I believed about myself
influenced my actions and reactions and life’s outcomes. My life
was like a dry, prickly shrub in the desert. I hurt many people,
including myself.
WHAT YOU THINK IS
WHAT YOU ARE
BY SHERIDAN CORREA
Is your fruit healthy or unhealthy? Unhealthy fruit includes
harmful actions such as rage, eating disorders, addictions, sexual
immorality, lying, and profanity. It causes unhealthy emotions
such as fear, anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, shame, and
unrelenting grief. It fosters unhealthy attitudes like complaining,
unforgiveness, greed, and prejudice. And it allows unhealthy, abusive,
neglectful, and destructive relationships (Galatians 5:19–21).
Your fruit exposes your underlying belief system, the root system
of your life. It reveals whether you believe what God says or
what Satan says about you. And who
you believe determines your harvest.
So what does your fruit say about
you? Are you peaceful and joy-filled
or frantic and desperate? Do you
have self-control, or does the littlest
thing set you off?
Your fruit expresses your belief
about yourself, the world, and God.
Could it be that, at your core, you
don’t believe God is good and that
He cares for you?
experiences do not change the nature of God.
Perhaps you have based your perception
of Him on an experience. I
often became confused about God
and thought up my own ideas of what
He was like (Romans 1:21), but that
didn’t mean they were true. And our
Experiences made me believe I was unloved and unwanted.
Maybe yours tell you you’re a failure, stupid, ugly, or unworthy.
Those beliefs will hold us hostage until we give them to God—and
He wants to set us free!
Ask Him to show you the lies you believe. Then let His Holy Spirit
uproot them. Only then will you find freedom and be transformed.
God works from the inside out.
Just like a tree needs a healthy root system to produce fruit,
you need a healthy belief system based on God’s Word to do the
same. Romans 12:2 tells us that God changes us into a new person
by changing our thinking. Behavior modification alone only
provides a temporary change of fruit. With time, harmful fruit
always grows back. Trust me.
Instead, deal with the root cause. How?
1. Identify and confess the lies you’ve believed (Psalm 32:5).
2. Repent of the wrong decisions you’ve made because of
those lies (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
3. Replace those lies with God’s truth (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Focusing on God’s truth instead of Satan’s lies is a daily discipline.
But the outcome is worth it. You will become a different
person, and your life will yield different results.
Remember: God is real, and He rewards those who seek Him
(Hebrews 11:6). He is good and close (Nahum 1:7). He loves and
chooses you (1 Thessalonians 1:4). You are forgiven and accepted,
and through Jesus, you can triumph over sin (Romans 5:16–17).
Nourish your beliefs every day by applying the Living Water of
God’s Word. You will soon reap a beautiful harvest.
SHERIDAN CORREA is a biblical counselor who is trained in trauma-informed
care. She’s a wife, mother of two teenage boys, singer, and avid runner who has
been radically changed by Jesus. She is VL’s director of content development.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
29

MAN OF HOPE
THE STORY OF ROBERT E. WHITNER
There are many roads a person can take. Some lead
to life, while others lead to death. Our choices, good
or bad, have consequences, no matter who we are.
I am grateful that my God doesn’t wipe His hands
of us when we choose destructive roads. He never
gives up on His children, leaving us to figure out
our lives. No, our heavenly Father journeys with us
down the most difficult roads and lovingly leads us
to where He wants us to be. At all times, He is fully
with us in our consequences.
Never would I have imagined as a kid that I would
become a drug addict and a murderer. Hurting myself
and others and living 20 years behind bars was
not on my radar. But neither was becoming a pastor
and helping others, which is what I do now. God knew
all of this, though. And He loved me through it all,
every step of the way (Romans 5:8).
My two younger sisters and I were raised by both
our parents. Life was “normal,” and our home was
peaceful. Or at least it was until Dad cheated on Mom
and became a heavy drinker. Then our house became
an upside-down place of arguing and fighting. When
I was 14, my parents divorced, and Dad left.
Our family was torn apart by Dad’s actions—as
was my heart. I carried the weight of my family’s
brokenness for years.
I was not an average kid. By seventh grade, I was
6’3” and as awkward and clumsy as they come. Other
kids enjoyed picking on me. But something good
came out of all that height—basketball.
Coach Don took great interest in me, teaching me
the game and sending me to camps where I learned
to use my height as an advantage. I excelled as a
player and was told I had a future in the sport.
With my family unit dismantled, however, I was
pretty much left to myself. At 13, I discovered marijuana.
I enjoyed getting high after school, drinking,
and getting into other trouble.
Then, junior year, my friend and I went to school
drunk. That got me kicked out of school and off the
team. My world crumbled. Basketball was my life.
I straightened up long enough to graduate from high
school and get into Central Wesleyan College on a basketball
scholarship. I played successfully until, again, my
junior year, when I made another foolish decision. My
friends and I decided to purchase some alcohol. We loaded
up on drinks, climbed back in the vehicle, and went
about our way. Did I mention I was driving the school’s
vehicle and purchasing alcohol for my teammates?
The next day, I stood before the dean of the college.
That foolish pitstop cost me my scholarship. With no
means to support my education, I had to leave school
and could not graduate.
I married my sweetheart and enlisted in the Army. We
moved to Italy for my first duty assignment in 1988. My
love for alcohol joined us on our journey abroad. In the
years that followed, my constant drinking and alcoholic
ways negatively impacted my wife and our young son. I
cared only for myself and finding my next drink.
I was sent from the base in Italy to Heidelberg, Germany,
to learn to operate equipment that could locate
underground cables. Away from my wife and son, I spent
my time drinking and carousing with the other GIs.
It rained heavily on the eight-hour drive back home,
PHOTO BY GERI SIMPKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBERT E. WHITNER
30 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Left: Robert
excelled in
athletics and in
his career in the
military. But his
lack of self-control
led to some tough
consequences.
but that didn’t stop me from taking full advantage
of the lack of speed restrictions on those winding
European roads. Suddenly, as I prepared for a turn, I
heard a loud voice say, “Rob, you need to slow down.”
It was the loudest and clearest voice I had ever
heard. It was as if someone were in the car with me. I
shook my head and kept speeding, driving more than
100 mph. Then, I heard the voice again. “Slow down!”
Startled, I decelerated and put my hands on the
wheel just as the vehicle hit a pocket of water and
hydroplaned. Thankfully, I did not lose control.
The whole encounter shook me to the core. Where
had that voice come from? Today, I recognize it as
the voice of God. I’ve often wondered what would’ve
happened if I hadn’t listened. I’m not sure I’d be alive.
Much later, I also realized that God was warning me
to slow down on the highway of life. I was speeding
toward danger and testing the limits without regard
for the consequences.
It took a terrible life crash before I realized that
I was living out Ephesians 4:18–19: “Their minds
are full of darkness; they wander far from the life
God gives because they have closed their minds and
hardened their hearts against him. They have no
sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and
eagerly practice every kind of impurity” (NLT).
Living for my lustful pleasures led me to a
less-than-honorable discharge from the Army for
drugs. I was sent back to Maryland. My wife and son,
however, went to South Carolina. And that’s when I
met and quickly became a slave to crack cocaine.
“You become the slave of whatever you choose to
obey,” Romans 6:16 explains. “You can be a slave to
sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey
God, which leads to righteous living” (NLT).
I obeyed the demands of my addiction faithfully,
doing whatever I needed to obtain my next fix, paying
no regard for anything or anyone else. It didn’t
help that I had a hot temper and loved a good brawl.
One night, a drug altercation turned into a mob
fight. Threats and accusations flew back and forth as
those of us involved sat in jail. I remember looking
at the man across the cell who was threatening me
and thinking, You have no idea who you’re messing with.
I don’t care about you or myself or this life.
My heart had become so darkened by sin that my
mind was completely depraved (Romans 1). But if
I was aware, I didn’t care. To prove it, a few weeks
later, I bludgeoned a 28-year-old man to death. I will
forever be sorry for the sin I committed that day. It’s
true—sin will take you further than you want to go
and cost you more than you want to pay.
I went on the run to avoid arrest. I hitchhiked,
walked, and ran from Seneca, South Carolina, to
Livonia, Georgia. But three weeks later, I was apprehended
in a random traffic stop. After running my
name in the system, the officer made the arrest. Four
months later, I was sentenced to 20 years to life in
South Carolina’s McCormick Correctional Institution.
No one could believe that I had committed such a
heinous crime. I had been such a happy-go-lucky kid.
How had I become a man of such hate and violence?
My family, especially my mom and sisters, were
devastated. I had caused them, as well as my wife
and son, so much pain. I signed away my paternal
rights so that they wouldn’t have to identify with
me—a ruined and broken man.
Ezekiel 33:11 says, “As surely as I live, says the
Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death
of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their
wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your
wickedness” (NLT).
My sentencing judge had told me to spend my
time behind bars reading a book a week and the
Bible every night. It took me two years, but I finally
started reading the Bible for 15 minutes a day at 6
a.m. When I did, something interesting happened—I
didn’t want to fight anymore. I also began reading a
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
31

OUR CHOICES, GOOD OR
BAD, HAVE CONSEQUENCES,
NO MATTER WHO WE ARE.
daily devotional given to me by a student I tutored
in the literacy program.
At first, I didn’t want to read The Daily Bread, but he
kept bringing the pocket-sized publications to me.
Finally, I gave way. Renewing my mind with those
daily seeds of truth transformed my heart and mind
(Romans 12:2).
Soon after, I began attending chapel. Sitting under
organizations to help newly released people find
the teaching of God’s Word impacted my life significantly.
I could sense God drawing me to Himself, just
as John 6:44 says.
I fully surrendered to God after hearing a loud,
wild preacher in the prison chapel. This power ful
evangelist preached the Word with fire and passion,
and listening to him stirred something deep down
in my heart.
After the service and roll call, I hurried back to my
bunk, knelt, and prayed. I bowed my heart before
God Almighty and surrendered my broken life to
Him. I didn’t feel some miraculous touch or power
at that moment, but my heart instantly felt clean
housing and jobs. It brought me great joy to help
others find freedom on the outside through Christ.
Less than 4 percent of people who go through Jumpstart
recidivate.
On June 9, 2014, after 20 years of incarceration, I
was granted parole and released from prison. It was
a happy day. Jumpstart helped me secure transitional
housing and a job and to acclimate to life on
the outside. Today, I serve as the Director of Mission
Advancement of Jumpstart in North Carolina.
A few years after my release, I met an old friend
from school and started a long-distance relationship.
Helen, a mighty woman of God, loved me like Christ.
Today, Robert and
his wife, Helen, seek
to help the hopeless
discover hope.
PHOTO BY GERI SIMPKINS PHOTOGRAPHY
and calm. I had peace for the first time. I know it is
She saw the new man I had become (2 Corinthians
because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has taken resi-
5:17), not the man I had been.
dence inside me.
A few years later, we were married, and not long
That was in June 1996. The following day, I went
after, we launched a ministry called No Limits to help
to the prison yard and saw a group of Christians. A
the hopeless discover hope. My heart is especially
light glowed around them, and I was drawn their
drawn to the incarcerated. I want every incarcerated
way instead of toward my usual crowd of sinners.
man and woman to know that God has a plan for their
My friend Terry began teaching me about following
lives (Jeremiah 29:11). No matter what—God loves
Jesus. The more I learned, the more I hungered and
them and wants to give them the hope of a new life.
thirsted for the Word of God. I couldn’t get enough of
There are no limits with God (Jeremiah 32:17), and
it. I memorized Scripture and began teaching what
nothing is too hard for Him. God is bigger than all our
I learned to others.
Over the years, I noticed how often people returned
to prison after being released. It was sad to see how
many cycled in and out. A few of my Christian brothers
and I decided to start Jumpstart Ministry to help
the men around us prepare for reentry into society.
Jumpstart is a 40-week discipleship program
based on Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven
Life. Through the study, we help people discover their
identity in Christ, as we know the only way they can
experience a purpose-filled life and stay out of prison
is through Christ’s strength (Philippians 4:13)
and the support of others. The ministry works with
past mistakes. I am living proof. God transformed
my wreck of a life into something beautiful. And if
He can do it for me, He can do it for you.
But before He can do that, you’ll need to slow down
and surrender the keys of your life to Him. You can’t
keep driving hard and fast down the dangerous road
you are currently on. Quit testing the limits. Trust
me, there’s a crash waiting for you ahead.
Save yourself and others the pain of yet another
poor decision. Bow your knee and heart to the Lord
today. Let the presence of His love and the power
of His truth bring peace into your heart and mind.
You can be a man or woman of hope!
ROB WHITNER is the
founder and lead pastor
of No Limits Ministry
in Goldsboro, North
Carolina. His passion
is connecting people
to God and each other.
He also serves as the
Director of Ministry
Advancement for
Jumpstart Ministry. To
connect with Jumpstart
or to bring a chapter
to your facility, visit
jumpstartvision.org.
32 Issue 03 / 2024 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

WANT TO KNOW JESUS?
“Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28 NIV
ARTWORKS BY VL INCARCERATED FAMILY MEMBER
Do you need rest? Peace? Freedom? Forgiveness? Restoration?
Call out to Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and be made whole.
Pray: “Jesus, I invite You into my life. I confess that I am a sinner in
need of a Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sins and making
me whole. Thank You for laying down Your life for me so that I can
have a new life in You. I receive, by faith, this forgiveness of sin. Take
my life—my past and my future. Guide my steps and speak to my
heart, Lord. Use me, God. Amen.”
Let us know of your decision so we can help you grow in your faith.
Write to: VL Correspondence, PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836.
PERHAPS AFTER READING the stories in this magazine, you’ve surrendered your life to
Jesus. Congratulations—it’s the most important decision you will ever make! But you might
be wondering, now what? Here are five ways to ensure spiritual growth. Remember, the
Christian life is a journey that brings lifelong transformation.
1. PRAY. Talk to God about everything and listen for His response. You don’t need
fancy words, just a sincere heart.
2. STUDY THE BIBLE. God’s Word contains all the instructions we need for life. Get
into a Bible study and discover new revelations daily. Free resources are on page 34.
3. GET BAPTIZED. Although baptism is not a requirement of salvation, the Bible
clearly tells us that we are to be water baptized after salvation. Baptism symbolizes
our dying to sin and being raised to new life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:4). Prison
restrictions may make immersion by water difficult, so get creative and let the Holy
Spirit reveal how you can take this step of obedience until immersion is possible.
4. FIND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. Join a local congregation of Christ-followers. If
incarceration makes attending church difficult, fellowship with other believers the
best you can. They will help you stand strong and keep you accountable.
5. TELL SOMEONE. Share your decision to follow Christ and tell them what He has
done for you. And then, tell us! We’d love to hear from you.
WHAT NOW?
I’ve Accepted God’s Salvation.
Now What?
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2024
33

MINISTRY INFO/RESOURCES
Victorious Living Prison
Outreach Information
• High transitional rates and DOC restrictions prevent us from
mailing individual subscriptions of VLMag to incarcerated
persons. However, bulk copies are provided free to prisons, jails,
recovery, and reentry programs, with or without staples, at
the request of chaplains and program directors. They may also
inquire about our national VL Prison Tour.
• We offer discipleship materials on various prison tablet systems.
Search “Victorious Living” on the prison tablet to discover MORE
Victorious Living and STEPPING FORWARD with Victorious
Living broadcasts and VL podcasts. If we are not on your tablet
system, please write to us and let us know the name of your
tablet system.
• Family members of our incarcerated family and our ministry
partners can enjoy our free resources through pandoapp.tv
and VL’s online platforms like vlmag.org, Facebook, Instagram,
and YouTube. Our care team is available to pray with family
members of our incarcerated family by phone.
• We offer fellowship through correspondence to those who are
incarcerated. Write to us at PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836.
• We cannot receive COD emails or phone calls, nor do we accept
unsolicited stories for publication or legal documents.
• We encourage believers everywhere to use our materials in their
ministry. VLMag makes an incredible witnessing tool and copies
can be ordered in bulk for use in free society.
• Did you know that VLMag is available on both sides of prison
walls? It is a gift to our ministry partners and can be delivered to
anyone in free society. Call 352-478-2098 or visit vlmag.org and
click the “give now” tab. A gift of any amount is appreciated.
RESOURCES
Below are opportunities for free Christian-based
resources for both English- and Spanish-speaking
persons and chaplains. When you contact the
addresses below, tell our partners VL referred you.
VICTORIOUS LIVING
Personal correspondence available in English and Spanish.
Bulk copies of VLMag are available for jail and prison libraries
at chaplain’s request.
PO Box 2751
Greenville, NC 27836
2ND OPPORTUNITY
Reentry and
employmentreadiness
programming; job/
housing referrals
upon request.
PO Box 3411
Peachtree City, GA
30269
PRISON
ALLIANCE
Discipleship studies
by mail; free Christian
books and Bibles for
libraries at request of
authorized personnel.
PO Box 97095
Raleigh, NC
27624
RESCUED NOT
ARRESTED
Free NIV Bibles, Bible
study correspondence
course, and NIV Life
Application Study Bible
upon completion
of study.
PO Box 90606
Phoenix, AZ 85066
CROSSROADS PRISON
MINISTRIES
Correspondence
Bible studies and
mentoring letters with
completed lessons. Free
Bibles for CRM students
upon request.
PO Box 900
Grand Rapids, MI 49509
HOPE IS ALIVE
Nationally-based sober
living homes, faith-based
support groups, and grief
support groups for those
impacted by addiction.
14400 Bogert Parkway
Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK
73134
34
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