Circle of Life

I give the credit entirely to my mother, who thought sending cookies to Michael in November when he arrived at Dismas would help him feel loved until he earned enough privileges to extend visits.  And because there was no list of what you could do for a resident, we have evolved into an "it's better to ask forgiveness, than ask permission" state of being. (There is a list of what not to do when you are a Dismas resident, notably: 1. Do not kill anyone. 2.  Do not riot. 3. No cell phones.) Included in his first care package, tucked in with warm clothes and drawings from Madison, was a container of oatmeal raisin cookies.  Michael shared them with his dorm mates; one of which could not believe he would share and told him, "These taste just like Christmas!" Well, how can you not keep baking for an audience like that? And so the unofficial Dismas Cookie Ministry was born. The only kind of cookies that were met with a little wariness were some very green, mint chocolate chip cookies. But once they were tasted, they were gone. (My sous chef is 3; we like food coloring!)

Growing up our church participated in the Jordan Prison Ministry's Christmas Cookie Project. They would collect enough cookies to give each inmate at the prison one dozen cookies.  I grew up running around the Fellowship Hall while mothers packaged cookies and eventually helping to package. Things always come full circle. The girl who was dying to be a missionary after listening to Marilyn Laszlo, then frustrated that she would not be going to a faraway country to share Jesus, finally grew up enough to understand "going out into all the world" can mean your own zip code. God uses anything you can do for His glory. Even cookies.

So this weekend we baked enough cookies for the 21 other men in Michael's dorm to have a baker's dozen for Valentine's Day. What a perfect time to show someone that they are loved! (Another fun aside with the cookies is one resident told Michael that he should be careful about bringing something so good because someone might find out where he lived, look me up and tell me that Michael was "no good" and that I should marry them instead! Michael was not sure how to take that!)

Michael is eligible for home confinement February 17th; according to his counselor, home confinement paper work is only processed on Mondays, so it will be sent on February 20th with the earliest turn around time of 7 days.  We are hoping that he will be returning home the first of March! Some of the things he is most looking forward to are being able to spend each evening and morning with us, take a shower without the need for shower shoes, sleep in a room without fluorescent lights on all night, and sleep on something thicker than a kindergarten mat. We are keeping his counselor in prayer that he will do right by Michael and put his paperwork in on time. Thank you for keeping our family in your prayers!

Heidi