Setting Prisoners Free

As a shelter, we spilled forth controlled chaos. We housed women with children, and single ladies and invited our homeless and poor neighbours in for a hot meal and food bags four days a week. But then, surprisingly, our pace increased in 2001, that year announced itself as being a time of new beginnings. In May, I married my beautiful bride. Cornerstone also purchased the Sylvia Center and we started housing families. As the year neared its end, we found out a local homeless shelter, Harper House was closing, and to our utter surprise, we were asked if we could meet the need, take over and start managing our own Men’s shelter. By faith, with a hint of nervous courage and not knowing what to do, we walked through the open door and began housing about a hundred men experiencing homelessness. Macon ’s Overnight Ministries reached capacity and then exceeded it, within a week. The need and desperation was enormous. Nightly, we had to turn away many fellas into Chic...

Struggling through the mucky mire Climbing life's impossible obstacles Harassed intimidated and ashamed Fighting against the prejudice systems Continually exploited by elitist regimes Victimized Villainized Oppressed Forsaken Forgotten Strongly rising with hopeful expectations Staring blankly into life's travesties Refusing to bow succumb and submit Struggling kin loving without borders Prayerful perseverance unites them all Against all odds Defying all odds Rising Creating Living Cuffed and frisked for reasons unknown Sentenced coz of funds lacking Deemed guilty until proven innocent Jesus cries "he without sin, cast the first stone" Yet rocks sail continuously in their direction Victimized Villainized Oppressed Forsaken Forgotten Strongly rising with hopeful expectations Staring blankly into life's travesties Refusing to bow succumb and submit Struggling kin loving without borders Prayerful perseverance unites them all A...