Monday, April 6, 2020 -
Today had its ups and downs. Let me explain the “ups” first. I was able to receive and send an email for the first time this morning at 7:00 AM after being denied this privilege since Friday at 3:30 PM. I didn’t get in line at 8:15 and waited two hours for the phone before I finally got to speak with Kathie. She had told me it was perhaps the worst weekend for her since I’ve been in prison… Exactly 16 months to the day! But the Lord directed someone to call and pray and encourage her just as she had broken down and began to cry to the Lord. That gentleman had also emailed me, and both of them expressed to me the same thing… That it was a divinely orchestrated phone call.
I was able to speak with Kathie for 15 minutes and did not get cut off as expected! She reported the pain gone in her face, and is hopeful that the infection is gone for good after it tormenting her for a full month. Quite wonderful news this was after going nearly 3 days wondering and praying to the Lord for her.
A little later, a man who is a believer in praise and studies regularly with us confidently told me that God had just revealed to him that he has a broken heart. I told him, “but God mends broken hearts! Saying, “he told me he wanted me to pray for him, and so I went back to my cell and began to pray. God gave me a number of scriptures to pass on to him, which I copied down, on a sheet of paper; “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18; “he heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147: “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt mom“ not despise“ Psalm 51:17; “I will seek the lost bring back the scattered bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment“ Ezekiel 34: 16; “And I shall give them one heart, and shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh“ Ezekiel 11:19; “moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh“ Ezekiel 36:26; and, the word of Jesus in Isaiah 61:1; “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners!“
I then snuck downstairs to his cell on the way to the ice machine. His cell door was open, but both he and his cellmate were asleep. So I laid the piece of paper with the verses on his bunk and left. In the afternoon we in the upper tier were allowed to go downstairs and when he saw me outside his cell he asked me if I was the one who had left a piece of paper on his bunk as it was just what he needed. A while later he saw me again, and I asked him how he was doing, and he told me “I’m fine, now!“ Praise the Lord!
Not long thereafter, the unit manager came into our unit to announce that we will now get to use the email and phones for between 2-2 1/2 hours per day every weekday! I just praise the Lord for this!
Somehow I was able to get back on email and, after standing in line another hour, was able to speak to Kathie again today! She told me she has been so happy today and that b has been a good day because she got to speak to me.
When we had mail call, I received eight letters and all very encouraging. Kathie had also told me on the phone that they received the final response for my 2255 from the government today, and it was forwarded immediately to “D“ and me, so “D“ can finish preparing my final response I praise the Lord for this as it may speed up the process. We are diligently praying and believing Judge Arcara Will vacate my sentence.
I also received an application form from Josiah to review for the “paycheck protection program” as our business has been faced with negligent cash flow and canceled orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. What’s more, William is concerned we cannot meet the next payroll. God has always provided for payroll, even when it was as much as 50,000 per month, without Response Unlimited ever having to borrow a penny from anyone. It was extremely depressing, however, to read that Response Unlimited does not qualify for this since I, as owner of 20% or more Half the company is “presently subject to an indictment, criminal information, arraignment, or other means by which formal criminal charges are brought in any jurisdiction, or presently incarcerated, or probation or parole”. So it will not be approved automatically. How discouraging this is! But, I know, we must not place our trust or confidence in anything but God Almighty and not in man-made solutions or government programs. Again, I recognize that it is God alone who brings the victory. In the end, I know HE and only HE will be glorified for the great and marvelous things he has done!
One more discouraging thing happened today. Kathie had informed me that after the internal revenue services audited our 2018 personal taxes they have arbitrarily decided to disallow our carryover contributions from the previous five years even though it is perfectly legal for us to do so. The IRS tried this six years ago prior, and it cost me around $25,000 to fight them. That time they were attempting to exhort an additional $22,000 in taxes for me for the exact same scenario---But finally had to back down and admit I was correct. Yet here we are again! They are trying the same tactic. Please pray! I know this is just another way the devil is seeking to attack and destroy!