I underwent a number of trials and challenges which were quite stressful. But the Lord Jesus was faithful to bring me through every one of them. And although these events were both painful and at times intense, they all served to strengthen my faith, and build up my inner man. They also filled my heart with more hope in God than ever before.
 
In addition, I am very thankful for all those who prayed for me in 2024, whether it was one prayer or many. God used those prayers to help me through many a storm, as Satan warred against me big time.
 
I was hit with health issues, betrayals, disappointments, misunderstandings, accusations for a crime that was committed almost fifty years ago which I had no knowledge of and did not commit, and the loss of several friends who moved onto heaven in 2024.
 
So I do hope that 2025 will be a little smoother than this year was. Then again, because we are nearing what the Bible refers to as the "end times" and the "latter days," I doubt this will be the case. After all, the devil knows he is running out of time. So of no surprise, he's trying to do as much mischief as he can. Which of course means more spiritual warfare against
the Lord and His followers, which includes me.
 
Thus, for me, these spells trouble ahead. But it's nothing to be concerned about because the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within the life of every person who has trusted in Messiah Jesus, is infinitely more powerful than the devil and all his demons.
 
All said, I'm on the winning side. And to close out the year, I want to quote one of my favorite verses in the New Testament:  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Amen!
 
D.B.

...and as I reflect upon my life as a whole, I cannot be thankful enough for all the Lord has done for me. He has delivered me from sickness and spared me from death, when a dangerous infection tore through my body only the month before.
 
He has also given me a deep peace about my life sentence. It's not something that bothers me. Instead, it serves as a reminder that I have a lot of work yet to do for Him, with many good things still to be accomplished for His heavenly kingdom.
 
Likewise, I am deeply humbled by the many letters I have received this year from those who've been touched, uplifted and inspired by my story of redemption. God is not a respecter of persons. What He did for me, saving me from my sins, and from the clutches of Satan, He will gladly do for others as well, if they would just call upon Him for help.
 
Furthermore, as I examine my own life, I see many shortcomings and failings, even now. I am by no means a perfect man. I mess up often. But the Lord has been both exceedingly merciful and patient with me. And for this I am thankful. His patience is beyond my comprehension, and so is His love.
 
And with all this in mind, I will be stepping into the new year in faith, knowing the Lord is fulfilling His purpose and plans for my life. Amen!
 
D.B.

The prison, where I spent more than twenty-eight years confined to, and where I came to faith in Christ at, was now being shut down. Sullivan Correctional Facility in the town of Fallsburg, New York, first opened around 1985. At the time it was considered a "state of the art" prison that was smaller in size and in population, and therefore easier to control, than New York's older maximum-security facilities that were built in the 1800s.
 
Prisons such as the infamous Sing-Sing, Auburn, and Clinton Correctional facilities are huge monstrosities that could hold two thousand inmates and more. While other prisons, such as the ignominious Attica, where more than forty prisoners and guards perished in a horrific riot in 1971, and other massive facilities known for their high levels of violence - Greenhaven, and Comstock - have their well-earned reputations as dangerous institutions.
 
But then came the modern age of smaller prisons such as Sullivan, where I resided until April of 2016, when I was transferred to Shawangunk Correctional Facility, where I am at present. These two facilities were made to hold about 550 men, and required a smaller staff with more technologically advanced security equipment at their disposal, such as electronically controlled doors, and more.
 
So it was surprising to learn that Sullivan was on the so called "chopping block." At first, I couldn't believe it. My years at Sullivan were unique. Being in a "maximum security" facility, I had my good days and bad ones. There's no "easy" place to do prison time in, no matter its size. Yet I flourished at Sullivan.
 
I had good jobs. I got along well with both Sullivan's staff and its inmates. I was trusted to work with the "sight-impaired” individuals. The facility had a special housing area for the men who were legally blind, along with those who have extreme hearing loss. I was a caretaker and "program aid" for them.
 
I did the same when I worked in the special needs housing area for those with serious mental health issues. Though I lived in the general population, I was given the clearance to go into the 64-man "Special Needs" unit on Mondays through Fridays to assist these men with their needs.
 
The guys used to tease me in a good-natured way because I was, for them, a combination of counselor, chaplain and preacher. They would say, "Bring your problems to brother Dave," because they regarded me as a friend. I was a listening ear all who needed one. I would also help them with writing letters home. And when I could, I'd bring snacks with me, and some hygiene items too for those who couldn't afford these things from the commissary.
 
At Sullivan, we had a spiritually vibrant chapel fellowship with good Bible studies, worship services, and regular prayer meetings. We also had a variety of outside guests who consisted of lay ministers from the local community, along with well-respected ordained preachers and teachers who'd come from New York City and other areas to teach us about Jesus.
 
It's hard to believe the place where I lived at for almost three decades is now standing vacant. Sullivan Correctional facility was where men, including myself, made our peace with God and found forgiveness and hope. But now it's just a memory.
 
D.B.
 
Fallsburg's Sullivan Correctional Facility to Shut Down
Sullivan County Democrat, 
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 (Headline, page 1)
www.scdemocratonline.com
by Patricio Robayo

Israel's champion warrior King openly confessed his trust in the Lord. But then seemed to contradict himself, either because of the words of one of his advisors, or perhaps he had a sudden moment of doubt from within, that he should flee from danger as would a frightened bird.
 
Yet it appears that he immediately recognized his mistake, by even so much as thinking of running away from conflict. King David quickly reverted back to professing his faith in God by asking himself, "Why am I telling myself to flee like a bird? I'm a man of faith and valor, and I serve a mighty God," he reasoned.
 
"I admire his honesty," I said. David's enemies were plotting to take his life. So for him, I told the guys, "It was either fight or flight." How often have I faced a difficult situation that I wanted to avoid? Maybe it was nothing like King David's, where his very life was on the line, but it was troubling enough to where my first thought was to run away.
 
Yet in an instant of time, just as it was for Israel's King, the Lord would remind me that He is with me. His words would come alive in my heart to where I would begin to confess that I am "more than a conqueror" through Christ. And how I, as one of His disciples, am to "put on the whole armor of God," and to stand in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18).
 
So with full confidence I can say along with King David, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies" (Psalm 18:2-3 KJV).
 
All said, God forbid that I should ever entertain the thought of running away from my problems, nor from my enemies. I'm not a bird that flies away in fear. I'm a soldier in the Army of the Lord. Amen!
 
D.B.

...the sixth chapter in the Old Testament's Book of Genesis says it all. God hates it! 
 
In fact, the Lord was so disappointed by man's violent displays of inhumanity and cruelty towards his neighbors, that He decided it was time to rid man from the face of the earth. And if God had not shown grace and mercy to Noah and his immediate family, none of us would be alive today.
 
Crime and violence have no place in God's kingdom. That's why we have the Ten Commandments. "Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not covet another's property, nor lust after another man's wife. Thou shall not commit murder," and more. In truth, I have broken all of them, and more than once.
 
Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus is aware of all that's going on in the world. He sees peoples' pain. He weeps with those who mourn. The Creator of the Universe, the Scriptures tell us, even sees the death of a little sparrow. And why does He care? Because He's a tenderhearted being. "The Lord is merciful and compassionate... The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation" (Psalm 145:9 - the New Living Translation).
 
Thus, the good news is that crime and violence, and guns and knives, will not be around forever. For the Lord has promised that when the time is right, He is going to create a new Heaven and a new Earth where love and righteousness will reign. And only then will all creation know a true and lasting peace (Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Peter 3:9-13).
 
Under the Lord's supervision, every weapon, be it gun or spear, will be broken apart and melted down and turned into farming equipment. Never again will man hurt his fellow man. Nor will the nations ever again go to war (Isaiah 2:1-4).
 
May all of humanity long for this day.
 
D.B.

I would often find myself writing to some very broken and emotionally damaged individuals. They consist of men and women who were used and abused and deeply hurt by others. Many of them have been carrying their pain for years. They've also been unable to sustain healthy relationships because of this. 
 
And while most of these individuals have already accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, which is wonderful, they remain so inwardly damaged and broken that they find it hard to believe that God truly loves them. I underwent this very same thing.
 
During the first several years after my coming to Messiah Jesus to seek His forgiveness for my sins, which I believe He immediately took away, I did have a difficult time accepting His love for me. I thought myself unworthy of it. I also thought His love was based on the condition that I behave myself. That I go to church regularly, say my prayers, and read my Bible daily, while trying hard not to sin.
 
It wasn't until approximately three years later when I was instantly set free of that falsehood. This being the lie that God's love was based on my behavior. When in fact He loves His children unconditionally. And it is an everlasting love, as well.
 
I know from my own past struggles, that in the minds of those who were harmed in some way as a result of whatever bad experiences they may have encountered in life, when it comes to relationships, it's hard to grasp the simplicity and richness of a love that is unconditional.
 
The idea that Someone can love me as a person, even if I'm behaving badly at the moment, is hard to grasp. However, it's common for those who are uncertain of the Lord's love for them, to begin to say to themselves, "I'm a bad person. I'm always messing up. So how can you tell me that God still loves me?"
 
I would tell that person, "Well, He does still love you, and He will never stop loving you. It's His nature to love. And while God may discipline you in some way, His feelings for you will always remain unchanged."
 
Most often though, I will usually encourage those who struggle with doubts about Jesus' love for them, to read Romans 8:35-39 in the New Testament. To make it their business to become very familiar with this priceless passage. For I have used it again and again to encourage myself in God's promise that nothing can separate me from His love. And I likewise invite my friends to do the same.
 
D.B.

Every Friday from 6 to 8:45 the men who once served in America's military can gather together in a designated classroom to meet for overall support. There are about ten former veterans presently confined here at Shawangunk.
 
About five of us come regularly. We open our meetings by saying the traditional Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, after unfurling it and hanging it on the wall in front of the room. Which is then followed by a brief prayer for our nation.
 
Every correctional facility in New York State has a veteran’s organization. Nowadays, the groups who gather are smaller in number than in the past. During the Vietnam era and the later conflicts in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, our overall numbers were higher. Back in the 1980s and 90s, and into the mid 2000s, it was not unusual to average about 20 to 25 men in attendance in the facility I was housed in at that time. But now our numbers are much less.
 
Unfortunately, some of those like myself who once served in our military ended up in prison. Sometimes it's the result of difficulty in transitioning back to civilian life, or it's an addiction problem involving drugs and alcohol which an individual picked up while he was in the service. It could also be one's inability to find good employment, a mental health issue of some kind, or the result of the usual downturns one encounters in life. 
 
Either way, some of our nation's veterans, most of whom have been honorably discharged, have made our way in the America's prison system. So having a veteran’s organization in every correctional facility is beneficial. It provides us with a means to meet together and socialize. And whenever possible, to uplift one another by providing emotional support.
 
In addition, the Veterans Administration recognizes these groups and, although limited by various restrictions placed upon both them and us by prison officials, does offer help to the vets. We have periodic visits by people from the Veterans Administration whom we could reach out to for assistance.
 
So for me and my fellow veterans, we have each other to lean on. Fridays are our time to hang out and socialize, and to keep an eye on one another as we journey through incarceration. 
 
D.B.

I'd consider myself fortunate if I got four hours of sleep per night, living in a building with noisy neighbors. While Miss Goldie and Mister Orange manage to sleep soundly, and for several months at a time, at that.
 
Then again, they have to stand outside in all kinds of weather, from drenching rains to snowstorms, and from baking heat to branches covered with crawling insects. So on second thought, it's not easy being a tree in the woods. 
 
Nevertheless, I finally managed to go outdoors after a long stay inside due to my being hospitalized with a bad infection. It had taken me weeks to fully recover, as would be expected. But once I was able to go outdoors again, off I ran to visit with Miss Goldie and Mister Orange.
 
Sadly, however, I found them leafless and barren. They looked like skeletons since losing their lush green leaves of summer. I was disappointed, of course. But there was no going back in time for them to accommodate my wish to see them in their autumn brightness. The season had passed.
 
For me, there would be no displays of Miss Goldie's autumn beauty. Her glittering leaves of gold, complemented by Mister Oranges' array of brilliant blends of differing oranges, would always bring me to my knees. 
 
"But they're only trees," my human friends would say. "Not so!" I would insist. "They're my friends, and that settles it!" There's no rule that prohibits me from befriending trees, and vice versa.
 
Unfortunately, I missed the changing of the seasons when Miss Goldie and Mister Orange would switch from their summer outfits and into their fall ones. For me, to see this again, I'll just have to wait til next year. But until then, I want to say, "Rest well, my friends."
 
D.B.