• Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Hebrew Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
    • Turkish Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • The Rapture
  • Interviews
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Journal
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • *September 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Satanists' Last Words - Quotes
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Ministry Tools
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Friends
  • Contact
  • Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Hebrew Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
    • Turkish Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • The Rapture
  • Interviews
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Journal
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • *September 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Satanists' Last Words - Quotes
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Ministry Tools
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Friends
  • Contact
AriseandShine.org

June 2017

Doing Time:  Positive Change

6/15/2017

 
This is the second part of a theme I began to develop yesterday...
This being how the element of "time" might affect a man in confinement, either for better or worse. Either his heart will harden more and more, or as in the process of erosion, time can be a powerful force that will allow for the softening of one's heart to eventually allow for honest soul-searching and self-reflection, which are necessary for some kind of positive transformation to come forth.

Yesterday I discussed the hardening effect of time on some, while for many other prisoners it may have the opposite effect. Just as waves of water beat relentlessly upon rocks causing them to erode over time, the grinding effect of time may allow for the tough outer layers of one's heart to be swept away, thus allowing a once closed heart to be open and exposed.

I believe, too, that as a man goes through the process of soul-searching, which can be emotionally painful, he may reach a stage of self-disgust and self-loathing. This happened to me, and it's not as bad as it sounds. For it is at this point where he hates the person he's become. He realizes he's made bad choices, hurt others, and has thrown away much of his life as he sits in a lonely prison cell.

This can be the first step on the road to change and transformation. He's ready to renounce his criminal ways and wants to change for the better. In his heart and mind, he knows for certain that he's done living a selfish and criminally minded lifestyle. He's had enough of being a thug.

The state of self-loathing and disgust can be a good place, because now you're ready to go in a new direction. You wish to start a new life. I've known this to happen to others, and it's happened to me. In my case, it was the first step in deciding to repent and turn from my sinful and self-destructive ways. It was at this point that I prayed to God for help and sought His forgiveness (you can read my personal testimony or watch my video interviews on this website). This is when I turned to Christ, and my life has never been the same.

D.B.

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Author

    ​David Berkowitz
    Copyright © AriseandShine.org

    RSS Feed