Kirsten and Scott--a husband and wife that are separated by jailhouse walls, as he is incarcerated despite his innocence. He is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. As a family of 4, and then 5, as the story unfolds, Scott and Kirsten knew the "good life." But God had a better one in store. They first had to be broken. They plumb new depths of their faith and in their knowledge of the Word in these days that some would consider dark, but that God infused with great joy. Throughout a total of 16 months of separation they wrote letters to each other that are filled with the stories that capture the depth of their love, family life, fear, questioning, and details of what God is doing in, around and through them. Many of the letters are laced with snaphots of jailhouse interactions in the maximum security unit where God still dwells. It is inspiring to see how the Holy Spirit moves throughout the whole situation when you see Scott’s letter next to Kirsten’s as the days go by. Prayers are being prayed and answered and it is all recorded in the daily wrap-up. It is a God story. It is a love story. And the letters are delivered daily. Make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed to receive daily updates of our story. To learn more about this blog and the background behind it, check out the About Section.

take 2: december 25th – inside/out

by Kirst on August 19, 2010

It’s just before dinner on Christmas.  What a difference a day can make.  I feel like I am on the mend…finally!  After sleeping most of yesterday, and quite a bit of this morning, I have some relief.  Without any cold medicine, God has worked a restorative healing.  I am so grateful!

And I am grateful for the Christian heritage that our children enjoy.  The time you spent praying over the kids prior to opening gifts made me proud.  You are an awesome mom and a good Christian model.  Our children are very fortunate.  And to have the whole house participate helps reinforce to them the real priorities.  What a powerful message of Christ in our lives.

You sounded in good spirits for having through two long days.  Actually, you sounded refreshed.  Which is strange considering that it is Christmas and the kids are bouncing off the walls, but cool in the fact that God can give you peace in the eye of the storm.  He is so good at that.  I am going to be praying for your continued stamina and strength as the extra support we’ve enjoyed heads home.  They have truly been a gift.  Makes me wish, once again, that we all lived closer together.  But for that to happen we would all have to live in motorhomes and travel with Clint every three months to his new job. 

Kayti and Ryan sounded so excited.  I love to hear them that way.  I know that God is standing in the gap and watching over them but, as a parent, I still worry about their emotional state.  I know without a doubt that God is faithful, so I will work on figuring out what God wants me to do with these feelings of worry so that I am not wasting my energy on worrying, but rather channeling it toward something more productive.  More often than not that is prayer.  I’ve prayed for you guys more in the last 3 1/2 months than I ever have.  And it’s this humble posture of prayer that God craves from me.

Dinner is coming in so I’ll have to write more later.  I sincerely hope and pray that this is the last period of separation that we have to endure.  Please know that on this Christmas day your husband is praising the Lord for your presence in his life.  I am a blessed man and feel extremely fortunate to have a wonderful, loving wife and three beautiful, healthy children.  These are gifts that I cherish!

I love you!  Scott

Related Letters

  1. take 2: november 25th and 26th – inside/out
  2. december 6th – inside/out
  3. take 2: october 4th – inside/out
  4. december 25th – inside/out
  5. take 2: january 3rd – inside/out

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Hi name is Kirsten, and I am the author of Inside/Outside. If you are new to the site, please read About The Letters and make sure you Subscribe To My Feed. To learn more about me and my interests, check out the About Me Page.

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