Starting Over Workshops

Some of you know that I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer about four months ago. It is not typical for me to share personal matters, and I don't usually share lengthy stories of personal adversity.

Hopefully, the encouragement I've been receiving will also be yours. The kind words and prayers that I have been receiving from the body of Christ is phenomenal. As several of my good friends reminded me, “That’s what it’s supposed to do!”

The body of Christ sticks closer than a brother! I hope you experience that too. Please know you can.

I know that, by the grace of God and the prayers from people around the world, I have been doing remarkably well. I am grateful for the many emails, texts, and calls offering support, including from many of you. Thank you!

My main prayer request is that God's will will be done and that He receives glory from my cancer journey.

Through my diagnosis, God has opened doors for me to share the good news with inmates in prisons in Colorado, and I've seen men come to Christ over the last few months. Amazing! We have a God who can make the impossible possible in our lives.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

You number my wanderings; you record my tears in your book. Psalm 56:8

God intimately knows every word, every sentence, every paragraph of our lives, and that our stories are not yet finished. May we allow Him to finish the masterpiece he’s still working on.

If you’ve seen the Starting Over on the Inside Facebook posts over the past few years, you’ve likely witnessed the joy of inmate graduation classes—many receiving Christ for the first time.

We’re thrilled to have celebrated over 1,500 on-site graduates in Colorado prisons and more than 48,000 online graduates (in English and Spanish) via tablets nationwide.

Through biblical principles and practical life skills, we’re equipping inmates for true transformation and successful reunification with their families and communities.

Thanks to our faithful partners, the ministry has grown tremendously in 2025—but so have our funding challenges. We’ve asked our current team for extra year-end support, and now we’re inviting you:

Would you prayerfully consider a special gift to help us raise an additional $10,000 by year’s end?

Your compassionate donation—any amount—will directly impact lives, bringing God’s grace, hope, and purpose to those most often forgotten.

Your gift brings real-life change in Colorado and across the country. Thank you for caring about those on the inside.

To learn more about Starting Over on the Inside and donate securely today, click here: https://ow.ly/9lJK50XOq68

Remember those in prison as if you were together with them. Hebrews 13:3

When the elderly Jewish priest Zechariah and his wife, who were well beyond childbearing age, miraculously had their son John, they were completely blown away.

“All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

At his son’s birth, Zach broke out into his celebratory song. Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed his people.” Luke 1:65-68

Zach emphasizes three key words about Israel's long-awaited Messiah: "He has come." Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel, which means "God is with us" (Isaiah 7:14).

After four hundred long years of waiting since the prophet Malachi spoke, God’s divine visitation had finally come to Israel just as He promised!

Maybe you’ve been waiting for something or someone for a long time?

Are you feeling stuck in a long, cold winter of waiting and hopelessness? If so, you need to hear Zech’s chorus: "He has come" to reveal His extravagant love for you! He wants to assure you that He intimately knows everything about you and truly cares for you.

Have you become cold and numb, feeling a desperate need for a touch from God? If you’re experiencing guilt, depression, or worry about your future, listen to Zack's words: "He has come to redeem His people," bringing you hope for today and tomorrow. He has come for you too!

During our difficult times, we may struggle to see things clearly, including our own reality. Grief and sorrow can cloud our vision. If that resonates with you, take comfort in the encouraging words of Isaiah.

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

When things seem hopeless and uncertain, be encouraged that He has come for you too! He has come to bring light into your darkness.

Now, that is something to sing about don’t you think?
Everyone has a song to sing. So, what will your song be? This Christmas, may you be reminded that Zechariah’s chorus, ‘HE HAS COME,’ can be “your song” as well!