Hannah Overton - update

Well, it's been awhile since posted anything on this site at all. The case of Hannah Overton continues to progress, including in the media. As many of you are (very much) aware, 20/20 is doing a special on Hannah. You can find out more about that by clicking here.

Again, I would encourage you to dig deeper before assuming the "facts" of this case being just what the media reports. I can say this, having spent some time working in a district attorney's office: the media seldom reported the cases correctly. More often than not, the media dramatized cases to make them more "appealing" to the public.

One case in point: I was involved in a capital murder trial (long before Hannah) and for one entire day I sat in the front row of the courtroom audience right next to a reporter. I went home that day and flipped on the news to see what she had said about the case. This case involved one gunshot wound but she reported two. It's not like she could have possibly misunderstood what was happening in the courtroom that day. But she sure made it sound dicey! Quite frankly, I thought one gunshot wound was quite enough. I didn't understand the need for the second one since the first accomplished the death.

This case (which I am intentionally being vague in relating) occured in Corpus Christi, Texas. My point? I've witnessed first hand the ability of the Corpus media to get things wrong. On numerous occasions I was floored by their apparent inability to report what happened in courtrooms correctly.

That said, I would strongly encourage you to look at the actual facts of Hannah's case. I still believe this is a serious travesty of injustice and Hannah is very deserving of prayers and support.

For more information on Hannah Overton you can click on the Free Hannah Overton website.

Scripture Boost!

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

Prisoners for the sake of the Gospel

Many Christians around the world are prisoners for the sake of the Gospel. They are leaders (and laymen) of the faith sharing the good news with those around the world. Voice of the Martyrs has an excellent website which keeps track of such prisoners and encourages people to involve themselves in writing to politicians on behalf of the prisoners, writing encouraging letters to the prisoners themselves and, of course, reminding us to pray for them during their time of incarceration. You can view this detailed prisoner list at www.prisoneralert.com or by clicking here..

It is much easier to accept that people overseas have been unjustly accused of the "crimes" laid against them than it is to believe that someone in America could be innocent of the crime for which they are being punished. After all, we here in America live in a democratic society and have rules of order which we follow to ensure that justice is sought out and applied. We do not think that we are motivated by public opinion or politics in condemning one or supporting another.

I would suggest that America has taken a turn for the worst. In a craze to "separate church and state" with improper understanding and motivation, Christians here are being silenced, incarcerated and made to pay the penalty for "crimes" that they have committed in an effort to share the gospel with others.

Again I will mention Hannah Overton. While some might say that her crime did not involve the gospel, it was an argument that was used against her. If you will humor me, in a way it was a direct attack on the gospel which encourages Christians to take in and care for the widows and orphans in society. In her attempt to follow the gospel, she was punished. The prosecuting attorney and media latched on to the idea that Hannah was part of a church in Corpus Christi and attempted to paint her in such a light as to suggest that she was part of a cult. This was very far from the truth! She was part of a loving Christian community but not one set out for cultish crimes against humanity as some would lead you to believe. Part of the horror of her case is that Christianity was held up and ridiculed by the media and prosecution. This is something that we, as Christians, should stand up and take notice of. If a Christian is marked as having committed a crime, they are frequently worse off than a non-believer would be when it comes to them having to stand in front of an earthly judge and account for their actions. Christians are distrusted and ridiculed for "being different." This should not cause us fear, but should indeed put us on the alert.

Just as Voice of the Martyrs keeps track of Christian prisoners that are overseas and in need of encouragement, we should not forget those "at home" who are equally in need of such encouragement. Incarcerated Christians in America also need to be encouraged to "keep the faith" during these times of trail and hardship. They are no less deserving, just less frequently noticed.

Take time today to pray for those within the prison system in America, Christian or otherwise. You never know but that the prayers you pray for American prisoners here at home might just be the ones that change the world.

Hannah Overton

In Corpus Christi, Texas, Hannah Overton has been sent to prison for the death of her foster son, Andrew. She is accused of killing Andrew by administering a mixture of spices which proved fatal to him.

We frequently hear tales of woe in the media of how some foster parent(s) has/have abused their foster children. We've heard of children being stuck in cages, gone unfed, had to lay on hard boards as punishment. The media has been giving us the impression that life as a foster parent or a foster child is not easy. I am frequently amazed by the fact that there are still people out there that are willing to sacrifice in order to take in wounded and neglected children and continue to care for them. The goverment and Child Protective Services can be big bullies at times and I think they have scared many Christians away from volunteering to provide for orphans. It's a sad situation, given that that was one of God's commands to Christians -- to care for widows and orphans.

Larry and Hannah Overton chose to enter into The System and offer their home to a needy chid. Enter: Andrew. Andrew was a troubled child who came from a mother that abused him both in and out of the womb. The Overtons definitely had a little challenge on their hands, but they stepped up to the plate bravely and committed to both loving and raising him.

Unfortunately the story doesn't have a happy ending for either Andrew or Larry and Hannah.

The media seems to be the main persecuting force in Hannah's case. Blind to some of the facts involved, they portrayed Hannah has been a fierce, wicked and mean mother. However, this was hardly the case. Facts were ignored and dismissed in this case, presented by prosecuting attorney, Sandra Eastwood of the Nueces County District Attorney's office. I'm not going to go into the facts of the case on this blog post. I am merely going to state, having worked in the legal profession myself, and speficially in a district attorney's office, the law was incorrectly applied to Hannah in a way that cased her to be unjustly convicted of the crime of "killing" Andrew.

I would encourage you, before you decide to leave a comment, to visit the Free Hannah website. Before you read anything else on the website, please peruse the Facts vs Fiction section to hear Hannah's side of the story. The Corpus Christi Caller Times, Corpus' main newspaper, will give you the opposing view. You can also videos related to the trial portion of Hannah's story by searching on KRIS TV's website.

I do not want to spell out the facts here because I would prefer you "go to the source" to get them. Read. Think. Process. Pray. It is my opinion that there is only one conclusion that you can come to.

Without mincing words, I believe Hannah is innocent of the crime she is accused of committing. I believe she has been treated both unjustly and unfairly. I believe she needs the prayer support of Christians in this country as she faces life in prison during a long appeals process. She is a mother of five young children who need her but are being denied access to her. She is a loving mother and a dedicated Christian that is being persecuted by people and systems who have an agenda that is opperating without truth.

Yes, some foster parents are bad and ought to have the children in their care removed. Some ought to be prosecuted for their offenses. Bad things do happen when children go unprotected. Neither Andrew or Hannah (or Larry) fall into this catagory though. I think if you carefully read, sort and shift through the facts, you will agree that what has happened to Hannah is a travesty and an injustice.

Please pray for Hannah as you pray for persecuted Christians. She deserves our support as well.

Thank you.

Leaving the ledge

This blog was created without purpose or point. I knew I wanted to create a blog that focused on something other than myself, but I wasn't sure what the subject matter was. I prayed about it and created both the blog and e-mail for it. The title comes from Steve Curtis Chapman's song, "Dive."

My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
That's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith
So here I go

So here I go.

Lately God has been impressing upon me that I really don't have it that bad off. That seems like a "duh" statement doesn't it? But everyone is good at self pity, myself included. It's very tempting to think that a certain relationship is very taxing, that money issues are too stressful, that my job is too hard, that my spouse doesn't listen to me, that my car is running on its last leg (or wheel), that I've been physically sick for too long. We are very tempted to focus on the worst in front of us instead of the best. We are very tempted that we are worse off than everyone we know. That very well may be the case, but that doesn't mean that you are worse off than someone you don't know.

Which brings us to this blog.

I was searching online and found many websites and blogs regarding The Persecuted Church. Everything I found seemed to be focused on the church around the world, which is great! I think it is fantastic that people are starting to sit up and take note that there are Christians around the world that are worse off than we are in the good old US of A. However, it has also come to my attention that there are Christians within the United States which are being persecuted for their faith. Sometimes they are persecuted by the media, sometimes by a political party and/or agenda, sometimes by false accusations and sometimes by people within their own church families. (Think about that one.)

This blog will likely morph and evolve into something I do not intend for it to become. That's fine. I can always shut it down if need be. I'm not going to moderate comments in any way, shape or form. I will post whatever I want, whenever I want. The subject will be the persecuted church in America which, yes friends, does exist.

The point of the blog? It is not meant to attack those who are attacking American Christians. It is a reminder to myself, mostly, to pray for brothers and sisters in Christ who have it worse off than myself. It is to remind me to be thankful for all that I've been given. I would hope that it would encourage you to do the same.

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
2 Thessalonians 1:4