From the Cell to the Stage!

According to a Justice Department report released in July 2003, the U.S. prison population surpassed 2 million for the first time—2,166,260 people were incarcerated in prisons or jails at the end of 2002 (these are the latest statistics available). Since 1990, the U.S. prison population, already the world's largest, has almost doubled. About two-thirds of prisoners were in state and federal prisons, while the rest were in local jails. The report does not include all juvenile offenders, but noted that there were more than 10,000 inmates under age 18 held in adult prisons and jails in 2002. About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 is incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. Read more: Prison Population Exceeds Two Million — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0881455.html#ixzz1cSv32zL9

I wanted to write an article sharing a real story to encourage those who may have been incarcerated especially young offenders. I wanted to highlight how the knowledge and power of Jesus Christ can turn your situation around if you are willing to submit to Him and allow Him to. So, I decided to interview people I know have been incarcerated but are now whole heartedly serving Christ. I started by interviewing actor and comedian Thomas K. Wells who was a juvenile offender and spent more than his share of time in jail as well as detention centers and boot camps. We talked about his past and how Christ has become the head of his life and placed him on a journey to becoming the man, HE intends for him to be.

Here is the first interview.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR UP BRINGING AND WHAT TYPE OF EVENTS LED TO YOUR BEING INCARCERATED. Where I grew up, the only role models we saw were drug dealers and gang bangers, so that was the example we followed. We saw the fast money and fast cars and we wanted that for ourselves. At least I did. It wasn’t hard to find a way to get involved in that lifestyle; I didn’t have to look far because it was all around me. The first incident I encountered was at age sixteen. I was riding in a car with some friends from my hood. The driver had no license and I had drugs on me. We ran into a road block and decided to turn back. Well, of course, that was a “red flag” to the cops and they gave chase. We ran for about six miles and ended up running into a pole, knocking out a transformer. We were all taken in since I was the oldest, I was booked; the others were picked up by parents. I was later released. Not long after that I was incarcerated for selling drugs.

AFTER GOING TO JAIL THE VERY FIRST TIME, DID IT NOT SCARE YOU ENOUGH SO THAT YOU NEVER WANTED TO RETURN? No because I wasn’t there long. At the time going to jail was like a badge of honor. In my neighborhood, it was like, that made me a man because I had been to jail. It made me feel untouchable. My mindset was “I’m going to do what I want to do.” I had no respect for rules or authority and no fear of consequences. I felt like I could handle myself and that it would never be me ending up in prison for a long period of time. I enjoyed living life on the edge.

WERE THERE ANY EVENTS THAT SHOOK YOU UP AT ALL?  WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU SAW CONCERNING VIOLENCE THAT INFLUENCED YOUR ACTIONS? There were a few occasions that made me realize I was going down the wrong path. The first incident was being in the midst of a shoot out. I was at a club with some of my fellow gang members and we were forewarned that our rival gang was in the club and they were “cocked and loaded” ready for an altercation. We decided to leave, go get our weapons, and return to the club. Just as we were about to get in the car and leave they opened fire on us. Some of my friends were already inside the car so they dove into the floor boards. I was outside of the car so I ran and jumped behind a bush. Several bullets went past my head and I could hear bullets hitting the ground all around me. They unloaded for about three to five minutes but it felt like forever. There had to be at least five or six guys all firing at the same time. When it was over the car, was smoking and had been completely shot up. We thought all my friends inside were dead. Miraculously none of them had been hit. The next day we saw the guys who had shot at us again. We wanted “get back” but we were out-numbered so we decided to leave the scene; however one of my homeboys decided to stick around. Needless to say he was jumped by that crew. Once he got back to the neighborhood he told us about it. We were preparing to go fight with them when we realized they had followed him to the neighborhood and they opened fire on us again. And again we all escaped unharmed. The worst part of this story is that as a result of the dispute we had with that rival gang a dearly beloved elderly lady of our neighborhood was killed during a later random shooting. She ended up dead behind our foolish actions.

WHAT WAS THE MAJOR TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE? The major turning point in my life began when one of my homeboys was killed, after a simple altercation between him and a rival gang member. An argument took place and a guy pulled out a gun. I was told that, he just started shooting. He shot one of my friends in the stomach and one in the back and foot as he ran away. My very close friend was fearlessly sitting on a car when he was approached by the shooter. They exchanged words and my friend was shot in the head and killed. When I heard about that, I realized I had to do something different with my life. Shortly after that I was arrested for possession with intent to distribute and sentenced to eight years. I served four months in boot camp; and when released, I continued to do the same things as before, only this time instead of just selling drugs, I became a user. I began not caring about my life. I ended up back in a detention center and it was there that I started reading the Bible. I began seeking God to help me make the changes I knew I needed. I started attending church in the detention center.  The next time I was released, I have to admit, I returned to my old ways and bad habits. I was living from house to house because my mother, who loved me very much, was fed up with me. Though I was doing the same old things as before, this time I had the knowledge of Christ in the back of my mind. Finally, my father, who was a minister by that time, called me and told me that I should move to Carrollton with him because he had a job for me. I knew that was the Lord calling me away from the life I was living. When I moved to Carrollton, I began working and making money the right way. It felt good to have money in my pocket that was mine and not have to worry about being pulled over because I had something illegal in the car. I started attending church with my father at A Place of Refuge Church and I gave my life totally to the Lord. That was ten years ago and the Lord hasn’t stopped blessing me since. I am now a home owner with a wife and two daughters. I have a full-time job and I am pursing my passion of becoming a well-known comedian and actor for Christ.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR AMBITIONS NOW AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN LIFE. All my life I have been considered “funny.” As a young child I was the class clown always entertaining my mother and her friends. I would imitate characters I saw on TV from Eddie Murphy to Ms. Piggy. I got into trouble in school for that a lot. But after I gave my life to the Lord at APOR, I became a part of the Drama Ministry and there I found my true passion for acting and comedy. I realized the gift God had placed in my life for entertaining was something I loved and desired to use as a ministry tool, to bring joy and clean comedy to the masses. I also realized that performing arts can be used to spread the Word of God to people of all ages and genders. I have been in several productions at my church and in the cities of Carrollton, Bowdon, and my hometown of Newnan. My favorite role was playing “Walter Lee Younger” in “A Raisin in the Sun” at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center under the direction of Mr. Gerald Byrd.  Most recently I did my first comedy show “Fall Out Laughing” with a friend and partner Will Stegall at the WPA building in Carrollton, GA; and I feel it was a success. I look forward to gaining more exposure in the industry.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOUNG MEN OUT THERE WHO ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE SAME THINGS YOU WERE? I would say “Don’t do it,” regardless of peer pressure or whatever. Don’t let your environment dictate to you who you are or cause you to make poor decisions. Find your talents and use them as a way to get out of a meaningless lifestyle. There are a lot of kids out there with talents who could be using them to better themselves instead of getting caught up in gangs, drug activity, and being unproductive. Make a sound decision; choose Christ and let Him use you. I was in my twenties when I finally started letting the Lord use me and I really wish I had started earlier. Take the opportunity now, and use your talents for the Lord while you still have time because tomorrow is not promised to you. (Ref. James 4:14-15) THINK ABOUT IT!

In the midst of the fire!

Many feel it is just a cliché to say “pray about everything and worry about nothing,” but I beg to differ. In order to maintain a good relationship with anyone, communication is key! You can’t be married to or in a committed relationship with a person and never talk to them; can you? Well in order maintain a good relationship with the Lord, it is important to communicate with Him. Prayer is a very vital form of communication when it comes to our Christian walk.

The Bible gives us several examples of great prayer warriors that deserve to be mimicked.  Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego were three young men who are known for standing up to King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. Their bravery to disobey such a powerful king is notable. They knew by that they were risking their lives to honor their God by not bowing to the king’s idols. They knew that they would be thrown in the midst of a burning fiery furnace that had been turned up seven times its normal temperature just for them.
Everyone around them was succumbing to the will of the king and rejecting their own convictions. Yet they still not only chose to stand up for what they believed in and trust God, they chose to pray in the midst of the fire.  How many times have we been challenged in our faith yet choose to bow in surrender or defeat instead of in prayer? How many times have you seen others submitting to evil all around and been tempted to follow the crowd?
Many including the king thought the fate of the three friends was sealed when they were sentenced to the furnace. But because of their faith and determination to keep their prayer life and worship pure, they went into the furnace bound but were set free in the midst of the fire.  What I like about this is, God didn’t wait until their trial was over to deliver them! We should follow the example of the three Hebrew boys and bow to the Almighty God who can change any circumstance and deliver us in the midst of the fire! It may be cliché but trust me; prayer changes things! Think about it!

Second Time Around!

If you have ever been in a long term relationship, whether it led to marriage or not, you know that when it ends, whether sour or mutual, there are most likely some hurt feelings involved.

I vividly remember the day I left the courtroom, after signing my final divorce papers and crying in my car as my ex and I drove off our separate ways. Tears of mixed emotions, shame of having hurt him, worry for my little girl and to be honest, relief that it was over.  I never asked him how he felt that day. But as I write this I remember the look on his face as we waited on the Judge in the hallway silently together and at a loss for words. And I remember how emotionally drained he sounded when he spoke before the Judge. As I sat in my car that day, preparing to pull off and start life without him, I thought “It’s going to be weird having a different last name from my child.” In all her then four years of life, I never imagined her father and I would not be together. Now I was faced with so many different obstacles and challenges.

I went from high school where I had lived at home with my parents and sisters, to college where I had had roommates, straight to marriage. Now I was about to be alone, really on my own, for the first time. I had my child but she was a dependent, not the type companion I was used to.  Over the next year or so, I coped with a lot, mostly feelings of shame, since I was the one who had “cheated” in the relationship. It took me quite some time to forgive myself. I would soon find out that many around me would need even more time forgiving me. (And I’m not talking about my EX!)

When my current husband and I started dating, my entire past was rehashed, embellished and thrown back in HIS face on MY behalf! I couldn’t believe how fellow church members, who thought they knew my story, were adding to the “he say, she say” drama, trying to discourage him from giving me a chance. Now I’m a writer, but let me tell you, some of the things people dreamed up and accused me of were far better than a lot of the situations I have had in several of my plays! (LOL) Here we were trying to get to know one another, and everyone around us was so busy concerned with what we were doing, I’m certain they neglected some events in their own lives.

But we worked through it because we saw things in each other that told us we belonged together. Now I’m a firm believer that you NEVER share your entire past with anyone, especially your partner. It’s just unnecessary baggage. The important stuff, vital to a relationship, you share those things but every little gory detail I don’t think that’s needed. (Maybe that’s just me) Nevertheless, I was honest with him and he was with me when we had questions about each other’s pasts. Once the questions were answered that was that, we promised there would be no constant digging and prodding.  The more you dig the more things you don’t want or need to find, you’ll find.

Our feelings for each other grew and we knew we wanted to be together, forever. We had so much in common. We have very similar career goals. I know the old saying “opposites attract” but it feels real good to have ninety percent of your likes in common with your spouse, (for me anyway, I was married to my opposite the first time.) Don’t get me wrong it was not all doom and gloom in my first marriage, but we were more like roommates than soul mates. For me, hubby #1 and hubby #2 are polar opposites. My first husband is a good man and great father, just as I have said many times over, I just discovered he was not the man for me. Thankfully we have a great friendship and open line of communication when it comes to our daughter, and for that I’m very grateful.

I said all that to say this, once my new hubby and I moved passed everyone else’s opinions and leaned on God, we found He would supply all we needed in our union to be successful. I feel that now I am experiencing what marriage is really supposed to be. I spoke to a friend of mine who is also in her second marriage and feels she got it right this time. After a life of painful in-law blues and a spouse who was a pretender, my friend is now enjoying her “second time around” as well.

If God is a forgiving God why can’t we be as quick to forgive one another? Why not be happy for someone who is finding happiness in their second marriage instead of scorning or branding them as a failure, because their first marriage didn’t work out to your liking? You never know where a person has been until you have walked a mile in their shoes. I think it would behoove us all to be more compassionate with one another, especially, when we are going through marital issues. Be grateful that it’s not you and your spouse considering divorce and certainly do not condemn the couple. Who knows, getting divorced and remarried may be the best thing that ever happened to them. 

Think about it! 

"The SWEETEST Praise"

Early one cool, breezy Tuesday morning I was headed to work. As soon as my children and I got into the car, my favorite song came pouring sweetly out of the radio. The song is called “Awesome” by Pastor Charles Jenkins and the Fellowship Chicago Choir. The song begins “My God is awesome, He can move mountains, keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain.” I love this song because it reverences God in all His awesomeness.

As we drove along, I sang along with the song like I do every time I hear it. Hearing my next favorite line, “Our God is awesome, Savior of the whole world, giver of salvation, by His strips I am healed, My God is awesome, today I am forgiven, His grace is why I’m living, praise His holy name,” brought a smile to my face. My soul and my heart sang along with my lips.

Then I heard a little voice in the back seat singing along as well. My three-year-old daughter was singing along with the choir, “He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, awesome, awesome.”

It touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes just to hear that she had memorized the song and was singing praises to the Lord.  Then I began to think; if hearing her sing and praise touched me this way, what affect was it having on God?  Before I left the house, I had looked for a scripture to use as my daily meditation. I didn’t find one that really stuck out to me. After hearing my baby sing so sweetly like that, a scripture immediately came to mind- Psalms 150:6 (NKJV) “Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

I looked up the word praise in my Bible’s concordance and found the perfect scripture for that day’s meditation- Psalms 147:1 (NJKV) “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is beautiful.”

So the next time you are feeling low or things just don’t seem quite right in your world, take time out to sing praises to God, even if you have to make up your own song.  Better yet, when things are going well and your mind is consumed with worldly cares and concerns, take the time out to sing God’s praises, because He loves that.  Psalms 22:3 (KJV) says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” Think about it.