To Inspire:

My colleagues Jodi Picetti and Angie Eversole joined me earlier this week in hosting 35 women (clients and friends) for our firm’s annual bus trip to the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville.

There we spent the day with 35 remarkable women – many of whom are serving long sentences for very serious crimes, including murder. All of them are part of a very special program entitled Embark, a nationally recognized program that prepares incarcerated men and women for return to society. Embark is a program developed and run by Kindway, a local Christian ministry that works in a number of Ohio prisons.

Jodi, Angie, and I were so impressed with the courage of these women. Virtually all grew up in very tragic circumstances including various forms of abuse, addiction and neglect. All committed serious crimes for which they are paying a great price. But all have encountered Christ in a powerful way while in prison and are on a journey of healing.

One of our takeaways was the reality that it is never too late to experience change and transformation in one’s life. One of the most remarkable of these women is Alice, now 73. Alice was involved in a horrific crime decades ago. But her faith journey, her emotional healing, and the support of the Kindway team have helped to create an entirely new person. As the Bible says, she is a new creation – her former life is no more. Here she is in her 70’s having an incredibly powerful impact on other incarcerated women – helping them see their dignity, their identity as daughters of a loving God, and the possibilities that await them for even greater transformation. Her impact on these women will last far beyond her own lifetime as they experience release and reunion with their families and begin new lives outside of prison.

Are you and I open to the same transformation that Alice experienced? What areas of our life need a radical overhaul? Is it our faith life, our emotional or physical health, or a particular relationship? Alice’s life is a reminder that it is never too late to take responsibility for the person we are and to take responsibility for becoming the person we want to be and that God made us to be.

May God bless you on that journey, the most exciting journey of all!

Written by Matt Palmer, Partner & Co-Founder