Author: Rachael Hartman

Writer, Editor, Book Publisher, Instructional Designer
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Letter #21 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #21 of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear ______,

I’m sitting here with an ice-pack strapped to my face. I bit my lip the other day and the swelling seems like it is getting worse. I was not sure what I was going to write to you about, but I for sure thought it would not be my ice-pack and swollen lip. But then I randomly opened my Bible and this is the verse I saw:

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth: Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

It’s circled in my Bible. I don’t think it is a coincidence that I happened to have this ice-pack strapped over my mouth at the moment. I think it is a confirmation from God that I need to watch what I say.

It’s a fitting time too, because today someone is coming over to stay at my house for a week, and I’m a little concerned that I might say something I should not. It’s so easy to do when personalities clash . . .

I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar. I am praying the Lord would help us both to keep quiet when we need to. Maybe I should keep this ice-pack strapped on all week!

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Psalm 141:3

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Hallelujah—the Mercy of God

Yesterday morning before church I was scanning through Facebook and I saw the video of the priest singing a rendition of the song Hallelujah at a wedding he had just performed. I had the chorus stuck in my head and sang it on the way to church. I arrived at the service and when my brother-in-law got up to preach. I was surprised when he started sharing the same song, Hallelujah.

His message centered on the mercy of God and how even in our most terrible times we can sing Hallelujah. He gave some background information on the original song and read a part of an article written in Rolling Stones magazine about the song and what Hallelujah meant.

The message really touched my heart. It made me think about how no matter what state we find ourselves in, or how bad things get, we can sing Hallelujah because it is true, the Lord deserves our highest praise at all times. His worthiness is not based on our condition. He is worthy and we worship Him for who He is – not for how good we are.

So, this morning I woke up with the song on my mind. I started praying and what came out was my own verses to this beautiful song. It is my prayer this morning.

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Hallelujah—the Mercy of God
Based on Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah
Verses re-written by Rachael Kathleen Hartman

You know my story very well
You love me and You’ll always tell
Me just how much I really mean to You
I’m thankful for the times that we
Have when it’s just You and me
And all I can say is Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Every day when I wake up from sleep
My soul and mind You keep in peace
As I’m on my knees surrendering it all to Ya
I read Your Word and meditate
When my soul is in stalemate
And I come back to a place of Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

There are days I make mistakes
I lose my mind, throw out the breaks
It’s like I forget I ever belonged to Ya
The cravings are too hard to tame, so
I give in and drown in shame
And I can’t even whisper Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

And when my life is going to hell
My nerves are shot and nothing’s well
I shake and cry as I come back to Ya
Repenting, I do my part
You’re the answer to my breaking heart
And mercy’s new and then there’s Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Will these cycles ever end?
I want to be faithful, never bend,
But I’m broken and I know I need You
You’re my Savior and my King
My righteousness, You forever reign
And my heart can’t help but sing a Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Hallelujah

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Letter #20 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #20 of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear ______,

Have you seen the popular way to paint furniture nowadays? It’s to make it look “distressed.” There are all sorts of “how to” and Do It Yourself articles and videos on the internet and in magazines to teach us how to make “an instant antique.”

The distressed look is also popular when it comes to jeans and hairstyles. Do you know someone who has bought a brand new pair of jeans that has perfectly ripped holes in them? You can actually learn how to fix your hair in a “messy bun.”

What’s the deal with messy and distressed being popular? Maybe it is because life isn’t perfect, and we don’t feel “put together” inside.

No matter what we look like on the outside, there is only One way to put our lives in order, and that is by lining up to the Word of God. When we find our lives in distress, we can turn to the God of order who can pull us back together again. Allow Him to turn your stress and distress into peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
1 Corinthians 14:33

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #19 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #19 of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear ______,

Have you ever felt misunderstood? I have, many times. No matter how hard we try, there will always be times we are misread and misunderstood.

We can try to put our best face forward, and be as real as possible, but even then, we can’t control our reputations. Gossip is a terrible thing to endure. So is jealousy. Sadly, we can’t control the way other people feel about us, if they are intimidated by us, or if they project their own issues onto us.

There is One person, though, who will always see us and love us for who we are, and that is Jesus. He knows your heart and every thought, and He loves you.

Pray this prayer when you feel misunderstood. “Jesus, sometimes I feel helpless to change the way other people think about me. Thank You for always seeing the real me, and loving me right where I am. Help me to find my identity in You. I am Your daughter. I am blessed. I am redeemed.”

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #18 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #18 of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear ______,

There was a quote in an email I read this morning that said, “You’ve had the pain period. Now it’s time to allow yourself to heal.”

Ecclesiastes 3 says:

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
 A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
 A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
 A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

2 Corinthians 6:2, “For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

Today is your day.

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Ecclesiastes 3
2 Corinthians 6:2

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #17 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #17 of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear ______,

Do you like to write? I love to write. It relaxes me. I communicate the best through writing. I love reading too. I love stories.

Writing can be very therapeutic. Even creative writing. Try writing a story the next time you feel lonely. Create characters, let them talk, and live out their drama on the page.

What are your characters like? What do they say? What happens in their lives?

Stories are important. We communicate life by sharing our stories. We share life lessons and principals for living through our stories.

Jesus shared stories. The Bible calls those stories “parables.” It was the easiest way to get a message across, touch people’s hearts, and make an impression they would not forget.

We can share our testimonies through our stories too. Sharing out testimony brings victory. Try writing your story and sharing it with someone. You never know how it will impact their life.

 

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Rev. 12:11

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #16 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #16 of 30. Actually, I found out I need 36 letters. So of 36. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.
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Dear ______,

My cousin’s young daughters came to visit me this week. One is 6 and one is 12. They are very sweet. The 6-year-old has quite the personality!

Every evening before dinner, the 6-year-old volunteers to pray over the meal. She keeps her prayers short and to the point. “God, bless this food! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

Last night after she prayed, she piped up and said, “You know what happens when little people pray? God listens!”

Everyone at the table laughed. It was very cute. But what she said was true. God does listen. God listens not just to the little people, but also to the big people too–especially when we have the faith of a child.

Childlike faith is simple faith. It doesn’t require a lot of effort or thought. Kids just accept the truth that God is and that He loves them, and that is it.

When you pray today, remember this “God listens!”

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Matthew 18:3

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #15 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #15 of 30. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear _____,

Yesterday, I bought a small book titled “How to be Totally Miserable.” Its tagline is ‘A Self-Hinder Book.’ It’s a funny book and is full of sarcasm, but it makes a good point.

Some of the ‘self-hinder’ techniques are:

  • Use your imagination to worry
  • Relive your bad memories
  • Blame everyone and everything
  • Stay miserable
  • Don’t sing
  • Don’t laugh
  • Be easily  offended
  • Judge other people’s motives
  • Put a deadline on your happiness
  • Be a breath of stale air
  • Don’t learn anything new
  • Postpone prayer
  • Avoid good company
  • Don’t read the Bible
  • Don’t set goals
  • Don’t do anything

It’s funny to think about making a list of how to be totally miserable. I’m sure we could each make a list of our own! Ironically, in the learning how to be miserable, we actually learn how to be happy.

The Bible tells us what to do to be happy in Phillippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Phillippians 4:8

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #14 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #14 of 30. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear _____,

Over the past week, I have heard the same message whispered to my heart. I believe the word is from the Lord. “When you get into order, everything will be in order. When you fall into place, everything will fall into place.”

Often, when my heart is out of order I can see it in the world around me. All my stuff will be unorganized. My room will be a mess. It’s like my surroundings reflect what is going on inside of me. Many times, once I start sorting out the mess inside of me, I end up feeling motivated to clean and organize my physical surroundings.

1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us, “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.”

Can you imagine if God was messy? What if He created the world and the dry land and the water kept getting in each other’s space? The world would be a wreck!

But God is orderly. Everything has its place, space, and time. Every process has an order. Every system works and flows in an order.

God is a God of peace and order. Allow Him to set your heart and mind into order today.

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
1 Corinthians 14:33

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.

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Letter #13 to a Woman in Prison

Letter #13 of 30. Each woman who attends the prison ministry weekend will receive a handwritten letter from each volunteer. Please pray for us as we prepare for the weekend.

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Dear _____,

There is a purpose for the pain in our lives. I always say that “pain is sacred.” It’s not meant for everyone to know, but there is a higher purpose. Pain is “not for no reason.” There is always a reason.

Sometimes pain in our lives tells us there is a part of us that needs attention. If we break a bone, there is pain and we need to give that bone some attention so it can heal properly.

If there is pain in our hearts, we need to give our hearts some attention so we can heal properly.

Did you know you can “recycle your pain”? It’s true. Pain doesn’t have to just be for the immediate or original purpose. We can turn our pain into hope for ourselves and for others.

Take the old, and turn it into something new. Find a new purpose. Allow the pain to transform into new meaning.

God is in the recycling business. Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Praying for you in Jesus’ Name,

Rachael Hartman
Ephesians 4:23

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I’m raising money to help pay for this weekend. $150 will pay for one female inmate to attend the Kairos prison ministry I’m volunteering at.

If you would like to donate to the prison ministry, it needs to be in the form of a check made out to: KPMI (which stands for Kairos Prison Ministry International). In the memo put: Pulaski, GA. You can mail it to me, Rachael Hartman, at: PO Box 501, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. If you want a tax credit, include your full name and address on a note and they will mail you a tax receipt.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Every $5 goes to pay for a meal for one of the inmates that weekend. The meal will have a tag with your name on it. And we will have a paper chain link that will also have your names on a link to show that you have prayed for and invested into the weekend. Praise God for what He will do! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be speaking on Obstacles to Accepting God’s Grace, and sharing part of my own testimony in the process.

To add your name to the prayer chain (which will be visualized with a paper link chain – your name will be on one link) please leave a comment below. And please pray for Kairos #40 ~ Pulaski Women’s State Prison in Georgia. Kairos weekend happening August 25-28, 2016.