June 22, 2007

Dear Email Friends,

  Piecemakers feel it is an honor to become pen pals to our brothers and sisters in prison. This is one of many letters recently sent.



Marie Kolasinski

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Hello Teri,

    My name is Diane, I'm a Piecemaker and it will be an honor to be your pen pal.

    To tell you a little about myself, how I met Marie and started my walk with God began in 1968. I was 13 years old and began to follow the flow of hippies to the house across the street from where I lived. It was Marie's house where the Spirit was  always moving.
Chuck Smith started his church (Calvary Chapel) in Marie's living room.

    But when I went into my Freshman year of high school, I jumped into the world head first. I got into sex, drugs, alcohol and anything else I could find on my path to destruction. I don't know why God chose not to have me go the way of physical jail or prison, but when I turned 23 I became pregnant, not married and buried in the world.
That's when God started to reel me back in. God's family, the community that was being formed scooped us up, took us in and I started the long journey back to God.

    Along this journey, I've had my fist up to God, cursed Him, giving Him every reason to throw me back. But He didn't.

    Still today with His mercy, kindness, chastising and patience He's molding me into being a part of the solid rock where He's building His kingdom here on earth. Marie has always been before me a perfect example of how to become Christ like — to humble myself and be covered by Grace.

    If you keep reading "The Words of Life" you'll find God becomes very personal and obtainable. I hope to hear from you and find out about your life and what God's doing with you daily as we are both walking out of our old lives into eternal life.

Your Sister in Christ,

Diane

P.S. Marie wrote this and I hope it ministers to you as much as it has me:

The realization of "now or never" is an ominous reality prodding on the weary traveler to persevere when all seems hopeless, to pick oneself up when the journey seems too long; to diligently cling to the vision when the soul is sick from unfulfilled expectations, always remembering that faith will bring the fulfillment of the vision God has given us if we do not give up.