@all Just want to be able for the community of Crosswalk to have a chance to know who we are and whom they speak with on a daily basis. As Christians we are not to judge each other for our past, everyone makes mistakes some are bigger and worst than others but we all are forgiven of our sins when we confess to the lord and repent. Since my incarceration i have changed my life and follow are amazing Lord Almighty. I no longer indulge in any sinful acts. I have taken responsibility for my wrong doings and im moving forward in life. I think its only fair to our community that they know me for me and not who i use to be. And the only way to do this is to introduce myself as an inmate, where i am incarcerated at and what got me here. Any other inmates feel free to join…. My name is Paul Hinkle and i am a Federal inmate incarcrated in peoria county Jail in Peoria, illinois USA. I have been in pretrial detention for over 2 years waiting trial for Possession with intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and possession of a firearm. I am not proud of my charges but they are a part of me now. This is who i am…..
I’m right here for you @paulhinkle and was involved in prison ministry myself and our team.
For you and the inmates, and my prayers to all of you brother.
I am frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, so Leonard Ravenhill’s “The Saint Must Walk Alone” resonates deeply with my experience.
Johann.
@all @Johann Brothers and sisters i lost my father to prostate cancer, both jobs to covid and instead of working harder like i should have done i use it as an excuse to take the easy route that did nothing but lead me in the wrong direction down a dark path and in jail today. There is no excuse for my foolish criminal acts, but there is nothing i can do to change the past except work on my future.
When i went to jail in the past i took responsibility for the crime, but the problem was i didnt take 100% responsibility for my life or anything else. (Drug addiction, sexaully abuse by family members, etc). I only took responsibility for that one thing, not everything that led up to that one thing and that was the problem. Thats why im back in jail today and i realized all of this while i was on my bunk reading pray book. I read a quote that said 5 years wisdom or just 5 years and that made me reflect and think. Did i learn any thing in my 5 years in prison, did i learn anything in those five year or was it just 5 years? And im telling you now it was just 5 years. I wasted 5 years in prison and didnt learn anything. I didnt change my mind or my heart, sure i went to school and did college classes. But i hadnt planned for anything beyond my release.
And here i am again facing 10 years to life and i dont know how much time im going to get. But i do know one thing, im NOT going to repeat this again. Im not going to make the same mistake. Im not going to fail and have anymore time wasted in jail. If im spending time in jail its not going to be just spending time in jail. Im going to fill it with wisdom and take 100% responsibilty for everything in my life.
I cant blame it on my parents for leaving me. I cant blame it on being raised in different foster homes. I cant blame it on my family being homeless. I cant blame it on my friend for giving me drugs. I cant blame it on my dad dying or me losing my jobs. I cant blame anyone but myself. I made the choice, i made the mistake no one else made it but me.
So today i am taking 100% responsibility of my life the good and the bad. So i can move forward and put the past in the past and build my future. Because you either go through something or Grow through something and my last prison terms i went through them. This one i have been growing through it. Im not letting the limitations of my past dictate or limit the opportunities of my future.
@Johann Sometimes in your life the worst things can become the best things. Me coming to jail probably saved my life. So im not going to waste one minute of it not growing from it. Im going to use this sentence as a stepping stone, as a guide to get my life on track. I know life isnt going to be easy. Things are going to happen. There will be obsticals and ill stay strong and overcome those obsticals that are going to absolutly come my way. Not because im an exoffender or an addict in recovery, but because i am living my life as a human being. Things happen so i will not let those things get in the way or derail my forward progress.
I will stay strong and stand up to the negitivity sometimes that means i have to stand up to myself. My craving, my temptations, my urges. I have to have discipline and hold myself accountable. Self discipline is the definition of self-love. I cant win the war against the world if i cant even win the war against my own mind.
I have and will continue to train myself to handle the difficulties, barriers and obstical that will come my way. Its not the events of our life that determines the outcome, its how i respond to the event. A positive response means a positive outcome. So i wil do what i have to do to empower myself so that i am not leaving prison as only a product of the insititution but rather someone who is focused on success and emerging with my dignity intact.
I have changed my values, set goals and will achieve them goals and prepare myself for the road to success. I will be a contributing law biding citizen and I will give to society and my community instead of taking from it. I will work hard to succeed and never again will i ever take the easy way or commit another crime. NEVER again will i EVER fail society, my family, or myself.
@paulhinkle Thank you, brother, for your testimony. I highly encourage you to log onto Edovo and watch “Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence” by Pastor John Piper. He has helped me find my joy despite my incarceration.
@Inmate we do not have edovo here any longer since we have recieved red tabets. I have completed 130 certificate courses on edovo and wish they would bring it back
I am so proud of you !!
@Cheyanne thank you that means so much coming from you