The spokesperson for the board was an absolute creep. He said, "Why should we let you go when u got a 6 year sentence and haven't even served a year yet?" well excuse me but we didn't REQUEST that he have a parole eligibility date of 7/28 (12.5 months after incarceration) or that he have a parole hearing on 3/10/04. He did let both my husbands brother AND me talk. They told us we could only have one spokesperson, and i was afraid I would just cry. but I'm glad they let me talk.

They hadn't read the letters we submitted. My brother thinks sometimes they act that way just to gauge the inmates reaction. i was shaking and felt faint - can only compare it to way i felt when i had to walk into the room to view my daddy in his casket - it was horrible.

$200 and 2 top shelf margarita's later i at least feel more optimistic. (I tried to drink and shop til i felt better. ) I guess it's better that the board didn't act that way AFTER reading the letters.

We'll find out their decision on the 16th.

I'm going to church tonight. I guess you could be justified in viewing me as a hyprocrite, and I know (somewhere inside me) i'm supposed to be "thankful" and "trust God" but i 'm just really mad at god right now and i WANT to be mad at him, and i figure he knows me and will understand.

Well I hope everything goes well. You'll be in my prayers!!

Best of luck to you. Don't be too mad at God because you might be thanking him later. :)

smilin at ya' juliwaits... I talk to God that way too... I know he knows me and when I am hurt or mad I tell him so... and I figure he understands and he knows I ( and you) will work my (our) way through it with his help. I hope the parole decision is positive.

Hi Juli ... I know you are pretty upset right now and that's OK ... it's good you went shopping and sipped a couple after the trying experience of the hearing ... I know that always helps me (till I get the card bill, haha) Those hearings can be pretty rough and I agree that I think "they" do sometimes play games just to see if they can get a rise ... I will be keeping you and your hubby in my prayers for a good decision ... in the mean time, don't worry to much about what GOD will think about you being angry with him ... remember, ... HE got angry at Adam and Eve ... so HE understands our frustrations and by the fact that you went to Church tonight shows HIM your heart is in the right place.
Hang in there, Sweetie :)

Y'all are so right, and so wonderful. I am truly grateful for your responses. I feel terrible today about being so mad "at God" yesterday. Why did i let that power-hungry uninformed man shake my faith in God? I'm just ashamed this morning, and also optimistic. My husband called at 7:30 last night - actually called twice cuz i begged him to call back. He said that man treated everyone the same way. My husband was so down and depressed, kept telling me "go on without me" I told him i'm not ever leaving him. He's worried I'm wasting my life and he's gonna be all "fat and white" when he gets out. Silly, sweet man.

He was fine by the time he talked. He really expected I should leave him, didn't want me to go thru this nightmare anymore.

This morning I'm pretty confident. The board will read our letters, they'll let him go.

Yesterday I was just so upset that God would even let the hearing go that way, but I now God has His reasons. Maybe He wanted to test our faith (I stumbled), or test our marriage. Rich Mullins (contemporary Christian songwriter) has a line in a song - he's talking about how when you're angry or sad and are asking God "WHY?!" because you can't see any possible good out of a situation. The line goes, "I know it would not hurt any less if it could be explained." So true. We think if we just knew why God allowed us any suffering, we think if we could just understand it we'd feel better - but it would still hurt.

Friends, this has been the worst experience of my life. I am so grateful you are there for me. I'm just sorry that you're in your own nightmare situation too. I will continue to PRAISE GOD and will keep all of you (and your incarcerated loved ones) in my prayers.

(((Hugs to You))),

I felt like crying reading your post...how our lives just hang in the balance of the system...every single thing we do...it is so heartbreaking, this whole prison experience, not only for the person sentence but for everyone they leave behind, we are all in our own kind of lonely prison ourselves, Praying for the best and take care of yourself...

Y'all are so right, and so wonderful. I am truly grateful for your responses. I feel terrible today about being so mad "at God" yesterday. Why did i let that power-hungry uninformed man shake my faith in God? I'm just ashamed this morning, and also optimistic. My husband called at 7:30 last night - actually called twice cuz i begged him to call back. He said that man treated everyone the same way. My husband was so down and depressed, kept telling me "go on without me" I told him i'm not ever leaving him. He's worried I'm wasting my life and he's gonna be all "fat and white" when he gets out. Silly, sweet man.

He was fine by the time he talked. He really expected I should leave him, didn't want me to go thru this nightmare anymore.

This morning I'm pretty confident. The board will read our letters, they'll let him go.

Yesterday I was just so upset that God would even let the hearing go that way, but I now God has His reasons. Maybe He wanted to test our faith (I stumbled), or test our marriage. Rich Mullins (contemporary Christian songwriter) has a line in a song - he's talking about how when you're angry or sad and are asking God "WHY?!" because you can't see any possible good out of a situation. The line goes, "I know it would not hurt any less if it could be explained." So true. We think if we just knew why God allowed us any suffering, we think if we could just understand it we'd feel better - but it would still hurt.

Friends, this has been the worst experience of my life. I am so grateful you are there for me. I'm just sorry that you're in your own nightmare situation too. I will continue to PRAISE GOD and will keep all of you (and your incarcerated loved ones) in my prayers.

Now that's what i'm talking about!!! Keep the faith girlfriend :)