Forgiven Felons

BAGGIE LINEN PANTS, NO SOCKS, AND CROCS. 

This will be my life for the next few months. Without being able to bend my knee, it’s hard for me to put socks and shoes on.

Some of y’all have asked about the surgery date. It was scheduled for September 7th.

The original scheduled orthopedic surgeon has stated that he cannot do this type of surgery. So we are starting the process over with a different surgeon and I will meet with him hopefully this week.

Going to need lots of help while I recover, especially with all the errands that I have to run and picking guys up from prison.

Jessamy will help as much as possible, but she is super busy helping people fund their new home dreams. 

Some of you have already reached out to help and I appreciate that. We will figure out a schedule.

I will start reaching out to all my Christmas Light clients to let them know that it might look different this year.

Some have already reached out and said they will voluntarily take the year off while I recover. That is so sweet. 

If I can’t do lights, I will need to replace that income. So if you can think of a really good desk job that I can make some side hustle money, let me know lol If you’re in the market for a new home or refinance, please contact Jessamy. That will help us too.

In the end, it’s all gonna work out. God’s got this. I completely and confidently trust him. 

I cannot wait to see the testimony that comes out of all this.

Until then, I have stocked up on different colors of linen pants. I’ve had these crocs for several years so I might have to buy some new ones. The bottoms are pretty wore out and slippery.

Thank you so much for your prayers, for the surgery, for the surgeon, for my recovery, and for provision.

Thank you also for the prayers for a legal battle regarding the wreck that we had. Praying for that settlement to happen quickly.



PRISON AND KNEE UPDATE

The devil tried, God won.

Whenever I go into prison, no matter who it’s with, I try to do two things. Let God have his way to do His thing, and bring the joy of the Lord with some laughter.

This week, with my friend Reggie Hicks from Brother's Keeper Prison Ministry, both of these things happened on a supernatural level.

I want to thank everyone who gave towards this trip. We literally couldn’t have done this without your support. Everyone who prayed, your prayers worked, especially against the devil who has been trying to spoil this trip for a while.

Reggie, you are one gifted and anointed man of God. Because of my knee situation and being on crutches, I truly wouldn’t have been able to go if you didn’t say yes.

Because you said yes to God, the altars were filled at each location this week. Santa Rosa CI, Century CI, Annex, Fountain, and Holman. The men responded to your story, your message, and came to the altar in droves each time. They shed tears as we prayed over them. Chains fell this week because of your yes.

All the men knew about the wreck, but I hadn’t uploaded a podcast episode about me being hurt yet, so everyone was surprised to see me on crutches. But each unit prayed the same specific prophetic prayer over my healing and the surgery. It was powerful. I stand in agreement with their prayer that the surgeon will get in there and see that it isn’t as bad as the MRI showed.

The devil tried hard to stop this trip. He thought the knee would stop me. He thought one of our other guys that had to stay home, was going to stop us. Even one of the units wouldn’t let us in at first because we hadn’t been approved. The warden let us in though.

One of the guards told the men, at one service, that they wouldn’t get chow unless they left early. That caused us to shut down early, but then God showed up and left the rec yard gate open for us so we joined the men on the rec yard. We stayed out there for another forty minutes or so. Reggie played some corn hole with some of the men. We got to talk to some men who didn’t even know we were here because the flyers didn’t get put up at their unit. These were some of the best conversations all week.

On Friday, at the Holman high security unit where death row is housed, we ran into opposition as well. We were informed that they weren’t going to let the death row men come down to service due to contractors working in the wing. That was a bummer. So we threw a spontaneous general population service during that time. Powerful service.

I had to get Reggie to the airport for his afternoon flight, but while we were doing that, the chaplain was making calls. By the time I got back for the evening service at Holman, a special death row service was added after that. Praise the Lord. Most of these men in general population are serving life without parole.

The praise team sang all the hymns in honor of my mom and one gentleman, Danard, wrote the neatest rap song about my Mama, titled, “Look Mama” and had me in tears.

The death row, or Life Row, service was the service that ended the week. 18 men came out to a service that they had no idea who it was or what it would be. They knew the service with us earlier was canceled but they weren’t told it would be rescheduled. They came though. They gave up their TV time to come see what God had in store. And man, God showed up. They watched me hobble around on crutches and couldn’t believe I made the trip. They were grateful I came but also that I stayed and did one more service. So was I.

At the end, those 18 men, who are sentenced to die, gathered around me, laid their hands on me, and spoke life over me, my family, the surgery coming, Reggie, and Forgiven Felons. These men can pray.

Our friend Erick Wilson was there ministering the same week to the Alabama units so God was winning. I got to hang with Johnny, released from Annex in July, all week and give him some Second Chance Reserve. Then I got to meet Adam, also released in the last month, who had watched us all the time on the tablet.

I made special “All My Role Models Went To Prison” shirts for EACH unit. The men loved the shirts, but most of them didn’t read all the way to the bottom, I had to tell them. Then when they read THEIR unit on the shirt, they were so pumped. Some even cried. Most of these men believe they aren’t or can’t be role models because of what they’ve done in their past.

My knee hurts, I’m tired. I’m not looking forward to the recovery after the surgery. I won’t be able to drive anywhere for a couple of months. I won’t be able to mow my yard, run my errands, do Christmas lights. This will be challenging. I need to start a fund for a uber driver account to take me everywhere.

Our word at Social Dallas for the year is Trust. Not just trust, confident trust. And I’ve learned, and I heard Reggie say it this week, that what we profess, will be put to the test. My trust in God has been tested this year. But I confidently trust him to provide for us. The Christmas light income will be hard to replace, but God is able. I just need to find a way to take care of our clients this year.

I have to pick up men from prison on September 15th that are coming to the house. I’ll need help.

The main them of the week was choosing joy. I showed the men how I chose joy after my fall and how I will continue to choose joy throughout the recovery process.

You can choose joy too.

Thank you again for your prayers, financial support, and love.

We have our annual fundraiser coming up this month in September. Would you consider partnering with us for a one time gift or monthly?

Ways to give:

Our website:
forgivenfelons.org/support

North Texas Giving Day website:
https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/ForgivenFelons

Mail:
Forgiven Felons
PO Box 4283
Cedar Hill, TX 75106

Cash App:
$ForgivenFelons (Jay Gumm)

We Care

This organization does chaplaincy right. I’ve been in a lot of state prisons, across the nation, and I’ve never heard the chaplains talked about the way the men talk about the chaplains at We Care.

They are not state chaplains. They serve most of Alabama and some of Florida. It’s a pretty cool ministry. When we come, if available, they always allow us to stay in the lodge rooms, or like this time, the mobile home.

https://www.wecareprogram.org/index.php here’s their website if you want to check them out.

They open Thrift Stores to offset some of the costs of doing ministry. These stores are incredible and the one in Atmore just opened a coffee shop three weeks ago.

These chaplains, especially Chaplain Smoker, Chaplain Dean, and Chaplain Wieborg from Alabama and Florida, have been the most incredible hosts every time we come into town. They truly love Jesus, their jobs and the men they serve. You don’t see that at all the prisons.

Thank you We Care Program for loving the prison population and hosting us so well each time we make the trip.

Resting today, picking up Reggie tonight, then inside the rest of the week. Pray this rain goes away so I don’t slip with my crutches.

LET'S EAT

Johnny Gleaton called me as soon as he got out in July. The last time I spoke with him was a service we did back in March. I met him in 2024 the first time we went to his unit in Alabama.

It's rare (but getting more common now) for volunteers to connect with the men and women they once ministered to on the inside. Out of six ministries I connected with when I was inside, only one would entertain having lunch with me.

Johnny said the same the same thing.

Thank God for the ones who want to connect AND build relationships with them when they get out.

This is our favorite part. Connecting with them after they're released. We sometimes can get caught up in the accolades of being in "prison ministry" as we tell our story. But we don't stop at "prison ministry", we are an after prison ministry too.

This is where the discipleship role comes into play more than ever. Evangelism in the prisons is needed. Thank God we have that covered in Texas. But there's still a huge need, all over the nation, for people to come alongside these men and women when they are released.

Thank God for the churches who allow us formerly incarcerated to serve on serve teams and be a part of the church. We can't serve in ALL areas, but that doesn't mean we can't serve the mission.

We usually only go to Florida and Alabama once a year. But this year made a second trip happen. Thank you to all who helped funding this trip.

When we finally got our dates approved, I called Johnny and said I wanted to take him to eat when we got there.

We did that last night. At Fat AL's in Atmore. We talked so much about what God is doing in him and through him.

I gave him a bag of Second Chance Reserve coffee.

The things that are happening in his life, already, are just simply supernatural. I can't wait to share his story with you.

I love the people we get to do life with. I'm so glad made something out of my mess and called me to live this life.

Pray for Reggie Hicks and I as we go to Florida tomorrow and Wednesday, then Alabama on thursday and Friday.

We wouldn't have ever thought to come to these units, but a few years ago, an inmate named Michael White, invited us. Now, we can't stop going.

If you'd like to partner with us, you can do it several ways.

Website:
forgivenfelons.org/support

Cash App:
$forgivenfelons (jay gumm)

Zelle or Venmo (message me)

Mail:
Forgiven Felons
PO Box 4283
Cedar Hill, TX 75106

PERSPECTIVE

I used to get so mad when I’d see these floating around and landing in my yard. Especially after working in the yard, getting it to look nice.

Then I met someone who harvests corn. Really awesome man and family. I have loved hanging out with them.

Now, when I see all the floating corn leaves, I pray for this man and his family. I don’t know if it comes from his fields, but I pretend like it does and begin to speak abundance over all his fields.

I thank God for the leaves in my yard that show this family is being provided for.

When we get closer to things, we gain a different perspective. A better one.

What do you need to see differently? Get closer to it. Lean in. Don’t just talk about it from a distance. Really try to see it differently. I bet God changes your perspective.

Have a great day.

FAMILY TIME

Family time over the next few months will be held at chiropractor’s offices, doctor’s offices, massage places, and the such.

Someone isn’t too happy. Lol.