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OUR BLOG
Hear it from the heart. Every week or so, we publish a story about the life of our ministry. All names are fictionalized to protect the identity of those inside. Thanks for reading!
All Posts
Seeing God in a Pair of Sneakers
I like to listen to music when I write. Funny enough though, when I was younger and listening to music, I rarely heard the lyrics – what...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20247 min read
Prison Discussion
I count many incarcerated people among my friends. I see these friends every week; we exchange thoughts on life, incarceration, religion,...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20242 min read
"What I Read Floored Me"
The book had been sitting on my shelf for too long. The time had come. I had to finish this thing. I almost dreaded the task. The font...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20245 min read
What Happens When We Focus on Retribution Instead of Reconciliation
I met a friend for dinner recently who asked me about my work. We discussed the different programs HeartBound sponsors, why we do what we...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20244 min read
The Student Saves the Teacher
Paul Simon sings, “You’ve got to learn how to fall before you learn how to fly.” Well, there I was, learning how to fall, although at...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20244 min read
Writing Poems in Prison
“Wiggle your toes,” I said. Ahmeze laughed nervously. “Come on, try it,” I implored. He took a deep breath, then proceeded. The...
Andrea Shelton
May 13, 20247 min read
God Provides
They were like giddy school girls, giggling with glee every time they opened a new box to discover the treasures inside. Every few...
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20243 min read
What It's Like to Teach Inside A Prison
Teaching can be scary. You stand in front of a room, everyone looking at you, waiting for you to speak. They expect you to be...
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20245 min read
When Those You Meet on the "Inside" Meet You "Outside"
Prisons do not exist in a vacuum. Forty-five percent of Americans have had a family member spend time in jail or prison. Ninety-five...
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20244 min read
Baptizing In Muddy Water
There’s an old-time country artist I really like called Stonewall Jackson. I heard this song called “Waterloo” and was instantly hooked....
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20243 min read
Hopes and Dreams from Prison
In January, I asked each of the horticulture students at Burruss Correctional Training Center to write down their hopes and dreams. One...
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20242 min read
Wisdom from Within Prison Walls
I am consistently amazed and humbled while teaching inside prison. I am a college-educated, mid-20-something who’s never known want or...
Andrea Shelton
Mar 14, 20242 min read
What Causes Crime? Observations from Serving in Prison
As you might have noticed, politicians on the campaign trail have “crime” on their minds. Republicans and Democrats alike tell voters...
Andrea Shelton
Jan 25, 20244 min read
Incarceration as a Biblical Motif
Incarceration is a recurring motif in the Bible. Why? What is God trying to reveal to us through stories of people, both good and bad,...
Andrea Shelton
Jan 24, 20241 min read
How Physical Books are Increasing Reading Comprehension Inside and Outside Prisons
One thing I’ve learned about prison ministry is that you’re going to meet a whole cast of characters. One of those characters is a man...
Andrea Shelton
Jan 24, 20244 min read
Hope this Christmas
If you’ve followed along with our ministry this year you might have noticed a recurring theme, Hope. Hope is at the heart of our...
Andrea Shelton
Dec 12, 20233 min read
Thanksgiving 2023 Reflection
Three peculiar things happened this Wednesday. 1. HeartBound was able to bring 4 former inmates back to Burruss Correctional Training...
Andrea Shelton
Nov 20, 20232 min read
"You Have Beautiful Scars"
“Dear Old Me,” H. said. I was confused, the assignment was supposed to be a poem. It appeared that this student, H., had mixed up the...
Andrea Shelton
Nov 1, 20232 min read
Poems from Prison
There’s a good article in a 2016 issue of The Atlantic titled, “How Kids Learn Resilience,” by Paul Tough (the irony!). Mr. Tough...
Andrea Shelton
Nov 1, 20236 min read
Cake and Lemonade
God uses the smallest of things to help us reach incarcerated youth. Here’s a story from Chaplain John about how a promise of cake and...
Andrea Shelton
Nov 1, 20232 min read
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