It's 8:51 pm in Chicago. I'm sitting on my porch swing an emotional wreck trying to hold together everything I am feeling from my trip today to Statesville prison. Sitting in a non air-conditioned room with 12 inmates, most serving life sentences, sharing our lives together. The stories. The brilliance. The regret. The vulnerability. The knowledge. The voices of pain, the acceptance of their way of life. The resilience. Sitting with a young man who is serving 150 years to life and hearing his struggle of accepting the fact that he did the work of a college student...and to celebrate him together. To have the gentleman ask me how THEY can help me in my ministry to reach kids on the street. To see their heart and love for God in such a deep, real connection - more real than most Christians I know. The way they welcomed me into their community, even though I was a stranger...and they really listened to me, celebrated how God uses me. I was humbled to be in their presence. It felt more like church than most churches I've attended. That is what I long for. As I sit here with the church bells playing, God reminds me this Christian walk is much bigger than a building, a worship service and a well rehearsed sermon. It's community with others who don't need a stage or a title. It's a community seeking love, truth, forgiveness and a place to celebrate each others humanity and stories. I've always known this. It's my mission in life but today, I saw God. Today I was inspired. Today I saw God's creations not inmates. Today changed my heart...again.‪ #‎PorchSwingLife‬ ‪#‎SelfCare‬ ‪#‎KissOnForeheadFromGod‬