Step into Prison, Step Out in Faith E-Book

Katie Scheller

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 299

Beschreibung

Where we start isn't always where we end up.   Katie Scheller hit rock bottom when her extramarital workplace affair landed her behind bars as federal inmate 09902089. On the other side of her pain and heartache, however, waited God's redemptive plan and ultimate purpose for her life. Step into Prison, Step Out in Faith tells the captivating story of a woman transformed by God's grace, love, and mercy. Charting his presence at every turn in her life, Katie powerfully combines hard-earned lessons with biblical teachings in a raw, soul-stirring testimony that proves God truly works all things for good. When you surrender to God's perfect plans and let the Holy Spirit guide your steps, you become a witness to the overwhelming power of his hand in your life. Follow Katie's venture from hopeless defeat to spiritual freedom and allow her story to spark real hope in your faith journey.    

Leseprobe

Praise for Call Me Vivian

I am forever blessed for having read Call Me Vivian. I felt the presence of God and his Holy Spirit speaking to me. I pray that God continues to use Katie Scheller to minister to his lost and wounded lambs.

James Earl Quant Jr., inmate, Wyoming

I try to make it a habit to write to an author when he or she has written something that has reached me and attached to my soul. I am so thankful that Jesus, in his awesome orchestrating abilities, allowed Katie’s path and my path to converge by placing her book into my hands.

Amy Davidson, inmate, Tennessee

I am touched and inspired by Katie Scheller’s journey. The miracles and revelations that transpired in her life could only have come from the great God we serve. May the Lord continue to provide for The Vivian Foundation.

Cynthia Houvenel, inmate, California

I read Call Me Vivian and could not believe the similarities between Katie’s life and mine. Thank you for the inspiration to never ever give up.

Nicki Bibbs, inmate, Virginia

Katie’s story feels so much like my own. I have resolved to use whatever time I have been given here on earth to draw closer to God.

Angela Greer, inmate, Australia

I’m fighting a war every day. I still have a lot of work to do, but thanks to Katie Scheller and Call Me Vivian, I understand I’m no longer doing it alone! God’s got my back.

Katy Judd, inmate, North Carolina

Call Me Vivian is such an uplifting, inspiring testimony for which I am grateful. This book has touched me and many others here at the institution.

Viviana Rivas-Gunn, inmate, Washington

I have distributed Call Me Vivian to our chapel and state libraries, and every unit has several copies as well. This book is not only touching inmates but also staff. Our chaplain has since expressed what a wonderful book it is.

Pamela Smith, inmate and Angel Network Librarian, Washington

Call Me Vivian gave me a hope and a great outlook on life. God gives the toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.

Crystal Morris, inmate, Florida

Call Me Vivian gave me hope when I had none. It’s an easy, relatable story and helped me realize I don’t have to keep struggling.

Janelle Jesuca, inmate, Florida

Call Me Vivan was like a divine intervention from God. I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me and could not believe what I was reading; it was like I was reading pieces of my own story. I know now that all things are possible with God.

Giuliana Bosco, inmate, California

I was feeling hopeless when Call Me Vivian gave me a second wind.

Sonya Pittman, inmate, Alabama

I loved Call Me Vivian. It made me laugh, cry, and grow closer to the Lord.

Daniel Kiss, inmate, Australia

I finished reading Call Me Vivian, and Katie Scheller’s journey was compelling. Her inspiring message surely transformed some of the women’s hearts to trust God for their future.

Faye Boyd, volunteer, Forgiven Ministry, Inc. and One Day with God camp

Katie Scheller presented Call Me Vivian and her story at the Milwaukee Correctional Institution for Women. The gospel is weaved into Katie’s message, and her story shows that overcoming sin is possible by filling the void in your heart with the one and only true source of love: God.

Diane Rolfs, ministry lead, Eastbrook Church Prison

I’ve been trying to find the right words to express how much Call Me Vivian changed the course of my life. I’m convinced that God spoke to me through Katie’s book. It brought me closer to God, gave me hope, restored my faith, and gave me the strength to press on during a very dark season. Since reading her book, I have been on a wonderful journey of recovery. I can’t thank Katie enough for her inspiration.

Alisa Johns Snow, former inmate, Oklahoma

Call Me Vivian renewed my hope! God showed me through her story that he is with me and will never leave or forsake me. Katie’s book confirmed everything that I believe and everything that God needed me to know about his love for us.

Alan Marie Lopez, inmate, Texas

I was blessed with the opportunity to read Call Me Vivian. Katie gave me something to strive for and helped me learn to forgive myself. I would like to thank Katie for her courage, faith, and continued work, not only in spreading God’s Word, but also in her dedication to helping inmates and children of incarcerated parents.

Jessica Marie Flanders, inmate, Florida

Call Me Vivian encouraged me and renewed my hope during my incarceration. I pray that God will bless The Vivian Foundation and Katie’s ministry work as she continues to bless those in need. Thank you—from the depths of my soul—for all you do to help others.

Selena Ball, former inmate, Texas

Something about Katie Scheller’s story has touched my soul. I was blessed to have found her book at a time when I needed it most.

Racheal Parizek, inmate, North Dakota

Call Me Vivian is a powerful, powerful book. Katie beat the odds. Very few people bounce back from what she has been through and where she has been. I would like to thank Katie for her endless devotion to God and for making the world a better place.

Therrold James, inmate, Louisiana

God placed Call Me Vivian in my hands. It’s a beautiful testimony and an amazing story about being blessed with the Holy Spirit. God is the only way anyone will ever succeed in life, as evidenced by Katie’s experience.

Sonya Kennedy, inmate, Washington

Call Me Vivian is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Thank you for this wonderful book, which has been a blessing in my life.

Vivian Corujo Rojas, inmate, Texas

I loved Katie’s book and story. It was very touching. Her story made me laugh and cry. It also inspired and strengthened me during a time when I really needed it.

Jacqueline Graham, inmate, Texas

Call Me Vivian has greatly affected me, and I am so appreciative of Katie’s story. God, indeed, knows what he is doing and how to use his disciples. Thank you to all who made this book possible. God is using it to speak to people and encourage them.

Jennifer Michalka, inmate, Colorado

I would like to thank Katie for sharing her life story in Call Me Vivian. She is called and blessed by God to seek and do his will. I can’t imagine having been through all that she has. Yet, she took destruction and made it beautiful by humbly walking God’s path. It is my treasure and blessing to know of the work that she is doing with The Vivian Foundation.

Marilyn Brasher, ministry volunteer, Florida

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

Step into Prison, Step Out in Faith: Live a Full, Surrendered Life with the Holy Spirit

Copyright © 2024 Katie Scheller

9781424566129 (softcover)

9781424566136 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP). Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Cover and interior by Garborg Design Works | garborgdesign.com

Printed in China

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This book is dedicated to Ray Hall, who founded the Prison Book Project and who passed away in 2022. Millions upon millions of books have reached inmates across the United States because of Ray’s vision.

Joyce Hall, I know you and your entire team work tirelessly to continue this labor of love.

Contents

Preface

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Acknowledgments

Endnotes

About the Author

About The Vivian Foundation

Preface

In 2011, just before my sentencing for having committed two felonies, God clearly told me to write Call Me Vivian. That book tells the story of how my extramarital affair led me to defending myself in a civil lawsuit and facing criminal charges that landed me in federal prison. Little did I know at that time that a lot more writing was in my future!

As my second book, Vivian’s Call, was undergoing editing in late 2021, God pulled me away to Florida for the winter season. I attended a Christian spiritual event in Tampa during the first weekend in December, and I could not deny the heavenly, angelic presence throughout the weekend. The fire of God fell upon me multiple times. At one point, the speaker at the event reminded the audience that it was time to dream again and obtain our rightful inheritance as children of the Most High God. That message struck me, and the following night, I had a dream in which I saw a book in a classroom. When I woke up, I started writing down everything God was telling me. Not long after, he showed me a vision of a book cover, and what you are holding in your hands is the result of that very dream.

What you may not know is that I wrote emails to friends and family every day during the 740 days of my incarceration, detailing events and experiences in both the natural and supernatural worlds. These emails served as a journal, capturing everything the Holy Spirit taught me and the stories I penned in Call Me Vivian and Vivian’s Call. The interesting part, which I was unaware of at the time, was that my daily email correspondence from prison was blessing others.

Just like the apostle Paul, my writing became a living and breathing testament of the transforming power of God’s love. My prison time came alive with excitement and anticipation of what God was doing not only in my life but also in the lives of others who walked this journey with me. God was blessing and changing hearts both inside and outside prison walls and teaching me invaluable lessons.

It’s time I share these lessons and the rest of my story. And trust me when I tell you that there is hope—even when things feel hopeless. Even when you feel like you are alone, God is always with you. He has a plan for each and every one of us, and the Bible promises us this in Jeremiah 29:11: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”

God loves you, and there’s nothing you have done or could do to lose his love. He wants to meet you right where you are and become an integral part of your life. If you are willing to trust him, surrender to his way of doing things, and let the Holy Spirit guide your steps, the changes that will take place in your heart will transform your life and powerfully impact the lives of those around you.

You have been called. You have been chosen. You have been set apart for such a time as this. Will you dare to be different? Will you use your remaining time here on earth to serve others in love? Will you embrace the perfect plan that God has for your life? It’s up to you. I’m living proof that with God, all things are possible. Receive it! Speak it! Believe it!

Prologue

My meeting with the federal government was scheduled for early February 2007. It was time to tell the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I arrived at work ahead of schedule to ensure my calendar was still blocked for the day; my boss didn’t know where I was going, and I had no idea how long I’d be gone or if I’d even return to my office.

The federal courthouse staff in downtown Milwaukee was awaiting my arrival, as were a few others. The investigative team included an Internal Revenue Service agent, the postal inspector, a United States attorney, and a federal probation and presentencing officer. My attorney, Michael Cohn, accompanied me to the second floor conference room, which was massive and intimidating. We seated ourselves at a long, glossy wooden table, and the government’s team sat across from us. My lawyer and I were outnumbered, but that was the least of my worries.

Prior to our meeting, the investigators had asked me to prepare a document summarizing the supplier gifts I had received while working for my previous employer, SC Johnson. We talked at length about the case, including the company’s corporate culture and certain individuals. From there we discussed the gifts I received from my former boss and lover, Milt. The team seemed particularly interested in the jewelry he had given me.

By this time, I had a pretty good idea of what had transpired with my previous employer, given the boatloads of discovery my lawyers shared with me that showed the extent of the corruption in this case. The investigation involved racketeering, which is dishonest and fraudulent business practices. Transportation carriers were providing kickbacks to Milt to secure business, and Milt had been lavishing me with gifts purchased with the proceeds from this scheme.

I told the investigative team everything, including a few things they did not know. I confirmed the evidence against me, and after a reasonable amount of time, much shorter than anticipated, the questioning ended. It felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders.

“That went well, Katie, really well!” Michael said confidently as we prepared to leave. He was pleased, and his hopeful demeanor lifted my spirits. Only one question remained: Would the truth actually set me free? I would not get an answer for some time, but it did not seem to matter that particular day. I had survived.

Chapter 1

It was twenty-nine days into 2009, and the month of well-intentioned resolutions and plans for self-improvement had all but slipped through my fingers. I was on my way to a meeting with my attorney, Michael Cohn, and I couldn’t help but find it a bit ironic that I parked on the ramp of an athletic club. I typically used the athletic club’s parking ramp whenever I met with Michael because of its proximity to his office. And I could park there for free.

I climbed out of my vehicle, and the slam of my car door pulled me out of my thoughts, reminding me of what I was preparing to face. After my meeting with Michael, I was due in federal court to plead guilty to two felonies. My life was in the process of a vast and vital makeover, to say the least. Was I nervous? Yes. Was I scared? A little. Was I ready to get this mess behind me? Absolutely.

I walked through the lobby of the athletic club because of the January cold and found myself in step with a younger African American man on the other side of the window. I had never seen him before. Other than his blue coat, stocking cap, and general existence, I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to take note of his particular features. Am I wearing the right outfit? I wondered. Would my antiperspirant last through the afternoon’s proceedings? Would the media be in court? How would I pay my attorney’s bill for the extended day at the courthouse?

Fewer than thirty seconds later, as I stood on the corner waiting for the crosswalk to grant me permission to cross the street, the man I had seen through the window stood next to me. He greeted me with a hello and a plea for help. He said he was looking for a place to get assistance.

Wanting to keep moving to avoid freezing, I stalled to reply. You’ll have to believe me when I tell you that, in the Midwest, the winter wind bites like an angry pit bull. The leaders of cities like Milwaukee, which flank the shores of the Great Lakes, should warn visitors that the unforgiving gusts of winter’s wrath really do chill a person to the bone.

I was not sure if this young man was homeless, hungry, or planning to steal my purse, but he seemed nice and was certainly polite. More importantly, he needed help, and on that particular day, who was I to judge another human being?

I told him I was not from the immediate area and that I was sorry I could not direct him. He explained how his journey for assistance had led him to a shelter, but the shelter could not help. He had tried the Salvation Army and a number of other places, too, all without any luck.

The man shared his frustration: “I must have talked to one hundred people, and no one can help me.” Shaking his head and half laughing, he continued, “I’ve had to drink so much water over the last two days that I’m starting to feel like a dolphin.”

Water is not enough to sustain a person, so I asked him if he was hungry, and he said he was. Before I could say anything more, he resigned to what he believed was yet another rejection. He said he was heading back to the Greyhound bus station, but I stopped him. I told him I would like to help him, but he would have to walk one more block with me until we reached the lobby of my attorney’s office.

We continued our trek, and I asked him where he was from. “St. Paul,” he said. I casually mentioned that my son lived in Minnesota, not far from St. Paul. We shivered, victims of Wisconsin’s frigid temperatures, as we reached the building. When we stepped inside, he told me he was in town for a funeral and that someone had since stolen his suit. Why would someone steal his suit? I wondered.

Within the safety of the building, I retrieved two fifty-dollar bills from my purse and handed the money to the gentleman. “I can’t buy you a new suit,” I said, “but I can help you get home and get something to eat.” His eyes stretched to the size of saucers as he stared at the money in the palm of his thawing hand. His expression showed disbelief and gratitude, and he softly thanked me.

“No booze and only healthy food,” I stated firmly while pointing my finger at him, as if I had any control over what he chose to do with his newfound wealth.

I gathered my belongings and prepared to walk away from him and toward Michael’s office when he asked my name. I told him, and then he approached me with his right hand extended. We shook hands. “God bless you,” he said. I was convinced, at that moment, that he was an angel. Warm tears filled my eyes as we parted ways. Here I was facing one of the most difficult days of my life, and God wanted me to know that he was with me.

Exhausted after my day in court, I looked like I had aged ten years over the last week. Dark circles shadowed my eyes, as if I had just gone ten rounds with a championship fighter. In some ways I had. I was beat up, worn out, and humbled beyond words. How in the world could this be happening? I thought. Every time I relived the events, I would break down and cry. Had I done the right thing by pleading guilty? Through tears, I uttered a barely audible yes.

I was guilty of count eight: misprision of a felony because “I was aware of kickbacks in the Transportation Department at SC Johnson, and I encouraged a coworker to not talk to authorities as they lacked evidence.” I was also guilty of count nine: making a false statement. “I made a false statement regarding the company’s gift policy. I stated that I had not accepted gifts, when indeed I had accepted gifts in excess of $100.”

Judge Clevert’s final question made me pause: “So, Ms. Scheller, how is it that you find yourself in this situation?”

This was not the happily-ever-after I had planned. The character I had been playing for the last fifteen years, Vivian, the kept woman from the movie Pretty Woman, had finally realized that her former lover, Milt, would never climb her fire escape and present a bouquet of flowers like Edward Lewis did.

Feeling tremendous shame and humiliation, I sat in silence, searching for the right words. After close to a minute, I composed myself and took a deep breath. My voice cracked as I said, “I slept with the boss.” I stated my guilt and the reason why. Somehow, though, the punishment did not seem to fit the crime.

Having just pled guilty to two felonies, the judge ordered another drug test. I once again was led into the basement of the federal courthouse to pee in a cup in front of a probation officer. My bodily functions now required a witness. Judge Clevert also limited my travel. If I wanted to go anywhere, then I would have to get the court’s permission. I thought to myself, You have got to be kidding me. I’m not a criminal. As if it were any comfort, I was right; I wasn’t a criminal. That morning I became a convicted felon.

The probation officer led me to the elevator, and as we headed downstairs, a warped familiarity washed over me. I had been in the same area earlier in the morning for my booking. During the booking process, a federal marshal led me past three holding cells containing a total of seven men inside of them. The stench of perspiration and desperation was overpowering.

Half kidding, I said to the US marshal, “I must be in the wrong place.” He assured me I was not. “What did those men do?” I asked.

“You don’t want to know,” he replied.

I was definitely in the wrong place.

The first order of business in the booking process was answering questions about my life. My family, my financial situation, and whom I trusted my belongings with if I were ever put in jail. I laughed and wondered who would want all my worldly possessions: a blowup mattress, a television, and a lawn chair. I had officially hit rock bottom.

Then it was on to the mug shot. The picture showed a person I did not recognize. I had not aged ten years; I aged twenty. It was so bad that I begged the marshal to retake the picture. He graciously agreed and encouraged me to smile, but the second photo did not turn out much better.

Next it was on to the fingerprints. Since my mundane life had yet to include the experience of fingerprinting, I expected it to involve three-by-five index cards and a metal tin of ink, like the ones schoolteachers use to stamp “Good job” on their students’ papers. Not so. The fingerprints of this generation are digitally preserved for the ease of tracking people. The process was interesting but not one I would recommend.

I could not believe I had just pled guilty to two felonies. The combined criminal penalties for my charges meant I faced a maximum imprisonment term of eight years and a $500,000 fine. I was also responsible for $400,000 in restitution. Several defendants in this case also took plea deals, and the lone holdout, an owner of one of the trucking companies, was eventually indicted. A former stockbroker had already pled guilty to money laundering charges and received a sentence of three years in prison.

It was obvious that I had endured a battle over the last few days in federal court. My eyes remained swollen, and my lack of sleep churned my nausea. Bananas and Triscuits sustained me. I am not sure if this was better or worse than the McDonald’s breakfast burritos that nourished me after I was fired from SC Johnson. The truth is that stress plays funny tricks on a person’s body. But Saturday morning arrived, and I was ready for my return flight to Florida, where I was living at the time.

Exhaustion consumed me as I retrieved my weekly unemployment check from my mailbox before stepping over the threshold to my apartment. I could not wait to crawl into bed and get some much-needed sleep. My emotions were fried, and I desperately needed new strength. Thankfully, I do not remember much after my head hit the pillow at eleven o’clock that night.

It seemed like mere minutes, but five hours later, I was jolted from a deep slumber. I found myself sitting on the edge of the mattress, my head cradled in my hands. Cries escaped my throat. “I can’t live like this anymore!” I bellowed in a voice I hardly recognized as my own. Over and over again, my plea bounced off the surrounding walls. My emotions had me on the brink of disaster, and my desperation escalated. God, please help me! I can’t do this alone. I cannot live like this anymore. I felt utterly broken.

With one final appeal, I begged in total surrender, God, please help me. Then peace suddenly enveloped me. My heart was finally ready to let him in, and God promised that he would never leave or abandon me (Hebrews 13:5). When I was at my lowest moment, emotionally defeated, hopeless, and scared, God was with me. He knew it was finally time for me to contend with the emptiness in my heart; things needed to change.

It had been a tough week, and only a handful of days had passed since my encounter with that cold, hungry angel. The previous days had left me emotionally spent, and I knew that uninterrupted sleep was what my mind and body desperately needed. But as Monday’s moon began to make room for Tuesday’s sun, a realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

Filled with total amazement, I circled my sparsely furnished apartment in the mystical predawn hours. I could hardly believe what I had experienced. “He was from St. Paul. From St. Paul,” I repeated aloud to no one. “It was Saint Paul who had a role in this. It had nothing to do with the city in Minnesota!” Saint Paul, also known as the apostle Paul, spread the teachings of Jesus, and the Bible contains the letters Paul wrote to early Christians.

Saint Paul sent my angel, and we met on the corner of Broadway and Mason in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The funeral and missing suit suddenly made sense, for it was Paul who wrote 2 Corinthians 5:17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” The angel had stated that he was in town to attend a funeral. It was my funeral—the funeral of my previous life. My old ways, my past sins, were gone. Thank goodness someone stole his suit! My angel symbolized and delivered the message that my new life, my Christ-filled new birth, had begun.

Angels are heavenly messengers created by God (Genesis 2:1). They are spiritual beings who discern good from evil and provide insight and understanding as they help guide and protect us on our earthly journey (2 Samuel 14:17). As God’s Word says, “He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11). Given my experience, Hebrews 13:2 certainly came to life: “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

Do you remember when my angel told me he had been drinking so much water that he was starting to feel like a dolphin? I bet you didn’t know that dolphins symbolize rebirth, did you? What makes this encounter even more extraordinary is that Paul, whom I can truly relate to, was applauded for his perseverance and deep faith. Paul is the author of many of my favorite books in the Bible, and he was the guy who did his best work in prison. As unbelievable as it sounds, an angel had touched me on that cold January day.

Chapter 2

As my legal battle continued and I waited for the courts to hear the many motions and issue a ruling, God continued working in my heart. He closed the door on my career, and from 2009 to 2011, he opened new doors that allowed me to focus my energy elsewhere.

I volunteered in nursing homes, lived with a recently widowed woman for two winters, cared for a disabled young man, spent quality time with my grandchildren, and attended numerous Bible studies. I met new friends and attended Christian events, including weekly church service.

Back in April 2005, and because of the civil lawsuit that accompanied the criminal investigation, I bought a townhome in Tampa to protect my assets. I moved there and made it my primary residence. However, given the $400,000 in restitution I would eventually have to pay, I sold the home in 2008. That left me living at a friend’s house, which was under foreclosure, and sleeping on a mattress topper on the floor.

On November 10, 2011, I woke up early for my Bible study in Tampa. We were studying the book of Jonah. Many of us, Christian or not, know the story of Jonah and the whale. God had called Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and warn its people to turn back from their wicked ways. Not wanting to obey God, Jonah escaped on a ship but was thrown overboard during a storm and then swallowed by a huge fish. He remained in the belly of that fish for three days and nights until he asked God for forgiveness. Jonah eventually went to the city of Nineveh and did as God requested.

The story of Jonah obviously teaches us about Jonah, but in some ways, it teaches us more about God. Through Jonah’s experience, God revealed that he pours out his wrath on the wicked, but he also pours out his grace and mercy on those who repent. To repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. God wants us to repent and turn away from sin because he wants to give us a second chance.

We all experience mountaintops and valleys throughout our lives. Wherever you find yourself now, God knew that you would be here. It’s not a surprise to him. And the Bible confirms this to be true.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvel-ous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:13–16)

God knew you before you were born. He thought about you and planned for you long ago. He sees you as immeasurably valuable. The Lord did not place you here by chance or accident. He created you in his image to be his forever friend, his child. God’s very own character goes into the creation of each and every person, so let’s talk about his character.

First, God is omnipotent, meaning he is all powerful and possesses all authority. He is often called “Almighty” in the Bible for this reason (2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8). Nothing is too hard for him to accomplish (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Luke 1:37). In fact, the apostle Paul says that God is able “to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). God is infinite and accomplishes anything he wills without any effort on his part.

It’s important to note the “anything he wills” piece of that statement because God does not do anything that contradicts his nature. Hebrews 6:18 puts it like this: “God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”

God is also omniscient, meaning he is all knowing. Isaiah 46:10 reads, “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Because God is all knowing, we can trust that he’s aware of everything we’re going through today and everything we will go through tomorrow. When we meditate on this truth, it becomes easier for us to trust him with the challenges and troubles in our lives.

God is omnipresent. To be omnipresent is to be in all places at all times. God is everywhere. We can never escape his Spirit, his presence. As David, a king of Israel during biblical times, wrote about God, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me” (Psalm 139:8–10).

We have only one God, but he consists of three divine beings: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is why we refer to them as the Holy Trinity or the Godhead. “All are equally omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, and unchanging, but each is unique in function.”1 It sounds complicated, but as Charles Stanley puts it: “The Father creates a plan, Jesus Christ [the Son] implements the plan, and the Holy Spirit administers the plan…We do not have three gods; we have one God in three persons functioning uniquely and perfectly.”2

God the Father, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to free us from the law. The law of God is also called the Mosaic law, the Ten Commandments, or the Old Covenant. The commandments were laws issued by God and said to have been written with his very own finger (Exodus 31:18). Humanity came to learn of these commandments from Moses, who led hundreds of thousands of Hebrew people, called Israelites, out of Egypt, where they had been enslaved for hundreds of years.