Irvin's Message

Good morning World. Last day of this month. March is upon us. A good month in many ways this was. A good month in many ways March will be. Thank God for this experience then let us set about to make it so! I believe in prayer. I believe in the power of positive thought. I believe The Designer of all endowed us with the ability to determine our fate, our destiny.
I also believe in the inherent goodness of us Humans. So every day I approach Life with an optimism that fuels my momentum and invigorates my spirit. In actuality, I am so enjoying the opportunities I have to simply make a difference. Thank you for supporting my efforts. Thank you for showing me ways to be more effective. Thank you for lifting me up when I stumble. Thank you for being there when I reach out. The realization that I am no longer walking this path isolated and alone in a realm filled with darkness and pain has never been more obvious or more welcomed than now. Thank you for your presence along the way. We still have a ways to go yet and things to make happen. Let’s get ready to go into March like lions and do what needs to be done. Welcome to this Grand Rising my friend.

Monday morning. And we awake, rise and give thanks to The Creator for another glorious day! I feel well rested and refreshed. Both Fred and I had a quiet Sunday…for the most part. Other than going to Services we pretty much stayed close to the Apt. and enjoyed each other as we often like to do. The trip to the Johnstown Center went as planned. There was plenty of bottles to hand out and the guys even made a meal for Fred and I. Steak, baked potato, green beans, garlic bread, ice cream, and iced tea. I don’t usually accept anything because the food I bring is for THEM. Not me! But they wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer even when I insisted. And after tasting the meal, I’m so glad they didn’t! We enjoyed the meal, the camaraderie, the information exchanged and some plans sketched out for the future. I was also able to relate the news that I would only be coming back to the Center for another 5 weeks. Then…. Parole! No more legislative obligation to be at the Center. As of March 26, 2022 that part of my journey will technically be over. Actually, though I am happy to finally be reaching this point in my transition back to Society, it is a happiness tinged with a measure of sadness. I’ve known some of these men for almost a year and we have shared more than just the space between these walls during that time. I will regret not seeing them again and even supplying them with food. I pray that the people of influence or the people who care will move to take my place and officially begin re supplying the men, women and children in these CCC’s across this state with the basic necessities of life while they are required to remain in them. How much of the overall budget for DOC (over 2 Billion dollars this last fiscal period…wow!) would go toward feeding, clothing and providing toiletries for these ReEntrants? Barely a fraction. They need to do something. These are the same people that PARC and so many other organizations, agencies, Govmnt. Reps and ReEntry mandated folk are professing to care for and care about. Well…this is another example of that just not happening. I care and I know that you do too. We need others to care as much if we are to add to the speed, thrust and impact of Restorative Justice in this country. People don’t necessarily simple want a ‘hand out’. They need a ‘hand up’. We need to help in any way that we can. Starting today. Start by being a blessing. Welcome to this Grand Rising.

Awake…smile…and give Thanks and Praise to God for this golden opportunity. Another day. Another day to ‘get it right!’ Good morning beloved people. I am up. Showered. Made coffee and also made breakfast for big Fred. Who, by the way, is hanging in there like the champ he is. There is, of course, debilitation but Fred is still trying his best to be Fred and do the things that made him loved and cherished by all of us blessed to know him. I left him at home this morning while I came to work to get a few tasks completed before heading out to Johnstown to the 1/2 way house for my weekly stay. I’m planning on taking Fred with me there ‘cause they appreciate the big boy’s presence there as much as, or maybe even more than they do mine. Ha ha! Even though I’m loaded up again with groceries of all manner and sort for these hungry guys they
still welcome Fred first when we walk in there. Oh, that’s alright. I’ve long ago gotten used to that. It happens EVERYWHERE we go! Fred is the celebrity in this duo. And he deserves to be. Remember, Fred was a ‘Rescued dog’. If you ever have the chance to get a dog ( or any animal in fact), get a rescued one. They need the love and care more than most and…will give that and more in return. Plus…you are literally saving their life! Without your adoption they’d eventually be ‘put down’. You will be performing an act of love and being a ‘Blessing’. Isn’t that what our whole journey is about? Isn’t that what we talk about and share most every day? Yes! Fred and I go to Johnstown for a day or so. We come bringing food, information, aspiration, direction, news and reconnection to these men. We also come bringing love. Be a blessing yourself this day. In one way or another bring Love. Welcome to this Grand Rising.

So we meet again. Isn’t that wonderful? We begin a new day together and thank God for this opportunity. February is moving along and though I surely felt the frigid temps this morning, Spring is daring to show his/her head in intermittent glimpses. Letting us know it is right around the corner. The Season is changing. Life moves on in such a wonderful way. We move along with it. I marvel still at the experience of this journey. Recognizing everyday and at multiple times that blessings abound. So many are a part of every day that I’ve been home. Here in State College. I am grateful for them all. As I am grateful for the blessings that you bring just by being you. By being a part of this journey. There are many things shaping and forming themselves that address issues of interest and concern to me: Restorative Justice; ReEntry; Criminal Justice Reform; Safe Streets; Community Development; Legislative Accountability; Gun Violence; Parole for Lifers; Combatting Systemic Racism and other issues. I know I can be of assistance and value in working with people who address some of these issues. I know that those of you with like minds and passions feel the same. I hope we can begin conversations that will lead us to better understandings of what we could be doing. We we should be doing to bring about the Beloved Community that many of us seek. For now I say: Welcome. Welcome to this Grand Rising. Let’s go make some miracles happen!

Good morning. Welcome to this new day. This Grand Rising. This day of promise and possibility. It is still dark outside. Cold and frigid. Wind chills are in effect so… be mindful if your weather or locations are similar to ours here in beautiful Centre Co. Pa.
It’s been a few days since I sent out my message. I apologize for that but you already know that there had to have been a good reason for that. I think you’ll agree that there was one. Many of my family, friends, loved ones and fellow travelers didn’t know that the process I used to message you was one that I contrived once I came home to this world of amazing technological wonder and marvel. I learned to text. I had always been a writer so this was an easy segue into text messaging and communicating with all of you. Only thing is that there were NOT all of you when these messages first started. No! There were only a few dear family members and special friends who shared my message. And I would write the message. Copy it. Then I would paste it to the person’s text space then send it off. Then I would move to the next person I wanted to send the text to and repeat that process. Take the copy, paste it, send it off, then move to the next person. I mean, that’s what I did and how I did it. It became a much bigger , more complex and time consuming deal when my list of people grew from 4 or 5 to 165 people! Imagine!!! That’s the process I’ve been going through for the past 10 months that I’ve been home. I knew no other way. I’m still learning. The good people where I work. At RJI ( Restorative Justice Initiative ) learned about this and immediately knew there was another way. A better way. And they’ve worked on helping me create this new system. This Blog that I’ve asked you to sign on to that will make our sharing so much easier land faster for me to do in the morning. For that I am so grateful and that is also the reason why my messages have been on hold for a couple of days. I pray you’ll continue to travel this road with me and we share in the beauty, joy, compassion, accomplishment and blessings we find along the way. Welcome Beloved Friend.

Good morning and Welcome to this Grand Rising. I think back to 10 months ago, when the world for me was so very different. I sit in awe of the transformation my life has undergone, and I smile as my heart sings the joy of simply being once more….alive. I thank God that he has allowed me to meet so many wonderful, interesting and caring people. He has given me the opportunity to speak about my life and in so doing become a part of something much greater than myself. He has placed joy in my heart by allowing our lives to touch. And we now travel a road that we pray will lead to Restorative Justice and a true sense of Community. Enjoy the fullness of this day! Be a blessing.

Good morning to you this Grand Rising. A new day in a new week. Ha ha! Is it not great to be alive? I awake today having slept thinking about you and all of those I seem to meet and interact with each day who are doing the things that need to be done to make our world a better place.  God Bless you one and all. Part of the joy of my life is talking to others wherever and whenever that may be  and telling them about YOU! Telling them that I am so so upbeat and positive about  life because people like you exist. There are those who tell me that my texts are always so joyous and happy that they are able to get a little boost in order to start or sometimes even finish their day. Well, I appreciate that. To have a positive impact on another’s life is how I want to live. It’s what I want my life to be about.  When I speak to others about you I tell them about How you go about doing what you do to support, care and nurture those in your daily life. Family, friends and loved ones. Yet, you still find time to care about, even reach in here and bring support and love to MY life and have dedicated your time, energy and experience to caring about the many many men women and children still locked behind bars or about to renter Society usually with little or no help or awareness of what obstacles they’ll have to face. A vital component of Restorative Justice is making these transitions less difficult for these Reentrants and for their communities. Whether you work or are personally involved with the Restorative Justice Community or are a part of the growing consciousness concerned with those who will renter society now or in the future. How special you are. How Blessed are we to have you!  I want you to know that your heart gifts do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Not by me…not by Life itself. Which is God. I pray that we all could act as well and make so much more peace and joy abound in this world. Until then, I am thankful for what joy I have. I am thankful for what you do.  Rise and continue on the straight path. Rise and continue to be a Blessing.