A few years ago this PRISON JOURNAL was NOTHING. It did not exist. It was a blank page in my notebook.

I had an idea in my head and a desire in my heart. My imagination caused the idea to grow and hope caused the desire to increase. But I could also see problems, problems, problems in the way.

HOW COULD I CARRY OUT
SUCH A WILD IDEA?

I needed help. My boss is a powerful CREATOR, so I asked Him for help. Some people call him God, but He’s still my boss. He had told me to ASK HIM if I ever needed help. So I asked. And He is helping me now to fulfill the dream that was in my heart.

DOUBT AND WORK

I can’t tell you all about the frustrations, confusions and doubts I had when I first started planning this journal...but I had plenty. I almost gave up on the idea 30 dozen times. But I made it this far. Now it’s going to take work, work, and more work to get it into your hands. It’s going to take time and patience. But with the help of my boss. WE ARE GOING TO DO IT.

WE ARE GOING TO CREATE

SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING!

Round and round and round he goes...where he stops...nobody knows. In and out of jails...in and out of prisons. Up on a high...down into a hole of depression. Up again and then down. Round and around and around. Locked in a hell of despair and nobody seems to care.

Life has a way of tearing some people down...breaking them apart...and reducing them to NOTHING!

Some are abused by parents, belittled by teachers, teased by uncaring kids...and dumped on by supposed friends.

No wonder we learn to hate. Nobody can keep taking that kind of stuff forever.

But, the more hate we have...the worse it gets. So where does this merry-go-round stop?

What about you?

Has someone ever told you, ‘YOU WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING!"

That’s bad. It’s the same as saying, "You might as well give up...quit trying...and go to hell!"

BUT DID YOU EVER THINK...

...they might be lying! We don’t have to believe everything that everybody says. They may be wrong. They don’t know everything, do they?

I think it’s time to prove them wrong. I think you can amount to something. I think you can BE SOMEBODY. I believe you can increase your value and worth in the world.

There is a way to break that chain reaction of failure, guilt, anger, hatred, blame, self-pity, depression and despair. But first a person has to change his way of thinking. If we keep thinking the same kind of thoughts, we’re going to keep producing the same kind of results.

New thoughts can create new attitudes and changed behavior...and what we do with our lives is what really makes the difference.

If your old thoughts could have helped you they would have already helped you by now. But they didn’t. So if you want to see your circumstances change and your future get better, you have to allow yourself to change the way you’ve been thinking.

No one else can think for you. But, we can offer some "seed" thoughts for the garden of your mind. If you will accept these thoughts and hang onto them they will produce a harvest of new thoughts of your own. And your new way of thinking can alter the direction and destiny of your life.

Even if you really believe that you are a NOTHING, a NOBODY, a FAILURE, a FLOP and a worthless ZERO in life...that’s O.K.! And I’ll tell you why I say that.

ZERO seems to be a negative number. You might even say "there is nothing to it".

But, there is a scientific formula which turns negatives into positives.

The film in your camera is a negative. But the photo lab knows how to turn it into a picture - a positive. The right chemicals and the right process will do it every time.

EQUALS EVERYTHING

Do you realize that NOTHING is what God started with when He made EVERYTHING?

And even if you are a NOTHING AND A NOBODY..if you will add God to your life you can become something of great value.

I KNOW! I KNOW! That three-letter word, ("G.O.D.") throws up a mental block in some people’s minds. But, I didn’t say anything about "RELIGION" did I?

God is not religious. He is just God. And that’s where a change of thinking needs to begin.

The FIRST FIVE WORDS OF THE BIBLE say:

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED...

The Bible didn’t say THE CATHOLICS CREATED...or THE BAPTISTS CREATED. It says, ‘GOD CREATED’. Was He a Methodist God? There were no Methodists there. Was He a Jewish God? The Jews weren’t even born yet.

WHEN GOD STARTED OUT - HE STARTED OUT BY HIMSELF!

He didn’t need the Pope’s help. He didn’t call for Billy Graham or Oral Roberts. he didn’t ask the scientists to evaluate the possibilities of creating matter out of nothing. He didn’t call some "bookie" to see whether the odds were for or against him. He wasn’t gambling on himself. He had a sure thing! He didn’t even think about writing to "Dear Abby" or "Ann Landers" for advice. and He didn’t need a grant from the Government to do what He wanted to do.

AND IF GOD CREATED EVERYTHING OUT OF NOTHING...just think what He can do with you.

Out of NOTHING, He created a universe which seems to have no end. He did it all by Himself and He hasn’t run out of creative power. He hasn’t had a stroke.

GOD HASN’T BEEN CRIPPLED BY POLIO! He can still do great and beautiful things. But, He’s not going to do it while you are running from Him.

What He’s looking for are people who will TRUST HIM and be willing to put themselves back into His hands. He can add value and purpose and meaning to your life.

RELIGION TELLS YOU TO CHANGE YOURSELF

But, you know what you can’t do. And we know what you can’t do. You can’t save yourself. It’s not YOU we are putting our trust in...IT’S GOD!

We have already seen what He can do in our own lives. And we are anxious to see His CREATIVE POWER in action again...in your life.

We know that HIS POWER can and will become active in you - if you can simply ACCEPT HIS EXISTENCE AS FACT and then believe in His willingness to invest a part of Himself in you and your future.

These words are creating faith in you. If you will release that faith toward Him...He will impart a measure of His power into you. He doesn’t do it all at once, but rather LITTLE BY LITTLE. Take what little you can right now.

His Spirit is there with you right now...letting you know that these words are TRUE! His Spirit is encouraging you to believe and trust.

He knows your mind has been programmed to doubt, resist and disbelieve. That’s why He’s not asking for an all-out surrender right now. He just wants you to hang onto these words...for they are like precious seeds which will grow into a strong and powerful confidence in Him and in His love and in His greatness.

We’re not asking you to accept a religious God into your life. When you talk to Him, tell Him you are wanting to know the ORIGINAL and ONLY creator of the universe.

Remember!

EQUALS EVERYTHING!

Accept His challenge. Expect a MIRACLE OF CREATION to begin in you right now.

He can

for you!

I’M an "O"-Riginal

The "O" means I’m nothing. And without God that’s really what I am.

But, with God in my life, I am becoming a unique creation of the Almighty. I’m different. I’m special. And now my life has meaning, value and purpose added to it.

I’m finding out that an extra "ZERO" added to $10.00 can make it $100.00 if it’s in the right place. I was out of place for so much of my life that it feels good to finally find the place where I belong!

You will never be happy if you don’t find the plan and purpose that God has intended for your life. God can CREATE a place for you...a place of importance and satisfaction. He may have to chisel, bend and shape you a little bit in order to get you to "fit" in place...but, if you’ll let Him do that...He will. In fact, He’s getting pretty good at that. He’s had thousands of other people to work on before you ever came along. What makes you think you’re more impossible than they were? Ha! God is God! Give Him credit for having a ‘little bit of smarts’ plus a whole lot of power.

Man, if you only knew where I’ve been and what God has done with me, you would line up to let God work on you too. And I mean it! I’ll tell you more about that later.

Sincerely yours,

David D. Dodge

On this day, I,

A Nobody and a Nothing, gave my heart and life to

JESUS CHRIST.

My prayer is: "Lord, CREATE in me a CLEAN HEART, and renew within me a right spirit.

I believe I am being BORN AGAIN...BEING MADE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST JESUS!

I believe God is going to Make SOMETHING out of me...something good... something worthwhile!

I believe I have a future worth looking forward to.

Praise God!

Amen.