Choose Wisely What You Have Pride In!

I am thirty-one years old, married with five children. Sadly I've been doing time since I was seventeen years old.

I did everything the "convict way". I took pride in that and I was going to the hold all the time to save face and to be selfish. I've got ten years here on the Hill so far and the sad thing is that I could have been out in two and a half if I wasn't so prideful. I have kid's pictures up on my board and I get into a fight a month before my parole? What sense did that make? Is pride more important than my wife and kids? For thirteen years the answer for me was yes. It sucks for me to even have to admit that but it's the truth.

That all changed for me in April of 2013. I was doing ninety days in the SHU for supposedly smuggling drugs into the prison during visits. While doing my SHU time I got bored and started reading the Bible. After reading for a few days I asked Jesus to come into my life and save me from my sins. It has been a 180 degree change in my life since then.

I still struggle with pride and judging other people by their crimes like sex offenses and whether they are known rat and how they do their time because I am still a convict. But on the other hand I've realized what is really more important to me is growing up and holding myself responsible for my choices and putting my family and religion before my pride.

People in here think it's a badge of honor to have done a bunch of time filled with pride and reputation. But what I've learned in the past fourteen years is we are being self-centered, prideful losers who have proven to ourselves and our families that our pride is more important than our family.

I just wish that fourteen years ago someone would have told me how to be a  real man who put the interest of my family and my wife and kids before my own. I'm just glad that through my faith in Jesus Christ I am able to change and become a real man who thinks about others and puts his wife and his kids first. Now I can take pride in the fact that my word means something to me and my family and that I'm putting somebody else before myself.

I have faith that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I hope that by reading my testimony it might help somebody  before they waste years of their lives ruled by pride and anger. God blessed me in changing my heart and mind....He can change yours too.

Written By: Josh Sullenger