March 5th, 2025
Springfield, VA
Today, Wednesday feels like a Friday because this is the first full week since early November. The election, Thanksgiving, Christmas season, then Inauguration Day, and the crash of PAT25 have made every week lack a consistent Monday thru Friday structure.
There are decades where weeks happen and weeks where decades happen. I feel that the latter best describes the new year.
My work to learn, grow, and progress continues. I began this week serving at Summit Church by setting up and staging the Church for three services. Monday I attended weekly counseling with my wife, Lizzie, under the counsel of Chaplain Jungu Lee at Ft. Belvoir, VA.
Yesterday (Tuesday) I consulted with an older gentleman, named Joseph, who has been through this process and he gave advice on documentation of progress, education via certifications, and also journaling via Prison Professors Talent.
After work at Davison Army Airfield, I went for a walk with Lizzie and we discussed the struggle of being in what we call “purgatory” – not knowing future timelines.
I have different courses of action involving where to live, work, Lizzie, my parents, etc. depending on the length and severity of my sentence.
The one overarching theme is that I know the government (i.e. prosecution) is incentivized to pursue maximum charges and punishment while the defense counsel is incentivized to pursue the opposite.
One of the most important days of my life thus far will be the Presentence Report interview and the sentencing hearing where neutral parties make an assessment of the justice to service deterrence, rehabilitation, and punishment.
“I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot control, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
My focus is on staying healthy while I volunteer at the low-income tax clinic (VITA), serve at Summit Church, progress through the Freedom Group training, continue weekly counseling with Chaplain, and write my personal statement of remorse and accountability.
