Testimonies

Are You Making a
Difference?
by TFC Scott Smith
GA. State Patrol

Why are you in Law
Enforcement? My guess
would be because you want to
make a difference in this world
in which we live, help those
that can’t help themselves.
When I enlisted in this
profession some nineteen
years ago I had those same
aspirations and am proud to
say that I still have that desire.
But can we really make a
difference? Can we actually
impact our community, friends
and family? We can if we
know how! God says that
with Him NOTHING is
impossible, but without Him
nothing is possible. So we can
make a difference!

When I started my career I
claimed to be a Christian, at
least on Sunday mornings. But
I did not live it in my job, with
my spouse and surely not
while with friends. If there is
one thing we all as Law
enforcement know, it's our
integrity that we stand on.
Without that we will go
nowhere. But as a man of God
your integrity will be one of
the lasting effects you will
leave behind. If we could see
into the future, what would
your legacy be? How will you
be remembered? Did you make
a difference in your
community, your friends, and
your family?

After seeing people die and
suffer in every situation
possible, I have often asked
myself why do Police Officers
not believe that they to will
face that situation. I was one
of those who believed that I
was protected by my badge,
my buddies. I thought my
department had my back.
When all the time there was
only one that was looking over
me, keeping me from danger
and sending me home night
after night. But why did God
so choose to protect me when
I was living for myself and not
for Him, Because He loves
YOU just as he loved me, and
there is a plan for me. I don't
know that plan but as my daily
walk with God continues, He
shows me what His plan is for
me. So make a difference, first
in your life then in the lives of
those around you.

From the Perspective of Others

Safe To Fight Another Day
by Inv. Chris Harrell
Bibb Co. Sheriff's Office Macon GA.

I am currently a 12 year
veteran with the Bibb County
Sheriff’s Office located in
Macon Georgia. Throughout
my short career, I have
encountered many situations
the Lord has guided me
through. One that I cannot
forget, occurred on August 9,
2009. I left my wife and 4
month old daughter safe at
home, to work the midnight
shift on patrol. It was on this
night the Lord put his hand of
protection around me in order
that I could see my family
again. While attempting to stop
a fleeing criminal, I was shot
in the head at point blank range
and almost killed. The Lord
protected me because I am
one of his children. He also
gave me the strength to stop
the felon I encountered.
Throughout that night and the
weeks to follow, I had a
peace, and comfort that could
only come from my Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. I am
proud that he laid his hand of
protection upon me, but I
knew if it was my time to die,
my eternity would be spent in
Heaven because of the price
Jesus paid on the cross at
Calvary. I am a Christian and
proud to serve my community,
and greater than that my Lord.

Simple Message Ministries
PO BOX 10222 WARNER ROBINS, GA. 31095
PHONE 478-256-2497
EMAIL info@reachingcops.com

Taming a Tornado
by Mike Sipps
Houston Co. Sheriff's Office Warner
Robins, Georgia

Brian has asked me to give you
my story about my walk with
Jesus Christ. Truthfully, this
makes me somewhat
uncomfortable, because it
makes me go back to a time
when I was lost and did not
know it. I am also somewhat
embarrassed by the fact that I
knew Brian and that he
witnessed to me, but I made
fun of him and GOD, both to
his face and behind his back.
By the way, sorry Brian.

I was an 8 year veteran of the
same Sheriff's office in
Georgia with Brian, serving on
the traffic unit which worked
mainly on I-75, and was also a
member of the SRT team. I
was full of myself, and had the
work hard/play hard attitude.
I was convinced that on any
high risk call I would survive,
because I had succeeded on
dangerous calls before and
believed I had the tactics and
skills that would allow me to
control any problem.   While I
was being America's next
great lawman, I was also very
interested in the females in my
surrounding world. I think
you know the ones, they range
from nurses to waitresses, to
just random meetings in daily
life. It was all consentual and
legal (I had some morals and
boundaries), so who was I
hurting? It turns out just
about everyone! I will leave it
at this...I was an emotional
tornado who damaged the
people in my path.   It
appeared like I was happy, in
control, and having a good
time, but in my heart I was
miserable and lost.

I had several more Christians
cross my path who witnessed
to me, but I pushed them
away and remember telling
them not to waste their time or
breath. I got married again
with a wife who was
expecting my child, and later
decided to leave law
enforcement to go back into
the military full time. Better
pay and bennies, I know you
can relate to that. Then came
more encounters with
Christians, and at some point I
knew there was something
missing from my life, so I
went searching.   I went to a
local church and heard the
preacher give his sermon out
of the book of Matthew, but it
made absolutely no sense to
me at all. Blah, blah,
blah...Huh, what in the world
did that mean? Then he asked
the audience a question. "If
you were to die today do you
know if you would go to
heaven?" Shucks, I don't
know! I am in hurting status.
(Cleaned up Christian version,
not what went through my
head)

Fast forward; currently I am
full-time in the Air National
Guard and part-time with the
Sheriff's Office, so to make a
long story somewhat shorter...
I eventually found out there is
a GOD who loves me, Who
sent his Son to pay for all the
stuff I had done over the
years, and HE is in control. I
cannot properly express how
much I appreciate what GOD
has done for me, and the
positive changes he gives me
the strength to make. I am
currently a faithful husband
for over 12 years with 5
children. Yes life still has it's
ups and downs, but GOD
gives me wisdom through his
power that I my walk in love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness
and self-control. Life is not
perfect as a Christian, neither
are Christians perfect, but our
Savior JESUS CHRIST is.
Key word here is our, He loves
you too. He loves you and is
waiting for you to respond.

Reaching America's Law Enforcement for Christ

The Road Home
by Cpl. Ashley Moore
Hall County Sheriff's Office
Gainesville, Georgia

On my way home from work
one night, I stopped to get gas
and saw a homeless man.
Being in Law Enforcement I
see people just like this man on
a regular basis. However, for
some reason this man made an
impact on my heart. As I left
the gas station and headed to
my warm cozy house I
thought to myself how lucky I
am to have the things we so
often take for granted, and
then it hit me how this man's
situation is like mine, and so
many others relationship with
God.

The man was maybe in his
mid–forties, and stated that he
had hitchhiked from Illinois
and was trying to get back to
Alabama, but accidently
wound up in Gainesville GA.
The man asked me for some
food even though he feared I
would arrest him. I told him
that I would get him whatever
he wanted from inside the gas
station. He met me back at the
counter with two cans of
sardines and a NOS energy
drink. I asked him if he
wanted something more but he
refused. Later, outside the gas
station I talked to the man
about finding a shelter to stay
in but he shamefully admitted
he had been drinking, and the
shelters would not take him. I
mentioned a place he could go
that had tents and fires; at least
he would be warm. He
refused, saying that he did not
trust those people and would
not go where he could not
trust anyone. He just wanted
to get back to Alabama to see
his family.

So often, we like this man,
stray so far from home (God),
and the possibility of getting
back seems almost impossible.
Often times it takes us hitting
rock bottom before we ever
turn to the Lord for help.
When this happens we
sometimes just do the bare
minimum, enough to get us
through that day, and then we
are back to where we started.
We tend to ignore the people
around us, who are praying
for us, and trying to help us,
and a lot of times it’s because
of our pride or shame. It is so
easy to stray from a close
relationship with God and yet
so hard to get that close
relationship back. All we want
is to be back with our family
(God, and our brothers and
sisters in Christ), but we want
to do it our own way instead
of God’s way, even though
we know it will not get us
where we need to be.

I am unsure why this one man
affected me so much more
than the many others I have
came across in the time I have
worked at the Sheriff’s Office.
I know that there has been
many times when I have
strayed from that close
relationship, and have
struggled to find my way
back. I have tried to do things
my way, and felt I had to do it
on my own, but it wasn’t until
I turned everything over to the
Lord that I was able to get
back “home to my family.”
Let’s pray for the people less
fortunate than ourselves, and
for our brothers and sisters in
Christ who are struggling in
their relationship with God. I
also want to thank God for
showing me that no matter
what happens in this world the
Lord will still speak to us
(often in some of the most
unexpected ways), and there is
nothing anyone can do to stop
that as long as we are willing
to listen.