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Edward read Skies Are Not Cloudy All Day, which was given to him by a man (whom I have never met) from a prison ministry through Real Life Church in Post Falls, Idaho. Edward wrote me a letter expressing how this book touched his heart, revealing to him that all those strange occurrences which were happening in his life were not coincidences but God trying to get his attention. Edward is a Marine and has served several tours, one in Iraq and also in Afghanistan. When he returned home, the adjustment was difficult. He didn’t make the transition well and got into a little trouble by doing something stupid. Geez, I have been there! Have you?
There are always consequences to our choices, and Edward’s landed him in the Kootenai County Jail. And that is when we began to correspond with each other. After reading the book, Edward shared ” the Skies” book with another inmate and because of overcrowding; they both were transferred from the Kootenai County jail in Coeur d’Alene to minimum security prisons down south. I sent each of them several books that they were able to get into the libraries at each of the prisons. Steve, the other inmate, had a girlfriend in a women’s prison and asked me to send her some books. Then Edward got transferred again due to overcrowding. Again I sent him books to pass around in that prison. This has happened several times, and each time he got transferred; I sent him a handful of books for the prison.
All of this started because my buddy, Roger Collins, who worked with me at The Land Group, Inc, in Eagle, Idaho, introduced me to Pastor Mike Beudin from Ustick Baptist Church in Boise. Pastor Mike then suggested I speak to a mentor friend of his, Pete, who attended His Father’s Place Church in Post Falls which just so happened to have a connection to the Real Life Church Prison Ministry at the Kootenai County Jail. Coincidences? Ya, I don’t think so! I am telling you this book is a soul seeking missile!
Edward ended up getting transferred back to Idaho to a minimum security prison in Orofino. He was up for parole and asked me if I would write a letter on his behalf. I did, based off of our correspondence. A few weeks later I received a letter from Edward informing me that his parole had been denied. His letter reeked of disappointment. I sent him a letter of encouragement immediately telling him that he was sitting in one of the greatest mission fields of all time. God was in control, and honestly, this wasn’t as much about him as it was about what God was using him to do. I reminded him of all of the people he had touched at each facility and how God had used him to reach so many people for years to come getting the books into each of those facilities.
A few weeks later I received a much different letter from Edward. He was upbeat and full of energy. He told me how the latest book I sent him, A Dog’s Love, was having such a powerful impact on the prisoners. There was a waiting list to read the book. Edward shared something that made me weep. He said that he started taking the book to guys in solitary confinement and sitting outside of their cell, read the book to them. He expressed how it touched his heart to see those men break down with tears streaming down their faces when he read the books to them.
I am sure that this is not the end of the story. Edward wants to become a Pastor when he gets out of Prison. I told him that he already is one where he is now. I have seen how the Lord has transformed this man with so much love for his fellow man. It truly is impressive.
William H Cox is the author of Skies Are Not Cloudy All Day. The Lord prompted him to write and give this book away to people on the street, in prison and the homeless. In 2015 Bill threw out a fleece to the Lord. If the ranch sold in 30 days he would have 10,000 copies of the book printed and would deliver them to Rescue Missions and prisons across the country. He got an offer on the farm in 28 days. Bill quit his job and with the help of the Body of Christ, in six months had all 10,000 books in almost every Gospel Rescue Mission west of Colorado and many throughout the rest of the country. Denominational walls disintegrated as people read the book and took it upon themselves to help with the distribution. For more information on the 10,000 book giveaway, please go to the website below. Bill sells two other books he has written to offset the cost of distributing Skies Are Not Cloudy All Day. The other two books, A Dogs Love and The Last Cast are available at: www.rustyironranchllc.com. You can contact Bill at jumpcreek113@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 1582, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864