Letters to My Son

By Gary Bowen

This is the story of letters written to my son while he was incarcerated in county jail.

My story begins when my son Jonathan was a minor and living with his mother after his parents divorce. Jon took his mothers car and ran into a ladys porch.

The police were called and found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. Prior to this, Jon was hanging out with a group of young goths (Satanic group). This was a young group of kids dressed in black and worshiping the devil.

John went to court and was sentenced to probation for one year for his first offence in the First Offenders Program. When he completed the course, the conviction would be sponged from his record. Jon saw his probation officer monthly. John had drugs in his drug tests, and his attitude did not change. The probation officer gave him a second chance, and he was sentenced to another year of probation. Jons mother called me and asked me to take Jon and take him to his probation meetings. I did this, and Jon was still hanging out with the goths and still was not passing his drug tests. Probation sent Jon to court, and he was put in work release.

Work release placed Jon at Wendys. The first night of work, Jon returned from Wendys high; he was then placed in the main jail. This is when the letters between Jon and I began, and the story begins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514430040

Gary Bowen

Gary Bowen resides in the country 15 miles north of Harrisburg, PA, with his wife Eilene on three acres of land beside Susquehanna River. They attend Bible Fellowship church in Dauphin. Gary and his first wife Rose; raised four boys, and one daughter in their home by the river. Gary and Rose divorced, and Gary remarried his present wife Eilene. Having worked six years in the county prison, he knew what Jonathan faced while he was incarcerated. Gary wrote letters to Jonathan and tried to help him turn his life around. As a born again Christian, Gary felt burdened to show Jon how to restore the love of Christ in Jonathan’s heart, and wrote John letters weekly. The letters were to encourage Jon, while he was incarcerated, and show him how to make changes, and lead Jon closer to the Lord. The letters became the pages of the book. Many letters were written, and some of them aren’t contained in this book. Gary’s prayer is for other’s to know the love of the Lord and develop a personal relationship with him.

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Copyright © 2016 by Gary Bowen.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015919592

ISBN:   Hardcover     978-1-5144-3006-4

             Softcover       978-1-5144-3005-7

             eBook             978-1-5144-3004-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 12/28/2015

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter 1 November to December

Chapter 2 January

Chapter 3 February

Chapter 4 March

Chapter 5 April

Chapter 6 Jon’s Letters to Dad

Epilogue

Bowen Family Photos

DEDICATION

I want to thank Connie Swisher and Eilene Bowen, for typing the pages of the book. Should the information of the book, help to lead one person to Christ, it will not be written in vain. If not born again, it may lead those who are born again to rededicate themselves to serving the Lord, and having a closer relationship/ walk with the Lord.

In the hour glass of life the sands of time slowly trickle away. Unless you are born again, you will not go to heaven after your life on earth ends. Being a good person will not get you in heaven. Good works will not get you to heaven. Going to church will not get you to heaven. Only by professing with your mouth, before others, letting them know you have accepted the mercy of God, and believe he shed his blood on the cross for your sins, and rose again on the third day, will you spend eternity in heaven with Him.

By accepting Christ as your personal Savior, you need to join a Bible believing church, read the word of God, have devotions (studying God’s word), pray, and worship in the church with others (of like faith), being accountable to the church daily, until He calls you home to heaven. God gave you a choice, to live for him or to live for Satan. The free will choice is yours. Choose God, He is waiting for you, loves you, gave His life for you, and wants you to be one of His chosen lambs.

FOREWORD

This is the story of letters written to my son, while he was incarcerated in county jail.

My story begins when my son Jonathan was a minor, and living with his mother after his parent’s divorce. Jon took his mother’s car and ran into a ladies porch.

The police were called and found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. Prior to this Jon was hanging out with a group of young Goths’. (Satanic group) This was a young group of kids, dressed in black, and worshipping the devil.

John went to the court and was sentenced for probation for one year, for his first offence, in the First Offenders Program… When he completed the course the conviction would be sponged from his record. John saw his probation officer in a monthly basis. John had drugs in his drug tests and his attitude did not change. The probation officer gave him a second chance, and he was sentenced to another year of probation. Jon’s mother called me and asked me to take Jon and take him to his probation meetings. I did this and Jon was still hanging out with the Goth’s, and still was not passing his drug tests. Probations sent Jon to the court, and he was put in work release.

Work release placed Jon at Wendy’s. The first night of work, Jon returned from Wendy’s high; he was then placed in the main jail. This is when the letters between Jon and I began, and the story begins.

CHAPTER 1

November to December

November 2007

Jon, I am writing you a note, hoping you are well. I pray for you daily and your well-being. I am at work with Andy so I will write so he does not drive me crazy. He never stops talking. We have a new phone number. We have long distance, caller I.D, call waiting and eight other features. Our old number is no longer ours. We got a package from Comcast. We pay $33 for tv, cable with on demand and $33 for internet. We watched R.V. last night, a movie with Robin Williams for $3.99 ordering off the tv. It was a funny movie. Today I called, Rachel, she is fine and planning on going to Mike’s for Thanksgiving. Daniel is going to cook dinner for the clan. Your mother said she got a letter from you. Our address is Towpath Road, Dauphin, Pa 17018, you can write. If you call, but I am not home most nights, I hear it is $3 a minute for call from D.C.P, a letter would be better $0.39. Your P.O. Tina can’t tell me anything about your sentence, she says it’s up to the judges. Remember you reap what you sow. Be patient and pray to the Lord. Live one day at a time, every day is one less you will have to stay there. You can talk to God anytime, day or night. You gave your life to Jesus September 22, 1992 – never, never forget it! Ask for a Bible; if you have one, read Proverbs and Psalms. I will try to put some money in your account.

Love,

Dad

December,

Jon, I feel I must write the Gospel Truth. The Lord put it on my heart to minister to you. This is what he told me. You must believe and recommit your life to the Lord. Never forget January 20, 1992, the day you gave your life to Jesus. The world and the great deceiver has you confused. You must cast down evil thoughts that the Devil has put in your mind. You cannot tie up, beat up, or wrestle with the Devil, you can only defeat him in a spiritual mind war. Rebuke the Devil and he will flee from you. Speak it, get away from me in the name of the Lord and the blood of Christ, I rebuke Satan. Say this every time you have evil thoughts. The Devil only has power if you give him power, he was defeated 2,000 years ago, when Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross for your sins, so you could have eternal life. 1 Peter 5-8, 1 Peter 8 Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,seeking whom he may devour. Remember Lucifer was once an angel of God. God threw him out of heaven. Luke 10:18 and Satan has been lying and deceiving mankind ever sinner. Matthew 4:10 in Jesus own words. Get thee hence, Satan: for is written, thou shalt worship the Lord they God, and only him shall thy serve. 1 Corinthians 4:4 The God of this age (The Devil) has blinded the minds of unbelievers as they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and was at his weakest point, Satan tempted him. Matthew 4:18-Jesus told Satan to leave him alone. If Jesus can do this, so can you. You must rebuke Satan. Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 10:45, Philippians 4:6.7

Love,

Dad

Dear Jon,

Hope you are well. I pray daily for you and for a hedge of protection around you; your Guardian Angels.

Dan and I hunted the river bottom Monday and Tuesday. Dan missed two deer. One had a blood trail but not thick enough to track it. We were driving along tracks, Monday morning on Riverview by Shacks Farm at 6:30 am when a doe jumped out beside the car. I told Dan to shoot it because it was standing on the railroad tracks but by the time we got out of the car and loaded the gun, it went over into Paul’s posted woods by the pipeline. Dan helped me bring 12 buckets of coal to the porch and helped me replace shingles on the top roof. Rachel had trouble with her car and went back to school with a girl at her school. Rachel needs a new engine or another car. Dan is looking at cars at Stony Mountain cycles on Riverview Road, a 2009 Honda for $2,500.

Are you still in B day? Your mother went there Saturday to see you. Did you get a cell or hear anything about getting out of D.C.P? I have not been able to find out anything. You can always write me at Towpath Road, Dauphin, Pa 17018. I thought Comcast would accept collect calls but they will not because I know you tried to call me but the call would not go through. God has a plan for your life, if you will open your heart to him. Isaiah 55:6, Psalm 5, Psalm 27, Proverbs 3:5,6. God loves you and so do I.

Love,

Dad

Dear Jon,

I’m glad you made it to H block where conditions are better. Remember if you screw up, you still and, will go back to the rear of the jail. Let me know of any hearings, and if you talk to P.O., or anyone else. I called your mother and left her a massage, that you went to H block and she can call DCP and find out visiting times. I hope you got my last letter and never underestimate the power of Satan to deceive you and try to control your life. It tells you in (II Corinthians, 11-14) that the devil can transform himself into an angle of light. He is angelic personality with a slick, clever lying, deceiving badass soul. He is the master counterfeiter. He will tempt you, lie to you, deceive you, appear as an angel of light enticing you, join him in Hell