All Things are Possible with God

Praise Jesus. The Lord has done wonders in my life. I've been clean and sober 20 years last month. Not nothing I did, it was the Lord that kept me clean and sober. Not anything that I did. I too have a TDC number of 108-1296. I too was in white at one time. Man wanted to give me 99 years and the Lord seen different. He gave me 10 instead. And I served 5 years, 3 months and 19 days. And I counted every minute of it, believe me. I know I've seen a lot of people come back on me while I was in prison. I'm sure y'all have too. Might as well have a swinging door, you know. But I always said that I wasn't ever going to go back. Well, I do. I do go back. I go back to prison to minister to you guys. I never dreamed that that's what God had for me. But that's my calling. And I look back on my life now and I remember my grandfather, that was a pastor, tell me that I had a calling on my life. Well, at that time I didn't know the Lord. So I thought, what kind of calling has he got for me? What's he calling me for, you know? But today, I know what he's calling me for. And that's prison ministry. I go into the jail here in Lubbock, Texas. I minister to the ladies there, which is an awesome experience. I thank the Lord every day that man did not give me the 99 years. He gave me 10 years. I did some on parole. I've been out 12 years. I've been off paper nine years. So it's awesome, you know. And people say it's not a choice. Yes, it's a choice. You have a choice, right or wrong, you know. And we all know right and wrong. It doesn't matter how we were raised or how we wasn't raised or if we had a father or didn't have a father. We have that choice because God gives us a free will. And, you know, I always kind of held on to that scripture, Jeremiah 29, 11. You know, I never knew the plans that God had for me until I became a Christian. But now I know what he's got for me, you know. I know it's to carry the word to people that have not heard it. Upon release, I went to an aftercare facility, which is called Calvary Commission. It's located in Lindale, Texas. They take male and female ex-offenders. All I know is that's where the Lord wanted me to be. I tried to change that address several times and he wouldn't let me. So I knew that was where I was supposed to be. So I was there six years. And meanwhile I was there, I received my bachelor's in theology. I have associates in mission biblical studies through that, through international Bible study. From there, I have gone on to be, I went to LCU here in Lubbock. I have a social work degree. I have a bachelor's in social work. And I also, I work for the state. I've been with the state seven years.

So don't let anybody tell you that you can't get that job with the state, because God changes hearts. God changes people's, how they look at you. Especially when we're Christians, they can see that. They can see that God is working in your life, you know. I used to couldn't see it, you know, but now I see it. I see it a lot, you know, especially with my coworkers and the staff that I work with. I work with a lot of nurses. I work with a couple of doctors, nurse practitioners, and hopefully to go on to be a social worker there one day, maybe, you know. Right now, nothing's open where they can hire you, hire me. And, but anyway, I know God has got that perfect job for me and I'm just waiting on the Lord to give me that perfect job. Well, I was locked up. My grandson was with my father and he had got into a little squabble at school at the age of 15, 14. And so my dad couldn't handle him anymore. So CPS got a hold of him. So when I was released. I went to see him a couple of times. He was in a group home down in Central Texas. Let me say this. The reason I had my grandson was because my daughter had passed away from an asthma attack in 1995. So when I went away to prison, my dad took him. So just to make a long story short, he was at that place and he was there four and a half years because I was gone five. So upon my release, the Lord said, you need to try to get your grandson back. So I did. I went to CPS. I did all that there was to do. I did whatever it is they needed me to do so I could get him back. So I did. And that day, the judge said, I don't know what you've been doing, but I want you to keep doing what you're doing and can you go get your grandson in Austin? I said, yes, sir, I sure can. I'll be there today. So I went and picked him up. I got just weekend visits, which was awesome. I would have to take him back on Sunday. You know, I pick him up on Friday, take him back on Sunday. So we did that about three months. And so the judge called me and he said, we're going to go ahead and give him to you if you can furnish a two-bedroom apartment for you and him. So I did at the ministry. The ministry gave me and him a place to live. So when I brought him there and put him in school and everything, he was doing good. He had A's and B's. And so he was on probation for that little trouble he got into. So it was, they broke into a barn, about six of them. So that was breaking and entering. You know, that should have stayed with him until he was 18. It was supposed to. So the probation officer called me one day. We had been praying in the office, just different prayers for

different people and different things. And so my phone rang and it was the probation officer, my grandson's. He was supposed to be, he was 15 at the time. He was supposed to be on probation until he was 18. Okay. Now that's breaking and entering. Y'all know that's kind of frowned on. So the probation officer said, Ms. Franklin, we're going to drop the charges on your grandson and we're going to wipe his slate clean. Now you can't tell me that that wasn't God. It was. I know it was. And he knows it was. To this day, he's 28 and he knows that was God. And he tells that story to the people he works with, you know. Because today he's got a clean record. He's got nothing on it. He can go to work anywhere, you know. And so, you know, that's just one little thing that God did for us, you know. God has brought all my family back to me, which, you know, in my addiction I was not a very nice person. I'm sure nobody is. My daddy even brought me back into his life before he passed. He's been gone three years now. But, you know, when I was in my addiction, he didn't even want me driving down the same street he lived on. But when I come home eight years ago, he even gave me a house key. You know, my dad has never gave me a house key. And I thought, pat myself on the back, you know. But, you know, he could see Jesus in me too, you know. And, you know, that's an awesome thing when they see Jesus in you, you know. And, of course, my dad was a Christian for many, many years, all my life, you know. And I remember one time, I'm going to tell you all something real funny. I was speaking in tongues in my bedroom. I hadn't had my grandson very long. And I shut the door and I tried not, I didn't think I was very loud, you know. And so I was talking to the Lord. And so here in a little bit, my phone rang and it was my daddy. My daddy said, Susan, are you talking that crazy stuff down there where Dustin can hear it? I said, Daddy, if you'll look in Acts. And then I took him to another scripture. And I said, and you'll read that. You'll see what I'm talking about. You know, from that day on, my dad never mentioned it again, ever, you know. So I got my dad thinking a little bit too, you know. You can't bring the Baptists around. So anyway, my grandson has got, he's got a new family. I have a new two-year-old great-grandson that I get to go pick up at 2.30 every day. I didn't get to go get him today, but I got him every day this week and I get to take him home and spoil him, spoil him a lot. And so you don't let nobody tell you that you can't, because I turned can't into can.

I'm just canning, that's what I'm doing, you know, and the Lord is good, he's good to me every day, he gave me this job, you know, and he'll give me another one, the one I'm qualified for, in his time, and I'm just, I'm waiting on that, you know, I'm waiting on what the Lord's going to give me, so y'all hang on to what Jesus has got for you because it's awesome. I'm just canning, that's what I'm doing, you know, and the Lord is good, he gave me this job, you know, and the Lord is good, he gave me another one, the one I'm qualified for, in his time, and I'm just, I'm waiting on what Jesus has got for me, so y'all hang on to what Jesus has got for you because it's awesome.