My brother, Eric, recently sent me his testimony...

God has been doing great things in my life and giving me multiple blessings. All these blessings were coming so fast in my life that it was becoming like a whirlwind, but I got used to the whirlwind and was expecting the whirlwind and when it didn't come like before & I began to get depressed and stuck in the world. But then I got the new Christian Ranchman Newspaper in the mail. I began to read it and lo and behold as I am reading the testimonies and other stories I see that my Testimony is in the paper!! This is the second time that it has been plublished in the paper, PRAISE GOD!! This is what I needed because I had been giving my testimony to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ here at CCA Leavenworth, but I had stopped giving it and I had been putting it off sending an update to my other fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters at Cowboys For Christ and seeing my testimony in print again was all that I needed to know what God wants me to do.

God told me a few months ago that "Go and tell people your testimony" then HE added "If you're not telling people your testimony then you are not giving God the glory for the blessings that HE is giving you in your life."

First of all my testimony is under E.B., KS. My name is Eric Burke and I am currently being detained at CCA Leavenworth KS, and my testimony before was (briefly) that I found God when I was incarcerated before but when I left prison I left God there too. Even though I was not committing new crimes and was not breaking the law, I was not living for God, I was not Praising God, I was [not] Thanking God, God was not in my life. I gave God no credit for anything in my life only myself. But then God allowed me to be brought here and HE allowed everthing to be taken from me in a very short amount of time for a very good reason, Praise God.

This is what God has done since giving my testimony to Cowboys for Christ; After receiving the Ranchman Newspaper the first time with my testimony in it I had my sister make copies of it and she passed around at her church and I passed it around here to all of our church groups. I attend almost every church service and study here and one of my favorites is the In HIS Service Ministries "Dads Support Group". This group helps us fathers become better Dads and Dads become Better Dads.

"Anybody can be a Father, but it takes more to be a Dad, there is a relationship as a Dad that is not there as a Father".

One of the biggest things that I haved learned from the Dads Support Group is that "we as Dads are responsible in Gods eyes as being the Spiritual Head of the home". We are responsible for our kids and our families knowing who God is. I think that one of the biggest lessons is that you don't have to be right there in the home its self to teach your kids and family who God is, it can be done in any and every circumstance through the power of God.

In November 2007 I had been praying for a better relationship with my father, this even included something as simple and basic as just talking with him on the phone. Basically when we did talk on the phone it hardly ever turned good. One of us usually got mad at the other etc... Give[n] the cirucumstances of my detention, everthing was hindered and was always stressed and strained. Frustration would lead to one of us hanging up on the other, etc...

I would talk with my sister about this and ask her to pray and have hur church pray and I would go and talk with my Dads Support Group and other Christian Brothers about what to do and we would pray. Funny thing about prayer God always answers, YES / NO / WAIT. Anyway my sister finally told me that she didn't know what to say or do anymore and told me that she was going to start praying for God to take my desire for a relationship with my father away. She stated that it sounds harsh but that is was God has laid on her heart to do. At first I did not like it but I did understand it. She said that this way God could work on our Dad and also me too.

Now while this is going on, sometime around November 1, 2007. I had been continually discussing this with the Dads Support Group etc...and they were understanding as well and In HIS Service Ministries was about to do a special dedication service on November 12, 2007. This was a service to dedicate our kids to God. I chose to dedicate my kids to God as everyone else did, and we had a service and each of us received a certificate for each of our kids.

I have to tell you a little bit of info on my kids. I have 3 kids, two boys and a girl. My oldest son is 18, daughter 16, youngest son 2.

On November 24, 2007 I was to have my first visit in 18 months, I had already sent her the dedication certificates in the mail, so she knew about me dedicating all three kids to God. Well when she [my sister, Melisse] got there and I sat down to talk to her and my niece, she asked me "guess who called me the other day?" I couldn't figure out who and just guessed "my ex-wife" and she said no and looked at her daughter, my niece and they both had tears in their eyes, I said ok who? And she said Jeffery (my son). This is significant because I haven't seen or heard from my son in 15 years, none of [us] has. We all cried right then and I immediately told her through tears. This was a complete and total shock to me I did not expect for it to have been my son!! Through reasons beyond our control, I and my family have not had any contact with him.

I told her through tears that this is from God, only HE could have done this! I told her to remember the dedication that I had just sent her in the mail and she remembered it. I said see its from God, its from God!!!! We talked about everthing that they had talked about on the phone and my sister said that just in talking with him that "the apple doesn't fall to[o] far from the tree". She said this because in just talking with him she could tell that he is just like me in alot of ways.

On November 22, 2007 my son had called my Dad, his grandfather looking for me. They spent several hours on the phone talking with each other. Praise God!!! Any my Dad even said that you could really tell that he is my son!!!

On the 24th after my visit, I returned to my pod and proceeded to tell everyone about Gods Blessing!!! As well as when I returned to the Dads Support Group!!! What a testimony!! To be able to give that!!

It would not be until the 27th that I finally got to talk with my son on the phone for the first time ever!!! Praise God. We talked for the full 30min that we are allowed to talk. And I found out what my sister and Dad had talked about when they said that they could tell that he was my son.

"I felt then that God was speaking to me in that you can tell who is who's father who is who's son by the way they talk and act" We are told in scripture that we are to be Christ Like. So we all will be able to give a witnessing testimony just by walking in Christ and speaking like Christ and people know who our father (Dad) is!!!

Also during the phone call on the 27th we both discovered that we have a mutual love of horses. Praise God!!! Even though we haven't been around each other for 15 yrs God makes us the same in alot of way!! He has an Arabian and I have Quarter Horses, which I joke with him that we will get him a real horse!!! Ha! Ha!

I experienced a little bit of the JOY that God has that day on the phone with my son, in just talking with him was joy but not the joy that I am talking about. What I am talking about came at the end of our phone call when I told him that I never forgot wbout him and always thought about him and tried [to] get [in] contact with him but was prevented from doing so. I also told him about a brick that I had bought for him and his sister. This he didn't quite understand at first but I explained it to him that I bought some bricks that were having names written in them and placed at the foot and footpath of a staure in a park. [Herman Laird Park] Now this I had done several years ago and these bricks had been there for quite some time. At the time I had no idea what that would or could mean in the future. But the things that we do now will have great impact in the future in ways that we can't imagine. Back to the joy that I was talking about at the end of our first phone call I told him that I have never forgotten you and that I have thought about you every day and that I have always LOVED YOU!! When I said that to my son for the first time I was crying and my son told me that he LOVED ME TOO!! !!!! That is the JOY that I am talking about!!!! When a son or a daughter tells you that they love you!!! I now know the JOY that our FATHER in heaven feels when we call upon him and tell HIM that we LOVE HIM!!!! Thank you god for that JOY!!!

Now his sister has always known about him, but he never kenw about his sister or new brother either but during this phone call I gave him his sisters phone #'s and other people that he would want to talk with soon etc. I could tell that he was very excited about having a sister and a brother, he promised me that he would give her a call. Now the way the phones are I couldn't call his sister to let her know that he was going to call her but I thought that it would be a good surprise for her to get a phone call from her brother.

Well she was screening her calls that day and this is what she heard "Um this is Jeffery, I am your brother, I know that you don't know me but I would like for you to give ma a call" Then he left his #. My Daughter said that she just sat there shaking and had tears and when she finally calmed down she gave him a call. Praise God!!!!!! They act like they have never been apart!

"Priceless Gifts are truly from God!!!!"

Barely into December 2007, I finally got to meet my son!!! My sister and my niece and my daughter and brother-in-law all came up here on a visit!! Praise God for his glorious gifts!!!!!! I had tears that day let me tell ya!!! My Daughter and Son both sitting right there in front of me!!! Together for the frist time ever!!! We all will get to experience that for oursleves one day with God when we are all together with HIM for the First time!!!

Now that very afternoon when they all left here they went to see our Dad their Grandpa and my son asked about the brick and my Dad took them all up to the park and they all looked for their bricks. They all had to move the snow off the bricks in order to read the names. All the while pictures are being taken and the look on my sons face was one of deep thought! You could see the turmoil and conflict in his face but the JOY that I saw in the pictures is the fact that he now had proof written in stone!!!

"I am reminded of a couple of things from the Bible on this and I am sure that there are many scriptures that go along with this, but what I am reminded of is when God gives us physical evidence of HIS Love for us and proof that we are not forgotten by GOD!!!" I also saw the wonder in my sons eyes in the picture that told me that "my dad never forgot me"!! I just wonder when we see our names in the BOOK of LIFE if we will have the same look of wonder and JOY?!!

My son must have stood at the brick with his name on it for 20 minutes or so just staring at his brick. I don't know if he had tears or not over his brick and all that it means to him but I did from just looking at the pictures!

"Our actions & thoughts and behaviors that we have today will be used by GOD in the future in some way for HIS GLORY!! We know not how, but thank GOD that HE is using us!!"

Here I am at my weakest that I have ever been in my life, I have lost all that I thought was important, all the worldly things etc...and am now divorced an am alone in that aspect but GOD is an awesome GOD and has given me all that is truly important in life!!! 1st and most important, a relationship with HIM!!! Second a relationship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!!! Third a relatiiship with my SON and a relationship with my own father here on earth!!!

You might think that is all, but its not, praise GOD! My son got to spend Christmas with his family for the very first time ever!!! The whole family was together like never before for Christmas and they did a birthday cake for Jesus but it didn't have HIS name on the cake and my son said "there is always room for Jesus!" and he wrote with a toothpick the name of our Lord on the cake!!!

Now I had no idea what to get my son and daughter for Christmas this year, but GOD had laid it on my heart that we, parents are responsible for our kids spiritual well being and whether or not they have the opportunity to know GOD, JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT. So I had my sister order the same Bible that I have (Cowboys for Christ Bible) and the Cowboys for Christ Belt Buckle. My Daughter I got a Devotional Bible and that is meant for teen girls. I would have gotten her a Cowboys for Christ Bible too but I wanted them to each have a special Bible to themselves. I wish that there was a Cowgirls Bible cause I would hve gotten that one for her. Now I had written a letter to my son to open on Christmas along with his presents so he already knew the story of the Cowboys for Christ Bible. You see my Uncle had gotten me and another fellow Christian brother a Cowboys for Christ Bible in early 2007 and which everybody that has read from it wants one. But you see my uncle is no longer with us, he is with our Lord now so this Bible really means alot to me and it has created a bond with my Christian brother, which is everyones Christian brother also. So I let my son know all this in the letter and my sister was about to tell everyone the story about the Bible and my son jumped in and stated "this is the same Bible that my DAD has!!" Wow!! When I heard that I had tears of JOY again!!!

"You know that we all have the same Bible that our Father has, Priase GOD!!" I am sure that GOD has the same feeling when we acknowledge the same to HIM!

I want to thank those people at Cowboys for Christ, for getting the Bible and buckle to my sister so fast in the mail, I know with all the mail that is sent at Christmas time that God had to have His hand on this gift from the beginning.

I remember a time when I was riding my horse in the Mark Twin National forest and I lost my way back to camp. I don't know if that has ever happened to anyone else before but it happened to me. I got frustrated but I stopped and remembered that "Sage" my horse hadn't forgotten where camp was or what direction that we needed to go in to get back to camp, so I have him the reign and asked him to take us home and he did!!

The same goes for us with our relationship with God. If we give God control over everything, give HIM the reigns, HE will lead us HOME safe and sound!!!

One last thing until my next update on my testimony. Not only did my sister get a picture of our dad reading my sons Bible that day but now he is asking about Cowboys for Christ as well!!!! Praise God!!!!!!

This all started with me praying for and wanting a better relationship with my father and God not only gave me that, but he did it through my son!!! God knows the best way to accomplsih what it is that we are asking for! Yes I wanted a better father son relationsip and I got it too. My way would have been just me and my dad. I much prefer Gods way, me, my dad, my son, my daughter, my sister!!!! Gods way has broght a healing to our family in a way that one could only come from GOD and two could have only been done through the reuniting with my son!!!!!!

Just like with the prodical son returning to the father, great healing and learning is gained by the whole family and those that surround the family!

Remember to give your testimony to others that is what God wants you to do!!! If you're not giving your testimony then you are not giving God the Glory!!!! Testimonies help others they help others to know that God will help if you let Him!

I want to thank you all at Cowboys for Christ for everything that you all do! You all are a Blessing and I give thanks always for everything that I have received from you all, please keep up the wonderful work that you all are doing for our LORD, I hope to one day soon be there to help in the way that the Lord wants me to! AMEN

Respectifully,
signed
Eric Burke #11465031

P.S. You can use my name if you decide to print this additon to my testimony. Sorry that it is so long, but it was on my heart to fill you in completely. I also would like to ask for prayer if possible, for God to return me to my family and to let me be a godly parent to my kids. Thank You.