Happy New Year from
the Town Council!
"Johny Law" Report
I haven't sent out a single Christmas card in two
years. It's not that I don't want to or don't like
them. I just haven't been able to find the time to
deal with them. Christmas is such a busy time. I
don't know about all of you, but I am shopped out
and I didn't even go to a store on the Friday after
Thanksgiving. I'm not into crowds.
My wife and I did most of our personal Christ
mas shopping by way of gift certificates for
out-of-town relatives. It cuts way back on crowd
crunching time and really saves on wrapping and
mailing expenses. Even then, we had to endure
several days of gift hunting in Klamath Falls,
Medford and Redding seeking gifts for coworkers,
grandchildren and private business clientel. Also,
as conservators for another family member who
I is a stroke victim ancTvvDfribfsenKgift certif
icates, we had to do all the shopping, wrapping
and mailing for her. So, its like having to shop for
two complete families.
At one point I was actually losing patience and
getting frustrated with Christmas because I didn't
think I would ever get all the wrapping and mailing
done. One evening while I was frantically trying to
wrap gifts, my wife wanted to go listen to a special
traveling musical church ministry. I almost
declined to go with her. I did, however, recognize
my angered state of mind and decided that I
needed both a break from the wrapping project
and a little spirtualtherapy.
I'm glad I went. I came away with a refreshed
appreciation for Christmas that helped me finish
my wrapping and mailing project a few days later
in a much better state of mind. What this all
means is that Christmas is about Christ and the
joy His birth brings to us all. I know you will not
have read this article until after the holiday
season is over. However, I hope each of you took
time to either go to church or at least outwardly
fellowship with family members on the real reason
for the season.
I'm not a preacher and I don't play one on TV. I
do know, however, that as a police officer, my life
and yours would be a lot easier if everyone either
attended a church or a fellowship even just once a
year. I once told a probation officer that if he
could order criminal offenders to attend
educational training and 1 2-step recovery
programs in an effort to get them to change their
behavior that there was no reason why he
couldn’t order them to attend a church of their
choice every Sunday as long as he didn t mandate
their faith. I just figured that if someone was
required to hear "the word" that there was the real
possibility that over a period of time it might
begin to mean something to them. Maybe, just
maybe, someone might change their behavior
because they heard the word.
You may have heard of alcoholics or drug
addicts getting clean. For everyone that does,
there are many more who fall back into addiction
after trying to go clean. The problem is that they
are doing it for themselves. Well, most of us won't
be able to do it just for ourselves. For there to be
real change in behaviorial lifestyle there has to be
a foundation of religious faith upon which it is
based. I don't say this from a religious standpoint.
I say it from a reality standpoint. Like I said, I'm
not a preacher even though I am a believer. I say it
as a cop and a former jail commander.
I watched many an inmate leave the Klamath
County Jail saying, “ I'll never be back again
because I'm a changed man.” Well, in some cases
that was true. But, in most cases it was not. For
those who failed and returned to jail, their
proclamation of intent was based solely on a
desire not to go back to jail. For those who
succeeded and didn't return, in almost every case
it was because they became actively involved in a
church or other religious fellowship organization.
Sure, they didn't want to return to jail. But, that
wasn't the motivating factor. They sought spiritual
satisfaction, not human satisfaction.
On many occassions I would be walking down
the street and have someone I didn't remember
walk up to me and say, "Hello, Mr. Lawson. Do
you remember me? I used to be in your jail." In
every such case that person had been converted
by the jail ministry program and had stayed :
active in their new found faith after leaving the jail.
So, as a parting note, if you have a friend in need,
and that could just be yourself, help them seek
faith in that which is bigger than themselves.
Being a criminal is nothing more than wanting to
control others for personal benefit. Being a law
abiding person is nothing more than respecting
the rights and will of others, especially that of
God.
Okay, I'll get off the pulpit. I hope each of you
had a very marvelous Christmas and I wish each
of you a very happy and prosperous New Year.
John F. Lawson
Chief of Police
THIS IS BEAUTIFUS!
Mercy Flights News...
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y©ur Butte Falls
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