Part One of Testimonials
Hello, my name is Leonard L. Norling and Jesus Christ gave me A Second Chance. As Christians we often overlook our own lives and the testimonies of Jesus in our lives. Countless people have called me to share my testimony and I am quite fine to give all glory to my savior Jesus Christ as I am powerless without HIM! Now where to start?
In October 1999 I was sentenced to die in prison under Washington State's three strikes law for committing a 2-degree robbery at the age of 22. The sentence was "Life Without the Possibility of Parole" or LWOP as it is known in the penitentiary. I quickly lost all appealable options for release and settled into life in prison. If trouble was money, I was a millionaire the first years in prison. I had little care for education as I could barely read or write.
I would often pray when I was in trouble seeking God to relieve the burdens of punishment for the wrongs I did. Those prayers were selfish and were not answered in the way I wanted.
I first came to know Jesus Christ in a foster home. I grew up in a Godless alcoholic and (emotional and physically) abusive home that I ran away from at age 11 to enter the streets and foster care system. Once arrested and returned home my mother said to the sheriff, "You might as well just take him! He'll just ran away again." I entered countless foster homes, many of which demanded church attendance or severe punishment and I'd run away. That was the answer to problems, too just run away.
God allowed me to continually run away until I landed in Jesus' hands by way of a Pastor's foster care home. I entered the home to see Alan sitting at the head of the table reading his bible. I thought here we go, let the fight begin! Alan provided me a choice to attend church which was new for me.
I declined to attend and was quickly won over by kids my own age to attend. Once I entered the church, I seen the light of Jesus in each of the members. I move to another foster home related to the church and I felt like I had a family for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, as the family slowly separated from the church the family deteriorated and a divorce was in the works. I questioned everything and internalized my emotions and eventually ran away.
I savored those precious memories in prison and began to reestablish a relationship with Jesus Christ. I began to pray without getting into trouble. My life began to change slowly once I decided to recommit my life to Christ the prison barriers began to fall away, the very image I sought too once become was repulsive to me. I began to pay tithes from my monthly meager $55.00 gratuity and was blessed with peace of no needs. I began to attend church, the opposite direction that my life was in prison, and peers questioned my integrity. Christians in the penitentiary in the late 90's or early 2000's were scrutinized and persecuted by peers. Jesus protected me from any persecutions and blessed me to be a witness to those who usually were the persecutors.
Over the years Jesus changed me and provided pathways to basic education and college even though prison policy did not allow Lifer's opportunities at education. Logically speaking, why use taxpayer resources to educate prisoners that won't use the education as productive members of society. The stigma of being in prison was hard enough and life as a condemned man to die in the penitentiary was an added psychological burden.
I worked daily and attended church regularly, week in and week out. Every year the State legislature would meet and rumors upon rumors of changes in the law would sweep through the penitentiary with promises of a relief from my sentence. The earliest years were an emotional rollercoaster ride with a catastrophic emotional crash at the end of the legislative session. Yet year after year the same or similar rumor would provide false hope, I strongly believe today that was Satan trying to break people down.
God blessed me with the ability to facilitate classes to peers and even become a mentor to some wonderful men. I often recall the blessings that God gave me to witness people to learn and grow beyond their own expectations and even my own. I found such enjoyment with facilitating positive change classes I passed up better employment opportunities in prison, much to my peers surprise.
Nearly two decades later I accepted and embraced my life in the penitentiary when peers and even church volunteers suggested I file for Clemency. I had never heard of Clemency before and at that time I thought, "Yeah I am not jumping on that rollercoaster ride again!" I prayed and God kept placing people in my life to continually push me beyond my comfort zone.
(Clemency is petitioning the Clemency and Pardon's Board for either a pardon or a commutation (reduction) of a prisoner's sentence. The board then provides the Governor's office with their recommendation whether to grant or deny a prisoner's petition. The Governor ultimately makes the decision.)
I finally submitted and wrote about my life, from beginning to present, at that time in my life. I gave the letter to the person who asked for it and they submitted it to the Seattle Clemency project. The Seattle Clemency Project (SCP) responded and eventually visited me at the penitentiary. The SCP found a pro bono lawyer Joseph Bringman with the Perkins Coie firm in Seattle Washington. Throughout this time, I continually was reminded of the rollercoaster ride of yearly legislation and questioned whether I should continue this path. That is when I began to pray this prayer:
Hello, my name is Leonard L. Norling and Jesus Christ gave me A Second Chance. As Christians we often overlook our own lives and the testimonies of Jesus in our lives. Countless people have called me to share my testimony and I am quite fine to give all glory to my savior Jesus Christ as I am powerless without HIM! Now where to start?
In October 1999 I was sentenced to die in prison under Washington State's three strikes law for committing a 2-degree robbery at the age of 22. The sentence was "Life Without the Possibility of Parole" or LWOP as it is known in the penitentiary. I quickly lost all appealable options for release and settled into life in prison. If trouble was money, I was a millionaire the first years in prison. I had little care for education as I could barely read or write.
I would often pray when I was in trouble seeking God to relieve the burdens of punishment for the wrongs I did. Those prayers were selfish and were not answered in the way I wanted.
I first came to know Jesus Christ in a foster home. I grew up in a Godless alcoholic and (emotional and physically) abusive home that I ran away from at age 11 to enter the streets and foster care system. Once arrested and returned home my mother said to the sheriff, "You might as well just take him! He'll just ran away again." I entered countless foster homes, many of which demanded church attendance or severe punishment and I'd run away. That was the answer to problems, too just run away.
God allowed me to continually run away until I landed in Jesus' hands by way of a Pastor's foster care home. I entered the home to see Alan sitting at the head of the table reading his bible. I thought here we go, let the fight begin! Alan provided me a choice to attend church which was new for me.
I declined to attend and was quickly won over by kids my own age to attend. Once I entered the church, I seen the light of Jesus in each of the members. I move to another foster home related to the church and I felt like I had a family for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, as the family slowly separated from the church the family deteriorated and a divorce was in the works. I questioned everything and internalized my emotions and eventually ran away.
I savored those precious memories in prison and began to reestablish a relationship with Jesus Christ. I began to pray without getting into trouble. My life began to change slowly once I decided to recommit my life to Christ the prison barriers began to fall away, the very image I sought too once become was repulsive to me. I began to pay tithes from my monthly meager $55.00 gratuity and was blessed with peace of no needs. I began to attend church, the opposite direction that my life was in prison, and peers questioned my integrity. Christians in the penitentiary in the late 90's or early 2000's were scrutinized and persecuted by peers. Jesus protected me from any persecutions and blessed me to be a witness to those who usually were the persecutors.
Over the years Jesus changed me and provided pathways to basic education and college even though prison policy did not allow Lifer's opportunities at education. Logically speaking, why use taxpayer resources to educate prisoners that won't use the education as productive members of society. The stigma of being in prison was hard enough and life as a condemned man to die in the penitentiary was an added psychological burden.
I worked daily and attended church regularly, week in and week out. Every year the State legislature would meet and rumors upon rumors of changes in the law would sweep through the penitentiary with promises of a relief from my sentence. The earliest years were an emotional rollercoaster ride with a catastrophic emotional crash at the end of the legislative session. Yet year after year the same or similar rumor would provide false hope, I strongly believe today that was Satan trying to break people down.
God blessed me with the ability to facilitate classes to peers and even become a mentor to some wonderful men. I often recall the blessings that God gave me to witness people to learn and grow beyond their own expectations and even my own. I found such enjoyment with facilitating positive change classes I passed up better employment opportunities in prison, much to my peers surprise.
Nearly two decades later I accepted and embraced my life in the penitentiary when peers and even church volunteers suggested I file for Clemency. I had never heard of Clemency before and at that time I thought, "Yeah I am not jumping on that rollercoaster ride again!" I prayed and God kept placing people in my life to continually push me beyond my comfort zone.
(Clemency is petitioning the Clemency and Pardon's Board for either a pardon or a commutation (reduction) of a prisoner's sentence. The board then provides the Governor's office with their recommendation whether to grant or deny a prisoner's petition. The Governor ultimately makes the decision.)
I finally submitted and wrote about my life, from beginning to present, at that time in my life. I gave the letter to the person who asked for it and they submitted it to the Seattle Clemency project. The Seattle Clemency Project (SCP) responded and eventually visited me at the penitentiary. The SCP found a pro bono lawyer Joseph Bringman with the Perkins Coie firm in Seattle Washington. Throughout this time, I continually was reminded of the rollercoaster ride of yearly legislation and questioned whether I should continue this path. That is when I began to pray this prayer:
