THE VICTIM--MIKE MILLER

I had a dream the night before that I was at the old fishing pond where I fished a lot growing up.  My grandma was talking to me in the dream.  I don't remember what she was telling me though.  I sure wish I could have woke up there instead of this place, but here is where I be.   I'll have to leave fishing up to the kids for awhile.

.....the last dream I had like this was a dream about Mr. Miller.  In my dream he was standing next to a kitchen table with a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and a cap and drinking a cup of coffee.  He was looking at a calendar.  If that's the case then he's better off than he was.  I believe that was a message to me that let me know he's in a better place... in better shape.  I sure do hope so.

PERRYTON - Mike Miller, 45, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Key Heights Baptist Church with Doug Rawlins and the Rev. Terry Williams officiating. Burial will be in Ochiltree Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Perryton.

Mr. Miller was born Aug. 10, 1965, in Perryton to William E. and Belmere Miller. He graduated in 1984 from Perryton High School and was a farmer.

Survivors include two daughters, Brandi Miller and Hayle Miller, both of Perryton; a son, Justin Miller of Perryton; a sister, Deanna Miller of Corsicana; and four grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be to Multiple Sclerosis Society, Panhandle Chapter, 6222 Canyon Drive, Amarillo, TX 79109.

Amarillo Globe-News, Oct. 30, 2010

Miller's Home

Ali Allison
NewsChannel 10

The Ochiltree County Sheriff is investigating the shooting of longtime county resident, Mike Miller.

Mike Miller was a father, a third generation farmer and a one time County Commission Candidate.

"He was kind of a fixture around here he was just Mike" says Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard.

34 year old Chuckwa Don Crabtree was living with Miller for the last three weeks as a friend and care taker. Family tells us Mike had bailed Crabtree out of jail recently.

Miller suffered from MS and was in a wheelchair. Sometime after two p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Miller was shot in the neck while sitting in his bedroom.

Crabtree was arrested later in the afternoon for the murder. Crabtree's mother Donna who lives in Gainesville, TX called the police who then called Ochiltree County because she said her son told her he had killed a man and was going to kill himself.

When police arrived at the home 15 mile S.E. of Perryton , Crabtree was running across a open field towards the rural residence.

"When we got there we observed a man running towards the residence we lost sight of him behind the out buildings we didn't know at the time he was armed," says Bouchard.

He surrendered after a brief stand off with authorities. The Sheriff says he was holding a AK-47 weapon and was under the influence of alcohol.

"We are still young in the investigation, I don't think it was premeditated," says Bouchard.

Crabtree remains in the Ochiltree County Jail on a $750,000 bond.

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins

LIPSCOMB COUNTY JAIL

**some graphic language 

That really sucked!  Excuse my language!

I was put in a situation by my bail bondsman.  She wouldn't let me go home again and made me stay there at the house with her nephew who needed my assistance with taking care of him due to a handicap.

So I was cooking his food, cleaning his home, wiping his rear-end and everything else he needed done.  By this time I have about had all of life I wanted and was very depressed so I was taking depression medicine while there.

I would tell him how I missed my family and my girlfriend and how I hoped I didn't end up going back to prison and these kinda things and all he ever said was....

"why don't you just get that shotgun out of the closet and go blow your head off 'cause nobody gives a shit about you anyways."

Then he'd get drunk and call my mom a bitch and stuff like that.  I asked him several times to please stop doing this but he kept it up.

I was finally able to get in touch with my mom and tell her the medicine I was on was having an adverse side effect on me and I needed to see a doctor.  She told the bail bond person this and all she said was "I'll pray for him."

Guess I shoulda took the hint that me and alcohol don't mix.

All I can remember about that day is sittin there talking to him about cooking steaks on the grill and when I woke up later that day...he was dead.

Ezekiel 36:33
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

SHOES

I interrupt this storyline to interject a "today" thing....that I hope will bless you.

When Chuckwa and I first began our correspondence, he was in quite a state.

I know you probably think, he deserves what he is getting, and I will say that I don't disagree with that sentiment.  The public has a right to be protected from those who break the law.  He agrees with it too.

But still, imagine if you made a mistake that you would give anything to take back, and for the rest of your life you:

lived in a very small cell with zero privacy or freedom
had no fashion in your life at all
had no gourmet food or wine to enjoy ever again
had no internet, facebook, snapchat, or 182 tv channels

I could go on, but you get the point that life there is no picnic and while it is supposed to be no picnic, I do believe it takes some time to get used to the idea that this way of life is almost

F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

In the years that we have been writing, his demeanor has changed from a struggle to an acceptance and this excerpt is from a recent letter....that just made my day!

You oughta be proud of me for this, I'm not looking for a pat on the back or anything like that, but only to show you what kinda person I am.  There is this guy here that I know an he's black mind you, he recently lost his wife and his mother is not doing so well.  I have been seeing him and talking to him along the way and trying to lift his spirits.  He had on a pair of shoes that were falling apart and I had been noticing that.  The Lord put it on my heart to give him my shoes.  The shoes I had were a little over a year old but I had hardly worn them and today I seen him in the pill line.  I was talking to him and looking at his shoes.  I asked him what size shoes he wore and it just so happens that we had the same size feet.  I took off my shoes and give them to the guy.  He was so surprised that he didn't know what to do.  Those were $50 shoes!!!  I walked back to the section with his old shoes on.  He went to his with his new pair of shoes and a really big smile :-).  We both received a blessing out of the deal.  Just to see his face light up was priceless.

The story he told blessed me so much because for the first time I know 

that in this whole horrific ordeal of where Chuckwa is, how he got there, how long he's facing being there and enduring all the things I believe I could never endure

he was obedient to a nudge from God and by following that nudge..

he found a moment of peace and in that moment he gave a gift

to many...

how many people would wash the feet of a tired old man 

in a room where 

nobody knew 

and nobody saw

HEBREWS 1:2

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: 

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares