- A Heavy Heart -

this will be short for me, but here goes...

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we went today for the sentencing & 5 people testified for dustin [his pastor, a longtime family friend, spike, the arresting detective & then dustin] - they all talked about where he'd come from [his lifestyle] to where he is today [going to church/has a job/goes to counseling, etc.] - everyone pretty much talked about the same things & all the 'stories matched' - spike was saying a lot about how family relationships were strained when he lived on his own & was doing his own thing, but since all this trouble, he's come back 'home', made relationships right again, gotten his life back on track, doesn't miss a church service, hasn't missed a day of work, etc. - spike also shared that when this all started, we'd basically told him that he'd not get any help from us until certain things were accomplished [all the things listed earlier] & that he'd done just that...taken care of his business

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in the end, the judge said that after hearing the testimonies, that he felt he knew what the sentence should be due to hearing spike said that, "dustin made this change in his life because we MADE him do it" [that's NOT what spike said!]

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this went on & on until the sentence was read & as most of you know you're sentenced to whatever & then serve ½ of that - this' just what he's to SERVE

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2 years in prison, then 2 years work release where he'll be living there, then 4 years probation, so basically he will serve 8 years!!

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i'm emotionally drained right now & can't think, see straight, my eyes are burning, my mind's mush & i need to lay down - please pray for his protection as this' so NOT him - please pray that his heart stays right & that this doesn't 'change' who he is as a person - i can't even bear to think of what he's going through right now - pray also for spike as he's feeling about as low as you can & feels it was his words that locked dustin up, etc. - good nite