Ok… before you read Brett’s latest letter about “The Big Bearded Man” and “The Networker”…

I have to take a second and show off some of these beautiful before & after lash and brow transformations I’ve been working on lately 🥹

There’s just something about watching a transformation happen right in front of your eyes…

Seeing someone walk away feeling more confident, more refreshed, more like themselves again… it honestly never gets old.

And if I’m being honest, this little business has been such an unexpected blessing for our family in this season.

Every appointment, every referral, every kind word—it’s helping me show up for Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion while Brett is away.

I’m working hard to build something steady for us… after a really long year of ups and downs that stretched me more than I ever expected.

God really does find ways to provide… sometimes in the most unexpected places.

So if you (or someone you know) has been thinking about getting a lash lift (including the Korean technique), tint, or brows done… I would absolutely love to take care of you! 

You can text me at 714-210-9014 and I’ll send over all the details.

And honestly… even just sharing this with a friend or thinking of me when someone mentions lashes or brows helps more than you know.

Alright… enough about lashes for a second 😉

Go read Brett’s latest letter about two men who went from enemies to brothers…

It’s one of those stories that just makes you sit back and think—

only God can do something like that. 💛

---

Best Buds

Out of the corner of my eye…

I see a 6’6” beast of a man stomping straight toward us.

“The Networker,” Mr. Finn (our future superhero service dog), and I are mid-lap around the lopsided prison track…

and within seconds, this giant will be standing right in front of us.

Each heavy step from his steel-toed boots sends loose gravel skittering across the black asphalt.

Head down.
Jaw tight.
Eyes locked.

And it’s clear to everyone around that one of the most feared men on this concrete compound is coming straight for me, my cellie and The Fantastic Mr. Finn.

We have seconds at this point until his Goliath-like frame will be towering over the three of us.

Now, before I ever stepped foot into this upside-down world of federal prison I probably would have been straight panicking at this point.

Heart racing.
Legs shaking.
Maybe even passed out at the sight of a tattooed giant charging toward me like a heat-seeking missile.

BUT…

On this particular day… behind razor-sharp barbed wire…

I’m smiling.

Like… full-on, ear-to-ear smiling.

Because I know something the old version of me wouldn’t have understood.

This man isn’t coming to hurt me.

He’s coming to say hello.

As expected, within seconds, the warm sunlight disappears and I’m standing in the shadow of “The Big Bearded Man.”

He stops.
Stands still.
Looks down.

And right on cue…

Mr. Finn’s tail starts going crazy.

Because he knows what’s coming next.

That giant hand—easily three times the size of mine—reaches down and delivers his signature “firm” head pet.

Finn is thrilled.

After showing love to our favorite pup, “The Big Bearded Man” reaches deep into his oversized gym bag…

and pulls out four thick business books.

Highlighted.
Underlined.
Covered in sticky notes.

He hands them over to “The Networker” like it’s the most important exchange in the world.

And honestly…

it is.

Because to someone on the outside, this might look small.

Just two inmates swapping books on a prison yard.

Nothing special.

But to me…

this moment is sacred.

It’s living proof of something far bigger than what meets the eye.

Because not that long ago…

“The Networker” and “The Big Bearded Man” were enemies.

Not casual disagreement type enemies…

I’m talking real animosity.

The kind that lives just under the surface…

ready to explode at any moment.

Years of pain.
Years of pride.
Years of punishment.

Had built a wall between them that looked impossible to tear down.

BUT…

Behind an electrified fence…

in a place designed to break people…

The Holy Spirit stepped in.

And instead of letting that hatred grow…

He began doing something only He can do.

He started loving these two broken men…

back to themselves.

Between them, they’ve spent nearly 20 years incarcerated.

They’ve survived violent facilities.
Time in “The Hole.”
Judgment from the outside world.

They know what it feels like to be defined by their worst decisions.

And for a long time…

that’s exactly who they believed they were.

Men with a past.
Men with no future.

BUT…

God met them in the mess.

Right there in the mud.

And began rewriting their story.

Now…

these former enemies sit side by side.

Building each other up.
Speaking life into one another.
Refusing to let the past define them anymore.

Their friendship?

It wasn’t easy.

It was forged in fire.

And it stands as a testimony to what God can do when we surrender our pride and let Him work.

• When “The Big Bearded Man” starts doubting himself—questioning whether his dream of owning an HVAC company is even possible—
  “The Networker” steps in and reminds him of every class he’s passed… every step he’s taken forward.
• When “The Networker” feels overwhelmed trying to understand finances and build a better future—
  “The Big Bearded Man” shows up with books, sits with him, and teaches him late into the night.
• And when prison tries to pull them back into its violent rhythm…
  they sit down…

and talk about becoming better fathers.

Men of patience.
Men of wisdom.
Men their families can be proud of.

Yes…

prison is a place where shame tries to take over.

Where the past feels louder than anything else.

BUT…

it’s also a place where I’ve personally witnessed the power of Christ’s love transform lives.

Right in front of me.

Our Heavenly Father found two of His sons…

hiding from their pain…

and loved them back to who they truly are.

And now?

I get to stand here…

watching it unfold.

I’m beyond grateful to call these men my brothers.

And I already know…

a big, bright future is waiting for both of them.

Thank you for allowing me to share these stories with you.

Because together…

we’re spreading a message that the world desperately needs to hear:

LOVE ALWAYS WINS.

Sincerely,
Brett
(A dad who can’t wait to introduce “The Big Bearded Man” to his daughters’ future boyfriends 😄)

---

A Note From Noél

In a place known to breed punishment and fear…

Brett is witnessing—and writing about—the redeeming and healing power of Christ’s love for His cherished children.

And I’m telling you…

the man I LOVE with all my heart has seen something divine behind that razor-sharp fence.

Not imagined it.
Not hoped for it.

Seen it.

And through every letter he sends, he is pleading with all of us…

don’t keep this to yourself.

Spread it.
Share it.
Let people know.

Because what he’s witnessing is real.

It’s clear in this latest letter that “The Big Bearded Man” and “The Networker” didn’t just stumble into a friendship…

They stepped into the warm, undeserved, life-changing embrace of their Heavenly Father.

And in that moment…

they were reminded of who they really are.

Not who their past says they are.
Not who this system labels them to be.

But who they are in His eyes.

Loved.
Chosen.
Worthy of redemption.

For years…

punishment, pain, and shame pushed these men further and further away from the purpose God originally placed inside of them.

Further from hope.
Further from identity.
Further from themselves.

BUT…

BUT…

A love unlike anything this world can offer…

a love filled with grace, mercy, and forgiveness…

found them.

Right there in the mess.
Right there in the mud.

And gently…

patiently…

powerfully…

loved them back to their true selves.

And in doing so…

shattered their shame.

Not for a moment.
Not temporarily.

But in a way that changes everything.

Now let’s be real for a moment…

“The Big Bearded Man” and “The Networker” are FULLY aware there are serious consequences tied to the decisions they made in their past lives.

These men have been broken.
Humbled to their knees.
They’ve felt the full weight of it all.

And now…

they are committed to earning their way back—rebuilding, restoring, and becoming men who give something good back to this world.

And I deeply respect that.

Because it takes courage to bring your story—your real story—to the feet of Jesus…

and trust Him with the outcome.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for surrounding ‘The Networker’ and ‘The Big Bearded Man’ with Your unconditional love. Thank You for reminding them they are adored sons—worthy of a second chance because of YOU. Continue to meet them in the middle of their journey and lead them forward with Your grace.”

Only Jesus can meet us in the messy mud of life…

and pull us back to who we were always meant to be.

And I believe it now more than ever…

our world needs to hear these three words:

LOVE ALWAYS WINS!!

Thank you—for being part of this story.
For helping me share these God moments that are unfolding behind the walls that currently separate our family.

You are part of something bigger than you know.

With so much gratitude,
Noél
(A mother who can’t wait to see her daughters’ faces when “The Big Bearded Man” shows up to shake their boyfriends’ hands 😄)