Clarity
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-Clarity-
Currently, it's the day after Christmas, and I’m writing this letter under a dimly lit lamp with Mr. Finn quietly lying by my side.
It’s about 5am and the air in this prison cell has a cold chill to it. The entire compound is eerily quiet on this early winter morning. Most of my fellow felons went REALLY HARD on Christmas and are currently “passed out” in their cells.
Let’s just say… I celebrate Christmas in prison VERY DIFFERENTLY than the vast majority of my barbed wire brothers. Hahahahaha. Oh my gosh, there are SO MANY stories I’m going to share when I’m safely out of prison and able to speak freely. ;)
Yesterday, our housing units were getting “rough & rowdy,” so I stayed in my cell to read and reflect on life. Getting uninterrupted time to REALLY THINK is a serious privilege in prison.
As I laid on top of my uncomfortable metal bunk, staring at the spectacular pictures taped to my cell wall of Noél and the kids, I suddenly felt God’s presence push into my prison cell.
IMMEDIATELY I was overwhelmed with peace, joy, and—above all else—THANKFULNESS.
The crazy part is… ZERO of my external circumstances had changed to create this exceptional moment with my Father in Heaven.
I AM STILL locked behind barbed wire.
I AM STILL experiencing piercing pain being thousands of miles away from Noél, Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion.
I AM STILL a convicted criminal carrying shame.
I AM STILL surrounded by insidious evil 24/7. This nonstop darkness takes a serious toll on my soul daily.
So why was I so hopped up on HOPE yesterday???
Because our GREAT GOD gave me a precious present on my first Christmas inside federal prison:
He generously gave me the gift of COMPLETE CLARITY.
Now I can clearly see the purpose being birthed through this painful prison journey.
I personally believe there are 3 specific miracles emerging from our family’s mess:
Miracle #1 — "Shattering Shame"
Our “shame story” will be used to gently guide our brothers and sisters who are suffocating in their own shadows of shame. People haunted by their past will no longer sink into that sandpit and disappear beneath it. Noel and I are going to show our people how that very shadow can become their greatest strength.
I will GLADLY handwrite another manuscript from prison called “SHATTERING SHAME,” and my ultra-talented wife Noél will take my raw pages and turn them into a beautifully published book.
Each page will strike shame down to the ground where it belongs — and free the people who thought they’d never escape its grip.
Miracle #2 — "Broken but Free"
The Bartlett’s painful prison journey will be proof that brokenness can set a person FREE. Experiencing immense pain in life is real — and it SUCKS!!! But purpose can puncture through that pain and begin to heal our hurting hearts.
Our family wants to PROVE that any type of pain can be purified into purpose. Every single one of us, at some point in life, will face unspeakable hurt. But there is a way to bring purpose into even the most brutal and confusing seasons.
While incarcerated inside a federal prison, I will hand write a manuscript called “Broken But Free,” and my incredible wife Noél will once again take my messy pages and transform them into a beautifully published book.
A person’s brokenness should NOT bind them to despair. Even in the WORST seasons of life, there is always a way to push forward with purpose.
Miracle #3 — Your Past Does NOT Disqualify You
So many people think their "past" disqualifies them from their GOD GIVEN FUTURE. I plan to SMASH that lie. So many people believe their past disqualifies them from their God-given future.
How?
WITH PUPPIES OF COURSE!!!
My transformation into The Prison Puppy Trainer is perfect proof that a person's past should NEVER stop them from walking into a Purpose Driven Future.
Jesus died on the cross for ALL OF US.
WE ALL NEED THE UNDESERVED GIFT OF GRACE & FORGIVENESS.
I’m proud to be The Prison Puppy Trainer, and I cannot wait to share all my surreal stories with you.
Get ready for my next puppy manuscript:
“The Fantastic Adventures of Mr. Finn in Prison.”
Boy oh boy, I already have some insane stories for you!!!
After my Wonderful Warrior Wife Noél receives my rough manuscript, she will spend countless nights on the computer editing and formatting my gibberish into a groundbreaking book. Each page will encourage people to see beyond their past and walk into their GOD GIVEN FUTURE.
Satan, The Bartletts can do this ALL DAY LONG.
You will NOT prevail.
God’s Got Us.
We are covered in shame.
We are in pain & broken.
We are haunted by our past.
BUT…
We are ALSO stronger than we’ve ever been.
We are ALSO experiencing a level of FREEDOM we've never felt.
We are ALSO proving that ANY person can overcome their past.
“Jesus, thank you for the gift of clarity on Christmas Day. I’m unworthy of such an honor. Thank you for bringing purpose into my prison journey. I love you, Lord.”
THE BARTLETTS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED
WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP
WE ARE STRONG & COURAGEOUS
WE GOT THIS
Love,
Brett (A prisoner ready to FREE people from their pain, shame, and past)
-A Note From Noél-
NOW THIS IS THE MAN I MARRIED!!!
On Christmas Day — during his very first holiday season separated from his family, inside a cold prison cell, thousands of miles away from everyone he loves — Brett spent his “free” time appealing to his Father in Heaven for clarity.
He’s NOT complaining.
He’s NOT making excuses for his poor decisions.
He’s NOT drowning in self-pity.
Nope. None of that.
He is laser-focused on helping heal people who are walking through pain, shame, and brokenness.
In Brett’s past life, he chased perfection and lost his way in the process. But Broken Brett sees the world through the eyes of a convicted criminal covered in shame — a man who physically feels the transforming power of what Jesus did for ALL OF US on the cross.
The grace and forgiveness that only Jesus brings is like oxygen to him now. Brett’s prison journey is PROOF that through Jesus, ANY person can become more than their past.
I love this man dearly, and I will do anything and everything to help spread this spectacular message of HOPE & HEALING that God is birthing through him… through us.
I’m not going to lie — Christmas Day was super rough on me.
I ugly cried several times by myself.
Nothing can prepare a heart for this level of hurt.
I know Brett will one day be home again, but yesterday… it just SUCKED.
I hate the pain of prison.
I hate that Brett celebrated Christmas alone in a freezing cell.
BUT…
God is CLEARLY at work in the middle of this prison journey.
No one will EVER understand how dark life became for Brett during his shame cycle. Only I know the depths of that demonic darkness. For years, I literally had to pick him off the ground every morning and speak truth back into his life.
It took 5+ years, a criminal conviction, and a federal prison sentence for The Real Brett to return.
Our family knows the devastating effects of pain, shame, and brokenness all too well.
But we ALSO know the TRUE POWER of grace and forgiveness that comes from Jesus.
We feel compelled to share our path with others who are still suffocating in the shadows — so they, too, can experience FREEDOM & REAL REDEMPTION.
Getting the opportunity to turn more of Brett’s very raw handwritten manuscripts into three fully published books feels daunting today…
But it also feels powerful. Sacred. Transformative.
I can already envision the testimonials pouring in from lives changed by these books forged in fire:
• Brothers and sisters drowning in shame finally discovering their greatest strength.
• Families buried in piercing pain watching purpose bloom out of brokenness.
• People haunted by their past stepping into their GOD-GIVEN FUTURE.
I AM SO FLIPPING EXCITED AND PROUD TO PUBLISH:
📘 Shattering Shame
📘 Broken But Free
📘 The Fantastic Adventures of Mr. Finn in Prison
“Thank you Jesus for turning our mess into multiple miracles.
We love You, Lord, with all our hearts.”
YES — I’m in piercing pain today.
But I’m also CHOOSING to push forward with divine purpose.
STEP BACK, SATAN — YOU WILL NEVER TAKE MY FAMILY.
WE ARE BARTLETTS & WE NEVER GIVE UP.
GOD IS WITH US.
Our family has made the choice to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS in our season of suffering.
Love all of you so much,
Noél
(A warrior wife ready to fight for her people)
