Higher Love

08/02/2026

August Higher Love Newsletter, New Life News #21: https://mailchi.mp/d643f4da32a4/a-place-to-find-healinghigher-love-letter-21

08/01/2026

TALENT may have introduced the world to Butter and Grit, but we’ve been blessed to know something even more important about them: the size of their HEARTS!

Laurel and Luke recently took the stage on America’s Got Talent and earned four enthusiastic “YES” votes—and none of us at Higher Love were surprised! We’ve had the privilege of watching them share that same remarkable talent inside prisons, bringing music, encouragement, laughter, and hope to men who desperately need all four.

Laurel and Luke are not only gifted performers; they are treasured friends of Higher Love and wonderful supporters of our Amplify Dormitory Program and prison outreach. They show up, love people well, and remind those behind prison walls that they have great worth and are not forgotten.

Apparently, when you combine a little Butter with a whole lot of Grit, you get something pretty special. 😊

We love you both, we’re enormously proud of you, and we can’t wait to see where this adventure takes you next (hopefully back to prison!). :) America is discovering what we already knew: Butter & Grit are the real deal!

07/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EsmctxX3v/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Florida Department of Corrections mourns the passing of retired Director of Programs and Re-Entry, Patrick Mahoney. Pat began his career with FDC in 1994 as a Probation Officer and dedicated more than 30 years to advancing rehabilitation and reintegration across Florida.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Cathy, his children, granddaughter, family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him. His legacy of service will not be forgotten.

Patrick Mahoney Obituary:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/tallahassee-fl/patrick-mahoney-12972842

07/11/2026

July Issue of The Higher Love Letter! Click link for full newslettter: https://mailchi.mp/bf97389ddbd9/had-you-told-me-six-years-ago

07/06/2026

Every movement has people whose fingerprints are everywhere...even though their names are seldom mentioned.
John Starnes is one of those people.
Many of you know John as one of the finest gospel singers of his generation. I know him as something even more special...a faithful friend.

More than twenty years ago, John and I served on the same church board in Nashville, but John's influence on my life reached far beyond those early days.

When we were wrestling with the idea of starting a nonprofit ministry, it was John who encouraged me to take that step. Because of his belief, his friendship, his actual involvement, and his confidence in me, Timothy's Gift was born...a ministry that would eventually grow into what we now know as Higher Love.

In those early years, there were no hotel rooms, no large events, and certainly no dormitory programs. John willingly slept in a tent, ate hot dogs cooked over an open fire, and traveled from prison to prison across Florida without complaint—all to help us save money so we could reach one more prison and one more person with hope.

He never sought recognition. He never wanted applause. He simply wanted to serve.

Since those humble beginnings, Higher Love has conducted more than 30 major prison tours, entered a prison over 220 times, reached tens of thousands of incarcerated men and women and correctional staff, and helped launch the Amplify Dormitory Program at Jefferson Correctional Institution. Through it all, John has remained one of our biggest cheerleaders.

Today, John is enjoying retirement in the Atlanta area, surrounded by his family and grandchildren. But his heart for this ministry has never changed. In fact, he's agreed to consider coming to Jefferson one day to see firsthand what has grown from those early seeds we planted together.

John, one day I hope you walk into the Amplify Dormitory Program at Jefferson Correctional Institution and see with your own eyes what grew from a simple conversation between two friends more than twenty years ago.

You planted seeds you may never have imagined would bear this kind of fruit. Thank you for believing in me before I fully believed in myself. Thank you for believing in this ministry before anyone knew what it would become. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for your friendship, your humility, your encouragement, and your unwavering faithfulness.

Higher Love is better because you were there at the beginning.

You are not forgotten!

07/03/2026

💙 💙 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 💙 💙

At this point in my life, I feel an emptiness in my heart caused by the loss of my grandparents. If this had happened a few years ago, I would have lost my mind and been very difficult to be around. I would have fallen into a dark pit of despair with no way out and no one to help me. I would have let the pain and grief eat me alive from the inside.

That was the old me.

Thanks to Higher Love and the Amplify program, created by Ron, Carol, Anita, Chris, Eric, Melinda, Randy, and many others, I have learned a different way to face life's challenges. Through the meetings and classes, they have taught me how to deal with difficult situations in a safer and healthier way.

They have given me a whole new family that is always there to help me through hard times, including the recent deaths of my grandparents. My Higher Love/Amplify family has become closer to me than much of my own blood family. They have helped build my self-esteem, and for the first time in a long time, I truly believe in myself again.

I never realized just how lost I really was until I joined the Amplify program. They have helped me find myself, but most importantly, they have helped me find Jesus again.

So, for as long as I am able, I will spend my life helping others find themselves.

Amplify: Heal. Grow. Inspire.

07/02/2026

Yesterday, July 1, 2026, I officially began my two-year term on the Board of Directors of the Florida Corrections Foundation.

Twenty years ago, when I first walked inside a correctional institution as a volunteer, I believed our mission extended beyond serving the incarcerated. It also included encouraging, supporting, and standing alongside the dedicated correctional professionals who carry out one of our state's most challenging responsibilities every day. It is an honor to now serve in a role that allows me to further that commitment.

I'm deeply grateful to the leadership of the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Corrections Foundation for their confidence and trust. I look forward to listening, learning, and working with fellow board members to strengthen opportunities that support correctional staff, foster positive institutional culture, and ultimately help create safer communities throughout Florida.

I'm humbled to be part of this important work. Here's the announcement from the FCF...and here's to the next chapter!

💙💙💙
Ron Miller
Founder and Executive Director of Higher Love, Inc.
Ron Miller is the Founder and Executive Director of Higher Love, Inc., a Nashville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing hope, encouragement, and positive culture change into correctional institutions through music, mentorship, and community-building initiatives. Since 2012, Higher Love has conducted more than 30 major prison tours and reached over 35,000 inmates and correctional staff across multiple states.

Ron is also the visionary behind Higher Love’s innovative Amplify Dormitory Program at Jefferson Correctional Institution — an inmate-inspired, inmate-led cultural community focused on personal growth, accountability, and restoration. The program’s culture-centered approach is designed to positively impact both inmates and correctional staff. Amplify has received statewide attention for its unique ‘power of story’ model, its evidence-based programming, and its strong alignment with the mission and rehabilitative goals of the Florida Department of Corrections. Higher Love’s distinctive ‘ministry of presence’ inside institutions has been recognized by leadership and staff for helping foster positive cultural change and encouragement throughout the compound environment.

Before founding Higher Love, Ron spent more than 30 years in the Nashville entertainment industry as an agent and event coordinator for dozens of nationally known public figures and artists, including Oliver North, Frank Peretti, Mike Singletary, and Naomi Judd.

In 2026, Ron relocated from Nashville to Monticello for a one-year mission residency to further invest in prison outreach and reentry efforts throughout the state. He is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Florida Corrections Foundation and remains passionate about supporting innovative approaches that strengthen correctional culture, reduce victimization, and help create safer communities throughout Florida.

07/01/2026

💙 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 💙

What Amplify Means to Me

People in prison are broken. For many, that brokenness caused the events that led to prison. Others are broken because of prison—even those who arrived here due to a miscarriage of justice. Still others, while never confined behind physical walls, live in prisons without fences or gates.

In July, I will mark 22 years of incarceration. It isn't a milestone my family or I celebrate. The truth is, prison doesn't just affect the person serving the sentence—it affects everyone who loves them.
When people ask me what Amplify is and what makes it different from other prison programs, I know exactly how to answer. For me, Amplify is more than a program. It is a movement.

The dictionary defines amplify as "to make larger or more powerful; to increase in size, volume, or significance." That is exactly what this movement has done for me. It has given me the opportunity to share my story with a broader audience and, I hope, make a greater impact.

Amplify is a place to find healing. Its volunteers invest countless hours, endless energy, and extraordinary grace. Healing opens the door to growth through a comprehensive curriculum led by dedicated volunteers and strengthened by program graduates who now pour into others.

As we grow, we are encouraged to use our own stories to help others begin their journeys toward healing and hope. In doing so, the movement continues to grow as more lives are changed.
Ultimately, our goal is simple: To leave this place better and stronger than we were when we arrived.

06/28/2026

💙IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
All my life I wanted to make a name for myself. It didn't matter if it was good or bad. Now, I just want to be a man my daughters will be proud to call their dad. AMPLIFY and its volunteers have given me the hope to make that happen!

06/22/2026

💙 HOPE BUILDERS 💙

One of the unexpected blessings of serving inside prisons is crossing paths with people who have quietly dedicated their lives to bringing hope where hope is often in short supply.

Over the past few days at Jefferson Correctional Institution, I had the privilege of spending time with the incredible volunteers from Pain to Purpose, led by Duane and Cindy Mullett (far left in picture) and their family and friends.

The Mulletts know something about pain. They've walked through seasons that would have caused many people to quit, become bitter, or simply withdraw from the world. Instead, they chose a different path. They allowed their pain to become compassion, their wounds to become wisdom, and their story to become a source of hope for thousands of others.

What impressed me most, however, wasn't simply what they do.

It was who they are.

Kind. Authentic. Humble. Encouraging. The type of people who don't need recognition because they understand that the greatest work is usually accomplished quietly—one conversation, one act of kindness, and one changed life at a time.

As I listened, watched, and learned more about their ministry, I was struck by how closely our hearts align. Higher Love and Pain to Purpose each have their own unique calling and gifts, yet we are united by the same conviction: every person has immeasurable worth, every story matters, and no one is beyond hope.

We both believe people should never be defined forever by the worst decision they've ever made. We believe hope is stronger than shame, encouragement is stronger than condemnation, and genuine relationships have the power to transform lives.

For years, Higher Love's focus has been bringing hope through concerts, relationships, and now the Amplify Dormitory Program. Pain to Purpose has faithfully helped men and women discover that even life's deepest wounds can become the foundation for a life of purpose. Different expressions...the same desire to see lives restored.

The longer I serve inside prisons, the more convinced I become that real transformation isn't accomplished by one organization, one church, one denomination, or one program. It happens when good people, with servant hearts, faithfully answer God's call, encourage one another, and work side by side for something far bigger than themselves.

To Duane, Cindy, your family, and every member of your amazing team...thank you.

Thank you for showing up.

Thank you for loving well.

Thank you for reminding so many people that even after life's deepest pain, purpose is still possible.

May God continue to bless your ministry, protect your travels, and multiply every seed you faithfully plant in places many people will never see.

The men at Jefferson were better because you came.

So was I.