"We serve God by serving others." Ashley Smith began to read aloud Day 33 on page 257 from her Purpose Driven Life book. Then she continued on, "The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.

As these words fell from her lips she was being the example, a real- life touchable description that came alive from the pages of her book. She was being a servant, a servant to a killer. She was reading them to Brian Nichols as part of the plan she kept in her head that would hopefully keep her alive. "Read them again." He said as he searched in his mind for some kind of peace or hope. She was his hostage in her apartment. He had taken her captive when she was returning from the store at 2:30am. She realized who he was then when he removed his hat. She asked him not to kill her because she had a daughter. Four years earlier Ashley's husband had died and that would leave her little girl as an orphan.

On the day of March 11, Brian Nichols had gone on a shooting rampage. He was scheduled to go to court for a rape trial. He managed to overpower and then kill a courthouse deputy. Then he killed the judge, a court reporter, a deputy and later a Federal agent. The largest manhunt in Georgia's history was unfolding as Americans watched the event on their televisions.

Through the night Ashley and Nichols talked about many things. She helped him calm down. They talked about God, family and life experiences. They talked about the family of the victims he had killed and how they must be grief stricken. He held photographs of Ashley's family in his hands as he repeatedly said he didn't want to hurt anyone else. He asked if he could stay there a few days and do normal things again. He told her he considered his life was now over. Nichols said he needed hope for his life and said he was already dead. Ashley stressed to him it was a miracle that he had made it to her apartment and that he was there for a reason. Nichols had respect for for her words. Then Ashley said these words to him, "You know, your miracle could be that you need to -- you need to be caught for this. You need to go to prison and you need to share the Word of God with them, with all the prisoners there." At about 9:30 that morning Nichols amazingly allowed Ashley to go pick up her daughter. After she left and when she came to the first stop sign, she stopped and dialed 9ll. Within minutes the rampaged killer was surrounded by police and then Brian Nichols calmly signaled his surrender by waving a white piece of cloth. Ashley said she believed that God had brought him to her door so that he wouldn't kill anyone else.

See!! I told you that the Purpose Driven Life book is worth reading!