Editor note: Law Enforcement Today proudly launched a brand new channel on Pray.com - the largest faith-based app in the world. On that channel is this new series - Sheepdog and Shepherd - where we talk all about God's hand in law enforcement. It's free to watch... but subscribers get all sorts of bonus content - and every single penny donated to our channel gets fully reinvested into telling stories like this one. Thanks for checking it out and helping us to continue to show how God is on the move. Here's our latest episode.
We'd also encourage you to check out Sheriff Lamb's newest business initiative - which you can learn all about here.
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Clarity often comes through voices anchored in conviction. For Sheriff Mark Lamb and his wife Janel, that clarity rests in the two enduring callings of the courage of the sheepdog and the compassion of the shepherd.
In a recent video, Greg Farah, a pastor at The Church of 1122 in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mathew Silverman, the National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), interviewed the couple. The Lambs opened a window into their shared life, shaped by service, sacrifice, and the unshakable belief that standing in the gap for others is a divine assignment.
Sheriff Lamb, known nationally for his no-nonsense approach to law enforcement and bold defense of American values, speaks with the calm authority of a man who has walked the line between order and disorder. But as he explained, the role of the sheepdog isn’t about dominance. It’s about duty.
“The sheepdog is not better than the sheep,” he said. “But it has a different role—to protect, to be vigilant, to watch the horizon while others sleep.”
Janel, with the grace of a woman forged in fire and faith, expands the vision.
“The shepherd tends the heart,” she said. “While the sheepdog may run toward danger, the shepherd stays in the field, nurturing, guiding, bringing the flock back when it starts to scatter.”
Together, they embody what many in law enforcement and their families understand intimately. Behind every warrior’s watch stands a quiet strength at home. It’s not a competition of roles, but a partnership where each person’s role is equally vital.
Sheriff Lamb spoke of the emotional toll carried by those in uniform, often masked by a lack of emotion.
“You can’t unsee what you see,” he admitted. “But when you come home, and you’re reminded of why you stand the post, it gives you strength.”
Janel agreed, adding that many law enforcement spouses live in the tension of knowing their loved one is out defending the community, while also trying to hold the home together.
“We’re not just wives,” she said. “We’re intercessors. We’re encouragers. We are shepherds in our own right.”
The conversation turned deeply spiritual at times, anchored in their Christian faith and a mutual understanding that their calling extends beyond the badge. Sheriff Lamb referenced the New Testament’s parable of the lost sheep, noting that while the shepherd leaves the 99 to rescue the one, it’s often the sheepdog that fights off the wolves to make that rescue possible.
“There are a lot of wolves today,” he said. “But there are also a lot of sheepdogs waking up.”
That awakening, the Lambs believe, is not limited to those in uniform. Janel emphasized that shepherds are rising in every field, from parents to teachers to pastors. A quiet revolution is increasingly bringing light into dark places.
“We need both,” she said. “We need the sheepdogs to stand between danger and the innocent. But we also need shepherds, people who will restore, who will remind us of our purpose when the fight leaves us weary.”
Their message serves as a roadmap for how to live with conviction, how to support those who protect us, and how to respond when the world calls for courage.
As the conversation concluded, Sheriff Lamb offered a challenge: “This world needs more people willing to be sheepdogs. But never forget, behind every good sheepdog there’s a shepherd who helps them stay the course.”
Their message affirms that every American has a role to play to protect, guide, lead, and love. In the battle for the heart of a nation, both the sheepdog and the shepherd are needed.
Watch the full video here.
We'd also encourage you to check out Sheriff Lamb's newest business initiative - which you can learn all about here.
--
Clarity often comes through voices anchored in conviction. For Sheriff Mark Lamb and his wife Janel, that clarity rests in the two enduring callings of the courage of the sheepdog and the compassion of the shepherd.
In a recent video, Greg Farah, a pastor at The Church of 1122 in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mathew Silverman, the National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), interviewed the couple. The Lambs opened a window into their shared life, shaped by service, sacrifice, and the unshakable belief that standing in the gap for others is a divine assignment.
Sheriff Lamb, known nationally for his no-nonsense approach to law enforcement and bold defense of American values, speaks with the calm authority of a man who has walked the line between order and disorder. But as he explained, the role of the sheepdog isn’t about dominance. It’s about duty.
“The sheepdog is not better than the sheep,” he said. “But it has a different role—to protect, to be vigilant, to watch the horizon while others sleep.”
Janel, with the grace of a woman forged in fire and faith, expands the vision.
“The shepherd tends the heart,” she said. “While the sheepdog may run toward danger, the shepherd stays in the field, nurturing, guiding, bringing the flock back when it starts to scatter.”
Together, they embody what many in law enforcement and their families understand intimately. Behind every warrior’s watch stands a quiet strength at home. It’s not a competition of roles, but a partnership where each person’s role is equally vital.
Sheriff Lamb spoke of the emotional toll carried by those in uniform, often masked by a lack of emotion.
“You can’t unsee what you see,” he admitted. “But when you come home, and you’re reminded of why you stand the post, it gives you strength.”
Janel agreed, adding that many law enforcement spouses live in the tension of knowing their loved one is out defending the community, while also trying to hold the home together.
“We’re not just wives,” she said. “We’re intercessors. We’re encouragers. We are shepherds in our own right.”
The conversation turned deeply spiritual at times, anchored in their Christian faith and a mutual understanding that their calling extends beyond the badge. Sheriff Lamb referenced the New Testament’s parable of the lost sheep, noting that while the shepherd leaves the 99 to rescue the one, it’s often the sheepdog that fights off the wolves to make that rescue possible.
“There are a lot of wolves today,” he said. “But there are also a lot of sheepdogs waking up.”
That awakening, the Lambs believe, is not limited to those in uniform. Janel emphasized that shepherds are rising in every field, from parents to teachers to pastors. A quiet revolution is increasingly bringing light into dark places.
“We need both,” she said. “We need the sheepdogs to stand between danger and the innocent. But we also need shepherds, people who will restore, who will remind us of our purpose when the fight leaves us weary.”
Their message serves as a roadmap for how to live with conviction, how to support those who protect us, and how to respond when the world calls for courage.
As the conversation concluded, Sheriff Lamb offered a challenge: “This world needs more people willing to be sheepdogs. But never forget, behind every good sheepdog there’s a shepherd who helps them stay the course.”
Their message affirms that every American has a role to play to protect, guide, lead, and love. In the battle for the heart of a nation, both the sheepdog and the shepherd are needed.
Watch the full video here.
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The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
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