On February 25, 2021, my life changed forever. My oldest son was gunned down and killed. I remember going to the scene and seeing my son with his head lying back in the car. The first thing that came to my mind was, please let him be okay, but he wasn’t. He died at approximately 5:17 pm. I asked, “Where is my grandson?” At the time, he was only two years old and had been in the car with my son. The officer said, "He’s okay, but we don’t want him to see you like this.” Those images are still in my head to… Read More
Labor
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In the most unlikely time, 2020 during a global pandemic, God called us to open a coffee shop in Quincy, Michigan. Such irony for two faithful Maxwell-House-only coffee drinkers whose BFF is Betty Crocker. God showed us it would not just be a coffee shop, but a ministry He was calling us to pioneer. Our quaint town is a very rural community—not the most likely place for a business to flourish—but God! We believe obedience brings blessings, and have seen that truth repeated throughout our coffee journey. We purchased our building in August of 2020 and opened the next spring. We could… Read More
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Growing up, my life was filled with instability and pain. My family was trapped in a cycle of generational trauma: alcoholism, domestic abuse, and emotional scars. Chaos and danger were constant companions, and the trauma became the theme of my existence. When I was 18, I found my oldest brother after he had taken his own life. That experience left an indelible mark on my soul. As I got older, I held on to the hope that life could offer something more. This search led me to God, and while faith didn’t immediately erase my PTSD and depression, it gave me a… Read More
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Sue Garrett never set out to make her cooking a business. But God had other plans for her. She had always shared pictures of what she was serving for dinner on her personal Facebook page. Being from the South, she loved to cook and share meal ideas with her friends. In July 2020 and in the middle of the pandemic, some owners of a vegetable farm came to her and asked if they could make a video of Sue preparing some dishes with their vegetables. She did and they put it on their Facebook page. And she put it on her page.… Read More
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The sound of a basketball swishing through the hoop is like music to a shooter’s ear. For a comedian, it’s the sound of laughter. It’s the ultimate feedback, the confirmation that the audience “gets you” and enjoys what you’re doing. Growing up in a middle-class home, I craved acceptance and recognition, though I often felt lost in a large family and school. Bullied and overlooked, I struggled with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. But there was one thing that always helped: laughter. It could lift my spirits, no matter how bad I felt. In high school, I began using humor to connect… Read More
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I could’ve gone to Nashville. I could’ve made it “big” by the world’s standards. But nothing is quite as fulfilling as playing for God. My personal convictions and His guidance led me to a place where I find solace in “Jammin’ for Jesus”. I come from a family of God-fearing men and women who show their love for Him through worship and praise. Some were even traveling Gospel singers, so I was more than humbled to follow along in their steps, knowing that’s what God wanted for me. Somewhere along the way though, I became distant from my personal calling. I chased what… Read More