It’s been a long road for me to get to this place. In 2008, I was kidnapped and held hostage for five months. I was pregnant and scared. From the beginning, my ex had an ulterior motive to have a child with me. He took advantage of me, and the family said to marry him so as not to embarrass them. When I tried to leave, he stabbed me in the abdomen. I managed to escape when my daughter was three months old, but he followed us and nearly beat me to death. Because he was well-known in the community, there were… Read More
Loving Your Neighbor
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My desire to help people began a couple years ago with writing five heartfelt letters of encouragement to soldiers, inmates, and others who needed hope in their lives. But the number of letters I've written has now grown to over four thousand. It reminds me of when Jesus took two loaves of bread and five little fish, and ended up feeding five thousand people. By sharing God’s love with others in these letters, I want them to see that God is good. Sharing God’s Word is food for the soul. During the Covid pandemic, the world was in such a dark place.… Read More
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My wife of 53 years passed away in November 2022. Not only did I grieve, but I also went into depression. On top of that, I have PTSD from serving in Vietnam. It was a tough time for me. I’m 76 and found myself just sitting around the house. I was sinking deeper into depression. I knew I had to do something about it. I reflected on what my mom drilled into me as a kid. I was raised going to church and the Christian doctrine of helping others was underscored to me time and again. She always told me loving and… Read More
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When I first traveled to Kenya with my wife, God really opened my eyes to how people of different statuses are created in His image. This means they deserve the same love and dignity as anyone else. I felt moved by this, and wanted a practical way to apply it when I returned home to the States. God answered my prayers when I was job searching. I looked for business management positions, but He called me to work for a homeless ministry. Created in His image, people who live outside deserve the same love and dignity as anyone… Read More
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I own God Body Gym in Memphis. One day, I found a young homeless man asleep in my car behind our building. I didn’t know at the time that God’s plan would be for me to mentor that young man, and my gym would become his home for the last nine months…and counting. And it’s clear that God was preparing me for this for almost a decade. About ten years ago, God got my attention. I owned a small company but I was getting into a little trouble, doing some things that weren’t right. My company experienced some turmoil, and I… Read More
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When natural disaster inevitably strikes, my job takes me into the chaos and destruction that most people choose to evacuate and avoid. I’ve been working for a federal disaster relief agency for six years now and the crushing reality of disaster still devastates me. Somedays, I wonder why God called me into a job that’s physically, emotionally, and spiritually so hard and heavy. I live in hotels for months at a time, which keeps me away from my family for most of the year. I stay prepared to go wherever disaster strikes with little to no warning in advance. I work… Read More