When I was pregnant with my fifth child, my pregnancy for the most part seemed to go normally. I didn’t gain more weight than usual and although I was extra tired, it still wasn’t so much that it felt out of the ordinary. When it came time to give birth, we anticipated a standard delivery. The pregnancy was largely uneventful. Until later. After our daughter was born, I wanted to go home right away so our new baby could meet all her sisters and I could sleep in my own bed. Due to complications with excessive bleeding, that was not an option.… Read More
Overcoming Obstacles
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I was 30 years old when my wife, Lyndsie, went home to Heaven after a 10-year battle with cancer, leaving me with two young kids. I walked out of that Emergency Room on August 28, 2015 without her, wondering how I would explain to our kids that their momma would not be coming home. I couldn’t believe this was my reality. In the weeks that followed, I was surrounded by people who loved me and my kids well. They sat with me, listened, brought meals, wrote encouraging notes, sent gift cards and helped with the kids. It was clear that our… Read More
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I was born with no legs, no left arm and only a partial right arm. My whole life I've been told what I can't do, but I'm here to tell you what I can do. I’m a professional fisherman competing in the Bassmaster Open Series. And I’m a motivational speaker. When I’m fishing, I attach lures using his mouth. To cast my line, I wedge my fishing rod between my neck and shoulder. And once I cast the line, it's just fishing, like anyone else. As a kid, I always wanted to be a pro athlete. I wasn’t going to let my… Read More
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In the depths of my darkest days, consumed by addiction and despair, I found solace in the unwavering love and guidance of Jesus Christ. His divine intervention ignited a transformative journey that rescued me from the clutches of addiction and instilled within me a profound sense of purpose and a burning desire to serve others. Through my recovery and subsequent community advocacy work, I strive to demonstrate my unwavering love for Jesus Christ by embodying His teachings and spreading His message of hope and redemption. One of the ways I put my faith into action is by volunteering at a drive-thru… Read More
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Arriving home on my 21st birthday to a house filled with my beloved family, the air buzzed with anticipation of a joyous celebration. Little did I know that this day would forever be etched in my memory as a pivotal one. With a heavy heart and trembling voice, my dad mustered the courage to utter the words that had consumed our thoughts for the past hour, "She has cancer." The atmosphere instantly shifted from jubilation to a profound silence, punctuated only by the collective tears and anguished expressions of my loved ones. What was to be a celebration turned into a… Read More
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Rock bottom was the place I called home at the age of 25. I was well loved and well taught as a child. But by 19, I was birthing the beautiful, blonde-headed boy I would come to find as my temporary saving grace. Yet, I couldn’t seem to see past my own insecurities. Instead of celebrating when 21 came around, I was fighting off an abusive husband who’d turn to aggression, force, and violence to control me. I mistook this as love. As I turned 23, I had brought another life into the world with curls that even Shirley Temple would revere. As… Read More