When my twin sister called me from Los Angeles to tell me that her 10-year-old son, Jackson, had a brain tumor. I was completely numb. It didn’t seem real. Within 24 hours, he had gone from a basic MRI…
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During the last meal Jesus had on earth, He instructed us to remember Him by the very thing we indulge in every day without thought. Family dinner night started from a prophetic vision over my husband at our church’s…
I wanted to be the pastor of a church, but I ended up being an Uber and Lyft driver. Yet I wouldn’t change a thing. I now truly believe I’m just pastoring a very different kind of church and…
I was at the funeral for a two-year-old child of a dear friend. The child’s father preached an amazing eulogy, and said 93% of Christians never share their faith. I was so moved. That’s when I prayed and asked…
For several years, I battled an eating disorder that consumed my days. I was dieting or binging, and always hating who I was. One day, I promised a friend that I would come and serve the homeless with her,…
I’ve been hand throwing pottery for nine years, beginning in high school. It has always come naturally to me and is a meditative, sweet time for me to quietly sit and talk to God. Being behind the pottery wheel,…
We all need extra love and comfort sometimes, especially if you’re a kid going through a difficult time. That’s why I started “Lucy’s Love Blankets.” I make and ship flannel blankets for free to kids going through an illness,…
For most of my life, I never would have imagined I would be the director of a nonprofit helping our homeless neighbors get back on their feet. Twelve years ago, my seemingly ideal life and marriage ended in divorce.…
I never thought my calling in life would be to dress up as Spider-Man and visit sick children in hospitals all around the country. But that is where God has led me. In real life, I’ve been a corrections…
I’m always amazed at God’s plan. When I was young, I saw my mom go through abusive relationships, homelessness and other hardships. She walked through and overcame tragic challenges. Two seeds were planted in me: a drive to succeed…
Infertility affects so many couples but is rarely discussed. My husband and I married in 2011 and a year later, we tried to start a family. But we couldn’t get pregnant. We got tested, and were told we’d never…
‘There’s a 10-day old baby girl and she has a disease,’ I was told. ‘I’ll take her,’ I said without hesitation. Just hours later, the social worker was at our door in Guatemala, holding a bundle wrapped in a…
We need to care and be kind to one another. I was blown away when I learned how America has failed older kids in the foster care system. Once foster kids reach the age of 18, they “age out”.…
The world is so divided right now. You can’t say anything without offending someone and causing strife. This is so contrary to what God commands us to do: love one another. It’s one of His two great commandments. Yet…
I have always liked the thought of kids giving a helping hand to other kids. When we decided to homeschool, I began to look for opportunities where we could serve as a family. People need help in many different…
The parable of the Good Samaritan really hit me during this pandemic. Jesus expects us to help each other, not look the other way. When the Coronavirus started to spread, I was worried about the people on the frontlines…
I have always been passionate about helping people and I knew that we had people in our own community that needed help. Especially during this pandemic and so many people losing their jobs. The state and local benefits offered…
I wanted to find a special way to honor our veterans. I got a little tired of the media showing people disrespecting our flag, although I value their right to protest. Veterans put their life on the line to…
I was 19 weeks into my difficult pregnancy when I was told by our local hospital that I would miscarry and there wasn’t much they could do. I wanted to give our child every possible chance at life, so…
Staying at home during this pandemic is not easy. We all need to be finding some meaningful things to do with our time. Since we were coming up on Easter week, I decided to make our two grown sons…
When I retired from my job, I knew I wanted to serve the Lord with my gifts and volunteer at my church. I went to a meeting at my church. A leadership position needed to be filled. I was…
From the first time I walked through the door at The River, I had a feeling of hope. I didn’t know what to expect, but forming relationships and watching lives change right before my eyes was not what I…
I learned to sign at a very young age because I had a family member who used it to communicate. I learned from a video series alongside my siblings. Early on in college, I decided to change my major…
I spend a lot of time in my van. I am a busy homeschooling mom of three active kids, and a lot of our talks about God happen while on the road. It is important to me to have…
When our son, Isaac, was 17 months old, we were told words that no parent ever wants to hear: “your son has cancer”. I remember feeling numb. And I wanted to run screaming from that room and tell them…
One Saturday of every month, I host a prayer breakfast for adults in my home. One day, we noticed a diverse group of children walking up and down my street with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Idle…
As a university professor, I spend most of my time with adults. I love mentoring these future leaders. It’s very fulfilling work. But twice a month, I spend my lunch hour with an elementary school boy that I met…
I founded Sufficient Grace Ministries for Women in 2004, eight years after the loss of my twin daughters Faith and Grace and about six years after the loss of my son, Thomas. Faith and Grace were born still in…
Most people look forward to the day they retire. I suppose I was no different. At first, I wanted a typical sit-around-and-lounge retirement, but the fantasy of that wore off quickly. It didn’t take long before I was bored…
I remember a time when family not only meant that which you were born into, but also the people around us who we “do life” with. God is the greatest advocate for community, and I do not believe it…