Stories - The Christian Heart

How Everyday People Live Out Their Christian Faith

Illustrating how men and women display their love for Jesus in their day-to-day lives.
Little things that may have an eternal impact. Might these stories motivate you to use your talents?

Labor Loss Of Loved One Other Unique Ministries
WHAT ABOUT US

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 this day. For a while, I gave up on God. I didn’t know what He had in store for me. For months, I cried, asking why. I remember my grandmother used to say, “Don’t ask God why or question why,” but at that moment, I needed to question it. Three months after my son’s death, I heard his voice saying, “Momma, I am sorry.” During that whole year, my life was up and down. The day I found out about my son, I had fallen and fractured my hip. I was in so much grief that I went six months without realizing it. The pain in my body did not overwhelm the pain in my heart. On Mother’s Day 2021, I tried to take my life. I took a bunch of pills, and I went to sleep. During that time, I had a vision. My son came to me and said, “Mom, you've got to help the ones like you.” Instantly, I awoke from my sleep. I began throwing up and… Read More

April 23, 2025
Labor Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
THE REFUGE COFFEE HOUSE

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 spend hours sharing all the testimonies we have and the ways God met every need and calmed every anxiety with His peace in bringing Refuge Coffee House from heart to reality. He was in every detail, and brought the right people and resources to us at the exact moments we needed them. God’s timing is impeccable, and He really does supply all our needs according to His riches in glory! The term "Refuge" is found multiple times in Scripture. Our coffee shop is specifically named after Psalm 46:1, which says, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." We offer a true place of "refuge" to all who come through our doors. Our heart is to be a safe place for people to experience the love and truth of Jesus. For some, that happens for the first time at Refuge. We pray with customers, share the Gospel, and give away Bibles. We host monthly worship and… Read More

April 16, 2025
Mentoring Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries
DEALING WITH LIFE’S ROUGH WATERS

For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been my refuge; I found solace watching the waves; they were my only escape from a tumultuous childhood. I was the eighth of nine children born into poverty in a beachside town in Costa Rica. My neighborhood was nicknamed “little hell.” My mother walked out on my family when I was four, dramatically changing the course of my life. I still vividly remember the moment she loaded her suitcase into a taxi and rode off, leaving me confused and crying in the dusty street. My father turned to alcohol to deal with the stress of trying to raise so many kids alone, but it became too much for him, and he also stepped out of my life. The parental responsibility then fell to my 15-year-old sister. When my sister could no longer care for me, through no fault of her own, I ended up on the street, subject to abuse and a myriad of unhealthy experiences. The thrill I felt in my first surfing experience at three-years-old, before my life turned upside down, filled my daydreams. That feeling of joy became the comfort I chased after. My passion for surfing eventually led me to compete at national and then international levels. But even then, the accolades and awards did nothing to numb the pain of abandonment. At 15 years old, I decided that ending my life might be the only real chance I had to escape from the pain. What followed can only be described as a divine encounter: a Christian Surfers leader named Alex found… Read More

April 9, 2025
Overcoming Obstacles
FULLY SURRENDERING

Growing up in a physically and mentally abusive home, I often asked myself, "What's wrong with me? Why was I born? How can I be better?" These questions lingered into adulthood. From a young age, I recognized that my mama was hurting from the abuse she endured. At nine, I learned that the man I thought was my father was actually my adoptive dad. I craved acceptance and sought love in all the wrong places, but I didn’t know how to love myself. At 21, I married the man I thought I would be with forever, hoping for a "normal" life and the family I dreamed of. Thankfully, I was blessed with two amazing children—Jase and Jayden. They became my saving grace. However, my relationship with their father was manipulative, and we divorced before Jase turned one. I then entered another relationship, hoping it would bring happiness, but it only led to more pain. I was the problem because I didn’t know who I was or how to love myself. This spiraled into self-medication and a destructive path. Eventually, my ex-husband and I reconciled, thinking it was where I was meant to be, but I continued to self-medicate and felt constantly inadequate. I thought having another child would heal everything, but I failed to realize how selfish it was to bring another life into that chaos. After two rehab stints, I reached a breaking point, holding a gun and contemplating ending it all. Then, I heard my children’s voices calling, “Mama!” In that moment, God snapped me back to reality and reminded me I… Read More

April 2, 2025
Children Mentoring Verbalizing the Gospel
UNKNOWINGLY PLANTING SEEDS

My life has been a journey of mundane moments, mountaintops, valleys, and soaring times, all shaped by my hope in the Lord. I recall my youth, weary and stumbling, but also how God continually renewed my strength. His loving guidance, like a constant presence over me, has been my anchor (Psalm 32:8). Even in the mundane, I’ve witnessed His hand, especially during my high school years. In the 1980s, my days were filled with music, Bible quizzing, art, and babysitting—seemingly ordinary, but deeply significant. I was passionate about studying Scripture for Bible quizzing, memorizing verses from the New Testament, and reciting them perfectly. During lunch, I would visit my band director's office to recite Scripture, oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t a believer at the time. I remember his room stinking with his infamous onion sandwiches, but I continued showing up every day, faithfully quoting God’s Word. By the time I graduated, I had earned several music scholarships and declared that I would be a band director in ten years. Remarkably, that vision came true. Fast forward to my adult life as a band director, I found myself at a music festival where my old band director was still teaching. After the event, he asked if we could have lunch the next day. At lunch, he revealed something I had never imagined: he thanked me for quoting Scripture to him all those years ago. He told me my unwavering faith had inspired him to learn more about God. He had become a Christian, married a believer, and raised a family in the faith. My heart… Read More

March 26, 2025
Overcoming Obstacles Unique Ministries Verbalizing the Gospel
TRULY OVERCOMING HIS DISABILITY

George Dennehy was born without arms in a Romanian orphanage. The workers there neglected him and he was severely malnourished. At 16 months old, he weighed just nine pounds. A Romanian doctor hung a death certificate on his crib, telling the nurses to fill in the date when the time came. But his life changed dramatically when he was adopted at 18 months by a family in Connecticut who believed in giving orphans a chance at a good life. And that family didn’t stop with George. He now has 12 siblings, and nine have been adopted from six different countries. His parents loved him and nursed him to health. They also challenged him to overcome his disability. His older siblings were taking music lessons. When George was eight, his parents noticed that George was playing instruments with his toes and seemed to have an ear for music. His parents approached the children’s music teacher, Jennifer Petry, to see if she would try giving George some cello lessons. Jennifer went above and beyond to make this happen. She actually taught herself to play the cello with her feet so she could give George proper instruction. In later years, George would admit that this put some added incentive for him to learn the cello: “I no longer had an excuse if Jennifer could do it. What a life lesson that she taught herself to do that to help me.” Learning the cello was extremely difficult. Practices caused a lot of pain to his toes, as he tried to move them freely and smoothly. But his parents and teacher pushed… Read More

March 19, 2025

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Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 39

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 118

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 47

Unique Ministries 169

Verbalizing the Gospel 77

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