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?
  • Children Labor

    HELPING PREVENT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

    After teaching personal body safety to over 1,000 kids, I was inspired to write the Say NO! and TELL! books. Child sexual abuse is prevalent and increasing nationwide. I know too many friends and family who have experienced this trauma. The intervention, sharing a survivor story and recovery parts are growing strong in this movement, although I saw a gap in prevention education. Almost instantly, I had a vision about the butterfly telling her story plus scenarios to role-play. I wanted to create something light, bright, colorful and positive with an animal character delivering this prevention message. I realized that children across the nation and world-wide could benefit from a boundaries approach to help prevent child sexual abuse with child-friendly language and age-appropriate content. And, body boundaries do not need to include reproduction so we can begin training very young children during those teachable moments. In January of 2015, I began researching prevention of child sexual abuse for about 1.5 years while writing the read-aloud children's books of Maisie Monarch for girls and Daxton Dolphin for boys. I also researched the tactics of an abuser and identified eight common ones, which I turned into positive life skills to role play. I also trained about 80 children’s church volunteers one summer, which led to writing the training workbook. During that time, my great concern was that our pornified culture and society was trying to lower the age of consent and normalize pedophilia. Sadly, it seems that it is already on our doorstep today. My husband and I have fully funded this endeavor and we… Read More

  • Church Activities Labor

    REPAIRING AND RENOVATING CHURCHES

    In a bustling city filled with skyscrapers and noise, I’m a construction worker. My life was once marked by emptiness and uncertainty, but amidst the chaos, an unexpected encounter with Christ brought solace and purpose to my existence. During my early years, I wandered through life, desperately searching for meaning. Addiction and the weight of my past mistakes burdened me. Deep inside, I yearned for something more substantial than the hollow pleasures offered by the daily grind. One fateful day, as I took a break from my construction work, I stumbled upon a small, weathered church hidden in a forgotten corner of the city. Intrigued, I entered, seeking refuge from the turmoil in my heart. Little did I know that this moment would mark the beginning of my transformation. Within those humble church walls, I encountered a community of people whose faith emanated genuine love and acceptance. They welcomed me with open arms, sharing their own stories of redemption and grace. Through their unwavering devotion to Christ, they introduced me to a love I had never known. Over time, I became a regular attendee of the church, hungry for the truth and hope that resonated in their lives. I immersed myself in the teachings of Christ, spending countless hours delving into the words of the Bible and seeking solace through prayer. In my newfound faith, I discovered an overwhelming peace and a sense of purpose that had eluded me for far too long. Through the transforming power of Christ's love, my life began to change. I found the strength to overcome my addictions, mend broken… Read More

  • Food Homeless

    A MUSTARD SEED OF FAITH

    Through walking this life with Christ, I’ve had the chance to witness the miracles that come with having faith, but it still doesn't change the shock and warmth one feels when experiencing one of these miracles first hand. I'm very passionate about charity. Little did I know, that passion would make me worthy of feeling the miracles of Christianity on a day where a miracle was greatly needed. I was given the chance to orchestrate an incredible act of kindness, to be a part of an effort that provides the homeless with food and other basic necessities. We reached out to a local homeless veteran’s shelter. I started by interviewing 30-40 individuals, asking them about their unique stories. I also asked for prayer requests, and if there was anything they needed at that moment that I could provide, which turned out to be anything ranging from something as vital as a wheelchair down to something as simple as a bus ticket. I spent time sharing each veteran's heart wrenching story on social media. I reached out to newspapers, as well as local radio and tv stations, hoping to spread the word. Thankfully with donations from local businesses, I was able to provide everyone with what they had asked for. The room where the gifts were placed was filled to the brim with items for each sweet soul, stacks of items that were towering over everyone. Little did I know this was only the beginning. Businesses had also donated food. There was one point I was concerned we weren't going to have enough for everyone… Read More

  • Children Labor Special Needs

    GIVING MORE THAN A HAIRCUT

    What an incredible blessing it is for me to open up my barber shop once a month and spend my day off giving children with special needs a free haircut. This has become the day I always look forward to! And I can certainly see God's hand in how this all started. I’ve been cutting hair for 20 years and am now fortunate enough to have my own shop. I've always tried to provide a supportive environment for my clients, where they feel comfortable sharing stories of struggle and triumph, stories about good days and bad. We’ve been blessed to have a pretty steady business where we are booked all day long. It’s important to keep on schedule so we don’t keep people waiting. I had a few instances where people made appointments for their kids but didn’t specify they were children with special needs. Many kids with special needs deal with sensory overload, so a trip to get a haircut often leads to very stressful situations for the child, the parent and the barber. Those haircuts require a lot more time, so not planning additional time for these cuts would throw off my schedule for the rest of the day. But my heart went out to these kids and their parents because of their unusual circumstances. As a barber, I saw the need for a place where children with disabilities are supported during a haircut, and an environment is created where parents or caregivers don't have to explain their child's behavior or apologize for something they may do or say. So it was… Read More

  • Hospital Overcoming Obstacles Recovery

    FROM CANCER’S GRIP TO GOD’S GRACE

    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 prayer meeting, a pleading with God for healing. Through intensive treatment, I emerged victorious, igniting an unyielding desire to serve others. Following my recovery, I found comfort and fulfillment as a children's minister within my local church. Driven by a passion for healthcare, I pursued a career as a registered nurse and embarked on the journey to become a nurse practitioner. However, as I prepared to take this next step, the shocking news of another lymphoma diagnosis rattled my world. It seemed like an insurmountable setback. As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the bleak battle took its toll on my body, mind, and spirit. In the despair of my own suffering, I found myself drawing closer to Jesus, my Savior and Comforter. His presence became more than a mere belief; it became a tangible reality that carried me through the darkest nights. The intimacy we shared during those moments of anguish was unlike anything I had experienced before; a… Read More

  • Overcoming Obstacles

    A COMPLETE SURRENDER

    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 precious lives hung in the balance to be stewarded as gifts, the lies in my ears whispered, “undeserving.” There I was, in the prime of my twenties, with life pressing in around me as if its walls had a heartbeat and a desire to suffocate me. I chose hopelessness. At 24, I was divorced, estranged from family, and barely getting enough time for goodnight kisses with my kids. I was seeking couches to sleep on, drugs to get high with, and jobs to quit time and time again; I lost the battle on the downswing. I suffocated between the war in my head and the expectations of my circumstances. So, I called my dad. “I need to come home.” Suddenly rock bottom didn’t feel so much like punctures to my rib cage, but more like a chance for fresh air. At 26, I got clean, I got my kids back, and one hot summer day, I sat down in the dirt under a… Read More

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