I was a shell of a human being. By the time I was 20 years old, my drinking progressed to the point where I was emotionally and spiritually isolated from everyone around me. I abandoned my childhood faith and thought if God was real, He wouldn't want anything to do with a person like me. But I was given a beautiful solution to my addiction when I joined a 12-step fellowship and was able to reconnect with God. Recovery has allowed me to regain my family's trust, maintain genuine friendships, graduate from college, have a healthy relationship with my boyfriend, keep… Read More
Mentoring
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The teenage years are crucial for a child, so when our older daughter was joining the church's youth group, we decided to become youth leaders. We planned to continue until our younger daughter graduated from high school. We just wanted to know their friends, their parents, and be involved in their lives. We had no idea that from the moment we started volunteering as youth leaders what that would mean for the rest of our lives. Both our girls have finished college and moved out. But we are still at the youth group every Wednesday. We're at every lock in, convention,… Read More
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I received an alarming call in early 2010. "Momma, please take care of my girls. I can't do this anymore!" My daughter was in a relationship that led her down a very destructive path. In short, she ended up losing her children and spending the next several years in and out of the drug world. She begged me to keep her girls and I agreed. Thus began an incredible calling. What was supposed to be a few months turned into years. I received full custody of my granddaughters and stayed in constant prayer for my daughter. I prayed over my granddaughters and taught them… Read More
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Academia is not an easy setting to proclaim Christ, but Jesus didn't call us to do what is easy. As a chemistry professor at our local community college, my faith is not checked at the door. In my discussions with my colleagues, I stand for Christ and the glory of His creation. I don't have as much freedom in the classroom, but God is not banned. As soon as I get my schedule, I begin praying over my students, asking God to give me a chance to share His grace with them. I make my classroom a safe place to… Read More
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I am in full-time ministry and married to the love of my life. We have four young children under the age of five. Oh, and I happen to enjoy breakdancing. My ministry is not what you would normally expect. From the outside, you will see a group of young guys from all different backgrounds breakdancing and having a blast. What is actually happening is discipleship. Years ago, I picked up breakdancing as a hobby and then God started using it as a tool to deeply engage the hip-hop culture. The goal is to reach the breaking community and see the Spirit transform… Read More
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When I look back on my life, I can see God's hands along every step, even when I experienced a rare brain tumor. Life was going along wonderfully. My wife, son and I had just adopted our 12 year old son from Colombia. I was doing well in my real estate job and even training for a marathon. One morning, I went out for a run and became extremely dizzy. If not for a park bench, I may have collapsed. I found my way home and thought it was just a chemical imbalance. But my wife convinced me to go… Read More