Ginny L. Yttrup | B&H Books
Ten-year-old
Kaylee Wren has a giant vocabulary—evidence of hours spent pouring through the
pages of her mother’s dictionary. However, Kaylee doesn’t speak, and why would
she?
Abandoned
by her parents, molested by her mother’s former boyfriend time and again in a
cabin in the redwoods, Kaylee has every reason to shut herself away
emotionally. The many words she has collected in her mind are her only
companions, a hollowed redwood her only refuge.
Robert Leon Davis | Monarch Books
By the time Robert Leon Davis turned himself in to
authorities after 22 years of living as a fugitive, he had collected a grocery
list of crimes worth many years in prison—but God proved Himself merciful.
Born the eldest of nine children, Davis was raised by his
grandmother’s sister. Despite his Christian upbringing, he was unable to live
untainted by Hollygrove, a “crime-infested” area of New Orleans, where he
learned to steal cars.
Cathy Marie Hake | Bethany House
Though
skilled in bartering, Maggie Rose takes a risk every time she trades one of her
many treasures with those who visits her home in Carver’s Holler. But when Todd
Valmer stumbles upon her doorstep carrying his very sick mother, Maggie soon
realizes she is about to barter her most prized possession—her heart.
Esteban Pedraza (pictured left) says he’s inspired—inspired by “people I know”—which happens to be the title of his personal, award-winning short film.
This summer, the 20-year-old student from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University won first place in the age 18-25 filmmaker category at the Tony Blair Faith Foundations global film competition called Faith Shorts.
In the film, Pedraza tells how his mother, Marcela Gomez (pictured), moved to Nashville, Tenn., when Pedraza was a toddler and raised him alone. He also includes his best friend, Chris Thomason, who struggled with drug addiction. Each overcame life’s darkest moments through their faith.
Born with a hearing problem—in addition to having speech issues and wearing glasses and braces—Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings was made fun of for most of her childhood. That is, until she realized she had a knack for playing...
Tim Thompson should be dead, but God had other plans for him. At only age 6, Thompson almost drowned in a frozen lake. His brother did die—while saving him—and Thompson resented God after this experience.
Aching for his brother’s company, Thompson tried to communicate with him in the afterlife, and got an answer. “I heard a voice coming against God. It sounded like my brother’s voice. We were able to spend time together again,” Thompson says.
For millions of orphaned children in Africa, blankets do more than warm their bodies—they give them hope, reminding them that someone in the world cares for them.
What makes Operation Kid-to-Kid’s “God Loves Me” program even more special is that both the donors and recipients of the blankets are children. “Children learn best by doing, and so this gives them a tangible way to express their love and God’s love to other children,” says spokeswoman Shannon Velasquez.
Weighing about 100 pounds and facing hospitalization, award-winning vocalist Candy Christmas, former member of southern gospel group The Hemphills, says she hit rock bottom.
In 2004 her doctor, seeing Christmas’ depression was winning the war inside and out, suggested medication or admittance to a hospital. But deep inside, Christmas knew there was another way to overcome the darkness in her life.
“I knew that the Word of God says that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and so I told my doctor … either my religion works for me or it doesn’t, and I’m just not going to go that direction,” Christmas says.
Randall Wallace wrote the Academy Award-winning film Braveheart, as well as such box-office hits as We Were Soldiers, The Man in the Iron Mask and Pearl Harbor. His latest venture was directing Disney's Secretariat, which opens Oct. 8. As a part of creating...
Jars of Clay | Essential Records
Incredibly difficult is one way to describe Grammy-winning Jars of Clay’s newest album, The Shelter—meaning it’s going to be incredibly difficult to remove your finger from the repeat button. Believe me, I know.
The Shelter, Jars of Clay’s 11th studio project, is a community-minded masterpiece, brought to life by Jars of Clay members—Charlie Lowell, Dan Haseltine, Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark—along with songwriting and vocal guests such as Brandon Heath, Mac Powell, Toby Mac, Mike Donehey, Matt Maher and Laura Story.
Each of the 11 songs is a testament of the beauty of living together as one and being led by the Spirit as a community.
Born with a hearing problem—in addition to having speech issues and wearing glasses and braces—Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings was made fun of for most of her childhood. That is, until she realized she had a knack for playing sports.
“No matter what sport it was, no one could make fun of me,” says Catchings, who eventually decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a professional basketball player. She dedicated her life to achieving that dream.
Over time, however, Catchings says basketball “became my god.” It wasn’t until she damaged her ACL during a college game that she realized it was time to recommit herself to Christ. Only then did she begin living her dream.
Bebo Norman | BEC Recordings
Singer-songwriter Bebo Norman aimed for simplicity while working on his seventh studio project, Ocean, which releases today. As a result, he was left with music so moving, lyrics so rich and messages so deep that it makes the album an absolute must-buy this season.
Not unlike his previous recordings, Norman’s personal approach to Ocean is much like looking into the windows of not only his soul, but also the souls of every believer who may struggle to remember who they are in Christ, especially when it can be so easy to define our lives by relationships and occupations.
As many as 2 million students worldwide are expected to gather at 7 a.m. Wednesday to pray for a moral and spiritual awakening in their schools and nations during the 20th anniversary See You at the Pole (SYATP) event.
Since the prayer day launched in Burleson, Texas, in 1990, millions of students—from preschool to college—have gathered around their campus flagpoles to pray each September for their leaders, schools and families during the annual event.
This summer 24-year-old Brian Seeley wanted to do more than just soak up the sun on the beaches of sunny Florida. He decided to live alongside the homeless in Lakeland, Fla.
The Southeastern University senior wanted to build lasting relationships when he willingly gave up the comforts most college students enjoy by sleeping outdoors, taking bucket showers and eating with the homeless at places that offer free food.