“God teaches us resilience when our plans fall apart,” Jodi believes. “Overcoming is relinquishing the plans you have and embracing the new plan God has for your life.” * Her real name is used with permission. A Family in Need Just like many young married couples, Jodi and her husband, Peter, envisioned plan A –…
In April of 2017, the children’s television show, Sesame Street, introduced Julia, a muppet with autism. The show’s autism awareness initiative carried the theme: See Amazing in All Children. Thank you, Sesame Street, for continuing to introduce characters with differing abilities! As an educator of twenty years, I continue to strive to see the amazing…
“For many years, the voice in my head convinced me the sexual molestation happening to me was my fault,” Nicole* shared. Her perpetrator, a family member, began abusing her when she was five years old. She knew it was wrong, but his intimidation and control were threatening enough that Nicole stayed silent. Nicole withdrew and…
In July of 2017, Atlanta Redemption Ink was launched so the redemption Jessica* found when she covered her trafficker’s logo with a new tattoo could be shared with countless others. * Her real name is used with permission. Over 160 survivors of sex trafficking, abuse, gang involvement, and self-harm have received tattoos to cover branding…
H-O-M-E. Four powerful letters knit together. Most of us take home for granted. Not Addlia*. She truly understands what the other 553,742 homeless people in the United States in 2017 faced when they didn’t have a place to call home. Addlia and her son, Jaiden, were among those statistics just a year earlier. * Her…
A broken home by age one set the wheels in motion for years upon years of struggle. In a time when divorce wasn’t common, both of her parents quickly remarrying other people was confusing and divided her heart. Tracy* wouldn’t understand until many years later that when her dad built a Christian family with another…
If you haven’t read part 1 of Dianne’s story, please read it here first. God Protected Her One night after moving into her own apartment, Dianne invited a friend over to hang out. When Dianne heard footsteps outside the door, she opened it to find a man with a gun instead of her friend. He…
Dianne* met a couple of strip club dancers when she was 17 who encouraged her to dance, but she told them she wasn’t interested. So they encouraged her to turn tricks instead. * Her real name, used with permission. “I was too screwed up to get a job, and I needed money for drugs,” Dianne…
Most of us have been there. In the dark. Feeling lost. Trapped. Lacking vision. Lacking hope. Singer/songwriter Mandisa WAS there, but now. Now she’s out of the dark and into the light! This album is POWERFUL! Out of the Dark Mandisa said Psalm 40:2-3 was the inspiration for her new music. It says, “He…
Like every college freshman who adds the “freshman fifteen,” Bridget* began dieting and exercising her sophomore year. Before long the glamorous idea of getting healthy turned into an obsessive behavior. One that took over her life. * Her real name, used with permission. Despite reaching the goal of studying meteorology at her first choice college,…