Six years ago my first child was born. Like every first time Dad I expected to have the perfect baby girl. I’d prayed about it. I knew God was going to show up. Her birth would be just right. Quick and painless. A series of events meant this didn’t happen. Instead of a beautiful birth my wife needed an emergency Caesar. And my precious daughter was born with a soft palate cleft. This is when there is a hole in the roof of the mouth which makes feeding difficul [...]
God is still in the miracle healing business. Here is proof.
I was born and raised as a Catholic. I was told that I was "baptized" into the gates of heaven as a baby. I had always been told that if you were a good person and did the best that you could, that when you died, you would go to heaven. [...]
I was born in South Africa to amazing parents. I was the middle child, having an older brother and a younger sister.
Growing up we went to church, but for me at least there was no relationship with God. Most Sundays I would pretend to sleep in as long as possible so that I did not have to go to Sunday school. One of the few memories I have of church back then is that the pastor spoke about hearing God talk to him. At the time, I remember thinking, “God doesn't still talk to people.” [...]
When I was 20 years old, I was committed to a Christian girl and we loved each other. After two years of dating, she started to get depressed and I severely underestimated how serious it was, while overestimating how much I could help her myself. When I finally tried to step away so that she could seek help without being a distraction, she nearly took her life in her dorm before an RA and I broke down the door.
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There are many reasons why people love birthdays: presents, parties, food, friends and family, as well as many more reasons. Mine begins every year with the story of my birth. You see, I knew God had a plan for my life, but I ignored it. After hearing the same story from my mom every year, it seemed mundane and routine. It was not until I finally listened to the details of my story that I realized the story was not for me. In fact, it’s not even about me, its all about God. I have the opportunity to be a vessel for Him. I believe we all have that opportunity no matter what our testimony. God gave us stories to bring Him glory. [...]
“Surrender” has been my word for 2015. I have prayed over this word countless times, asking God to give me the desire to wholeheartedly surrender to Him. To surrender my fears, desires, doubts, etc. To be honest, I chose the word “surrender” because I can be quite a control freak. I enjoy knowing the details, to have a plan. [...]
It's so easy to become desperate while waiting for a spouse. We want to take control and find them ourselves instead of letting God lead us to whoever He has for us. As Candra can testify, the single life isn't a curse; it's a blessing, a time to serve the Lord faithfully. Trust in the Lord and let Him lead you to His best. [...]
Grief was like a dark cloud, suffocating the room with its anesthetic, crippling the mind of making sense of this new reality. Some of us were weeping and some stood in shock as the body of my husband’s dear mom—my mother-in-law—lay lifeless on the floor, her soul now rejoicing in the presence of God. I thought maybe God would shine a ray of light or give some sign of her presence in Heaven to give us hope here on earth. But the sorrow was so thick it was hard to see. Lord why don’t you relieve this blackness? [...]
If someone would have told me that my husband and I would be giving our youngest daughter away in marriage just a mere three weeks after sitting graveside saying goodbye to our oldest daughter, I never would have believed them. I never would have thought that this mother would have the kind of strength required to endure a funeral and a wedding in such a short period of time. I had often heard that during difficult times in our lives, we receive the strength we need when we need it. This proved itself true in my life in the spring of 2011. [...]
We are honored to share a part of Amanda’s personal journey here on Love Made Known. Her courage, vulnerability and honesty is inspiring; it’s not easy to share our deepest struggles or pain, but just as God is continuously conforming Amanda into His image, He is doing the same for you no matter what season you [...]