Stories Of Hope & Inspiration

[FineLinen]

Casen Broussard

Just 6 months after his second birthday, little Casen Broussard's parents got the worst news they could ever imagine. Casen was diagnosed with a type of children's cancer called neuroblastoma. It was heartbreaking to think that at such a young age, Casen's life may be nearly over. But then the little boy talked to Jesus. And what the family didn't yet realize was that God was about to do something amazing!

Because of his illness, Casen would require surgery. As the day of the scheduled operation grew closer, Casen began having seemingly one sided conversations. But when his parents asked him who he was talking to, the little boy's answer shocked his parents!

"We would ask him, ‘Case, who you taking to?'" says Linzy, Casen's mom. "[He'd say] ‘Jesus. Talking to Jesus, Mom. Talking to Jesus Dad,' like [he was saying] ‘really? Don't you already know this? Can't you see him?’"

Casen's conversations with Jesus continued.

But it's what Casen shared with his family after the surgery that had them convinced God was at work.

His mom says, "He said ‘I went up in the sky.' I said ‘OK, who was there?' He said, ‘Jesus, Father, and you know, the other one.' He described it in detail, what it looked like and what Jesus looked like and what God looked like."

Casen, who is now 4 years old, says that while he was in Heaven, he was given a set of wings. But Jesus told the boy it was not yet his time, so Casen says Jesus pushed him and he flew back home. After returning to him to his body, Casen says the wings flew back to Heaven, where they were "put up" until it was his time to wear them again.

Casen's grandmother says, "I truly felt like he had been there and that he had experienced it, with no doubt. The things he said couldn't have been anything that he would have heard from anybody."

Following the surgery, Casen underwent a bone marrow transplant and extensive treatments. But Casen had the best friend you could ever have seeing him through it all — Jesus. And the last scan Casen had was all clear. He'll be heading to St. Jude's Hospital soon for further evaluation, and we'll be praying his miraculous progress will continue.

In the meantime, the small but mighty Casen has been living out Jesus' Great Commission, making disciples of his family. They are happily sharing Casen's story, giving all of the glory to God. His mom says,

"It's made our whole family closer to God. It's made us all believe a million times more than we ever would have."

It's amazing to see God's power, as he took this family's greatest struggle and used it to further His kingdom!

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

 

[FineLinen]

On Monday, a celestial event took place visible to most of the world as the 'Great Conjunction' between Jupiter and Saturn took place.

It was the first time since 1226 that such a convergence had taken place. The convergence of the two planets had the appearance of an exceptionally bright star, hence nicknamed the 'Bethlehem' Star.

A few years ago, National Geographic published an article describing a real celestial event that took place at the time of the birth of Jesus.

Risto Santala reports that in 1603, Johannes Kepler observed a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces; he observed a "new, particularly brilliant and strangely colored star between Jupiter and Saturn, which soon faded."

Kepler suggested that the Star of Bethlehem could have been such an event. Later, Alfred Edersheim wrote, "There can be no doubt that the most remarkable conjunction of planets -- that of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces, which occurs only once in 800 years -- did take place no less than three times in the year 747 A.U.C., or two years before the birth of Christ (in May, October, and December). This conjunction is admitted by all astronomers."

Santala writes, "The constellations of the zodiac were generally identified with different nations, Pisces, for example, is considered the patron constellation of Syria and Palestine, and the revealer of the End Times. Saturn was associated with Palestine in Babylonian astrology, whereas Jupiter was the royal planet, foreshadowing a political Golden Age.

Thus, when Jupiter conjoined with Saturn in Pisces it was obvious that the Ruler of the End Times had been born in Palestine."

Whether or not this was the "star" the wise men saw is debatable, but it strongly suggests that a real and significant celestial event did take place roughly at the time of the birth of Jesus. As millions around the world are celebrating His birth this week, we ought to remember that one purpose for which God created the stars was, "for signs." -Genesis 1:14

 

[FineLinen]

Christmas is the time of year when it seems anything is possible.

We all get a little more brave and more willing to take risks.

Lily Rice knows all about that. Earlier this year a video of Lily doing a backflip in her wheelchair went viral.

13-year-old Lily is in a wheelchair due to a hereditary condition which causes the muscles in her lower body to tighten up making her unable to walk. But Lily has refused to let her chair slow her down.

One day Lily saw a video of Wheelchair Motocross athletes doing back-flips in their chairs and she figured if they could do it she could do it! So she decided to give it a try. When she finally stuck that landing Lily became the first female in Europe to backflip a wheelchair!

When musician Tom Fletcher saw the video he knew couldn’t help but think of a song he wrote, for his musical Christmas children’s book The Christmasaurus, called ‘Afraid of Heights.’ When Lily agreed to tell her story and star in Tom’s music video it was like the partnership was written in the stars!

[youtube]Er5jqmjaoo0[/youtube]

 

[Eric h]

I recently heard a man’s story who had been on the 12 step programme; he had come through a lifetime of addiction with drink, drugs and violence. His life was in such a mess; that one night he ended up sitting on a high bridge, with his legs over the edge. He said, God you have thirty seconds to reveal yourself, or I am jumping.

Seconds later his phone rang; the lady on the other end said, I have just woken up it’s 2 in the morning; and I had this strong feeling that I should phone you, but I don’t know why. We haven’t spoken for years. The man said, I know why you have phoned.

The man gave up his addictions and turned his life round from that moment, and he is now on fire for our Lord.

 

[FineLinen]

During the 1990's in an NCAA Division II national championship cross-country race in California, a bizarre twist of events took place.

Mike Delcavo and 127 of the best runners in the country were battling for glory over the 10,000-meter course. About three miles into the race, Delvaco was somewhere in the middle of the pack, when he realized that the runners had made a wrong turn. So he yelled out, "You're going the wrong way," but they didn't listen. Only 4 others followed Mike when he turned in the right direction...and suddenly, he found himself in the lead.

However that lasted only about a mile.

Mike and the runners who followed him soon reunited with the larger pack who, having gone the wrong way, actually shaved about a half a mile off the course, and were now in the lead again. The final blow came when, because so many of the runners had gone the wrong way, the officials changed the official course route to accommodate their error. So when Mike Delcavo finally crossed the finish line, he was number 103 overall.

At the end of the race, some of Delcavo's competitors "thought it was funny that he went the right way."

In our mixed up world, when everybody is wrong, then wrong becomes right. However, in the world to come there is only one Judge and He will not change the correct course regardless of how many or how few actually run it. His rewards will be based on our having stayed the true course.

 

[FineLinen]

Monty Williams

An estimated 900 people were gathered at a church in Oklahoma City when Monty Williams took the stage to give his wife’s eulogy. In a time of such loss, you might expect to see weakness. But the NBA assistant coach was the picture of strength. And the incredibly powerful message he delivered revealed an unshakable faith that is truly inspiring.

Monty is known to the general public as the Assistant Coach for the NBA basketball team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. But to those who know him better, Monty is known as a deeply devoted Christian, as was his wife of 20 years, Ingrid Williams.

Ingrid tragically died because of injuries she sustained in a car accident. The collision occurred after a speeding SUV lost control, crossed over the yellow line and hit Ingrid’s car head-on. Both Ingrid and the woman driving the SUV lost their lives.

The unexpected tragedy suddenly left Monty a widower and single father to the couple’s five children. It’s just the kind of heartbreaking blow that leaves many questioning their faith. But for Monty, there was no question that God always makes good on His promises, and he found comfort in the assurances God gives to all of those who trust in Him.

"God will work this out,” Monty said.

“My wife is in heaven. God loves us. God is love. And when we walk away from this place today, let's celebrate. Because my wife is where we all need to be. And I'm envious of that. But I got five crumb-snatchers I've got to deal with. I love you guys for taking time out of your day to celebrate my wife. We didn't lose her. When you lose something you can't find it. I know exactly where my wife is. I'll miss holding her hand. I'll miss talking with my wife.”

One of the most powerful moments came when Monty addressed the woman responsible for the accident:

“Everybody is praying for me and my family, and that is right, but let us not forget that there were two people in this situation, and that family needs prayer as well. And we have no ill will toward that family. In my house, we have a sign that says ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' We cannot serve the Lord if we don't have a heart of forgiveness.

That family didn't wake up wanting to hurt my wife. Life is hard. Life is very hard. And that was tough. But we hold no ill will towards the Donaldson family. And we, as a group, brothers united in unity, should be praying for that family, because they grieve as well.”

It was a stunning display of grace and forgiveness. It was a testament to just how strong Monty’s faith is, which had an impact on all who were there.

“If you know Monty, you’re a better person for knowing him,” said David West, a player for the San Antonio Spurs. “It’s a really tough situation for his family. He’s a courageous man. I envy his strength and his courage. That was probably one of the most powerful moments of my life, sitting there listening to him have the strength to stand in front of his children and ask everybody to pray for the other lady that lost her life. It showed strength and courage I’ve never experienced in my life. So our hearts are with him.”

But of course, that strength comes from the Lord:

“This is hard for my family, but this will work out. And my wife would punch me if I were to sit up here and whine about what is going on. That doesn’t take away the pain, but it will work out because God causes all things to work out. You just can’t quit; you can’t give in.”

 

[Trump Gurl]

NINE DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. Pope John Paul II's nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in June of 1979 created a revolution of conscience that transformed Poland and fundamentally reshaped the spiritual and political landscape of the 20th Century.

Newt and Callista Gingrich, along with a Polish, American, and Italian cast, explore what transpired during these nine days that moved the Polish people to renew their hearts, reclaim their courage, and free themselves from the shackles of Communism.

Millions of Poles, almost one third of the nation, turned out to see the Holy Father in person, while the rest of the country followed his pilgrimage on television and radio. Within sixteen months, Solidarity became the first officially recognized free trade union in the Communist bloc, with over 10 million members. The momentum of this dramatic nine-day visit would eventually lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

 

[FineLinen]

The Frogs and the Tower

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.

The race began...

Honestly, no-one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as:

"Oh, way too difficult!"

"They will never make it to the top".

"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one.

Except for those who in a fresh tempo were climbing higher and higher.

The crowd continued to yell

"It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up.

One little frog continued higher and higher and would not give up!

At the end, everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

Then, all of the other tiny frogs naturally were wondering how this one frog managed to do it.

A contestant asked the tiny frog: How did you find the strength to reach the goal?

It turned out...

The winner was deaf.

 

[Eric h]

My mum went into a coma and was rushed to hospital, her breathing was a horrible gurgling sound, nicknamed the death rattle. The doctors said she had days to live and there was nothing they could do for her. We called a priest, although none of us had a faith at the time, we just thought it was what you should do as mum was brought up a Catholic.

As the priest prayed my mum’s breathing seemed to relax and change. About ten minutes after the priest walked out the door, mum came round and started to speak. She had no recollection of anything that happened in hospital, or that the priest had prayed for her. We thought it might have just been a temporary reprieve, but she lived another eleven years.

Having our mum back was a mixed blessing, because she had suffered with multiple sclerosis for about twenty years prior to the coma, and she had gradually lost the use of both her arms and legs. Before the coma, there were times she said she wanted to die. But after the coma my mum regarded her healing as a blessing, despite her paralysed body, and she said she was not ready to die after surviving the coma.

I really could not understand how she seemed to just accept being paralysed from the neck down, she rarely complained and often seemed more worried and concerned about our problems than her own. She had a faith in God and she sometimes used to say that she is ready to meet Jesus now. People might have said that it would have been kinder for her to have passed away in hospital. But somehow through my mum’s faith in God, I went from being agnostic to finding a greater faith myself. Despite her broken body, I will never meet a stronger and kinder person than my mum.

 

[Rusha]

My mum went into a coma and was rushed to hospital, her breathing was a horrible gurgling sound, nicknamed the death rattle. The doctors said she had days to live and there was nothing they could do for her. We called a priest, although none of us had a faith at the time, we just thought it was what you should do as mum was brought up a Catholic.

As the priest prayed my mum’s breathing seemed to relax and change. About ten minutes after the priest walked out the door, mum came round and started to speak. She had no recollection of anything that happened in hospital, or that the priest had prayed for her. We thought it might have just been a temporary reprieve, but she lived another eleven years.

Having our mum back was a mixed blessing, because she had suffered with multiple sclerosis for about twenty years prior to the coma, and she had gradually lost the use of both her arms and legs. Before the coma, there were times she said she wanted to die. But after the coma my mum regarded her healing as a blessing, despite her paralysed body, and she said she was not ready to die after surviving the coma.

I really could not understand how she seemed to just accept being paralysed from the neck down, she rarely complained and often seemed more worried and concerned about our problems than her own. She had a faith in God and she sometimes used to say that she is ready to meet Jesus now. People might have said that it would have been kinder for her to have passed away in hospital. But somehow through my mum’s faith in God, I went from being agnostic to finding a greater faith myself. Despite her broken body, I will never meet a stronger and kinder person than my mum.

Beautiful. God bless you and your mother.

 

[Eric h]

Beautiful. God bless you and your mother.

Thank you, and may God bless you; and those you love and care for.

God works in profound ways that I truly struggle to understand. In 2011, several years after the event with my mum; I had tests done for cancer, about a month later the doctor phoned and said he urgently wanted to see me, it was non – Hodgkin Lymphoma. This was a name I recognised, our friend had this cancer, and died a few months later. Being told I had cancer was out of my hands, there was nothing I could do about it. But I still had choices; I could dictate how the cancer was going to affect my mind and my ability to cope with the news.

A few minutes after putting the phone down; I prayed for the wisdom, strength and peace to do God’s will, whether the cancer was a death sentence, or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced a profound sense of peace, and the thought of cancer has never troubled me for a moment.

Cancer could be a truly worrying process, you wait a month or two for tests, you wait for the results, and you wait for more appointments. I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 62, the prayer for healing seemed too complicated, it might or might not be my time to go. Recognising this profound sense of peace comes from God, gives me reason to be thankful.

 

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Let us brighten up mundane happenings!

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/wo...draise-charity

 

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Mom Plans Funeral While Pregnant For Baby With Virtually No Brain Function & Then Gets A Miracle.

https://www.godupdates.com/miracle-b...ers-noah-wall/

 

[FineLinen]

The Love of God

Down through the tedious ages of time man's heart has been cheered at the thought of the boundless love of God, and in his soul there has often been touched a responsive chord to that wonderful love. So compelling is this love that it is often felt by the most unfortunate and seemingly hopeless of mortals. Some years ago after the patient in a certain room in one of the mental institutions of our land had found release from his pathetic earthly sojourn, and his room was being readied for another unfortunate occupant, the attendants found scrawled on the walls of the room the following profound lines:

"Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade: To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole Though stretched from sky to sky."

In his saner moments this poor, troubled soul had poured out his simple heart of love to his God.


https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1950/09/the-story-of-the-love-of-god

 

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Richard Wurmbrand

Richard Wurmbrand was born the youngest of four boys in a Jewish family on March 24, 1909, in Bucharest, Romania. Gifted intellectually and fluent in nine languages, Richard was active in leftist politics and worked as a stockbroker. On Oct. 26, 1936, Richard married Sabina Oster, who was also Jewish. They placed their faith in Jesus Christ in 1938 as a result of the influence of a German carpenter named Christian Wölfkes. Richard was ordained as an Anglican, and later Lutheran, minister.

https://www.torturedforchrist.com/about/who-was-richard-wurmbrand/

Tortured for Christ: Richard Wurmbrand: 9780882643267: Amazon.com: Books

Tortured for Christ [Richard Wurmbrand] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Tortured for Christ

www.amazon.com

 

[FineLinen]

​

Married now for 43 years. Working it out constantly. My wife has dementia and sometimes doesn't know who I am. I will never leave her or put her in a "home". Moved into assisted living so I could be with her all the time with basics covered by someone else. We sleep together and I wake her up when she has screaming nightmares. This is what it's about. I'm almost 80 now; she's older that that. This is love that I was never taught. I had to learn it. "For better or worse" means something more than I ever knew. -Walter Trull

 

[FineLinen]

An African king had a long time friend who always looked at everything positively, always saying "This is good!" even in the face of the most difficult situations. Hunting one day, he was preparing the king’s guns. When the king took his first shot, his thumb was blown off. Though the friend realized that it was his grave mistake for not properly setting the gun, and even in the face of this furious, bleeding king, he looked at him and said, "This is good!" The king was livid and ordered that his friend be thrown in jail immediately.

A year later the king was hunting in an area where he should have stayed clear and was suddenly captured by Cannibals. They tied him up and were preparing to cook him when they realized he had no thumb. They didn't eat anyone who was less than whole so they released him. On his way home, the king pondered the event that had taken his thumb in the first place. He went straight to the jail, told his friend what happened, and apologized in tears for sending him to jail as he did. His enthusiastic friend looked at the King and replied: "This is good!"

The king, taken aback once again said "What do you mean 'this is good!' I sent you mercilessly to jail and you’ve been suffering for here for an entire year – how is that good?" His friend responded unwaveringly, "Well if I had not been in jail, I would have been with you!"

 

[FineLinen]

Perspective

A new driver for an interstate trucking company was having a difficult time. He found the long cross-country trips extremely tiring. The older driver who traveled with him, however, seemed to thrive on those long trips. He always seemed to look as fresh at the end of the ride as he did at the beginning.

One day, the young man asked the older what his secret was.

"Well, it's really all in the way you look at it," he replied.

"While you went to work this morning, I went for a ride through the country."

Our focus will determine whether life is work or a ride in the country.

 

[FineLinen]

An Indian was walking in downtown New York City alongside a resident friend. As they approached a busy street corner in the center of Manhattan, the Indian seized his friend's arm and whispered,

"Wait. I hear a cricket."

"Come on!", the city boy sneered, "This is downtown New York -- how could you possibly hear a cricket?"

His friend persisted, however, "No - seriously, I do!"

As cars were roaring, horns honking, people shouting, brakes screeching, cash registers clanging, subway clamoring and people bustling about, the Indian began leading his friend along slowly, every now and again stopping and turning his ear toward the seemingly noiseless sound. At last, the Indian insisted they were near and proceeded to follow the sound across the street and toward a small dark corner next to a graffiti-covered wall. There, he bent down to a minuscule tuft of grass and pulled out the cricket.

"I told, you", he said, "I heard a cricket."

Astounded, the New Yorker marveled "How could you have heard that cricket in the middle of all this noise?"

"Well", said his foreign friend,

"My ears are different from yours. It simply depends on what you're listening to.

Here, let me show you what I mean."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change --a couple of quarters, three or four nickels, and a dime and a few pennies.

"Now," he said, "watch this." He held the coins waist high and dropped them to the sidewalk. At once, every head within nearly a block turned around and looked in the direction of the Indian.

"You see, It all depends on what you're listening to."

To what sounds are our ears trained to listen? Are they trained to hear the sound of money, of gossip, of complaining, of worldly things or are they trained to hear the still small voice of the Most High, directing and advising us in the way we should go?