As we start yet another Monday, let’s look at the 10 most inspirational stories going right now — stories that can help build us up and lift our spirits amid media and political cycles that are anything but fulfilling, positive or enriching:
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1) A homeless boy from Detroit, Michigan, had his Christmas wish come true when his family was able to move into a fully furnished home that, much to his delight, included a bed of his own. Watch him break down in tears of joy. It’s pretty incredible.
2) In what turned out to be quite the emotional scene, police, first responders and citizens alike all crowded the streets to give a warm welcome home to 5-year-old Ryland Ward from the hospital. He was one of the few survivors of the awful Texas church shooting in Sutherland Springs, in which the boy lost his stepmother and two sisters. The procession is incredibly moving.
3) Moving on, slain Colorado Deputy Zackari Parrish — a beloved officer known for his compassion and care for those he interacted with in his community — reportedly lost his life last month while trying to help his killer. Amid the tragic pain that has followed Parrish’s death, stories about the officer have continued to be reported in the press, with many heralding him for always going above and beyond the call of duty. One story in particular is sure to tug at the heartstrings.
4) In a first-look clip that provides a glimpse into actor Jim Caviezel’s new film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” Caviezel offers up a simple, yet profound truth about what it takes for each and every human being to truly relate to the Almighty. “In order for us to be great in the eyes of God we have to become very small,” he said. Watch Caviezel speak about faith here:
https://www.facebook.com/faithwirenews/videos/2017893988480051/
5) Tim Tebow’s appearance during Passion 2018 earlier this month was pretty revealing, as the athlete offered a passionate response when Pastor Louie Giglio, founder of the annual college conference, asked what shaped Tebow’s traditional values.
“I was originally born in the Philippines … to missionary parents and I have a special birth story,” Tebow said before diving into how doctors encouraged his mother to abort. “The doctors said that I wasn’t even a baby; they said I was a tumor.” Check it out.
6) Jimmy Spagnolo is only in second grade, but his heroic, life-long battle with an inoperable brain tumor has repeatedly landed him in the press. And, due to his bravery, little Jimmy was recently granted a spot on the Colonials college basketball team, which represents Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Check out his amazing reaction to that honor.
7) Jack Manilla was a Fortune 500 CEO back in 1994 when he was faced with a split-second decision: take part in a lucrative offer that purportedly involved embezzled funds — or quit and let his conscience win out.
In the end, he chose the latter, but the fallout in his own personal and professional life was swift and painful, leaving him shaking his fists at God as he wondered why he was punished after doing the right thing. Then, everything changed.
8) Famed pastor John Piper made it clear in a recent podcast that “falling out of love” is no excuse for divorce and he delivered a powerful message about what marriage really means. It’s a must-read.
9) A former drug addict tearfully recounted how she went from a life of selling drugs and abusing substances to one filled with faith and an entirely new perspective. Listen to Erica tell former “Duck Dynasty” star Missy Robertson about her harrowing journey in the latest episode of Robertson’s “The Overcomers” podcast.
10) The tens of thousands of college students, teens and youth leaders who assembled earlier this month in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., for the Passion 2018 Christian conference made a stunning societal impact during their annual gathering. They sponsored 3,330 children through Compassion International, a Christianity charity. But the impact didn’t end there.