Blog

Meghann Arnold | “In the stillness, I am reminded of what matters. My eyes are focused on the one who created and ordained rest.”

Patti Bearden | “Christ’s Church of Oronogo is getting ready to celebrate her 70th birthday. I’ve been part of this congregation for over 65 of those 70 years because that’s how old I am. Oh, how the memories flood my mind! I can’t separate my “real” life from my life at Christ’s Church.”

Todd Owen | “Life in Papua New Guinea begets patience. Daily life involves cooking from scratch, washing laundry (either by hand or with a twin-tub washing machine powered by a small generator), keeping relationships alive, and growing through sharing community life.”

Bekah Behnke | What a gift to see the place where we spend our time as the place where we do ministry: the place where we experience God’s goodness through giving our daily to Him.

Emilee Mitchell | As obvious as it is, when it comes to plant growth, water is required. And when it comes to spiritual growth, living water is. 

Chip Songer | “Ai and her friends may have heard the name of Jesus before she stepped into that last event session. I don’t know her story or faith, but I do know this: she heard the name of Jesus, and He has a purpose for His people.”

Novely Lamont | “We stop seeing the mundane, boring, un-enjoyable tasks as ways to worship and tune in to what we naturally, as humans, think. But God is calling us to seek Him. For seek and you will find.”

Taylor Miller | “I tend to believe that does not mean that one day I will stop feeling inadequate, though that may be true, but that when I do feel inadequate I will remember that my adequacy is already completed in Christ.”

Cindy Cutler | “Not everyone that sits around our family table now were present when we first served our favorite dish. But the memories and significance and what the meal represents define us, ground us, and form us.”

Jessica Scheuermann | “God doesn’t work at my desired speed. Being content with how long it may take for God to accomplish something has been hard and good, even when it’s seeing something inside me come to fruition.”

Jordan White | “Just like I’m unable to spend every weekend hiking to the top of a mountain, we can’t expect every moment with God to be a mountain-top experience.”

Nick Vacca | “There is an army of Spirit-empowered, Jesus-loving, self-giving people pouring into our boys as they navigate the hardship of living with severe trauma.”

Sara Wood | “⁣It was like the turning of seasons or diamonds—there’s more to see, experience, and know when we gain a new perspective. But the turning most often involves a losing.”

Dennis Hounshell | “The value of sharing our burdens, confessing our sins, and praying with one another, cannot be overemphasized.”

Amy Storms | “⁣What is it our hearts want most? Whatever it is, Jesus came to bring something better. In spite of our efforts and good intentions—all our best-laid plans and preparations—deep down, what do we still lack? Jesus offers more.”

KaLisa Veer | “A border town with a history of corruption, trafficking and violence, Matamoros is a place of hardship for many, but maybe most drastically for those who are Deaf. With the state of Tamaulipas behind on ratifying laws, the Deaf community in Matamoros faces widespread discrimination, neglect and abuse.”

Chad Ragsdale | “⁣Manie was easy to miss at church. She was a tiny, quiet woman who spent much of the service perched behind the organ of our small church in Illinois. Those who really knew her would tell you she was a giant…”

Allison Stump | “My musical ability is almost zero. Growing up, I never learned to play an instrument. I can’t read music. I love to sing, but I’m pretty sure the Lord is the only one who enjoys it besides me…”

Flint Spencer | “What was your daily schedule like in the summer as a junior high student? Did you sleep in, eat junk food, goof around with friends for hours at the pool, stay up late playing Monopoly or video games, and try to forget most of what you learned in the last school year?”

Sydney French | “In between these misdialed numbers, I find that I get to hear the stories of students from all around the country, and I am blown away at the work God has done at CIY events.”