Blog

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.”

Yvonne Wickenkamp | “Sometimes life just takes us into some pretty dark and unknown territory. Many times it feels lonely, like you’re the only one on that path, just you and your GPS.”

Brad Warren | “⁣Do these cost us anything? They might. But I think the Feast of First Fruits challenges us to ask an even harder question: Do these cost us enough? And if they don’t, what are we telling the Lord about what he is worth to us?”

Krystal Unrein | “Spring is the time for planting! Right at the start of the season, I got some new flowers to plant in our front yard. Now a few months later, I am not surprised to find the same thing happening with these plants as all the others that have come before them…”

Dan Toney | “You can’t help but see God’s hands all over this story, but it didn’t always seem that way. I think that is how it is for most of us. In the day-to-day, it is sometimes hard to see where God is, but when I look back on my life I can’t help but see the fingerprints of God all over the place.”

Justin Boudreaux | “Each excuse was met with a doorway that God guided us through.. We began foster care classes in January 2019 and were licensed by April. Not even a week later, we received a phone call. A phone call that would change our lives forever..”

Josh Clark | “Jesus is our only need. Jesus alone is our ultimate provider.  When we forsake the fool’s gold we’ve white-knuckled, we are invited to experience a life-giving relationship with our generous God.”

Logan Hahn | “Just as the weather started to turn warm and the sun began to show her face among other signs of spring, our glorious air conditioner stopped working. As our thermostat began to show numbers beginning with seven, the entire Hahn house began melting down like a certain two-year-old who lives under its roof…”

Tyler Bade | “I recently had the opportunity to go with an incredible team of high school students and adults to the beautiful island of Ireland. It truly is as beautiful as everyone talks about, and honestly looks about how I expected it to look thanks to the movies…”

Mac Johnson | “When the war broke out, the response from Proem and the Polish people across the board was nothing short of historic.”

Maggie Schade | “We can’t go upstream from the brokenness happening around us right now, but right now we’re upstream from 5, 10, 15 years from now.”