The Bible says ..."You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." ~ Mathew 5:14-16 ... Even though Christ proclaims that we are the light, why do we often feel as if we are unqualified? Is it because we too have once sat in the dark ...?
Falynne Lewing is a 16-year-old, self-taught Entertainer! She has been performing since the age of 7, starting out with her first singing engagement at her hometown church, Olive Baptist in Pensacola, Florida. As a small child, Falynne had to overcome a speech impediment, developmental delays with walking and talking, and an issue with the pituitary portion of her brain ...
" ... and just like that, I was brought back to 10 years prior when we heard the bitter words of, “Your daughter is autistic.” Interestingly enough, those words weren’t the toughest part. It was her reactions to the testing she went through prior to the diagnosis. My eyes were finally opened and allowed me to see what I couldn’t see before. It was the hardest day of my life ... "
"I still remember it like it was yesterday - sitting in my office as a drug and alcohol counselor, listening to the local Christian radio station and working on patient files. I'm not sure who was on the radio that day but I do remember them saying, "why aren't you doing what you love?" Now I loved being a drug and alcohol counselor at the time but what I really loved was working with children. That was something that I missed greatly ..."
"Chayce was perfect! He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life. His senses were extraordinary – his hearing and sense of touch were incredible. I thought “he must be a genius” as he turned his head to the sound of my voice and would burst out sobbing if I coughed or sneezed.He would run his tiny fingers up and down the side of my ribs when I nursed him. I was in awe of his abilities ..."
Twenty-six years ago a darling little boy was born into this world ... twenty-six years ago, my family had never heard the word, "Autism." It would take nearly 14 years for my nephew Ian to be properly diagnosed and properly treated ~ he introduced us to a new word and a new world ...
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us ..." As we come upon the end of our season with our featured nonprofit, HOPE for Prisoners, take a moment to Lavish Your Soul with inspirational stories of HOPE & lives transformed ...
"The home that I thought awaited me was unlike anything I could ever imagine. I found myself faced with adversity. My father and my mother were both abusing drugs which forced my older brother to be the one to fend for the both of us. Before long, I was involved in a gang and the lifestyle that came along with it. At 15 years old I found myself on my way to prison, sentenced as an adult to 20-90 years ..."
"I was once married, had two little boys, owned my own home, etc... However, I found myself in the grips of a drug addiction and in time, I lost everything! I wound up homeless and sleeping in a park on Boulder Highway. I was in a very dark place, one that I thought I would never escape from! I was a slave to my addiction and drugs were my master...."
In college I met a man who I allowed to become a big influence in my life. We dated for 6 years & 3 years into our relationship he experienced a few challenges & made a decision to go back to the streets & hustle. My choice to stay in that relationship led me down a path of prostitution, domestic violence, homelessness, jail & three separate arrests ...
"Look at the people, some are still crying and standing quietly, looking up at him, others are still shouting at him and shaking their fists. What are they saying? You can save others, come down and save yourself, or something like that. Too many are shouting, can’t quite make everything out. Is someone calling him Jesus?...
Please take a moment to rest your heart, lavish your soul & read a story of HOPE from Debbie Damron, an ordained chaplain with Chaplaincy Nevada. Debbie works with juveniles incarcerated as adults at the Clark County Detention Center, (CCDC) as well as devotes much of her time to help the population that HOPE for Prisoners serves.