Hope & Faith

“Captain” Ray Bethea has worked at Community High School in Swannanoa, North Carolina for over a decade and is in for a big surprise! 

Good Morning America came to the school to honor him. Ike Ejiochi, one of the GMA hosts opened the door to a meeting Ray was attending. He pulls him out of the meeting and Ike talks to Ray, saying, “Everyone says that you help make this building feel so much more than a school.” He then walks Ray into the gym where many people are standing and holding signs of love.

Ike comments that here in the gym are students, colleagues, and even his wife. All there to let him know how much they love and appreciate him. 

The video goes on to talk about how Ray is a “Ray of Sunshine” to the high school and the people he sees each day. They started calling him “Captain Ray” after he bought a captain’s hat and started wearing it every day.

The video then shows different students and other adults who have been touched by Ray’s kindness. Lyric, a student, says “If you’re feeling down and need somebody to talk to, Mr. Ray is definitely the person to go to.” The video goes on to share how Mr. Ray helps students and faculty alike, from helping a new young girl who had just lost her father, to a teacher who needed a little extra support. 

Mr. Ray is truly there for the students and faculty. We go back to the gym where the principal gives some words of kindness about him. Ike then asks an important question about where his spirit and energy come from.

Ray responds, “Well I just have to give God the glory because again that’s where it started for me.” Ray tears up a bit and the crowd cheers for him again. Then, GMA lets Ray know that they are sending him and his wife to Las Vegas to see Lionel Richie with a two-night stay at Cesar’s Palace.

From the whole video you can tell how much Ray is appreciated and giving the glory to God makes this story one of the best. Ray is truly showing the spirit of God to those around them and everyone is better for it. 

“I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do.” - John 17:4

This video is a compilation of several different adoption stories. And they are all so sweet! 

We first get to see Kaila, a two-year-old girl who was brought in after being abused. Officer Brian Zach sat with her while waiting for social services and the two started to bond. Two years later he and his wife adopted her after becoming her placement home soon after she was brought in. What a heartwarming story!

In the next short clip, we go to 2019 where Michel Clark Jr’s kindergarten class attended his adoption hearing. He was being adopted by his foster parents. What a special time for all of them. 

We then see Nike Garza, who was in foster care for 1,553 days. He was being adopted by David and Christy Schwarz in 2020 and over 300 people came to the courtroom to support him. That is great to see! 

In 2016, Danielle Ross was adopted and Disney princesses came to court to see her. The judge even got in on it too. What a special day for Danielle.

Also in 2016, we saw Landon Rice open up a present. Inside was a framed piece of paper. Landon starts to cry and hugs his adopted father. The paper was his “Certificate of Adoption.” He was being adopted by his mother’s husband who had been in his life since he was five months old. 

To end these clips we go to 2019, when Joseph and Shanna Weight adopted four-month-old Onni. They had adopted her brother Milo six years before. Shanna goes on to tell the story of how they adopted Milo, had their biological son Nash, and then Onni.

All of these stories are so heartwarming and give you hope that people out there really do have loving hearts. 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

One video makes it abundantly clear how the power of Jesus Christ still can and does change hearts, minds and lives today.

This lost and broken world is full of people who are hurting, struggling and simply trying to survive by any means. Many are in a position where they see no end to their hopeless situation. They can see no end to their struggle, hurt and heartache. 

But, thankfully, there is one who provides the healing and comfort that so many desperately crave and desire. Jesus Christ has a message of love and hope that can transform hearts and lives. He can provide a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

A video posted on YouTube features a wide and varied collection of people who demonstrate that Jesus Christ is still fully capable of performing life-changing and saving miracles today. Using black-and-white images, the ad quickly tells a handful of stories of several people who were lost and living in sin but turned from their ways after finding Jesus Christ.

Some of the people included in the minute-long clip are a former witch, someone who worked closely with noted atheist Richard Dawkins, a former KKK member, a former drug addict, a former lesbian activist and a former abolitionist. But they have since changed their ways after finding Jesus Christ and turning their lives over to Him. 

The people in the ad are individuals most people, including many Christians, would have written off as being past the point of no return. But praise God, there is none too far gone for Jesus Christ. His love and forgiveness know no limits or restrictions. 

The ad ends by stating that He doesn't just "get us," but saves and transforms us. 

Christ willingly went to the cross, bled and died for all, even for the worst of sinners. The power of Jesus Christ is still saving and changing lives today. This ad is an excellent example of the transformational nature of Christ’s love and forgiveness. 

1 Timothy 1:15-16 “It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief: but for this reason, I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life.”

In the 1980s, America fell in love with gymnast Mary Lou Retton as they watched her achieve Olympic fame. She was the first American woman to win a gold medal in gymnastics and was one of the athletes who appeared on a Wheaties cereal box. This past October however, she was fighting for her life. 

Even though so many years had passed since her Olympic win, she still held a place in our hearts. That was why when we heard the news last fall that she was hospitalized, we got down on our knees and prayed that she would be okay and recover. 

She and her oldest daughter Shalya joined Hoda Kotb on the Today Show to talk about what happened. Mother and daughter got emotional when they talked about how at one point the doctors didn’t think Mary Lou would make it. Her daughters surrounded her that day, praying, and saying their goodbyes. 

The prayers worked! Mary Lou pulled through and after a month in the hospital, was able to come home in time for the holidays. She was battling a rare form of pneumonia and the doctors still don’t know exactly what is going on. 

After she returned home, she had to battle another problem, hospital bills. The public was surprised to learn that Mary Lou didn’t have health insurance. Her daughters set up an online fundraiser to help her with the bills. 

It has been a harrowing time for Mary Lou and her family. She says in the video that, “You know, not great yet. I know it’s going to be a really long road. I don’t know how long I’ll indefinitely need the oxygen but you have no idea how blessed and how grateful I was for this holiday season.”

We need to keep Mary Lou and her family in our prayers as she navigates this unexpected health crisis in the months to come. 

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

A woman in her 90s does not look and feel her age but instead feels decades younger, and she has now shared how she’s been able to remain fit and active into her advanced age. 

As much as you may hate to hear it, aging is a natural process everyone undergoes. While everyone may want to, no one can freeze time in place. Instead, time continually moves, stopping for no one. 

While time remains undefeated, possessing a perfect record, 91-year-old Edna Giordano gives time a run for its money. A clip posted on YouTube reveals how Edna has managed to stay fit and active even in her old age.

The video shows the woman going through a series of stretching and bending exercises. In her mobility routine, Edna uses a mat, works out in the kitchen, uses a wooden chair and even lifts weights. 

Near the end of the clip, Edna, enjoying the great outdoors, incorporates a park bench into her exercise regimen. Viewers see the elderly woman do a series of steps on the bench and even a modified version of a push-up. 

“I don’t even think about 91,” Edna says in the video. “I feel the same today as I did when I was 50.”

Simply by looking at her, no one would believe that Edna is 91. 

Yes, our bodies are temporary and prone to wear and tear, disease and illness. But they are still gifts from the good Lord above and should be treated as such. God’s word even refers to our bodies as a “temple of the Holy Spirit," and that we are to “glorify God in your body."

Everyone has a different fitness level and range of movement, but exercising, eating right and caring for our bodies is one way we honor God and bring glory to His name. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

How to be Humble

The Reading of Psalm 1 along with a beautiful video and the words

One woman found a unique and sweet way to include her newborn as she accepted her college diploma from a Michigan school. 

Graduating from college is a huge life accomplishment. It’s a moment that deserves to be recognized and celebrated. Earning a college degree requires hard work, dedication and long and painstaking hours of concentrated study. 

Being a dedicated and loving mother is also something to be recognized and applauded. Grace Szymchack, a recent Ferris State University graduate, is both - a college graduate and a loving mother -  and she included her newborn child in her graduation ceremony.

Grace, while wearing the classic cap and gown, silently and patiently stands in line, waiting for her name to be called during her college graduation. It’s a monumental, life-changing moment for sure. 

However, as the clip posted on YouTube shows, there is something unusual about Grace’s outfit. It appears that a tiny little hand is poking out from her blouse, and that’s exactly what it is!

Grace has tucked her newborn daughter into her gown. 

As the video points out, Grace was originally scheduled to give birth to Annabelle three days after graduating from college. It was always going to be close. But as any parent knows, nothing with children is predictable. Annabelle arrived earlier than expected.

“I was hoping to make it until after graduation,” Grace said. “But my doctors had made it sound like they thought she would come a little early.”

Despite Annabelle’s earlier-than-expected entrance into the world, Grace was thrilled to be able to share that special moment with her newborn bundle of joy.

“It felt nice to have her by my side and to have her there with me,” Grace said.

That’s a special moment that Grace and her daughter Annabelle will likely cherish for the rest of their lives. Who else can say that they went through a college graduation before they could even walk or talk? 

Psalm 127:3 “See, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

It was tears, smiles and hugs when a man who went into cardiac arrest and the two nurses who saved his life reunited following the scary episode.

Life is the most precious, valuable and delicate item on the face of the Earth. As such, it must be cherished and protected in every way imaginable. Loved ones can be here one moment and gone the next. No one is promised tomorrow.

Tim Wright, an Iowa man who went into cardiac arrest, is all too familiar with the precious nature of life. He nearly died after enjoying a meal with his girlfriend at a restaurant and likely would have if not for two people being in the right place at the right time.

“Finishing up the meal and getting ready to go, and all of a sudden, I just kind of felt warm and dizzy,” Tim said. 

Tim’s girlfriend, Jayda Hollander, immediately spotted Tim acting peculiarly and screamed for someone to help her. Luckily, God had placed two women, who are both nurses, in the restaurant. They had entered only moments before Tim’s health emergency.

Amber Burke and Wendy Rockey immediately sprang into action, performing CPR, switching off as the two women worked furiously to save Tim’s life. 

They continued to work on Tim until an ambulance arrived. 

The clip adds doctors stated Tim would have not survived if not for Amber and Wendy’s quick-thinking and lifesaving maneuvers.

The two women wiped tears from their eyes as they hugged Tim, the man who likely would have died if not for them being in the right place at the right time.

“Very happy that we were there and very happy that it turned out this way,” Wendy said.

Praise God for making sure that Wendy and Amber were where they needed to be at the precise moment.

Jeremiah 17:14 “Make me well, O Lord, and I will be well; be my savior, and I will be safe: for you are my hope.”

A young woman who was diagnosed with, battled and beat cancer was gifted a trip to the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World.

Cancer, in every single form, is a horrible, awful disease that only hurts and destroys. Families have been ripped apart by cancer. So whenever someone beats that life-threatening illness, it is a cause for celebration and a reason for joy.

Jessica Love, a 6-year-old, was diagnosed with Leukemia in August 2020. Hearing the word “cancer” from a trusted medical professional is a frightening and life-changing experience. But for a parent to hear that their child has been diagnosed with cancer has to be especially gut-wrenching.

Jessica’s mother, Laura Smith, explained what it was like knowing her daughter had cancer but feeling powerless to do anything about it.

“As a parent, where you want to protect and cure all the ‘owies’ and do all the things for your kiddos, and not being able to do that is really hard,” Laura said, fighting back tears. 

Nearly two years after she was diagnosed, Jessica was cancer-free. Praise God!

After beating that horrible disease, Jessica was taken to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to hang out with Mickey, Minnie and all their pals.

Laura stated it was the perfect trip and a fitting ending to the scary ordeal.

But Jessica’s time at the parks in Florida was not the only magical thing that happened on the trip. On their flight back home, Jessica received a special message from a member of the flight crew.

“We have a very, very special guest on board here today that we wanted to recognize,” a flight attendant announced to the plane. “She, are y’all ready for this – has just beaten cancer. From all of your crew at Southwest, and I’m sure all of your fellow passengers, we want to welcome you home. We want to wish you a very healthy, happy, prosperous and long life ahead.”

3 John 1:2 “My loved one, it is my prayer that you may do well in all things, and be healthy in body, even as your soul does well.”

Open Air Street Preaching and Evangelism. Please Like, Comment, Subscribe.

My images tells me that whatever we are going through, God has us in the palms of his hands. He has the Whole World 🌎 in his 🙌

Doctors predicted that one young man would not survive following a handful of brain surgeries as a high school student, and now he is a college graduate.

Anyone who says life is fair has no idea what they are talking about because they are incredibly wrong. Every day, people, sadly, have their lives turned upside down in one way or another. It may be the unexpected death of a loved one or receiving a frightening and debilitating medical diagnosis. 

Blake Cox knows what it means to have your life upended and changed dramatically. When he was a senior in high school, he started experiencing massive headaches and blurry vision. He was then diagnosed with Arteriovenous fistula, according to the video posted on YouTube.

The condition is described as having abnormal connections between arteries and veins. As a result of the diagnosis, the 17-year-old underwent several brain surgeries. At one point, the video states Blake was placed in a medical coma. 

Doctors did not have high hopes for Blake. They believed he would not survive. However, the young man defied doctors' predictions and survived the ordeal. Praise God!

However, he faced a long road to recovery. The young man had to relearn how to talk, walk and eat – simple, everyday activities everyone takes for granted. 

Blake was not willing to let that situation hold him back from achieving great things in life. Blake recently walked across the stage at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas, where he received his college degree – five years after being placed in a medical coma, which doctors did not think he’d survive.

Blake is a resilient and determined young man who has already been through a lot in his life. He was forced to learn how to walk, talk and eat again and is now a college graduate! 

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Check out this truly beautiful video of residents in an assisted living facility as they help raise a precious baby. It will make your heart swell!

Sunny Skyz shared the TikTok video, which was originally posted by user @raineyerinturner. User @raineyerinturner is a “dedicated” caregiver at the assisted living facility shown in this touching video, and she has been bringing her precious baby girl to work for many months—as observed by the sweet infant’s growth in the video. 

Abba’s 1981 song “Slipping Through My Fingers,” performed here by Meryl Streep and Amanda Siegfreid in the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!, plays throughout the poignant video as a series of heartwarming snapshots demonstrate the interaction of baby girl and the elderly residents living at her momma’s workplace.  

While it is often not appropriate to take your child to your job with you, @raineyerinturner made a wonderful decision to bring her sweet bundle to work. Can you imagine how many bonus hours her baby received from all those experienced grannies and grandpas! What a blessing for her to have all that lovin’ and cuddlin’ from folks who aren’t in a hurry, stressed, or handling a dozen other tasks at the same time. Undivided attention!

Not only is the arrangement great for the infant, but it is also a treat for the residents. The joy on their faces is evident. They do puzzles and watch television with their sweet pea. They feed her, push her in their wheelchairs, and patiently allow her to touch their faces and try on their glasses. A couple even get down on the floor with the little miss. That’s love! And, flexibility!

Clearly, the seniors are delighted to dote on the primarily pink-clad baby girl. Their days are surely brightened and enriched by her presence, and her first year has been made more special by spending much of it in the arms and attention of so many loving people.   

What a perfect pairing! Good call, Mom!

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3

romans 13:14 reminds us that we must be intentional about becoming more like Christ.

Angels come in all forms. Could this possibly be one?

Images of realistic animals that I took in the clouds. God is truly amazing!!

I took these images in the clouds. The man in the clouds could be the face of Jesus. I took these images when I was depressed and needed God to reveal himself to me. I hope that you enjoy them. Remember, Heaven is for Real 😇

This video I took is spirts going to heaven. You can’t see it on the image, but my original you can see Jesus next to the man going to heaven. I know that it’s him because he’s wearing a crown….its truly amazing!!!

One father had a sweet and moving reaction after hearing that his son had been offered a college scholarship.

Parents want nothing more than for their children to be happy and healthy and to succeed in life. That’s why nothing causes a mother or a father more pain than to see their child going through hardships and trials. Moms and dads would do anything and everything in their power to alleviate their child’s pain. 

Similarly, nothing brings a parent greater joy than when their child succeeds. Parents want to see their children experience joy and happiness, no matter the occasion or situation. A clip posted on YouTube shows how much one father was overwhelmed, breaking down in tears after being informed that his son had been offered a scholarship to college.

The short but moving clip begins with a young man, wearing football gear, informing his dad, who leans against a chain-link fence, about the good news. He starts by telling his father he’s going to update his wardrobe.

“You might as well buy some TSU shirts to rep at the games,” the young man says.

However, his father does not immediately understand what his son is trying to tell him. The dad responds that he will continue wearing what he has because it has his son’s nickname.

The young man comes clean with his good news, telling his dad what he was trying to get at with his t-shirt suggestion.

“I know, but now you got a reason to rep TSU,” the son tells his father. “Because I’m on scholarship.”

Immediately after those words exit the young man’s mouth, the father reacts emotionally. He reaches over the fence and gives the young man a massive hug, picking him off the ground.

During the loving embrace, the father breaks down in tears, crying on the young man’s shoulder. 

It’s a sweet and tender moment that both will likely remember for the rest of their lives.

Psalm 103:13 “As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on his worshippers.”