Inspirational Stories

Hope accomplishes nothing on its own; it is a longing for reality not evident. Our minds perceive the possibilities ; our hearts may develop a longing for the things wished for, but there may be no positive action …just a desire. So many times we tend to think of hope and faith as one. This is not the case. Hope can exist without faith. Faith can not exist with hope. Faith is defined as “the assured expectation of things hoped for; the evident demonstration of reality, though not beheld.” Think about it: hope is static, requiring no effort; faith motivates, moving us to take ... Read Full Story

Her posting fascinated and moved me. She wrote: Why had her statement made me so angry? It was meant to offer sympathy, a gesture of kindness, she thought; but I was seething. This is the second time this week I have been told, by word or insinuation, how misguided I am in considering my situation a blessing. I was so angry; a rage, rather than hurt, welled in my heart. How dare this woman whom I had never seen walk up to me with her lovely accent and say to me, with a sad look in her eyes “I FEEL FOR YOU.” When I ... Read Full Story

December 27, 2007 is a day of infamy for my family. Weston Brewer, my grandson was accidentally shot through the head; our family experienced an incredible miracle in his recovery. This letter written about six months later expresses my joy and wonder: Weston, today, you head HOME! What a long way you’ve come since January when we all headed to Atlanta with our hearts full of hope, but with you not really aware that you “were”. Medically, we were told that you might begin to respond, that you might eventually recognize us, that you might even, one day, speak to us. Oh, how I ... Read Full Story

The story will be told and retold over the years. It will be embellished as all such repetitions are. Even today, so close to the time it was witnessed, each telling reflects a particular viewpoint, and the details vary. On one point all versions agree. At a time of hopelessness, and utter confusion, as adults prayed and questioned with no answers, it was the simple act of faith and the wisdom of a child that calmed the despair and shone a light that would lead out of the darkness that enveloped us all. Twelve year old Weston Brewer had been accidentally shot in the ... Read Full Story

This story will elicit questioning smiles from some; for others it will be an affirmation of faith . Is there a correlation between this and later events ? Critics will point to the events as coincidences that strengthen an incredible story of survival, faith and rehabilitation. Years will pass, facts will blur, many will doubt. This is an eye witness’s account. My wife and I were visiting our daughter and her family in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We stopped at a fast food restaurant for lunch. Weston and Caleb are rambunctious boys; we let them sit at a separate table. In typical fashion they ... Read Full Story