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CONTENTS 5 You’ve Been Good to Me Thomas Turski 7 Stronger than Superman, Faster Than the Flash Jesus is all-powerful God…so why on earth didn’t He use His power to escape the cross? Chris Patton 8 The Gift of Haley: An Interview with Jeff and Valerie Mitchell When their daughter was diagnosed with a deadly disease, Jeff and Valerie Mitchell had to decide whether they and their family would merely survive or live life to the fullest. Kristi Overton Johnson 10 Under the Covers of Fear Don’t let the pain of your past paralyze your future. God is bigger than any problem facing you, and He is ready to help. Wendy Petzold 11 Feel Like You’re Falling? Circumstances can leave us feeling defeated and forsaken. Jesus whispers, “I’ve got you. You’re Mine. Trust Me.” Erin Warren 12 Coming Alongside Loving someone who’s facing great hardship can be daunting, confusing, and scary. But there’s beauty in living out that greatest command—to love others as ourselves. Sarah Beckham 13 What Do You See? The importance of casting vision over your life. Kristi Overton Johnson 14 Renew Your Mind Shift your focus from the threats of the enemy to the promises of God. Nate Miller 15 Humble Beginnings When you give your talents to God, He makes them great even if they’re small. Kenny Vaughan 16 Moving Forward through the Darkness Nearly killed in a freak accident two years ago, professional wakeskater Matt Manzari tells how accepting his situation and choosing to move forward despite overwhelming odds has turned those challenges into daily victories and incredible opportunities. Matt Manzari 20 Don’t Feel Like It? Do It Anyway Victory comes through self-discipline. True champions are those who do the hard things despite their feelings in the moment. David Benzel 21 Lessons from a Lovebug God’s eye is on the…lovebug? It is. And through His creation, we can know Him better. Greg Brock Jr. 22 A Broken Foot, A Mended Heart When your dreams are shattered, your body broken, and your mind overcome by fear, take courage. You are not alone. God is with you. Jennifer Leachman LaPoint 23 It’s Time It’s time to forgive. It’s time to let go of the anger in your heart and obey God. Jennifer Leachman LaPoint 24 From the Heart of Texas From preacher’s kid to drug addict, Texas Stready set out on a difficult road. But God didn’t promise life wouldn’t be hard. He didn’t promise perfection. What He did promise was He’d remain with us, no matter what. Texas Stready 28 Self-Discipline Matters to God Self-discipline is an act that has value and is pleasing to God. In fact, it’s one way we can honor Him. Kristi Dews Dale 30 Something for Nothing Grace…love…mercy. They cost God the very life of His Son, but He offers them to us for free. Talk about getting something for nothing! Roy A. Borges 31 A Recipe for Life There’s no need to experiment in the kitchen of life. Jesus brings everything we need together; without Him, something will always be missing. With Him, our recipe is complete and the result is exactly what He planned. Tina Brown 32 Do the Doo Take responsibility for your actions. You must be faithful in the small (and often uncomfortable) things if you want bigger opportunities to come. Kristi Overton Johnson 18 A Passion That Drives From her stellar career as a professional wakeboarder to her upcoming appearance on American Ninja Warrior, Emily Copeland Durham is driven by a passion to succeed and the need to keep moving forward. But more than these achievements, Emily strives to introduce others to the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Emily’s story shows that we are not the sum of what we achieve. We are children of God, and in that identity, we become all that we are meant to be. Emily Copeland Durham You’ve Been Good to Me by Thomas Turski Lord, sometimes I get depressed. My life seems filled with constant stress. At times the pain is hard to bear. It feels as if there’s no one there. But as I look around and see, I see that You’ve always been good to me. As a man in rags goes by, Oh Lord, I start to realize. This man outside has nothing to eat, As he walks outside in his bare feet. All the while I sit with the blues, There’s a man outside without any shoes. And off somewhere in an alley lays, A man who longs for better days. Yes, Lord, I’m blind when I don’t see, How good, oh Lord, You’ve been to me. 6 Publisher’s Note 26 Ministry News 27 Reader Testimonies 35 Our Contributors kojministries.org Issue 2 2017 5


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