Connections

Trauma is usually thought of as dramatic events such as sexual assault, domestic violence, combat, school shootings or childhood abuse. More commonly, but no less devastating, trauma is caused by events like divorce, the death of a spouse, a miscarriage, or getting laid off from a job.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought two years of unexpected trauma to millions of people through prolonged sickness, sudden job loss, financial crisis, loss of loved ones, or relapse into substance abuse.

Every day is an opportunity to educate the world about the grave reality of sex trafficking going on in our backyards. 

Granger Smith understands grief. He tragically lost his son in 2019. Now he is making his acting debut, playing a country singer who has pushed away his family, fame and faith following his wife’s death.

"This is the first project I have ever been a part of," Granger explained. "This is a story about a man who has lost his wife. He is a single dad raising three kids, looking for redemption, looking to find joy again, and he finds it in unique ways."

Grammy-nominated Cody Carnes hopes his latest single will lead more people to Jesus.

The song, 'Call On The Name', was released Friday. He says it is a salvation song. 

Mindi Oaten has always been creative, but it was an encounter with God that changed her path moving forward.

"I got a fine art degree in studio arts. I left school not knowing what to do with an art degree," said Oaten. "I believed I wasn't good enough to be a working artist. So, I left my art at school. I got a job, got married and had kids."

June 17, 2015, is a day that Chris Singleton will never forget. A day that changed his life forever.

Chris Singleton is a former minor league baseball player drafted by the Chicago Cubs. 

In 2015, Chris lost his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Nancy Hicks spent years on stage in Canada and more than a decade at QVC as an on-air spokesperson. She loved her time there but finally sensed God calling her to full-time ministry.

"There were 400 people lined up behind me for my job on QVC," said Nancy. " I loved it, but I knew there were not 400 people lined up behind me to preach God's word."

Throughout his life, T.C. Stallings sensed a spiritual battle from a young age, enduring challenging, life-altering circumstances.

T.C. was desperate to escape the housing projects of Cleveland, where he grew up surrounded by gangs, crime, violence, and drugs. Raised by a single mom, T.C. was one of six children from a different father T.C. did not meet until he was 18.

 If recent world events have taught us anything, it’s that life doesn’t always look the way we want it to look.

Author Mandy Hale says that while we can’t control the curveballs life throws at us, we can control our response to them. We can choose to loosen our grip on what we think life is “supposed” to be and embrace life for exactly what it is–messiness and mayhem and all. We can choose to stubbornly turn toward the sun, even as the storm rages around us.

Growing up, Kia Stephens longed for a true relationship with her father.

"My mother and father met on a cruise ship. It sounds romantic, but it was short-lived, and they got a divorce not too long after they got married," Kia explained.