Connections

Life is unpredictable. The plans we dream about and make don’t always become our realities.

When Bethany Beal was just 21 years old she bought her wedding dress. The only problem with that is she was single with no prospects on the horizon.

"My older sister Kristen was getting married and she was wedding dress shopping and I just happened to find the dress of my dreams and Kristen convinced me to get it," says Beal, co-founder of Girl Defined Ministries.

Beal says that dress sat in the back of her closet for the next 10 years. 

For 20 years, Amy Hayward spent her time in ministry serving artists, musicians and pastors behind the scenes. 

As an event manager, Amy planned tours and conferences while walking through a process of healing behind the scenes with the Lord.

"I'm  39 now, and about 10 years ago, the Lord took me through a process of healing. I might call it the valley of the shadow of death. I thought it was the end, but it was just the beginning of freedom and breakthrough that he had planned for me for a long time," Hayward explains.

God and the church were not a part of Danny Ray's life growing up. It wasn't until he was 17 years old that he became a believer, and even then he wrestled with it.

Ray was a magician at the time, and when he started to read the Bible, it said that magicians were going to hell. This frightened Danny to the point that he was willing to give up his passion and career.

Life had been good to Karen and Bob Krech. They had travelled the world as overseas teachers. They were blessed with a strong marriage, a nice house, great jobs, and a happy, healthy two-year-old son. 

Things took a downward spiral when Karen became pregnant with their daughter. At just 23 weeks, Karen began experiencing some difficulties with the pregnancy and needed to deliver the baby.

Their daughter Faith was born weighing just 450 grams and was so small she could fit in her father's hand.

Marriage on its own is challenging. Throw some kids into the mix and things can get very complicated. 

Can those two things be combined? If not, which one should we be focusing on first? Our marriage or our children?  

Lucille Williams is a national speaker who has ministered to couples and families for more than 25 years. She is also the author of the book, The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace.  

Williams has been married to her husband for over three decades, but things weren't always great. 

When Hayden Moffit was born, he was diagnosed with a severe case of cerebral palsy.

His parents were told that the future was grim and that he would never leave the hospital. But in fact, Hayden did leave the hospital and went on to live for over two years.

The return to Standard Time started Sunday, November 7 – a routine that results in adjustment not only to our watches but also to our internal clocks. While we gain an extra hour of sleep on Sunday, the change to our sleep schedules can disrupt our well-being.

Daylight Saving Time came to an end at 2 a.m. Sunday, which means daylight will begin earlier in the morning and the sun will set earlier in the afternoon as fall progresses.

Believers from around the world are being encouraged to join together in prayer this weekend for Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is an annual movement that brings Christians and churches together in prayer for their brothers and sisters living where faith costs the most.

Brad Klassen and his wife Jen began their adventure by volunteering in the children's ministry at their church. Little did they know where saying yes to that would take them. 

Brad and Jen have created a new book series called The Unforgettable Adventures of Junior Bear. Brad is also the children's pastor at Crossview Church in Steinbach, Manitoba.

Chris Tomlin and Hillsong United were recently thrust into the spotlight after tickets went on sale for their Tomlin UNITED tour across the U.S. and Canada.

Many fans and fellow Christian artists were upset to know that Tomlin and Hillsong United were offering VIP packages. 

Christian artist Tom Reed took to Twitter to voice his displeasure, saying "I'm not sure which is worse: that Hillsong and Chris Tomlin think that this is ok in the context of worship; or that there's actually a demand for it?"