Connections

Against every last odd, you can hope anyway, that's according to author, mother and hope warrior, Leanna Tankersly.

After 15 long years, Tankersly's marriage came to an abrupt and unexpected end, leading her down a path of darkness.

With an openhanded spirit and open-hearted vulnerability, Leeana Tankersley reveals the darkest chapter of her own story, the thing she never thought would happen and could do nothing to prevent in her new book, Hope Anyway: Welcoming Possibility in Ourselves, God, and Each Other.  

Lily Meschi grew up in a Muslim family in Tehran, Iran. When she was just 16 years old her parents decided to migrate to Europe to escape their bankrupt business.

As a teenager, moving from Iran to Germany was a complete culture shock for Meschi. She had to learn a new language, adopt an unfamiliar lifestyle, make new friends and attempt to fit in the German crowds, which caused her significant amounts of insecurity.

We've all suffered losses of varying degrees. Grief is normal. But in some cases, grief becomes chronic, and when it’s compounded by guilt, it can seem nearly impossible to resolve.

Awakened by Grace is the latest book by Christian author Darlene West. In this new book, Darlene explores deeper themes of guilt and self-condemnation. West used her own journey through unspeakable tragedy to make the book that much more impactful.

In recent years, we've been hearing more and more about abuses taking place within the church. Whether that be abuses of power, sexual abuse or spiritual abuse, it's happening on a more regular basis.

Author and teacher, Laura Barringer writes about this in a new book that she has co-authored with her father titled A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. 

Summer is a time that is associated with fun, vacation, camping and spending time with family and friends. It's also a time where our children are at risk of going down the 'summer slide'. 

Summer learning loss is that period of time over the holidays when some students lose a portion of the achievement gains made during the previous school year. This can bring losses in learning, health and well-being in children.

Nashville-native Brandon Heath has been writing and performing Christian music for over a decade, but his new music reaches even deeper when it comes to sharing the depth of God's love. 

"I didn't become a dad until I was 39, and then we had our second when I was 41 so I kind of had a late start in fatherhood. I've always had this capacity to love, but when I became a dad it was like this whole new compartment of my soul was accessed," says Heath. 

Kristina Hurrell has always had a passion for travelling. Growing up near Windsor in England, she used her fast-paced Dior modelling career as an escape to explore global cultures.

When she was just 20 years old, Hurrell was invited to photograph a Bedouin tribe in the Sahara Desert. She didn't think twice and took the offer.

"Through my grandmother, I have strong faith that God is really there and he will protect me," says Hurrell. "I was walking with stride and purpose into the experience, knowing I'd be protected."

Jeannie Cunnion, a pastor’s kid and life-long Jesus follower who became a Christian at the age of eight, found herself knee-deep in questions such as: Do I really rely on the power of God’s Spirit inside me or am I trying to do life in my own strength? How can I experience more of His presence? Why do I keep struggling with things I’ve been set free from? These questions led her to discover more about the Holy Spirit and become fully reliant on Him for the answers.

After a trying year of battling cancer, the new CEO of the Joy Smith Foundation is ready to take the reigns.

Janet Campbell is the new CEO and President of the Joy Smith Foundation, taking over the role of her mother, Joy Smith. 

"This has been a lifelong work of hers. The transition allows her to have more time to focus on survivors and programming, while I can help grow the organization and support her," says Campbell.

Helping end and fight human trafficking has been a family affair for all the Smiths. 

In March 2020, the whole world retreated indoors, inspiring children’s book author Mikey Woz to create something to help kids everywhere find the silver lining.

The result, When the World Stays Inside, is a positive, whimsical book that reminds us all of the importance of finding beauty in the seemingly mundane and uncovering the bright side of any situation.