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Stephanie Morales-Beaulieu grew up in a home filled with love and Jesus, but life took a turn when her father was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
"He called me and said 'The doctor says I have ALS. It's fatal. There is no cure and I have 3 to 5 years.' The more I learned about it, the more I realized how bad it was."
This propelled Stephanie into a season she did not think she would survive.
"I remember at that time, it was like, I need everything that I know, in theory, to be true. I need these things that I've read in the Bible, and not just the Bible, but in that season, it was like, I need God to be real, and I need him to carry me."
Her father passed away 15 months after his diagnosis, but thanks to her father's strong faith, this difficult time became an opportunity for Stephanie's relationship with Jesus to grow. It also grew her passion to let people know that God is real and will meet you in your pain.
"Within every single obstacle in your life, is a unique opportunity to take God at his word," said Stephanie. “I’ve seen people lose heart and let go of the promises of God. But I’ve experienced the hope that emerges when we hold on to our faith.”
Morales-Beaulieu hopes by sharing her family's story that she will be able to bring hope to those struggling.
“Hope is in high demand these days. In a noisy world, something that can still capture and hold our attention is a compelling story,” said Morales-Beaulieu. “I wrote Anything But Ordinary: Finding Faith That Works When Life Doesn't so that everyday people who are seeking and struggling would know that there is hope - and an opportunity to walk by faith.”
Anything But Ordinary is available for purchase from anythingbutordinarybook.ca, Word Alive Press, and wherever books are sold.