I live in North Wilkesboro but work for Scott Brothers Heating and Cooling in Ashe County. We report for work every day at 8 a.m., and I’m the kind of guy who always gets there right at 8, but never early.
However, on the morning of October 26, 2009, I woke up earlier than usual, and I felt led to leave my house 20 minutes earlier than usual.
Read MoreWe have been learning and re-learning that many times you have to meet the physical needs of people before you can properly address their spiritual needs. Nicole and I feel so honored that God has called us to this lifestyle.
Read MoreAt 10 years old I was in church and baptized, but as I grew older and got my first job, I stopped going. I fell into the habit of going to church and then leaving again, but, after getting married and settling down, I felt like God was calling me to join a church.
Read MoreMy name is Sam Petersen and I am now 12-years-old. My family first started going to Bethel Baptist in Cary, NC when I was about 3-years-old. I started Awana Cubbies when I was 4. I heard about the plan of salvation many times in Awana and in other church services. We memorized verses in Awana. One of them was Romans 3:23, which states: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It was then that I knew that I was a sinner.
Read MoreI moved to Boone 7 years ago with my wife, Miel, and we have three children. I work for ASU in the ACT program (Appalachian and the Community Together). This is a program that matches student volunteers with needs in the community. Visiting and talking with non-profit organizations helps us determine what the community needs most and hopefully allows us to meet those needs through individual student volunteers, larger groups and academic classes that have a service-component.
Read MoreLosing my father, Norman Cheek, was one of the most difficult things that I have ever had to go through. Last year was very hard, but God has taught me several things through this process. The grieving makes me think back to my childhood.
Read MoreAfter a violent divorce between my mother and father, my father took my brother and me to live with him. He couldn’t handle us, so he took us to our grandmother who lived in Snow Camp, NC. She was given custody of me and my four siblings. Not long afterwards, my mother picked us up and told us we were going camping, but, in fact, she took us to Oregon to live with her and her alcoholic boyfriend. I never saw my father again until I was in my 20’s.
Read MoreI was born during my father’s time in seminary and I grew up in a church environment. My parents are loving and faithful believers. I don’t remember not loving the Lord. But over the past few years, I’ve learned that there is a difference between believing in Him and having a deep relationship with Him.
Read MoreMy walk with God has not always been so sure. I was saved when I was thirteen in a little country church here in Ashe County. Since then, I have kept God busy. Looking back, I can see His hand always protecting me even when I stepped out on my own and didn’t listen.
Read MoreMost of my friends know that my husband and I met and married in a whirlwind. We got engaged two months after we met, then were married four months after that. When I look back, I feel I should apologize to my family for giving them heart- attacks. I’m sure there were plenty of rumors about whether I was pregnant or insane or something. What many people don’t know, however, is what an instrument of healing he was for me. I feel led to share this incredibly personal story, not to shock you, but to share how good God is.
Read MoreGod has helped us with this business, and we are learning every day. God has amazed me. After trying for some time to run the business myself, I finally realized that I had to have God’s help. When I got to that point, it was amazing how much easier the business became.
Read MoreMy walk with God has not always been so sure. I was saved when I was thirteen in a little country church here in Ashe County. Since then, I have kept God busy. Looking back, I can see His hand always protecting me even when I stepped out on my own and didn’t listen.
Read MoreIt was at Cape Blanco State Park on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon where I was reading a Bible my mom had given me before we departed for our West Coast honeymoon. I’m in a meadow on a beautiful cliff overlooking the ocean when these words from John 5:15 caught my attention: “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Read MoreAt 20, I put forth a solid effort to change. I was in love with a girl, and she thought she was pregnant. I swore off drugs and decided to make something of myself. I signed up for EMT school and was determined to become a firefighter. Soon after starting school, we found out the pregnancy was a false alarm, and that relationship ended. I found myself in a strange new place. I was no longer around drug users but career-oriented people, and my desire to be highly thought of was again driving me.
Read More“For a number of years I felt a calling, and it was almost like somebody was walking behind me tapping me on the shoulder saying ‘there are other things you can be doing in addition to your work with your family and your work with your practice.’ I frequently would almost look over my shoulder to see who was tapping me on my shoulder. It took me a while to realize that who was tapping me on the shoulder was the Lord, saying that ‘there are other things out there that you could do to serve,” Herring said.
Read MoreI had really struggled in all my pregnancies with very deep depression and anxiety. With my first child, I didn’t know anything about that. You hear a lot about postpartum with women. But then it really struck me in my pregnancies.
Read More“It was there that God truly healed me of my addiction. I think when you struggle with an addiction, it’s always a selfish thing. It’s ‘me, me, me.’ And we live in a self-serving world. Everything is about ourselves and putting ourselves first. And with an addiction, I would wake up thinking of myself first thing, and I would go to bed thinking of myself as the last thing,” she said. “It was there in serving — I was working in an orphanage — I didn’t have time, I was too busy — I didn’t have time to think of myself. And it’s like God truly healed me of that. Because we know that Jesus Christ came to serve, not to be served.”
Read MoreI cannot remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe in and know Jesus. I have loved Him my whole life. But I remember a major moment when God won me over. I was determined to do this whole God thing the “right way.” I kept focusing on not messing up and following the rules. I held such high expectations that I put on myself. About ten years ago, my ‘religion’ walls came crashing down.
Read MoreMy earliest memories in life are of not being wanted. Before I was born, my grandma wanted my mom to drink turpentine, thinking that would cause her to abort spontaneously. I never met my dad until I was 27 years old. As you can imagine, I felt pretty insignificant growing up.
Read MoreIt happened February 5, 2004. My parents had a flower shop and on that day my mom and I were delivering flowers to a church in Grassy Creek for a viewing. The forecast called for bad weather so we were anxious to deliver the flowers and get back home.
On the way back, as we came through the curves at Shatley Springs, I turned on my wipers which made a smear of ice on my windshield. I was only doing about 35 mph, but I said to my mother, “Mom, we’re in trouble.” Just then the van began sliding.
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