When we turn on our television or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here are a few inspirational stories of 2019 that we hope will bless you.
Man Sings “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” at the US Capitol Rotunda in Viral Video
When new recording artist Edward Byrd toured the U.S. Capitol last month, he didn’t expect to sing in the Rotunda. Now a video of him singing the hymn Nothing but the Blood of Jesus has gone viral. Byrd, along with members of the group Changed — men and women who chose to leave homosexuality — went to the Capitol to tell lawmakers that a bill to outlaw therapy for homosexuals would only hurt those who want to change. He hopes the viral video — which garnered 1.8 million views and 67, 000 shares within a week — will spark change. “I hope change comes out of it. I hope love comes out of it. I hope hope comes out of it. … I just hope that I’m used as a vessel of freedom. A vessel of hope.”
The Hymn Heard Round the World
In June, anti-extradition Hong Kong protesters began singing a Christian hymn called, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” at marches, in front of the city’s Legislative Council, and at police stand-offs. Christian churches rallied with the protesters once they heard the alarming reports of police brutality. The churches joined their ranks in order to protect the protesters, as “religious assemblies” are exempt from rules governing organized protests. The simple-to-learn hymn with its easy melody not only demonstrated to the world that the protests were peaceful, but the song’s message also moved people worldwide.
‘Nearly Brain Dead’ Man Leaves Hospital After ‘Miraculous’ Recovery
Doctors said T. Scott Marr had a stroke. He was on life support and had little brain function. His brain was swelling. After doctors told Marr’s kids that he likely wouldn’t make it, they decided to pull him off life support and let him pass away. But that wasn’t the end of the story. After weeks of therapy, and a new diagnosis, Marr has returned home. For Marr, he experienced a miraculous recovery. “I’m not an extremely religious person but I do believe in God. I believe with all my heart, ” Marr said. “And now this is just proof for me that everything I’ve ever heard is true. “That he loves me. That he’s right there for me,” he added. “It was pretty much a miracle.
From Porn Star to Evangelist: How One Woman’s Encounter With Jesus Changed Everything
Brittni De La Mora was 16 years old the first time she stepped on stage in a strip club. “I felt like I had finally found the love and the attention and the acceptance that I’d been looking for my whole life,” says Brittni. By the time she got to college, she was dancing in clubs regularly. As a child, De La Mora felt rejected. “I just never felt good enough. I felt like nothing I did ever met these standards that my mom had for me.” She says since her household didn’t know God, there was a lack of love. Dancing, drugs and porn seemed to fulfill her need for what she lacked in childhood. A few years and a heroin habit later, De La Mora wanted out. She found out that her grandfather was going to church and asked if she could join him. “I met Jesus at the altar that day and I was given a Bible,” she recalls. “I just started to devour every page that I could possibly read in one night. She added, “It didn’t matter how much men praised me, how much they affirmed me. It still was never enough because your source of confidence and your need for affirmation can never come from the people around you. If you want to feel truly confident and truly fulfilled, it can only come from Jesus.”
Man With Severe MS Walks Again: ‘We Do Not Know What Tomorrow Will Bring’
“I don’t know how people can live through MS — severe MS — without God. He’s pivotal to my story. Absolutely central. It was He who made sense out of that which did not make sense.” Mark Pickup was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1984. Over time, the husband and father of young children lost the use of his legs and his right arm. He began to lose the use of his left arm too. He was on the verge of quadriplegia. But then the miracle occurred. One night he woke up. There was a presence in the room. “It was Him [Jesus]. Although it wasn’t audible, the message was clear. ‘Touch your little finger with your thumb.’ I hadn’t been able to do that in eons. My right hand was useless. And sure enough, I did touch it. ‘Touch it again. Do it again.’” Mark didn’t mention it to his wife, LaRee. He wasn’t sure how long it would last. Then God told him, “Get up and walk with the walker.” Mark showed his doctor. As she watched him get out of his wheelchair, he heard her exclaim, “No, no way! No, that’s impossible, it can’t be.” He doesn’t know why God has allowed the remission of MS. He still uses his wheelchair for long distances or when he gets exhausted from walking. “I mean, who am I to know God’s design? … I will witness to Him in a remission and I will witness to Him in a wheelchair.” Perhaps God allowed his disease to go into remission to remind that “we must not lose hope in even seemingly hopeless circumstances. That we must never give up on life because we do not know what’s around the corner. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, even supposed miracles, as rare as they may be.”
Blind and Autistic Contestant on America’s Got Talent Stuns Judges and Viewers
Kodi Lee shocked judges on America’s Got Talent in May when he performed a perfect cover of Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You.” That’s because he wasn’t just any contestant. Kodi, 22, is blind and has autism. Kodi’s mom, Tina, told the judges that when she found out he could sing she cried. “That’s when I realized ‘oh my gosh, he’s an entertainer.’” Kodi played the piano as well. Ironically, Kodi’s performance aired the same day the Supreme Court refused to uphold an Indiana law that bans abortions based on sex, race or disability. Kodi is proof that all lives are valuable and those who suffer from disabilities can have a beautiful and productive life.