The news is oft-times filled with depressing and soul-crushing sagas, which is why Faithwire works hard to bring you the brightest and most inspiring stories we can find. Here’s this week’s recap of the most uplifting stories from the past seven days:
1) A Texas church is finding hope in God after a deadly, head-on collision recently claimed the lives of 13 of its members, with the church’s lead pastor subsequently delivering a passionate message to journalists about life, salvation and the gospel.
“You never know what the day’s going to bring. The Lord tells us that we have today, tomorrow is not promised,” First Baptist Church New Braunfels pastor Brad McLean said. “We know the certainty of the scripture, God’s word, that when a person believes in Christ as Lord and savior of their life, then they are secure in him. We know this group of senior adults, that they were believers in Christ.”
2) College student Haley Klinger was just 100 yards away from completing her first marathon when her legs started to give in. What happened next became the quintessential representation of good sportsmanship – and the power of faith. Check it out.
3) Moving on: A missions group that smuggles Bibles into the Middle East is reporting that a radical Muslim who attempted to kill a Christian pastor earlier this month subsequently underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity. Fascinating story.
4) Evangelist Franklin Graham visited the Faithwire newsroom last week to share the remarkable story of how God’s hand was moving throughout the midst of pain and turmoil during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Liberia. It’s a must-hear story.
“It’s a chessboard and God is moving different pieces at different times,” Graham said, explaining how Dr. Kent Brantly, a doctor who famously battled Ebola, survived after returning to the U.S. for treatment.
5) And while many people take the simple luxury of ordering food for granted, a blind teen in Ohio experienced it for the first time after she was offered a Braille menu at a local Red Robin restaurant. Her reaction is awesome.
6) In another fit of inspiration, a 4-year-old little girl is at the center of a heartwarming story after she reportedly approached a police officer who was eating alone at a Massachusetts Panera Bread and decided to sit down with him. What followed was a pretty cool interaction.
7) Public and candid regrets can be a rare thing, especially when it comes to celebrities and public officials. Enter: “Wheel of Fortune” hostess Vanna White, an American pop culture staple for more than three decades. In a recent interview with Fox News, White, 60, dove into a variety of topics, including her TV success, her path to Hollywood — and one of her biggest regrets: taking photos that ended up in Playboy magazine. She learned a tough lesson, and had plenty to say about it.
8) Now, this next story is tragic: Christian music band We Are Worshippers shocked fans last Sunday when its members took to their official Facebook page to announce that the band’s tour bus was involved in a fatal accident. It was a horrific event — but a photo of the Bible page that the band found intact on the bus after the fire was stunning.
9) Singer and teen author Natasha Bure — daughter of actress Candace Cameron Bure — is hoping to inspire youths to be the best versions of themselves, releasing a new book aimed at helping guide her peers through life’s oft-times difficult challenges. “Be the best person that you can be,” Bure told Faithwire in an interview last week, telling her peers not to compare themselves to “society’s standard of perfection.” Listen here to what she had to say.
10) And last but not least: Justin Bieber has been increasingly open about his faith recently, and this past week Bieber once again shared his passion for Christ with concertgoers in Sydney, Australia. The 23-year-old reportedly broadcasted his faith to fans attending his sold-out show by appearing on stage in a see through box with the words: “Mark my words Jesus loves you!”
—
Other Must-Read Stories: