Joe Trujillo grew up in a dysfunctional family with alcoholic parents and as a young man ended up in prison with 5 felonies. Feeling utterly hopeless, Joe remembers, “I fell to my knees and cried out to God” one night in his cell.

Seven months into her pregnancy, Stacey and Jon were told their son, Drake, had cardiomyopathy and had less than a 1 percent chance of survival. Drake was born, survived for 3 days, and, as Stacy says, “looked absolutely perfect to us despite his imperfect heart.” Even in their grief, the couple recognize the hand of God at work and are thankful for the blessings—even the ones they…

Brandi Cameron has seen a lot of death in her young life, a favorite uncle, a friend, an aunt, and a great grandma. At first, she dealt with it by making poor choices and hurting others. Then God showed her through her grandmother’s wise words that she could trust Him.

Matt’s life was all about himself and his baseball career. Even as a Christian, he didn’t allow God into every aspect of his life. He took the advancement of his career into his own hands, and his heart hardened until a blanket of darkness was all he knew. Once his secret was discovered, the blanket lifted and he felt the full mercy of God. Now he lives…

Erin felt lingering pain and emptiness after her parents’ divorce, which led to an eating disorder and tendency to cut herself. She eventually learned that God’s love was the only thing that could fill the void in her life and take those broken pieces to create something beautiful. God gave Erin a heart for Haiti, where she is serving as an elementary education teacher.