I am the proud father of four wonderful daughters. The stork brought the first three and a 747 brought the last one. My youngest daughter Emma was as much of a gift of God to us as the other three and I know this because of how we came to adopt her.
Read MoreI moved to the United States of America when I was 5 1⁄2 years old. The nation I lived in was Liberia in West Africa. The reason I had to leave is because violent revolutionaries took over our country and I saw many of my friends and relatives killed before my eyes. Since I had relatives in Winston Salem, they sent for me. They knew this was no place for a child to have to live.
Read MoreI was raised with a Christian upbringing. My dad was a Baptist pastor and my mom was a praying woman. I went to church regularly and remember being baptized in the Mississippi river as a young girl.
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When I was eight years old I asked my dad what it meant to be a Christian. After he explained it to me, I’ll never forget kneeling beside a heater in my hallway and being led by my Dad in prayer, to receive Jesus as my Savior. That whole time in my life was so very special to me because that same week my mom made a profession of faith as well and together we were baptized.
I was blessed to be raised in a Godly home with a dad who taught me how to pray for God’s leadership in everything. It didn’t matter if it was big or small, we prayed about it and I always saw God at work. Therefore, I’ve never had a hard time believing that God was going to take care of me or any of my needs.
Read MoreWhen I was 14 my Daddy taught me the meaning of work. He needed me to help him, but he gave me a gift, whether he knew it or not. It was a valuable gift for a blind mind to find out I didn’t have to sit in the corner. I was 14 when I started learning hard work. We were cutting wood with a crosscut saw when a block came off and bumped my shin, and I said a bad word I won’t repeat here. “Son, hold your temper!” he said. “A man without one ain’t worth a plugged nickel, and man that’s got one and don’t control it is worth less.”
Read MoreOne might assume that growing up in the home of Billy Graham would automatically lead to being a follower of Jesus Christ, but that’s not so. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to make a choice whether they are going to accept or reject God’s love and provision.
Read MoreThe testimonies of Paige Mast Blevins and David Ward are separated by nine years, and yet, there is a central message that both are telling. It’s a message Paige and David have accepted, and it’s a message to our loving, diverse, small-town community. They are truths that speak into our culture, and yet, transcends culture to be relevant to anyone at any time.
Read MoreOn April 28, 2021, the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department dispatched officers to a home for a welfare check where a thirteen-hour standoff ensued. This resulted in the death of two officers: Sargent Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox as well as the family that was in the home.
Read MoreOn July 26, 2012, tragedy struck the High Country when Deputy William Mast was shot and killed while answering the call of a domestic dispute. In a matter of minutes, the life of his wife, Paige, was forever altered. Before this horrible night, Paige and William were a normal couple who lived a normal life. They started dating when William was thirteen years old and enjoyed a decade-long relationship, having dated for seven years and married for three. In their third year of marriage, there was also electricity in the air as they eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, Hunter.
Read MoreWhen you begin a conversation with Pam Greer, you start out with no idea of the trials, the struggles, and the situations that she has been through during her lifetime. But, by the time you finish talking with her, you have no doubt of the grace and the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon her through the kinds of struggles that can destroy a person’s life.
Read MoreThis is one of the many lessons my parents, Bronwyn and David Barricklow, have learned through almost five decades of marriage and business ownership – two journeys of faith that have a lot in common, as they see it.
Read MoreRussian tea, cinnamon candles, fresh fall leaves, and baked pumpkin seeds- these are the fall smells of my childhood that I savor during this time of year. Growing up, each season of the year brought new family activities, church functions, and school events that shaped my upbringing and who I am today.
Read MoreI appreciate this opportunity to share and reflect on the times when God’s healing touch came in ways that it was Him and only Him that restored. Yes, I am the recipient of Divine Healing. And my commitment to God is to testify...to share the journey...to bring God glory.
Please know that my delay in writing this is due to location. The inspiration to write came as I returned “home” to the High Country. These mountains are God’s special revelation that revive and restore.
Read MoreToday, I get the opportunity to tell you a brief story about an amazing thing God has done in my life. This one unfolding truth has completely changed the direction of my career, family life, and pursuit of what is meaningful. This story, like any good story, comes with elements of tragedy, triumph, and an essential moral thread that remains long after the story is finished.
Read MoreWhat I share here is not to boast but to tell how the Lord took a young girl and gave her a sense of belonging that started with a handsome young man who invited her to church and a church who loved and welcomed her as family.
Read MoreLaura Mains is a firm believer in the power of prayer. When you hear her story, it’s clear why.
Almost seventeen years ago, Laura Mains woke up to a woman in a white lab coat asking her questions.
“Who is the president of the United States?” she asked. “Do you know what country, state, and city you are in?”
Read MoreA story from our 2011 edition of The Journey features American folk, bluegrass, and country singer Doc Watson. Doc talks about his relationship with God, and shares a little bit of his testimony.
Read MoreShe said, “While we were praying, I saw you with black children…yeah, black children. And God says, ‘Yes’.”
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