Stephen De La Vega

  COVID-19 hit us like a giant brick. Its presence changed the world. It disrupted our lives. Many of us were hit hard. How can our everyday normal be so overturned by something we can’t even see!? It’s my pleasure to introduce Alynda Long. She is an Energizer bunny …and a writer, blogger, editor, wife, homeschool mother, grandmother, graduate student, and, most importantly, Christ-follower. She endured a month-long battle against COVID-19, and she had never experienced a viral infection like this one. COVID-19 is a beast! But Alynda ‘kept on going’ as well as she could and she maintained a productive faith in God who is greater than this virus and in full control. I was encouraged by her story of victory as she suffered through the invasion of COVID-19 in her body and her household. It’s God’s story of victory, really, through Alynda’s faith, and I want to share it with you. Here is an interview with Alynda about her experience. Hi Alynda. Thank you for agreeing to tak...

It could’ve been a trip like any other, but Shauna and her family didn’t take the usual vacation. Instead, they assembled their family and friends to spend time with strangers, and they made memories for many in the process. This is because their vacation was eye-opening, heart-expanding, and life-changing. They built a house for a family in need and, more importantly, they demonstrated to this family and to themselves how profound a life with Jesus can be when it involves sacrifice. Shauna, her husband, and their two boys, along with her parents, her brother, and family friends, sacrificed five days of their lives to serve on a Homes of Hope team in Mexico. Homes of Hope (HOH) is a ministry of Youth With A Mission ( YWAM ) who have been inviting youth into international missions work for 60 years! Shauna told me how great the trip was for her family and the family they served, and I want to share their experience with you. Below is an interview with her. Hi Sh...

3 weeks ago I attended my aunt’s memorial service.  We call it a “celebration of life” because of the life she lived on earth and because Aunt Marilyn is alive and well in Heaven.  I know she’s in Heaven, not because I heard her confess Jesus as Savior and Lord of her life.  I never heard her say that.  (In fact, I didn’t know Aunt Marilyn very well because visiting with her was just not a regular thing for me.)  But I know she's in Heaven because I see her legacy – God’s hand on the beautiful children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who remain on this earth. To illustrate her legacy… A week after Aunt Marilyn’s celebration of life, her 13-year-old great grandson described “true followers of God” as people who are “fully involved [in church], have a good time, and hold on to what they learned for life.” He wrote this for an English assignment. This is fruit of a godly legacy. He continued, “Being Christian means to have full ...