By Erin Boado God's Brave Women - Erin's Story My most vivid memory of the birth of my second son is his first lusty newborn cry. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It stands as an ebenezer, a stone of remembrance in my mind, of the loving and powerful God I serve. There in the birth pool, I clutched my chubby, healthy baby to my chest as tears poured down my face. Birth is an absolute miracle, a blessing from God. Unfortunately, birth isn’t always so beautiful

By Misty Oerther God's Brave Women - Misty's Story After every storm, there comes a rainbow. Thank you Lord for this promise of hope. October 27, 2015 was as gut wrenching as it was glory-filled in my life. You see, October 27, 2014 was the day, we lost our son - John Karl Oerther VI - on what should have been his first birthday. No one on earth knew how I would react or function, let alone me. Our sweet boy celebrated in heaven, while we “celebrated” here by remembering him

God's Brave Women - Michelle's Story As a young child, I always knew I was different. This "knowing" wasn't coming from an external world, it was coming from the inside. This "difference" inside of me was a powerful force that intrigued me to cultivate. When cultivated and nurtured, that force took me to places beyond what I had hoped for. Places where good overcomes bad and benefits many – very HAPPY places! I wanted to keep going to those places as a girl! Those places were

God's Brave Women - Donna's Story I remember sitting there in the year 2000 and watching that TV documentary on caring for hospice patients. I was so moved by the compassion, grace, and dignity I saw! I wept at the end and told the Lord that I would welcome the opportunity to love on someone in their last few months in life. Little did I know my best friend at the time, my sweet mother-in-law, would make that quiet surrender a reality within weeks. Dolly was my confidant, my

God's Brave Women - Brittany's Story My story begins with a sin—an act I confidently thought I’d never do. I was 25-years-old and in leadership at a church in the Midwest. I was also in my first serious relationship, and I knew pretty soon this was the guy I wanted to marry. Life was beautiful and my future looked bright. I had been a believer for 9 years at this point and during that time had adopted a list of sins I’d assume I’d never do. Sins so unfathomable that “of cours

The moment he told me he was leaving, I faced my most-feared scenario. I was the abandoned spouse in a marriage that had disguised itself as