Life is full of challenges that cross our path when we least expect them. However, living and surviving means being able to cope with those challenges the best we can. Sometimes a little push from someone is all we need in order to overcome the issues we face, because a small act of kindness can go a long way and restore our faith in humanity.
February 23rd was the day the young parents Jesse and Maria Hulscher welcomed to the world their second baby boy. This made them happy beyond words. They just couldn’t wait to take their son home from hospital and introduce him to his brother and the rest of the family. Since the winter was pretty harsh, they knew they had to make the place warm an cozy for the newborn.
But, they encountered a problem. The furnace in the house stopped working in the middle of the freezing weather, and just before the arrival of Maria and the baby.
Maria Hulscher
Jesse was left alone with his 2-year-old to come up with a quick solution. He was pretty worried because he knew that companies offering repairing services are often very busy and he wasn’t sure whether they could act fast.
“Instantly I panicked,” Jesse said. “I have a two-year-old here, a newborn coming home in a couple days and this was before the big potential snow storm.”
Jesse called Magnuson Sheet Metal to ask them if they could come and fix the furnace before he brought his wife and newborn son home. Jesse’s voice was trembling as he was speaking with the co-owner Craig Aurand who could easily notice that Jesse was in a desperate need of help, so he decided to offer it to the worried father. Just 20 minutes after they spoke on the phone there was someone at the front door. When Jesse opened it he couldn’t believe the staff of Magnuson Sheet Metal could have arrived that quickly.
“He said ‘the fan’s not working, the furnace isn’t working, my wife is in the hospital, we just had a baby yesterday,’” Aurand recalled. “I just said take it easy, we’ll be right there.”
The company repaired the furnace in no time. The heating was on again and now everything was prepared for the big moment.
But, acting quickly and efficiently wasn’t the only thing about the company that stunned Jesse. When he asked for the receipt, he was left in awe once again. Instead of listing the amount of money he should have paid, they left a heartwarming note.
“I opened it up and looked at the receipt and it said, ‘no charge, take care of the new baby,’” Jesse said. While Maria recalled, “I was like, ‘what? No. This can’t be real.’ And he’s like, ‘I know I can’t believe it either.’”
It appeared that Magnuson Sheet Metal was a company known for doing good deeds for people who are in need of their services by not charging families for small jobs which happen on holidays. Things like these make the world a better place.
“We didn’t do it for the PR, we just did it to be good people. That’s it. Just to be nice to these people,” he said. “That’s what this is about.”
There seems to be a never-ending issue with poaching. The sad truth is some species are so close to being extinct because of this ‘trophy hunting.’ Often killed for their horns, rhinos are at risk from poaching too.
Recently, rescuers stumble across a mama rhino killed by poachers. They had set upon the baby too. Rescuers found the sweet baby lying next to her dead mother unsure of how to live.
Upon crossing the scene, rescuers realized the baby was still alive. Too late to save the mother, they hoped they could at least save the baby.
They took the baby to Care for the Wild Rhino Sanctuary. The poor rhino was in poor condition. He had one toenail cut to the nail bed, a machete wound on his back, and seemed horrified.
Petronel Niewouldt of the Care for Wild Team said,“It was instinctive for him to try and stay close to his mother to protect her, and the poachers with no sympathy or hesitation whatsoever lashed out at him so that they could finish their heinous crime of taking his mother’s horn as quickly as possible.”
After sedating the rhino, a surgeon operated on the wounds.
The rescuers say that the baby, now named Arthur, is now doing well in recovery. Sadly though, he still searches for his mother. Not understanding she’ll never return, he still calls for her. This sound is heartwrenching.
“He still calls for his mother, it is a heart-wrenching sound and one that he should never have to make. Her death will affect him emotionally long after his physical wounds have healed.”
In the wild, a mother stays with their child for nearly four years. She teaches the baby everything they need to know then. Even if he could have survived the wounds, he would be unable to continue and defend himself.
We’re never getting tired of good jokes that bring laughter and improve our mood. The following is oldie but goodie.
Two women go out one night without their husbands.
They go to a bar, have a chat along with a couple of drinks and then head back home.
On the way home one of them turns to the other and says:
“Sorry, but I need to go to a toilet. Can we stop for a minute?”
The other looks at her and replies “I also have to go there, but where can we go in the middle of the street?”
“Oh, look, there is a cemetery over there we can go there.”
“Yes, but how are we going to wipe?”
“I’m just going to use my underwear and throw it out.”
Her friend however, was wearing her favorite (and rather expensive knickers) and didn’t want to ruin them. So she elected to take a wreath off a nearby grave and use that.And so they went home.
The next day the husband of one was concerned that his normally sweet and innocent wife was hungover and still in bed, so he phoned the other.
“Do you know where our wives went last night? Because mine came back home with no underwear.”
“Well you are luckier than me, my wife came home with a ribbon in her butt and on the ribbon it was written: ‘From all of us at the Fire Station. We’ll never forget you.’ ”
Lots of people these days live on fixed income which may be quite low and insufficient for covering all their needs. This is especially true for the elderly people who are not able to work any longer and have no chance of making any money on the side. So, sometimes the choice is either food or the necessary medications. If they can’t afford gas for their vehicle, it makes things even harder, especially going to the doctor’s.
Luckily, there are people out there who believe in making good deeds. It’s not unusual those people to be random strangers ready to give a helping hand to those in need like this elderly lady from Michigan.
Flickr/Chris Faulkner
Seth Kazz was working at his family’s Citgo gas station in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, when he noticed a senior citizen at the gas pumps. She relied on a cane and struggled to walk into the gas station.
When she made her way to the counter, she took her money out all she had in her pocket was $3 for gas. A police officer was standing behind her and watched the woman’s predicament unfold before him with genuine concern.
Flickr/Mike Mozart
The officer followed the woman outside to her car and ordered her to sit in her vehicle. Seth watched from the window as he then volunteered to pump her gas for her.
After chatting for some time, the officer realized that after spending those $3 dollars on gas, the lady was left with nothing, and he also knew that little money in gas won’t take her very far.
“He told her to hang tight – came inside and got her another $20 in gas out of his pocket.”
The officer resumed pumping her gas and learned that the woman was a recent widow. Every month, she has difficulty paying the bills.
“This $20 really helped her! She would have most likely ended up running out of gas. Nowadays there’s so much negativity towards police officers. No one respects them. We hear all the complaints and ‘bad’ stories. I’m not saying every officer is perfect, I’m sure some are at fault at times. We all make mistakes- but we should all respect, appreciate, and thank them for what they do.”
Love What Matters
Watching what this officer did, and how he paid for the senior citizen’s gas when she was low on funds made Seth respect officers more. He felt he had to share this heartwarming story with Love That Matters.
He had to highlight the compassion one officer showed toward someone in need. It proved that there really are wonderful people in this world.
Seth gave a shout out to this officer and sent a big thank you to him. We would have to agree — thank you officer for your kindness!
Grandma Franklin is a total opposite of what comes to our mind when we hear the word ‘granny’. The Franklin Family Talent Show is just around the corner and Grandma has a special surprise for the family. She’s showing some bold moves in her performance that vent viral in the blink of an eye and left everyone stunned. This granny will certainly impress you, because you don’t get to see a dancing act from a 85-year-old that often.
YouTube
Even though moving around gets harder in our old age, Your Care Everywhere says that dancing is a great way to remain active – even during the chilly winter months! The site explains that dancing has a variety of important benefits for people young and old. Besides the obvious physical benefits, dancing can help older folks socialize and keep their minds sharp. Instead of sleeping the days away, dancing brings people together and gets them talking to one another. Signing up for a dance class is a great way to meet friends, stay active and keep your brain churning by learning a new skill! There’s no reason why your age should determine what activities you can and can’t do.
YouTube
Thankfully, Beth’s mother understands how important it is to get up and going – so she gladly comes up with the perfect talent show routine. Rather than bore the group with a song from her past or try to regale them with a strange party trick, Grandma Franklin performs the Cupid Shuffle! This upbeat song is usually played in middle school dances, not for an 85-year-old woman to bop to in the living room. As soon as the song starts playing, the entire family goes wild. You can’t imagine how they react when she actually begins to dance. Take a peek at their reaction in the video below. Grandma Franklin sure knows how to boogie!
Tyrone Wells is a well known singer and a songwriter who’s got a successful career, 11 albums to his name and lots of fans who enjoy his music. However, his biggest admirer is his sweet baby girl Aria. It’s really heartwarming how this cutie can only be calmed down by the soothing sound of her father’s voice. His presence along with his adorable singing makes wonders for his daughter. She’s simply mesmerized and listens the songs with admiration and we can’t hide our excitement watching this father-daughter bonding.
YouTube
While babies certainly hear their mother’s voice in the womb more often, Parenting Magazine says that it’s equally as important for fathers to speak to their children before they’re born. The site explains, “Research shows that unborn babies can recognize their mother’s (and possibly their father’s) voice starting at 32 weeks. So belt out your best karaoke, read [the baby] an article from Esquire or just let [them] know how your day went.” Clearly, Tyrone did the same thing and built a bond with his baby girl before she was born. So now, when she’s feeling down, frustrated or sleepy, Dad’s voice is all she needs to calm down.
YouTube
As soon as Dad starts to sing, Aria’s face lights up. An ear-to-ear smile spreads and she listens intently – even mouthing a few words all by herself. Take a peek at this sweet family moment in the video below. You can’t help but crack a smile and shed a tear or two as she sings along with her daddy! Their heartwarming daddy-daughter relationship will only grow stronger as she grows older.
Police officers face different emergency cases every day. When they get a call where they have to act fast because of the urgency of the situation it’s impossible to tell what might they encounter. When the Ouachita County Sherriff’s Office answered an emergency call about a young boy found wandering beside a road in Camden, Arkansas all by himself and with visible scratches all over his face, they couldn’t even imagine what they were about to discover. Nathan Greeley, a Lieutenant with Ouachita’s detective criminal investigation division said the toddler “looked like someone who had crawled through a bunch of thorns.”
YouTube
Officers brought the toddler back to headquarters and posted his picture online in the hopes that someone was going to recognize him, but the story didn’t end there. Just half an hour later someone identified him as 3-year-old Kylen Holliman who it turns out had been missing for days along with his mom Lisa and his 1-year-old brother. Sensing something wasn’t right cops did a search of the area where Kylen had been found and soon found a car wreck hidden near a ravine that had been impossible to see for anyone driving along the road. Lisa’s body was found outside the vehicle and she hadn’t survived.
YouTube
As cops further searched the vehicle they found Kylen’s 1-year-old brother still strapped in his child restraint. When the little boy saw people he instantly lit up. Officer Greeley says, “You could tell he was just happy someone was there. It didn’t matter if it was a complete stranger or not, we gave him the comfort that he needed.” Thankfully the boys didn’t sustain any major injuries but unfortunately their mother wasn’t so lucky. The boys hadn’t had food or water for days so were it not for Kylen being seen it could have resulted in an unthinkable outcome for them. They are now being cared for by family and their grandfather tearfully calls little Kylen a hero for managing to escape the car and make it out along the road for help. Although their grandfather lost his daughter he is thankful he didn’t lose her boys too. Watch the full story below.
This is a story I’ve heard a long time ago and I’ve been wondering whether it was true or not ever since, so after some research I learned that this is something that actually happened.
Read it below:
”He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary’s School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.
Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving – “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.
Flickr
One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher’s mistake. I looked at Mark and said, If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!” It wasn’t ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, “Mark is talking again.”
I hadn’t asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark’s desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me.
That did it! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark’s desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, “Thank you for correcting me, Sister.”
At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the “new math,” he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third.
One Friday, things just didn’t feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend.”
That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday I gave each student his or her list Before long, entire class was smiling. Really?” I heard whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone!” I didn’t know others liked me so much.” No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.
That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip, the weather, my experiences in general.
There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply says, “Dad?” My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. “The Eklunds called last night,” he began “Really?” I said. “I haven’t heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is.” Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said. “The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.” To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark.
I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, “Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me.”
The church was packed with Mark’s friends Chuck’s sister sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. “Mark talked about you a lot,” he said.
Vietnam Veterans Fund
After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates headed to Chuck’s farmhouse for lunch. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. “We want to show you something, his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.” Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.
I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.” Mark’s classmates started to gather around us.
Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. I keep it in the top drawer of my desk at home.” Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.” I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.” Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said without batting an eyelash. “I think we all saved our lists.” That’s when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
A beautiful but sad story. GOD bless this teacher. We need more like her.
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Nowadays there are lots of scammers who try to make easy money by tricking vulnerable individuals, especially elderly people. The most common way of performing a scam is by touching the heart of the victim and pretending to be someone familiar to them, such as a relative, a government official, or a famous company. This story should serve as a warning that you must always check the validity of the story and the person before you trust them with your money.
When Cicil Rodgers received a call during Christmas, he didn’t expect anyone to be playing around with him. The caller identified himself as Cecil’s eldest grandson, and he was in jail because he had caused an accident. He even gave the phone to someone else who identified himself as his lawyer. Apparently, he needed $2,300 for bail. Smell something?
Well, Cecil, being the big-hearted grandpa that he’s always been, agreed to transfer the money. However, the callers insisted that he shouldn’t tell anyone about it. Cecil headed out and withdrew the money from an ATM, and then walked into a Walmart branch to make the transfer. That’s when the cashier did it!
Audrella Taylor has been a cashier for years, and she can smell a scam from miles away. After hearing Cecil’s story, she immediately declined to transfer the cash for him. She told him it was a scam and that he should rush back home and confirm the “grandson’s” story with relatives. Turns out, he really was getting scammed!
Click play on the video and watch the news report about the incident.
When a person decides to take their own life the whole family falls into grief and confusion. The closest relatives may be consumed with guilt thinking they could have done something to prevent the unfortunate event by recognizing some of the signs that led to it.
When they heard about the suicide of their beloved husband and father, Keyla and her three sons were crushed by unbearable pain. The very much respected pastor Andrew Stoecklein of Inland Hills Church in California passed away by taking his own life on Friday, August 25, 2018.
Through overwhelming grief, Kayla managed to spread mental health and suicide awareness. Now her tear-jerking messages at the darkest moment in her life are going viral.
Instagram/ Kayla Stoecklein
Despite her own emotions, Kayla took to Instagram in the hours after Andrew’s passing to alert their family, loved ones and congregation. She broke down why Andrew decided to take his own life and detailed the difficult task of letting him be at peace with God.
“Last night, the love of my life, the father of my children and the pastor of our incredible church took his last breath and went to be with Jesus. It wasn’t the miracle I was hoping for but he is now in Heaven with his dad, free of pain, free of depression and anxiety.
He was an amazing husband, he truly made me better, made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, and he loved me so deeply. We fit so well together, we were one. He was an amazing daddy, his three boys are going to miss him so much. He had such a unique and special relationship with each of them. He was an incredibly gifted teacher, communicator, and pastor. He was special, one of a kind and will be missed by thousands of people all around the world.
Please pray for me and the boys. I don’t know how I am going to face this, I am completely heartbroken, lost, and empty. Never in a million years would I have imagined this would be the end of his story.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or actions, please tell someone. Please make sure you’re not alone, and please call a friend or family member before you make that irreversible decision. You are loved and valued more than you know! #godsgotthis”
While her post was enough to bring us all to tears, it was her letter two days later that really gained attention online.
Instagram/ Kayla Stoecklein
Three days after her husband’s tragic passing, Kayla posted an open letter to Andrew on their blog, “God’s Got This.” The heartbroken wife, mother and best friend wrote:
“To My Andrew,
It’s only been 3 days. Nothing can take away the suffocating pain I feel now you are gone. I miss every part of you, I see you everywhere. I replay the events of that fateful day over and over again in my mind wishing I could have done things differently. Wishing I could have held your hand one more time and prayed over you and told you how much I love you, how much I believe in you, and how God’s got this too.
You were right all along, I truly didn’t understand the depths of your depression and anxiety. I didn’t understand how real and how relentless the spiritual attacks were. The pain, the fear, and the turmoil you must have been dealing with every single day is unimaginable. The enemy knew what an amazing man you were. The enemy knew God had huge plans for your life. The enemy saw how God was using your gifts, abilities, and unique teaching style to reach thousands of lives for Him. The enemy hated it and he pursued you incessantly. Taunting you and torturing you in ways that you were unable to express to anyone.
Andrew, I want to tell you from the depths of my heart and my pain I am so sorry.
I am so sorry you were so scared,
I am so sorry you felt so alone,
I am so sorry you felt misunderstood,
I am so sorry you felt betrayed and deeply hurt by the words and actions of others,
I am so sorry you were fighting a dark spiritual war virtually alone,
I am so sorry you were unable to fully get the help and support you needed.
I wish I had one more chance to hold you and cry with you and encourage you. I wish you could see the outpouring of love from people all over the world who have been impacted by your story. I wish you could hold your boys one more time and tell them goodbye. I wish we could go on one more trip together, just the two of us. I am not ready to say goodbye. I am so madly and deeply in love with you. Every part of me longs to be with you. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t function and I feel so lost without you. You were my life. I was so proud to be your wife Andrew. I was so proud to sit in the front row and watch you in your sweet spot on stage. I was always so amazed by you, every single day. You could do anything you set your mind to! You were handy, you made every home we lived in look beautiful inside and out. You were creative, you were funny, you were thoughtful, you were passionate, you had vision, you had charisma, and you were so special. You are irreplaceable Andrew. There will never be another man like you.
I want to tell you that I am never going to stop fighting for you. I will continue to tell our community and our world what an amazing man you were. Your name will be honored and you will be remembered as a hero. You fought the good fight, and I can only imagine the incredible place God had prepared for you when you walked through the gates of Heaven. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to see your dad again, healthy and strong. I can only imagine how much joy you must feel now that you are truly free. I wish I could be there with you, celebrating on the streets of gold. But for now, I will continue to live for you. I will raise our boys to be men of God, just like you were. Your name will live on in a powerful way. Your story has the power to save lives, change lives, and transform the way the Church supports pastors. I love you so much and I will miss you every single day for the rest of my life. When I think of you I will smile, knowing that I will see you again one day. Thank you for 10 wonderful years together. Thank you for giving me the gift of three beautiful blue-eyed boys who all resemble you. Thank you for choosing me, for believing in me, and for showing me how to live fearlessly.
Until we meet again I will cling to my Father in Heaven. He will carry me through every second, every minute, every hour of every day. I read a verse this morning and I know God is reminding me that even now, in the midst of my deepest pain that He has got this.
‘Because you are close to me and always available my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.’ Psalm 16:8 (TPT)
With all my heart and all my love,
Your Girl”
Even though nothing will ever ease the pain felt by Kayla, their children and the rest of their loved ones, hopefully they can rest knowing Andrew is free of worry and relaxing with God in Heaven.
Instagram/ Kayla Stoecklein
If you or anyone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts or ideations, please reach out to someone. Speak to a friend, family member or call a hotline (like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or by texting “START” to 741-741).
Two hillbillies noticed a woman chocking on her food and this is how they reacted.
This is funny!
Two hillbillies walk into a restaurant. While having a bite to eat, they talk about their moonshine operation.
Suddenly, a woman eating a sandwich at a nearby table begins to cough. After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in real distress.
One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, “Kin ya swallar?”
The woman shakes her head no. Then he asks, “Kin ya breathe?”
The woman begins to turn blue, and shakes her head no.
The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers, and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue.
The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm, and the obstruction flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the hillbilly walks slowly back to his table.
His partner says, “Ya know, I’d heerd of that there ‘Hind Lick Maneuver’ but I ain’t never seed nobody do it.”
Many people are judgmental of individuals with tattoos because they find them ugly or unconventional. However, a tattoo can represent a true piece of art. It’s stunning how detailed and unique some of these markings can be.
Tattoos allow individuals to express themselves, their thoughts, and even serve to represent something meaningful to the wearer. There have been mother-daughter duos who seek out matching tattoos, sorority sisters wanting their Greek letters imprinted on their ankles and even couples who opt to tattoo wedding bands on their ring finger in a joint session.
Flickr/Ally J.
While Michelle Torino-Barcelos and her husband were dining out at McAlister’s Deli in San Angelo, Texas, after church one Sunday, she spied a man sporting an interesting tattoo. The reason she was drawn to it was because it said “Together we serve,” and was accompanied by a cross.
Michelle asked her husband to try and sneak a peek for himself, then explained what she thought could be the beautiful meaning behind it.
“I told my husband, it can have double meanings. The word “we” may mean as we, as a whole serving God, or “we” can also mean him, together with his other half; it can be his girlfriend or his wife.”
Only a couple moments later Michelle and her husband saw a woman sit down at the table with the tattooed man. And sure, enough she had the same “Together we serve” message on her left arm!
Although Michelle was already intrigued by the pair because of the powerful tattoos they displayed – she couldn’t help but become even more enamored after observing what they did next…
Facebook/Love What Matters
There at the table, the young couple began praying together. Michelle was stunned.
“I thought, it was like the sweetest thing ever that I saw from a couple, having that same kind of tattoo written on their arm … But my heart melted more when they started holding each other’s hands as they pray before eating! I was blown away! Not only by seeing how sweet they were but by just simply being bold enough in professing their faith in public. And for me, that is really what a relationship goal must be!”
Watching them pray together at mealtime was an inspirational moment for Michelle. She felt compelled to go over and talk to them.
“I told my husband that as soon as we finished eating, I would love to come to the couple and approach them. Just to say that we were blessed and inspired by just looking at them, their tattoo, and their faith and love for God.”
Not one to shy away, Michelle did exactly that. But as they began talking, she learned so much more about the meaning of the couple’s tattoos.
Their conversation ended up being imprinted on her heart. Michelle discovered that the man and woman had married just a couple of months before and worked for the United States Army.
“In my heart, not only that they want to serve the country together, they also want to serve God together, and that is what their tattoo really means. And that is the best #RelationshipGoal ever!”
Facebook/Love What Matters
The couple at first was taken aback when Michelle testified to the impact their tattoos and praying in public had on them. Then they asked if they could pray for Michelle and her husband, a request they happily accepted.
“For the first time in our entire lives, never did we experience strangers praying for us! Inside that cafe, all four of us held each other’s hands, bowed our heads down, as this beautiful couple from the U.S. Army prayed for me and my husband! They prayed that we may always be blessed, and that we may continue to be a blessing to everyone else, and may our love for God prosper and grow just as how God’s love and grace overflows in our lives. How amazing that moment is!
May God always bless and protect them, and may their lives always be a blessing too as they serve God and their country together.”
What a beautiful encounter between the newlyweds, and Michelle and her husband. Since Love What Matters posted their story on their Facebook page it’s been shared more than 25,000 times.
New baby on the way means days filled with joy, happiness, and laughter. The news about the arrival are always received with excitement by everyone around, especially the parents whose lives will change forever, but for the better.
When Molli Potter and her husband Robert found out they were expecting their second baby the couple were over the moon excited for their tiny bundle of joy. But what they never expected was for baby Cullen to be born so early – causing a major problem for the family. At just 22 weeks baby Cullen decided it was time to make his grand entrance into the world, but doctors had told his mom and dad he’d only have a 2% chance of survival.
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Wanting the best for their baby boy the Potters then got an unexpected second blow. Even if baby Cullen did pull through he would more than likely be disabled. The Potters were devastated, especially when they learned that hospitals were able to turn away from helping their little baby. Because little Cullen had been born at 22 weeks many hospitals turned them down for help, stating that because he was born before 24 weeks it was likely he wouldn’t survive.
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Unable to take no for an answer Robert set out on a quest to find a hospital that would help his family. That’s when he called 16 different hospitals in three different states to find a hospital that would give baby Cullen the care that he so desperately needed. After hearing multiple no’s Robert came across the University of South Alabama in Mobile that finally gave them the yes they had been searching for. The hospital was able to care for mom and Cullen with the intentions of saving his life. Five months later and Cullen showed all 16 of those hospitals that they were wrong about him – because he was in fact here to stay. His mom then bought him a little graduation outfit and his nurse walked him down the hospital hallway for an emotional “graduation” ceremony no one would ever forget. Soon Cullen’s story went viral and it’s easy to see why he’s captured so many people’s hearts. Watch the touching story for yourself in the video below.
Fitting in is not always easy and lacking friends while in high school can be devastating. Unless a student has good crew to save them a seat, it is often a big challenge and even more difficult than we assume to find a place at the school and the lunchroom where they won’t be avoided, chastised or completely ignored.
The High School Musical movie series hit home the different cliques in school from the jocks to the drama stars to the mathletes. The lunchroom can be a scary jungle for the kids who didn’t feel like they fit in somewhere.
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Mom Kay Kirby always texted her son during his lunch break at school. Andrew often sat alone at lunch and it broke her heart — in fact, he had dined alone for the past four years at school.
He usually hangs out on his phone playing games to pass the time during lunch, but on the first day of school, something huge happened. Kay couldn’t believe it happened to her son!
“The thought of our son or any child eating alone every day breaks our hearts.”
Facebook/TylerandKay Kirby
As Andrew hopped into the car after school, he began gushing about what occurred during lunch. The look on his face had Kay worried at first.
“Mom, I didn’t eat alone! Some student council members asked me and three others eating alone to come sit with them, and said we could eat with them again tomorrow, too!”
Kay was in disbelief. It was true — the Boiling Springs High School student council approached four students who were eating by themselves, including Andrew, and invited them to join the council at their table.
It literally made Andrew’s day! Kay just had to take a photo of Andrew after school and share it on Facebook to spread the news and applaud the student council for what they had done.
“These students may not have thought this was a big deal, but it was an answer to prayer and a great encouragement for Andrew. THANK YOU to those students, you made a difference today!”
Andrew told Fox Carolina that he was thrilled to not eat alone. Even more importantly, he finally felt he was part of a group.
“It makes me feel happy that I can eat with people.”
The school district responded to Kay’s post, lauding the students’ actions. Spartanburg County School District 2 said it hoped all students would feel comfortable at lunch.
“We typically do not share posts from personal pages, but this is a very worthwhile exception. This post shows the loving community we live in, the character of our students and the family-feel of our schools. We are so thankful that Andrew had a great First Day of School in D2!”
Facebook/TylerandKay Kirby
One of the students who invited Andrew to sit with him, Damian Howarth, said it’s sad that it took this long for Andrew to find someone to sit with during lunch. He said the council members should’ve asked him before now, as should’ve other students, too.
Still, Andrew was thrilled that he was finally asked to sit with kids and didn’t hesitate to take the student council up on their invitation. The very next day of school, he was waiting for them at their lunch table.
What an awesome group of teens trying to make a difference for fellow classmates. Good luck this school year!
One can never get tired of jokes that shine a ray of light on how governments operate.
For this reason, we think you’ll love the following:
One morning a husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap.
Although not familiar with the lake, his wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors and reads her book.
Along comes a game warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, “Good morning, Ma’am. What are you doing?”
“Reading a book,” she replies, thinking, Isn’t that obvious?
“You’re in a Restricted Fishing Area,” he informs her.
“I’m sorry, officer, but I’m not fishing. I’m reading.”
“Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I’ll have to take you in and write you up.”
“If you do that, I’ll have to charge you with sexual assault,” says the woman.
“But I haven’t even touched you,” says the game warden.
“That’s true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.”
“Have a nice day, ma’am,” the game warden replied, and he left.
Never mess with a woman that reads because there’s good reason to believe she thinks as well!
This joke is funny because it demonstrates how a little bit of thinking can outwit a bully (H/T The Federalist Papers).
Thinking also comes in handy when dealing with government bullies, who seem to be everywhere, not just slinking around in taxpayer-funded offices in Washington, D.C.
This joke is great because we all know the government takes every chance it gets to bully people into accepting itsliberal agenda — but most of time, they can be outsmarted.
Please share this joke on Facebook and Twitter if you’d like to see government bullying stop.
Taking part in a talent show may turn into a lifetime opportunity for major number of people to notice your talent. When these types of events are organized by the schools they provide students with the chance to shine and encourage their further development.
Payton Kemp is a gifted young man with the voice of an angel. So when he heard his high school in American Fork, Utah was hosting a talent show, he knew it was his destiny to join. Payton spent countless hours practicing for his performance – every detail had to be perfect if he wanted to blow away his classmates (and the competition).
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It’s no secret why Payton is a nationally recognized singing sensation. His grandmother was the first person to notice his incredible knack for music at the age of three. From then, he spent every waking second perfecting his craft and practicing for anyone who would listen. When he turned 9, Payton finally got his “big break.” He was he was cast as Young Tarzan for the first Disney Broadway Show at Tuacahn Amphitheater. Later that year, a director cast him as Admetus in “Cats,” and Flounder from “The Little Mermaid” the following. People saw the potential in Payton’s voice and wanted to give him a chance to shine.
Payton wrote online that he’s lived a blessed life so far, and his relationship to religion has been a guiding light, “I am continually blessed to meet and surround myself with some amazing, uplifting, and VERY talented people and because of them, my family and my Father in Heaven, I am learning to become ‘supremely happy.'” It’s a blessing that his music continues to make other people so happy – just like his classmates surely were here! Take a peek at this impressive young man’s high school talent show performance below. He definitely has a bright future in the music industry – and with his faith in his back pocket, he’ll be unstoppable!
Most girls share that special bond with their dad. For this girl, it is no different only her dad is dead and she’s never met him.
Living in New Jersey, this 8-year-old Mikayla has never met her father. He was a police officer before a drunk driver hit and killed him.
One night, she and her mom went to Villa Borghese, a nearby Italian restaurant.
That night, a police officer Joseph Quinn ate there too.
When he went to pay for his meal, the waitress notified him somebody had already paid for it. Curious, Joseph asked who did it. The waitress refused to tell him because the person wanted to be anonymous.
Still wondering, Joseph put his police skills to use and set out on his own investigation. After some time, he found out it was Mikayla.
Hearing her reasoning for this generous act, he wanted to do something in return.
Although she never met her own father, Mikayla had always respected and looked up to officers who risk their lives every day in order to make the world a safer place.
Joseph created a collection that goes towards Mikayla’s schooling.
Today, the amount is nearly fifteen thousand dollars, what an awesome way to say thanks!
An average family day on the beach turned sour when this young boy found a girl trapped in a sand cave.The 5-year-old Alysa Bostic was playing in the sand at Marina dunes. She liked digging caves out of the dunes with her friends. But, this time she decided she would fit into the small cave she made.
Unfortunately, not all went as planned. Upon entering, the cave collapsed leaving Alysa trapped.
Lucky for Alysa, an 11-year-old boy, Connor Fitz-Gerald realized something was wrong. He saw her bag and started digging in the dune only to find Alysa.
Panicing immediately, Connor saw there were no adults nearby. Acting quickly, he aimed his digging towards her head to get that out first.
After managing to pull her body out, Connor realized she wasn’t breathing right. Connor needed to act fast to save her life.
Young Alysa was unconcious and covered in sand. Connor decided to take a chance and try out CPR though he had no training. Luckily, it worked!
When they arrived at the scene, her parents called 911. When paramedics came, they said without Connor she would have died.
Check out more in the video below!
Allison and Josh Lewis were college sweethearts whose love story started back in 2000. They were pretty serious so soon after they started dating, they decided to get married. Having children was always part of the life they imagined together. Their plan was to have two kids, or maybe three, but God had other plans.
Their idea of two children was quickly surpassed, as they had four children biologically and adopted another! But nothing could’ve prepared them for the journey they were about to embark on.
Facebook/Allison Crouch Lewis
After mentioning they were thinking about adopting another child to their friend and adoption attorney named Janet, they received a call. Janet had run into a woman who was pregnant with a baby boy, but the woman just couldn’t keep him.
The couple looked to God and prayed for answers – a house of six young children would be chaotic, to say the least. Was it in His plans?
A weekend of deliberation and praying passed, and they knew this baby boy was meant to be their son. So they packed into the car and headed to North Carolina, where the birth was set to take place. But on the way, they got an unexpected phone call from Janet, then she asked a troubling question:
“Does Josh have both hands on the steering wheel?”
Janet called to inform Allison and Josh that after the most recent ultrasound, another baby was discovered – and it was a little girl! They were comfortable with adopting one more baby, but two was an enormous shock! The couple spoke amongst themselves and called Janet back.
They were going to adopt both of the babies!
Their joy quickly turned to panic when they received yet another phone call from Janet. The doctors performed several tests after discovering the baby girl, and the prognosis wasn’t good. They predicted she wouldn’t make it past delivery….
Fortunately, both of the twins, Ava and Sam were born without causing any major complications to the mother. However, doctors quickly determined that Ava was born without brain matter. She had a spinal cord, but not much else.
Facebook/Allison Crouch Lewis
Due to this, she would have to spend whatever amount of time she had left on this Earth being closely monitored and carted between her home and the hospital. This didn’t matter to Josh, Allison and the kids – Ava was family now and they would do anything to make her comfortable!
In order to pay for the mounting medical bills, Josh and Allison’s friends set up a YouCaring page for donation. The page managed to raise over $20,000 from 280 generous donors – these people were their guardian angels!
A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his use of the car.
The dad said he’d make a deal with his son:
“You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut. Then we’ll talk about the car.”
The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he’d settle for the offer, and they agreed on it.
After six weeks his father said, “Son, you’ve brought your grades up and I’ve observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I’m disappointed you haven’t had your hair cut.”
The boy said,”You know, Dad, I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, and there’s even strong evidence that Jesus had long hair.”
To this his father replied, “Did you also notice that they walked everywhere they went?”
The following joke involves one of our favorite persons, Forrest Gump. We adore Gump’s character because of his loyalty, integrity, perseverance, honesty and most of all for his unique sense of humor.
Below is the joke:
Sandra K.
Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven.
He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself.
However, the gates are closed and Forrest approaches the Gatekeeper.
St. Peter says, “Well, Forrest, it’s certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we’ve been administering an entrance examination for everyone.
The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven.”
Forrest responds, “It shor is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever tolt me about any entrance exam. Shor hope the test ain’t too hard; life was a big enough test as it was.”
St. Peter goes on, “Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions:
First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
Second: How many seconds are there in a year?
Third: What is God’s first name?”
Forrest leaves to think the questions over.
He returns the next day and sees St. Peter who waves him up and says, “Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers.”
Forrest says, “Well, the first one — which two days in the week begin with the letter “T”? Shucks, that one’s easy. That’d be Today and Tomorrow.”
The Saint’s eyes open wide and he exclaims, “Forrest, that’s not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I didn’t specify, so I’ll give you credit for that answer.
How about the next one?” asks St. Peter.
“How many seconds in a year?”
“Now that one’s harder,” says Forrest, “but I thunk and thunk about that and I guess the only answer can be twelve.”
Confounded, St. Peter says, “Twelve? Twelve!?
Forrest, how in Heaven’s name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?”
Forrest says “Shucks, there’s gotta be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd. . .”
“Hold it, ” interrupts St. Peter. “I see where you’re going with this, and I see your point, though that wasn’t quite what I had in mind…..but I’ll have to give you credit for that one, too.
Let’s go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God’s first name”?
“Sure” Forrest replied, “it’s Andy.”
Andy?!” exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St. Peter. “Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?”
“Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,” Forrest replied.
“I learnt it from the song. . . . “ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN. . . .”
St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates and said: “Run Forrest, run.”
Forest Gump teaches us that being unique and different from the rest is not always a drawback. He has never seen himself disadvantaged in comparison to others and has shown unbelievable optimism. His distinctive way of perceiving things makes him unique and that’s why he is one of our best-loved characters.
If this made you laugh, please share it with your friends.
Landry James is a lucky person because he has been surrounded by women his whole life. Actually, he is the only male in his family. He’s got two sisters, four daughters, and two granddaughters. Being around that many women has certainly made Landry more compassionate man, and he is happy to have them in his life. However, he sometimes feels alone, but that’s about to change.
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When one of his daughters, Carie Elbe, found out she was expecting a boy, she decided to keep it a secret until the day of his birth. She wanted to give her dad the surprise of a lifetime!
When the day of Carie’s delivery rolled around, the entire family was ready to share the good news. They were anxious to learn the baby’s gender and celebrate the blessing of a healthy baby.
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Grandpa Landry’s reaction when he learns that the baby is a boy is something that they’ll remember forever… Carie decided the best course of action would be to keep the surprise a secret for the entire pregnancy – even to the point of telling him they were expecting another girl when he kept persisting on knowing the gender.
To top everything off, this new precious surprise bundle arrived on Grandpa Landry’s birthday and even shares his grandfather’s name. Even his little granddaughters were in on the surprise and never let the secret slip.
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The moment Grandpa Landry realized that there was going to be another boy in the family his breath was taken away! He couldn’t believe that, after all of these years, there would be a male to share in family traditions and to take after his personality!
To make things even better, Carie and her husband decided to name the boy Landry James after her father. What an incredible honor they bestowed upon Grandpa Landry!
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We’re glad someone decided to film the whole thing and share it online for the world to see! It’s a beautiful moment they’ll treasure forever.
Grandpa Landry’s response will bring a smile to your face. Enjoy his reaction!
Take a peek at this heartwarming reveal in the video below!
For this two-year-old, Roman Dinkel, he has more struggles in his daily life than most. Diagnosed with Spina Bifida before birth, he always enjoys the small victories with a huge smile.
Upon hearing the news of a birth defect, some parents would terminate their pregnancies. This became out of the question for Whitney and Adam. They believe every life is a gift and they wanted to give their child a chance at life. They document Roman’s life on a Facebook page dedicated to him, called Defying Odds:Roman’s Journey.
On the page, they share Roman as he grows up. His followers love him and his cute cheeky face.
Spina Bifida is a condition where a baby’s spinal cord doesn’t develop properly in the womb which causes a gap in the spine. With this, Roman learns to walk around with forearm crutches. Roman loves walking around with his new “sticks.”
Roman learned how to use the “sticks” pretty quickly. He ended up walking around outside in no time!
Roman’s dad posted on the Facebook a video of Roman shouting to the family dog while walking with his “sticks.” It is super adorable!
“I promise I’m going to stop talking about this soon, but this kid keeps blowing my mind. I decided to take him outside to test out his sticks in the grass. Not only did he walk all over the yard but then he walked across the street and down the road and turned around and came all the way back. Without any help from me!” his dad said.
Some people are so good at what they do that they take our breath away and leave us speechless. We’ve seen people mimic the classic Dirty Dancing routine to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” during different occasions such as wedding receptions, birthday parties, at home and in random public places – but we’ve never seen anything like this rendition of the dance with ice skating superstars Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek. The way the pair moves together and honors the classic dance routine (while adding a little modern skating flare) is just too much fun!
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Even though it feels like it was released yesterday, Dirty Dancing is more than 30 years old. When “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” made its debut, people around the world immediately fell in love. The song quickly rose to the top of the charts in 1987 and remained there for one week. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, as well as ASCAPs for both “Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures” and “Songwriter Of The Year.” The song’s upbeat lyrics and iconic dance are just two of the many reasons why its seen such success over the years.
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Sadly, Stefania and Ondrej’s ice skating partnership dissolved a few years ago, but we always have their impressive routines of the past to look back on. Of course, we can still hold out hope that they’ll return to each other in the future! With ice skating chemistry like this, you can’t just walk away! Take a peek at their impressive Kings on Ice performance in the video below. The way they skate together is simply breathtaking – and the way they mimic the film’s original routine makes us smile!
