Publisher's Letter
In late November 2023, my family and I did something together I will never forget. We all gave our life to Christ and were all baptized. While I was baptized at 12 years old, my children and husband had never been baptized by submersion. After attending our church’s baptism class with them, I knew I wanted to get re-baptized. Though at 12 I knew about Jesus, at this point in my life, something is definitely different. Today, I know one hundred percent I have committed my life to the Lord, and He has saved me.
This all started when my eleven-year-old, George, came home from attending Fields of Faith and said he was ready to make his way down to the front of the church during the invitation to make a public profession of his faith for all to see. He talked about this with Fred and me, and that stirred something in Fred’s heart to want to do the same. Fred had grown up in a Catholic church, and he knew his faith had changed significantly from when he was sprinkled as a child.
That Sunday, the plan was for Fred and George to walk forward and begin the next steps toward baptism. In the middle of the closing hymn, my oldest son, John Henry, asked me, “Where are they going?” After I explained, he quickly responded that he wanted to do the same. That set in motion our whole family attending baptism classes where we shared our salvation stories and learned all we needed to ensure we were ready to be baptized.
After losing our first son, God used that trial to grow my faith. I knew in that season of grief, I could either lean into God and trust in His sovereignty like never before, or I could turn to my fleshly emotions of hurt and pain. God took care of me after that tremendous loss and answered our prayers by blessing us with not one, but two healthy boys in His perfect timing.
Once I became a mom and experienced the love of a parent for their child, I truly understood what God means when He declares His love for us, His children. I also knew I had a child who would be waiting for me in Heaven. This stirred my heart as a mother to make a change for myself and our family. My salvation was my opportunity not only to spend eternity with my Lord and Savior but also to be reunited with my firstborn son one day. In 2015, my heart was changed, and the scales began to fall from my eyes. I was awakened from my lukewarm church attendance to being entirely devoted to Christ; I wanted to trust in His will and plan for our lives, even if it meant a radical change to our daily lives. I want to choose to be obedient even through the darkest valleys, because there is vision in the valleys. God does not do things to us; He does things for us.
This month’s cover features the widely beloved George Moore. He shares how he has always endeavored to choose love. His mother taught him this principle from the beginning, and it’s a path he continues to walk to this day. This issue is full of stories of impressive individuals, like Moore. We hope you will read them all and be encouraged to choose the path George Moore has chosen—to love others, and to be kind.
