Scott Rigsby is a real Ironman, as a double amputee, and a world record holder for numerous achievements such as a double below-the-knee amputee in the Full Marathon, Half Ironman, Ironman Distance Triathlon and International Distance Triathlon, and earning a spot on the 2006 USA Triathlon Team.
But to win these awards, Rigsby had to endure years of trials and tribulation, struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, and hopelessness.
Khosrow (Iran) - A young Iranian man, depressed and without hope, met Jesus Christ in a vision. The Savior extended His hand and invited him to take hold, promising that his “life would change forever.” He took Jesus’ hand and, as he describes it, “waves of electricity flowed through my body over and over again. I wept for the first time since I was a child and joy filled my heart.”
Lead singer of the band Flyleaf, Lacey Mosley, tells her amazing story of grace and healing
Mosley, born in Texas, 1981, grew up in a fatherless household with 5 siblings, leading to a tumultuous life of drugs, anger and depression. When a fight she had with her mother led to the police being called, teenaged Mosley was forced to move out and live with her grandparents in Mississippi.
Completely cut off from her old life, she hit rock bottom, beginning plans for suicide. Mosley's grandmother saw the girl's distress and pleaded for her to attend church. That first church service changed Mosley's life forever.
I always like to start out by making sure everyone knows that I'm one of those GRITS girls....Girls Raised In The South…and I am telling you that for a reason. Even though I've lost most of my accent, and believe me I have, because when I first moved to Oklahoma, people would say things like “let me hear you say so and so again. Then they'd practically roll in the floor laughing when I said whatever.So even though I've lost most of my accent, I still use different terms for things than some of my Oklahoma friends do.For example, they go out and start their cars; I crank mine. They go to the grocery store and find a parking place, I find a park. They go into the grocery store and get a shopping cart; I get a buggy!By the way, just for my own information, how many of you get a buggy?
Shadows are always there.The shadow of pain is like your shadow.Sometimes it is small and hard to find and then at other times it is a giant as tall as a tree.It is a constant companion that accompanies you.If you go fast it is just as fast.If you go slow it is slow.When you stop it stops.It matches you.When you are in the deepest valley your shadow is there.When at the heights of the highest mountain it is there also.
I never thought that the pain would shadow you.I would expect the pain would be there when I am low and downcast.I would expect it on birthdays, holidays, and death days.But not on the good days.The happy days.The fun days.The shadow is always there.
Sufferers suffer.Suffering can be anything that causes pain.Hurting. Ache.Pain.It can be physical or emotional or mental.The physical is just that physical.Back and neck pain is physical.Emotional is unseen but is the pain of the heart.The feelings that are deep.They go to the core.It could be self inflicted by feeding an emotional heartache or it could be inflicted by others or by circumstance.And the mental by pain of memories, pain of thought.Bad experiences of yesterday that is present today and steals away tomorrow.Although each is different they are all three connected.The physical is tied to the emotional and the mental, just as the mental and the emotional is tied to the physical.Each area affects the other.It could be by others or it could be self inflicted.Self inflicted could be by bad choices that were made and the consequences that come with it.Whether self inflicted or not, suffering is suffering.
“Pistol Pete” Maravich was arguably one of the world’s best players to play the game of basketball. Although he had the world at his fingertips, Pete Maravich found himself face to face with depression, hopelessness and on the brink of suicide. Pete tells how he finally found hope, peace and fulfillment though surrendering his life to Jesus Christ.
At Life Story Foundation, we are continually looking for inspirational stories that describe a person's life before and after they found their Christian faith. If you know of a Christian testimony story or video online, please email us the link so we can post it on our site.
Millions know Dave Dravecky as the ball player who came back to play in the majors after undergoing surgery for cancer in his pitching arm. Recurring cancer led to the amputation of his left arm and shoulder. His wife Jan experienced clinical depression; many friends they counted upon withdrew. You’ll listen intently as Dave shares triumphantly how God strengthened him and his family as they walked through some dark valleys of despair.