Chicken Soup for the Soul: Finding My Faith: 101 Inspirational Stories about Life, Belief, and Spiritual Renewal

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Susan M. Heim

Overview

Your faith will be renewed and you’ll be inspired by these 101 true life stories about healing, wisdom, joy, and God’s love.

Whether you’re finding faith for the first time, or looking for renewal, you’ll love these stories. Family, friends, or even strangers can inspire faith. Faith can show up in a miracle or an everyday event. It can hit you like a sledgehammer or whisper in your ear. Everyone’s “faith story” is different, including:

• Christine, who thought she was attending her last Mass ever, but was knocked to her knees during Communion and heard God’s voice say, “Welcome home!”
• Jeffrey, who asked God to motivate his dejected young son to fight his brain tumor, and then was amazed as Charlie Daniels made the boy his special guest at a concert
• Ginny, who was planning to take her own life until a co-worker persuaded her to take a different path—but later denied being at the office that day!
• Patrick’s daughter-in-law, who was about to be attacked by an assailant, until she called out to God, causing the man to turn away
• David, who felt guilty about letting leaves blow onto the pristine lawn of a neighbor who later committed suicide, but found a divine message from the man—a leaf in his pocket during the memorial service
• Shawnelle, whose marriage was faltering until a snowstorm led the couple into a church where the pastor’s words turned around their relationship with each other and with Jesus

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935096955
Publisher:	Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publication date:	10/16/2012
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	209,853
Product dimensions:	5.62(w) x 8.32(h) x 1.08(d)

About the Author

Jack Canfield is co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He is a leader in the field of personal transformation and peak performance and is currently CEO of the Canfield Training Group and Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Foundation for Self-Esteem. An internationally renowned corporate trainer and keynote speaker, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Mark Victor Hansen is a co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Hometown:

Santa Barbara, California

Date of Birth:

August 19, 1944

Place of Birth:

Fort Worth, Texas

Education:

B.A. in History, Harvard University, 1966; M.A.T. Program, University of Chicago, 1968; M.Ed., U. of Massachusetts, 1973

Website:

http://www.jackcanfield.com

Table of Contents

1 Finding Faith Through Family

1 Finding Faith at the Run for the Cure Darlene Gudrie Butts 1

2 In the Basement Kathy L. Baumgarten 5

3 Early Mornings with God and Mom Ronda Armstrong 9

4 Life with Ray: A True Adventure Sandra Knudsen 12

5 Waiting for Faith Beth M. Wood 16

6 My Cherokee Grandmother and My Faith Pamela Tambornino 19

7 The Faith of a Child Jill Pertler 22

8 From Selfish to Faithful Audrey Sellers 25

9 In His Hands Miranda Kendall 28

10 Heaven's New Star Yvonne Riozzi 32

2 Finding Faith Through Friendship

11 The Friend I Needed Nancy Hoag 39

12 Am I Jewish Yet? Harriet Cooper 43

13 Lost and Found Tammy L. Ruggles 47

14 Facebook and Faith Melanie A. Hardy 51

15 The Faith Seed Kat Crawford 54

16 The Radical Difference Pam Williams 58

17 Never Too Late Deborah Shouse 62

18 How Faith Got Me Through Karen M. Lynch 65

19 I Resisted, God Persisted Deanna Baird 69

20 A Child's Perspective Esther M. Bailey 71

3 Finding Faith in God's House

21 Just One More Time Christine Trollinger 77

22 The Morning After Yvonne deSousa 80

23 The Silence Sings Faith Paulsen 84

24 Journey's Beginning Amy E. Morgan 88

25 Heartbreak and Faith Michael John Sullivan 92

26 A Heart Full of Questions Kathleen Kohler 95

27 A Monastic Heart Dan L. Cosby 99

28 Christmas in July Judy Ceppa 103

29 Pay Attention J.C. Santos 107

30 A Journey to Faith Cynthia Briggs 110

31 White as Snow Shawnelle Eliasen 114

32 Becoming a Bat Mitzvah Rayni Lewis 118

4 Finding Faith Through Loss

33 Six-Foot-Three Angel Kate Allt 125

34 My Easter Awakening Ronda Ross Taylor 129

35 The Body Beautiful Nancy Julien Kopp 132

36 My First Ebenezer Amanda Arbia 135

37 Dying Faith Bobbi Carducci 138

38 You Are on My Road Manny Patla 142

39 Epiphany Virginia Funk 145

40 I Will Be Your Father Teresa Hanly 148

41 Giving Thanks with a Broken Heart Kim Seeley 150

42 Losing to Gain Georgia Bruton 153

43 The Faith of Jake Beth Savoie 156

5 Finding Faith Through a Stranger

44 A Stranger's Eyes Mary Eileen Oakes 163

45 An Unexpected Blessing Betsy McPhee 165

46 The Angel Wore Cowboy Boots Jeffrey A. Schmatz 169

47 Overcoming Fear Jan Brand 174

48 Upon This Rock Carmen Leal 177

49 Mr. Sunshine Pam Bostwick 180

50 The Second Mile Nik Schanzenbacher 184

51 Without a Word Jaye Lewis 187

6 Finding Faith Through Signs

52 A Sign from Above Carol Tanis 193

53 Leaves David A. Wollin 196

54 Sea Treasures Heidi Gaul 200

55 The Path Chosen William Halderson 204

56 The Ice Cream Cone Rose Lee Brady 207

57 The Lonely White Goose Sheri Bull 209

58 The Cross Margaret Nava 212

59 A Ray of Light David Michael Smith 216

60 Wait for Juliana Barbara S. Canale 220

7 Finding Faith Through Nature

61 Finding My Church Shawn Marie Mann 227

62 Love Notes in the Garden Linda E. Allen 230

63 Finding Faith in a Spider Judith Fitzsimmons 233

64 Thin Places Heather J. Kirk 235

65 Fired Up, Heather Zuber-Harshman 238

66 Discovering God's Message in the Sand Linda O'Connell 241

67 An Interweaving of Faiths Shinan Barclay 245

8 Finding Faith Through Fire

68 Being in the Arms of God Kay Conner Pliszka 253

69 God in the Thick of It Maria H. Thurman 256

70 Falling for God Peggy Molitor 260

71 Too Many Hats Lynne Leite 263

72 Fear, Faith, and Trust Marsha Mott Jordan 267

73 Backseat Driver Francesca Lang 269

74 Love Is Near Elizabeth Smayda 272

75 The Promise Sue Tornai 275

76 Lost in Life Elaine L. Bridge 278

77 When God Doesn't Heal Marijo Herndon 281

9 Finding Faith Through His Word

78 All Things Diane Stark 287

79 The Peace I Never Knew Janet Perez Eckles 291

80 The Lie Nancy Baker 295

81 Pauper to Princess Lindy Schneider 298

82 The Jewish Believer Sheryl Young 301

83 I Will Give You Rest Tracie David 305

84 Look Who's Knocking at My Door Marisa Balzafiore 309

85 Back on the Team Elaine Olelo Masters 312

10 Finding Faith Through Miracles

86 My Miracle Ginny Dubose 319

87 Found Edwin Smith 322

88 Voices Patrick P. Stafford 325

89 Planes, Strains, and Automobiles Sgt. Danger Geist 329

90 One Small Miracle L.L. Darroch 333

91 Faith on the Night Shift Anne Wilson 337

92 Knowing God Sandy McPherson Carrubba 341

11 Finding Faith Through Service

93 Blind Faith Gayle Mansfield Irwin 347

94 His Messenger Sandra Wood 350

95 A Daughter's Prayer Pamela Goldstein 354

96 A Hand on My Shoulder Alma Barkman 358

97 My God Moment Stephen Rusiniak 361

98 Finding God on a Warship Nicole Corene Stout 364

99 Contagious Christian Matt Arnold 366

100 God Is Real Theresa Anderson 368

101 Too Old, Too Stubborn, Too Proud Alice Hobbs 372

Meet Our Contributors 377

Meet Our Authors 395

Thank You 398

About Chicken Soup for the Soul 400