When he was fifteen, Roger Sabourin

Devastated by the experience but fearing what would happen if he went public with the crime, Roger chose to remain silent, keeping his hurt and grief to himself for the next 20 years.

Finding solace in the bottle

Unfortunately, burying his pain took a tremendous toll on Roger, driving him to become a closet alcoholic and drug addict. This addiction was also fuelled by Roger’s struggle with fibromyalgia, a painful, debilitating syndrome that attacks the muscles, tendons and ligaments, leaving sufferers in constant pain.

Roger had tried everything to find relief, even traveling to the Mayo Clinic for help, but nothing worked. Although he was part of a thriving family business and was married with three children, Roger was desperately unhappy.

By age 35, Roger realized he was on the verge of losing everything if he did not stop drinking and doing drugs.

“I didn’t hit bottom, but I could see it coming,” Roger says.

Roger’s wife Lynne, a believer, remained faithful. But he could feel her slipping away.

“Lots of times she wanted to leave, but she felt God wanted her to keep praying for me and to stick with me.”

Realizing it was time to either quit drinking or accelerate quickly into oblivion, Roger got down on his knees one night and recommitted his life to Christ. As he knelt and prayed, Roger felt God giving him new purpose and direction in his life, even telling him specifically that he would be involved in ministry to alcoholics and drug addicts for two-and-a-half years.

Drying out

Roger knew that if this prophecy were to be fulfilled, he would have to clean up his own act first. As proof of Roger’s determination, he began driving to Winnipeg (about an hour away from where he lived at the time) each night to attend two Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Following the meetings, Roger would stay overnight in the city, attend one more AA meeting in the morning and then return home in time for work. Over time, Roger began to emerge from the shell in which he had been living. He reconnected with his wife and children and even started a thriving AA group in a nearby town.

Disease forces early retirement

Finally, the pain of Roger’s fibromyalgia got so bad that Roger could no longer cope with work. He sold his share in the family business and started volunteering full-time to counsel alcoholics and addicts. That lasted for two-and-a-half years, just as God promised.

At the end of this time period, a missionary from World Gospel Mission came to Roger’s church and mentioned that “the harvest was ripe,” but they were short of workers. Roger and Lynne had always talked about doing missions work when they retired. But suddenly, they both realized that now was the time. Over the next two and a half weeks, Roger and Lynne turned their lives upside down, packing up their four young children and driving down to Phoenix, where they ministered at a Christian boarding school for Native Americans for the next four years.

Passage to India

Once their term was up, the Sabourins moved to Medicine Hat to get a new start on life. The climate there also helped to relieve the symptoms of Roger’s fibromyalgia. Over the next eight years, Roger continued to volunteer his time to various ministries. Later on, Roger got into real estate, buying and renovating houses so he could rent them out or sell them for a profit.

Around this time, Roger was asked to help lead a mission trip to India through Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Although Roger was excited about the opportunity, he felt inadequately prepared to be the team’s spiritual leader. So he decided to attend an upcoming seminar in Lethbridge that taught about healing, breaking generational curses and dealing with the demonic. Roger reasoned that his team would be facing all three of these situations in India, so best to be prepared.

After the first session on healing, Roger stayed behind and asked the speaker, Ray McGraw of Ray of Hope Ministries, if he would pray to heal Roger’s fibromyalgia. Ray was hesitant at first, because Roger had struggled with the illness for 38 years, and he wasn’t sure if total healing was possible. However, he promised to put Roger in touch with a ministry team who could help him. Roger was both puzzled and disappointed as he drove home that night.

“I was crying out to God, asking ‘Why not?’ If prayer worked for every other disease, then why not mine?”

At this stage, Roger was in so much pain that he was wearing a patch of synthetic opium 24 hours a day. He was also on antidepressants, Tylenol 3s and sleeping pills. “Luckily I wasn’t touching alcohol or any other drugs at the time,” Roger says jokingly.

As Roger made preparations to return the following evening, it was as if some unseen force was trying to prevent him from going. When Roger ate a quick bite of supper, he got violently ill. Despite having a migraine and stomach cramps, Roger decided to make the nearly two-hour trip anyway. As soon as he got in the door, someone stopped him and asked if he was the fellow who had asked for healing prayer the previous evening. After acknowledging that he was, Roger was taken to Ray, who informed Roger that God had impressed upon him to pray for healing for Roger before he left for India.

Healed at last!

The next day, Roger returned to Lethbridge, taking Lynne with him. Ray’s ministry team started by praying against generational curses, harassing spirits and so forth. Then he had Roger go through a time of repentance and forgiveness. When this was over, Ray’s team laid hands on Roger and prayed. Suddenly, Roger felt intense heat emanating from their hands. The heat slowly penetrated Roger’s body, starting in his neck, working its way down into his shoulders, his back, his hips and his legs. Roger’s body relaxed completely, tension melted away, and for the first time in decades, he didn’t feel any pain.

“I knew right away that I was healed,” Roger says.

But the healing didn’t stop there. Roger also had a history of ulcers, which had scarred his stomach lining. In fact, Roger had an active ulcer at the time of his healing and had previously booked a doctor’s appointment to get some tests done. Even though Roger knew he was healed, he kept that appointment. To his doctor’s astonishment, when the tests came back, they showed Roger’s stomach to be completely healthy. No active ulcer and no scar tissue!

“It was just an amazing confirmation,” Roger says. “I felt like a completely different person.”

Looking back to his dark days as an alcoholic, Roger can hardly believe the path his life has taken.

“I never had any idea this would happen. When I became a Christian, I knew God was preparing me for something, but I just didn’t know how it would look. I’m still floored that I would be asked to get involved in projects like this.”

Have you come to the end of yourself like Roger did? Do you want to know God and have him heal your life?  God wants to meet you right where you are; He loves you, and wants to be in your life.  He wants to heal you and to give you and abundant life.  Why don’t you pray the prayer below and ask Jesus to be Lord over your life?

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.

Most people’s mental image of a banker is similar to the group of old, pin-striped cronies on Mary Poppins who urged young Michael Banks to invest his “tuppence” rather than spend it. Fortunately, Paul Lindholm of Fergus Falls, Minnesota does not fit this stereotype at all. Perhaps that’s because he realizes there is much more to life than money.

Pursuing God’s plan

Paul’s life started about as far away from the world of banking as you can imagine: On his father’s farm in rural Minnesota. But the more time Paul spent on the farm, the more he sensed his destiny lay elsewhere. Having always enjoyed the business side of farming, Paul decided to get his business degree. Married with three children, going to school was a gutsy move, but Paul and his wife Ruth were confident they were pursuing God’s plan for their lives.

Displaying an affinity for hard work that he had learned back on the farm, Paul finished the four-year course in two years, graduating with honors. Following graduation, Paul received job offers from several large companies, but he did not want to live a big city, so he took a job with a small bank in a town of less than 2,000 people. Starting out as a teller, within three years, he was hired to manage another larger bank in another town.

Paul managed that bank for seventeen years. During this time, he developed a close relationship with the bank’s owner, so close that the elderly gentleman promised Paul he could buy the bank after the owner died. However, when the bank owner’s will was read, it mentioned nothing of their agreement.

“I felt betrayed,” says Paul. “This man was very honest in all other things. Why wasn’t he honest with me?”

Seize the opportunity

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Although disappointed, Paul seized an opportunity to purchase a bank of his own. His son also came to work with him, much to Paul’s delight. After ten years, Paul was able to repay all of the money he borrowed to purchase that bank. Then he heard about a larger bank that was for sale, and he decided to buy that one, too. It was not long before he was able to pay off that loan as well to the tune of $3 million. Now most of his family is involved in the banking business.

“Whenever my father made more money, instead of increasing his lifestyle, he increased his giving,” says Paul.

Giving like this has helped Paul to understand that he does not really own anything. Everything he has is a gift from God. Giving back to God is Paul’s way of acknowledging this fact. And despite this practice, Paul has ever been short of money!

“There’s more to life than money in the bank,” Paul says. “And giving is never an end in itself. It is all about changing people’s lives. Having a good relationship with God, being trustworthy, supportive, understanding and helping others prepare for their eternal destiny these are the things that really bring satisfaction to life.”

What is the most important thing in your life? Let Jesus show you. If you don’t know Jesus or if you are uncertain about your eternal fate, we encourage you to pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be.

Who hasn’t dreamed of leaving the humdrum of their day-to-day job and starting their own business? That’s exactly what Gene Birdwell of Houston, Texas did in 1978. He had been working in the construction industry for 20 years when he finally decided to give it a go. But it wasn’t just a random decision. A lot of prayer and discussion went into the move. “We really felt like the Lord was in it,” says Gene.

Big break!

For the first couple of years, Birdwell Construction was pretty much a one-man show. Bidding on projects, buying materials, supervising the site, you name it; Gene did it all. But in 1980, Gene received his first “big break” when a friend gave his fledgling company the chance to construct an industrial plant. At a budget of $3.5 million, this project was a far cry from the small housing projects Gene had been tackling before; however, by applying a combination of hard work and a passion for excellence, Birdwell Construction pulled it off.

A family business

Around that time, Gene’s oldest son Brad graduated from Texas A & M with a degree in building construction. He came on board to help supervise projects – the first of which was a new house for his parents. Gene’s other son Steve seemed destined to eke out a career path outside the construction industry at first; however, when the environmental engineering firm Steve worked for was struggling to find contractors that were qualified to carry out sensitive environmental cleanup operations, Steve approached his father with the idea of branching out into the environmental cleanup business. Trusting his son’s instincts, Gene decided to give it a go.

[See post to watch Flash video]

It turned out to be a good decision, because Remedial Construction Services, as Gene’s second company is called, was operating in the black within two months of start up. They haven’t looked back since. One of the keys to their early success, according to Gene, was their ability to tackle the cleanup problems from a construction point of view rather than an engineering point of view, which was typical of the industry at the time. This allowed Gene’s company to do things faster and cheaper. They also benefited from the use of certain technologies that other companies didn’t have; however, a good work ethic and a commitment to integrity and excellence were key elements to establishing and maintaining the reputation of this and Birdwell Construction. As Gene puts it, “There is only one way to do a job, and that’s right.”

Practice what we preach

Gene’s strong Christian faith has played a key role in shaping his working philosophy. The way Gene sees it, what you practice at home should carry over into your business as well. “We try to live like we preach,” Gene says. “I don’t want to go home at night ashamed of anything that we’ve done.” Following the Lord Has Been Good for Business Gene’s sons agree. Not only is following the Lord the right thing to do, it’s also been good for business. “We’ve built our reputation around relationships with clients,” says Steve. “They know they can trust us regardless of what the paper contract says.” Some of these clients have stuck with Birdwell for 20 years. With $30 million in business this year and a projected $40 million in contracts for next year, its unlikely Gene and his team will be changing their philosophy of business any time soon.

Have you ever dreamed starting your own in business? If so, why not follow Gene’s example and see what God thinks first? If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Sometimes God calls us to do big things for Him. But most times, it’s the little things that matter most.

Take Elma Voth of Abbotsford, British Columbia and her friend Diane Pohl from Chilliwack, British Columbia, for example. Here are two women – grandmothers even – who didn’t really know how to sew. (If you can imagine that!) But when their children started having babies, they decided it was time they learned.

How it all started

It all started with their desire to find some nice, soft, double-sided flannelette blankets for their new grandbabies. But although they searched high and low, they could find nothing like the warm, cuddly blankets they remembered from when they were young mothers.

“The best we could find was some thin, flannel thing that looked like a dish rag the first time it was washed,” says Diane with a laugh.

Realizing there was no way they were going to be able to buy such a blanket in a store, the women took matters into their own hands, literally, and decided it was time they learned how to sew their own.

“My husband doesn’t surprise me very often,” says Diane. “But when he heard what I wanted to do, he went out and got me a whiz-bang sewing machine with all the bells and whistles. You know, real idiot-proof.”

The two women started experimenting with different fabrics and designs and before long, they had started their own little cottage industry.

“Some women get excited shopping for antiques,” says Diane. “We get excited shopping for fabrics!”

Blanket fairies

Soon the women had made more than enough blankets for their own grandchildren, but they continued sewing, giving blankets away to friends and family and even selling them to a few interested individuals. Diane has even become known as the “blanket fairy” in her church, because every time a baby is born, it is sure to receive one of her blankets. Diane’s handiwork has also traveled as far away as Africa, Ireland and Germany.

“I love making these things, it’s like an obsession,” she says. “At any given time, I have about fifty of them on hand.”

Ministry opportunity

Not long after Diane and Elma had perfected their product, Elma heard through her sister-in-law that there was a dire need at Evergreen, a ministry of Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, for some baby blankets to be given to new mothers who came in off the street. It turns out many of the mothers were so destitute that they were stealing towels from the hospital where their babies were born, because they had nothing else in which to wrap their babies. Delighted to find such a meaningful outlet for their creative handiwork, the two women immediately set to work sewing even more blankets.

“It gave us something positive to do with the one thing we knew how to sew,” says Diane.

Complete layette…covered in prayer

But Elma and Diane didn’t stop there. In addition to each blanket, they also included a sleeper, an undershirt, a toque and a face cloth – everything a new baby needs to get started in the world. To cap things off, Elma and Diane also prayed over each package, or layette, and inserted a personal note of encouragement for the girls. By the time they were all finished last year, Elma and Diane had sent 75 layettes to Toronto.

This past summer Elma had the opportunity to visit Evergreen. “It was quite an emotional moment to see the other end of our work there,” Elma says. “They told me that word has now spread on the street that if you’re pregnant and you go to Evergreen, there will be a package there for you.”

While at Evergreen, Elma also noticed that blanket stocks were getting low, so when she got back home, she and Diane were at it again. They now have a new batch ready to send out this fall.

“It’s our little way of making sure these babies are taken care of when they come home from the hospital,” says Elma.

Diane agrees. “We didn’t think what we were doing was a big deal. We love making blankets, and to think that someone can use something we love to make is a thrill to me. I also enjoy the mystery: You send the blankets out there, and you have no idea who will be wrapped up in them.”

Would you like to start a ministry similar to this in your area? It’s simple!

• Contact a local charity – ie: Hospitals, Crisis Pregnancy centers etc. Arrange to deliver your completed projects.
• Find a pattern you like and that is within your capabilities.
• Find some material you like.
• Put it all together and deliver!

Apart from “What are the other girls from The Facts of Life doing now?” the question most often asked of actress and author Lisa Whelchel is, “Why did your life turn out so well when the lives of so many other child stars do not?” Lisa’s answer to this question is simple:

“I attribute it to the fact that when I was ten-years-old, that empty place that is in each of us was filled by God. Thus, I have never felt the need to look elsewhere for happiness or contentment. And that prevented me from walking down paths that only lead to pain and destruction.”

Her example speaks volumes

True enough, unlike many other child stars whose pre-pubescent careers were followed up with a sordid life of addiction and misery, Lisa – best known for her nine-year stint as “Blair” on The Facts of Life – has pretty much held the course, living a conventional life as a pastor’s wife and mother of three children since she retired from show business. Lisa has no dramatic story to tell about finding Jesus while drying out in a jail cell. However, her life still speaks volumes about the preserving power of faith.

Lisa first became a Christian at Sunday school. Having encountered what she describes as “the love of Jesus” at church, she was eager to take that love home with her. With a bit of help from her Sunday school teacher, Lisa was able to do just that by becoming a Christian.

“I just opened my arms to it. Maybe that’s why God tells us to come to him as children, because we don’t have to have it all figured out,” Lisa says.

That decision gave Lisa a new mission in life: to follow Jesus and to tell as many people as possible about him. She proceeded to do just that as she moved out to California to begin her Hollywood career.

Today, Lisa is still telling people about Jesus because she knows that everyone feels the same need for wholeness that she experienced as a child. Many people try to fill this need with sex, drugs or alcohol. But Lisa believes Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy our inner longings; giving our lives the hope and purpose we all seek.

“What gives me hope is knowing God’s character, knowing what He’s like…and that He doesn’t change. Therefore, no matter what changes in my life, no matter what the circumstances are, I don’t have to lose hope, because I’m not trusting in my life, I’m trusting in the one who holds my life: God.”

Are you looking for peace and wholeness in your life? Perhaps it’s time you asked Jesus for help. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Over the previous ten years, the Priebes had served as Baptist  missionaries in Western Cameroon, preaching and teaching at a number of small churches. But when the JESUS film team came, their ministry leaped to an entirely new level.

“The film blew the doors wide open for evangelism,” says Ken. “Over the next five years, our church membership grew by 13,000 people.”

Encouraged by this incredible growth, the Priebes formed a local JESUS film team. It became a vital foundation for ministry, which included evangelism, discipleship and church planting. Even though the Priebes returned to Canada in 1992, that team is still functioning today.

An invitation to greater involvement

The Priebes weren’t home long before Campus Crusade for Christ came knocking, inviting them to establish an office in Kelowna, BC and then use it as a base to direct international JESUS film projects full time. In particular, Crusade wanted the Priebes to replicate the same model that had worked so well for them in Cameroon, a model that included a strong focus on discipleship and planting new churches. Ken was interested immediately.

“When it comes to church planting, that’s when my ears perk up…. That’s the tough part of evangelism. The first part [sharing the gospel] is easy in comparison.”

The Priebes accepted the offer and have been working with the Canadian JESUS film Project ever since.

Where they are today

Today, Ken serves a Director of JESUS film projects. He and Eileen continue to take film teams overseas, train national film teams and raise money for new film translations. What makes them different from a lot of Crusade ministries, however, is their focus on mobilizing middle-aged and retired people for evangelism. Says Ken,

“These people have the time, talent, resources and experience. And, being in the second half of their life, they’re looking to make a significant, lasting contribution.”

This last fact in particular is what draws most people to go on a JESUS film trip, says Ken. Not only do team members get to experience a different culture and country, they also get to go home knowing they have helped establish a body of believers that will continue to grow and develop for years to come.

“If they can come back and say, ‘We left a church there,’ that’s something,” Ken says. “I believe anybody would want to be a part of that.”

How the film teams work

Together with their partners Robert and Grace Plante, the Priebes have focused on locations in Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and Africa – particularly where existing JESUS film translations have not been utilized to their fullest potential. Typically, film teams are composed of twenty to twenty-five people, including both couples and singles. One of the oldest team members was 82, although most are quite a bit younger. Barring any serious health problems, Ken says everyone is welcome – but he does have his preferences:

“The greener you are, the better. When you have ‘experts’ along, they can sometimes be a bit of a problem! We’re just looking for ordinary people who feel the call of God on their heart. He can use them in incredible ways.”

In addition to showing the film, participants have plenty of other ministry opportunities, such as sharing their testimony or giving a gospel presentation. While Ken and his group provide training in how to do all of these things, no one is forced to do anything they’re not comfortable with.

Vacation with a purpose

Trips are two weeks in length and cost anywhere from $2,500 to $3,950, depending on location. This may sound like a lot of money, but when you consider that the costs are 100 percent tax-deductible, it’s pretty much the same price as a cruise or similar vacation package only this is a vacation with a purpose.

“I’m 58-years-old, in the second half of my life,” says Ken. “I want to leave behind something that is significant. I want to finish well. Any senior person you’re talking to has the same desire. That’s why we see people coming back again and again.”

How it all began

It all started last year when Valida learned that the local Birthright centre, an international, pro-life ministry, that provides counseling and support to women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy, was in need of volunteers who could knit afghans, sweaters, bonnets and other items for newborn babies. Getting together with some ladies from her church, Valida set to work.

As time went on, Valida started doing projects on her own as well. Since she started, Valida has knit or crocheted over twenty items, all of which will be given to unwed mothers who have recently given birth. Although Valida has never met any of the mothers to whom her gifts have been given, it still makes her feel good to know that God can use her abilities to help others.

“God gave me the gift, so I wanted to use it for him,” Valida says. “I don’t condone what the girls have done, but girls make mistakes. At least they’re choosing to keep their babies or give them up for adoption rather than abort them. I think it’s important to support them any way we can.”

You can help in your community

Although Birthright is always looking for such donations, Valida is quick to point out that Birthright isn’t the only place that needs help. Hospitals and other community services also require such items.

“The need is great, so if you have the gift or talent to do something like that, use it,” Valida says. “It’s a very rewarding thing. I enjoy knitting and crocheting anyway, and if I can do it for something like this, it makes it all the better.”

To learn more about how you can provide knitted or crocheted items to Birthright, please visit Birthright International today.

If you were crossing your college campus on a beautiful, sunny day and saw a young student staring off into space as he whiled away the afternoon on a park bench, probably the last thing you’d assume he was thinking about was suicide. Girls, maybe. Or possibly exams or his future. But taking his own life? Not likely. Well, if the young man that you saw was Kerry Bradley and the year was 1976, you’d have been wrong.

End of the rope

As a freshman taking English and philosophy at Auburn University, Kerry was nearing the end of his rope. For months, he had been inundated by professors and authors who made a case for a godless world. They described the human race – and all life, for that matter – as an accident; something that had evolved from a nameless, faceless creature which had slithered and clawed its way out of the primordial ooze 100 million years ago. And if life was an accident, they argued, then it was also without meaning. Thus, the only thing worth doing was making the most of what little time you had. Eat, drink and be merry.

Such teachings had forced Kerry out onto a ledge as far as his religious beliefs were concerned. Kerry had been raised in the church where he had become a Christian at age 10. He had been taught that God created everything, including him. Not only that, Kerry was told – and believed – that God had also created a world beyond this one in which we could go to live with him forever after we die. It was God’s involvement in the world that gave life meaning; that gave all of us a future after death if we chose to follow Him.

But now Kerry was wondering if those beliefs were really true or if he had been merely a naïve child blindly accepting the faith of his parents. “What if my professors are right?” He wondered. “What if there is no God? What if everything I’ve ever been taught or ever believed about God is either a hoax or a naïve dream?” If they were right, Kerry reasoned, then he was a fool, and he should just end his life right there. Better to put himself out of his misery straight away than have to endure a painful life that ultimately led nowhere.

Voice of reason

As he brooded on these issues, Kerry moved from merely contemplating suicide to actually planning it. What would be the best way to kill himself that day, he wondered….

Fortunately, through the confusion Kerry heard what he describes as “a voice of reason” whisper to his soul. “Don’t do anything rash,” it said. “This is a decision you can’t undo. Sleep on it. If you still want to do it tomorrow, then do it.”

Kerry decided to follow this advice. But he did more than just sleep on it. He began to think things through, reviewing the claims of Jesus and the things he had been taught in church and measuring them against what he was being taught in college. Over time, Kerry regained confidence in the validity of his faith, realizing that the claims of Christ made far more sense than the virtually unproven theory of evolution. Life – his life – did have meaning after all. That soft whisper bought Kerry the time he needed to rediscover the childlike faith that had drawn him to God in the first place. What a relief.

Today, Kerry, who is now Chief Operating Officer at LensCrafters/Sunglass Hut International, says the decision to keep on living has made all the difference in the world. “It’s not just that I’m still alive but that I’m living for a purpose, with fulfillment, with joy and with power because I’m sold out to Jesus. That same voice I heard at age ten came through and steered me to safety. And I have heard that same voice every day since.”

Have you reached a crisis of belief in your life? Jesus can help you resolve it in the same way he helped Kerry. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

After gradating “summa cum laude” from Auburn and earning a masters degree in Business from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Kerry Bradley worked for Proctor & Gamble and 20/20 Research, a marketing research and consulting firm. Then in 1988 he joined LensCrafters. He worked his way from Director of Marketing, to Executive VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning, and finally to COO of all the Luxottica retail divisions.

He is married to Laura and has three teenage children. He is active in Hope Church, in Mason, Ohio, and enjoys music and college football - especially the Auburn Tigers!

Can you imagine spending the first decade of your life thinking the woman who raised you was your mother, only to discover she was actually your grandmother? Perhaps the only thing that might shock you more would be discovering that your real mother was someone you had grown up believing to be your older sister.

Yes, it’s the truth

That’s exactly the situation Lavonne Kruse found herself in when, as a young girl, someone in her small Iowa community accidentally let the truth slip about her family. She had never suspected a thing because her grandmother had a child nine months before Lavonne was born. The two girls were raised as twins, along with her grandmother’s six other children and everything seemed perfectly normal. As it turns out, Lavonne’s mother was raped and became pregnant. Times being what they were, Lavonne’s family decided to withhold the truth from her, lest she think anything less of herself because of her illegitimate conception.

But they underestimated Lavonne’s ability to deal with this information. Rather than allow it to discourage her, Lavonne determined to be successful at whatever she put her hand to.

“I think things like that push you to be more successful,” she says. Pursuing a career in education, Lavonne attended teacher’s college. Along the way, she met her husband, Tom Kruse. Today, he is President of Iowa Veterinary Supply, one of the largest distributors of veterinary supplies in America. Back then, however, he was an up and coming accountant. After completing her degree, Lavonne taught school for three years. After that, she devoted her time to raising three children and helping Tom build his business.

Women’s club

Around this time, Lavonne also started to get more involved in her local church. Having grown up in the church, she had always believed in God in a general sense, but she had never made a serious commitment to God. When someone suggested starting a women’s club in the church, Lavonne was quick to get involved. She started out as a pianist and went on to lead a Bible study in her home.

It was during one of these Bible studies – the fifth one, to be exact – that she felt something strange happen. As Lavonne looked at that week’s lesson, from the Gospel of Mark, which discussed how Jesus died for our sins on the cross, she felt God speak to her, saying, “I did this for you. I love you, and I want you to be my child.” Lavonne didn’t say anything to her group at the time. But she knew from that moment onward, her life would be different.

“It was nothing dramatic,” Lavonne says, almost apologetically. “It’s not like I came from a life of drugs or alcohol. I wasn’t even asking God for anything at the time, wasn’t even aware I was in need of Him. I guess it just goes to show that Christ comes to us in many different ways.”

Renewed marriage and tremendous success

Lavonne’s “faith awakening” had an immediate effect on her life, particularly her marriage to Tom.

“Our marriage was never going to fall apart, but I could have let him go a few times,” she says, laughing. “I just knew Jesus was in my heart and I really started living for Him.”

Tom, who had also grown up as a Christian, was inspired by Lavonne’s new enthusiasm about God. Together, they began striving to integrate their beliefs with their family, work and social activities.

That was twenty-five years ago. Today, Lavonne and Tom’s lives are founded on the belief that serving God is their single greatest priority.

“Put God first and the rest of life, including business, will fall in line,” Lavonne says.

Together, the Kruses have experienced tremendous success – far more than she ever imagined as a child. But Lavonne is careful not to let it go to her head.

“Money, nice homes, that sort of thing doesn’t mean anything to me, because without God, we wouldn’t have anything.”

Respect among employees

Although the Kruses are not shy about proclaiming their faith to their employees, they don’t preach about it. This has earned them a lot of respect. It has also created opportunities for them to share about their beliefs on a personal level.

“Our employees see us go through good times as well as bad. When bad times come, sometimes they ask us why God would allow such things to happen to us, seeing as we’re Christians. I tell them that God doesn’t cause these things to happen. They happen because we live in a fallen world. What God does is provide us with the strength to get through. He gives us something to hold on to, to lean on. If it weren’t for God’s strength, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Are you looking for something to lean on? Have you ever considered talking to Jesus about it? If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be.

During press interviews prior to embarking on the now legendary 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks Chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo was asked what his prediction was for the outcome of the series. Jerry’s response was immediate. “I don’t predict, but I’ll tell you what I would pray for.”

“What’s that?” The reporters asked.

“That the series goes seven games, that we win at the bottom of the ninth inning in front of our home crowd, that the bases are loaded with two outs and that Gonzo is at the plate.”

How’d he do that?

Amazingly, seven games later, that’s almost exactly what did happen. The only thing Jerry didn’t get was his second out. When Gonzo – All Star leftfielder Luis Gonzalez – stepped up to the plate and made his game-winning base hit, the Diamondbacks had only one man out. As Jerry stood and watched those final, tension-filled moments with his wife, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “I said, this happens to other people; you read about it, see it in movies. But it’s really happening right here, right now!”

Although Jerry realizes God didn’t win the series for the Diamondbacks, he’s certain his prayer and the prayers of others had a hand in all that took place. After all, just getting the Diamondbacks to the series was a miracle in itself, seeing as the team had lost their closing pitcher as well as 40 percent of their starting line-up at the beginning of the year. In addition, this was only the fourth year of the Diamondbacks existence, and it was Jerry’s first year at the helm.

Finding the answers

While it may seem odd to pray for a win at the World Series, faith has always been as much a part of Jerry’s life as baseball. The way he sees it, a lot of people go through life searching for answers but never really find them. However, Jerry believes the object of their search is a lot closer than they think. “As we consider a realistic, practical approach to some really basic questions like, ’What is life all about?’ ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘What’s expected of us?’ there’s a pretty viable option available, and that is Jesus Christ,” says Jerry. “If we look at his life, his principles and the Bible, there are a lot of answers there, solutions to questions people spend their lifetime exploring without any satisfaction.”

Have you been struggling with the big questions of life? How about looking to Jesus for the answers? If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Jerry Colangelo has been regarded as one of the top owners in professional sports. He is one of the latest members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jerry moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1968 to take over the expansion Phoenix NBA franchise as the youngest general manager in professional sports. In addition, he brought Major League Baseball to the Valley in 1998 and serves as Managing General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks who won the World Series over the New York Yankees in thrilling fashion in 2001.

He was an outstanding athlete in his own right. He enrolled at the University of Kansas but transferred after his prospective teammate, Wilt Chamberlain, left the Jayhawks for a pro contract. He transferred to the University of Illinois where he earned All-Big Ten honors, captained the Fighting Illini as a senior and was later inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He also played two years of baseball at Illinois.

The author of a book titled “How You Play the Game“, Jerry gives insight into the business world of sports and his own life. Proceeds from the book sales go to YoungLife of Arizona, Phoenix Suns Charities and Arizona Diamondbacks Charities.

He and wife, Joan, have four children, six granddaughters and four grandsons.