StoryMosaics

I was wrestling. Back and forth, I teetered—certain just a week ago that I knew where God was leading. But now? Doors were closing. Options were blurry. What once felt like a clear call suddenly looked like a dead end. One moment, I felt like Peter stepping out of the boat, full of faith and ready to walk on water. The next, I was sinking—waves licking at my ankles and doubt rushing in like a tide...

Fear is a strange and powerful force. It can turn the meek into mighty heroes, and transform slow-movers into sprinting cheetahs faster than you can say "run for your life!" We’ve all heard the fight-or-flight response—but what about the freeze… or the flop? In this episode, Keith takes a humorous, self-deprecating deep dive into the many ways we react to fear—some inspiring, some embarrassing, an...

“Israel at the Edge: A Conversation with Mickey Nikolaev” Israel’s existence is precarious—even on its best day. This narrow strip of land, clinging to the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, stands at the center of global attention and controversy. Its very survival is a daily act of resilience in the face of forces that would see it driven into the sea. How can such a small nation command such an out...

I’ve always been wired a little differently. Some people strike up small talk about the weather. I ask strangers about their tattoos. Not because I’m nosy — well, maybe a little — but because I genuinely want to know what makes people tick. What they've walked through. What matters to them. It drives my kids crazy. They say, “Dad, not again... do you have to talk to everyone?” Yes. Yes, I do. Beca...

We are honored to welcome Mickey Nikolaev, live from Israel, for a powerful and timely conversation. As you know, hundreds of rockets and drones have been launched into Israel in response to last Friday's Israeli strikes in Iran. Mickey will be joining us from a secure location amidst ongoing rocket shelling. He is one of the most insightful voices on the intersection of ancient history and modern...

October 7th. In Israel, you don’t need to explain the date. It speaks for itself—etched into the collective memory like Pearl Harbor is for Americans. Just as one can still picture the smoldering wreckage of the USS Arizona , here the imagination drifts to the burned-out grounds of the Nova music festival and the devastated homes of Kibbutz Be’eri. More than 600 days have passed since that morning...

David Alford and Joseph Stam sat before a blank page with an ambitious goal: to craft a screenplay that wouldn’t just entertain—but transform. What emerged was not your typical feel-good Hallmark ending. Instead, the script—and ultimately the film—confronts viewers with the raw cost of broken trust and fractured relationships, balanced by the flickering hope of genuine change. At the heart of the...

Her tennis shoes were perched precariously on the crumbling edge of the Mayan step. One more inch forward, and she wasn't sure if she’d find stone or sky beneath her feet. Maybe the endless rounds of chemo and radiation had drained more of her strength than she’d realized. The climb that once felt like defiance now felt like defeat. But there was no going back. She was out of options. Her biggest...

I pass the same dog nearly every day on my run. He’s a beast of a creature—massive, snarling, all teeth and fury, the kind of dog you instinctively cross the street to avoid. Or at least, he would be—if not for one crucial detail: he’s tethered. Not just any leash either. This dog is bound by a thick choker collar, attached to a heavy log chain that clinks and groans with his every lunge. The chai...

There were 18,371 children in foster care in 2024. Let that number sink in. Each of those children represents a story—of loss, resilience, and hope. Behind that staggering statistic are real lives waiting for safety, for family, for love. Becky and Jordan know this all too well. Their journey into foster care began with a calling—a desire to help. Just nine days after they were officially licensed...

With Mother's Day around the corner, we’re celebrating by sharing the stories of a few Uncommon Moms . Meet Rhonda Angermeier—a mom whose journey into motherhood didn’t exactly start the traditional way. In fact, when she first met her husband, she dropped a surprising line: “If you’re looking to fill your quiver with kids, you might want to move along.” At the time, she had no plans to become a m...

Have you ever thought about what the opposite of addiction is? The easy answer might be sobriety . But let me ask again: What is the opposite of addiction? Justin White suggests just one word— connection . The recovery program he leads has grown into the largest in Indiana, and for good reason: it’s a magnet for belonging. It’s a powerful and rare story when a pastor openly shares that he became a...

Tammie could not shake her feelings. Her mother's intuition would not be silenced. Getting someone to listen though, that was a different story. She had to change doctors mid-pregnancy to finally get a simple ultrasound. What the ultrasound revealed rocked her world. The Dr. informed her they could not find evidence of the babies lungs. As long as the baby was in utero the baby was fine, but would...

The recent storms in the Midwest with flooding and tornadoes have led to several gloomy days. These are days that just cry out for a smile. Keith shares a few stories that are sure to put a smile on your face and remind you of the versatility and power of story. Do you have a story that makes you laugh or that your family shares on every occasion because it is part of your gloom-buster heritage. A...

What does it mean to be both uniquely yourself and deeply connected to others? Defined & Connected explores the delicate balance between individuality and relationship—how we shape our own identities while remaining part of a greater whole. Through thought-provoking conversations, personal stories, and expert insights, we dive into the intersections of self-awareness, boundaries, belonging, an...

It is hard to imagine how walking into and through the pain could be healing. Listen to Stacie's story for her journey.

You’ve probably heard the phrase "at the end of your rope," and maybe you’ve even felt that way yourself—perhaps even today. Well, I’ve literally been at the end of a rope. For me, it was a fear of heights that went beyond inconvenience; it was paralyzing. The challenge was, I had to face it, or else I would be looking at thousands of dollars in house repairs. I was building my own home, and there...

We chase a lot of things in life. As men, we often find ourselves in pursuit of success, wealth, possessions—and our own lusts. And when none of those things satisfy, we turn to other escapes: drugs, alcohol, or whatever numbs the emptiness inside. Kelly had felt his faith begin to slip when he was just 14. Over time, it didn’t seem to matter much. Life was moving fast, and so was he. He knew how...

Denise is an energetic former English Teacher. Storyteller, and Christ Follower, but when she climbed a ladder to install the perfect Christmas display she about made reservations to meet Jesus a bit early. This story does not need much introduction past the title!

Why is it so hard to ask for help? Why do we live life as islands? Interestingly asking for help builds community. Just as important, stories are an integral part of building community. Keith shares a humorous story of moving a hide-a-bed upstairs to the loft. the problem is, he is just too proud to ask for help.

Berea Coleman set her heart early on becoming a Nun. She became a part of a High-school intended to help her on her pathway. When she graduated from College she took her final steps of commitment, but there were some nagging verses and questions that were pointing her in a different direction, The Catholic Church made it clear that the church was the instrument for salvation. Her study and meditat...

Delaine and Keith relive the unique experience they had in living among the Amish during their sabbatical. This was not observation, but immersive participation in the Amish lifestyle. Delaine recounts laundry day (Thursdays) with a wringer washing machine and a pile of laundry 5ft high from a 10 member family that works hard in the dirt of farming. She also shares the silage hands meal she fixed...

It may be just one person's speculation, but the anecdotal evidence is in, and it is compelling. I spent a significant amount of time, during my Sabbatical through Lilly's Clergy Renewal Program, living with an Amish family in northern Indiana at a small little town called Nappanee. If you want to put brakes on your hyped schedule, take a wormhole trip into a dimension of the mid 1800's. The Amish...

How does a person become homeless? That question is not easily answered. There are many paths, histories, reasons, and journeys. The pathway out is just as complicated. What is surprising today is how many women with children are going homeless. It is the new face of Homelessness. It is epidemic. It is a reality we would like to ignore. Dezi Hargis speaks candidly of her journey in and out of home...

Linda didn't know how she felt about people saying God spoke to them. Did God really still talk to people. This was the 21st century, not Biblical times. But here she was at her women's Bible study, and one of the members said God had given her a verse for Linda. She told Linda to read Psalm Ninety. This was God's word for her. It was a Psalm of Protection, Linda lived in a safe suburb of Cincinna...