10 New Positive Stories to Inspire Your Faith

In Arkansas, the Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) learned that numerous dogs were trapped in horrific shelter conditions. With immediate response, volunteers sought to save 51 animals left at the shelter after being abandoned by the shelter’s owners, who pursued divorce over caring for the animals. While the dogs had no impact on the owners, they were the victims of the marital conflict, left to fend for themselves. By the time ARC’s Field Team sprang into action, it was clear that the dogs were in distress. Thankfully, all 51 dogs were rescued and safely transported to ARC’s Rescue Center just outside of Nashville, TN.

According to Good News Network, the dogs will receive veterinary care, enrichment, and long-term care planning. When asked about the conditions the dogs were found in, reports note that the kennels were “austere.” ARC’s Executive Director Tim Woodward explained that their actions weren’t necessarily heroic, but the response that any caring human should offer to God’s creation: “The goal was to prevent the situation from getting worse and becoming more detrimental for the dogs,” Woodward said. “Once it became clear that no one was stepping in for them, intervention was necessary.”

Whether you’re a dog person or not, no animal deserves a life confined to small cages with limited or no daily release. Though many of the dogs had lived at the shelter for years, ARC’s goal is to give them a better life of happiness, dignity, and a brighter future: “Our focus now is giving them the space, care, and stability they haven’t had.”

As Christians, caring for creation should be a top priority. In Genesis 2:15, just after God created the Heavens, the Earth, and everything in it, mankind was commanded to care for it well. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (NIV). Today, you and I are called to do the same. Donate to a local shelter, volunteer, and fill a need when you see it. As

Proverbs 31:8 and Martin Luther King Junior are known for quoting, speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves isn’t just justice, but the right and holy thing to do, even when it comes to animals. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9, NIV).

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Eva Blanco 

In England, Ramsgate, just on the coast of Kent, has faced poverty for decades. Recently, however, after a partnership with a local nonprofit, the town is filled with “hope and relief.” Pie Factory Music, a creative youth charity in East Kent dedicated to offering a safe space for young adults in Thanet to learn skills, build confidence, be themselves, and connect with others through work, music, creative arts, pastoral care, counseling, free programs, activities, events, and encouragement, sold their home at Ramsgate Youth Centre. After a notification from the town’s council that the land on which their building was located would be auctioned, Pie Factory organized a campaign to stop the auction.

Raising funds with other local community groups, they sought assistance in the form of a grant, the “Price in Place” strategy developed by the current Labor government to help deprived communities across the country. Receiving more than $500,000 in grants, Pie Factory was able to buy the title to the land and continue its life-changing work. Brian Horton, interim chair of the Ramsgate Neighborhood Board, who signed off on the loan, noted that the Pie Factory’s resilience isn’t just admirable, but a bold statement to all: “We are committed to providing safe, positive spaces for the next generations to thrive.” After receiving the grant, Zoë Carassik, Pie Factory’s chief executive, noted they’re grateful: “We are deeply grateful to the Pride in Place program and everyone who has helped us. Knowing our future in the building is secure fills us with hope and relief.”

While Carassik’s organization was able to come together as a community to save this poor town’s last youth center, not all organizations are this fortunate. Many scriptures relay the importance of caring for the poor, from Proverbs 19:17 to 1 John 3:17, or Matthew 25:40. Perhaps one of my favorites is Proverbs 21:13: "If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard” (NIV).

Wherever we are today, you and I have a choice and an opportunity to serve the least of these. Even if not monetarily, we can give our time, a listening ear, or a gentle word of encouragement. 

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Pie Factory Music - who we are

Many stars dream of winning a Grammy after years of hard work, but what about receiving one at just 8 years old? In this year’s 2026 Grammy Awards, Aura V and her Father Fyütch won the award for Best Children’s Music Album. The dynamic duo from Maryland not only captivated audiences but made history as the youngest Grammy winners in the organization’s history, surpassing Blue Ivy, who won at age 9. Describing the work of art as an album equivalent to sunshine, Aura spoke with elegance and ease: “It’s an honor to be here today. I was not expecting us to go this far.”

While Aura and Fyütch’s musical journey has been impressive, music has always been in their blood. Aura’s great-grandfather played trumpet in an Army band, and her grandfather played saxophone. Similarly, her father joined a band in his teen years, though he majored in arts teaching. After being frustrated with the lack of educational music for his students, Fyütch chose to create his own. As the videos went viral, he never thought the Grammys would be in his or his daughter’s future.

“I just started making stuff and putting it up on YouTube and showing it in my classes,” Fyütch told the Washington Post. “I didn’t realize there was such a need. Teachers were searching for content like that.” Soon after Fyütch became a father, he started working as a musician. Aura attended one of her first shows at age 4, and boldly appeared on stage singing “I Am a Cool.” The daddy-daughter duo then crafted Harmony LP. It included songs such as I Am Love, and I Am Light and My Daddy.

Most of us aren’t going to win a Grammy in our lifetime, but Fyütch encourages listeners to share positivity in the music they listen to and their lifestyles. “Now more than ever, we need positive vibes in our music, in our culture, in our media,” Fyütch told WMAR. “I see the purpose in it, and the beautiful part is that we get to do it together.”

Grammy or not, Christ calls each of us to live in harmony with one another. To share and find peace with those we meet. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, NIV). To hear “Harmony,” Fyütch and Aura’s Grammy-winning song, click here: https://youtu.be/sHiXbvL-ASc

Photo Credit:  ©YouTube/Fyütch & Aura V - "Harmony" (GRAMMY WINNER) Song about Music & Nature For Kids & Families

Most of us try to live our lives the best we can. As Christian’s, we want to do good, represent Christ, and be a light to the world around us. But have you ever considered being a Saint as a teen? What about a martyr for your faith?

In Italy, Carlo Acutis was declared the first millennial saint known in the Catholic Church as “God’s Influencer.” At just 15 years old, Acutis died of leukemia in 2006. Unlike most traditional funerals and burial services, however, he was canonized in a ceremony at the Vatican. Led by Pop Leo XIV, thousands of individuals viewed Acuti’s body, declaring he was the first saint of the digital age. As popularity grew, hundreds of teenagers began flocking to the silence of St. Mary Major Church to view a child behind glass.

Wearing jeans, a tracksuit top, and Nike sneakers, Acutis was known for coding a website to catalogue and promote eucharistic miracles. Inspiring his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, Acutis receives prayers and requests for miracles from around the globe. His tomb is live-streamed 24/7, and devotees can send messages and comments. According to NPR, nearly 1 million visitors came to the diocese last year to see his body.

While appreciative of the respect and honor, Acutis’ mother notes that she wants to make sure her son is remembered correctly: "I speak to stop nonsense spreading around about Carlo," she says. "I want to make sure everything is said about him in the proper way. Carlo is an instrument of God." Though he was born May 3rd, 1991, Acutis’ testimony will live on.

For Christians, his story reminds us that life is short and temporary, but we can make an immeasurable impact. We might not all become “saints” in the eyes of the Vatican’s department of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, but we can give hope to others in the way we live our lives for Jesus. As John the Baptist reminds us in John 3:30, “He must become greater, and greater, and I must become less and less” (NIV). Today, how can you be an instrument for Christ? How can you bring elements of Heaven to Earth? How can you live your life in a way that points others to Jesus?

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/ Adrian Smith

When I was a little girl, I had numerous pen pals from different states and countries. Month after month, we’d exchange notes, small gifts, and encouraging letters. But as we grow older, the letters usually stop. I’ve forgotten their names and all the details, and yet, I still hang onto those worn and faded letters. Nearly three decades later, Megan Lewis, a Pennsylvania resident and Pen Pal extraordinaire, found old letters from her buddy. As a second grader, Lewis wrote a series of letters to a pen pal 9 grades her senior. Some hand-written, and some typed, the two girls discussed their favorite foods, activities, and their biggest dreams. Like myself, however, the letters eventually stopped. They were tucked into a drawer and forgotten.

Forgotten, until last Thanksgiving, Lewis’ mother found the letters and gave them to her daughter. Googling her Pen Pal’s name, Suzanne Koziol, on Google, she was astonished at the results.

“My mouth dropped. I could not believe that my pen pal was Dr. Pugh, who was my OB/GYN and delivered my kids: Caroline and Jack,” Lewis told the ABC News affiliate WPVI. Immediately sending Pugh a message,  Pugh was shocked. She had no recollection of the letters, but the proof was in the box of letters Lewis sent her.

Written from 1994-1995, the two women made a pact to meet up and reminisce over the long-forgotten details. “It really made us feel like I was meant to take care of her and we were meant to play a role in each other’s lives,” said Pugh.

You and I might not have a Pen Pal or meet our long-lost friends, but there are no coincidences with God. Only divine appointments that He orchestrates in His time and will. Proverbs 16:33 says it this way: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Likewise, Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (ESV). What miracles happen right under our noses that we often miss! 

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/InsideEdition/Woman Discovers Her Childhood Pen Pal Delivered Her Kids

You’re driving home on a Friday afternoon when you notice a strange sight up ahead. In the distance, just off I-95 in Martin County, Shedly Appolon coasted with ease. Though 8 months pregnant, it was her 29th birthday, and she was feeling good. Suddenly, however, nausea and dizziness overcame her. Losing control of her car, she tumbled off the highway and into a pond. Confused, she called her fiancé, noting she was “in the water.” Delirious and frantic, WPBF explains that the phone then went dead as her car began to tilt forward into the water.

Attempting to open the door, Appolon realized she was stuck. “I started feeling water on my feet. So, I started to panic a little.” Suddenly, the man from the highway, who noticed something strange, came to the rescue. Like an angel appearing out of nowhere, Logan Hayes stripped off his extra layers as he dived headfirst into the water. Flinging the door to the car open just as it became submerged, Appolon called him an “angel.”

While nearly impossible to open a car door while sinking, Good News Network reported the miracle: “the force needed to disperse the water is beyond what most humans can create with their arms or even their legs. The best chance to save your life if you know for certain your car is going into the water is to open the door on the way in or roll down all the windows, which, like the door, can’t be opened once they’re taking on water.”

After experiencing a near-death birthday, paramedics reached the scene and rushed Appolon to the nearest hospital, where she called her fiancé. Giving birth to their daughter, Ivory, nearly 7 weeks early, Ivory weighed just 3 pounds and 14 ounces.

You and I might not be heroes of crazy cases like Hayes, but we can be of service when we are just so happy to be at the right place at the right time. No good deed is wasted; therefore, let us not become weary in doing good. Remember, your labor for the Lord is never in vain.

Galatians 6:9 says it this way: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV). When given the opportunity to do good, especially in the case of being a bystander, will you?

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/CBS Chicago/Good Samaritan saves pregnant woman after Florida crash

Most couples dream of meeting, falling in love, and spending their lives together. But what about when you’ve known them all your life? Will your love last a lifetime?

In the small rural town of Waverly, Ohio, an elderly couple celebrates more than 80 years of marriage. Ezra and Cleo Teeters, both 99 years old, are making waves. Not only are they both past the average age of living (77.5 to 79 for men and 80-81 for women), but their love has lasted for more than 80 years. From riding the same school bus to eloping at age nineteen, their love demonstrates what true love and love for God look like.

Growing up in the same neighborhood, the couple never imagined this would be their story. But according to Cleo, when you know, you know, even if you’re just a child. "How did we fall in love?" Cleo said. "It just more or less comes naturally, it's what you see in someone."

After Ezra left to fight in World War II, however, the couple persevered. "He was in the service at the time, and he was home on leave for furlough," Cleo said. "It was Christmas time, and he had to go back to camp after Christmas. He thought it would be good to get married, and I could go back with him."

On December 24th, 1945, the two tied the knot as they drove across the Ohio border to Kentucky. Telling everyone they were going to Portsmouth the day before Christmas to shop, the couple got married instead. “It was in the middle of the worst snowstorm of the year,” said Ezra. “But we eloped, and nobody knew.”

Today, while Cleo and Ezra’s faces may have aged, they look at each other like they did 80 years ago. Giving advice to marriages of all ages, Ezra explained the importance of a healthy relationship: “It's important to just put up with each other.”

Turning 100 this year, Ezra and Cleo encourage each of us to love to the fullest extent possible. In His address just before the Passover Feast, Jesus explains loving one another in this way: "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love" (NIV).

Married or not, will the love we show represent Jesus? Will it last a lifetime? Will it last 80+ years or more? Let us learn to “love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV).

Photo Credit: ©Sandy Millar/Unsplash

On a humid day in July, just off the Gulf Coast of the Pascagoula River, 16-year-old Corion Evans noticed something strange. Just off the I-10 boat ramp in Moss Point, a location where the asphalt often dissolved into water, a car tumbled into the Mississippi River.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., three teenage girls plunged off the boat ramp and into the deep waters. Floating 20 feet from the shoreline, the girls were able to scramble through the windows and onto the roof, screaming for help. Those screams are what caused Evans to stop.

Standing nearby with some friends, Evans heard the screams and knew he needed to act immediately. Noting that he “couldn’t just let them die,” he threw off his shoes and clothing and launched into the water.

According to Shared Blog, these actions were miraculous given the conditions of the current: “His actions, characterized by a staggering lack of hesitation, resulted in the saving of four lives, including that of a police officer who found himself overwhelmed by the very river he had entered to assist.” Caught in an area known for its strength and ability to diminish the strength of even the best and most conditioned swimmers, Evans defied all odds.

As a swimmer, Evans maintained “aquatic literacy.” But at 2:30 am, even these waters were a challenge. Battling strong waves, Evans reached the vehicle, as another problem arose. “The rescue was not a simple matter of towing them back; it required a calculated series of maneuvers to ensure no one was pulled under in the process.” Thankfully, Evans wasn’t the only one in the water. Local Bradley brothers also entered the river, and together, they were able to ferry the girls to shore 1-by-1.

Just as the teens were being moved, Officer Garry Mercer of the Moss Point Police Department arrived on the scene and immediately entered the water to assist. According to Police Chief Brandon Ashley, “If Corion had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically.”

In the days following the rescue, Evans was declared a local hero in a public ceremony. In a world full of horror and disaster, will we, like Corion, be a symbol of hope for our city?

It might not take rescuing people from a car drowning in water, but it might just take actions beyond our comfort zones. Matthew 5:14-16 says it this way: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (NIV). 

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Justin Wilkens

If you’ve ever struggled with mental health or addiction, you know how difficult the process of recovery can be. In Chicago, Illinois, however, Michael Seminetta, a recovering heroin addict, has been fueled by this process to journey cross-country via bike.

Reminding viewers of a modern-day Forrest Gump, Seminetta is choosing to ride his bike from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, to raise money and awareness for drug rehab centers. After spending 20+ years in and out of prison for his own struggles, the brave man is now defying gravity by taking a ride most 40-year-olds would never believe was possible.

Being clean for 2 years, Seminetta originally turned to drugs in his teens as a way to cope. Today, it’s his family that inspires him to stay clean. “Going in and out of jail, rehab, and mostly my family being heartbroken was a very big motivator for me to get clean,” Seminetta told WGN-TV.

Though his family initially exposed him to some bad things, including divorce, drugs, and parties, his mother, Colleen McCann, noted, “They weren’t hungry, and they weren’t living on the street, so I made up a whole lot of excuses to make it seem that it was OK.”

While it was difficult for Seminetta to forge his own path away from addiction, he decided to renew his faith in Christ after six stints in prison and one too many close calls. “While Seminetta said he knows the roads traveled will be filled with flat tires, exhausted legs, wonderful sights and people, and greater perils unknown, he noted that some uncertainty summed up the challenge of leaving behind the life of addiction.”

Most of us likely know someone in addiction or recovery, or we ourselves have struggled. As Jesus reminds us in 1 Peter 4:8, however, our job isn’t just to care for those people well, but to love them and forgive. Today, let us seek to stand for good causes and help those who need help to receive it. You can watch Seminetta’s full story here.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Milos Bjelica

Did you know, 1 in 5 youth have been a victim of sexual and labor trafficking, or both? While we know human trafficking occurs, we’re often too naive to believe that it happens in our cities and towns. Often flying under the radar, victims and perpetrators alike go unheard and unnoticed. In Long Beach, however, a missing 14-year-old girl was recently rescued from what they believe was human trafficking.

On February 13th, 2026, LBPD detectives located the girl in Los Angeles. Bringing her back to Long Beach, she was connected with resources from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and then taken home. While the investigation is still ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time, this case is a reason for rejoicing: A lost child has been brought home.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, “Human trafficking and the exploitation of children will never be tolerated in our community, and the Long Beach Police Department will use all available resources to rescue the vulnerable victims of this reprehensible criminal activity,” said Chief of Police Wally Hebeish. “I'm extremely proud of our detectives and police officers for working so hard to rescue this victim. I commend our personnel for their ongoing efforts to locate and arrest all those responsible for this unacceptable crime.”

Today, if you see something that doesn’t seem right, say something. It’s our responsibility to care for those affected by this heinous crime. Psalm 82: 3-4 remarks, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people” (NLT).

You can help end human trafficking by reporting if you see something and advocating for awareness. Of course, if you have specific information to report, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline (24/7) at  1-888-373-7888, texting 233733, or using the online chat feature at humantraffickinghotline.org/chat.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Daniel Tadevosyan