
Cam Farrell: A childhood dream come true
AS A single parent raising three boys on her own, Cam Farrell’s mother had no choice but to work long hours. Farrell and his brothers often lacked supervision, but sometimes, it takes a village to...

Rita Delvin: From Lamplight to the Limelight
OPEN THE door of Yesterday’s Treasures on the corner by the Bedford County Courthouse at 105 Public Square W., and more than just your senses will come alive. The spicy aroma of apple and cinnamon...

Jamie Dickerson: Turning Pain into Purpose
JAMIE DICKERSON lifted her palm from the steering wheel and waved goodbye to her 9-year-old grandson. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she assured him. “If we’re going to open the grief center, I...

Linda Nichols: A Journey of Hope & Healing
“I NEED YOU to pray that I have a brain tumor!” Linda Nichols clasped hands with her friends as they bowed their heads inside her home. After everyone left that evening, her husband, Howie, asked,...

CJ and Courtnie Dunn: Emerging from Emergency
SOMEONE IS unresponsive and has quit breathing. A loved one is struggling to breathe or appears to be experiencing a heart attack. A child is choking on a grape. Any one of us could find ourselves...

Jasper Wilson: Building character through Faith
THE SKY blushed with shades of peach and coral above the metal bleachers of Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS). Wild honeysuckles sweetened the slight summer breeze. One by one, the stadium...

Ezralee Swing: Built to Endure
AFTER DAYS of nonstop chemo infusions, Ezralee Swing was much too weak to open his eyes. Above the metal headboard of his hospital bed, a machine beeped. Had he finally completed his seventh day of...

Letter From the Editor
THE SOUNDS of the self-checkout registers beep through the entire store. The short lines of people with baskets and carts move across the reflective tile like a conveyor belt and out the door. Uh,...

Letter From the Editor
You know that first breath of spring? The way the warmer air gives you goosebumps — the air is soft, full of promise, carrying hints of something new. After months of cold, we step outside, and for...

Courtney Clardy: Balancing act
Courtney Clardy awoke before her alarm clock. All five of her children were still sleeping, but there was another child who needed her. She quietly settled into the dining room chair and reviewed...

Jeremy Smith: Guiding the flock
Jeremy Smith, the lead pastor of The Experience Community Church’s (ECC) Shelbyville campus, has dedicated his life to serving both his faith and his community. Married to his wife, Kelly, for...

Shayne LeMaster: Haven for hobbyists
JFigurines from your favorite games and movies, such as “Dungeons & Dragons,” “Star Wars,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” alongside colorful backpacks adorned with iconic characters, such as...

Randy and Barbara Owen: From an old rotary phone to a lifetime of love
"You've got to get up here to the First Baptist Church. They’ve got one of the best-looking groomsmen in this wedding…” After what she’d heard her sister say, Barbara quickly set the rotary phone on...

Joyce and Bobby McGee: ‘People thought it would never work’
In a time where true love often feels like a fleeting dream, Joyce and Bobby McGee’s story stands as a testament to enduring romance and lifelong friendship. In November, they celebrated 61 years of...

Junior and Linda Donegan: From ‘blind’ date to six decades of marriage
The year was 1965, and 22-year-old Leonard “Junior” Donegan had just returned home from serving in the United States Air Force. He smoothed back his dark hair to set the pomade and took one last...

Letter From the Editor
A nurse walked down the hallway his mother walked decades before he did. Beep … beep … he could hear the sounds from patients’ rooms. He kept a small keepsake pinned to his scrubs, a pin his mother...

Mackenzie Respress: From Nurturing a Sourdough Starter to Nurturing Herself
Mackenzie Respress “kneaded” a way to nurture herself during a turbulent time in her life, so she turned to the art of baking sourdough. As her confidence in the kitchen rose, along with her...

Amy Neese Jones: Compassion in Action
Amy Neese Jones grabs her buzzing phone from her purse and presses the answer button. Before the “hello” brushes her lips, a dear friend on the other end unravels a series of heartfelt pleas. “My...

Buddy Carter: Threading Quilts and Seeds of Encouragement
Buddy Carter settles into the seat facing the sewing machine. Turning the handwheel, he ensures the needle pierces the folded edge of the purple and blue calico fabric. He pushes the toe of his...

Tina Michelle Johns: From Folktale to Holistic Healing
Prior to Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” the Brothers Grimm published the original folktale in 1812 titled “Briar Rose,” and prior to prescription medication, families relied on gathering wild herbs to...

Kimberly Williams: The ‘No’ That Birthed a Greater ‘Yes’
Kimberly Williams ripped open the envelope and frantically scanned the letter from the College of Nursing. Her excitement shifted to bitter tears as she dialed her mother’s number. When the phone...

Angela Wojtkowski: Hope Reins Equine Therapy
At Creekside Farm on the outskirts of the Flat Creek community, the aroma of freshly mowed hay mixes with the salty sweat of the horses. They stamp their hooves on the dirt floor, begging Angela...

Letter From the Editor
The people of the year 1000 faced division, uncertainty, and fear for the future. They didn’t know it then, but they stood at the edge of change, transitioning from the Dark Ages to the Middle Ages....

Riverbend Ranch Rolls Out the Welcome Mat
Darren and Deena Delin scanned the young man’s application, and their eyes widened. Although they, along with Les Price, oversee the one-year mentorship program for boys at Riverbend Ranch and...

Steven Flippo: Start Where You Are and Go From There
During his first mission trip with Appalachian Outreach in 2000, Steven Flippo surveyed the condition of the property assigned to his team, and his heart ached. “We were tasked with doing repairs...
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