News and Encouragement

Matthew 28:19-20 (HCSB) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always until the end of the age. In my humble opinion, baptism is a public display and confession of accepting the Father God, believing

Hi everyone, I wanted to share an experience I had recently that I found meaningful. Following my baptism on August 23rd, that night I had a dream in which I saw a folded piece of paper being stamped with a gold seal that, when being pressed, caused a distinct sound that woke me up suddenly. Curious about the significance of this, I looked up the purpose of seals. Historically, seals of clay or wax were used to ensure the security of documents as well as other items, serve as

Big Faith Comes In Little Steps I tell our guests that I usually meet them at their bottom, or certainly somewhere in need. It doesn’t feel or seem good, but it’s a good place to meet their God. Those who see that they are in need will have their needs met. Those who believe they have no needs are in the greatest need of all. Luke 4:18 says; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the bro

I came to A Ray of Hope 6 years ago, last month. When I arrived at Peggy’s House, I had just completed 7 months of residential treatment for drug addiction. My children were in foster care and had been for about a year at this point. They moved into Peggy’s house and were home with me permanently on 8/1/2020. I had finally achieved the main goal I had set for myself the day I walked into treatment. My husband was still in active use, and although I was so incredibly excited t

The Woman Who Wiped The Lord’s Feet With Her Tears: I would encourage you to read Luke 7:36-50 prior to reading this article. This passage is about the woman who came to Christ absolutely broken and repentant over her sin. There was a Pharisee present, Simon, who not only was not convicted of his own sin, but was focused on hers and critical of Jesus as well. This passage is not about how much sin either person (the woman or Simon) had, but rather about how

I found myself seeking a relationship with God through my troubles in life so many times. I always seemed to fall off and give up. I was addicted to drugs and falling deeper into a pit of darkness. For the better part of 8 years, after losing my daughter and her mother to my addiction, I continued to fall. I wandered for years seeking something I couldn’t find. I would talk with God, and he always saved me when I needed Him most. And yet I would fall back into the same patter

The following is a quote from George Muller, a Godly man of faith in the Lord from whom I have learned a lot through biographies about him. He was the founder of five orphan homes in Bristol, England, in the 1800’s that served over 10,000 children over the years. It is inspiring to study his life, as he was a man of strong faith and a close relationship with the Lord. The following is a quote on meditation. “It often now astonishes me that I did not sooner see this. In no

When I was 8 years old, I was walking out of my bedroom, passing my mother’s room down the hall. I could see the lights on in the kitchen. I heard a very strong man’s voice coming from her room, and he said, “Evan, I love you”. I stopped, cold, scared and frozen. I turned, and nobody was there. In a very short time, it was dismissed as my imagination. It may have been but I can still remember everything from that moment in time. I was born and raised in San Jose, CA. My

Buffalo Trail Land Purchase Last week, A Ray of Hope closed escrow on 12 acres of land on Buffalo Trail, in the hills above Somers, Montana. It is about 25 minutes, door-to-door, from our existing shelter in Kalispell. Our acreage abuts 720 acres of state land, providing our residents with hiking and recreational opportunities. This is the culmination of a five-year search for acreage to replace our Helmville Retreat Center. The Helmville property worked well while Bob and

I am Joseph Pein, Son of our Father, Jesus Christ. I am the father of two, Declan Joseph, our son and Ella Grace, our daughter. Thank you, Jesus, for these blessings. I was born in La Grande Ronde Hospital and raised in Union County, OR. I came from a broken home, and I was born with a sinful nature. I chose the world over God. I medicated with drugs and suffered from lust, pride, anger, loneliness, and SIN! I surrendered my life over to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord

The Primary Duty Of Being Happy In The Lord The following is a quote from George Muller, a Godly man of faith in the Lord from whom I have learned a lot through reading biographies about him. He was the founder of five orphan homes in Bristol, England, in the mid 1800’s that served over 10,000 children over the years. It is inspiring to study his life, as he was a man of strong faith and a close relationship with the Lord. “According to my judgement the most important poin

I wanted to write a story, a true story. One that would speak to the world. A story that will draw everyone to Jesus. A story depicting the mountain highs, valley lows, intense drama, frightening moments and an explosive climax. Just as it occurred. In truth, my story is the testimony of a man who came to a point in his life, realizing he had so little value he up and gave his life and died. “This is a true story!” The next day, he did the exact same thing. He gave his

The Double Standard We Live As you can imagine, with those who show up at the doors of A Ray of Hope, there are some who are bitter at God over the circumstances in their lives. If they have serious hurts, certainly God could have prevented them and God is to blame. This is a discussion I have very often. Let’s take a closer look. God, in His beauty and love, created us with a mind and will and, thankfully, He also placed within us His truth and wisdom as a guide in our