Stories of Love, Faith, and Courage

Inspiring Stories
Short stories of love, faith, hope and courage to lift your spirit and warm your heart.
Georgia Girl

A Christmas Story
John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day.
A Cry For Help
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and all of the others, including Love.
A Good Lesson
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. ''Now,'' said the professor, ''are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?''
A Great Life
I've heard the saying, "The best gift parents can ever give to their children is to love each other."
A Legacy of Love
And those physical expressions of love were indicative of the singularly greatest thing I appreciate about my mother. She loved me unconditionally while expecting me to live according to her rules, not mine.
A Lesson in Love
But he also taught us about what really matters in life: people, not objects; tolerance, not judgment; love, not anger.
A Miracle
Sally smiled to herself. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents.
A Secret Promise Kept
The appointment I was on my way to was very important; I was very late and very lost.
A Simple Gesture
"Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."
A Story of Hope
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
A Test of Love
...so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
A Winning Team
Then you come to the third ingredient: if you're going to play together as a team, you've got to care for one another.
Actions Speak Loudest
Vincent Van Gogh was not always an artist.
Beating Yourself Up
Linda, if beating yourself up were an Olympic sport, you'd win a gold medal!
The Best Gift
She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'd do anything to make her happy.
Between a Rock and the Love of God
When Andrew got ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise.
The Birdies
It never ceased to amaze us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he talked about his birdies.
The Blessing Tree
The Blessing Tree could make a major difference in your evenings, especially after those REALLY tough days.
Bonny's Bunny
Covering up only makes matters worse. When we get caught doing something wrong, for example, we may attempt to cover it up with a lie.
Can You Install Love?
It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS." What does that mean?
Cat Up A Tree
By tying the wispy branches of the tree to the bumper of his car and slowly driving forward, he could.... reach his terrified, precious kitten.
Cracked Pots
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house
Dandelions
We need to show our sunny yellow faces in all the spots that need a little brightening up - the crack in the sidewalk or the lawn of a country club.
The Day I Met Daniel
©Rev. Richard D. Ryan - I knew I had met someone unusual.
Dear Friend
I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, praise or thought or a thankful part of your heart.
Do It Now!
In a class I teach for adults, I recently did the “unpardonable.” I gave the class homework! The assignment was to “go to someone you love within the next week and tell them you love them.
Does God Still Speak To Us?
The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"
Encouragement
From her trust and confidence came one of the greatest novels of American literature.
God's Embroidery
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life."
The Golden Gift
There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
Handle With Care
Life is precious. Handle with care.
Ice Cream For The Soul
"That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"
Information Please!
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.
Isn't That What I Am Doing Now?
''But sir, don't you understand?'' replied the industrialist, ''...If you kept investing your money you would someday be as rich as I,'' suggested the industrialist.
It's All Good
"What do you mean, 'this is good'! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year."
Jeremy's Egg
While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.
Keep Your Fork
"I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
Keeper of the Spring
The late Peter Marshall...used to love to tell the story of the "Keeper of the Spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.
Kindness
Some years ago, a tiny Korean orphan arrived in the United States to join her adoptive family. She was nine months old and weighed only 9 ½ pounds. She grew and blossomed in her new home, but...
Kiss Someone Before You Go
How many grown-ups go around kissing each other from the sheer joy of being alive?
The List
We often tend to forget the importance of showing our affections and love.
Love is Action
She had heard and seen Love is Action, and now she had incorporated it into her little lifestyle. It had become part of her. What do you think I did? Well, not what you might think.
Love is Action, Not Feeling
"If I never saw this kid again, Lord, I wouldn't be sorry!'' I thought.

The Marble Trader
''We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,'' she confided, ''but, right now, Jim would have considered himself the richest man in Idaho.''
Maybe Life Really Is
It was then I decided that those few minutes together were not a chore or a pain or a sacrifice. They were an act of love, a sweet service.
The Most Beautiful Flower
And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see the beauty in life.
The Most Beautiful Heart
Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me.
The Moth and The Cocoon
Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
Much More Thank A Donut
''Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?''
One-day Experiment
The nudging continued right through the debate going on in her mind until she finally agreed to give the experiment a try---
Paint Brush
Please understand how much it hurts to let the real me show.
Pappy
Fearful of breaking the little girl's heart, he told her, "I'm sorry, missy. That's not for sale."
The Paradox of Our Age
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space
Passing On Love
It was when Grandma took out the curls that I knew she loved me. She had put my feelings before hers. And that is the kind of love I try to pass on today.
The Pearl Necklace
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess-- the white horse from my collection.
The Portrait
Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim "I have the greatest collection."
The Power of Determination
Glenn Cunningham's Story: Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man who was not expected to survive...
The Power of Love
A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers.
The Prayer
Hey, wait a minute! What is this, "Criticize Me Day?" Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
Pure Blood
The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made.
Receive First. Love Second
The secret to loving is living loved. This is the forgotten first step in relationships.
Red Roses
Why would someone do this to her, causing her such pain?
The Relentless Lover
When I was a teen, I read a love story that changed my life. It was the story of a relentless lover who would never give up on his first love.
The Rooster
Having a rooster flogging would be a horrifying experience even for an adult. But words cannot describe the impact it would have on a child.
The Seagull
Imagine this scene: you are on the Florida coast. The sun is setting like a gigantic orange ball. It's the cool evening on a vacant, isolated stretch of beach. The water is lapping at the shore, the breeze is blowing slightly.
SHMILY
Skepticism has kept me from believing in true love-one that is pure and enduring.
Simpler Times
Pedro could see the hurt in Emmett's eyes and hear the disappointment in Emmett's voice.
Small Wooden People
Live life to the fullest and don't spend too much time worrying about the "stars and dots."
Songs In The Night
Do you ever feel that your dreams have been shattered and you feel all alone in the darkness of despair?
Special Occasion
I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift.
The Starfish
There is something very special in each and every one of us.
Startled by Silence
''Godliness with contentment is great gain,'' He really means it. This morning I saw both contentment and discontent. I resolved never to forget.
That's My Favorite Piece
"Honey I love you. You know that. But quite frankly this is it. For more years than I can even count, you have baked bread for me every day. But you always give me the heel. .."
The Traveling Angels
If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage.
The Waitress' Tip
When the waitress came back, she swallowed hard at what she saw.
Two Teardrops
And that is why a teardrop is also BEAUTIFUL.
The Telegraph
Back when the telegraph was the was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.
Unconditional Love is the Answer
There was a time in my life I became afraid to love. Because all those times I fell in love, I got hurt. I thought maybe that's why it's called "falling" in love.
Under His Wings
She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies.
Van Gogh
He was acutely aware of the wide chasm between words and actions.
The Wallet
I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended.
Weakness or Strength
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
The Weight
For every person they refuse to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag.
What Animals & Apples Can Teach Us About Love
Tears sprung to my eyes as I witnessed this beautiful act of unconditional love from an animal who taught us how to serve life with such grace.
What Do You See?
When you’re living from your heart, you’re allowing your inner eyes to shine. You’re letting love go before you into all aspects of your daily life, to pave your path with joy.
The Whisper
Recently, I heard a touching story which illustrates the power that words have to change a life -- a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article.