“It was a Sunday morning. I was sleeping and my phone rang and it was one of JB's coworkers and she was like, ‘Hey, I was just calling to check on JB.’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’" Brandie Jones had no idea what had happened in the early hours that day in December, 2016. “She's like, ‘the accident.’ She said, ‘I heard JB got in an accident.' I was like, ‘I think you're confused.’ And she was like, ‘Maybe I am.'"

Unfortunately, her friend was not. Brandie’s husband, JB, a high school basketball coach, was driving home from his night job at a residential facility when he nodded off and crashed his car into a ditch. Brandie had few details. “Once I got to the hospital, I found out they had my number written down wrong, so that's why they couldn't get ahold of me,” she says. “I was praying, that was always my first reaction, ‘God, that Your will be done, whatever that is. However, that, however this turns out, like Your will be done. And let us find peace and comfort and rest in that.'”

At the hospital she learned JB had suffered multiple injuries, the worst being fractured C5 and C6 vertebrae. “I'm not a reactor. For me, I'm going to stay calm until I have a reason not to," Brandie says. “So in my head, I still don't have a reason. Yes, I have a reason because my husband is in a car accident, it's not bad in my head until somebody tells me, ‘This is bad.’” 

JB, a former college basketball star and Southern Illinois hall of famer, was conscious, but scared. “I barely could move, couldn't do nothing. Just was laying there. At that time I was just thinking about if I was gonna ever walk again, thinking, ‘Will my feeling ever come back?’” 

Within hours, doctors were performing surgery to repair JB’s spinal chord. “I knew it was severe, but because I'm in the medical field, I still think everything could be okay,” Brandie says. “And because my faith, like my faith is huge. And so, I was like until God tells me this is a real problem, everything's gonna be okay."

The surgery was successful, but doctors were not offering up much hope that JB would ever walk again. Brandie believed otherwise. “The doctors and the therapists, they said, ‘We have to teach you guys a new normal. Your life is about to be changed and different. And so we're gonna have to teach him how to do everything over again with, with equipment.’ And I said, ‘Okay, that makes complete sense.’ And when they would leave out the room, I would tell him, ‘This is not our new normal until God tells us this is our new normal.’”

After several days in ICU, JB was moved to a rehab facility still unable to move below his neck. By then, Brandie had gotten the word out to their family and the community to pray for their friend and beloved coach. Brandie told him, “We're gonna do everything we can do. Because the only thing you can do is use your mind. I need you to picture yourself opening and closing your hand, flexing and extending your ankles and your wrist. I need you to picture yourself doing, doing that, grabbing hold of something. And I need you to picture yourself lifting up your arm. And I would do the motion for him.”

She also knew he faced more than a physical challenge and posted a prayer board in his room. “People would come and they would write whatever they want. I’d say, ‘You can write scripture, you can write a little note, you can write a joke, whatever you wanna write,” she says. “So I would tell him, 'Hey, we have to speak our words, right? They're important. Power lies in the tongue.'”

By now, JB also believed for his healing, speaking words of hope and pushing himself to the limit in physical therapy. “I told 'em I was gonna walk out of there,” he recalls. “They didn't believe me. I think they think I was a little out of my mind.”

After two weeks of prayer and physical therapy, JB turned the corner. “In my mind I'm still trying to move, but nothing was moving,” he says. “And then one day something moved and so that gave me encouragement.”

It didn’t stop there. JB began moving his hands and then his feet. Two weeks later, he stood up. After 30 days in rehab, he walked out on his own, just as he had predicted.

“I knew what the doctors and the therapists thought as far as, ‘This isn't supposed to happen. I never told him that this stuff wasn't supposed to happen. I was like, ‘God isn't telling me that, so let's just expect greatness and goodness.’ And so, that's what we did.”

“They were super surprised. My physical therapist, she was just amazed of how far I had came along,” JB says. “The doctor who did my neck surgery, it just blew his mind. Like he was super shocked.”

Today, JB is back to coaching basketball and has nearly all of his mobility back. “When you really think about it, it's nothing but a miracle. I mean, it has to be the power of God to do this,” JB says. “I can see God using this to minister to others and showing them not to give up,” Brandie adds. “Don't give up even when it seems like it's hopeless, even when the doctors and therapists are saying, ‘there's no way.’”

“I don't know how strong your faith is in God, but if you do believe in Him, He can heal you and work it out for you,” JB says. “I'm more thankful every day, um, thankful that I can move, thankful I could hear. I always thank Him and try to live for Him and try to do things right and just understand that He’s got a plan. And sometimes, my plan might not be His plan, but if it's His plan and I believe Him, okay. Whatever His plan is, I'm all right with that.”
 

After 28 years of military service, US Coast Guard veteran Terrance and wife Desiree are enjoying retirement in Alaska. During his career, Terrance deployed multiple times, confident leaving the household in Desiree’s capable hands. 
        
Terrence says, “she took care of everything! She is my rock. She is my support system.”

Although the challenges of military separations are behind them, the couple faced one of their biggest trials ever, when a 7.1 earthquake struck Anchorage. The epicenter registered less than 10 miles from their home.
          
Desiree shares, “I dropped to my knees, and I held onto the side of the bed. Everything fell over that could fall over, in every room, in every closet. I was terrified.”

Their home sustained major damage both inside and out.

Terrence explains, "we had a lot of cracks in our dry wall. We've got doors that won't close. The floor downstairs, it's all tilted. The driveway is tore up and it messed up our garage. There is a lot of damage.”

The repairs totaled $15,000 dollars. Because they didn’t have earthquake insurance, the couple faced a financial nightmare. 
        
Desiree says, “it's frustrating that I have to tap into our retirement to get this home, in the original state that it was in. It’s very upsetting.”
        
Despite these overwhelming circumstances, the couple relied on their faith to get through.
        
Desiree adds, “whatever need that I put before the Lord; he's going to see us through it.”
        
Their prayers were answered when New Season Church, contacted Helping the Home Front. Pastor Tommy shared the big news.
    
Tommy says, “Helping the Home Front wants to take care of all of the contracting cost for your house being repaired.”
        
Desiree responds, “I wasn't expecting to hear that.”

Pastor Tommy continues, “so, there's more, CBN is also going to take care of the finishing work. They're going to pay for all the painting. And so, we’re going to go down to Home Depot today in order for you to pick out all the paint colors that you desire so that everything can be done, and complete, and made whole again.”

Desiree exclaims, “oh wow, I can’t believe that. You know, you see this happening with other people. And you never would think that it would be you! Oh my gosh! Oh, my goodness!”
        
A contractor began the repairs right away, as the couple headed to Home Depot to pick out their paint. Their home is now completely restored.

Desiree concludes, “I will be forever grateful, to CBN for what they're doing, and they do for not just the military but others outside of the military as well because they do a great deal and it's really appreciated.”

A

When Ronald and Stephanie Jordan married, they didn’t think twice about living beyond their means. “I like to shop. I like nice things,” Stephanie explained. Ronald added with a laugh, “You know, we were just spending.”

Ronald worked for a premier package delivery company, and Stephanie was an administrative assistant. While they had enough to pay their rent and basic bills, they used credit cards for everything else.

“You know, as long as we can afford the minimum payment, we were good to go,” Ronald stated.

They charged their timeshare, cars, clothes, meals out, and household items. When they maxed out one card, they got another. Ronald handled the finances and wasn’t worried because the bills were always paid on-time. Then a couple years into their marriage…“I was looking at credit card statements, just trying to figure out where the money was going,” Ronald shared. He confessed, “You start thinking about the future. You start thinking about, am I going to be able to get a house? Am I going to be able to retire? And if you don't have any money left over in the month, there's no way you can do those things.”

After a close examination of their financial situation, Ronald broke the news: the couple was $145,000 dollars in debt.

“It was almost like all this can't come from just eating out or just, you know, spending or that type of things,” Stephanie proclaimed. “But I mean, it was there. He had it all laid out.”

Then, a co-worker told Ronald about a Christian-based money management program. Ronald said, “I found out about tithing, by listening to other ministers and then just reading the Bible for myself. The scripture talks about money, really how you treat and deal with money, really is how you treat and deal with everything in your life. Up until that point, nothing else had worked. So why not take a chance and try?”

As they tithed, they stuck to a strict budget, committed to paying-off their debt. Stephanie said, “We cut back. I mean, to make the sacrifice for, you know, the financial freedom that we desired to have.”

Ronald added, “I turned in my smartphone and got a dumb phone, stopped eating out, started cooking more at home. And when our friends wanted to go out, we just said, ‘Hey, we can't, can't do it right now.’” 

Soon, Ronald and Stephanie started using money as a way to help others instead of satisfying themselves.

“It's like the scales coming off your eyes,” Ronald explained. “I wanted to give to God instead of spend on myself because my heart had been convicted. Like, you know, I really ‘gotta do this to honor God.'"

Stephanie contributed, “Things can go at any point. But being generous and caring for others are things that really hit to the heart.”

Within seven years of putting God first in their finances, the Jordan’s debt was gone.  

“We were free,” Ronald said. “It is a great feeling. And I would not go back for anything in the world. It just opened up so many options for Stephanie and I. We've been able to give more. In addition to the tithe, we sponsor three children through various organizations.”

Along the way, Ronald and Stephanie got raises and promotions at work. Then, out of the blue, Ronald was offered a new job. Since starting to tithe, his salary has more than tripled.

He proclaimed, “It’s no coincidence, right? You get certain areas of life in order and everything else just kind of falls in place.”

Today, the couple looks for opportunities to give.

“I'm a lot more empathetic and sympathetic and my eyes are open to the needs of the kingdom,” Ronald shared. “Only God can do that.”

They have their own home and recently took a dream trip to Israel. For others who want to see a turnaround in their finances, they suggest making tithing and giving a priority, like they have. “Examine God's word for yourself. Look up scriptures and different messages on the topic and then practice it and watch God work,” Ronald said.  

Stephanie concluded, “If you start tithing, God will definitely increase what you have. Give Him his 10% and God will definitely take care of you.”
 
 

In the heart of Cambodia, a 12-year-old girl named Rachana has faced a life filled with complexities and challenges. Rachana's family situation was, in her words, “intertwined like a spider's web.” She was the youngest of seven siblings in her original family, but after her parents divorced, her family dynamics changed dramatically. Living with her mother and stepfather, while her father had another family, Rachana found herself in a world that felt fragmented and confusing.

Fear and shyness troubled Rachana as a young person. She rarely spoke, struggled academically, and had few friends. Her world began to change when a friend invited her to church. It was there that she encountered Superbook, a series that brings Bible stories to life through animation. 

Rachana vividly recalls her first Superbook lesson, “In the Beginning.” Through this episode, she learned about God's creation of man and the fall into sin. This revelation was transformative for Rachana. “I knew God created man and man sinned against the origin of the world. I was a sinner, and God forgave me,” she shared. This newfound understanding led her to pray for forgiveness, receive Jesus as her Savior, and start attending church regularly.

The impact of Superbook on Rachana's life was profound. The stories of “Jonah” and the “Fiery Furnace” particularly resonated with her. These episodes inspired her to overcome her fears and embrace bravery. "My life changed every day after coming to church from a shy person to a brave kid who dared to speak, ask questions, and answer questions to others," Rachana explained.

Superbook not only helped Rachana connect with the Word of God but also allowed her to experience Jesus's love in a personal and transformative way. Superbook has the potential to reach even more children like Rachana, offering them the same hope and transformation. But we can’t do this alone. 

We invite you to join this mission. Whether through sharing Rachana's story, accessing Superbook resources for your own family, or using the link below to donate to CBN Animation’s Superbook ministry, your support can help extend this impact to countless others. Together, we can bring the light of God's love to children around the world, one story at a time.

Give to Superbook