A Life Well Lived
52 Inspiring Real-life Stories for Devotion, Study and Family Reading
© 2005 Jim Gwinn
with Mark Cutshall
CRISTA Ministries, Seattle, WA
— All Rights
Reserved — Used by
Permission
![[Image]](images/copyscapegold.gif){kind=small}
1. Devotional literature; 2. Devotional literature
— American; 3. Devotional
literature
— Personal
narratives; 4. Jesus Christ
— Devotional
literature; 5. Hope — Religious aspects
— Christianity; 6. Inspiration — Religious aspects —
Christianity
Dewey: 242 ~ ISBN: 0-9774924-0-0 ~
OCLC: 907933522 ~ 337p.
A Life Well Lived is held by the Master's College Library since 2012
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . xiii
A Life of Prayer . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bill Gwinn ... How God Moved Heaven — and Earth . . . . . 3
Jennie Adams ... Sent to Jail — for a Reason . . . . . 11
Clarence Reimer ... It's Never Too Late to Pray . . . . . 17
Martha Hadley ... When Life (and Death) is on the Line . . . . . 23
Jean Milliken ... Heart and Sole . . . . . 31
A Life of Learning . . . . . 41
Kurt Campbell ... The Boy Who Couldn't Read . . . . . 43
Alma Aarhus ... What My Teacher Knew By Heart . . . . . 47
Howard Inouye ... Take this Math Quiz (inspiring answer below) . . . . . 53
Hannah Singhose ... Think Globally, Serve Repeatedly . . . . . 61
Kainon Pierce ... His School Majors in Opportunity . . . . . 67
Bill Roberts ... He Knows Why the Caged Bird Sings . . . . . 73
A Life of Service . . . . . 77
Kit Flowers ... "If This Cow Dies, We All Die!" . . . . . 79
Trent & Tabby Cox ... The Throwaway Baby Who Lived . . . . . 85
Steve & Kim Hiett ... Sick Pigs – and a Changed Life . . . . . 91
Gene and Jane Glassman ... Saying "Thank You" 44 Years Later . . . . . 97
Gaylord Gunhus ... The Soldier Who Got His Wish . . . . . 103
Paul Kennel ... Quench the World's Thirst . . . . . 111
Paul Etienne ... He Doesn't Kid About These Goats . . . . . 117
Karleen & Bruce Kennedy ... If You Can Run a Little Bathwater . . . . . 123
Wayne Pumphrey ... Hospital Music Never Sounded Sweeter . . . . . 131
Lloyd Rogers ... The Next Time You Feel Incapable . . . . . 135
Melane & Jim Thompson ... A Most Unlikely Family Summer . . . . . 143
Bob Flenaugh ... "But I Called You" . . . . . 149
George Duff ... The Best Golfer I Ever Met . . . . . 155
A Life of Faith . . . . . 163
Nicky Gnanarajah ... How Little Becomes Much . . . . . 165
Agnes Havlis ... Opening Doors of Hope . . . . . 171
Kristen Tremaine ... "Then I Kissed Him One Last Time" . . . . . 177
Arlyn & Vick Anderson ... The Parents Who Chose to Let Go . . . . . 185
2002 King's High Girl's Basketball Team ... That Championship Evening . . . . . 193
Richard Miekley ... A Most Amazing Homecoming . . . . . 197
Rokuro & Shigeko Mitani ... They Built the Impossible . . . . . 201
Roy Parnell ... His Grace Shouts to Me . . . . . 207
Orrin Phelps ... Night of the Comet . . . . . 211
Drs. Paul & Margaret Brand ... Touched by a Leper . . . . . 215
Chuck Anderson ... Reflections on Leadership . . . . . 223
Al Howell ... The Sail of a Lifetime . . . . . 227
Royale Gueswel ... Her Faith Works Overtime . . . . . 231
A Life of Joy . . . . . 235
King's Elementary Students ... Kiwi Slushies with Jesus . . . . . 237
Dan Blackmer ... Coach and Friend for Life . . . . . 243
Mark & Linda Cutshall ... Birth of a Family . . . . . 249
Cliff Downey ... Eternity is Just a Few Inches Away . . . . . 255
Florence Turnidge ... And a Little Child Shall Lead Them . . . . . 261
Scott Michael Warren ... Tonight He'll Eavesdrop on a Miracle . . . . . 267
A Life of Legacy . . . . . 273
Ray Riese ... An Angel Returns . . . . . 275
Obert Haavik ... Required Reading for All Volunteers . . . . . 277
Jim Boltz ... The Biker Who Stood in My Path . . . . . 281
Gary & Kay Bannister ... A House Built for AIDS . . . . . 289
Dan & Laura Kiel ... A Family Reunion Like No Other . . . . . 297
Don & Molly Mowat ... Love Came Through the Back Door . . . . . 303
David Voetmann ... A Quest to Reach the Whole World . . . . . 311
Dave Ederer ... "You've Got Nine Months to Live" . . . . . 323
A Life Like No Other . . . . . 333
Dedication
King's Garden/CRISTA has been a major part of my life since 1951 when I came to King's as a sixth grade student, never dreaming I would come back in 1987 and serve as CRISTA President. I owe a debt to Mike and Vivian Martin, and all who have faithfully served the Lord here. We have had the joy of seeing thousands come to faith in Christ through ten different ministries. I thank those who have served in the early years and all whom I have had the joy of serving with in recent years. What a delight it is to echo the words of Jesus to Paul in Acts 26:18: "I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light. See the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me."
Foreword
Jim Gwinn knows that people's real life journeys make compelling stories. In these pages you will meet your family, your friend perhaps even yourself. Around the corner of tomorrow lie surprises, some pleasant, some tragic-for all of us. The difference is knowing God through Christ or facing life alone. The people you'll meet help us learn how to cope when our time comes. They will teach you to "do today" and not waste energy "doing tomorrow" or "doing yesterday." They will show you how to hold your head up high instead of "going home and hiding under the bed." They will bolster your faith in the unyielding faithfulness of God. Enjoy the timeless lesson of each life and learn, as they did, to lean on God. He will not fall over!
Jill Briscoe, LLD
Elmbrook Church
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Acknowledgement
Mark Cutshall is a beloved brother in Christ and master story teller. I have had the joy of reading many of Mark's 90-second devotional thoughts on CRISTA radio for many years. He always challenges me and all who listen. I also thank those who have allowed us to share their story and result of A Life Well Lived. My prayer is that as Mark has captured the heart of each of these remarkable individuals, the Lord will say to you, "I can use you for my glory also."
Do you believe there's more to life than the deadlines, concerns and to-do lists you woke up to this morning?
Consider this:
Before today is over, a word of encouragement to someone else, an overdue phone call, a simple prayer, or a difficult decision you make will help shape the destiny and purpose of another person's life.
The impact will not be felt merely over this week or throughout the coming months, but rather for years to come and beyond. The transformation I'm talking about — the life-altering reality you can bring about — can change a person's life for eternity. And not just one person, but perhaps a community, or the entire world.
By experiencing the Lord's living power and presence, love and acceptance, purposes and plans alive in you — a person, a family, a community, a nation and, yes, even the world will never be the same.
The living proof is in your hands, 52 remarkable stories of hope, faith, promise and pain. Their stories reveal that the "well-lived life" is a legacy of prayer, learning, service, faith and joy.
At the heart of their stories, and yours, is a promise from the Bible:
Before you were born I set you apart
for a special work.
Jeremiah 1:5
The truth of God's message to Jeremiah was true for Mike Martin. In the late 1940's, this Seattle businessman and his wife, Vivian, discovered the vacant Firlands Sanitarium, a 52-acre facility in north Seattle. Inspired by the prophet Joshua, the Martins took off their shoes and walked the circumference of the property, claiming the property for the Lord. Their shared vision and prayers of many soon culminated in a community-wide hearing and "sealed-envelope auction" in which Mike and Vivian's bid of one dollar over the starting bid of $100,000 secured the purchase of the Firlands property and the new ministry they called King's Garden.
What began as a Christian school has, in the past 50-plus years, grown into CRISTA Ministries, a multi-ministry organization touching the lives of children, youth, adults and seniors. CRISTA Ministries is a gateway, an intersection of faith and life for each of the inspiring people you'll meet in this book.
I had the privilege of growing up at this new ministry called King's Garden. I enrolled as a sixth grader in 1951 and graduated from high school in 1958. I remember Mike and Vivian Martin along with many of the pioneer workers who gave of their lives, time and talent. Today, more than 50 years after its founding, King's Garden, now known as CRISTA Ministries, has continued to bring hope and life to thousands through a multitude of ways. Serving as President of CRISTA Ministries since 1987 has enabled me to appreciate anew the faith and work done by so many for so long.
The great evangelist D.L. Moody once heard Henry Varley say, "The world has yet to see what God can do through one life fully dedicated to Him." Moody said, "I will be that person."
My hope and prayer is that these unforgettable individuals will inspire you to echo Moody's words and experience a life well lived.
Jim Gwinn
October 2005
Hope so real you can live it!
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads — with your career, your family, your education — and wondered, "Where do I go from here?" David Voetmann did. So did Florence Turnidge and Kristen Tremaine and each of the other remarkable people you're about to meet. Their stories will inspire you. Their choices will surprise you. Their hope may even change the way you live.
"The individual stories in this book never end and they all point back to the power and preference of God manifesting His grace and glory in the lives of His people.
John MacArthur
Pastor, Grace Community Church, Panorama City, California
"Jim Gwinn has written a heartwarming and challenging book that will show you how God works in our lives for His glory."
Lois Evans
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas
"The book that reveals why CRISTA Ministries is one of the most effective ministries for Christ in the world."
Tony Evans
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas
As President of CRISTA Ministries from 1987-2005, Jim Gwinn enjoyed the privilege of serving alongside extraordinary everyday people whose lives exemplify "bringing hope to life and loving others to Christ."
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