June 1. Desmond Doss. Doss was a United States Army corporal who served as a combat medic in World War II. In 1945, in Okinawa, where at least seventy-five fellow soldiers were wounded, Doss stayed—the only medic in a fire-swept area. During training, he had learned a special double-bowline knot, and he used it during […] The post Desmond Doss, US,…

May 31. RA Torrey. Torrey’s parents were Christians, but early on, he was not interested in the Christian life. He entered Yale in 1871, determined to become a lawyer. But God had other plans, and—after a dramatic conversion in 1875—he graduated and entered Yale’s Divinity’s School. Three years later, hearing DL Moody preach moved Torrey […] The po…

May 30. Todd White. Todd is a former drug addict. And he is a former non-Christian. Everything changed for Todd the day he had a close encounter with the living God. Ten years later, he launched Lifestyle Christianity, a ministry geared toward activating the church to walk daily in love and power as they share […] The post Todd White, Canada, Speak…

May 29. Rees Howells. Ever since he was twelve, Rees had worked in a coal mine. But in 1906, God called him out of wage-earning and into a ministry of praying for people. For more than forty years, Rees prayed for his daily bread, and God always provided. While on the mission field in South […] The post Rees Howells, Wales, Missionary first appeare…

May 28. Brendan Eich. Eich is a computer programmer and technologist, whose 10-day creation, JavaScript, is a widely-used computer language. Eich also launched the Mozilla project, then the Mozilla Foundation, and eventually the Mozilla Corporation. Mozilla is an internet company that “protects you rather than profits off you.” Mozilla Firefox is a…

May 27. Louis Zamperini. Family and friends had little hope for young Louis. He was a thief and a bully—until he joined his high school’s track team. Soon, he became one of southern California’s best high school athletes. Louis competed at the 1936 Olympic games and was a leading candidate to break the four-minute-mile barrier. […] The post 1147 Lo…

May 26. Henry J. Heinz. When Henry was very young, he helped his mother make and sell pickles. He sold homemade grated horseradish in clear glass jars so his customers could see that he was not cheating them by adding turnips or wood pulp to his product. When he was 12, he had his own […] The post 1146 Henry J Heinz, US, Entrepreneur first appeared…

May 25. Xu Yonghai. Dr. Xu is a Chinese evangelical and psychiatrist who shares the gospel with everyone he meets. He is a social activist in a place where activism can be hazardous to one’s health. He is an “unlicensed” preacher in a place where all religious activity (Christian and other) is controlled by the […] The post Xu Yonghai (徐永海), China,…

May 24. Søren Kierkegaard. The problem began with Søren’s father. Once when Dad was a shepherd boy hard at work in the harsh weather, he cursed God, and even when he was grown, he was convinced that—because of that curse—all seven of his children would die before they reached the age of 34. This might […] The post Søren Kierkegaard, Danish Philosop…

May 23. Samuel Cathy. Samuel founded Chick Fil A— one of the top-earning restaurant chains in America. It pulled in “more than $9 billion in revenue in 2017, marking 50 consecutive years of sales growth.” And of those proceeds, in 2017 and 2018 alone, “$14.65 million was awarded in scholarships to Team Members, and $1.23 […] The post Samuel Cathy, …

May 22. John Wycliffe. Wycliffe was a Protestant long before there were Protestants. The Protestant Reformation is a 16th century phenomenon, but Wycliffe lived in the 14th century. Two-hundred years before Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle door, Wycliffe wrote and circulated 18 Theses, including outright challenges to the Catholic church’s…

May 21. William Farel. Farel was a man of intense courage, boldness, and fearlessness, and he eventually became a significant figure in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. He started out as a pro-Reform Catholic preacher, but the Catholic efforts were too slow for Farel. He moved from France to Switzerland, where he encountered […] The …

May 20. Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius’s early life followed a predictable pattern for boys born in wealthy, noble families. He started as a page and then a knight—both soldier and diplomat. On this date in 1521, while he was serving as soldier, he was severely injured by a cannonball. He almost died; his legs were […] The post Ignatius of Loyola, Sp…

May 19. Colonel Jeffrey Williams. In 1993, Jeffrey graduated first in the class at US Naval Test Pilot School, Class 103. Three years later, he was selected to be an astronaut. On this date in 2000, the STS-101 Mission began, and Jeffrey Williams was the Flight Engineer and Lead Spacewalker. This was the third shuttle […] The post Colonel Jeffrey W…

May 18. Thomas Chalmers. In the very early 1800s, Chalmers was a prolific writer on a variety of topics: economics, theology, social work, and astronomy, to name just a few. He obtained his divinity degree at the age of 19, was licensed to preach at the age of 20, and was ordained at the age […] The post Thomas Chalmers, Scottish Minister first app…

May 17. Darren Billings. Darren is the senior pastor of Oasis Ministries, a group dedicated to “loving and lifting the hurting of our world.” Oasis, which began as a small group in 2011, now serves people in three cities and four areas in Oregon. The ministry’s website declares, “We have two vital mandates we follow […] The post Darren Billings, US…

May 16. Paul Holcroft. Paul is not a man to take the easy road. He quit a good job in the business world to study theology full time. Besides that, Paul and his wife Colleen are foster parents and have cared for children ranging in age from newborn to 8 years old. Paul is quick […] The post 1136 Paul Holcroft, US, Antique Art Dealer first appeared …

May 15. Paul White. Paul is an internationally recognized author of Christian nonfiction. He has pastored and taught in several churches and conferences for almost thirty years. He hosts the Deeper Daily Podcast and talks listeners through the Scriptures. Seeing believers awaken “to the goodness of God’s grace through Jesus is Paul’s greatest passi…

May 14. Francis Collins. Collins is a physician and geneticist who spearheaded the Human Genome Project, which studied DNA and completed finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. Collins also discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases. Since 2009, he has been director of the National Institutes of Health and the largest [……

May 13. Doctor Verle Bell. Bell is a psychiatrist and an ordained minister who has served in the US Air Force, in community health clinics, in hospitals, and in private practice. He works with all kinds of patients with all kinds of issues, and encourages them to address all the components of their lives: medical, […] The post Dr. Verle Bell, US, P…

May 12. Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf was a man out of step with his own time, but in step with God’s heart. Like Luther before him, Zinzendorf was a German reformer, with a heart to correct a wrong direction he thought the church was taking. Unlike Luther, though, the church that Zinzendorf was co […] The post Nicolaus von Zinzendorf, …

May 11. John Wimber. Prior to his conversion, John was part of a Los Angeles musical group called the Paramours, who later became the Righteous Brothers. But his life then was anything but righteous. He described himself as a beer-guzzler, a drug-abuser, and a chain smoker. After his conversion in a Quaker church, John became […] The post John Wimb…

May 10. Father Damien. A young man named Pamphille prepared for ministry and intended to serve in Hawaii, but when the time came, he was who was too ill to go. His younger brother went to serve in Hawaii in Pamphille’s stead. That younger brother came to be known as Father Damien. When he heard […] The post Father Damien, Belgian Priest first appea…

May 9. Derek Carr. Derek played high-school football in Texas and California, and he received a scholarship to play college football at California State University at Fresno, where he won numerous awards. On this date in 2014, Derek was drafted into the NFL by the Oakland Raiders. He was the first rookie quarterback to start […] The post Derek Carr…