An older man standing on a rocky shoreline at sunrise, looking across the ocean toward the horizon with a sailboat below, symbolizing God’s calling, courage, and the next faithful step.

Call to Adventure: Lessons from Moana

Sometimes a story created for families and children asks questions that follow us through every season of life: Who am I? What has God called me to do? And will I have the courage to take the next faithful step? The story of Moana offers a vivid picture of leaving the familiar, accepting responsibility, and discovering that purpose becomes clearer as we move forward.
A multicultural, multigenerational group discussing defining moments, faith, and God’s purpose for their lives

Defining Moments: Discovering God’s Purpose in Your Story

What defining moments have shaped your life—and where might God be leading you next? Whether you are a young adult seeking direction or someone who wants to encourage the next generation, discover how your story, daily choices, and relationships can reveal God’s purpose.
Recreated scene of Naomi and Lucille driving their jeeps through the Appalachian hollers near Buckhorn, Kentucky

From Buckhorn to the World

A prayer spoken during a bitter Wisconsin winter led Naomi to the Appalachian hollers of Buckhorn, Kentucky. There, God gave her more than a nursing position—He gave her a calling, a wise mentor, and a spirit of compassionate service that shaped the rest of her life. What place, person, or unexpected circumstance has God used to shape yours?
People walking toward a sunrise on a puzzle path, symbolizing God’s purpose and guidance in life.

God Has a Unique Purpose for Your Life

Have you ever stopped to consider that there has never been, and never will be, another person exactly like you? Your fingerprints are unique. Your personality is unique. Your experiences, relationships, struggles, joys, disappointments, gifts, and opportunities are unique. But your uniqueness is about much more than personality or background. It is about God’s design and purpose for your life.
Two young sisters in the Lord, serving in Appalachia visiting families with their compassion. Nursing visits

Naomi and Lucille: A Shared Life in the Providence of God

Naomi Koerwitz, who later became Naomi Dassow, and Lucille LeBeau were brought together for a season in Buckhorn, Kentucky. They were both nurses. They both had a heart for people. They both found themselves serving in a rural Appalachian community where the needs were many and the work was personal. But their story was more than a story about nursing. It was a story about God’s sovereignty and providence. It was a story about God’s sovereignty and providence. I believe God mysteriously brought two different young Christian women together for that season. They came from different Christian backgrounds and different life experiences, but both had their faith in Jesus renewed early in life. They were Christian sisters in the Lord. Long before either one of them was born, God knew their names. He knew their gifts. He knew the people they would serve. He knew the season when their lives would intersect. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That verse helps me understand Naomi and Lucille’s shared life. God had prepared good works for both of them. For a time, those good works were done together.
Purpose: Embracing Your Unique Design in Life

Purpose: Embracing Your Unique Design in Life

Our lives are not random accidents, but part of God’s greater kingdom plan. We are encouraged as believers to stop defining purpose merely through career success, recognition, or achievement and instead discover purpose through relationship with Jesus Christ. One of the strongest themes in the book is that God often uses even painful seasons—grief, disappointment, waiting, hardship, and uncertainty—to shape spiritual maturity and future ministry. Nothing surrendered to God is wasted.
Naomi Koerwtiz Dassow making home visit in Buckhorn, Kentucky. Verna Farber 1976

A Journey to Buckhorn. God’s Call for Naomi

Just found a few pages of some of Naomi's writings back 50 years ago. "Please let this be my last winter in all this cold and snow", Ann (Naomi used ANN" in her writings) half prayed half sighed as she pulled up her hood and shoved on high boots and pushed open the door to check on the amount of digging needed to get her car cleared off after last nights fresh snowfall of 8 more inches. She took in short gasspy breathes of crisp, bitterly cold air and gazed up at a brilliantly blue sky. How lovely to see all the snow clinging to the trees and the shimmering clean covering on the ground. But is was cold, another -12 day the weather man said." Click to see what Naomi was dreaming about!
Naomi and Richard Dassow Salvation Army Volunteer Chaplains

God’s Calling and Your Legacy

Each person is uniquely gifted by God to contribute to the world, and neglecting to fulfill this role diminishes the collective whole. In later life stages, finding purpose involves a change of heart and perspective rather than a job change. Discovering one's calling is a continuous process, requiring practice, mentors, and adaptability. It's a journey marked by intentional decisions, failures, and the pursuit of mastery in certain areas, encompassing one's entire life.
Stuart and Jill Briscoe

You are special and unique with a mission!

 ●”The Lord created each of us individually with different Spiritual Gifts, Passions, Abilities, strengths and a unique personality with different experiences. Helping each other put the pieces of the seeming puzzle together so we each can be most effective in our families, church, community and the world and finish our lives well and leave a legacy that gives glory to the LORD so when we stand before Him one day, we will hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”