FREE Kindle Copy of “Facing the Dragon!”

Nope, I’m not kidding. the Kindle version of Facing the Dragon: How a Desperate Act Pulled One Addict out of Methamphetamine Hell is FREE from May 28 – June 3. (If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still take advantage of this offer. There is a free Kindle app available for smartphones, tablets, and PCs.)   In Facing the Dragon, you will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high-school athlete into a violent, drug-dealing, psychotic wife-beater whose children were terrified of him. After more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. The […]

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The Munoz Family: Facing Tragedy with Grace

    My dear friend Kris Munoz once told me that grief is like the waves of the ocean. Sometimes the sea is calm and tranquil; other times the waves crash angrily on the shore. I now know what she means. Terry and Kristine Munoz experienced a parent’s worst nightmare six years ago today. On October 9, 2007, Kris and their three children were involved in a horrific car accident. The tragedy rocked our small community and impacted people all over the world. You can read the full story here: https://amyhagberg.com/2007/10/15/everything-changes-in-the-blink-of-an-eye/ Amanda (13) was treated for a serious hematoma inside her spleen, several fractured ribs, and significant bruising on her […]

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STANDING TALL: How WNBA Player Ruth Riley Copes with Championship Stress

  Sunday night I watched in awe as the Minnesota Lynx pounded the Atlanta Dream 84-59 in game one of the 2013 WNBA Championship. These amazingly talented athletes made the game look so effortless and fluid. Me, I’d be lucky to make a basket granny style on a Fischer-Price I Can Play Basketball. I am rather petite… well… short, really. I name it and claim it.  The vertically challenged gene is a powerful part of my DNA and part of my identity. Of course, I knew early on that I would never play hoops or volleyball competitively without humiliating myself, so it may come as a surprise that I am […]

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How NFL Kicker Jason Hanson Knows God is Real

Back in 2005 I had an opportunity to interview Jason Hanson of the Detroit Lions. He shared his testimony for my first book and later on my podcast.  Last Saturday night I was in the audience for the KLOVE Fan Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. I was thrilled when Jason’s name was called as a nominee for the Sports Impact award. After the ceremony it was wonderful to finally meet him  and his family in person. Jason retired in April 2013 after 21 seasons as the placekicker for the Lions. He holds the record for the most games played with one team. In his storied career, Jason […]

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SILENCE IS GOLDEN

For an overachieving, working mother with a “Type A” personality and a tendency toward anxiety, the concept of being still is rather foreign … and a little frightening.  Like so many Christians, I can be silent and listen to God for oh, about 15 seconds, before the noise of my over-stimulated mind breaks in.  So imagine putting me in a place for 36 hours where true silence and isolation are observed?  Then consider that this bona fide city girl would have no electricity or indoor plumbing and you’ll get an idea of how daunting the whole concept was for me. But that’s exactly where God led me.  Finding myself at […]

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A CAREER IS LAUNCHED!

Back in 2005, my daughter invited her friend, Justin, to join her at youth group.  Surprisingly, he looked her square in the face and said, “How do you even know He’s real?” She had no idea how to respond to that question, and to be honest, neither did I. It haunted me. That is the universal question isn’t it?  How do we know Christ is real? To many people, Jesus is just a legend, a wise and kind man, a prophet. I wondered, what would convince people like Justin that following Jesus is worth a try? I embarked on a journey to prove that Christ is real. In a moment […]

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The Wonder of God’s Creation

In 2005, I wrote and released two books in my “How Do You Know He’s Real” series. They both feature incredible testimonies by celebrities from the worlds of sports and entertainment. Of course, personal experience is the best way to recognize God’s hand, but we also see His divinity in nature. For a moment, picture yourself walking in a forest of pine trees in the north woods. Do you see the cardinals and the blue jays, the eagles and the hawks? Do you see the little chipmunks, rabbits, and squirrels scampering around on the ground? How about the majestic blue sky filled with billowy clouds and rays of sunshine. Then […]

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The Beauty of Brownies

There is no doubt in my mind that God was having a pretty good day when He invented chocolate. Technically speaking, human beings can live on manna, but in His infinite wisdom, the Creator must have mused, “Man (and woman) cannot live by bread alone, so how about a little chocolate to mix things up?” Okay, perhaps those weren’t His exact words, but I’m sure that was the basic idea. It’s hard to conceive that something as delectable as chocolate could originate from the bitter cacao seed. It’s even more difficult to comprehend that one day somebody looked at that seed and thought it would be a good idea to […]

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An Interview with World Champion Water Skier Kristi Overton-Johnson

Kristi Overton-Johnson is living proof that God doesn’t make any junk.  Despite our weaknesses, He can do something magical with our lives… if we let Him.No matter who you are, you will face adversity in your life. You may feel overwhelmed, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.  Good things often come from the refining we experience in the fire. Kristi Overton-Johnson is a water skiing legend. Her career has spanned  over three decades, from learning to ski at the age of four, to her more recent success as Champion at the US Masters Women’s Slalom at the age of thirty-two. Kristi is an eight-time US […]

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Recording Artist Jontez Shares Story of Miraculous Healing

Though a new face to many, Jontez has spent over a decade in the business. A child prodigy at 12, he received regional acclaim through a ministry-focused Tejano band before finding himself in a worship leadership position at Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s House. In addition to his time with God’s Property, where he had the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of Amy Grant, Jaci Velasquez and Point of Grace, Jontez spent time in the hip-hop group Mankynd. Jontez has wide appeal from Black Gospel to pop audiences, thanks to his own personal blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop and Latin influences. Jontez has made numerous television appearances on […]

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