Victoria Arlen visits Pickler And Ben and opens up about her medical mystery and will to overcome. As a child, Victoria was extremely active. But all of that changed when she was just 11 years old.
Victoria developed two rare conditions that caused her to lose the ability to walk, speak, eat or move. The condition eventually left her in a vegetative state for 4 years. Even though Victoria could not control her own body, she could still hear and understand everything going on around her.
So for years, she laid in a hospital bed listening to doctor's tell her parents that she would never come out of this state but she had no way to communicate with them. Essentially, Victoria was trapped in her own body. But one day, Victoria realized that she had regained control of her eyes.
She used this movement and blinks to let her mom know that she was still inside. Now, this miracle woman is walking and talking again and she is beyond thankful for her many blessings. “I’m just so grateful and I’m grateful to God that I got the second chance and that I’m really trying to make it count every single day.”
Today, Victoria is retelling her story to Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron on their daytime talk show and it’s such an inspiration to hear. This young woman even competed on Dancing With The Stars a few seasons ago. Now, she's thriving and serving as an inspiration to all of those around her. What an incredible story of triumph!
11-year-old Celine Tam returns to the Got Talent stage for a show-stopping performance of her original song ‘Who I Am.’
We first met this little superstar when she was just 9 years old. Celine competed on the twelfth season of America’s Got Talent and made it all the way to the semi-finals. As a big fan of Celine Dion, she chose ‘My Heart Will Go On’ for her audition. She easily earned four ‘yes’ votes from the judges. But it was her performance of ‘How Am I Supposed To Live Without You’ during the Judge Cuts that earned Celine a golden buzzer.
Now, her incredible singing voice has taken her all the way to the World’s Got Talent stage and she’s competing against some of the very best acts in music and entertainment. And today, she’s singing an original song titled ‘Who I Am.’
This young artist wrote the lyrics all by herself and when she belts out this inspiring tune, you’ll be in awe. As she hit the high notes, the judges looked on with amazement and the crowd started to cheer. It was obvious that this young girl came here to win. After the song, one of the judges had rave remarks. “Celine, you are talented in music. I really appreciate your attitude, song lyrics and your passion for music.”
That’s when she stood up and pressed the coveted golden buzzer to send Celine straight through to the live shows. What a well-deserved honor for this powerhouse vocal talent.
‘Last Man Standing’ actor Jonathan Adams sits down with The 700 Club to share his journey to faith. 51-year-old Jonathan Adams has appeared in numerous roles over the years, but he is most recognized for his character Chuck Larabee on FOX’s ‘Last Man Standing.’
Chuck is the friend and neighbor of Tim Allen’s character, Mike Baxter. The show was successful for six seasons on ABC before being cancelled. But an outpouring of support from fans caused the show to be resurrected on FOX.
Today, Jonathan Adams is opening up about another side of him that people may not know and that is his faith. Jonathan did not grow up in church. He explains that his family only visited on special occasions. “We were what I like to call CEO Christians. We were Christmas and Easter only and that was really all we would do.”
For years, Jonathan described himself as agnostic, but that all changed when he met his future wife, Monica. Monica was a devout Christ follower and she brought Jonathan closer to God than ever before. Now, he relies on his faith when looking at potential roles and carefully considers the content of scripts.
On the show, Jonathan’s character has a lot of different opinions than Mike Baxter. But they both come together on the topic of faith and family. The audience notices this key factor and it is a big reason why there is so much support for this show. I’m so glad that Jonathan was able to speak on his faith and inspire others to live a life for Christ.
Viral sensation Shayy returns to the American Idol stage for a performance of ‘Rise Up’ with Andra Day.
When we first met Shayy, she moved the judges to tears with her audition. That’s when she shared her overcomer story with the world. Just one year ago, this high school student started to complain of vision problems.
As images started to get blurry, Shayy feared that she would need to get glasses. But after a routine trip to the eye doctor, the family realized this was a much more serious issue. Shayy was rushed to the hospital for an MRI and that is when they discovered a tumor in her brain. After surgery, this young woman was declared legally blind. But she never let that slow her down.
Shayy’s determination to follow her musical dreams brought her all the way to American Idol. This inspiring singer made it all the way to Hollywood before being eliminated. But she remained a favorite among the judges and audience.
For the season finale, Shayy is back on the American Idol stage for an incredible performance of the song that started it all. As she belts out the words to ‘Rise Up,’ Shayy is joined by the original singer, Andra Day. Together, they perform an awe-inspiring version of this smash hit.
This teen has so much talent and it is incredible to see her living out her dreams for the whole world to see. Shayy has certainly had an incredible journey already and it is only the beginner for this rising star.
Powerhouse voice Jackie Evancho competes in the world championships with a beautiful combination of ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ and ‘Nessun Dorma.’
Jackie Evancho became a worldwide sensation after being crowned runner-up on the fifth season of America’s Got Talent. She was just ten years old when she made her appearance on the popular talent competition. Her classical vocals combined with high range made Jackie a standout during the series. Now, at the age of eighteen, she is back on the stage competing on World’s Got Talent. Before her performance, Jackie addressed the judges.
David Foster vividly remembered this child star and raved about her to the panel. “I followed her career on America’s Got Talent where she was the runner-up and she should have been the winner. But she’s had an amazing career around the world. Just wait until you hear her sing. You’re not gonna believe it.” As her dad waited in the wings, Jackie belted out the iconic lyrics to the song ‘O Mio Babbino Caro.’
Then, she combines this classic song with ‘Nessun Dorma.’ Her powerful opera vocals left the judges in awe. And when she hit that high note at the end, everyone was cheering. David Foster again sang her praises. “Jackie never ever ever disappoints.”
For such a young women, Jackie definitely has a lot of talent. Over the years, she’s only gotten better and better. Jackie Evancho is certainly going to be a voice that we hear for many years to come. Don’t you agree?
Viral sensation Shayy returns to the American Idol stage for a performance of ‘Rise Up’ with Andra Day.
When we first met Shayy, she moved the judges to tears with her audition. That’s when she shared her overcomer story with the world. Just one year ago, this high school student started to complain of vision problems.
As images started to get blurry, Shayy feared that she would need to get glasses. But after a routine trip to the eye doctor, the family realized this was a much more serious issue. Shayy was rushed to the hospital for an MRI and that is when they discovered a tumor in her brain. After surgery, this young woman was declared legally blind. But she never let that slow her down.
Shayy’s determination to follow her musical dreams brought her all the way to American Idol. This inspiring singer made it all the way to Hollywood before being eliminated. But she remained a favorite among the judges and audience.
For the season finale, Shayy is back on the American Idol stage for an incredible performance of the song that started it all. As she belts out the words to ‘Rise Up,’ Shayy is joined by the original singer, Andra Day. Together, they perform an awe-inspiring version of this smash hit.
This teen has so much talent and it is incredible to see her living out her dreams for the whole world to see. Shayy has certainly had an incredible journey already and it is only the beginner for this rising star.
Britain’s Got Talent contestant surprises girlfriend with a proposal on stage after his impressive audition. 27-year-old Jacob Jones is a barber, but his real passion is music.
Unbeknownst to Jacob, his girlfriend, Faye, filled out the application for him to be a part of the talent competition. He finally made it to the big stage and now he’s going to give it his all with a unique rendition of ‘You Are So Beautiful.’
“You are so beautiful
To me
You are so beautiful
To me
Can't you see
You're everything I hoped for
You're everything I need
You are so beautiful
To me”
Halfway through the song, judge Simon Cowell stopped the performance. He asked Jacob to tone down his vocals and really let his nature voice shine through. The music queued back up and Jacob gave it another shot. And that rendition really struck a chord with the judges.
After the performance, each judge raved about his sound and gave him a ‘yes’ to move on to the next round. But the best was still yet to come. Before Jacob exited the stage, he addressed the judges and audience. “I just wanted to do one thing before I came today. If I got four ‘yeses’ there was another ‘yes’ that I wanted to get.”
That’s when Jacob invited Faye up on stage for a moment that she will never forget. The crowd was going wild as he got down on one kneel for this unexpected proposal. And, of course, she said yes!
This young girl overcame her nerves to seriously impress with her speed painting talent show performance.
When you are a teenager, standing up in front of your peers can be a daunting challenge. But sometimes, there is a passion in your heart that has a desire to be shared with the world. That’s exactly what happened with this young girl and her recent talent show audition.
The video starts out by noting that this teen is very shy. However, when it was time for her school’s talent show, she came to her mother and said she wanted to try out for the show.
This 14-year-old has a hidden talent for art and she wanted to showcase that in a unique way. For weeks, she practiced her performance until she was confident and ready for the day of the auditions. Just watch as the young girl stands in front of the judges with a blank, black canvas. She starts to use white paint to create a design.
For a while, we’re not quite sure what she is painting, but the teen continues to meticulously add white details along the canvas. There is no moment of hesitation as she swiftly completes her drawing. Finally, the girl puts down her brush and flips the canvas upside down. That’s when the truly nature of the design is revealed. This was definitely an incredible speed painting and I’m so glad that this young girl was able to find the confidence to share her hidden talents with the world.
A kind rescuer saves a dying puppy found on the side of the road and helps it recuperate in the most incredible way.
Jenny Desmond, and her husband Jim, run a chimpanzee sanctuary in Liberia. One day, Jenny was riding down the road when she spotted a disheveled puppy. The dog was obviously in poor condition.
Jenny knew just by looking at the pup that he had an infection and was severely underweight. That’s when she confiscated the dog and took him back to the sanctuary. Jenny’s husband is a veterinarian, so he was able to determine that the puppy was starving and eating away at his own muscle.
Jim administered medication so that the poor animal would be able to eat and digest normally. Within days, his skin starts to get noticeably better. The dog’s fur is growing back and many of his open wounds heal.
The pup is soon named Snafu and he quickly makes friends with the other animals at the sanctuary. There’s even an adorable moment when a chimpanzee carries Snafu down the steps like a baby. In one year’s time, Snafu makes a complete recovery.
He has become a lively and lovable dog. Snafu even found his forever home in America with Jenny’s relatives. Thanks to this kind woman, Snafu is going to get all the love and attention that he deserves. This is such a perfect ending for this sweet puppy.
We need more people in the world like Jenny. Who else agrees with me?
This sweet video shows how an elephant still remembers her old trainer from 35 years ago. What a special sight to see!
The former zookeeper, Peter Adamson, has wonderful memories from the time when he took care of Kristy the Asian elephant at a zoo in Scotland. From feeding, to washing, to training, these two spent many hours throughout the years bonding. Even though that was back in the early ‘70s and ‘80s, Kristy still remembers those good times with Peter as well.
“Do I smell the same?” Peter asks Kristy this question as he blows into her truck and she leans into him. The pair look so adorable cuddling up next to each other, almost like no time has passed between them.
While Peter was staying with some friends in Germany, he found out that Kristy was still alive and well and had been transferred to Neunkircher Zoo. Since the zoo was just a short distance from where he was visiting, he knew he had to make an effort to reunite with his old elephant friend.
It’s remarkable that Kristy was still alive and in good health, because she had reached 52 years in age. The typical life expectancy for Asian elephants is 48 years old. The number of Asian elephants has unfortunately “plummeted by at least 50% in the past three generations” because of habitat loss and poaching. Thanks to kind caretakers like Peter, we can hopefully see that the remaining Asian elephant population in zoos will continue to thrive and grow.
After Peter contacted the Neunkircher Zoo, the employees there were able to arrange a special reunion for Kristy and her former trainer while Peter was in Germany. How wonderful that these two were able to reconnect after all these years and rekindle the bond that they have
The Voice contestant Rod Stokes sings for his spot in the competition with a rousing rendition of ‘Brother’ from NEEDTOBREATHE.
After performing ‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ during the semi-finals, Rod found himself in the bottom three. The contestants were given another chance to sing and try to earn the votes of America. Rod stepped on stage and belted out the powerful lyrics of this hit song.
‘Brother let me be your shelter
Never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home’
This powerful song was inspired by the real life relationship between NEEDTOBREATHE brothers, and band mates, Bear and Bo Rinehart. It truly reminds us that our siblings are such an important part of our lives. Like our Father in Heaven, they provide us comfort when we are down and love at all times.
Today, Rod Stokes is hoping that this popular Christian song will secure him a spot in the next round of competition. Rod is the last remaining member of Team Kelly and this is his last shot at staying on The Voice. He truly brought everything he had to this performance and you can feel the passion and weight of every single word.
Rod has truly been a talented performed throughout this competition and, regardless of the outcome, I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing his name in the future.
Country legend Randy Travis shares the daily struggles he is faced with after a 2013 stroke.
Randy Travis broke onto the music scene in the 1980s. His deep and distinctive voice gave us hits such as ‘Forever And Ever, Amen’ and ‘Three Wooden Crosses.’ But everything came to a screeching halt nearly six years ago.
Randy almost lost his life after suffering from a devastating stroke that left in a coma for 72 hours. Even though he couldn’t communicate, Randy could hear and understand everything that was going on around him. He even heard when the doctor’s advised his family that recovery was slim and they should consider pulling the plug. That’s when Randy’s soon-to-be wife, Mary, stood by his side and asked for a sign.
Randy was able to squeeze her hand and she knew that he would continue to battle no matter what. “Even in his state, his semi-coma state, he squeezed my hand… I just I saw this tear just fell. And it was, you know, one, two at a time. And I just went back to the doctors and I said, 'We're fighting this.'''
It was over a year before Randy would regain the ability to speak and walk without a cane. Today, Randy still struggles just to take a step and his vocal ability is limited. But that’s not stopping this country superstar from sharing his story in hopes that others will find inspiration in his words.
Randy’s wife ends the interview by saying, “What I've learned about him is that he hadn't forgotten anything, but the world will never forget him either.”
A vocal coach becomes the singing voice for one of her students after he is diagnosed with ALS.
Bernie Dalton always had a passion for music. This single father’s dream never left his heart, so he decided in 2016 to start taking vocal lessons with Essence Golman. Essence noted that ‘Bernie showed up to each lesson filled with inspiration, songs to share, and eager to learn healthy vocal techniques to expand his range and build his confidence as a singer.’
But one day, his voice suddenly disappeared. For a while, no one could quite figure out what was happening. After a visit to a neurologist, Bernie was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 47. Even though Bernie lost his voice and was quickly losing other motor functions, he still wanted to pursue music.
One of his final wishes was to create an album with his daughter, Nicole. He asked Essence, his vocal coach, to be the voice for the lyrics he had been writing. With the help of other talented musicians, they fulfilled his dream in an amazing way. One of the songs featured on the album was actually written for Bernie’s future grandchildren.
This particular video showcases Bernie And The Believers performing one of Bernie’s original songs, ‘Unusual Boy.’ Surrounded by his band, Bernie lays in a hospital bed fixated on the music. It’s truly an emotional, yet inspiring moment. Sadly, Bernie passed away in May 2019, but his legacy will continue to live on through his music and passion.
Today Show personality Jenna Bush Hager shares opens up about learning a sweet lesson from a child at church.
While sitting down with Savannah Guthrie for the fourth hour of The Today Show, an interesting study from The Wall Street Journal was brought up. As we grow older, adults are finding it harder and harder to make friends. But there is another interesting fact found in the study.
Jenna explained, “So experts have found that people’s moods improve after having conversation with a total stranger.” She was reminded of this simple principal during a recent church service. One of her daughters was having a difficult time being alone for Sunday school.
That’s when another child in the classroom came up to Jenna’s little girl and introduced herself. The two new friends hugged and Jenna’s daughter was immediately cheerful and ready to be on her own.
“These little things that are so easy for kids become harder for adults,” Jenna said. Savannah and Jenna went on to say that many adults are so focused on their destination or have their heads in their phones. But when we take the time to look up, something truly amazing can happen.
“Everyday, if you can have a little bit of a surprise interaction with somebody. Smile at somebody, wave at somebody, tell somebody that they look beautiful. Whatever it is, let’s make people happy.” Sometimes, all it takes is a simple gesture from a child to remind us all what this world is really about.
The Voice contestant Rod Stokes sings the classic Vince Gill song ‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ during the semi-final performances.
Vince started writing this iconic song in 1989, after the death of fellow country artist Keith Whitley. But it would be years before Vince was able to finally finish the composition.
After it’s release, the song skyrocketed to the top of the charts. It won 2 Grammy awards and CMA's Song of the Year award in 1996. ‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’ is noted for the poignant lyrics that have stood the test of time and touched hearts all over the world.
Today, Rod Stokes is taking on this legendary song during the semi-finals of The Voice. Rod has made it all the way to the Top 8 as part of Team Kelly Clarkson and he’s giving this performance everything he has to stay in the competition. Just listen as he beautifully belts out these powerful lyrics.
“Go rest high on that mountain
Son, your work on earth is done.
Go to heaven a-shoutin'
Love for the Father and the Son.”
Rod plays guitar as he puts his own style into this country tune. He truly puts all of his heart into his music and you can feel the passion as he performs. There’s definitely a reason why Rod has made it this far and he certainly has the talent to go all the way. Rod is the last remaining contestant on Team Kelly.
Do you think he’s going to win The Voice?
Salem Media, our partners, and affiliates use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize site content, and deliver relevant video recommendations. By using this website and continuing to navigate, you consent to our use of such technologies and the sharing of video viewing activity with third-party partners in accordance with the Video Privacy Protection Act and other privacy laws.Privacy Policy
