Bringing biblical wisdom to secular publications

“Like a little jock in a gym, 1-year-old Easton Daniel Batson lies on his blue-and-white blankie and does crunches several times a day. His mother helps with leg exercises that loosen up his tensed muscles.”

That’s the start of the article that won first place (and $10,000) in the 2014 Amy Writing Awards competition. Marian Rizzo, with 23 years of experience at the Ocala Star-Banner, wrote about a baby who suffered hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Doctors expected him to die, but the grieving parents leaned on Chapter 3 of Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Beginning today we will publish each day for the next seven (excluding Sunday) one of the winning stories. The Amy Writing Awards recognize full-time and citizen journalists who report and write real-life stories that show biblical principles and quote from the Bible. Articles need to be published in secular journalistic outlets and college newspapers. Feature articles that include original reporting receive preference. The World Journalism Institute administers the judging for The Amy Foundation, founded in 1976 by Jim and Phyllis Russell and named after their daughter.

Ryan Squanda, a Michigan State journalism student, won second prize and $5,000 for a non-storybook-ending profile of a quarterback who went from starter to scapegoat to sideline pacer. Many “Christians in sports” articles concentrate on winners and sometimes preach a prosperity gospel, but footballer Andrew Maxwell amid adversity exhibited the grace God had given him.

Other winning articles by Greg Rummo, Tom Trepiak, and Louise Ahern profiled two athletes who were spiritually lost and one of Sudan’s “Lost Boys.” Rummo explained how baseball’s Darryl Strawberry hit bottom 14 years ago: “He was $3 million in debt, addicted to crack and shooting heroin. He had literally lost everything including his driver’s license. Then God got a hold of his heart.”

This year’s Amy judges included three WORLD editors, three Amy Foundation representatives, and two outside evaluators. Judging was blind, with judges not knowing the names of the articles’ writers. Size of the publication does not matter. Judges are not looking for “happy talk” stories. One of this year’s winners, Nicole Brambila, examined the after-effects of a grisly murder.

Writers wishing to submit articles for the 2015 competition can find out more information by going to the Amy Writing Awards section of our website.