Cure International: Saving Kids from treatable conditions

Warning: This one's a heart-jerker.

You have the opportunity to physically change a child's life forever.

Across the world, children suffer daily from conditions that are treatable. Cure International is an organization dedicated to reaching out to those children and providing them with the care and treatment needed to cure them. They now have hospitals in ten different countries.

Birth defects and other physical disabilities treated by Cure include:

• Hydrocephalus                                                                             
• Clubfoot
• Cleft lip and cleft palate
• Burn contractures  
• Brain tumors
• Tuberculosis of the Spine
• Spina bifida
• Osteomyelitis   

There are 4 ways you can help Cure International reach out to children in need:

1. Giving: Make a monetary donation. It can be a one time gift or a monthly pledge.
2. Praying: There is indescribable power in prayer, lift up Cure International to God. 
3. Doing: There are ways to support Cure without even leaving the comfort home. 
4. Going: Do what cure does! Volunteer and travel with Cure International.  

 So, if you feel led to help and reach out to people but have not been able to sponsor a child, there are ways to help Cure, help them. It's as simple as following them on twitter or friending them on facebook. Help get the word out that Cure International is there and is helping the world, one child at a time.
  

Attention Followers 

I challenge you to the 1 Child Challenge. I did it. 

It's SO easy. All you have to do is follow 1 child. A donor will then give $1 toward that child's surgery. Then, you share that child's story with 1 friend via twitter or facebook. 

The challenge ends April 29, 2011.  So get on board before it ends. 

Check out how easy I made it for you. Below is Cure's most recent CUREkid. Click follow to accept the challenge and bring this child $1 closer to their new, cured lives.

                                                  

Third Day & Tenth Avenue North at the Cruzan Amphitheatre: On sale now

Third Day and Tenth Avenue North will perform on Saturday May 21, 2011.

That's right, South Florida. Another great concert is coming to the Cruzan Amphitheatre.
But you have to act fast to get WayFM's discounted price.

TENTH AVENUE NORTH

The band began almost ten years ago when the guys met at Palm Beach Atlantic College. Now, Tenth Ave is returning to their hometown to open for Third Day.

 

Their hits include:

• Healing Begins
• You Are More
• Love Is Here
• By Your Side
• Hold Your Heart    

Keep up with the guys on Twitter.

THIRD DAY

Mac Powell and the band never fail to deliver an amazing performance.

Their latest album is titled, Move.

They have the coolest thing on their website that lets you search or browse their songs. You can even look them up by lyrics, which is great if you don't know the name of the song.

You can also follow them on Twitter.

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and prices will go up, so get yours now!

Compassion International: Sponsor a Child

So, I've already sang my praises about World Vision- who, by the way, was featured in Bethany Hamilton's Soul Surfer movie.

Now, I'd like to share another amazing organization dedicated to children. In fact, Compassion International helps over 1 million children around the world today.

"Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults." (http://www.compassion.com/)

 
Much like World Vision, their biggest program is through sponsorship. For $38 a month, a sponsored child will receive food, clean water, medical care, education, and they will learn about Jesus, a gift worth more than any numerical form.



You can search through their database of children worldwide, in need of sponsors. They even reference children that live in an AIDS impacted area or children who have been waiting for a sponsor for up to six months. 

Drive Thru Difference

As Christians we should constantly try to make an impact for God in our everyday encounters. This is why we pray in public restaurants and put 'jesus-fish' emblems on our cars. We should act with humility and love for others to set an example for the love that Jesus shows us.

South Florida's contemporary Christian Radio station 88.1 WayFM has come up with an excellent way to impact lives in our area. 

It's called the Drive Thru Difference and it has already affected hundreds of lives in Florida.

On each day designated for the Drive Thru Difference, listeners of WayFM make their way to their local fast food restaurants. The idea is to show compassion and the love of Christ by paying for the person behind you.

WayFM even provides a printable letter to pass along to the person behind you. The letter explains why you've paid for their meal and invites them to call and share their experience with the station.

You may be surprised how this simple act of kindness can reach others for Christ.

Premier Designs Jewelry: A Faith-Based Fashion

Premier Designs is a faith-based, high-fashion jewelry company. They have been debt free and successful since Andy and Joan Horner founded the company in 1985.

High-fashion is the bridge between costume jewelry and fine jewelry. Premier uses more gold and silver per ounce than any other high-fashion jeweler. Plus, they back their product with a Golden Guarantee.

Premier began as a direct sales company. Today, anyone (18 and older) can become a premier jeweler.

Most of the business is founded in home shows. Premier offers a unique 'Hostess Plan' that offers 30% of a shows sales in FREE jewelry, plus the opportunity to earn another $100 in jewelry through their hostess bonuses.

For more information, check out the Premier Designs Website or email me.

Spanish River Church to host The Afters and Sanctus Real

Sanctus Real and The Afters are coming to Spanish River Church Thursday, April, 14.
The show is from 7:30- Midnight and tickets are still on sale through iTickets.com.

Sanctus Real's recent hits are:

The Redeemer
Lead Me
Forgiven     

The Afters hits include:

Light Up The Sky

Ocean Wide

Never Going To Be OK

General Admission is only $15 or you can get up-close and personal in the 'Artist Circle' for $20.

You haven't heard the best part:

Not only is Spanish River Church hosting a great show, proceeds will benefit Compassion International.

Compassion International is a Christian child advocacy ministry that helps over 1 million children worldwide.

Not only do we get to see two chart-topping bands perform right in our backyard, we're giving back and helping children out of poverty.

Spanish River Church is located at 2400 Yamato Road Boca Raton, FL 33431

Doors open @ 6:30, see you there!

Louie Giglio: Symphony of the Universe

For those of you who didn't make the Chris Tomlin concert Friday, you missed out on an incredible message from Louie Giglio. Lucky for you, I'm going to share a little of it.

Louie Giglio is the founder and speaker of Passion Conferences, an outreach for colleges across the nation.

At the concert he touched on his message Indescribable. In an attempt to show just how unfathomable our God and our universe is he explained how stars, billions of miles away, spinning on their own axis, were able to create radio waves. 

You can actually HEAR the stars.
They make noise.

This is Louie Giglio's 'Symphony of the Universe':

• Follow Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin on twitter

Tomlin In West Palm

Chris Tomlin will be performing at the WPB Amphitheatre this Friday, March 25th.

Those who were lucky enough to purchase their tickets in advance received discounts through WayFM BUT tickets for the 'And If Our God is For Us...' tour are still on sale through Live Nation starting at $43.

WayFM credits Tomlin with most of the contemporary christian songs heard in churches today.

He has received 16 Dove Awards including Male Vocalist and Artist of the Year.

His most recent chart toppers include:

• Our God
• I Will Follow
• Sing Sing Sing
• Made To Worship

In short, this concert is sure to be nothing less than unforgettable. See you there!

Bethany Hamilton's 'Soul Surfer'

The true, inspirational, story of surf champion Bethany Hamliton is coming to the big screen.

Soul Surfer (rated PG) is scheduled to hit theatres on April 8th.

Based on the true story of the shark attack survivor and amputee, Bethany Hamilton, the film reveals the struggles she faced and overcome through her faith.

If the trailer is any inclination of what this movie will be like, you can expect to be inspired:

This film also hosts a familiar cast:

• Bethany's role is played by AnnaSophia Robb, who also starred in Race to Witch Mountain and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid play Bethany's Mom and Dad
• And Carrie Underwood plays Sarah Hill

A 'World Vision' of Gods Love

How many cars does your family have? How many times do you eat out during an average week? Do you conserve water? Recycle?

It's very easy to take for granted the many things we are blessed with. From people who love to complain and talk politics to those who find it easier to throw away leftovers instead of saving them, we are all guilty on some scale.

The fact of the matter is, regardless of your political postitions, compared to the rest of the world, we do live in a free country. And those scraps you just tossed out is equal to the amount of food an entire family lives on for a week.

Im not saying the only way to justify our means is by not eating or selling one of our cars. We are blessed to have the lifestyle we do. Treat it like a blessing. Don't take it for granted, and remember to thank God for the things he has given you, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.

There are ways to make a difference to those who are less fortunate. World Vision and Compassion are two organizations that have made it easy for people around the world to experience the gift of Gods love and grace. What is a minimal amount of money to us, literally means life for some. These and many other organizations have stepped up and filled the gap between our society and theirs, and theyve filled it with the love of God. I encourage all of you to sponsor a child. I found that even if you can't afford it, you will be able to. God finds a way and with Him anything is possible.

This is a picture of Oumer. He will be six years old this April and he is from Ethiopia. My household sponsors him through World Vision together. I tell you, there is no greater joy or excitement then when we recieve a letter from our Oumer telling us how blessed he is to have us as his sponsor.

God is your Valentine, Everyday.

Be Mine, Valentine.

During the holidays, we tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, and baking. Christmas, for example, has us adjusting our budgets, hanging lights and singing carols. Its not often we stop to reflect 'the reason for the season', if you will. Of course if you asked any Christian what Christmas is about, the would earnestly respond with something in relation to the birth of Jesus.

Well, why should any other holiday be different? Why should any day be different, for that matter?

No one could ever love you more than God himself.

With Valentines day fast approaching, take a moment to enjoy the gift of Gods love.

Life. Don't Plan On It.

What were you doing one year ago today? How about five years ago? Ten? Are you where you saw yourself today? Has anything you planned ever worked out exactly how you had imagined it?

Odds are, very few people have been able to plan their lives as they would have them. This is by no mistake.

Woody Allen once made famous the quote "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

God has a will for everyone's life. Make no mistake, everything DOES happen for a reason and those reasons are Gods. No matter how much you plan, and figure, and work toward something, if God doesn't want you there, it will not happen.

Psalms 33:10-11 says, The Lord foils the plans of the nations, he thwarts the purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stay firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

This doesnt mean give up your plans and dreams. It means continue to strive for them and pray for them. If its Gods will, then you will end up where you want to be, but don't be discouraged if you dont. It just means God has another plan for you that you haven't figured out yet.

Oh, and another thing to wrap your thoughts around: All that time you spent planning and working toward that something that you never reach, God planned that. So, even if you're not on the right track toward Gods will in your life, youre still on Gods track. He knew what you would do before you did it.

So you should never feel as if you've messed up, or lose hope in what you're doing because there's a reason God's letting you go through it all. It's not all for nothing

As Joshua 1:9 says, ...Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Power of Prayer, Part 2

Another powerful testimony to how we should pray is a lesson I learned from my Aunt. We were visiting her family in Alabama when a firetruck, or an ambulance drove by (I don't remember which), sirens blaring.

She told us that whenever she sees that, or an passes an accident, she always says a prayer for those involved.

My Aunt would say a prayer for people she didn't even know. 

Take a moment to think about that. If every person that drove past an accident said a prayer for those people. How many prayers do you think they would receive? What if that accident was put on the news? What if every person who saw that newscast said a prayer for those people? What if that newscast was posted online? And every person who saw that feed said a prayer for those people.

Do you see whats just happened? People across the GLOBE now have the opportunity to pray for this one car accident, in one town, that maybe only 3 people were affected by.

Now, if you want experience the 'power of prayer' that we mentioned before, put yourself on the other side of those prayers.

What if that was you in the car accident?

People all over the world are lifting you up to the Lord.

If that doesn't give you goosebumps the next time you're in a fender-bender, you might want to have the EMTs look you over.

The Power of Prayer, Part 1

I think we've all heard the expression 'the power of prayer', but have you ever put it to the test?

When I was little, I was taught that there was no wrong way to pray. So, I would always say a prayer before I went to sleep and I would begin by thanking God for everything he had done for me, my family, and then my friends. Then I would send up my 'requests': Please help me get good grades on my homework, please help Granddaddy feel better... 

 Then, one night when I couldn't sleep, I remembered something my Sunday School teacher had told us. When she couldn't sleep, she knew it was because there was something on her mind, something she should pray about.

Well, I couldn't think of what it was that I should be praying about, after all, I had already said my prayers that night. So, desperate to fall asleep, I began a prayer that went something like this:

Dear Lord, 
Thank you for everything you've done for me, my friends, my family and for-everyone-I've-ever-met-in-my-entire-life. I ask that you be with them and help them with whatever they need. Amen.

I think I covered all the bases with that one, but as broad as that prayer may have been, I think we can learn something from my childhood conversations with God.

Ephesians 6:18 says, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

As Christians, we are obligated to keep our brothers and sisters in Christ in our continuous thoughts and prayers. Why should that be exclusive to anyone? This verse reminds us to pray for ALL the Lord's people.

So, next time you find yourself praying for those dearest to you, remember those you've only met and perhaps those you haven't.

Reconsider Your Resolutions

A new year has begun. For many, this means resolutions, diets and budgets to rebound from the previous year's shortcomings. 

Isn't it funny that New Years is supposed to be a way to start over and begin fresh, but the first thing we do is set goals that reflect our past? We focus on all the things we want to fix, but what about what God wants us to fix? Are they the same? Will the resolutions you've set honor God?

Proverbs 16:1-3 says, The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

We have a way of justifying our intentions and desires. 'I'm going to eat this cookie now, but I'll go for a walk later,' or, ' If I accidentally sleep in on Sunday, I'll listen to the Christian radio station on my way to work.'

We advocate the things we do, but, if they aren't so bad after all, why are we so sure to make up for them? Because, 'the Lord weighs the spirits.' That's your conscience speaking. That's God in the back of your mind saying, 'uh-uh', you know what you're doing is wrong.

If your heart is right with God and you truly seek ways in which to serve him, God will help you. He will be there to guide you and support you in the decisions you make.  

So ask yourself, are your new year's resolutions tugging at your conscience? Are you looking for ways to justify them? If so, maybe its time to reconsider your resolutions.

Other related scripture: Psalms 37:5, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33