You Were Made To Make A Difference

In the early fall, my mom received a review copy of "You Were Made to Make A Difference," written by Max Lucado and his daughter, Jenna Lucado Bishop. I am sure you have all heard about Max Lucado. Right? I grew up watching his Hermie and Wormie videos. For those of you who don't know about Max Lucado, he is a well-known author and preacher, as well as a husband and father. He has three daughters, and his oldest helped him write "You Were Made to Make a Difference."

I am sure you have all heard about Max Lucado. Right? I grew up watching his Hermie and Wormie videos. For those of you who don't know about Max Lucado, he is a well-known author and preacher, as well as a husband and father. He has three daughters, and his oldest helped him write "You Were Made to Make a Difference."

In his most recent book, Max Lucado and his daughter write about people who are making a difference in this world and how we, ordinary real girls, can make a difference, too. In every chapter, Max and Jenna both share their personal thoughts, inspired by someone who has made a difference in this world.

Over the past few months during my daily devotions, I read through this book, and it has definitely given me a different perspective on why and how we can make a difference. One story that I found particularly inspiring was written in the chapter two.

Chapter two is about a boy named Austin Gutwein who started the organization, Hoops of Hope. When austin was nine, he tried out for the boys basketball team. Unfortunately, he wasn't that good at shooting and so he got cut. He later on saw a video about orphaned kids who had to take care of them and their siblings every need. After that he got thinking and asked his dad if there was anything he could do. So on national World AID's he shot free throws in honor of every person who would die that day of AIDs. Because of all the money his sponsors gave, he raised over 3,000 dollars, and continues to do so today.

Here are some of the organizations they write about so you can visit those websites also.

http://www.worldvision.org/

http://www.hoopsofhope.com

http://www.showhope.org/OrphanCare/MariasBigHouseofHope.aspx

http://leelandonline.com/

http://www.sparrowclubs.org/

http://www.dosomething.org/

http://www.zachhunter.me/#/lc2lc

If you would like to purchase this book, which I highly recommend, you can go to http://www.thomasnelson.com/.

Sunshine Makers

This past week, in my devotional, A Girl of Beauty, by Carol Fiddler, I read about being a sunshine maker. Have you ever thought about what a sunshine maker is?A sunshine maker makes others happy. Have you ever had a moment when a family member or friend was laughing and then all of a sudden you started laughing also? Laughing is contagious. Smiling is contagious. When you smile, yes, just a smile can make someone’s day soar.

Let’s take a look at what God says about being a sunshine maker!

The Message (MSG)

Proverbs 15:13

A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

Proverbs 15:13 talks about how a cheerful heart helps you get through the day, but a sad one makes it hard. That is very true. When you aren’t happy, it is harder to get though the day.

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

When you are happy you feel terrific. Don’t you? You feel like everything is good and you just fly through your day.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

This verse talks about being cheerful no matter what. Would you agree that the hardest time to be cheerful and thankful is when your going through something hard. This verse pushes us to always be cheerful and thankful.

Colossians 1:24

I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.

Wowee! That is the only thing that I can say. Here Paul is in jail and is cheerful and thankful that he is the one in jail and not his friends.

*A sunshine-maker is one who brings joy into everyday situations, whether work or play. This ability comes from an attitude of thankfulness.

Inspired by A Girl of Beauty by Carol Fiddler

*From Carol Fiddler's a Girl of Beauty