Everything Starts In Elementary School…

by Sabrina Eras

…learning to add and subtract; kissing boys on the playground; developing ideas and beliefs about yourself. 

Thinking back to when you were an impressionable elementary schooler, were you a self-confident, cool kid or nerdy and insecure?  

I was an insecure member of the class of 1978. My immature perception was that, because I was too skinny, had long, stringy blonde hair and wore my sister’s hand-me-downs, I was an ugly outcast. 

I can only imagine what it could be like to be a confident seven year old and know that it doesn’t matter what I look like, where I live, what I have…or if other kids make fun of me. Oh how drastically different my life would be today? 

What if…at 7, 8, 9… 10 years old a child you know could confidently say “I AM CAPABLE OF ANYTHING!” Wouldn’t that be an awesome foundation for their life? 

Today, for many impressionable elementary school kids, the “what if” option is possible thanks to founder Mark Papadas and his I AM 4 Kids program. This exciting program provides young children with a remarkable opportunity to step into the full potential that confidence brings. Then, it teaches them to be socially responsible and create a project that will have a positive impact on others ~ before they’re an adult!  

Read more…

Drive And Instinct To Leave A Legacy

by xenïa antunes

Ask yourself…“Will you die with just a bunch of cool clothes and stuff or will you make a difference?” 

Laurie Nicoll could have all the cool clothes and stuff she wants. Instead, her passion is to help people gain confidence showing their face in public. Laurie knows first hand that when your skin doesn’t look vibrant it’s difficult to feel good about yourself. 

Through her Footprints Foundation, Laurie’s vision is to fund research to understand and unravel skin problems that trouble people around the world. Her dream is to send medical teams to foreign countries and help underserved populations clear up skin issues and help people feel good about the way they look. 

Imagine… you’re three years old, standing in your underwear in a very small, closet-like room. The walls are covered in tinfoil and large ultraviolet light bulbs line the room. You’re told to stand with your arms out from your side – DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS or you’ll get burned – for three minutes straight. Murder for anyone. Imagine what it’s like for a three-year-old. 

Laurie Nicoll doesn’t have to imagine. She lived it at three…and four… Read more…

The Music Inside

Fall Fire by Maureen Gasek

I triple-dog-dare you to look at this piece of art and not feel something.

“It’s the emotion…the music inside me ~ I just need to get it out.” Says Maureen Gasek who, at five-years old, began making something out of nothing. Much to the chagrin of her mother she dug holes in the yard and combined mud with berries to create chalk. She just wanted to paint. In first grade, Maureen sold her first piece of art for .25 cents ~ a collage of tracings of her hands.

Fast forward a few years and you find Maureen helping all sorts of folks  Read more…

Narimon ~ A Ministry That’s Changing Lives, One Woman at a Time

by jessica rabbit

What happens when you really look into the eyes of a prostitute? You see the truth of her soul.    

This article could be about the estimated 2.8 million women who are prostitutes in Thailand. It could be about the fact that one-third of the Thai economy ($4.3 billion US) is directly related to prostitution.    

Rather, this is about changing the lives of these 2.8 million, one woman at a time.   

It’s about what happens when you choose to look another human being in the eyes and see the truth of who they are and the value they bring to the world.  It’s about believing in them and loving them based on the inherent truth that they are whole, perfect and beautiful ~ even before personally meeting them.  

It’s about teaching a woman to fish in a new pond ~ one filled with hope and dignity.  

Narimon (na-RIH-mon), a division of ServantWorks ~ a Christian based non-profit, has a mission to get the women of Bangkok off of the streets. To educate them, teach them English and teach them a trade that pays them a fair wage so that they can support their families with dignity rather than shame. As a result, these women and girls ~ who either were forced into the Thailand sex trade industry or by their situation were at high risk to become a part of it ~ create amazingly beautiful handmade jewelry and cards.    

Read more…

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together

by aturkus

What if…you actually could put Humpty Dumpty back together again?    

When I first learned what my old high school pal Cara Lindell was up to I said ~ “huh?” The more I learned, the more I knew she was on to something. Something that changes the lives of children, adults, families and every person they interact with for the rest of their lives.    

Imagine you have a child who is having trouble focusing in school or interacting socially. Perhaps they have autism, ADD/ADHD or developmental delays.   

What if…you had a way to change their experience ~ without medicine ~ permanently?   

Read more…