Cool People Care

Back in 2006 B.T. (before Twitter), the founders of Cool People Care had an idea: finding a way to easily connect people who want to do good with nonprofit organisations and community ideas that are changing the world. From there, they began the process of launching a lifestyle brand dedicated to helping people find meaning, do good, and save their small corner of the world.

For the last six years, Cool People Care have been sharing at least one idea each weekday about how you can make a difference in your local community, online, or in the world at large. They also help causes and charities raise money with their line of inspirational and socially-responsible T-shirts and posters.

Cool People Care aim to be the first place people go when they're ready to have an impact on the world. From stuff you can do at home to ways you can save the world with a group of friends, from cool T-shirts to online activism, they've got you covered. Basically, Cool People Care is aiming to be THE online destination for anyone who wants to make a difference.

In order to do that, they launched our website, CoolPeopleCare.org in 2006. Since then, they've been sharing one small and meaningful way to make a difference each weekday. And, so that they can help people connect even more deeply with causes that matter, they offer a complete line of eco-friendly and inspirational merchandise. In their online store, you can find organic T-shirts and awesome posters. Each is designed to look great so you'll wear and display it. And, when you buy it, money will be sent to an organisation or cause that is making a difference in some way.

In order to do that, Cool People Care has established The Cool Fund in 2012. When a certain item in the online store (like a shirt, poster, or book) does not have an earmarked organisation or initiative, Cool People Care will donate a certain amount per item to The Cool Fund. You can find out how much they donate per item in plain English on individual product pages.

The Cool Fund is a special account at Cool People Care that is used to spur community innovation all across the world. Money from this fund is spent on an as-needed basis, most often to spread new, proven ideas in the nonprofit sector. It can also be used to launch new programs, particularly those related to social entrepreneurship.

To learn more about The Cool Fund - or to discuss ways Cool People Care can help you launch new ideas that save the world - contact Sam Davidson, President of Cool People Care.

So basically, Cool People Care are committed to helping you care, whether you're reading something online, or shopping for a new shirt. So browse around their store. Sign up for our daily emails. Tell your friends about them. 

Their bottom line? Just remember - it's cool to care.

Blessings!

Ronell x

The Most Important Question in the World

 {HTB / Nicky Gumbel Daily Online devotional: Bible in One Year}

The brilliant professor of philosophy at London University, Professor Joad, was not a Christian.  He was asked on a radio programme, ‘If you could meet any person from the past and ask just one question, whom would you meet and what question would you ask?’

Professor Joad answered without hesitation: ‘I would meet Jesus Christ and ask him the most important question in the world – “Did you or did you not rise from the dead?” ’

There came a day in Professor Joad’s life when he assessed the evidence for himself and became a Christian.  He had been right in saying it was the most important question in all the world.  If Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, then he is who he said he was.

This changes everything.  When the New Testament writers speak of God’s love they point to the cross.  When they speak of God’s power they point to the resurrection.  God’s ‘incomparably great power’ was ‘exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead’ (Ephesians 1:19–20).  As we see in today’s New Testament passage the risen Jesus says to his disciples, ‘All authority (all power to rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to me’ (Matthew 28:18, AMP).

The resurrection means that the risen Jesus is present with us now.  Jesus continues, ‘I am with you always’ (28:20).

The result of the resurrection is not only his power and his presence but also his provision (as we will see in our Old Testament passage for today).

1.  Jesus and the power of God

Psalm 21:8-13

2.  Jesus and the presence of God

Matthew 28:1-20

3.  Jesus and the provision of God

Exodus 15:1-16:36

Are you worrying about the future – your health, your job, your family or your finances?  Make a decision today not to worry.  ‘When we worry about tomorrow,’ writes Joyce Meyer, ‘we waste today.  Trust God and learn to live one day at a time.’

We see in this passage that God promises to provide, but only one day at a time.  Jesus taught us to pray ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11).  We are to trust God that what we need in terms of provision will be there when we need it.

God promises his provision for physical and material needs.  He promises to rain down ‘bread from heaven’ (16:4a) called ‘manna’ (v.31).  Each day he provides them with all they need in terms of their ‘daily bread’.  Each one gathered as much as they needed (vv.18c,21a).  But they were told not to store it up for the future: ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning’ (v.19).

It is always a temptation to want to store up everything we receive as security for the future – rather than trusting God to provide what we need when we need it.  This applies not just to our physical and material needs, but also to our spiritual food.  We cannot just rely on past blessings.

It is also sad to see in this passage how quickly the people of God seem to forget about God’s goodness and provision in the past, and begin to grumble about problems in the present.  It always strikes me how soon they begin to grumble – and yet so often we can find ourselves doing exactly  the same thing, forgetting God’s blessings and grumbling.  This passage is a reminder of the need to trust in God’s provision in the good times and the bad.

It is the resurrection of Jesus which gives an eternal quality to this provision.  Because Jesus has been raised to life, those who eat this bread will live forever.

To read the full post, please got to: http://acs.alpha.org/bioy/commentary/419

Blessings!

Ronell x

Sevenly: People Matter. One Week. One Cause.

Sevenly is an organic movement to raise capital and awareness for he world’s greatest causes. Their motto?- “One Week. One Cause. For every purchase we give $7 to this week's charity”.

In January of 2011, two Entrepreneurs got together with the mission of leading a generation toward generosity. With a belief that people mattered, they began a journey to change the world. Their driving theory was, “If we could help people give, we could get them to care.” June 13th 2011, Sevenly was born. By creating weekly cause campaigns where people could purchase lifestyle products that benefited a partner charity, Sevenly successfully unlocked a way to not only raise major funding but huge awareness too.

The other overall goal of Sevenly is to activate intentional generosity and love for others, but it’s an ongoing process. Their model is a funnel: There are millions of people who have never supported a charity before, so asking for a monetary donation might be weird. Instead, they encourage people to donate their social influence first. Next, they have custom designed vests, t-shirts and hoodies which people are able to purchase online. By purchasing one of these products, they are able to give money to a cause that they support, and show their support. Lastly, they encourage their donors to connect deeper with the charities that they are supporting.

So far Sevenly have seen millions of people donate their social influence, and hundreds of thousands buy awareness products for the causes they support. Overall, their mission is unfolding before our eyes and a generation is moving toward generosity and a world that is beginning to realise that people matter!

This week, your purchase funds an undercover rescue mission, freeing girls from child prostitution.

Problem: Hema was sold into prostitution by her family at the age of 12. As a sex slave, she was beaten, tortured and forced to have sex with multiple men, daily. Forcefully controlled by her abusers, who make money on the sexual acts she is forced to perform, Hema is trapped in a living nightmare. Hema’s story is just one example of the estimated 500,000 girls who are forced into sex slavery in India.

Solution: This week, your purchase will fund a rescue mission to save the lives of girls who have been kidnapped, coerced or sold into prostitution. Your support will help fund a rescue mission, including pre-investigation and intervention. With your help, we can remove these girls from the horror they are living and give them a chance at a new life.

So please share this blog post, or the following link: http://www.sevenly.org/ and spread the word!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,” {Luke 4:18}

Standing in Big Shoes

Recently I have been worried about whether I am able to actually accomplish what it is that God is setting before me. The more I read, pray and have discussions, I realise the answer is NO! I am not able to achieve the path God has put out for me to do in my own strength, BUT this is not a cop-out! It is pointing directly to the fact that we are unable to accomplish our purpose in our own strength, but we are able to do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) and we should not be daunted by the tasks He sets before us.

I read the following post on Joyce Meyer’s daily online devotional, which really helped me to process this point:

Standing in Big Shoes

by Joyce Meyer - posted February 12, 2013

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. —Joshua 1:5

Imagine how Joshua must have felt when God told him he was to take Moses’ place and lead the Israelites into the promised land. Moses was an amazing leader. Who would want to try to fill his shoes?

God told Joshua he would succeed not because of anything he had in the natural but because He was with him. Moses was successful only because God was with him. God told Joshua the same thing would hold true for him if he believed. God kept encouraging Joshua to be strong and confident, to take courage and not be afraid. In other words, He told him to believe!

Put your faith and trust in God. He will give you the strength to stand and accomplish whatever He asks you to do.

{From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.}

So be diligent in working towards the purpose that God has set before you! This may not be becoming a missionary, or spearheading a major human rights campaign, but it may be something simple like being an amazing parent, or visiting your lonely, poorly or elderly neighbours, or teaching where God has put you. Whatever it is that you feel on your heart as your calling (short term or  long term), be diligent in pursuing it, knowing God has you covered!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” {Philippians 4:13}

Angel Faces: helping scarred young women

Today I read a touching story about a 16-year-old girl who has burns all over her body. When she was a baby, hot cooking oil was spilled all over her and she was left with scars all over her body. Now, at age 16, she is determined to help people who are going through the same or similar struggles. I was really inspired by her story and by her attitude to life. What struck me even more was the fact that she spends so much time being and ambassador and giving back to the people who helped her (Angel Faces).

Angel Faces^® is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide healing retreats and ongoing support for adolescent girls with burn/trauma injuries to achieve their optimum potential and develop meaningful relationships for themselves, their families and their communities. They have a video which explains a little more about their work.

Angel Faces’ CEO and Founder, describes the basis of Angel Faces and the motivation behind starting this NPO.

Angel Faces^® started out of my own pain. My desire to heal from a serious burn injury at the age of nine has encouraged me to dedicate and create the best possible program for adolescent girls who have suffered from disfiguring burns and other traumatic injuries. In front of me, I reach for you.

The girls, ages 14-20, come from all over the United States and beyond. They have endured so much pain.

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." — Khalil Gibran

Pain is a motivation to make the world a better place for others, especially ones who have been thrown from their youthful and innocent path to a path of survival and a long road of physical and emotional recovery from a serious burn or trauma injury.

Since 2003, we have grown far into the hearts of the wounded adolescents girls we serve. We have worked (imbedded with love, hope, skills and tools) to help each girl who suffered from a trauma to create a better life and restore hope and passion to her path, teaching each girl she has the power to create the life she wants.

Our sustained success and growth are due to the help and commitment of amazing people (from corporations to individuals) who have given a piece of their lives, time, talent and financial support to help us lift the girls to their feet.

Our published research shows we are on the right path. The results of a research study conducted in 2010, using four methods of measurements, showed that after participating in the Angel Faces^® Retreat, the girls experienced favorable psychosocial adjustments: increase in hope; decrease in depressive symptoms; and increase in quality of life. The abstract of this study has been accepted and won awards at medical conferences in the United States.¹

Over the years each retreat has taken on its own identity and energy. Some years the retreat has served more girls who are freshly wounded, both physically and emotionally. Other retreats have more girls wounded emotionally. Their burns healed from long ago yet they are left with scars covering up a weeping soul.

The retreat is only one small component of Angel Faces^®. The fruits of our labor harvest when the girls go back home, anew. We receive several calls and emails from the parents and medical centers about how confident and content their daughter/patient is since she has returned from the Angel Faces^®retreat - she joined a sports or academic team at school or now is going to prom!

We call our ongoing support program, Angels in Flight^®. Our continuous support of the girls throughout each month strengthens the golden thread that connects us to our duty - to heal and empower. Through technological tools such as Facebook, Skype and Twitter, healing, learning and growth continue. Whether problems with rejection at school, unwanted questions, feeling alone – we are here to teach, inspire, empower and help the girls grow.

We hear so many stories of tragedy and hope. We experience so many moments and conversations highlighting life's richness. Angel Faces^®. Come take a look at our pages throughout our website. You may just simply feel the magic through the pictures.

I believe the best way to heal a wound from an emotional standpoint is to reach out and take someone's hand to "help them, love them and give them their wings to fly."

Be the light,

Lesia Cartelli
Founder/CEO

So, if you too are inspired and want to be part of one of these girls' journey, please support this cause by donating online.

Blessings!

Ronell x

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

This combination of two posts answers a key question that Christians are often asked to answer: Why Does God Allow Suffering? I thought I would share it and hopefully it will help you to have a slightly clearer answer! {HTB / Nicky Gumbel: Bible in a Year Daily Devotional – click to read the whole passage: part 1 / part 2}

A young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers had a lifelong dream to work for God, in Ecuador.  At the airport on the day of departure, he wanted to send a note to his mother but he didn’t have time to buy a card.  He noticed a piece of paper on the terminal floor and picked it up.  It turned out to be an advertisement with ‘Why?’ spread across it.  He scribbled his note around the word ‘Why?’ and put it in the post box.  That night his aeroplane exploded into the fourteen thousand foot Colombian peak El Tablazo.  When his mother received the note after the news of his death the question burned up at her from the page … ‘Why?’

Why does God allow such suffering?  We are constantly confronted by suffering.  It bewilders and outrages us.  It is the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith.  The amount of suffering and its distribution seem to be random and unfair.

Theologians and philosophers have wrestled for centuries with the mystery of undeserved suffering and no one has ever come up with a simple and complete solution.  Today and tomorrow’s passages are only part of the answer, but each of them gives us some insight.

In today’s passages we see that although suffering is never good in itself, God is able to use it for good in a number of ways.  God loves us.  Our suffering is also God’s suffering.  He suffers alongside of us.  Yet he does not simply remove suffering from our lives.  He often uses bad things to bring about his good purposes. 

1.  God uses suffering to transform us

Psalm 15:1-5

2.  God uses suffering to save us

Matthew 17:14-18:9

3.  God uses suffering for his good purposes

Genesis 49:1-50:26

4.  See the suffering of this life in the context of eternity

Psalm 16:1-11

5.  Understand the relationship between human freedom and suffering

Matthew 18:10-35

6.  Always respond to suffering with compassion

Job 1:1-3:26

The promise of the New Testament is that God will use everything that happens to us for good.  As we face trials, temptation, struggles and difficulty, the New Testament assures us that ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28).

A one-year-old boy shattered his back falling down a flight of stairs.  He spent his childhood and youth in and out of hospital.  Gavin Read, the former Bishop of Maidstone, interviewed him in church.  The boy remarked, ‘God is fair.’  Gavin stopped him and asked, ‘How old are you?’  ‘Seventeen,’ the boy replied.  ‘How many years have you spent in hospital?’  The boy answered, ‘Thirteen years.’  He was asked, ‘Do you think that is fair?’  He replied, ‘God has got all of eternity to make it up to me.’

We live in a world of instant gratification which has almost entirely lost its eternal perspective.  The New Testament is full of wonderful promises about the future.  All creation will be restored.  Jesus will return to establish ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Revelation 21:1).  There will be no more crying, for there will be no more pain and suffering.  We will change our frail, decaying mortal bodies for a body like that of Jesus’ glorious resurrected body. 

Suffering is not part of God’s original created order (see Genesis 1–2).  There was no suffering in the world before rebellion against God.  There will be no suffering when God creates a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:3–4).  It is ‘an alien intrusion into God’s world’.

A great deal of suffering can be explained as being the result of the fact that we live in a fallen world: a world where all creation has been affected by not only the sin of human beings, but even before that, Satan’s sin.  The serpent existed before Adam and Eve sinned.  As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, ‘thorns and thistles’ entered the world (Genesis 3:18).  Ever since that time ‘the creation was subjected to frustration’ (Romans 8:20).  ‘Natural’ disasters are a result of this disorder in creation. 

Satan was allowed to bring several major tragedies into the life of a man who was blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1).  Job suffered loss in the areas of money, material possessions (1:13–17), family life (1:18–19), personal health (2:1–10) and even eventually the support of his friends.

When we face unexplained suffering it can be very easy to blame God.  Yet, although Job did not know why he was suffering, he responded by continuing to trust in God.  He resolved to trust and worship God in his suffering, just as he had in his good fortune (1:21,2:10).  The writer tells us admiringly, ‘In all this, Job did not sin in what he said’ (v.10b).  He remained faithful in the most difficult of circumstances.

This was not the end of Job’s story.  In the end, God restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.  Now we know that, through Jesus, God has all eternity to more than compensate for all our sufferings in this life.

Blessings!

Ronell x

Brilliant Women: empowering ordinary women

When ordinary women are empowered they change their world! Brilliant Women is a social enterprise that takes an inter-generational approach to inspire and empower change. Thereby supporting people to make that first step towards being the change they want to see in their world.

Brilliant Women do this by promoting the development of self-esteem in all those they work with providing information, resources and events, in addition to creating a dynamic and mutually supportive membership.

Women are often the catalyst for change in the family, society and the workplace. Hence, much of Brilliant Women’s work starts with women.

Brilliant Women celebrates the everyday brilliance of women. Whether you are still at school, a stay at home mum raising young children, in the boardroom or retired, you possess that innate ability to shine your light in a number of multi-faceted ways.

However, Brilliant Women also recognises that despite our gifts, many of us wear a mask of confidence that we don't really feel, instead, we see ourselves negatively and sometimes the victim of circumstance. Brilliant Women gives participants and supporters the forums whereby they can engage, find and recognise their own power to change.

So why is it important to take an inter-generational approach to inspire and empower change? Well sadly, the old adage, 'birds of a feather stick together' is as true today as it has always been. Young people rarely talk to the elderly, the elderly sometimes fear young people and so the negative perceptions continue. To reduce this gap in communication, Brilliant Women believe it is essential that as we empower ourselves, it is our duty to empower others and actively encourage members to attend our functions and network with the different generations.

So if you are wondering how you can help, you can become a member for free, or sponsor a forthcoming event, for Brilliant Women, Brilliant Teens or Brilliant Elders by contacting Meave Darroux on mdarroux@brilliantwomen.org  or call 07947 191462.

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon." Said the old man, "I do too!" The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants." "I do that too," laughed the old man. Said the little boy, "I often cry." The old man nodded, "So do I." "But worst of all," said the little boy, "it seems grown-ups don't pay attention to me." And he felt the warmth of the wrinkled old hand. "I know what you mean," said the old man.” {Shel Silverstein}