12 inspirational kids who had a faultless upbringing

It’s often hard for parents to tell whether they did everything right when they were bringing up their child. But in cases like these, it’s absolutely clear that they did something right — very right indeed!

We at Bright Side are sure: as long as there are children out there as inspirational as this, the future is going to be wonderful.

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This boy saved money for a year, and eventually came up with the perfect idea for how to spend it. He bought a tonne of food items with the $120 he had saved and made lunches for homeless people with his mom.

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Christian grew his hair for two years — something which he got bullied for at school. But he did it, without complaint, in order to donate his hair to other kids suffering from cancer.

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Nine-year-old Ken created an animal shelter for homeless dogs in his garage.

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Whereas this little fella decided he ought to help the bunny climb up the wall!

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This little girl, who is called Kiana, sold all of her toys and donated all the money she earned to the local animal shelter.

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Nine-year-old Hailey Fort built a shelter for the homeless almost on her own, and grew some vegetables especially for them as well.

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This little girl decided to cheer up her dog before it had its appointment at the vet. The dog had to get some shots. “It’ll be okay!“ she said. ”If you’re a good girl, I’ll give you a toy.“

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When Ariana met a girl with cancer, she asked her mom why she didn’t have any hair. Her mum explained her that she was sick and the medicine made her hair fall out. It was then that Ariana decided to share her hair with the girl. She was just three years old at the time!

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When this girl found out that her cat had arthritis, she decided that she had to help her somehow. So she started reading to the cat.

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A thirteen-year-old girl makes her dad sandwiches to take to work every day. “I didn’t even ask her, she just offered herself”, the happy father explained

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Little Carlitos decided to spend the money he saved up to buy some peanut butter for the dogs living at the local animal shelter.

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This girl noticed that a calve was cold when it was standing outside in the rain, and somehow managed to bring it into her home. Her parents couldn’t help but agree to her act of pure kindness.

Saints Are Still Being Made: Meet Chiara Corbella Petrillo

A few months ago I received an email from a friend of mine who had recently encountered the life of an extraordinary woman while in Rome. I was so moved by the story I shared it last week with the women at SEEK 2013 and now want to share it with you. It’s the story of a life often seen as full of folly and tragedy. But if you understand the Christian life and if you can see the joy that can come from suffering, you can recognize that it is anything but sad. You can see that Chiara’s life is a reason for rejoicing, a reason for hope.

Chiara Corbella Petrillo met her husband Enrico while on pilgrimage. Several years later they married and conceived their first child. They were no doubt thrilled with the news of the life growing inside of Chiara, but in the middle of the pregnancy the doctors informed Chiara that the child was not developing properly and would not be able to sustain her own life outside of the womb. Rather than abort baby Maria, Chiara carried her to full term, held her briefly, and watched her pass into the next life.

Again Chiara became pregnant. And as I can only imagine they began preparations to welcome their new little one. But again, in the middle of the pregnancy the doctors informed Chiara that the child would not be able to sustain his life outside of the womb and for a second time Chiara carried her baby, David, to full term, held him briefly, and watched him pass into the next life.

Rather than become bitter, angry, and shut off from life Chiara and Enrico began speaking publicly about the gift of life, even a brief one. Chiara had this to say:

“God gave us two special children, but He asked us to accompany them only until birth. He allowed us to hold them, baptize them, and return them to the hands of the Father. There was a peace and joy that was unlike anything else we had experienced.”

A video of one of her testimonies was recently translated into English by a friend of mine, and you can view it on her official site. It is a beautiful example of God’s peace in the midst of suffering.

For a third time Chiara conceived a child. And this child was healthy and growing. But in the middle of the pregnancy the doctors informed Chiara that while the child was well, it was she who was sick with cancer. Because of the intensity of the prescribed treatments Chiara decided to postpone them until her son, Francesco, was born in order to ensure that he would in fact be born and have life.

Baby Francesco arrived happily and healthily, and Chiara began her treatments. Soon it became clear that death was immanent for Chiara, so she prayed, “Lord, you can ask me anything, but I can’t do it if I am surrounded by such sad faces.” Her prayers for joyful visitors were answered, and with much peace she bore her suffering.

The joy and peace that surrounded Chiara and Enrico was so tangible Chiara said: “Even if the Lord heals me, the greater miracle will have been that He helped my family and I live this trial in peace.” In response to the negativity Chiara and Enrico received from those who called their situation sad and tragic they said, “Where is it written that death is terrible and undesired? That having two children who lived only a half hour is a tragedy?” Enrico once heroically remarked, “If my wife is going to be with Someone who loves her more than I, why should I be upset?”

About a year after the birth of Francesco, Chiara laid on her deathbed. In an interview withVatican Radio, Enrico had this to say about her final hours:

“I spent a lot of time this year reflecting on this phrase from the Gospel that says the Lord gives a cross that is sweet and a burden that is light. When I would look at Chiara when she was about to die, I obviously became very upset. But I mustered the courage and a few hours before – it was about eight in the morning, Chiara died at noon – I asked her.

I said: ‘But Chiara, my love, is this cross really sweet, like the Lord says? She looked at me and she smiled, and in a soft voice she said, ‘Yes, Enrico, it is very sweet.’”

On June 13, 2012 Chiara passed from this life into the next. My friend in Rome was able to attend her funeral. She described the event as full of joy with jubilant songs written and sung by Enrico, clapping, hugging, and tears of joy. In reflecting on the experience she said:

“What they lived was, by human standards, very intense and difficult. We might be tempted to say, ‘I could have never done what Chiara did.’ What Chiara did though is take little doable steps each day (‘Piccoli Passi Possibile’, literally ‘small possible steps’). Her prayer was that they would have the ‘grace to welcome the grace’ which God would give them to keep going forward. No matter what circumstance we are in, personally, this is what we should pray for with great faith: grace to be open to receive the grace needed to face everything in our lives.”

When I look at the picture of Chiara above all I can think is “Look at that joy.” Despite the marks of cancer that were clearly taking her life, look at that joy. That joy only comes from holiness. That joy only comes from living a life for Christ, from taking small steps each day to live as He has called us to live. I want that joy and I want that joy for you. Piccoli Passi Possibile, small steps can.

Be saints, it’s worth it.

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Chiara and Enrico’s letter to their son, Francesco, for his first birthday.*

Dear Francesco,

Today we celebrate your first birthday, and we were asking ourselves what we can give you that will last through the years. So we have decided to write you a letter. You have been a tremendous gift to us in our lives because you have helped us to look beyond our human limits. When the doctors wanted to scare us, your life that was so fragile gave us the strength to go forward. For what little I have learned during these years, I can tell you only that love is the center of our lives, because we are born from an act of love, we live for love and to be loved, and we die to know the true love of God. The goal of our life is to love and to be loved, always ready to learn how to love the others as only God can teach you. Love consumes you, but it is beautiful to die consumed, exactly like a candle that goes out only when it has reached its goal. Anything that you do in life will make sense only if you look at it in view of eternal life. If you are truly loving, you will realize this from the fact that nothing belongs to you, because everything is a gift. As St. Francis says, “The opposite of love is possession.”

We loved your brother and sister –Mary and David– and we love you knowing that you all are not ours, that you all were not for us. And this is how it should be for everything in life. Everything that you have never belongs to you, because it is a gift that God gives you so that you can make it bear fruit. Never be discouraged, my son. God never takes anything away. And if He takes away, it is because He wants to give you so much more. Thanks to Mary and David, we are even more in love with eternal life and we have stopped fearing death.  God has taken from us only in order to give us a heart that is bigger and more open to welcome eternity already in this life.

In Assisi, I fell in love with the joy of the friars that live believing in God’s providence. So I ask the Lord for the grace to believe in this providence that they spoke of– to believe in this Father that truly does not make you lack anything. Brother Veto helped us on this journey in believing in this promise. We got married without anything, but we put God in first place and believed in the love that he asked us to, taking this big leap; we have never been disappointed. We have always had a house and much more than we have ever needed. Your name is Francesco because St. Francis changed our lives, and we hope that he can be an example also for you. It’s beautiful to have examples of lives that remind you that you can expect the greatest joy already on this earth, with God as our guide. We know that you are special and that you have a great mission. The Lord has wanted you from eternity, and He will show you the road to follow if you open your heart. Trust Him. It is worth the while.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Pre-order Chiara’s inspiring biography, available in English for the first time.

*A special thanks to Tatum from the Apostles of the Interior Life for translating this letter and many other articles and interviews on the amazing life of Chiara Corbella Petrillo.

Editor’s note: This article is courtesy of Focus. It was originally published on CE on Mar 4, 2013. 

10 FOODS MADE IN CHINA THAT ARE FILLED WITH PLASTICS, PESTICIDES AND CANCER CAUSING CHEMICALS

Chinese food is known as exceptional and it is becoming all the rage everywhere around the world. However, there are rumors about its quality which suggest that it is slowly decreasing.  Consequently, people start to stay away from Chinese food, and there is very good reason for that.

Moreover, there are negative rumors which ruin the reputation of Chinese websites, such as Amazon and AliExpress.  They are suspected to sell cheap and fake products that contain prohibited substances.

Check out the list of 10 Chinese products that should be avoided.

1. Chinese Garlic

According to the findings of certain experts, Chinese garlic is sprayed with excessive amount of chemicals. This makes its taste very bad and it even doesn’t taste like garlic. Nearly 35 percent of the garlic in the USA comes from China.

2.  Chicken

In 2013, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed that Chinese chicken is being sold in America. Many specialists in this field are quite concerned about the healthiness of the chicken imported from China, as food-borne illnesses and avian influenza are very common in this country. Moreover, China is the largest producer of pesticides worldwide. Finally, mass production and industry make China highly polluted country.

3.  Imitation Eggs

Shockingly, a Chinese website posted a video in which people explain how to produce fake egg and earn $70 daily. You need several ingredients in order to make this egg, including calcium, calcium chloride, water, potassium alum, gelatin, artificial color, and alginic. Calcium carbonate is the major ingredient in the eggshell, compound which may cause memory loss and dementia.

4.  Green Peas

China produces green peas since 2005. They are made with green dye, soy beans, sodium metabisulfate, and snow peas. The dye is banned to use due to the damage it does when it comes to the process of absorption of calcium. As sodium metabisulfate is chemical which serves as bleach and preservative, it may cause cancer. You can notice these green peas while cooking them, as they turn the water green and don’t even soften during the cooking process. It is recommended to avoid them!

 5.  Making Beef out of Pork

Some Chinese restaurants used to sell pork meat instead of beef, mainly because pork is much cheaper. They used chemicals in order to mask the meat and sell it like that. They also used beef extract and glazing agent in order to marinate the meat in 90 minutes. According to many doctors, people should avoid these products because they are highly detrimental and can cause food poisoning, deformity, and even cancer.

6.  Tilapia Fish

This fish is definitely one of the most detrimental and most toxic fish you can find. It is mainly found in China, farmed in small pools of waste water. The fish becomes highly unhealthy because it feeds on everything it can find.

7.  Fake Sweet Potato Noodles

About four years ago, people started complaining about the taste of the noodles, saying that their taste was very strange and it didn’t even resemble a sweet potato. Then, the noodles were analyzed it was found that they were based on corn mixed with industrial ink and paraffin wax, rather than on sweet potato. In the Chinese city Zhongshan, there were produced about 5.5 tons of fake noodles.

8.  Baby Formula

As reported by CBS News in 2004, 47 people were accused on producing fake instant baby formula, which was the reason of death of dozens of children in the Chinese city Fuyang. This formula didn’t contain any healthy ingredient and it was made of chalk. It caused development of “big head disease” in children, meaning that their head becomes bigger while the body becomes smaller.

9.  Chinese Apple Juice

Taking into consideration the fact that China is the largest producer of pesticides in the word, it produces 50 percent of the apple juice sold in USA, without even starting to address pesticide or chemical residue on foods. Both children and adults are recommended to stay away from apple juice.

10. Mod Sold as Black Pepper

Shockingly, there was a market vendor in China`s Guangdong Province who used to put mud in the packed of black pepper and flour in the packages of white pepper. Then, he sold them to the customers as black and white pepper. He defended himself by saying that these ingredients wasn’t meant to kill anyone.

Source: Healthy Life Base