“I never doubted that I’ve done the right thing. It was the will of God. It was His choice.” – Mother Teresa.
Born in 1910 in Macedonia, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) grew up under the threat of war as the Albanians rose up against the Turks. Despite difficult times, her mother, who was a dressmaker, found time to help the poor.
As a young girl, Agnes began to go with her mother to help the sick, the shut-in, and the lonely. These early days as a caregiver brought out a tenderness for those less fortunate than Agnes. By the age of eighteen, she had a passionate determination to dedicate her life to serving God.
After a six-week stay in Ireland to study English, Agnes arrived in Calcutta in January 1929. In 1931, she took her vows in the Catholic Church, taking the name Sister Teresa.
Though Mother Teresa began her service to God as a teacher, her mission eventually took her to the poverty-ridden streets of Calcutta, giving food, clothing, and dignity to society’s discards, “the poorest of the poor.”
In outlining the duties of her newly formed order, she set simple guidelines: Go to the poorest of the poor, visit them continuously, show Christ’s love for them and awaken their response to His great love by feeding, clothing and loving them.
She lived in the belief that the moment we give something to God in prayer it becomes infinite. Today her work continues. Though she has gone on to her eternal reward, her mission continues because she gave herself and her ministry to God.
Remember the same is true of your mission. Every life you touch for Jesus becomes an eternal reward.
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
