“..you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
Every day we share stories of hope – joy – Love! Enjoy some GOOD NEWS each day with LifeSongs. And if you know of some good news, share it here! Thank you for sharing hope each day with listener-supported, uplifting LifeSongs!
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Grace Cruz of American Heritage Girls Troop LA2013 was recently presented the Stars and Stripes Award! This is a huge deal in the American Heritage Girls program. Grace has proven her leadership skills with over 100 service hours and a host of other accomplishments.
One way Grace served our community was to install and manage two food blessing boxes in Slidell. She partnered with Northside Baptist and Northshore Church to collect non-perishable food and reading materials for people in need.
While accepting her AHG Stars and Stripes Award, Grace humbly spoke of her relationship with God and encouraged the other girls in attendance to lean on Him as they grow and face challenges.
Monday, May 6, 2024
Detective Michael Harton and his family were already beloved in North Haven, CT. He has been described as “a beacon of warmth and kindness.” About five years ago the Detective was in the right place at the right time to save a 3 month old baby named Eimann “Tooka” Rolle.
The infant was choking and had stopped breathing. Detective Harton spoke calmly to Tooka’s panicked mother and performed a variation of the Heimlich maneuver on the baby – not giving up until her airways were clear and she was breathing on her own.
Traumatic events can sometimes bond people forever, and it did for Detective Harton and Tooka. Harton and his wife Susan befriended Tooka’s mom and have been like surrogate grandparents for the little girl for the last five years – celebrating birthdays, milestones and holidays together!
YOU ARE THE GOOD NEWS!
Everyday that you hear an uplifting song, a message of hope or a word from God through LifeSongs Radio is because of the generous support of you – the listening family of LifeSongs! You can still make a difference and GIVE HERE!
Today's Good News - Heroes & Helpers
Share your GOOD NEWS stories! Tell us about the Helpers & Heroes in your life - folks that make a difference - so we can share the good news!
Friday, May 3, 2024
Police forces around the world often rely on the training and skills of K-9 companions – especially when it comes to sniffing out drugs. Unfortunately for a Taiwanese golden lab named Roger – he was just too playful to get through training. While he flunked drug sniffing school – Roger did thrive as a rescue dog that helps find people in emergency situations.
Roger has captured the hearts of Taiwan as one of the search and rescue dogs who served in the aftermath of a recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake. He quickly became a hero to the Taiwanese and even received a special certification by the International Rescue Dog Organization. Soon, Roger will get to live out the rest of his life in retirement. Rescue dogs get to retire at age 9 in Taiwan.
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Whoever built a road through the forests just north of St. Petersburg, Russia, forgot to examine the migratory patterns of the gray toads. They spawn in a nearby reservoir and then move across a well traveled highway. As you can imagine, things get a little messy.
The Russian version of the EPA is busy recruiting volunteers to be crossing guards for the toads this Spring – to protect the gray toads from going SPLAT. The toad-lovers have to be certified by the government on how to handle the endangered animal – and of course – how to direct traffic.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Russ Cook, AKA The Hardest Geezer, spent a year running across the continent of Africa, all for charity!
Russ is 27 years old and just wrapped a 10,000 mile, 16 country foot race, crossing his finish line in Tunisia. From the Southern coast, through jungles, deserts, kidnappers and rebel armies – Russ kept running and running until he accomplished his goal, raising nearly $1 million for homeless kids and clean water for Africa.
As Russ traversed Africa, other runners were inspired by his grand tour and flew out to run a portion of the race by his side. As the finish line was crossed on the coast of Tunisia, the Hardest Geezer ran straight into the Mediterranean for a well deserved soak.
View this post on Instagram
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Apryl Goodwin was diagnosed with cancer. She had no way to get to her many doctor’s appointments and shared her situation on the community app, Nextdoor. A stranger messaged Apryl privately offering to help.
Lyn Story recently retired, but at 64 years old, was getting kind of bored. She struck up a friendship with Apryl while shuttling her to her oncology appointments, chemo and rounds of radiation – plus dozens of follow-ups.
Lyn was a God-send for Apryl – and also for another one of their neighbors, Kevin Hoorigan. Kevin is legally blind, so Lyn shuttles him to and from work. And she’s not driving for Uber or Lyft – she’s just taking care of her new forever-friends!
For her part, Lyn is just trying to live right. 45 years ago, when she was very young, she was arrested for shoplifting. Then she was diagnosed with bipolar disease. But she is determined to live a life greater than a diagnosis. On top of ferrying her neighbors to work and the doctor, she is also a bone marrow donor and is fostering a three legged dog.
Monday, April 29, 2024
Brooklyn Nets star forward Mikal Bridges always wanted to play basketball – but he had another dream too; he wanted to teach second grade! Helping kids has always been on his heart. Mikal recalls second grade as one of the best years of his childhood, remembering his teacher Ms. Porter from his elementary school in Philadelphia.
After a road trip to Cleveland (where his Nets destroyed the Cavs), Mikal hurried home to get a few hours of sleep. The next day he had big plans – he was going to be a substitute teacher for second graders at PS 134 in Brooklyn. He started the morning early shooting hoops with students in the gym before heading to the classroom. He jammed on the xylophone during music class, then taught his favorite subject: math!
Mikal knows basketball won’t last forever and has long term plans to teach and maybe even one day become a principal!
View this post on Instagram
Friday, April 26, 2024
Michael was enjoying a Spring day with a ride on his scooter. At 32 years old, it had been a hard year and he was enjoying a joy ride – the wind in his hair. A stranger nearby noticed how much fun Michael was having and asked if he could give the scooter a try. Michael kindly said yes. But that person then took off with the scooter never to be seen again.
Michael reported the theft to Roseville Police but he was devastated. After meeting with Michael, Detective Sergeant Saddler and his partner Detective Coraci were so impressed with the heart of this young man that they decided to go and buy him the exact same scooter as a gift. Their Chief got wind of the plan and covered the expense out of his budget.
The theft victim said “It’s like a guardian angel came down and blessed me,” when the Police Department gave him the gift of a brand new scooter. And coincidentally, it all happened on his birthday!
Thursday, April 25, 2024
A group of teenagers in San Antonio saw a local need and worked together to help.
Teens Give Back San Antonio Texas began crafting sleeping mats using collected and cleaned grocery bags. Each mat takes nearly 1000 bags and hours to craft. So far they’ve completed over 50 sleeping mats and distributed them to unsheltered folks in the community.
Teens Give Back SATX are providing a small comfort, a little security, and re-using plastic for the homeless community in Southern Texas and have inspired many in their community to join in the good work.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
When a tornado spun through Slidell, more help was needed and this time the neighbors answering the call were actually from a thousand miles away.
Operation Blessing is a non-profit emergency response non-profit out of Virginia Beach, VA. As Slidelians wrestled with low ball insurance offers to help clean up the mess, Operation Blessing started sending trucks and crews to get the work done – free of charge!
O.B. workers said that seeing hopeless faces find their hope again is why they choose to serve. And they are partnering with local churches and volunteers to get the entire area cleaned up.
View this post on Instagram
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
When Mehrad Houman lost his dog Mishka, he grieved. The family lives in San Diego, CA. Last July the dog went missing at her owner’s workplace. But Mishka’s story was not over.
Fast forward 8 months, and 2300 miles away in Harper Woods, Michigan – a resident noticed a stray dog wandering the neighborhood. After a vet checked for a microchip, they discovered it was Mishka! And her owners happened to be on Easter vacation in Minnesota, so they trekked over to Michigan to be reunited with their lost puppy!
Monday, April 22, 2024
If you have vacation plans in the south of Italy, you don’t have to settle for a t-shirt or expensive bottle of olive oil as a momento – you could get your very own Italian goat!
The tiny island of Alicudi off the Southwestern coast of Italy only has about 100 residents and an equal amount of goats that keep the grass trimmed. Recently the goat population exploded to six times the sustainable amount – so the mayor of the island created an adopt-a-goat program for anyone – literally ANYONE to have their very own Italian goat.
There’s an official form and small fee – but then you have to go catch your goat on the cliffs of Alicudi yourself.
Friday, April 19, 2024
Heather Bowers was preparing to leave her family and friends in West Virginia to be with Jesus. The wife and mom to two young kids was losing her battle with cancer, but still in good spirits. She was joking around with her friend Mary about their favorite vacation spot, the Outer Banks – and their tradition of eating at Mama Kwan’s, an OBX institution.
It’s a long six hour drive from West Virginia to Mama Kwan’s, but Mary decided to see if they could deliver food for her dying friend. Within an hour, Mama Kwan’s owner Kevin Cherry was in his car with a trunk full of food.
Heather and her friends and family were overwhelmed by the generous act. He was able to make it just in time. The Mama Kwan’s, trans-state delivery turned out to be Heather’s last meal – she passed away peacefully the next day.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Tim Tebow and his wife Demi-Leigh are making headlines again, supporting a manufacturing company in Cincinnati. But it’s not the products being made that make it special – it’s the people.
Nehemiah Manufacturing produces products for Tide, Downey and Febreeze – but more importantly, they provide jobs and second chances for former convicts trying to reintegrate into society. And the company is growing and succeeding because of the great work being done by these hard workers.
The Tebows shared their involvement with Nehemiah Manufacturing, saying “Yes, it’s a manufacturing company, and they do an incredible job… But what’s special about it is that people and why we should believe in second chances is because Grace gave us all a second chance first, and we need to believe in giving people a second and a third and a fifth and an eleven-teenth chance. Because that’s what Grace is all about.”
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Last year, Joy Ryan and Brad, her grandson/traveling companion, checked off the 63rd and final U.S. National Park. Now Joy, who is 94 years old, has a new goal, to visit all 7 continents on the planet.
Joy and Brad just returned from Chile and the Galapagos in South America. This adventure to see and experience the world didn’t even begin until Joy was in her mid 80s. She lived almost her entire life in the small town of Duncan Falls, Ohio – where she and her late husband ran a gift shop and worked in a local grocery store.
It was her grandson Brad, a veterinarian with a longing to explore, who began taking her on road trips to see the United States. They loved traveling together and have now seen much of the known world in just 10 years time. From a shop girl to a woman who has hiked volcanos, floated with sea turtles and stood on glaciers. How inspiring!
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Larry Farrish Jr. has worn a lot of hats in his career. He was a correctional officer and long haul truck driver. A few years ago he found his calling – bringing kids to school as a bus driver in Louisville, KY! He loves it – getting to know the kids and families and being a friendly face each day.
One morning he noticed a little boy named Levi not having a great start to the day. Normally Levi is a bright, happy child – but that one morning he was pretty sullen. Mr. Larry pressed to see what was up and it turns out Levi was sad because it was Pajama Day at school but he didn’t have any pajamas.
As soon as the kids were dropped at school, Mr. Larry ran to the dollar store and bought a couple sets of pajamas – taking them right to school for Levi. The little boy was so excited he started crying happy tears. The school administrators shared the good deed on Facebook bragging about how thankful they are for him – calling him a “top notch human.”
Monday, April 15, 2024
Zachery Dereniowski (@mdmotivator on Socials) has used his fame to do good for families all over the world. Recently he heard about a young Phillies fan who had fought brain cancer and MD Motivator set out to make his dreams come true.
Seven-year-old Samuel had brain surgery and chemo, ultimately beating brain cancer. He wanted to celebrate by going to opening day for the Philadelphia Phillies, so he set up a lemonade stand to raise money for tickets.
MD Motivator loves baseball too and when Samuel’s mom Lauren shared the story, he surprised the family with tickets to Opening Day – $1000 cash – and worked with the Phillies to give Samuel the most special day ever, getting to hang with the team ON THE FIELD!
View this post on Instagram
(Josh is in the bathroom sobbing after that video… 1. Because it is so awesome and sweet. 2. As a Braves fan, he HATES the Phillies.)
Friday, April 12, 2024
Sometimes a simple blunder might turn into the biggest blessing. That’s what happened thanks to an order typo made by Dan Dafydd, who was just trying to get an order of 80 chocolate Easter eggs to put on the shelves at Sinclair General Store – a small local grocer in the community of Sanday, on the Orkney Islands.
But one wrong click ordered 80 CASES of chocolate eggs – 720 total treats on an island with a total population of just 500 people. This was a pretty big whoopsie, but Dan thought up a raffle idea to use the excess for charity. It was an instant hit, paying back the expense and raising £3000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, who operate along the British Isles like Sanday – saving lives each day.
Dan became a bit of a local celebrity – inspiring other fundraisers. Nestle got word of what happened and even offered to match bids and donations. So instead of a horde of melting chocolate after an innocent mistake, a community, a chocolate company and one baffled grocery store clerk raised tens of thousands of pounds to save lives!
Thursday, April 11, 2024
As children we learned the art of the deal not in business school, but by selling World’s Finest Chocolate and holiday wrapping paper in hopes of winning the class a pizza party. An elementary school in Ohio decided that instead of making kids and their parents sell things to their neighbors and co-workers, they would focus on serving their community in more practical ways.
Students create greeting cards in art class and then hand them out to their peers before the bell rings the next morning. They visit local nursing homes and listen to stories shared by elders. They pick up trash in the community and do other chores all with the goal of serving instead of selling.
With QR cards for donations along for the ride, the school has raised plenty of money – perhaps more than if the kids were selling buckets of popcorn or cookie dough – and they are making a difference in the lives of their hometown.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Wolf Cukier landed a coveted 2-month Summer internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. His first assignment was to examine variations in star brightness captured by a satellite. That’s rocket science for menial busy work. But Wolf went all in – this is his dream job, afterall. That data collection busy work led to his discovering a brand new planet!
The newly discovered planet is about 7 times bigger than earth and has been named TOI 1338 b … at least until someone with an English degree gets ahold of the paperwork. It’s in a solar system some 1300 lightyears from Earth – and navigates dual stars – just like Tatooine in Star Wars.
Wolf still has a Star Wars poster up in his bedroom – and will likely take it with him next year to college. He’s just got to pick between offers at Princeton, MIT and Stanford.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
In Harlem, there are so many sights, sounds, smells and challenges. But nestled in the vibrant neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York is a quaint book and toy shop called Grandma’s Place – and for many, it’s the heart of the entire community.
Dawn Harris Martine is known by most as simply “Grandma.” She’s the titular grandma of Grandma’s Place. The book and toy shop has been a dream come true for Grandma Dawn, who always wanted to create a sanctuary of safety and belonging for children in Harlem.
She’s been running Grandma’s Place for over two decades, calling it her “life’s work [and] passion.” For families browsing the store and kids running wild with toys – it’s like going to Grandma’s Place.
Monday, April 8, 2024
Laverne Biser is a 105 year old eclipse chaser. His lifelong passion has taken him across continents and into the company of unique people all wanting to stare at the sun. His first eclipse journey took him to the coast of Maine in 1963. He’s an accomplished photographer who makes prints of his solar exposure captures.
Laverne has traveled as far as Brazil to capture eclipses of the sun – but today, the Texan just has to go into his backyard.
Friday, April 5, 2024
A pair of eight-year-olds at Chelsea Elementary in Maine started a very cool new trend that’s all about being yourself. It’s called “Dapper Wednesdays,” and every week, people who want to join in dress to the nines for a fashion-filled day.
The fashionable young men tell their peers that the important thing is that everyone feels good in what they wear. James Ramage says, “(You can) wear what you want and just say ‘ I don’t care if somebody bullies me. I’m who I can be.'”
The school’s administration loves it and has even started a “dapper closet” so any kid can find something fun to wear.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Raising a family is hard – especially when you don’t have extended family around to offer support and free babysitting. Nina and her partner felt all alone after welcoming their daughter, Millie. So the new mom, wrestling with postpartum and isolation, asked her online community if anyone would like to become an adoptive grandmother.
Christine Artnott lives just around the corner from Nina’s family and immediately knew it was her calling to be a grandma to little Millie. In just six months since meeting, she is now forever Nanny Christine – who gets weely playdates and strolls in the nearby park with the family.
Christine is pouring out love into this young family, which is incredible. But hats off to Nina who had the courage to simply ask for help.
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Bob and Kim Gough have been without a permanent home since the middle of 2023. Bob is a Korean War veteran – he and his wife moved from Indianapolis to Cincinnati and have struggled to find a place they can afford.
But Kim is quite crafty. She began making bracelets and selling them in parking lots. Through the heat and the cold – she’s out there, making and selling bracelets, hoping to work their way to a home. Her husband Bob is getting medical care through the VA – which is a lifeline considering he is on 9 different medications.
New friends they’ve made in Cinci have shared their story and keep track of where Bob and Kim are selling bracelets so neighbors can support the couple. Many have banded together to keep them off the streets and in local hotels until they can find a place of their own.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by a world of need – global disasters – the hurt and the hungry. Where do you even start to show you care? Well, volunteers at a Mountain Brook, Alabama church decided to make lunch.
A group of volunteers at Canterbury United Methodist Church wanted to DO something to help the hungry of this world, so they partnered with Rise Against Hunger and packed 200,000 meals in two days for people battling food insecurity.
This was back in 2011. Since then, the congregation has put together meals for over 1.4 million people. If that inspires you – volunteer with your church or through food pantries like Second Harvest. You can make a difference!
Monday, April 1, 2024
Teachers are heroes. Often the families of teachers are heroic too. An eighth grade science teacher has a secret weapon – a gifted daughter who can sew. When he noticed one of his less fortunate students with a tattered coat, he brought it home for his daughter to repair – which she was thrilled to do!
The 17 year old seamstress left a note in the pocket of the repaired coat letting the young 8th grader know that things would get better – and that if he ever needed anything to just let her or her dad know.
Can you imagine how loved that kid feels?! 8th grade may be hard – but life is a little easier with families like this.
NEED MORE GOOD NEWS? Click Here for previous Today’s Good News stories featured on LifeSongs!