Urban Christian News

Nicholas Sparks, Miley Cyrus Share a 'Last Song' Love Story

2010-03-12T18:36:52Z

Nicholas Sparks has no love for people who call his stories "romances."

The mega-best-selling author of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and Message in a Bottle stands in the aisle of Book Soup, literally and figuratively defending his turf.

]]> "If you look for me, I'm in the fiction section. Romance has its own section," he says toward the end of a long conversation. Sunshine streams in from Sunset Boulevard. He's smiling. Hard.

"I don't write romance novels." His preferred terminology: "Love stories -- it's a very different genre. I would be rejected if I submitted any of my novels as romance novels."

Rejection isn't something he has had to deal with lately. Sparks holds the No. 1 and No. 2 positions on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list with The Last Song, a novel turned movie vehicle for Miley Cyrus, and Dear John, recently released as a movie with Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum.

The Last Song movie, opening March 31, features Cyrus as a morose piano prodigy, reluctantly spending the summer with her estranged, dying father (Greg Kinnear). Cyrus' real-life boyfriend, Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth, 20, plays a kid who falls for her.

They met on the shoot, which means Sparks is a matchmaker of sorts. When Cyrus joins Sparks in the stacks at Book Soup, he asks about her weekend: "What'd you do for fun? Out with Liam?"

Cyrus smiles widely. "At first, he was working, so I was cute," she says. "I went and got him coffee, bought him an Elvis CD and went and gave it to him at the photo shoot."

Sparks sighs. The North Carolina native spent his time watching football in his hotel room.

Hollywood has been good to Sparks, and now he's returning the favor, crafting both the novel and the screenplay for The Last Song as a steppingstone for the Disney super-starlet, now 17, as she transitions from Hannah Montana, which is shooting its final season,to more mature roles.

Despite his status, Sparks, 44, says he alone was not enough to get the movie made. He told Disney about the story idea, and the studio expressed interest in it as a vehicle for Cyrus -- but there were still a lot of maybes.

"It was not greenlit from the moment they got me on the project. She had to like it at the end, and Disney had to like it at the end."

Nothing personal, but ...

Cyrus confesses that, well, she never finished the novel, originally published in hardcover last September. "With the book, I've only gotten through part of The Last Song," Cyrus says sheepishly. "Because the movie started first."

Sparks feigns being stricken, but then says: "I don't know if I ever watched a Hannah Montana show. ... Nothing personal. My daughters do every day."

" 'Nothing personal. I just hate her show,' " Cyrus says, laughing and mocking his voice.

Fiction, not romance: Nicholas Sparks is the author of The Last Song and screenwriter for the film version, featuring Miley Cyrus, who is transitioning from Hannah Montana to more mature roles.

The Last Song ended up being tailored to her tastes. "It's got things I would like," Cyrus says. "Even the name -- I picked 'Ronnie' for my granddad. Things like that. But it was not written to make it easy for me, either."

The character is musical, but she's not singing Party in the USA. "She didn't want to sing," says Sparks, who wrote her instead as a classical pianist.

Ronnie actually seems like the type of girl who used to be a big Hannah Montana fan herself, but not anymore. "Exactly!" Cyrus says with a laugh. "Anything that would make her parents happy is something she doesn't want to do."

And though The Last Song is not as squeaky-clean as her Disney Channel show, the PG-rated movie is still very "chaste" (Sparks' word). "My own opinion is: dark -- easy to write. Easy!" he says. "I find no challenge in it."

Instead, he aims for the hopeful, which may be what his fans love. If Stephen King injects magic and the supernatural into a secular, disbelieving world, and John Grisham provides people in suits with a pulse of adventure, Sparks may be filling the holes in the hearts of those who just want a little more love in their lives.

He wrinkles his nose at the theory.

"Mmmmm, OK," he says. "I think, above all, the characters in my novels feel universal to the readers. I feel as if, when they read them, they can feel -- for instance, if you take The Last Song-- that 'I know a 17-year-old like Ronnie.' And these characters are by no means perfect, but when the going gets rough, they do the right thing. People want to say, 'I would do that.' "

His tales also tend to be punctuated by death. In Nights in Rodanthe, which was made into a film last year with Diane Lane and Richard Gere, a middle-aged woman leaves her husband to oversee a beachside bed-and-breakfast, only to fall for a doctor who is trying to get over the accidental death of a patient. Love blossoms, but ... tragedy intervenes, adding a sheen of nobility that tugs the heartstrings a little harder than "happily ever after."

Cyrus says the threat of loss in The Last Song makes the viewer or reader feel good while feeling sad. "It is melodramatic," she says. "But there is a sense of celebration, too. Even though it is tragic, we still celebrate a life."

Pardon the interruption

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SOURCE: USA Today - Anthony Breznican

Rev. Jeremiah Wright Discusses Obama Controversy, History of His Church

2010-03-12T18:27:15Z

President Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. on Wednesday compared the president to a son who was being treated unfairly and said it had been hard weathering the media storm after Obama became a serious contender for the White House and controversy erupted over Wright's fiery sermons. ]]>

In a rare post-election interview, Wright spoke to The Washington Post about his life and his church's history after preaching an evening sermon at the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Northeast Washington, the first of three nights he was to appear before the congregation.

Wright's very public falling out with Obama during the 2008 campaign seemed like water under the bridge Wednesday, as Wright expressed concern over how the president has been treated by the media since being elected.

"It is unrealistic to think that one person can change the mess that this country has gotten into, but to pick on him is like picking on one of my kids," Wright said. "I have been knowing him for 20 years.

"I have not stopped loving him because of what the press did, and to see him beat up on because of things he is not responsible for is painful."

Wright said he didn't expect to speak directly with Obama again until "he is out of the White House."

Wright became politically radioactive after YouTube videos of his sermons at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, in which he called on blacks to sing "God damn America" and said the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were "America's chickens . . . coming home to roost," went viral online in early 2008. On Wednesday night, though, he left the dashiki and fiery rhetoric of those videos behind for a business suit and preaching from the 23rd Psalm in a measured tone.

The YouTube videos focused damaging attention on his family, Wright said, and especially on his youngest daughter, Jamila Wright, and a granddaughter.

"The day I took Jamila to campus, Fox News was on the sidewalk taking my picture. My granddaughter got into a fistfight at FAMU [Florida A&M University] because people only know the press narrative about Jeremiah Wright," he said. "The press didn't care what they did to my family. They ruined their senior year in high school. They were at the senior prom, the graduation, waiting on something to try to destroy Obama."

Wright was in town to preach and sign copies of his book, "A Sankofa Moment: The History of Trinity United Church of Christ," offering his perspective of the origins and growth of a church that grew from 87 to more than 8,000 members during his tenure. Wright was pastor from April 1972 until May 2008, when he officially retired.

Even though he spoke measuredly, Wright's assessment of the origins of the church could raise the eyebrows of some United Church of Christ elders.

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Source: Hamil R. Harris, Washington Post

Did Focus On The Family Board Force Dr. Dobson to Step Down because They Wanted to Take a Softer Approach to Abortion and Homosexuality Issues?

2010-03-12T18:16:26Z

A prominent friend and supporter of James Dobson believes Dobson was pushed aside by the new leadership of Focus on the Family, who want the powerhouse evangelical ministry to project a softer image on issues ranging from abortion to gay marriage to relations with President Obama. ]]>

Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977 and spent the next 25 years building it into the influential Christian conservative group it is today.

In February 2009, Dobson stepped down as chairman of the Colorado Springs-based group's board of directors, after relinquishing his longtime role as president in 2003. But he kept his role of host of the popular Focus radio show, which is reportedlyheard by 1.5 million Americans each day.

Then, this past November, Dobson said on the show that the Focus board had asked him to give up the radio program in a few months time. Late last month, he delivered his final Focus broadcast.

In little-noticed comments from the November show, Dobson seemed troubled by the board's decision to ask him to give up the program.

"[T]the board of directors voted privately on Wednesday -- before we got there -- to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said. "But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another."

Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who leads the Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington, and describes himself as a longtime friend of Dobson, says he became suspicious when Dobson, 73, announced he would launch his own independent radio show this spring. While the new show is not associated with Focus on the Family, it will be called Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson, and center on the same issues Dobson brought to his Focus broadcast.

And Focus -- which has been through several rounds of painful layoffs -- agreed to donate $1 million to Dobson to start the new show.

"Dr. Dobson gets off the radio in February, and he's starting a new program in May. It just didn't make sense. Why get off if you don't want to get off?" Hutcherson asked in a phone interview with TPMmuckraker.

Hutcherson, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, is a force in his own right. He is best known for his anti-gay activism and the New York Times has described him as "a rising national star in the world of black evangelical ministers."

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Source: Talking Points Memo

EMI CMG Distribution and Inpop Records Sign New Agreement

2010-03-12T17:58:22Z

As they celebrate a decade-long partnership, EMI CMG Distribution and Inpop Records have agreed to a new multi-year distribution agreement, with EMI CMG continuing as exclusive worldwide distributor to all retail outlets for Inpop Records.

]]> Since EMI CMG and Inpop signed their first distribution deal in 1999, the partnership has seen the introduction of some of Christian music's brightest new stars including Mat Kearney, Superchick, Shane and Shane, Jimmy Needham and Newworldson. The label is also home to newsboys, the iconic band who has sold over seven million records worldwide, earned 25 No. 1 singles at radio and seen five of its albums certified Gold throughout its career. With its impressive artist roster, Inpop has become one of the Christian music industry's strongest independent labels, selling more than three million units and producing numerous Dove Awards and GRAMMY nominations.

"Inpop has been a terrific partner for EMI CMG. Over the past 10 years they have developed an impressive track record of launching and supporting innovative and creative artists. We look forward to many more years together, said Greg Bays, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing for EMI CMG Distribution.

John Kelly, Chief Financial Officer of Inpop, added: "Inpop is well-placed as a lean, flexible company, and we are thrilled to continue our alliance with EMI CMG and utilizing the strong strategic systems and operations EMI CMG provides. We know they believe in our artists as much as we do and are as committed as our artists are to reaching music fans with the message of the gospel."

Inpop has several key releases scheduled for the first half of 2010, including the new studio record from newsboys, the group's first CD with new frontman Michael Tait (formerly of dc Talk) and the band's 19th album. Releasing on June 8, the CD's title will be BORN AGAIN. The album's lead singles "I'll Be" and "Born Again" are currently going for adds at Christian AC and CHR, respectively.

On April 20, Inpop/EMI CMG will release Reinvention from the sister-fronted pop-rock band Superchick. The album features reinventions of the band's favorite songs from every album in Superchick's discography, including those from its Grammy-nominated album Rock What You Got, in addition to several all-new studio recordings.

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Needham will release his third album, Nightlights, the follow up to his critically acclaimed album Not Without Love, on May 18. Produced by Calvin Turner (Marc Broussard, Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz), Nightlights highlights Jimmy's soulful pop melodies and his signature eclectic sound that mixes pop, rock and blues. The first single from the record, "Yours To Take," is at Christian radio now.

Just recently released is the sophomore record from Newworldson. The self-titled CD hit stores on February 23, debuting on iTunes' Top Christian/Gospel Albums Chart at No.3. Its first single "There Is A Way" is also receiving significant success at radio, currently Top 3 on the Christian AC charts. An energetic blend of pop, soul, and gospel, Canadian-based band Newworldson introduced its fresh sound to Christian music audiences with the release of Salvation Station in 2008, which ChristianityToday.com called one of the top 10 albums of 2008. The newly released album captures an even bigger, more dynamic sound than its previous effort, eliciting glowing reviews from both critics and consumers alike.

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SOURCE: CM Spin

Running with Jesus

2010-03-12T17:55:43Z

In 2009 I won a medal for finishing the "Surf City" marathon in Huntington Beach, California. I ran 26.2 miles in under 4 hours. It was actually the 5th marathon that I've completed and it was my slowest one, but it might be the one I'm the most proud of because I did it at 46 years old. The other four I did in the physical prime of my life, between ages 17 and 21.

]]> You're probably thinking to yourself: "I couldn't run 26.2 miles!" Or maybe, "I wouldn't want to run 26.2 miles!" Well, most of you, if you wanted to run a marathon you could do it - if you trained for it.

To finish my last marathon I trained for months. Every Saturday morning I did a long run. I started with a four-mile run that goes alongside the two lakes near my home. Each week I went a little farther, building up to a 20 mile-long run in the hills. I also did shorter runs or rode my bike each week. And I worked out with weights and the stair master three times a week.

My preparation enabled me to enjoy the race - until I hit "the wall" at mile 20! My overall experience of the race was that it was wonderfully inspiring to run on paths lined with people cheering me on as I made my way through parks and along the ocean. And then what a thrill it was to cross the finish line in under four hours with thousands of people - including my wife and three kids - cheering for me!

Running with Jesus, my Coach, is what I enjoyed most about my race and all the jogging I do. We read in the Gospels that Jesus went up into the hills to pray. So I run out the door of my house to follow Jesus into the hills near my home! I love to be alone with Jesus in the quiet and beauty of nature, meditating on Scripture and conversing with him about life in his kingdom.

Jesus is my Champion of Psalm 19:5 who is rejoicing to run his course in the kingdom heavens all around us. So as I run my life race I fix my eyes on Jesus. I listen to him. I keep in step with him. He is the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2).

The Apostle Paul taught us that the only way to run a good life race is to go into training with Jesus. "Train yourself to be godly," he urged Timothy and us too (1 Timothy 4:7). Spiritually, we need to get in shape! Paul challenges us:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

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SOURCE: CBN

William Gaultiere

Tenth Avenue North Delivers Second Album May 11th

2010-03-12T17:12:48Z

Rarely has a new band delivered an album with more emotional punch than Tenth Avenue North's 2008 debut Over and Underneath.

]]> Musically inventive and lyrically compelling, the song collection helped earn the band its prestigious New Artist of the Year accolade at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards, one element that propelled the band to headliner status for the all of 2009. As evidenced by immediate impact at radio and at iTunes this week, Tenth Avenue North's follow up The Light Meets the Dark is proving to be one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2010.

With one listen to The Light Meets the Dark, it is obvious Mike Donehey, (lead vocals/acoustic guitar), Jason Jamison (drummer) and Jeff Owen (electric guitar/background vocals), are taking a bold step forward on their musical journey. Once again their songs are poignant and powerful, and the band brings a seasoned level of musicianship and intensity, honed from two years of relentless touring.

Produced by Jason Ingram, Rusty Varenkamp and Phillip LaRue, The Light Meets the Dark has delivered an impressive first single "Healing Begins" (released to radio on March 5). The song garnered 43 first-week adds among AC and CHR stations nationwide.

"Tenth Avenue North has worked well for us right from the start," says Keith Stevens of New York City's STAR 99.1. "As APD/MD, I'm always looking for songs that connect with our listeners. 'Healing Begins' connects right out of the gate."

Another indication of the song's incredible positive momentum is its position in the top of iTunes' Christian and Gospel Songs chart, reaching No. 2, and selling more than 4,800 downloads its first two weeks of availability.

Like "Healing Begins," all of the songs on the band's sophomore release are authentic, heartfelt and confessional. "On this record I really tried to be honest about how messed up I am," Donehey says. "We wanted it to be a collision between our hearts and God's truth. His grace collides with the dark inside of us. His blood can cover us and I'm trying to call people out and say 'Look, please do not hide your darkness. Expose that to the light.' I know that's the scariest thought, but its where freedom and healing starts to take place. It's where it all starts to happen."

While Over and Underneath quickly established Tenth Avenue North as one of the Christian music community's most talented bands, lead vocalist/principal songwriter Donehey began drawing comparisons to such visionary leaders as Casting Crowns' Mark Hall, Third Day's Mac Powell and Jars of Clay's Dan Haseltine.

For many young musicians, such early success may have proved paralyzing, but not for Tenth

Avenue North. Music for them has never been about awards and CD sales, but about the chance to impact lives.

"It's been kind of crazy I guess when you think about it," Donehey says with a smile. "In a lot of ways, we don't feel like anything has changed. When we get up on a stage, more people are there to see us play and more people are familiar with the songs, but the objective really hasn't changed. The objective is for people to encounter truth and be changed." Tenth Avenue North meets that objective head on with the music on The Light Meets the Dark.

That ability to challenge audiences to a deeper walk of faith while simultaneously encouraging them with the truth of God's grace has propelled Tenth Avenue North to the forefront of the Christian music industry. The band's debut disc placed tenth on Billboard Magazine's list of Top Christian Albums for 2009. The group placed two songs on the Hot Christian Songs chart, including the No. 1 radio single, "By Your Side" at No. 2 and "Hold My Heart" at No. 13. The most impressive is the fact that Tenth Avenue North, still on its first album, had "By Your Side" place No. 3 on Billboard's overall decade ranking of Christian Songs.

2010 has already reflected notable successes for the band, as it picked up two key nominations for the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards. The band was honored with nods in two of the prestigious general categories for the Doves, notching a Song of the Year mention for "By Your Side" from Over and Underneath, as well as a nomination for Group of the Year.

Tenth Avenue North saw its live performance profile take off in 2009, with its "Inside and In Between" Tour (its first as headliners) seeing sell-out shows in more than half the markets it visited.

Currently a closing artist on the Winter Jam tour, Tenth Avenue North will hit the road with Casting Crowns on its "Until The Whole World Hears" tour April 1 in Dayton, Ohio. Its summer is booked with festivals and a second headlining tour plus a major fall tour, spanning 40 cities, will be officially announced in mid April, and goes on sale May 1st.

SOURCE: CM Spin

May Day is Pray Day: A Cry to God for Our Nation

2010-03-12T17:11:07Z

'May Day' will be 'Pray Day' as Christians from around the nation will gather beginning at sunrise (6:10 a.m.) on Saturday, May 1st, at the Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital with Christian and Jewish leaders who wholeheartedly love God for the sole purpose of repenting and remembering the God of our fathers.

]]> President Abraham Lincoln, in a proclamation appointing a National Day of Prayer and Fasting on March 30, 1863, said: "And whereas, it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord."

"God didn't call us to gather together to hear political speeches," said Pastor Paul Blair, Pastor Coordinator for May Day, "he called us to humble ourselves and gather together to pray." He added, "May Day is 'Pray Day.'"

"This event is not to impress the media or the Washington 'elite.' May Day is focused on God--to cry out and repent of our nation's sins that have brought us to this point of distress," said Janet Porter, Faith2Action President and May Day Coordinator.

"I believe the national repentance at May Day is essential to break the curses on our nation brought about by our choices of disobedience and death. The good news is repentance breaks a curse and a remnant can save a nation," she added.

A media release says Pro-family leaders across denominational boundaries have joined together for this effort including: Dr. James Dobson, American Family Association President, Tim Wildmon, Concerned Women for America President, Wendy Wright, Liberty Counsel Chairman, Mat Staver, NRB President, Dr. Frank Wright, Three Star General Jerry Boykin, Dutch Sheets, David Barton, and many members of Congress who are willing to stand in the gap for our nation.

Partial List of spokespersons for Mayday 2010:

**Pastor Paul Blair, May Day Pastor Coordinator: 405- 796-PRAY (7729) or 405-348-1745

**William J. Murray, Religious Freedom Coalition: 202- 742-8990

**Pastor Rick Scarborough: 936-615-0855

**Janet (Folger) Porter: 920.262.0877 or 920.285.6043

**Jannique Stewart: 954-817-1196

**Deborah Fritch, May Day Prayer Coordinator: 602- 670-2667

**Curtis Edwards, Bus & Air Coordinator: 800-369- 4986

For details on Mayday 2010, visit the website at www.Mayday2010.org.

Further details, contact: Sandy Lange,

920-262-0877, 920-285-6043

SOURCE: Assist News

Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter

Author and Evangelist Talk Suffering, Heaven, New Earth

2010-03-12T17:00:18Z

Bestselling author Randy Alcorn has teamed up with a popular evangelist to address what many nonbelievers and Christians alike struggle with - suffering.

]]> "If God is good ... why all this evil and suffering?" Alcorn poses in his new book, If God Is Good.

Alcorn was recently invited to do a live interview and discussion with Pastor Greg Laurie on stage in front of thousands of people at Harvest Christian Fellowship in southern California.

Since Laurie lost his 33-year-old son in a tragic car accident two years ago, the Harvest pastor has placed greater focus on the topics of heaven and suffering from the pulpit. Last November he shared the Harvest stage with singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, who suffered the loss of his 5-year-old adopted daughter in 2008, to discuss their pain, questions, and trust in the Lord through it all.

Why is there suffering? Laurie asked Alcorn during this past weekend's worship service.

"The Bible tells us that we're under a curse because of sin," the author and former pastor explained to Harvest attendees. "The curse that came upon them (Adam and Eve) ... we experience it today."

Through suffering, he said, "we're reminded ... I'm not in control."

"Any illusion of control is gone. Now I turn to the one, hopefully, who is in control - God - and who has run the universe without my help in the past and will run the universe without my help in the future," Alcorn said. "And what I need to do is to say I'm not in charge but I know the one who is in charge and that makes all the difference."

Alcorn acknowledges that the problem of evil and suffering is the single greatest obstacle to faith for a lot of unbelievers and also an obstacle for believers who may be questioning their faith.

He stressed on Sunday that Scripture gives permission to ask questions of God just like King David did in the Old Testament and Jesus did on the cross.

"There's going to be times where there's darkness in our lives," said the author who formerly experienced a bout of depression. "But in the midst of them we need to look to the God who shed His blood for us on a cross. And one day we'll look at those hands and He may look at us and say 'do these look like the hands of a God who does not care?'

"There is a lot of suffering going on in this world and we have a God who cares ... He cries, He weeps for His people, and it's a God who came down to become one of us. He loved us so much. His hands bear the mark of the greatest evil and suffering ... God brought great good out of the worst thing that ever happened."

Alcorn, who also authored Heaven, reminded Christians of the eternal good that is to come - a good that is beyond measure that even the sufferings of this life cannot be compared.

"We can look at our present sufferings not just as death, the end of all life but what is leading to an eternity of life - the promise of eternal life with God."

Answering some of the particulars pertaining to heaven and eternal life, Alcorn said when a believer dies, that person goes immediately to be with God and the people of God in heaven as was demonstrated in the New Testament account of the rich man and Lazarus. The unbeliever, however, immediately goes to the fires of hell, he said.

Regarding marital relationships in heaven, Alcorn put it this way: "Nancy (his wife) and I will be part of the same marriage in heaven because the Bible doesn't say there will be no marriage in heaven, it says there will be one marriage in heaven - Christ to his bride. We together will be part of the bride of Christ. So I will be part of a marriage perfect marriage with Nancy to our Lord Jesus Christ."

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SOURCE: The Christian Post

Lillian Kwon

Is Your Family SAD?

2010-03-12T16:55:45Z

Feeling down and blue? Has the gloom of winter gotten you? The sky is cloudy and dark.You feel tired, unable to concentrate, want to eat, crave carbohydrates, and feel like being alone. It's hard to get out of bed. You feel irritable, anxious and down. It seems like winter will never end. ]]> All you can think about is sitting in the sun somewhere in the Caribbean. Actually this is not such a crazy thought. You, like 35 million Americans, may be affected by winter depression. The "winter blues" has a name, "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)". It usually begins mid October and ends around April. It's real and treatable and affects family members.

Most sufferers of SAD are women in their 30's (although the disorder affects others including children). SAD is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. The farther north you live, the greater your chance to be one of 10 million diagnosed or 25 million suffering some symptoms of SAD. Why? Because during winter, people in the Northern states get half as much sunshine as those in the South. People with SAD need more light. During late fall and winter, days shorten which means less sunlight. In some cases less daylight can activate depression. So what can you do to stop being an irritable or depressed family member? Move to Florida? You could but there is a cheaper and easier solution.

Treatment for SAD is surprisingly simple. Get more light. The theory here is that light therapy regulates brain chemistry. When light interacts with the eye through the optic nerve, things happen to affect mood. In very simple terms, light increases brain chemicals that help depression.

Some people are helped more by using intense light in the mornings, while others respond to increased light anytime of the day. There are commercial lighting devices and florescent light boxes. Some insurers will even reimburse you for the light devices. Or you can try 30 minutes of morning light by walking outside, sitting under a fluorescent light while watching TV, reading, etc. However, you shouldn't stare into a light source. You'll only get a headache! Just do a normal activity with the light in your field of vision.

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SOURCE: CBN

Dr. Linda Mintle

Haiti Sees Fervor for Christ Amid Devastation

2010-03-12T16:48:15Z

Haitians desperately try to enter the police station where an aid distribution point has been set up in Port-au-Prince.

A seminary student in Haiti faithfully holds Bible studies on the rubble of his home.

]]> Despite the grim surroundings, Uriel Blanchet says, "I would not want to be anywhere else."

Blanchet is a second-year student at STEP, the evangelical theological seminary in Port-au-Prince. His house was completely destroyed in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people in January and left more than a million homeless.

He and his family sleep in the backyard of his home, or what's left of it.

In a letter to STEP, and released by Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Blanchet said he doesn't have any financial resources to return to the seminary. But he wants to learn more about Scripture and share it with others.

"I sure would like the opportunity to study God's Word some more to be able to continue with this Bible study ministry," he wrote.

STEP is currently caring for some 2,500 people on campus. There, Haitians have not only been finding refuge but also joy as they worship God.

"I drove into the campus and heard the sound of music in the distance," Thomas Kim, executive director of Churches Helping Churches, reported. "I continued up the hill, turned the corner, and there it was: everywhere, the shadows of Haitians joyfully bouncing to the rhythm of music. Though I can't understand Creole, this song was loud and clear: 'Hosanna!' Again and again, with hands in the air, the people sang 'Hosanna!'"

The faculty at STEP estimates that 300 people have made decisions for Christ since the earthquake.

STEP is one of the most prominent seminaries in Haiti. Its mission is to prepare godly Haitian leaders who make disciples of Christ in order to transform their communities, to the glory of God.

Organizations serving throughout the Caribbean island have been reporting active worship and dozens to thousands of decisions for Christ in the aftermath of the devastation. Pastors and directors of missions at the Confraternite Missionaire Baptiste d'Haiti (CMBH) reported that 40,127 Haitians have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ since January, according to Baptist Press. Also, missionary Roy Shelpman of Baptist Mid-Missions said more than 80 people gave their lives to Christ last month during special meetings conducted by Hosanna Baptist Church in Jacmel.

SOURCE: The Christian Post

Audrey Barrick

Lindsey Vonn & Carlo Janka Win World Cup Titles

2010-03-12T16:47:08Z

United States star Lindsey Vonn and Swiss Carlo Janka claimed the overall World Cup titles after dominant performances in Garmisch.]]>
Meanwhile, Janka, who won giant slalom gold in Vancouver, won the same event in Germany to take an unassailable lead in the men's standings.

The men's and women's slalom titles will both be decided on Sunday.

As the last skier to race, Vonn was already assured of the crown after German rival Maria Riesch, who needed a top-two finish to challenge, was pushed into third place.

"I was so nervous because the title was on the line," said Vonn, who also won the super-G and downhill categories.

Vonn led from the front and brought down her Super-G season in style after her downhill gold and Super-G bronze medal from last month's Vancouver Winter Games.

Despite bruising her knee after a crash in Thursday's giant slalom, she set the fastest time down the Kadahar course, which plays host to next year's world championships, with a time of 1 minute 19.30 seconds.

Austria's Elisabeth Goergl was second with Swiss Nadia Styger third.

"An overall title is one of the biggest things you can win in our sport," said Vonn, who is now the American with most World Cup wins with 33.

"I gave it all I had. I have nothing more left in me," she added.

Janka, who became the first Swiss man to win the overall title since Paul Accola in 1992, is now 106 points ahead of Benjamin Raich of Austria, who will finish second for the fourth straight year.

Meanwhile, Ted Ligety of the United States secured the giant slalom crystal globe after finishing in third place on Friday.

Janka led after the first run and took no risks in the second heat to win in a combined time of two minutes, 20.87 seconds for his sixth victory of the season.

SOURCE: BBC Sports

Jon Foreman: Limbs and Branches

2010-03-12T16:44:24Z

Switchfoot lead Jon Foreman didn't intend to share his personal songs with anyone. But thanks to the encouragement from his bandmates, he took a big step and released them.]]> A compilation of the best tracks from his solo EPs were put onto Limbs and Branches. Recorded in his home, these songs are as raw and organic as you'll ever get.

Foreman talked with CBNmusic.com about his solo endeavors, love for songwriting, and interaction with a divine God.

You have such success with Switchfoot. Why produce these songs as a solo artist?

I've been writing songs since I was a little kid, The songs always were a vehicle to express myself and moreover to come to terms with the world around me. A lot of times, I've found that subjects such as sex, God, women, politics -- these are all subjects that are hard to broach in a conversation. But in songs I can say anything I want. In a song, I can travel to places that I'd never be able to get to go in conversations. I think gradually through the years the songs become your transportation.

The reason why I put these songs out solo is because they felt so personal and so broken that they wouldn't feel honest singing with a full half back and drums in the rock band setting. You kind of have to sing them in their own setting where they belong. That's kind of the reason why I put them out on my own.

What do you want people to get from these CDs?

The reason why I put it out was not for other people so much as it was for myself. They're just a simple statement of honesty. But it has been really encouraging to hear how honesty can be a breath of fresh air for some folks. I'm thankful that simple, honest songs can still pack such a punch.

What sort of specific feedback are you getting from this project?

A lot of these songs were written and recorded without the intention of ever releasing them to the public. That allows you to be much more honest. You're not choosing your words with the idea that somebody in Ohio or Virginia Beach is ever going to hear the song. You're singing for basically yourself, your God, and your best friends. So they become almost confessions in nature. Looking back at the songs now, it's been a gift to be able to sing them for people who feel like they're in a similar situation. We're all broken people trying to figure it out. Music is a way to come to terms with pain. In many cases, that's what these songs are attempting to do.

What do you do with the pain?

I'm not a counselor, but I can tell you what counselors have told me. I guess I was afraid of therapy for a long time and thought it was for failures. Then, I've recently got a different opinion. Many times the post-modern human soul is in this predicament that is highly unnatural, and so coming to terms with the oddity that is trying to be human in the 21st century is probably the first step toward figuring out where to go from there.

"Resurrect Me" is a powerful song about getting relief from pain.

Yeah. There's a certain amount of death that we endure every day. The miracle is not that someday we finally truly die, but that we're actually living and waking up after it every day. This is a song that acknowledges the pain and asks for rebirth. It's almost a song where I'm yelling at God a little bit. There are things in my life that I'm angry about, that I'm frustrated about, and I feel like these are issues I'm still dealing with. When I acknowledge the anger, frustration, and pain and then move on, it is a healthy experience.

"Your Love is Strong" is an honest version of the Lord's Prayer for today. How do you feel God's love strong in your life?

I feel it when all the chaos is pushed aside. The greatest fear that we have in the 21st century is to be alone in stillness. Yet, that's usually where -- in the terrifying places -- when I seem to have run-ins with God.

SOURCE: CBN

Hannah Goodwyn

Court OKs Pledge of Allegiance, Use of 'God' On Money as Constitutional

2010-03-12T16:30:41Z

An appellate court has upheld references to God on U.S. currency and in the Pledge of Allegiance, rejecting arguments they violate the constitutional separation of church and state.

]]> "The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded," Judge Carlos Bea wrote for the majority in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 2-1 ruling Thursday.

Bea noted that schools do not require students to recite the pledge, which was amended to include the words "under God" by a 1954 federal law. Members of Congress at the time said they wanted to set the United States apart from "godless communists."

In a separate 3-0 ruling, the appeals court upheld the inscription of the national motto "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins and currency, citing an earlier 9th Circuit panel that ruled the phrase is ceremonial and patriotic and "has nothing whatsover to do with the establishment of religion."

The same appeals court caused a national uproar and prompted accusations of judicial activism when it decided in Sacramento athiest Michael Newdow's favor in 2002, ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance violated the First Amendment prohibition against government endorsement of religion.

President George W. Bush called the 2002 decision "ridiculous," senators passed a resolution condemning the ruling and Newdow received death threats.

That lawsuit reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004, but the high court said Newdow lacked the legal standing to file the suit because he didn't have custody of his daughter, on whose behalf he brought the case.

So Newdow filed an identical challenge on behalf of other parents who objected to the recitation of the pledge at school. In 2005, a federal judge in Sacramento decided in Newdow's favor, prompting the appeals court to take up the case again.

In this June 14, 2004 file photo, Michael Newdow looks down at the fax copy of the Supreme Court's ruling preserving the phrase "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance outside his Sacramento, Calif., home. A federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional. In a 2-1 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected arguments by Newdow that the phrase violates the separation between church and state.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt, who was part of the three-judge panel that ruled in Newdow's favor eight years ago, wrote a 123-page dissent to the 60-page majority opinion.

"Under no sound legal analysis adhering to binding Supreme Court precedent could this court uphold state-directed, teacher-led, daily recitation of the 'under God' version of the Pledge of Allegiance by children in public schools," wrote Reinhardt, who was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Newdow, a doctor and attorney who founded a group called the First Atheist Church of True Science, told The Associated Press he would ask the appeals court to rehear the case. If it rejects that request, Newdow said he'll appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The whole argument that 'under God' wasn't placed into the pledge for religious purposes is bogus," Newdow said. "I hope people recognize this is not against God or people who believe in God. It's about the government not treating people equally on the basis of their lawful religious views."

Rory Little, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, said the Supreme Court is unlikely to review the case because Thursday's ruling is the third appellate court decision upholding the pledge.

In addition, Congress passed legislation reaffirming the pledge in 2002, following the 9th Circuit's ruling that struck it down.

"I think this is the last word on this particular lawsuit," Little said. "It's an important ruling."

Greg Katsas, who argued the currency case on behalf of the U.S. government when the appellate court heard the case in December 2007, said the panel made the right decision Thursday.

"I think these two phrases encapsulate the philosophy on which the nation was founded," said Katsas, who now works in private practice. "There is a religious aspect to saying "One nation under God," but it isn't like a prayer. When someone says the pledge, they're not praying to God, they're pledging allegiance to the country, the flag and the ideals of the country."

SOURCE: The Associated Press

Obama Gives Away $1.4M Nobel Prize

2010-03-12T16:26:35Z

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks to the Export-Import Bank's annual conference in Washington on March 11, 2010.

President Barack Obama plans to donate the $1.4 million from his Nobel Peace Prize to helping students, veterans' families and survivors of Haiti's earthquake, among others, drawing attention to organizations he said "do extraordinary work."

]]> Obama is giving a total of $750,000 to six groups that help kids go to college. Fisher House, which provides housing for families with loved ones at Veterans Administration hospitals, will receive $250,000, the White House said Thursday. And the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, for which two former presidents are raising money to rebuild earthquake-ravaged Haiti, will receive $200,000.

"These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need," Obama said in a statement. "I'm proud to support their work."

Obama was chosen for the Nobel award more for his aspirations and approach than his accomplishments thus far. The Nobel committee honored him for changing the tenor of international politics and for pursuing goals Obama says will require worldwide effort, such as nuclear disarmament and reversing global warming.

Obama himself was surprised by the award, and aides said at the time he would donate the cash prize to charity.

The Fisher House donation would help pay for three new homes at Bethesda Naval Hospital and Dover Air Force Base, where the bodies of Americans killed overseas are flown.

"It's work that needs to be done for these men and women who have served this nation so gallantly," Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Kenneth Fisher said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's a privilege to serve these men and women and these families because they give so much to this nation."

The funds for Haiti would go to the rebuilding effort led by former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. A Jan. 12 earthquake wrecked Haiti and killed an estimated 200,000 people, and the U.S. is playing an active role in rebuilding the country.

In addition, Obama plans to give $125,000 apiece to groups that help students go to college: College Summit, a national nonprofit that works with elementary and middle school students to boost college enrollment rates; the Posse Foundation, which gives full college scholarships to public school students who might be overlooked by traditional scholarship programs; United Negro College Fund; the Hispanic Scholarship Fund; the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation; and the American Indian College Fund.

And Obama is donating $100,000 to AfriCare, which funds HIV/AIDS programs, public health programs, water resource development and agriculture in 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. He will give $100,000 to the Central Asia Institute, which promotes education for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Obama accepted his peace prize just days after announcing he was ramping up U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan.

SOURCE: The Associated Press

Is This the Generation of the Rapture?

2010-03-12T16:18:42Z

Speakers at a recent prophecy conference proclaimed that this is "the rapture generation" as they warned of a looming one-world government and attacks on Israel that could hasten end-times events.

]]> "The last pages of your Bible read like the front pages of your paper," said conference host Rod Parsley in a dramatic video introduction that included footage of recent earthquakes and other natural disasters. "You are here because you've been chosen to live in this final hour."

The Collide 2010 conference, held March 5-7 at Parsley's World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, featured end-times teachers Grant Jeffrey and Jack Van Impe, both of whom host widely viewed prophecy programs on Christian television. The event also included Donald Perkins, an evangelist and Bible prophecy instructor at Immanuel Bible College in San Diego, and Aaron Cohen, a Bible prophecy teacher and human rights activist.

More than 3,000 people attended each of the six sessions in person while others watched live online. "Prophecy is vital to the church in the last days," Jeffrey said. "This is the most exciting generation to live since Jesus walked the earth. We are living in the rapture generation."

Jeffrey, host of the Bible Prophecy Revealed television program, said prophecy is significant for another reason. "People will read prophecy when they won't read anything else religious and won't darken the door of a church," he said. "People want to know what the future holds."

Like many proponents of dispensational pre-millennialism--the belief that there will be a seven-year tribulation period before Christ returns to establish His 1,000-year reign--the conference presenters believe the status of Israel will predict the progression of end-time events.

Jeffrey said Ezekiel 38 predicts a "pile-on" of attacks against Israel by several nations, which he believes is imminent and will revolve around oil resources. "Israel has just found three of the largest oil reserves in the world--off Haifa," a major seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean coast. (Read "Israeli Company Discovers Oil Near Tel Aviv")

He believes this is largely behind the tension building between Israel and other nations including Iran and Russia, which Jeffrey says will lead to the final battle of Armageddon. "This is why Israel is so convinced they must take out Iran's nuclear capability when the rest of the world favors diplomacy," he said.

He and Van Impe say the Bible declares that Israel will win-"because God will not let them be destroyed," Jeffrey said.

Van Impe believes the next major biblical event will be the rapture. As signs, he points to what he says are indications of a one-world government forming and technology to monitor every human being already being used experimentally.

Jeffrey claims global warming is the invention of organizations seeking to find a common cause in order to create a global government. "Global warming has a hidden agenda," he said. "It's a pretext to achieve a socialist global agenda where America will no longer be the America you grew up in."

Jeffrey also refutes the widely accepted belief that there is a looming oil shortage. "Running out of oil is nonsense," he said. "They have found hidden oil 1,000 feet down-in the U.S.-enough to fuel the whole world for centuries. America and Canada are absolutely oil independent if they want to be."

And though they believe the rapture is near, the speakers say speculation about a world cataclysm in 2012, based on indicators in the Mayan calendar, is off base. "Any time you go outside the Word of God to know the future, you are in trouble," Perkins said. "2012 does not fit into God's plan as outlined in the Bible because the Bible calls for seven years of tribulation and 1,000-year reign of Christ. If 2012 is true, then the Bible is a lie."

Most of the conference attendees were Christians, but during his sermon Sunday Parsley warned people to be rapture-ready. He outlined a chilling scenario for those who might be left behind for "seven years of tribulation," which he said would be 100 times worse than the devastation from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the recent earthquake combined.

"Wrap it all together times 100 and it will not begin to compare with what will be happening in every city in the world," he said.

Utilizing visual aids including real firearms and backpacks, he said those left behind would need to get out of cities, gather food and Bibles, arm themselves and refuse to take the mark of the beast.

"But I've got a better idea," Parsley said. "Give your life to Jesus today. Don't miss the rapture."

Many Christian leaders see Matthew 24--which says the gospel would be preached to the whole world before the end comes--as an important unfilled sign of the end times. Some Bible scholars also believe the prophecies in Ezekiel and Revelation often cited in end-times teachings have come to pass.

To learn more about the diverse views on eschatology, read Charisma's recent cover story, "Last Days Fever," and J. Lee Grady's commentary, "Don't Get Infected With Last Days Fever."

SOURCE: Charisma Magazine

Pamela G. Wilson