Plea from Inside Gaza

Dr. Hanna Massad pastors Gaza Baptist Church - the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip - while his wife, Suhad, runs the Palestinian Bible Society Bookstore. The church is located in the heart of several terrorist group headquarters as it carries out its Christian Mission to Gaza. Via ASSIST News Service, Pastor Massad sends an urgent message: “Many people in Gaza are without water and electricity. The food supply is limited, and there is no gas... This time we are going through is a very tough time. It is one of the worst times we have had in Gaza. We continue to hear the noise of bombing almost 24 hours a day... This has caused damage in many homes. Even the ceiling inside our church fell down. We are very concerned about our children. It is causing psychological problems, not only for children but for many adults as well. Sometimes, we are not able to meet, and we have to cancel our meetings, especially the children’s ministry. The last few days have been very difficult for me, where I felt the spirit of fear and desperation. But yesterday and today, I felt more of the presence of God in the midst of darkness. I need more and more of His presence and power in order to minister to my people the message of hope and peace. We have only one way. We chose to live for Him and reflect his love to the Palestinian people."

Christian, Jewish Women Promote Biblical Women's Rights -- CNSNews reports that American Christians are teaming up with Israeli parliamentarians to advance the status of women worldwide by stressing Judeo-Christian values. The project is part of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC), which was established in 2004 to promote Jewish-Christian relations. Those relations have strengthened considerably during more than five years of violent Palestinian uprising. Evangelical Christians have proved to be some of Israel's most faithful allies during the last few years, advocating on behalf of Israel and boosting tourism to the country. At a meeting at the Knesset on Tuesday, the KCAC launched an International Women's Council, which will be chaired by American Evangelist Kay Arthur. Arthur said the group's mission is three-fold: to advance the status of women on the basis of Judeo-Christian values; to establish communication and cooperation between women of all backgrounds and ethnicities; and to make Jerusalem the focal point for change and "the spread of biblical values around the world."

WHAT DO YOU SERVE YOUR MIND?

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 NLT

No one would allow garbage at his table, but many allow it served into their minds.
Fulton John Sheen


Watch your diet



What would we expect of someone who feeds only on fast food and unhealthy snacks filled with sugar and fats? A healthy body? Long life? No, we would expect physical health to be largely the product of physical intake. Is it any different in the spirit?

Modern culture is saturated with unhealthy spiritual food—from the lusts of the flesh and the eyes, to the human pride of the self-life, to elaborate and deceptive worldviews and philosophies. Hundreds of television channels, dozens of newspapers and magazines, unlimited cyberspace images, and a number of other media compete for our attention. We let many of them actually win our attention. And much of what we feed on is unhealthy. In our pursuit of wisdom, our minds often hunger for genuine nutrition.

"You are what you eat" applies not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual. There's no way to take in junk without becoming junky.

God calls us to watch our diets. It pleases Him when we care for His temple, our bodies. But it pleases HIm much more when we care for our minds. Our thought life is where His Spirit most prefers to work, shaping uncluttered hearts and imparting wisdom to uncluttered minds. Even so, we do not make a smooth highway for Him into our souls. Through our entertainment, we let ourselves be bombarded by an incessant PR campaign for the ways of the world. Find a balance. Watch what goes into your mind. Without hindrance, let His thoughts nourish you.

Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 4.


Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Bush Calls U.S. a Nation of Prayer Yahoo News

DOES HOLLYWOOD GET RELIGION RIGHT? -- Does Hollywood get religion right when it makes movies? Catholic News Service reports the answers are diverse as cinematic fare. "Some people do their homework and get it right; other people exploit it," said Paulist Father Frank Desiderio. "If you mean the studios, then no they don't," said Barbara Nicolosi, who runs the Act One screenwriting program for Christians. "Studios are not in the habit of hiring people of faith to either write, direct or be in any creative capacity for projects that involve religion." Harry Forbes, director of the U.S. bishops' Office for Film & Broadcasting, said, "In the old days, Hollywood would bend over backward not to offend." While that era may have been inaccurate by portraying "an overly idealized view of religious types," Forbes added, "that is preferable to a disparaging view of religion, as you often get today." Nicolosi commented on several recent releases, including ABC's miniseries The Ten Commandments ("[They] missed "the entire theological heart of the Moses story"), blockbuster movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (" [It] didn't pack the punch it could have" because the screenwriters "didn't get Aslan"), and the forthcoming The Da Vinci Code (she dreads the May 19 release, and is advocating an "othercott," exhorting moviegoers to see the animated feature Over the Hedge that weekend instead).

LONGER LIVES FOR THOSE WHO GO TO CHURCH? -- According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, regular church attendance is an effective way to increase life expectancy. Specifically, people who attend a religious service on a weekly basis tend to prolong their life 1.8 to 3.1 years. In comparison, regular physical exercise prolongs life 3.0 to 5.1 years, while proven therapeutic regimens add 2.1 to 3.7 years to a person's life. Since the study is a review of existing research, it does not explain the link between faith and health. But Daniel Hall, leader of the study and a resident in general surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, speculates that the social aspect of religion may have something to do with the results. "There is something about being knit into the type of community that religious communities embody that has a way of mediating a positive health effect," Hall said. Therefore, being religiously active may decrease your stress level or increase your ability to cope with stress. "Being in a religious community helps you make meaning out of your life," he added. In addition to health data, Hall also examined the annual cost of these typical life-gaining activities. He found that people spend about $4,000 a year on physical exercise, $10,000 a year on therapy and $7,000 a year per household on contributions to religious institutions. "[Yet] there is no evidence that changing religious attendance causes a change in health outcomes," Hall warned.
-- AgapePress

DA VINCI CODE POLL -- Despite sensational reports to the contrary, most Americans are not buying the key theological premises of The Da Vinci Code says a poll commissioned by the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Baptist Press reports that NAMB commissioned Zogby International to conduct the poll, which involved a sample of 1,200 adults surveyed by telephone in March. 23% of Americans have read the novel, while 43% said they were familiar with the content. Among those who had read it, more than 60% believed that the Bible is closer to the truth, while only 10% believed Dan Brown's novel is more truthful. Among the entire sample, 72% believed that the Bible was closer to the truth. "The most striking result from the survey is that after either reading or hearing about The Da Vinci Code, 44% of respondents were more likely to seek the truth by studying the Bible, while only 20% were less likely to study the Bible," said Ed Stetzer, missiologist and director of NAMB's Center for Missional Research.

MARY MAGDALENE, THE TRUTH -- The fictions in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code are not the only errors about Mary Magdalene that modern scholars are seeking to correct. Catholic News Service reports that historians are also trying to set straight centuries of erroneous Christian tradition regarding her that evolved over time in the West. While Greek Orthodox tradition always held that Mary Magdalene, the unnamed repentant sinner who cried on Jesus' feet, and Mary of Bethany were three distinct women, a sermon by Pope St. Gregory in 591 identified the three figures as one woman, creating the notion of Mary Magdalene as a repentant sinful woman, possibly a prostitute. Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, a theologian at Fordham University, said the version of Mary as "the prostitute to whom Jesus forgave much and who loved him... took on a profound Christian ideal of a sinner who repents and therefore is a model for Christians in that way. But what got lost in the process was her actual role as a leader of witnessing to the Resurrection in the early church." Sister Elizabeth said that when one looks at Mary being the one the risen Christ appears to and commissions to announce the good news to the others, it has "many implications for how we tell the story... There is the typical story where Jesus chose the 12 and put Peter in charge, and the women were accessories. When you put Mary Magdalene into the picture, you can't tell the story that way so simply anymore."

PEACE CELLS INSTEAD OF TERROR CELLS -- According to a Catholic News Service story, a group of parishioners at St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, NJ is trying to turn the term "terror cell" inside out by forming a "peace cell" and using prayer to promote peace. Led by four Franciscan Sisters of Peace, about 20 parishioners meet on Sundays to spend 24 minutes praying for an end to violence around the world and close to home. Franciscan Sister Ellen Byrnes said, "We want to counter the terror cells, which people are concerned about. Our focus is to pray for peace and to trust in the power of prayer. In this time of fear and terror, the sisters believe that prayer is an untapped source needed in our world." Father Philip LeBeau, St. Joseph's pastor, called the peace cell "a great idea. To get 20 people out on a Sunday is great. It's short, and people come when they can. They get together and pray for peace the way they want to." Originally, the Sisters had planned to devote themselves by praying in their convent. Instead, they decided to extend an invitation to the parish.

Boom in African Christianity Spills over to America: The Redeemed Christian Church of God was founded in Lagos, Nigeria by men and women who were once the target of missionary work themselves, according to an Associated Press report. Now, Redeemed Church has become one of the most aggressive evangelizers to emerge from the advance of Christianity across Africa. Jacob Olupona, a professor at the University of California-Davis, has found hundreds of examples in cities large and small. "Anyone who writes about Christianity in America in the 21st century," Olupona said, "will have to write about African churches." Over the last century, Christians in Nigeria have swelled from a tiny minority to nearly half the population, and Nigerian pastors have shown an exceptional talent for winning believers abroad. In the U.S., the Redeemed Church has opened more than 200 parishes in just over a decade, and is training pastors of all ethnicities to reach beyond the church's base in the African immigrant community. One of its largest congregations, Victory Temple in Bowie, Md., claims 2,000 members. Fifty miles north of Dallas, the church is building a multimillion-dollar national headquarters and conference complex on more than 600 acres of farm land. The Redeemed Church is Pentecostal and, through evangelism, has become the fastest-growing wing of Christianity worldwide.

Survey Reveals Significant Growth in Born Again Population: In The Barna Group's latest study, in which 1003 lower-48 American adults were interviewed, the proportion of adults who can be classified as "born again Christians" based upon their beliefs was the highest ever measured in the quarter century that Barna has been tracking that measure. The new research found that 45% of all adults meet the criteria that The Barna Group uses to classify people as "born again." That number is up from 31% in 1983. The increase is largely attributable to a 16-point rise among Baby Boomers since the beginning of the 1990s. With 53% of Boomers currently meeting the born again criteria used by The Barna Group, that generation has now surpassed the percentage of born again adults within the preceding pair of generations. Slightly more than one-third of the younger generations - the Baby Busters and Mosaics - fit the criteria. Other demographic comparisons: women are 16% more likely than men to be born again; African-Americans are the ethnic group most likely to be born again (59%); Hispanics the least likely (32%). The South is 57% born again, while the West (33%) and Northeast (37%) have fewer born again Christians.

Study Suggests Weekly Worship May Add 2-3 Years to Life: Could weekly religious attendance extend your life as much as regular exercise? The Washington Post reports that's one way to view new research by University of Pittsburgh physician Daniel Hall, who also happens to be an Episcopal priest. The study compares numbers from life expectancy tables and mortality studies to suggest that weekly worship may add 2-3 years to life, versus 3-5 years for regular exercise and 2.5-3.5 years for cholesterol-lowering drugs. Hall even compares the costs/benefits of tithing, gym membership and cholesterol medications. The study is not without its critics. Tom Denberg of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center said the study does not account for other behaviors - such as religious people being less likely to be smokers - that may explain churchgoers' relative longevity. Denberg went on to label the study "part of a larger, troubling movement in American society to enhance the scientific credibility of [religious] concepts."

Open Doors Urges Participation In North Korea Freedom Week: During North Korea Freedom Week April 22-30, Open Doors USA is partnering with North Korea Freedom Coalition members to focus on atrocities and raise up prayers. For Soon Ok Lee, a Christian survivor of political prison camps and author of "Eyes of the Tailless Animals," North Korea is the world's No. 1 "Evil Empire." Lee still bears physical scars from her prison camp experience where: "According to North Korean law... a criminal's seed must be scorched up to its third generation, [so] they abort the baby. If somehow the baby survives and is born, they strangle the baby by stepping on them in front of its own mother. I also witnessed many human experiments. They said it was pointless to test weapons and chemicals on animals because they were created to target their enemies - other human beings. I also saw many Christians in the camp... they were stepped on until death. If they didn't deny God, they were often times burned to death from boiling hot liquid metal. And these weren't rare sights for me. Because I went through many physical tortures... the right side of my face is still a little distorted, the left half of my mouth is crooked and the whole left half of my teeth were crushed. I live with a lot of physical pain on my body and it's difficult to get through each day. But there are still many people going through tortures and human experiments even at this very moment." Lee says we as Christians need to speak out about these abuses. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) adds: "In North Korea, we hear reports of religious believers being tortured, imprisoned and even executed for their beliefs."

PRAY FOR GENOCIDE TO END IN DARFUR: Prayer Week for Darfur


April 2-9 is the Week of Prayer and Action for Darfur, reports Family News in Focus. Gloria White-Hammond is with the Save Darfur Coalition. "The history of genocide reveals that for the most part, genocides were not stopped, they petered-out and it's not been the case that people have stood up and intervened to actually stop that action. We're inviting communities of all faiths to participate and certainly looking for people to come together in whatever venue; in their prayer meetings, their phone prayers, but to pray that God's will would be done in Darfur." As part in the Million Voices for Darfur campaign, Richard Cizik with the National Association of Evangelicals is hoping President Bush will get one-million post cards asking him to make peace in Darfur a priority. You can send a postcard to President Bush through www.savedarfur.org. The postcards will be delivered to Washington D.C. during the "Save Darfur Rally to Stop Genocide" on April 30th.

MYPOINTS.COM ... Thought I'd let y'all know about one of my favorite sites. I receive a few emails in the mail each day from Mypoints. Just by clicking them I get points and I redeem those points for gift cards. It's that simple. My favorite gift cards: Wal-Mart, and bookstores. Oh, free dining at my favorite restaurants are good, too. No catch. It's seriously free. Just follow the link.

Interesting interview with Creation Entertainment guy on "fandoms." If you're into scifi/fantasy shows and movies you should enjoy this.

Anthony Walker, a Godly Son

So sad, but also so uplifting. If we can all forgive like this ...

Christian T-Shirts More Popular Than NBA or Abercrombie
Religion News Service

Christian t-shirts are a more popular choice among young adults than either NBA-themed or Abercrombie & Fitch logo tees, according to a new nationwide survey by Internet retailer DATOmana.
419 adults aged 18 - 34 from across the country were surveyed about their tastes in tees. When presented with a variety of t-shirts, including an Abercrombie & Fitch logo tee, a NBA-licensed tee and a Christian tee, 40 percent chose the religious tee, versus 16 percent for the NBA tee and 30 percent for the Abercrombie tee. When asked what would motivate them to wear a t-shirt with a religious message on it, most said simply that they would do so if they liked the message on the shirt. Only 6 percent said they would only wear one "as a joke."
"America's love of religious t-shirts shouldn't really come as a surprise," says Tom Biggs, president of DATOmana. "Research has shown that almost three-quarters of Americans consider their faith to be a very important part of their life, and younger Americans are more likely than any previous generation to feel comfortable wearing clothing that not only reflects their personal attitude, but their beliefs, as well."

Most Americans Feel Religion Is 'Under Attack,' Poll Shows
Melanie Hunter, CNSNews.com
A new survey shows the majority of Americans think religion is "under attack" and "losing its influence" in American life.
According to the poll, American Attitudes Toward Religion In the Public Square, 64 percent (out of 800 adults polled) agreed with the statement that "religion is under attack" in America, and 80 percent of those who identify themselves as evangelical Christians were in agreement.
"The findings suggest that American public opinion is starkly divided when it comes to the role of religion in the public square, and that our nation's proud tradition of church-state separation is threatened as never before," said Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman. "Unfortunately, too many people believe that religion is under attack in America, when in fact religion is stronger in the United States than in any other Western country."
The poll also found 53 percent of respondents believe that religion is "losing" influence in American life, while 35 percent said it is "increasing influence." Among those who think religion is "losing" influence, 60 percent are evangelical Christians, while 33 percent of that same group said religion is "increasing" in influence.
The poll also covered questions regarding public displays of the Ten Commandments, and the creation/evolution debate.

Believers flock to 'crying' virgin Mary in California.

I find this fascinating. No, I'm not Catholic. But I believe this is possible -- there are many things that happen in this world that aren't explanable by earthly means.

OLDER BUT WILDER, I just finished this book by Effie Leland Wilder. CUTE! I read another of her books, ONE MORE TIME: JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT! I love this lady and her books. They were bought for my Mom but I like them better than she does, I think.

Adrian Rogers, former Southern Baptist president, dies at age 74
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Dr. Adrian Rogers of Memphis, a three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention and leader of a conservative takeover of the faith, died early Tuesday in Memphis. He was 74.
His death was announced at the Baptist Press News Web site and at Rogers’ own Web site. Officials with the Nashville based Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.
Rogers was hospitalized earlier this month with pneumonia and cancer, his Web site said.
Rogers as pastor of the 28,000-member Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis in March 2005, saying during his farewell sermon, “I am what I am by the grace of God.”
Rogers was elected president in 1979 as part of the conservative takeover of the SBC.
Rogers’ election turned out to a be a watershed moment for the denomination, and the 16 million member group shifted dramatically to the right politically and theologically.
In the years that followed, conservative leaders pushed hard against abortion rights, homosexuality and women pastors.
Rogers also was elected president of the SBC in 1986 and 1987.
He was pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church for 32 years.
“There’s no one in this country I respect more than Adrian Rogers,” said Focus on the Family’s Dr. James Dobson on Rogers’ last day as pastor. “You draw me to Christ. When I’m with you, I feel closer to the Lord.”
Among those who attended his final sermon were Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn.; Dr. Richard Land, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; and Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and former SBC president.
During his career, Rogers preached crusades in Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Russia, Romania, and in Central and South America.
In 2003 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the National Religious Broadcasters.

Dog to receive memorial award at cat show

Pal Jeff Calloway's posts last two days have been awesome.

Ancient church found -- perhaps oldest -- near Armageddon (Megiddo)

Reuters version of above AP story

"In God We Trust" on "Dateline" Friday night:
Dateline

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28 - 8:00 PM ET
It's a movement sweeping the nation 70-million strong: But for Evangelicals, it's also about the fight over abortion and gay marriage. And politics. Do Evangelicals have too much influence? Some fellow Christians think "yes." Who are today's Evangelicals? And what is their vision for America?Tom Brokaw reports.

Lucy Lawless tackles “Vampire Bats”

By BRIDGET BYRNE
For The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — For someone used to confronting vengeful gods, vampire bats must seem like chicken feed.
In the CBS movie “Vampire Bats,” Lucy Lawless — forever famous as the scantily clad, weapon-wielding superwoman in the syndicated action series “Xena: Warrior Princess” — plays Dr. Maddy Rierdon, “an everywoman,” as Lawless calls her.
Lawless, 37, first appeared as Rierdon in April, taking on a plague of bioengineered insects in “Locusts.” That movie’s appeal to a younger demographic (so vital now that the CBS Sunday night movie is up against the ABC hit “Desperate Housewives”) has spawned this sequel, which airs Sunday at 9 p.m Eastern. Dylan Neal reprises his role as Rierdon’s husband, and Timothy Bottoms and Brett Butler co-star.
Lawless has no pretensions about “Vampire Bats” having a serious message, although the two-hour tale does indicate industrial pollution mutated the bats into little monsters.
“It’s really fun and the people who make it are fun. They don’t take themselves too seriously,” says Lawless, explaining why she again signed on to play a character, who is — bats aside — closer to her own reality as a working mother of three.
She’s usually more interested in roles that provide escapism from her daily norm.
Producer Frank von Zerneck says Lawless was an apt pick to play “a smart, headstrong woman, very well-trained, with connections in Washington, who really takes charge.”
“Lucy’s got two feet on the ground; she’s very, very strong and yet has a wonderful soft side that she reveals here. She’s a dream to work with — and talk about tricky circumstances,” he adds, referring to Hurricane Katrina, which forced the production to move out of New Orleans.
Lawless spent hours in a car with “dramatic weather rolling over us,” en route to Baton Rouge, where she stayed with other crew members for a few days.
Luckily, no real bats had to travel with them because the creatures are computer-generated. “Live bats are very hard to wrangle,” quips the New Zealand-born actress.
But one oversized animatronic bat was created. “Its mouth opens. Its tongue comes out. Its eyes bulge. Its head moves side to side. All those delicious things,” von Zerneck says, laughing.
Even before “Xena” ended production in 2001 after six seasons, Lawless started displaying her versatility. In 1997 she appeared on Broadway as Rizzo in the musical “Grease.” Earlier this year in Seattle, she performed in a production of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
Those experiences reminded her that being a musical star was her dream back in Mount Albert, Auckland, where she grew up as Lucille Ryan — possibly a “throwback” to her great-grandmother, a vaudevillian.
———
On the Net:
www.cbs.com
http://www.lucylawlessfanclub.com

Christians are here for 'such a time as this'

INTERNET FOR CHRISTIANSDigest from October 15, 2005 to October 21, 2005Internet for Christians reviews and recommends websites, email lists,news items, and other Internet points of interest to Christians. ThisIFC digest email collects the stories that we've posted on our websitein the past week. You can keep up with the stories as they're postedat: http://ifc.gospelcom.net/.IFC is published by Gospelcom.net http://www.gospelcom.net/ andsponsored by GospelDirect.com http://www.gospeldirect.com/. You canfind subscription information at the end of this email, or on the IFCwebsite.____________________________________________________** SECTIONS AND ARTICLES IN THIS DIGEST **SPIRITUAL GROWTH * Contemplating Katrina * Travel Back to the Bible and the ReformationNEW & NOTABLE * Announcing the First Annual Faith-Based Marketing Summit * Appreciating Your PastorMINISTRY * First Christian Church in Hundreds of Years to be Built in QatarENTERTAINMENT * Mourning, Tragedy, and Gospel Music * Third "Left Behind" Film to Show at Over 3,000 ChurchesFAMILY * Drugs, Suicide and Teen Sex: Crises in the Family * Eclectic Homeschool Online: Resources for Christian ParentsSOCIETY * Scripture Quotes, Coming to a Coffee Cup Near You * Christian Resources for the World Community * An Atheist Selling Jesus?JUST FOR FUN * A Pastor's Halloween Alternatives!?!___________________________________________________** SPIRITUAL GROWTH **CONTEMPLATING KATRINA - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- "Can I really expect God to protect me?" It's oneof those deep-thought questions and the subject of a recent article[1]at ChristianityToday.com. And the answer? Nancy Guthrie, author, talksabout "divine promises in the midst of suffering" and asks difficultquestions we too, in our distress and difficulties, want to ask. Sheconcludes, "So can I expect God to protect me, and anyone devastated bya tragedy as big as Katrina? Absolutely! I've come to see that his'protection plan' is more vast and far-reaching than my shallowexpectations once defined. I see now that God's promises for protectiongo much deeper than protecting my body or my agenda or my plan for mylife. I can rest easy. I'm protected." Note: For additional thought, read Katrina Aid Continues as StandardPublishing Releases 'Where’s God? Hanging on When You Can’tSee His Plan[2],' an ASSIST News Service story, and learn how to obtaina free copy.-- Links in this story --http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/010/26.56.html
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s05100086.htm
TRAVEL BACK TO THE BIBLE AND THE REFORMATION - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- Learn about the history of the modern Church andthe lives of the giants of the Christian faith[1] (Charles Wesley, JohnWycliffe, Martin Luther and more) from two Back to the Bible video andCD-ROM resources. In "After the Darkness...Light," Woodrow Kroll,senior Bible teacher and BTTB president, visits the ancient cities ofEurope to explain the people, places and events God used to reconstructthe Christian Church and to restore the light of His truth. "Giants ofthe Faith," a CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh, presents the inspiringtrue stories of 16 Reformation movers and shakers, including CharlesWesley, David Livingstone and John Wycliffe, while also touring theGreat Britain landscape. Purchase both resources together at anaffordable sale price.-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.backtothebible.org/resources/faith_giants.htm
___________________________________________________** NEW & NOTABLE **ANNOUNCING THE FIRST ANNUAL FAITH-BASED MARKETING SUMMIT - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- The First Annual Faith-Based Marketing Summit willbe held on November 4 in Dallas, Texas. Faith-Based Marketing[1]"explores the role the faith-based community can play in the success ofmarketing Christian products and events." The conference covers avariety of topics including "Creative uses of telemarketing - whatworks and what doesn't" and "Email vs. snail mail - current trends andcomparisons for the faith-based consumers/donors." Featured speakersinclude Larry Ross, Billy Graham's PR representative for the past 20years and other top Christian professionals in Christian marketing.Greg Stielstra, former senior marketing director for the book group atZondervan[2] will be a special guest speaker.-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.faithbasedmarketing.com/
[2] http://www.zondervan.com/
APPRECIATING YOUR PASTOR - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- "Caring for a pastor goes beyond baking himcookies," says Jane Rubietta, the wife of a pastor in Illinois (USA).In her book, "How to Keep the Pastor You Love," Rubietta sets out toeducate congregations and church leaders on issues pastors face, suchas frequent moves and expectations of the church, the pastor'sspiritual life, care for the pastor's spouse, a place for the pastor'schildren and financial compensation. Rubietta breaks down the largelyunexamined myth of the superhuman pastor. Read more about Rubietta'sbook at InterVarsity Press[1] and visit Abounding Ministries[2] tolearn more about Jane Rubietta and her unique perspective on pastorappreciation. In addition, read Pastors Serve Others Across theWorld[3], an ASSIST News Service story; then enjoy a Pastor'sAppreciation page[4] with devos and poetry honoring pastors.-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=2319
[2] http://www.abounding.org/
[3] http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s05090125.htm
[4] http://www.peggiesplace.com/pastorappreciation.htm
___________________________________________________** MINISTRY **FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO BE BUILT IN QATAR - posted by Andy RauOctober 21, 2005 -- The country of Qatar is getting a church--but notjust any old church. The planned Anglican church will be the firstChristian church built in the country since the arrival of Islam in the7th century! An AP article[1] at Beliefnet takes a thorough look atthe church plans, and at the controversy and resistance generated bythe church's construction amidst the nation's primarily Muslimpopulace. The church should provide an official place of worship forsome of the country's approximately 70,000 Christians, most of whomhave come to the country since the early 20th century. According tothe article, a handful of other Christian churches catering to otherChristian denominations may follow the Anglican church.-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.beliefnet.com/story/177/story_17746_1.html
___________________________________________________** ENTERTAINMENT **MOURNING, TRAGEDY, AND GOSPEL MUSIC - posted by Andy RauOctober 21, 2005 -- What place does mourning have in the modernChristian life? Do we glamorize the ideal Christian life as one thatisn't touched by sadness or tragedy? The always-interesting Gospel Galblog muses about the place of mourning and grief[1] in our lives, andwonders if Gospel music might have something to say in this regard:"Does gospel music, in its present contemporary form, provide music formourning? Prophetic music that serves as a much-needed jeremiad for theconditions in which we find ourselves, or as the timeless music thatreminds us that we have tribulation in the world?"-- Links in this story --[1] http://gospelgal.blogspot.com/2005/09/music-to-mourn-to.html
THIRD "LEFT BEHIND" FILM TO SHOW AT OVER 3,000 CHURCHES - posted by Andy RauOctober 21, 2005 -- The third installment in the "Left Behind" movieseries[1] arrives this weekend, although it won't be showing at yourlocal movie theater--try your local church! The franchise, which hasbeen well-received by Christians audiences but largely dismissed bymainstream film critics, has since its inception focused its marketingcampaign on churches, and "Left Behind: World at War" is noexception--it will be showing at over 3,000 churches (see the officialpress release[2] for details). A recent Christianity Today interviewwith the director Peter Lalonde[3] talks more about the strategy (andsee also their review[4] of the film). Opinions may vary within theChristian community about the "Left Behind" films, but "World at War's"church-focused release could point at new ways that Christian-interestor independent films might be distributed outside the traditional moviesystem.-- Links in this story --[1] http://imdb.com/title/tt0443567/
[2] http://www.cloudtenpictures.com/index.php?object=RecentNews
[3] http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/peterlalonde.html
[4] http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/leftbehind3.html
___________________________________________________** FAMILY **DRUGS, SUICIDE AND TEEN SEX: CRISES IN THE FAMILY - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- Facts and figures don't lie--drugs, suicide andteen sex are catastrophic even within the Christian family. What arethe warning signs of suicide? Visit Parenting & Family Life[1] (Baptist Memorial Health Care) that addresses issues such as drugs,sex, HIV, discipline, rules, single parenting and more. Then see TeenChallenge International for A Parent's Guide on Drug Abuse[2], warningsigns, drug-proofing your child, marijuana and alcohol use, preventiontips and more. The Christian Youth Ministry Association in New Zealandoffers youth ministry resources also applicable for the family. SeeYouth Suicide[3], as well as Difficult Behaviors[4] and Sexuality[5]. -- Links in this story --[1] http://www.baptistonline.org/health/library/parent.asp
[2] http://www.teenchallenge.com/socal/index.cfm?articleID=1&centerID=1024
[3] http://www.youthministry.org.nz/?sid=15
[4] http://www.youthministry.org.nz/?sid=7
[5] http://www.youthministry.org.nz/?sid=9
ECLECTIC HOMESCHOOL ONLINE: RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTS - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- Eclectic Homeschool Online[1], "a magazine forcreative homeschoolers...published from a Christian perspective,"offers multi-resources for homeschooling families. Find supportresources (legal, military, organizations), product reviews, family funand educational development (math, critical thinking, science, socialstudies, special needs, the arts, crafts, Bible and more). Readhomeschooling articles and enjoy community with other homeschoolingparents (forums, news, email lists and more). A shopping area forcurriculum, educational toys, software, DVDs and more is alsoavailable.-- Links in this story --[1] http://eclectichomeschool.org/
___________________________________________________** SOCIETY **SCRIPTURE QUOTES, COMING TO A COFFEE CUP NEAR YOU - posted by Andy RauOctober 21, 2005 -- Have you ever spotted a Bible verse stealthilyprinted on the bottom of a coffee cup, or on a shopping bag? You mightwant to keep an eye out for such quotes--according to a recent USAToday article[1], a surprising number of retailers and companies, fromStarbucks to a California burger chain to Hobby Lobby--have made use offaith-based messages, quotes, or music in their everyday business. Thereasons for doing so range from piety to wanting to simply do somethingunique and interesting. Whatever the reasons, it's interesting to seebits of Christianity cropping up not just at your weekly churchservice, but along with your burger and fries during your weekday lunchbreak!-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2005-10-19-starbucks-quote_x.htm
CHRISTIAN RESOURCES FOR THE WORLD COMMUNITY - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- ChristianityToday.com, in cooperation with theGlobal Christian Internet Alliance[1] provides a resource channel[2]for the international Christian and non-Christian communities. Find anextensive collection of multi-language resources, be informed withupdated news and discover affiliates worldwide. Read World Reports fromChristianity Today[3] magazine; find international news for Africa,Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Multi-languageresources include Bible Gateway, Evangelism Toolbox and ChristianAnswers Web sites in 19 languages; a non-believer can also read Who isJesus?[4] in his native language. -- Links in this story --[1] http://www.christianitytoday.com/international/features/info.html
[2] http://www.christianitytoday.com/international/
[3] http://www.christianitytoday.com/ctmag/
[4] http://www.whoisjesus.org/
AN ATHEIST SELLING JESUS? - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- A coalition of evangelical churches led by theBible Society of Australia[1] has recently run a media campaign inAdelaide, spending about $AUS 250,000 on the most intense andbroad-based religious campaign in this country to try to reclaim lostground. The slogan is Jesus. All about life[2] and the plan is to rollit out across the country in the next couple of years, with Canberradue next April. And an atheist has been advising[3]! The strategy isfor 90 per cent of the population to see the television ads 10 times,with billboards across the city, radio spots, an Internet site[4] and amail-out of 250,000 postcards. (Courtesy of Web EvangelismBulletin[5].)-- Links in this story --[1] http://www.biblesociety.com.au/
[2] http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au/
[3] http://guide.gospelcom.net/rd?b05sept-australian
[4] http://allaboutlife.com.au/
[5] http://guide.gospelcom.net/resources/bulletin.php
___________________________________________________** JUST FOR FUN **A PASTOR'S HALLOWEEN ALTERNATIVES!?! - posted by Peggie BohanonOctober 19, 2005 -- Canadian Pastor Grant MacDonald humorouslyaddresses the Halloween dilemma in his Top Ten Suggestions forChristian Halloween Costumes[1] and his hilarious Top Ten Things to Dowith Your Youth Group on Halloween[2]. Pastor MacDonald also offerssome great ideas for serious Halloween Alternatives[3] such asBible-character costume parties and "Light the Night," a neighborhoodtract distribution. Readers will also enjoy a Halloween-relatedtestimony, Take Jesus Along[4].-- Links in this story --[1] http://graceland.gentle.org/topten/topoct98.html
[2] http://graceland.gentle.org/topten/0510top.html
[3] http://graceland.gentle.org/topten/ween.html
[4] http://graceland.gentle.org/whatcha/takejes.html
____________________________________________________Peggie Bohanon, Executive EditorAndy Rau, Managing EditorDavid Sanford, Contributing WriterPeggie Bohanon, executive editor, is webmaster of Peggie's Place(http://www.peggiesplace.com/).Internet for Christians content may be posted and distributed withoutcharge for non-profit use. Non-profit organizations must give credit tothe newsletter and to Gospelcom.net. Commercial media may quote from itwith proper attribution to both the newsletter and GospelCommunications. (Copyright 2003 Gospel Communications International,Inc., (http://gci.gospelcom.net/
).The Web version of IFC (http://ifc.gospelcom.net/
) features regularlyupdating content.SUBMISSIONS: You are welcome to submit your news, press releases,humorous anecdotes and Web addresses for possible featuring through theonline form at http://ifc.gospelcom.net/recommend/.
IFC features a wide variety of websites that we feel are interestingand noteworthy for Christians. That said, we encourage you to exercisediscretion while browsing the sites we feature. IFC makes reasonableefforts to determine that the material we reference is interesting andreliable, but we neither operate nor control the sites in question, andthus don't assume responsibility for them. Please use discretion whilebrowsing.PAST STORIES: Do you remember seeing a post in a past IFC digest thatyou'd like to find again? We archive a full year's worth of content at<
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'God Bloggers' Head to National Conference
By GILLIAN FLACCUS
The Associated Press
LA MIRADA, Calif. (AP) - What would Jesus blog? That and other pressing questions drew 135 Christians to Southern California this weekend for a national conference billed as the first-ever for "God bloggers," a growing community of online writers who exchange information and analyze current events from a Christian perspective.
The three-day conference at Biola University marked an important benchmark for Christian bloggers, who have worked behind the scenes for years to spread the Gospel and infuse politics with religion.
Topics included God bloggers' relationship with the traditional church, their growing influence on mainstream politics and how to manage outsiders' perceptions.
Some predicted bloggers could play a role in reforming the modern church by keeping televangelists and other high-profile Christian leaders honest.
Joe Carter, author of evangelicaloutpost.com., compared blogging to the 95 Theses posted by Martin Luther nearly 500 years ago that launched the Protestant Reformation.
"It's like putting 95 blogs out there," said Carter, who previously said God bloggers offer an "uncensored and unadulterated" view of contemporary Christian thought on politics and organized religion.
Many bloggers are now writing about religious oppression, poverty and world hunger, instead of hot-button issues such as abortion, homosexuality and assisted suicide, said the Rev. Andrew Jackson, a seminary professor and pastor at the Word of Grace Church in Mesa, Ariz.
"With blogging you tend to break out of those circles and you see other points of view," Carter said. "There's a bigger world out there than gay marriage and abortion."
At one well-attended workshop - "When Non-Christians Read Your Blog" - Biola University professor Timothy Muehlhoff gave instructions on writing about faith without alienating nonbelievers.
He stressed that God blogging has the potential to be a "train wreck" because done wrong it can reinforce stereotypes of evangelical Christians as angry and close-minded "pit bulls of the culture wars."
"As Christians today we are embroiled in the argument culture and we have forgotten this one thing: 'Blessed are the peacemakers.'," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could say we brought a level of civility back to the conversation?"
Jackson, who blogs at smartchristian.com, said he wasn't as sure what long-term influence blogging would have on evangelical Christians - but he knew it would be important.
"We are just at the beginning of what is going on," he said. "We need to start thinking about how we can harness and focus the Christian blogosphere for greater impact."
---
On the Net:
GodBlogCon 2005: http://www.godblogcon.com
Biola University: http://www.biola.edu

Baptists providing aid to quake victims

Hudson Leick, who portrayed Callisto on Xena: Warrior Princess, will appear in "CSI" at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS Thursday (Oct. 6)

HELEN OF TROY: Classical historian Bettany Hughes travels across the eastern Mediterranean to find out the truth about the woman whose face “launched a thousand ships” more than 3,000 years ago. On the PBS special “Helen of Troy,” Hughes separates reality from centuries of romantic myths told about Helen. Hughes travels from the city where Helen is said to have been born — Sparta in the mountains of Greece — to the archaeological site in modern Turkey that forever will be linked with the war fought in her name: Troy. “The drama starts with a messy love affair and it ends up in a bloody and disastrous conflict,” says Hughes. The two-hour special airs 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 (check local listings).

Evangelist Franklin Graham sees ’revival’ for New Orleans in Katrina’s aftermath

By STEVE SZKOTAK
Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Evangelist Franklin Graham said Tuesday that Hurricane Katrina could lead to a spiritual rebirth of a sinful New Orleans.
Graham, the son and designated successor of the Rev. Billy Graham, said he doesn’t believe the devastating storm was a punishment from God for what he sees as the city’s ties to satanic worship and sexual perversion.
“I’m not saying that God used this storm as a judgment,” Graham said.
But he said the city’s Mardi Gras revelry and ties to voodoo were adverse to Christian beliefs.
“New Orleans has been known for years as a party town,” Graham said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his office in Boone, N.C. “It is a city that has strong ties to the gay and lesbian movement, and these types of things.”
On Monday, Graham delivered a similar message in an appearance in Lynchburg: “There’s been satanic worship. There’s been sexual perversion. God is going to use that storm to bring revival. God has a plan. God has a purpose.”
Graham’s comments, reported by The News & Advance of Lynchburg, were made at Thomas Road Baptist Church’s Super Conference 2005 at Liberty University. Both the church and the university were founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
“The good news is that God loves sinners,” said Graham.
Graham said he has prayed with clergy in New Orleans for deliverance from “this dark spiritual cloud,” and he sees signs of promise as churches “black and white work hand in hand” to restore the city.
His Samaritan’s Purse organization is working in five communities in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana, including New Orleans. He said volunteers were distributing 200 trailer homes in Louisiana. The organization has been criticized for delivering gift bags to displaced children that include Christian tracts and a stuffed lamb that plays “Jesus Loves You.”
On Sunday, New Orleans’ historic St. Louis Cathedral held its first Sunday Mass since the hurricane, and Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes suggested the city would rebuild as a community with a stronger moral thread, free of racial tension and rampant self-indulgence. The Roman Catholic leader reassured the congregation that God did not cause the hurricane to punish evildoers.

Just read a bit about The Noah Alliance. It sounds like a worthwhile group.

Pretty cool.

TOM BROKAW ON EVANGELICALS FRIDAY NIGHT ...

Brokaw looks at power of religion

By Frazier Moore
Associated Press

September 6, 2005
 
"While attendance at traditional churches has been declining for decades," Tom Brokaw says, "the evangelical movement is growing, and it is changing the way America worships."
Consider New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., which marks the Easter holiday with a full-scale staging of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ -- with a cast and crew of 750 mostly coming from the church's membership of 11,000.
The phenomenon of such an evangelical "mega-church" is part of Brokaw's focus on "In God They Trust," a one-hour NBC News special airing at 8 p.m. Friday.
Brokaw notes that evangelical Christians have become a powerful force in American culture, politics and the economy, and that, propelled by their faith, they're determined to spread the word.
But he also explores why so many Americans are turning to this expression of faith, and whether some evangelicals are going too far: imposing on others their spiritual beliefs not only for personal reasons but also for political reasons.
Brokaw talks with families at New Life as well as cadets at the nearby U.S. Air Force Academy. And he interviews Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (which represents 45,000 churches) and New Life's pastor.
Haggard "believes that America is entering a new period of religious intensity that will alter both souls and society," reports Brokaw.
Attempting to explain the growth of the evangelical moment, Haggard says, "It's not political -- it's authentically spiritual renewal."
But Haggard, who speaks regularly with the White House, also declares that, although Americans live in a pluralistic society, "all of us have a responsibility to advance God's will through government."

1 Cent Shipping and Give Free Donation to a Charities:Pardon the commercial, but I think these shops help people and the shipping is only 1 cent now. Won't last for long.

http://shop.thehungersite.com/store is the link and it's for:

The Hunger Site Store

The Animal Rescue Site Store

The Breast Cancer Site Store

The Literacy Site Store

and
The Rainforest Site Store

Lucy Lawless and crew safe from Katrina:

Message from Sharon (forwarded from the Flawless List)

Lucy, cast and crew safely away from New Orleans

Talked to Lucy just a couple hours ago and she wanted everyone to know
all the cast and crew of the movie are safely out of New Orleans.
They're staying with friends of the production company.  It was a
long, slow ride out of town, but they made it.  Their thoughts are
with those still in the city and the surrounding area and everyone is
praying that the storm weakens.  She's grateful for the offers of help
that were received as they were readying the troupe to move out.  I'll
be keeping in touch with her and passing along word when I get it.

Sharon
outback@creationent.com
Official Xena Fan Club

Message from flawless list via Mary D's list.

Vote for Xena:

Go to this site to vote for "Xena: The Warrior Princess," as the Best Show of All Time. You DDDO think it's the best show of all time, don't you?
A note from fellow Xenite, Mary D, if you are voting for Xena as the top show, you have to be accurate in how the show is written in the voting box. DO NOT vote as Xena: Warrior Princess or XWP or Xena. The correct way to vote is by writing Xena: The Warrior Princess.

MINISTRY SEES NARNIA MOVIE AS AN OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY - posted by Andy Rau -- Are you looking forward to "The Lion, the Witch, andthe Wardrobe," scheduled to arrive in movie theaters this winter? So are a lot of Christian ministries, who see in the film not just a promising movie, but an opportunity to share the Gospel story. The Mission America Coalition is looking to organize church leaders[1]throughout America to meet with others in their cities to preview the film and discuss the evangelism opportunities presented by the movie. Even if you don't join an official Narnia-based outreach effort likethis, it's a good reminder for Christians to keep their eyes open forchances to use the Narnia film's allegorical Gospel tale to share their faith with others.

"Trekkies are prosperous and willing to spend" is an article that has some nice things to say about Renee O'Connor and Lucy Lawless of "Xena" fame.

Renee O'Connor and Bruce Campbell star in Alien Apocalypse, which is airing again on the SciFi channel for those that missed it the first time...
 
SciFi channel Saturday, September 10, 2005 at 7 pm.

OK, I sanitized the last line.
***
LAWLESS FIGHTS FOR XENA FILM

Actress LUCY LAWLESS and her husband are fighting over the rights to cult show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS because they want to make a movie based on the series.
New Zealander Lawless starred in the fantasy show, which was created by her husband ROB TAPERT, who also produced the long-running program.
Tapert is hoping to buy the rights for the show from bosses at Universal so he can make a new film.
Lawless tells internet site SciFiwire.com, "I think a movie would be great, and I'd love to do it. I've been wanting to do it for years.
"But nobody can agree who owns the rights, and it's a big fat pain in the a%%." 23/08/2005 02:17

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/lawless%20fights%20for%20xena%20film

This story on the children in northern Uganda really moved me. It's difficult to think that this type of violence is taking place in the world. We all need to pray and do more, if we can, to help.

Newsweek has an interesting new story on religion and spirituality in this week's edition. The online version has links to lots of related stories. You can also take a poll. See how your beliefs stand up to those of your neighbor.

Check out the Everything You Want to Know About the Bible blog.
An excerpt "Bible for the first time? Mmmm. Good question. I was going to say Song of Solomon just because it’s hotsy-totsy (if comparing a woman’s beauty to a flock of goats or the Tower of Babylon does it for you) ..."

Researcher Advocates 'Healing Connection' Between Faith, Health
Charisma News Service
A medical researcher is changing the heart of the medical community with a simple, yet profound message that faith is good for your health. Harold Koenig has found a clear relationship between faith and health, one that he has dubbed "the healing connection." Koenig, founder and director of the Duke University Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health in Durham, N.C., and editor-in-chief of Science & Theology News, has published 25 books, including "The Healing Connection," and more than 200 professional journal articles detailing his findings. Koenig has extensively studied the healing connection in the mentally and physically ill, and in the elderly. "People who attend church regularly live longer," concluded Koenig, who studied 4,000 randomly selected people over the age of 65 in North Carolina. After following the subjects for six years, Koenig said he found that the likelihood of dying during that six-year period was 41 percent lower among those who regularly attended religious services. Bottom line, Koenig said, is "as long as you are here on this earth, God has a purpose for your life. That purpose is not sitting around just existing. That purpose involves ministry to others. It's when people do that, that people get healthier."

90-Day Prayer Period Underway
Baptist Press
A 90-day period of worldwide prayer for Saudi Arabs recently began and will continue through October. Here are some prayer requests you can use to lift them up: Pray that God will pour out His Spirit on Saudi Arabs and draw multitudes of people to Himself. Pray that God will give the people He draws to Himself the faith they need to believe that Jesus is God's Son and to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Pray that whole families -- and whole tribes -- will come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord. Pray that King Abdullah, the royal family and Saudi government leaders will come to know Jesus as Lord. Pray for the effectiveness of radio, television, satellite, Internet and other media that bring the Gospel to Saudi Arabs. Pray for the persecuted believers in Saudi Arabia, that God will grow His church out of their persecution. Pray for the body of Christ to be strengthened and to grow in purpose and unity throughout the country. Pray that God will draw Saudi Arab children and youth to Himself and reveal the truth of His salvation and love to them. Pray for Saudi Arab women who live under oppression and control from their families and society in general. Pray that God will lift their yoke of oppression and replace it with freedom found only in Christ.

A new article on one of my favorite contemporary writers, Adriana Trigiani.

I'd like to recommend a new blog. It's called thinkchristian.net.

LUCY LAWLESS will star in "Locusts" airing Sunday night (April 23, 2005) on CBS-TV.

RECOMMEND: Friend Jeff's blog for April 21. Check it out, if you don't mind.
***

READING: This book currently -- "My Heart's Cry" by Anne Graham Lotz. I recommend it. I'm reading it slowly but will probably return to it. Will write an excerpt or two later.
***

DOVE AWARDS: These awards for the best in Christian music will be given tonight. Expect stories and/or photos in media but the show doesn't air on TV until April 20.

Eric Close, who starred with Renee and Kevin Sorbo in the movie, Hercules & The Lost Kingdom, is on a downloadable poster at http://www.verizonreads.net/posters/close_poster.pdf.

This is a literacy effort. The original link came off http://www.TheLiteracySite.com

Remember "The Greater Good."

PRAYER: Prayer: No. 1 Issue In Churches, Survey Of Evangelical Leaders Shows
Baptist Press

A LifeWay Christian Resources survey of more than 1,300 evangelical leaders from around the world revealed that the need for consistent and passionate prayer in church and personal life is the No. 1 issue in today's churches. The April 11 announcement of prayer as the No. 1 issue culminates a LifeWay e-business initiative to ask evangelical ministry leaders from a variety of backgrounds to rank the "Top 10 Issues Facing Today's Church. LifeWay's e-business department began the two-month online research project last November by distributing thousands of e-mails throughout the United States and world asking ministry leaders to cite top concerns in their churches. From the initial list of responses, the 20 most frequently submitted answers were sent back to all the ministry leaders who responded to the first round of e-mails. During December, these leaders used the same Internet survey tool to rank their top 10 from among those 20 issues. The resulting list of 10 issues includes such diverse topics as abortion (no. 10) and evangelism (no. 4). But it was prayer that ministry leaders cited as the most pressing concern in their churches. The LifeWay unit compiled information and multiple resources addressing each issue and has posted the materials online. For the complete survey results and reports addressing all the ranked issues, visit www.lifeway.com/top10

Click here: Zap2it - DVD

or URL: http://www.zap2it.com/index/dvd/reviews/1,1146,24786,FF.html

Text below:


Xena Warrior Princess, Season Six
By Mike Szymanski
Tue, Feb 22, 2005, 07:02 PM PT
STUDIO: Anchor BayRELEASE DATE: March 8, 2005PRICE: $79.98DVD EXTRAS: Deleted scenes, interviews of cast and crew, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and featurettes
INTERNET SITE: For more info go to http://www.xenacatalog.com/
ZAP2IT RATING:
All good things must come to an end and "Xena: Warrior Princess" ends after six seasons and a big fan following. The 10-disc final season is among the best, according to fans and Anchor Bay and Davis-Anderson Merchandising brings the final 22 episodes together in a nicely packaged collection.
This season finds Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, in her continuing quest to find out about her dark past and fight evil.
Like the other five seasons, this has a good share of featurettes and interviews, but it also has a lot of deleted scenes and surprising fun facts in a nice box set."Heart of Darkness" when Xena battles Lucifer himself
"The Abyss" where she battles bloodthirsty cannibals
"When Fates Collide" where she rules Rome with Caesar
"A Friend in Need" when she makes the ultimate sacrifice to save countless innocent souls.
The TV series mixed mythic gods and colorful beasts with incredibly imaginative storylines and some insights into the final series include interviews with Lawless as well as costume designers, producers, editors, writers and actors such as Liz Friedman, Eric Gruendemann, Jane Holland, Michael Hurst, William Gregory Lee, Joel Metzger, Renee O'Connor, RJ Stewart, Rob Tapert, Adrienne Wilkinson and many more.
Five featurettes include To Helicon and Back dailies; Bringing Monsters to Life at K.N.B. EFX Group  Part Three; Xena Live  Fan Convention; In The Beginning; and from the set of the final episode, A Fond Farewell. There's also an alternate director's cut to " A Friend In Need Parts 1 & 2."
The DVD also includes promos of the first season, a library of deleted scenes and bloopers, production drawings, a photo gallery and series trivia.
What began as a spin-off of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and premiering in 1995 ended up being a cultural icon and nominated for six Emmys.
As a testament to the Xena fan base, there are conventions every year where fans can recite whole episodes and dress up as the characters.

Zondervan rolls out Bible aimed at younger readers

http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2005/02/06/news/religion/religion01.txt

Ten Commandments Mini-Series In The WorksErin Curry, Baptist Press
ABC is working on the production of a four-hour miniseries called "The Ten Commandments," which, according to the Hollywood Reporter Jan. 13, will rely on extensive biblical and historical research for a realistic, truthful presentation of Moses and the exodus. Robert Halmi Sr., a veteran TV movie producer who is working on the project, said it will not be a remake of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 movie starring Charlton Heston. "I felt that [the Ten Commandments] is the first written document of law, morality and order for the human race, and we completely ignore it," Halmi said. "I think it's time for the younger generation to revisit this biblical tale as they must realize the importance and consequences of the Ten Commandments." The mini-series will include elaborate special effects and has a budget estimated at more than $20 million, the Hollywood Reporter said.

I've just watched this movie, "The Devil's Arithmatic," and HIGHLY recommend it. If you ever get the chance to watch it, please do.

http://www1.bottomdollar.com/p__Showtime_Entertainment_Devil_s_Arithmetic_1999_DVD,__109518502

Friend Jeff Calloway has a daily blog that you may enjoy. Here's the link: http://jeffcalloway.blogs.com/jeff_calloway/

BABYLON 5, SCIENCE FICTION, AND CHRISTIANITY - posted by Andy RauJanuary 20, 2005 -- Religion and science fiction are topics thatintersect with surprising regularity, and we've noted in the past anumber of essays dealing with Christianity and religion in the StarWars and Star Trek mythologies. The science fiction show "Babylon 5"often incorporated religious ideas into its characters and plot, buthasn't received nearly as much analysis by Christian critics. Fortunately, Tim Enloe's extensive essay on Christianity, mythology,and Bablyon 5[1] offers us a very thorough look at the subject. Enloehas a number of other interesting pieces[2] on the interaction betweenfaith and science fiction, including a good post on humanism andamorality in "Star Trek Enterprise."[3]-- Links in this story --[1]

http://www.societaschristiana.com/archives/cat_the_high_crusade.html#000042[2]
http://www.societaschristiana.com/archives/cat_the_high_crusade.html[3]
http://www.societaschristiana.com/archives/cat_the_high_crusade.html#000043

___ Courtesy of Internet for Christians

It's Xena's 10th anniversary!


Click here: Zeal for 'Xena' on Display at Burbank Gathering

or use this URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-xena23jan23,1,2685939.story?coll=la-news-state&ctrack=1&cset=true

Here's a new Matt Damon article that includes mention of Martin Csokas, who played various parts including, "Borias," on Xena. You may also know him from "The Lord of the Rings." 

Click here: Matt Damon: Matt Damon left on his back while filming
 
or use this URL
 
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/2652004.htm

Site Feed

You can now pre-order Lucy Lawless' movie, "Eurotrip."
Be still my heart. ::heavy sarcasm::
I like Lucy a lot, but not interested in that movie.

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Xena's warrior cry is about to make beautiful music with Tarzan's monkey holler.
Lucy Lawless is joining the cast of The WB's "Tarzan" in the crucial (but only recently added) part of Tarzan's aunt.

The Kiwi actress will play Kathleen Clayton, a publishing magnate and younger sister of Mitch Pileggi's Richard Clayton, the acting head of Greystoke Industries. Kathleen and Richard have very different ideas of how to handle their recently rediscovered nephew Jack (Travis Fimmel). Richard believes that Tarzan must be rehabilitated and reintroduced to non-simian society, while Kathleen wants to give the monkey man time to find his own way.

Both may have ulterior motives, as they know that whoever controls Tarzan also controls Greystoke.

"Lucy has a tremendous sense of humor, warmth and grace," says The WB's Entertainment President Jordan Levin. "She has a fun, larger-than-life personality that will shape the character of Kathleen Clayton as she makes it her own and that is what attracted us to her for future development."

Lawless, who starred in "Xena: Warrior Princess" from 1995 until 2001, is only signed as a regular for the show's first season. Her deal with The WB also includes an exclusive series development deal for the 2004-2005 season.

"Tarzan" reunites Lawless with executive producer Laura Ziskin, who performed the same duties on "Spider-Man," which featured a small cameo from Gabrielle's former bosom buddy.

Xena paraphernalia going under hammer
The New Zealand Herald

28.06.2003


Decomposing bodies, a headless corpse and a large collection of
swords and medieval weapons will all be up for grabs today in an
auction of props from canned television show Xena:Warrior Princess.

Hundreds of props are on sale. They come from a private collection
that is taking up too much room.

More than half the swords are real but there are no dangerous items
and many of the props are made of polystyrene.

Thornton Auctions in Penrose will host the auction.

Owner Brad Jackson says Xena junkies have already shown overwhelming
interest.

Fans have come from as far south as Christchurch.

The auctioneers also received 125 hits a day on their website from
American Xena followers. Mr Jackson says some potential buyers have
medieval shops - he knows of one buyer who plans to make a "Xena
room" in his antique shop.

Other buyers will be Halloween tricksters and "someone that's into
playing tricks and things like that."

The prize items include a chaise longue adorned with skull heads and
a bust of New Zealand actor, the late Kevin Smit.

There are also two thrones with dinosaur backbones.

The highest price may be fetched by two "cobra" candelabra.

They are each more than 2m high and are estimated to fetch $3000 as a
pair.

The props are on sale because a Xena fan who bought up to 600 Xena
props has reluctantly decided to sell them because he no longer has
room.

From Mary D's ausxip.com updates:

The following is from Renee via Missy Good

Renee will be doing a signing session of 2 hours at Comic-Con on Saturday, July 19. The information about the con - from the official site is:
July 17-20 at the San Diego Convention Center

Comic-Con International sees an incredible migration of professionals of all walks of the creative life each and every year. In addition to the largest contingent of professionals working in the comic book industry of any convention, Comic-Con attracts creative people from movies, television, animation, gaming, and the toy industry.
For more information go to: Comic-Con

New Renee O'Connor movie begins filming in Las Vegas
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SHOOTING STARS: NBC's `Las Vegas' pondering how much time to spend in Glitter City








Hello ... and goodbye again. (At least temporarily.)

Shooting Stars returns after two weeks on hiatus (showbiz-speak for "vacation"). Next week's column will be missing-in-action once again, due to an out-of-town assignment.

So this is it until July 7. Let's dig in -- and catch up on NBC's upcoming "Las Vegas," which launches production July 29.

Exactly how much time the series will spend in its title location, however, has yet to be determined, show creator Gary Scott Thompson noted during a visit to last week's CineVegas Film Festival.

NBC is considering four options, Thompson says. The first (and unlikeliest) involves shooting everything in "Las Vegas' " namesake. The second involves a 50-50 split between Glitter City and Hollywood. The third (also unlikely) calls for construction of a soundstage casino, where special-effects backdrops would create the Vegas atmosphere.

The likeliest prospect, however, involves periodic treks from Los Angeles to Las Vegas "to get the scope of what Vegas is," Thompson explains, much as "ER" and "NYPD Blue" do in Chicago and New York, respectively. (And "CSI" does occasionally here in Neon Nirvana.)

With eight-day shooting schedules for each hourlong episode, "you do either five, six or seven days" in the studio, Thompson explains, then "bank the extra days and wait until you have three episodes to shoot and then you come here."

Thompson anticipates that the series -- which stars James Caan as an ex-CIA agent who heads security for the fictional Montecito casino empire -- will begins its production schedule in Las Vegas.

Shifting from the future to the here and now, two independent features are filming today -- one on the Strip, one downtown.

The comedy "Diamonds and Guns," starring Renée O'Connor (alias "Xena: Warrior Princess' " longtime sidekick Gabrielle), begins a seven-day shoot at the Riviera, with locations ranging from the parking garage to the pool, the convention center rooftop to the casino, according to the Riviera's John Neeland.

Writer Dawn Higginbotham, who's also co-producing the project, describes the farce as " `Swingers' with girls" and " `Romeo and Juliet,' Vegas-style," centering on two friends (O'Connor and Helena Beaven) whose one last fling turns into a comedy of errors.

To that end, "we wanted to stick to the classy-style, old-school" Vegas look, according to Higginbotham, which explains why "Diamonds and Guns" wound up at the Riviera.

An even older-school Vegas casino, -- Las Vegas' oldest, Main Street's Golden Gate -- welcomes "@lien," which is scheduled to complete a two-day shoot today, according to producer Melissa Berry.

The quirky tale, from Haxan Films (home of "The Blair Witch Project"), deals with young lovers on a cross-country trek -- one of whom is using the odyssey as an excuse to rendezvous with an Internet romance known only as (you guessed it) "@lien." (Before arriving in Las Vegas, the production shot in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico; the movie's final destination is another place with a Golden Gate, San Francisco.)

Also downtown, the History Channel's "Hands on History" visits the future neon museum's boneyard as part of a segment devoted to the history of neon, according to associate producer Brandy Downing of Jupiter Entertainment.

In addition to the boneyard, the Young Electric Sign Co. -- better known as Yesco -- also will host "Hands on History" host Ron Hazleton and crew to demonstrate "how neon's developed and made," according to Downing.

Elsewhere on the documentary beat, "Big Rig" rolls into Las Vegas Thursday to continue production on a "portrait of America told through the eyes of truckers," explains producer Brad Blondheim.

In addition to capturing the action an international trucking show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, director Doug Pray (who's also directed the theatrical documentaries "Scratch" and "Hype") plans to film interviews with truckers at other locations around town.

Another documentary shooting this week focuses on longtime Las Vegan Dolores Fuller, onetime muse of cult director Ed Wood -- and a music industry veteran who wrote several songs for Elvis Presley. Shooting on the hour-long project began over the weekend at the Alexis Park, where Fuller signed autographs as part of the Starstruck in Las Vegas event. The documentary's Presley connection extends to producer Don Wilson, a former member of Presley's entourage who's made several Elvis-related projects.

Also on this week's location calendar: "Around the World in Eight Days," a Hungarian TV show with Tamas Frei, which begins a scheduled three-day shoot Saturday at downtown and Strip locations; Bellevue Entertainment's documentary "Las Vegas Live," scheduled to wrap production Thursday; and the Sci-Fi Channel's "Scare Tactics," which continues its hidden-camera antics for the next few months.

Finally, two British-related casting notes.

The BBC needs (more than) a few good men, fit and 40-plus, who have military fatigues, to work as extras for a computer fraud documentary shooting July 11 at Red Rock Canyon. It's a nonunion shoot and pays expenses only; if you're interested, e-mail information and pictures to the BBC's Liz Collier at liz.collier@bbc.co.uk.

And Britain's ITV needs British families who vacation regularly in Las Vegas for a show about Brits who can't get enough of Glitter City. (British families featured on the show will receive free trips back to Vegas.) E-mail samantha.williams@rdfmedia.com for more information.

From Creation Entertainment:

Hi,

Here's a recent article from the "Ireland on Sunday" newspaper. Reports are that Lucy is being a real trooper and not afraid to get "down and dirty." She's having a great time and is fun to work with.

"Grainne Mhaol" By Siobhan Gaffney

Lucy Lawless stars in the adventures of the formidable statuesque leather clad fighter, Xena Warrior Princess amassing a massive cult following throughout the world as she battles barbarians, oppressors and demigods.

But now the Xena Warrior Princess' actress is coming to Clew Bay and Clare Island to get face to face with the myth of a real warrior woman; 16th Century pirate sea queen Grainne Mhaol.

The adventures of the 16th Century pirate queen of the seas are to feature in a special Discovery Networks Europe series exploring history's most fearless female warriors.

LA based actress Lucy Lawless told Ireland on Sunday that she was 'really looking forward to getting to the west of Ireland to see first hand where the amazing Grainne Mhaol ruled the high seas'

Lawless has a strong connection to the area where the real life warrior woman, Grainne Mhaol controlled. Her family, the Ryans originially from Quilty in Co. Clare ended up in her native New Zealand when her great grandfather had a 'scuffle with the police and was sent down under for
punishment'

The Warrior Woman who is anxious about leaving her three children from 14 years down to 10 months for 3 weeks, 'turned down many lucrative but dissatisfying offers from US TV to do make this fascinating series.

I just can't wait to get to Ireland and to start filming, running around the Irish countryside with a film crew will be just fantastic' she said.

Grainne Mhaol -mhaol meaning cropped hair- was known to have chopped her long hair off to survive in the mainly male dominated world of pirate infested seas, controlling Clew bay with an iron fist from her castle on Clare Island

Grainne who was known as Grace O'Malley by the English was married with 3 children before she began her famous career on the high seas, marshalling 3 pirate ships and up to 200 men as she opposed the English attempts to remove her from her kingdom.

'The facts are thin on the ground about how exactly Grace become this amazing and feared warrior, she was a women who had no English but decided she wanted to meet Queen of Elizabeth so that's what she did, she sailed up The Thames river in London and demanded an audience with the Queen,
something that was completely unheard of.

Grace had no English but excellent Latin forcing Queen Elizabeth to talk to her in a foreign tongue.

They were two women in a tough mans world separated by tradition but who experienced many of the same hardships'

After Grainne's first husband was been executed by Queen Elizabeth's troops she remarried in 1556 Iron Richard Burke and had a son named Tibbot. She was captured by the crown's forces and jailed for 2 years returning to her castle on Clare Island to continue her defiance.

In 1558 Elizabeth I pardoned her in an attempt to bring peace to the region but his attempt failed as the local English administrators continued to go after the woman who had been a thorn in their side for years.

'She was a woman who paid a heavy price for her strong beliefs and has to some extend been written out of history' Lucy Lawless told Ireland on Sunday.

Fighting was her only means of survival and this she did until the Irish defeat at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 ended her dominance. She died in 1603 and has since been, to a large degree, overlooked as a genuine heroine of Irish history.

Her career spanned from the supremacy to the suppression of Gaelic rule. Folklore conveys her alliances with English forces, her imprisonment in the goals of Limerick and Dublin, and her partial submission to Elizabeth Ist, Queen of England. Her actions were brave attempts to uphold her government over her fast retreating Gaelic kingdoms.

The series entitled 'Warrior Women' presented by Xena Warrior Princess, Lucy Lawless will also feature other fierce women including Joan of Arc, Boudica, Queen of the Iceni Tribe, Chinese heroine Hua Mulan and Apache warrior Lozen and will be broadcast later this autumn on the Discovery Channel.

Hi,

Lucy Lawless will be hosting a new Discovery Channel series of five hour-long programs tracing the history of female fighters. She has just started filming the series.

Tentatively set to air in the fall, no dates or times set yet. As we receive more programming info, we'll pass it along.


Here is a list of the five women they will be profiling and some web page links for those who want to "read all about it."

Joan of Arc (France) --
Joan of Arc

Boadicea (England) --
Boudicea
Another Boudicea link

Hua Mulan (China) --
Hua Mulan
Another Hua Mulan link
Yet another Hua Mulan link

Grace O'Malley (pirate) (Ireland) --
Grace O'Malley
Another Grace O'Malley link
Yet another Grace O'Malley link
Still another

Lozen (Apache warrior) (New Mexico) --
Lozen link
Another Lozen link

Thanks,
Your friends at Creation Entertainment

From The Auckland Herald:

17.02.2003 By FIONA RAE
Way back in my callow youth, when I would ride around Christchurch on a
motorbike and had dyed orange hair, I used to hang out with a bunch of
people who lived in a grungy flat above a fruit shop.

Some of them were in a band called Say Yes to Apes and, as far as I can
remember, all of us seemed to spend a good deal of time drinking beer and
talking rubbish. As you do.

One of them was Kevin Smith, flabby teen, already betrothed to Sue and not
really knowing what he wanted to do with himself. At one stage, he talked
about joining the police. Something to do with helping kids.

This is not to say I knew Kevin Smith but more to say that I was just one of
an extraordinary number of people that did. Consequently, a tribute to Kev,
who died a year ago, was always going to be a big ask.

So it was good to see Saturday's Remembering Kev: A Tribute to Kevin Smith
included aspects of his life other than his performing career because, as
Auckland Theatre Sports creative director Claire Kelso commented, it was
Kev's complete knowledge that he brought to the stage.

With his background of music and acting, he was also well grounded with the
family, he was interested in current events, he was hugely interested in
sports, and he brought this complete knowledge, with a great sense of
humour, with great stage presence and he combined it all.

It's true, he had everything and could just about do everything. He was
always looking for the truth and humour in a situation and I wonder what fun
Kev might have gained from having his life and career compiled into a
commercial hour.

Kelso also believed that his improv work was his best, although the role for
which he will be remembered by the largest number of people is Ares in
Hercules and Xena. It was a role that fitted Kev nicely. All those winter
afternoons in Timaru and Christchurch watching trash telly had paid off, as
had all those mornings at the gym.

It's hard for us down here to estimate the impact of that role in the United
States. New Zealanders have never really taken to that fantasy thing in a
big way. US fans were, and are, legion and it led to the role he was about
to take up in the US, starring with Bruce Willis in the movie Tears of the
Sun. As Robert Bruce explained, Kev was to play the role of Willis' buddy.
That's a Hollywood break by anyone's standards although typically, as
Michael Hurst commented, he wanted the role, the job, not stardom.

The consistent testimony of his friends in the documentary spoke about his
remarkable ability to connect in a real way. No one who met Kev was
unimpressed, from the fruit-shop owner with whom he talked rugby to, no
doubt, Bruce Willis' casting agent.

It's a bloody shame, frankly. As his friend Michael Woodnorth (Woody) says,
the world's not quite as funny as it was when Kev was here.

'Xena,' 'Hercules' Swing DVD Distribution
Thu Feb 20, 3:19 AM ET
By Michael Speier

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - DVD distribution shingle Anchor Bay Entertainment has bought the home video rights to syndicated TV sensations "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys."



The company also has inked a deal with Davis-Panzer Prods. for subsequent seasons of "Highlander." Last year, Anchor Bay released the first season of "Highlander" as a boxed set along with a special edition of the 1986 feature film.


"Hercules" bowed in 1994 as a made-for-TV movie and went on to six seasons across 100 episodes. "Xena," a spinoff that debuted as a series in 1995, aired 130 episodes, also through six seasons.


The "Highlander" feature has spawned three sequels and 140 TV episodes. Dimension is planning a fifth feature film in 2004, and an animated series is also in the works.

Renee and Danielle, and Claire ... OH MY

Hi,

We have super-hot news for fans in Great Britain (and throughout Europe!) The sensational Danielle Cormack and Claire Stansfield will be on-hand at our Strong Women of Sci-Fi Convention coming to London's Hilton Metropole on August 29-31, 2003.

You know Renee O'Connor is also on hand!!!! Plus more to come: this is gonna be a wonderful weekend: come on aboard and support this convention so we can make it a regular annual visit!

Grab the very best gold weekend seatings (which include lots of extras) by visiting us at: http://www.creationent.com/cal/

Might they have Renee's Valley Forge appearance???
This in from Creation Entertainmet ... Due to popular request, and thanks to Xena's two amazing superstars, we are able to finally release archival videotape of the earliest convention appearances of Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor!

This exclusive videotape is almost two hours in length and we know that fans around the globe will treasure this video as a major part of their collections!

You'll see Lucy and Renee amazed at the enthusiasm of sold-out crowds that turned up for their early appearances: and you'll capture these wonderful moments in time: perfect if you were there and even better if this will be your first introduction to this historically warm, funny and moving footage!

This product will be shipping in March, so please place your orders with us now to insure delivery to your homes!

LUCY AND RENEE: THE EARLY CONVENTION YEARS: you'll love this! Visit us at: http://www.creationent.com/xena/ to grab your copy today. PAL video available for our overseas friends too!

Rumor or fact?
"Xena: The Movie: ITV reports that the film will go ahead with not only "a stunning soundtrack provided by the series' original composer - Joseph Lo Duca" but a special Xena and Gabriel relationship them called "When I Look at You" by Mariah Carey.

Dark Horizons