Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sunday, April 5, 2009 Good News Now Stories

Eco-friendly palms gain popularity

"The palms that First Congregational Church ordered for Sunday's services were farm grown in Central America using environmentally friendly methods."

Click here to read more.


Sleep Clears Way for New Learning

"Want to learn something new? Try getting a good night’s sleep or taking a long nap.

Sleep is now recognized as being critical for learning and memory, and now a new study in fruit flies offers clues as to why."

Click here to read more about this research.


Keys, Self-Centeredness, and Stations

"Lent is winding down, but it’s still cold, and early Monday mornings are stiff with the desire to stay in bed.

I left my keys in my husband’s car last night, but didn’t realize it until all the children were in jackets and headed to the van for Mass this morning."

Click here to read more.


Easter Lilies - Selecting, Caring For and Re-Blooming Your Easter Lily

"Easter Lilies, (Lilium longiflorum), with their large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers and wonderful fragrance are a traditional Easter time treat. More than likely your Easter Lily was grown by one of a handful of growers located along the border of California and Oregon, an area labeled the “Easter Lily Capital of the World”. Ninety-five percent of the 11 ½ million Eater Lilies grown and sold originate in this capital. "

Click here to read more.

Straw Bale House Survives Violent Shaking At Earthquake Lab

"It huffed and puffed, but the 82-ton-force, earthquake-simulation shake table could not knock down the straw house designed and built by University of Nevada, Reno alumna and civil engineer Darcey Donovan."

Click here to read more.



Good News for April 5 (posted by Mary Beth)

The key to spending less: Write it all down

"I now carry a stack of tiny, cream-yellow Post-It notes in my wallet. Every credit and debit card I own now has a Post-It affixed to the front; on the left side I enter a date, and the right side how much I spend and the reason. I even bought a mini clip pen to carry in my billfold so I'd never be without a writing tool (or an excuse) to track my purchases."

Click here for more on how one person copes with a recession.



Jewels of the road: It's not all unremitting asphalt from Boston to Virginia - there are bits of glitter to glean


"So the recession has clipped your wings, and you're planning on driving south for April vacation instead of flying. Good idea.

Unfortunately, to go south from here, you have to travel an awful stretch of featureless interstate, bland roadside service areas, and forgettable stopovers in perfunctory cookie-cutter hotels. It's bad enough if you are an adventurous couple with a thing for road trips. But with a carful of antsy kids, it can be excruciating."

Find out how to avoid the bland and find the gems. Click here.


Spring Holiday Recipes to Enjoy - whether you're cooking for Passover or for Easter

Special occasions call for special dishes. If you're planning a holiday meal, check out these delightful recipes for Spring favorites.

Click here to start cooking!


Texts work with rival Web: Medical bookstore keeps a hold on customers in a digital age

"In the age of Amazon.com, it’s hard being a family-owned bookstore. But Majors Books has managed to survive for a century by offering special services to its customers, opening the store to events and adapting to the online world.

It resembles a model that the American Booksellers Association believes other independent bookstores should follow if they want to survive in this digital age of Kindles and iPods, where books can be purchased and downloaded in seconds."

Read about how Majors Books is bucking the trend. Click here.


Obama’s promise to increase U.S. aid for agricultural development a victory for the poor, says World Vision

"International relief organization World Vision welcomes President Obama's announcement at the G-20 summit that he intends to double U.S. assistance for global agricultural productivity and rural development. President Obama also called for a comprehensive food security strategy to alleviate chronic hunger that affects one-sixth of the world’s population."

Click here for the rest of this hopeful announcement.


He Talked to Us on the Road: The surprising rewards of Christian travel

"Less than a decade ago, one could find several books combining travel and Eastern religions, along with scads of interfaith volumes on 'looking for God in America.' But only in the last few years have Christian publishers such as InterVarsity Press and Lion Hudson jumped in with titles on uniquely evangelical pilgrimages. Treks to historically Protestant pilgrimage sites like Iona, Scotland, and Taizé, France, are booming, while evangelicals throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, see their continent's growing interest in pilgrimage as a missional opportunity and a sign that their neighbors' hunger for God is gnawing away at them."

Find more reasons to take a pilgrimage by clicking here.


Make Good Friday and Easter Spiritually Meaningful and Memorable for Your Children

"For Christians, the upcoming Holy Week is an important time to pause and reflect on all that Christ has done on our behalf. It’s also filled with many teachable moments as you explain to your children the significance of Good Friday and Easter. How crucial it is for our kids to know that these holy days are about much more than chocolate, the Easter Bunny and jelly beans!"

Click here for ideas from Awana about teaching your children why we celebrate Easter.