Golf Legend Betsy King Returns to Africa

"This December, golf legend and LPGA Hall of Fame legend Betsy King, from Scottsdale, Arizona will make her third trip to Africa to help aspiring young female golfers in Kenya, genocide survivors in Rwanda and AIDS orphans in Lesotho. King will go with LPGA golfer Stacy Lewis and two LPGA teaching pros: Suzanne Strudwick and Susie Corona."

Click here for more on the trip.

One Simple Step to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

"Tis the season for worrying about holiday weight gain. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the the self-help to-do lists to avoid packing on the L-Bs for the winter, but would rather not get Santa-fat this December, I have come up with a one-step program to help you out. Actually, one size does not fit all, so I have created ten, one-step programs so you can find the one that works best for you."

Click here for more about these one-step programs.

On a Horse and a Prayer: Going for Gold in 2012

"Donna Ponessa is getting ready to compete in the Equestrian events in an Olympic event (the 2012 Paralympic Games) and she knows exactly how much time it will take to get ready. Her clock is already ticking down and her sights are honed on London."

To learn more about this extraordinary young woman, click here.

Don't even think about silencing those holiday bells

"I have a recurring holiday dream. In it, I spend a day visiting every Salvation Army bell ringer in the city of Chicago. I drop some change in the kettles and offer those kind souls a firm handshake and a sincere thanks for all they do. And then I take their bells. I take their loud, incessantly clanging bells and I gather them up and throw them all into Lake Michigan."

Click here for more on Rex Huppke's dream and changed perspective.

Religious Freedom and National Security: Joined at the Hip

"If you’re like me, you typically associate national security with diplomacy, intelligence, and, of course, the military. That’s why I was intrigued by a recent conference at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University."

Click here to read more of Chuck Colson's commentary.

Record of Reality: Archaeological Discovery Supports Scripture

"Once again, archaeology confirms the accuracy of biblical history. That’s good news, but should it affect how we believers view Scripture?"

Click here for more on the question.

Leonardo DiCaprio donates $1 million to save the world's tigers

"Leonardo DiCaprio braved scary skies to get to a summit devoted to saving the worlds' tigers, donating $1 million to the cause and earning high praise from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin."

For more on DiCaprio's donation, click here.

Holiday season sparks volunteerism: Experts suggest creative ways to help

"An Oswego firefighter by day, Mark Spoo doesn't indulge his passion for photography as often as he would like. But for the past four Christmas seasons, Spoo has made time to combine his favorite hobby with his desire to give back."

Click here for ideas on ways you can get involved.

Thanksgiving compact: A 15-point pledge to ensure a peaceable feast

"Would you like to avoid emotional indigestion at Thanksgiving? Do you want to have a regret-free holiday? Then you need our 15-point Thanksgiving pledge."

For more on a peaceful Thanksgiving, click here.

Pro bono lawyers help Haiti quake survivors get loans

"Haiti's massive earthquake didn't just destroy its capital Port-au-Prince, the devastation has also had a major impact on farmers in the countryside, say two U.S. lawyers providing pro bono help in the country."

Click here for more on how these two are aiding Haiti survivors.

Drew Brees named GQ Magazine's 'Patron Saint of the Year'

"Still flying high from the Superbowl win, Drew Brees lands on GQ's 2010 Men of the Year List. You can see the list when the latest issue hits newsstands on Nov. 23, says ABC 26 News."

Click here for more.

New International Study: Does bad news for retailers mean good news for Charities this Holiday Season?

"Despite early projections of a robust holiday season for U.S. retailers, according to a new U.S.- Canada study commissioned by World Vision, an international relief and development organization, more Americans, almost 7 out of 10 (69 percent), say they’ll spend less on holiday presents this year as a result of the current economic climate."

Read more about this report-click here.

Trust and Obey: Christ the King Sunday

"This Sunday our friends in liturgical churches will celebrate a holy day we should all become familiar with. It’s Christ the King Sunday.

Our brothers and sisters in liturgical churches know that this Sunday is the last Sunday of the Church calendar. The new church year begins next week with the first Sunday of Advent."

Click here for more on why this is an important date for Christians to celebrate.

Alzheimer's disease vaccine is effective in mice

"A vaccine for Alzheimer's disease has been a long-held goal of researchers studying the devastating disease. Research presented Tuesday at the Society for Neuroscience meeting showed one potential vaccine under study appears both safe and effective in an animal model."

Click here for more on this promising discovery.

Mural Arts

"Twenty-six years ago, Jane Golden took to the streets of Philadelphia armed with paint, brushes, simple designs, and a small contingent of helpers.

Her goal? Wipe out the city's ugly graffiti. Her weapon of choice? Murals."

For more on Jane Golden's passion, click here.

The Menschkeit Deficit

"If you want to understand the looming debt crisis, watch the 2008 documentary I.O.U.S.A. Scrupulously fair and nonpartisan, its story, about the danger posed by America’s ballooning national debt, is divided into four sections, each of which describes a particular deficit that has made our debt crisis possible..."

Click here for more on this intriguing idea.

Loving your soldier from a distance

"A long distance relationship can be exciting and novel when it involves two people willing to make it work. The novelty and excitement wears off when the long distance relationship involves loving a soldier. Worry and stress fill its place. It’s one thing to be able to plan romantic weekends, fancy hotels, and fine dining."

For tips on loving your military member, even when separated by duty assignment, click here.

388-day ordeal ends for retired British couple held by Somali pirates who had sought millions

"The retired British couple were sailing the world on a 38-foot-yacht that represented most of their life savings when Somali pirates captured them last year, demanding the sort of huge ransom a multimillionaire or a multinational company might cough up."

To read more about the story of this couple, click here.

A new kind of hero: Lesster!

"Meet Lesster, the solar-powered super hero in a video from Felicity Huffman of 'Desperate Housewives' fame. He's dedicated to his calling, in spite of interruptions from his parents."

Click here to view this thought-provoking video.

21 Quotes to Open Your Heart

"We all face difficult times that make us want to shelter our hearts.



When people we love hurt us, it is a natural reaction to want to shield ourselves, and put protection around our hearts, to keep pain from entering."

For more on these powerful quotes, click here.

Hygiene Promotion is Key to Preventing a Nationwide Cholera Epidemic in Haiti, says Save the Children

"With more than 700 people dead and 11,000 now sick from cholera across Haiti, additional sites in Port-au-Prince are reporting their first cases of the fatal yet preventable and treatable disease. In Gaston Morgan, a camp where Save the Children provides health care to inhabitants and surrounding community, the first suspected case of cholera has been identified."

Click here for more on how Save the Children is working to help the people of Haiti.

Thanksgiving Place Mats: A Craft for Kids to Save the Sanity of Parents

"Honor the spirit of Thanksgiving and keep the kids occupied until the meal is ready by making place mats that recount what the child is thankful for on the big day. Stickers, drawings, wording or a combination can turn a sheet of paper into a decorative addition to the dinner table."

Start with an outline of the child's hand for a Hand Print Turkey

Preprint place mats with clip art for children to color.

For a variety of ideas for Thanksgiving place mats, click here.

G20 urged to tackle food security, avert another global crisis

"International Christian humanitarian agency World Vision is urging the G20 countries meeting in Seoul to act swiftly to avoid a repeat of the global food crisis of 2008, which thrust an additional 100 million people worldwide into extreme poverty."

Click here for more on World Vision's request of world leaders.

From Stocking Stuffers to Goats: Meaningful Holiday Gifts from Save the Children

"With the holiday season upon us, Save the Children has numerous gifts sure to warm hearts and souls on everyone’s list."

Click here for gift ideas that make a difference.

Applebees's Restaurants offers free meals to Active Military and Veterans on Nov. 11

"Active Duty Military and Veterans eat free at Applebees on Veteran's Day, November 11. Available during business hours on November 11, 2010 at participating Applebee’s only. Veterans and active duty military simply show proof of military service. See website for details."

Click here for more information.

New Inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame

"Playing cards and the Game of Life will be inducted this weekend into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. Founded in 1998, the hall has 44 members."

To learn more about the hall and its members, click here.

Payless and Airwalk team with World Vision in The Good Shoe Project

"Airwalk, a leader in youth lifestyle footwear and apparel, is teaming up with Payless to democratize a new shoe-giving program to help those in need with the launch of The Good Shoe Project. Whenever a customer purchases the exclusive Airwalk Hope shoe for $19.99 at Payless between Dec. 15, 2010, through Feb. 14, 2011, the retailer commits to giving a free pair of kids' shoes to a child in need in Central America through a new alliance with humanitarian organization World Vision."

Click here for more on the project.

Awww ... animal babies make conservation cute

"What makes a good baby picture? On ZooBorns.com, the babies have to be wild. Maybe obscure. Possibly endangered. Mostly, they have to be cute.

Their website delivers birth announcements from zoos and aquariums around the world, and gets about a million hits a month."

Click here for more on these precious babies.

The wait is over: Giants win first championship in S.F.

"The search lasted more than half a century and seemed so futile at times. Finally, the team and its long-pained fans have found what they were looking for. For the first time since the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, they are the champions of baseball."

Click here for more on a long-awaited championship.