Evangelism on the Hardwood: The Invention of Basketball

"How’s your NCAA basketball tournament bracket looking? If you’re like most March Madness fans, I suppose it’s looking a little like Swiss cheese, with big-time favorites such as Pitt, Louisville, University of Texas, and Notre Dame all being defeated by lesser-known opponents."

Read more here.

Nurses to play a greater role in healthcare

"Los Angeles County is expanding a program in which nurse practitioners serve as primary care providers as a way to cut costs, reduce unnecessary hospital visits and meet regulations."

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Parents can help clean up sports while guiding kids

"There is no area of positive parenting in sports that is more important than teaching kids that cheating to reach their goals is never an acceptable way to succeed. Over the last few years, it has been almost impossible to talk about sports without the issue of performance-enhancing drugs (steroids, etc.) coming up."

For more on this important topic, click here.

The League, then and now: This is not your grandmother’s Junior League

"A mention of the Junior League is likely to conjure images of high-society women swathed in cashmere and chatting about, say, orchids. Over tea, of course.

But members of the volunteer organization, which formed here in 1906, claim its membership has changed dramatically over the years."

Click here for more on today's Junior League.

Turning Evil into Good: 'Unbroken'

"It’s nice when other people do our work for us—the work Christians ought to be doing spreading the Gospel, that is. A Washington, D.C., writer has done an especially good job in that regard. Her name is Laura Hillenbrand, and her latest biography, Unbroken, has spent seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, including several at number one."

For more on 'Unbroken,' click here.

Save the Children Teams Up with Music for Relief on ‘Download to Donate for Tsunami Relief’ Campaign

"Artists such as Linkin Park, Enrique Iglesias and Counting Crows have contributed new songs to the nonprofit group Music for Relief to support Save the Children’s emergency response efforts in Japan. The exclusive and growing catalog of songs can be downloaded at www.downloadtodonate.org for a donation of $10 or more. All contributions will go to Save the Children for the duration of the campaign, which runs through May 11."

Click here for more on how to get this exclusive tunes.

From art to intervention: Chicago native making water filters in Dominican Republic, Haiti that were inspired in art class

"Prayer alone was no longer enough for Lisa Ballantine, who watched the families fill their baby bottles with murky river water that sickened and even killed their children.

After returning from a yearlong mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2000, Ballantine, 43, knew there must be a way to help villagers who had neither plumbing nor a way to sanitize their water supply."

For more on how Ballantine is making a difference, click here.

Spelling bee winners everywhere lose the first-ever national champ

"Frank Neuhauser, a Washington area patent lawyer who made headlines more than 85 years ago when he won the first-ever national spelling bee, died March 11 at his home in Silver Spring. He was 97."

Click here for more on this spelling champion.

An about-face on front-facing car seats

"The nation's largest organization of pediatricians is telling its members and parents that children riding in cars should remain in rear-facing child safety seats until at least their second birthday and preferably even longer."

For more on the new policy, click here.

About 300 volunteers heed call to 'Fight the Blight'

"On Mayor Mitch Landrieu's second 'Fight the Blight' day, concerned New Orleans citizens painted play areas, planted trees, removed graffiti and cleaned up trash while city employees cut grass, inspected buildings for code violations and demolished some of the worst structures."

Click here for more on this movement.

Save the Children Receives $500,000 from Target for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Efforts

"Save the Children announced today it has received a $500,000 donation from Target in support of the organization’s efforts to help meet the needs of children and families affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last week."

Click here for more on Save the Children's efforts in Japan.

Messenger successfully goes into orbit around planet Mercury

"With a 30-minute blast from its main rocket engine, NASA's Messenger spacecraft slipped into orbit around the planet Mercury Thursday evening, becoming the first craft from Earth ever to circle the closest planet to the sun."

For more on the mission, click here.

Integrity Under Fire: Doing the Right Thing Can Cost You

"The past few weeks have seen two examples of integrity that are increasingly rare in our win-at-all-costs sports scene.

The first is the story of Joel Northrup. He’s the homeschooled sophomore from Iowa who defaulted rather than wrestle a girl, Cassy Herkelman."

Click here for more of Chuck Colson's commentary.

How to talk to kids about tragedies, disasters

"As information increases about the devastation of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, our children will likely see disturbing news footage and have questions about this tragedy. Click here for several suggestions on how to talk with children about this disaster and its impact."

Japan tsunami: World Vision to provide relief supplies, psycho-social support for children

"World Vision is preparing staff members in Japan to travel to areas affected by yesterday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. Staff will assess the needs in affected areas and prepare supplies and programs to serve those left homeless by the twin disasters."

Click here for more on World Vision's efforts in Japan.

Teen Returns Home 2 Months After Hospital Turns Off Life Support

"A teenage girl whose life support was switched off by a New Zealand hospital against her family's wishes defied the odds to recover and returned home this week — walking and talking."

To read more about this amazing girl, click here.

Man rescued from sea 9 miles off Japan coast

"A 60-year-old man was rescued two days after he was swept miles out to sea on the roof of his house by the huge tsunami which hit Japan Friday, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported.

Hiromitsu Shinkawa was plucked to safety at 12:40 p.m. local time Sunday (10:40 p.m. Saturday ET) after he was spotted nine miles off shore by the crew of a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, the AFP said."

Click here for more on this amazing account.

Springing Ahead: Is It Hard On Your Health?

"Come this weekend, we'll have an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. This sounds great, but researchers say that shifting our internal clocks twice a year might affect us adversely — from more traffic accidents to lower SAT scores."

Click here for more on daylight savings time and its effect.

Save the Children Mobilizes Response to Massive Japan Earthquake, Tsunamis

"A massive earthquake has hit Japan triggering a deadly tsunami and raising warnings of more tsunamis across the Pacific basin. Japanese media report that the death toll is rising and hundreds are missing in the aftermath of the disaster. It is the worst earthquake to hit Japan in at least a century and has sparked dozens of fires, including in more than 30 buildings in Tokyo and an oil refinery near the city."

Click here for more on the earthquake and relief efforts.

Pacific Nations Brace for Tsunami Following 8.9 Quake in Japan

"Asian, North American and South American countries on the Pacific Rim are facing tsunami alerts following a 8.9 magnitude earthquake, reported to have occurred near Japan’s east coast today."

For more on the earthquake and relief efforts, click here.

Actress Mia Wasikowska's window into Jane Eyre

"Although you might not yet know her name, you probably already recognize Mia Wasikowska's face -- as Alice in Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland' or as the quietly headstrong daughter in the Oscar-nominated 'The Kids Are All Right.' Her next big role is as the titular character in 'Jane Eyre,' which opens Friday."

Click here for more on this new film.

All That Jesus Asks: Unsettling Questions

"What would you give to sit at the feet of Jesus and ask all those questions you have about life, the universe, the past and the future? What would such an encounter be like? After reading Stan Guthrie’s new book All That Jesus Asks, I’m convinced that it would be a mind-blowing and perhaps very uncomfortable experience. That’s because Jesus would be the one asking most of the questions."

Click here for more on Guthrie's book.

St. Louis librarian writes picture book about `The Queen of France'

"The 'queen of France' visited Tim Wadham's home about a decade ago. And now the St. Louis librarian memorializes that royal encounter in his first picture book for children.

Illustrated with watercolors favoring a muted pink and a dust jacket sporting a tasteful, glittery crown, the finished book is a success, says Wadham, 48, who has reviewed many children's books as assistant director of youth and community services at the St. Louis County Library."

For more on this royal visit, click here.

Army swaps sit-ups for combat run in new fitness tests

"The Army plans to toughen its fitness tests for the first time in 30 years to make sure all soldiers have the strength, endurance and mobility for battle, adding exercises like running an obstacle course in full combat gear and dragging a body's weight."

Click here for more on the changes to Army fitness testing.

A Revolting Situation: Food Prices and Ethanol

"If you ask the average American what lay behind the recent revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, you are likely to hear words like freedom, democracy, and even Facebook and Twitter. A word you probably won’t hear is food. But just as much as social media, what brought people onto the streets of Tunis and Cairo was food: too little of it at too high a price. It’s a problem whose repercussions are being felt all over the world but whose origin, at least in part, lies in our backyards -- or fields."

For more of Chuck Colson's commentary, click here.

For International Women’s Day, honor the inspirational women in your life by helping other women around the world

"On March 8, all over the world, people are celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a holiday devoted to honoring the women who have inspired us over the past century and celebrating their achievements."

Click here for more on this day devoted to inspiring women.

This year's Mardi Gras is expected to be one of the biggest ever

"It’s sometimes called the Greatest Free Show on Earth, but Mardi Gras is poised to translate into big profits for New Orleans-area hotels this year."

click here.

World Vision, ONE and broad faith-based coalition urge U.S. Senate on humanitarian aid

"A coalition of 30 Christian and Jewish organizations in the U.S. have joined together with the ONE Campaign to urge senators now considering fiscal 2011 budget measures to reverse the disproportionate and devastating cuts to international assistance approved by House lawmakers last week."

Click here for more on the situation.