The skinny on gluten-free products

"Nutrition columnist Molly Kimball presents a video on how gluten-free products may or may not fit into your diet."

Click here for the video.

Fine-tuning ears for music

"She may be 81, but Muriel Haase, of Highwood, insists that listening to music never gets old.

That's why Haase, who plays the piano, is seriously thinking of taking a new music appreciation class for adults this summer at the Music Institute of Chicago in Winnetka."

Read more here.

Filling My Spiritual Tank

"I find certain Bible verses draw me when I am feeling as though I am at the end of my resources. When I have to take a deep breath and say, 'Lord, I'm worn out. I can't keep going. It's up to You now.' That's when He sends a reminder from His Word and fills my tank with His power."

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Veteran works to complete memorial at CLC

"Wayne Maczko’s cousin returned from Vietnam in the 1960s suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, a condition the man still battles today.

Wanting to pay back his cousin for the sacrifice he made for his country, Maczko enlisted in 1966."

Read more here...

World Vision raises US tornado response appeal to $5 million to meet additional needs in Missouri, Minnesota

"World Vision’s disaster response director has deployed to southern Missouri to assess the damage after a massive tornado plowed through the city of Joplin on Sunday evening leaving thousands without homes."

Read more here.

Caring for the Elderly: Let's Talk About It

"I was traveling in Texas recently when I bumped into an old friend -- a man whose opinion on financial matters I really value. We got into a fascinating conversation; let me share it with you."

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DIY Graduation Gifts that Won't Break the Bank

"Let the graduate's skills, goals, awards and experiences guide you in planning a DIY graduation gift. Such a gift need not be expensive to demonstrate how happy you are for him or her."

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The Value of Human Life: The Gipper Got It Right

"A few weeks ago a friend sent me something he thought I would enjoy reading -- something that had been published nearly 30 years ago by Ronald Reagan. I found it so moving, I wanted to share it with BreakPoint listeners."

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Christian Service Games for Children

"Christian service games provide a way to prime children to think in terms of serving God in day-to-day activities. While religious and secular bookstores offer games for sale, teachers and parents can create their own games to encourage children to develop a Christian servant mindset."


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Companion Animals: Don't 'Own' a 'Pet'

"Do you own a pet? Well if you say you do, you are a purveyor of prejudice. At least that’s what some so-called 'leading academics' are saying.

You see, according to the Rev’d Professor Andrew Linzey, director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, we shouldn’t even use the word 'pet,' because the phrase is demeaning to animals."

Read more here.

Off the grid in Amish country

"The 'Plain People' of Lancaster County, Pa., are opening their farmhouses to overnight guests. A B&B stay gives visitors a chance to experience a simpler way of life."

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'Ironman' Dan Perkins Claims Victory in Hard-run Race

"Eleven-time Ironman Dan Perkins, pastor of Twin Oaks Church in San Jose, CA, claimed victory after finishing the Ironman St. George in Utah Saturday for Compassion International, the world's largest Christian child development and sponsorship organization."

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ChildFund, VCU Art Students, Faculty to Auction Wearable Global Art

"Virginia Commonwealth University fashion students found global inspiration and are now raising funds to help vulnerable children in the countries that inspired them.

Students in VCU's Global Wearable Art Class – along with faculty members – researched countries where ChildFund International works, including Ecuador, Thailand, Belarus, Vietnam, Guatemala, Mexico, Philippines, Uganda and Zambia. ChildFund is an international child development organization headquartered in Richmond."

Read more here...

Emanuel on service: 'We all have a role to play'

"Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel weeded a community garden by hand and shovel today to mark a citywide day of service.

'I look at this and I see corruption,' he said as he bent over to pull weeds at the 65th and Woodlawn Community Garden in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side. 'It's about giving something back. We all have a role to play.'"

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The five pastors you’ll meet in Hollywood

"In the film 'Priest,' opening Friday, the titular clergymen is a divinely gifted warrior priest belonging to a sacred order of vampire assassins. Accuracy to real-life clergy is questionable.

Still, I’m betting this priest is not all that different from other fictional clergy characters. After all, movie and TV pastors and priests tend to fit very distinct molds. In fact, if you see Christian clergy on the screen, chances are he or she can be described as one of the following:"

Read more here.

Democratic Tyranny: Middle Eastern Mobs vs. Christians

"The Syrian Army recently laid siege to the southern city of Daraa. Hundreds of people died in this especially bloody episode of what’s being called the 'Arab Spring.'

While the world sympathized with the victims of president Assad’s crackdown on pro-democracy forces, one group had a more ambivalent take: Syria’s Christian population. They, like their brethren throughout the region, have ample reason to suspect that Arab democracy is not the panacea we in the West think it is."

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Woman stranded for weeks was close to dying

"A Canadian woman who lived off trail mix, fish oil tablets and candy for seven weeks in the remote Nevada mountains was upgraded to a solid diet Monday, and hospital officials said her spirits were 'extremely high' despite nearly starving to death."

Read more here.

Healing Divisions: God, Easter, and the Civil War

"This year we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. It was one of the great tragedies in American history -- brother set against brother. More than 600,000 Americans were killed."

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Steps to take now for a healthy lawn

"With green grass finally showing after a long, cold winter, it's time to start getting your lawn ready for spring. Spring means cleaning tools, replacing equipment and sprucing up the yard."

Read more here.

For the love of cake: Elegant treat will feed into mom's sweet obsession

"Professional cake designer Buddy Valastro shares a very special recipe for a Mother's Day treat and tips to make the day as special as the cake."

Check out the recipe and tips here.

Economy shows solid job growth for a third straight month

"The American economy created a healthy batch of new jobs in April for the third straight month, allaying fears of a stall in hiring due to higher oil prices and concerns about an economic slowdown."

Read more here.

Set your garden aflutter with pentas and other butterfly-friendly plants

"Beds of bright flowers always lift our spirits, but when you add the fluttering movement and brilliant color of butterflies, you have one of nature's most enchanting combinations."

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Bring Back the 4th™ Returns

"Last year, Liberty Mutual debuted its Bring Back the 4th™ program, a contest designed to help offset the recession’s effect on those towns and cities forced to cut traditional Independence Day celebrations from their budgets."

Click here for details.

Best Western Rewards Members Can Donate Points for Tornado Relief Efforts in Southeast U.S.

"Members of Best Western Rewards®, the hotel chain's global frequent-stay program, can now donate their Rewards points to tornado and storm relief and recovery efforts underway in the Southern United States. Best Western Rewards members should visit www.bestwestern.com/stormrelief to make a donation of 4,000 points, equaling $15, or more to World Vision, Best Western's official charity partner."

Read more here.

Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says

"Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world, was killed in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on Sunday, President Obama announced."

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Save the Children Distributes Shoes, Diapers; Deploys Child-Friendly Spaces to Children Who’ve Lost Everything in Tornadoes

"When children have to run for their lives, they don’t have time to put on their shoes, grab a favorite toy, or say goodbye to the place they called home. So as part of the Southeast tornado response, Save the Children has distributed truckloads of shoes, diapers, portable cribs, toys and other child-specific essentials to more than 1,100 children in hardest-hit Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Smithville, Miss."

Click here to read more.