More than 1,000 Runners Combine to Make Team World Vision the Largest Charity Team at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

"Over 1,000 people will be running in orange during the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 10 in support of Team World Vision. Team World Vision is the largest charity in the race, and unlike other charity teams, it has seen an increase in participants and fundraising since its launch in 2005. They began with only 95 runners in the Chicago Marathon, and there are now over 1,000, each with their own unique story."

For more on Team World Vision, click here.

Trying to master Master Gardening

"I've always thought college was wasted on the young, and that I would be a much better student today than I was when beer and cute guys were competing for my attention."

Click here to read more.

Great Pumpkin Fest in Highwood, IL

"The City of Highwood, IL has some really, really big plans for Halloween this year. Highwood intends to make pumpkin carving history with this year's Great Pumpkin Fest. How, you ask?"

Click here for the answer!

Comer Prep shines as a beacon of optimism

"The bright new charter high school rises next to the scene of a senseless inner-city killing — a 17-year-old girl, chatting with a friend on her cell phone, shot dead in 2008 after two men argued on a CTA bus.

The $20 million school is a legacy of the late Gary Comer, the innovative founder of the Lands’ End clothing empire, who grew up in the Grand Crossing neighborhood and never forgot it."

Click here for more on Comer's caring legacy.

Urgent action needed as Sudan faces countdown to crucial referendum warn aid agencies

"World leaders at today’s Sudan summit must take concrete action to help ensure peace, safety and development for all Sudanese people, five international aid agencies said in an open letter. Failure to act risks a new eruption of violence and threatens the future of Africa’s largest country, with just over 100 days until the referendum to decide whether the south should remain part of Sudan."

For more on this importance summit, click here.

Halloween Party Crafts-Easy-to-Adapt Halloween Crafts for a Bewitching Party

"Lots of children's games and crafts adapt nicely to Halloween with a few set changes. 'Pin the tail on the donkey' can become 'pin the tail on the black cat.' A simple bean bag toss game can become a ghostly game by drawing ghosts on the target board with their open mouths as the scoring goal. Look through craft catalogs and think about how you can adapt the projects to your own needs."

Click here for more on having a great Halloween party.

Green Alternatives To Halloween Candy: Ten Ways to Have a Green Halloween Without Giving Up the Fun

"Halloween candy contributes plastic bags and individual wrappings to landfills after the children have eaten themselves into sugar overload. Choose alternatives that teach or entertain, recycle items you may already have or create items for fun projects. Help children build good habits for tomorrow."

To learn how to ditch the sugar and still have fun, click here.

The arts could be Granite City's cup of tea

"Brenda Whitaker thought it necessary to explain that the sole patrons of the business she operates on the western edge of town were not totally representative of her customer base."

Click here for more on how a steel worker made a dream come true.

Pray the Vote: Prayer Warriors Wanted!

"Pray the Vote is a nationwide movement of prayer. It’s based on the belief that when God’s people cry out to Him in earnest and heartfelt prayer, He will bless our nation in ways we cannot foresee. Our prayers open a window for God to work across our land. We encourage you to make a commitment to pray for the elections between now and November 2. Your prayers will change the world."

For more on this prayerful movement, click here.

Good for Business: Christianity in China

"If you owned a factory, what kind of workers would you want? One Chinese businessman knows for certain.

The man who owns the industrial valve company makes no secret of his religious faith: He’s a committed Christian. Once a week, he gathers together his senior staffers for prayer. Employees are invited to attend Bible studies on the premises and pray for one another’s needs."

Click here for more on Chuck Colson's commentary.

Trash the Takeout

"Are you cooking at home? You should be – it's healthier, not to mention cheaper. And easier than you think."

Save money and time and protect your health. Click here.

Chicken Scoop: Now We Know Egg-zactly What Happened

"The scientific community collectively applauded the recently released work of a team of British scientists, who finally solved a biological puzzle that has eluded the world's best minds for centuries. Research conducted by University of Warwick Professor Mark Rodger and Dr. David Quigley led them to an undeniable answer to the question, 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?'"

Extend Holiday Dollars through the World Vision Gift Catalog – presents of hope and healing

"As the economy continues to struggle, shoppers will look for ways to extend their holiday dollar. What better way than giving two gifts for the price of one – honor a person by name and give a gift that has real-life implications for a family in need? This year meaningful, useful gifts can be purchased through the World Vision Gift Catalog, as 89 percent of donations received go to programs helping children and families overcome poverty in nearly 100 countries."

Click here for more on how you can make a difference.

What to do when your car reaches 100,000 miles

"It was once a huge red flag: When a car's odometer would hit 100,000 miles, 'it was almost a magic threshold that meant the car was probably worn out,' says Kay Wynter, who runs an auto service center in Fort Myers, Fla., with her husband, Terry.

But thanks to improvements in car design and maintenance, the milestone of 100,000 miles now means something very different."

For more on keeping your car running, click here.

Max, Emily and Me: A Glimpse Behind the Curtain

"If you’ve listened to BreakPoint over the years, you know I don’t talk much about my personal life, my feelings, or my family. Because that’s not what BreakPoint is all about.

But now that my daughter Emily has written her wonderful new book Dancing with Max, about her life with my autistic grandson, it’s time to peel back that curtain just a bit."

Click here for more on this new book.

Charity group flies New Orleans-area dogs to new homes around the country

"In the back seat of a car parked on the tarmac at New Orleans Lakefront Airport, a 4-month-old mixed-breed puppy named Suzette dozed Saturday morning as she waited on the flight -- her first ever -- that would ferry her from her old home in St. Bernard Parish to a new life in Lakeland, Fla."

Click here for more on the rescue operation.

The 11 Greatest TV Cops of All Time

"In honor of the return of 'Hawaii 5-0,' I thought I would visit the subject of who are the greatest television police men (and women) of all time. We excluded private detectives, which can be their own future column."

To view the list, click here.

Progress against child deaths will lag until family, community care prioritized: World Vision

"Global efforts to tackle millions of preventable child and maternal deaths will fail to extend gains unless world leaders act now to pour more healthcare resources directly into families and communities, according to a new World Vision report launched today."

Click here for more.

Eliminate Clutter, Feel Better

"My desk is a miserable mess of coloring pages, used steno pads and dried-up markers. A ceramic loaf pan that should be put away until its next batch of banana bread has turned into an odd junk pile filled with hair clips, iPod cords and a pirate's eye patch left over from my son's birthday party."

Click here for more on how to handle clutter.

Eating Right: A look at some healthy tailgating options

"It's football season and I am wondering what are some healthier tailgating options?"

For the answer, click here.

Social circle may add to longevity

"The best medicine for a longer, healthier life may be the support of family and friends: That's the conclusion of an exhaustive July report looking at studies over three decades on social relationships and mortality."

Click here for more on the study.

Mexico 2010 Chicago bash will celebrate breadth of Mexican immigrants' diversity, country's bicentennial

"Surely the Mexican government views the news coverage as better when it revolves around a cellist from Monterrey rather than a drug lord from Tijuana."

For more on the celebration, click here.

Dance Lessons

"As a professional competitive ballroom dancer, I’m often asked what I think of the television show 'Dancing With The Stars,' which starts its new season on September 20. The show isn’t really about dancing, I say; it’s about teaching. And what the celebrity students are learning isn’t really the cha-cha, rumba, and waltz, since most of them will forget the steps once the show is over anyway. What they are really learning is how to be responsible."

Click here for more of a professional competitive ballroom dancer's perspective.

Cold cure? Argonne's shedding light

"A chill in the air this time of year seems to bring that all-too-familiar scratch in the throat and tickle in the nose, and that's what makes the work two scientists achieved at Argonne National Laboratory a little timely, a little intriguing and a little uplifting."

For more on the discovery, click here.

Ten Tips for Parents to Help Children Learn to Read Outside the Classroom

"To mark International Literacy Day and promote reading among children globally, Save the Children today shares 10 steps all parents can take to boost early reading skills among their children. The ten tips are part of a community strategies flipbook for parents and children that Save the Children developed for its global 'Literacy Boost' program."

Click here for the rest of the story.

Tragic Radicals: Why the Sexual Left Defends the Indefensible

"U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker’s decision last month striking down California’s Proposition 8, despite the expressed will of 7 million voters, undoubtedly is radical.

Al Mohler summed it up as 'one brazen act of judicial energy.' The ruling was so radical that even the unquestionably liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overruled Walker’s order to immediately allow 'gay marriage' while it reviews the decision."

Click here for more on Stan Guthrie's commentary.

How to Register for Egiva.Com-the Free Donation Site

"Go green and connect locally with those in need or who have a surplus through a free website-the dream of a California school teacher who wanted to give back to the community."

Click here for more on egiva.com and how you can use it to connect to others.

Teens, kids take charge of annual fundraising event

"It seems youth, and lemonade, will be served.

Since 2002, a group of families on the 700 block of Bonnie Brae in River Forest put their efforts together to turn a day of sorrow into a day of happiness and charity by raising money for local charities on Sept. 11. For year’s Lemon-AID Stand, they are hoping to bring in as much money as they can for Opportunity Knocks, a River Forest-based charity that offers assistance for people with developmental disabilities."

For more on Lemon-AID, click here.

Puppies: Tips For Getting A New Dog, Even An Older Dog

"Thinking about getting a new dog or puppy? Generally it’s better to plan an adoption from a shelter or the purchase of a pure bred dog. But, you never know when you will happen upon a stray that tugs on your heart strings."

Click here for more on introducing the new pet into the household.

Which God Should We Turn To? The Restoring Honor Rally

"A lot of people are asking me what I thought of Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor rally.

As you know, on August 28, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall for what organizer Glenn Beck called a 'Restoring Honor' rally."

Click here for more of Chuck Colson's commentary.

World Vision says emergency in Pakistan will 'get worse before it gets better'

"More than one month after the flooding in Pakistan began, World Vision says the emergency in Pakistan will get worse before it gets better. Up to half of the affected population still hasn't been reached. Unsanitary conditions and a lack of clean water are causing outbreaks of diarrhea and concerns about cholera."

For more on what World Vision is doing in the area, click here.

So Now It's Freedom of Religion?

"Has the Administration changed its tune? Does it now appreciate the difference between freedom of worship and freedom of religion?"

Click herer for more on Chuck Colson's commentary.