Monday, January 19, 2009
Good News forJanuary 19 from Mary Beth
As Americans observe Martin Luther King Day today, I am reminded of the rich Christian tradition of activism in this country. For millions of Christians who have gone before us, activism was considered fruit of the faith. Not only was the civil-rights movement led by evangelical Christians like Dr. King, so too were campaigns for abolition and women’s suffrage heavily influenced by Christians expressing their faith.
Read the rest of Chuck Colson's commentary here.
Calling all Christian Writers!
The next Write-to-Publish Conference will be held June 3-6, 2009, at Wheaton College in the Chicago area. (This is not a function of Wheaton College.)
Plan to join us to connect with editors, improve your writing craft, find new markets, and network with other Christian writers. Getting published can be daunting in today’s tighter market, but the Write-to-Publish Conference can open doors to your new or growing freelance writing career.
Get the particulars here.
From A to Zebra (A Devotion)
I am enamored of zebras. There’s something about those striped equines that brings a smile to my face. Over the years, friends and family members have given me gifts of zebra-striped items and I have collected others on my own. When I was employed, I even “adopted” a zebra at Brookfield Zoo.
Click here to read more.
Try these 1-minute workouts
Fitness is like a drug; each person needs a different dose. But if you're time-pressed you can still benefit from the bare minimum: a one-minute burst of movement.
Confidence is his key
On the concert circuit, pianists who can thrive in last-minute crisis situations are few.
And Adam Neiman is one of them.
Learn more about this special musician here.
January 19 Posts from Mary
One of the most interesting stories of last year involved the CERN laboratory outside of Geneva, Switzerland. On Wednesday, September 10, 2008, scientists turned on the Large Hadron Collider, an eight-billion dollar experiment, designed to see what happens when protons crash into one another at ridiculously fast speeds. “We can now look forward,” said the project director, “to a new era of understanding about the origins and evolution of the universe.” Christians can and should be excited about this kind of research. Our knowledge of reality, however, is not limited to what science can prove.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Gideons Celebrate 100 Years of Bible Distribution
Long before cable television, spa treatments, and eco-friendly soaps and shampoos became staples in hotel rooms, there was the Bible - the Gideon Bible.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Better skin from the beauty aisle
In a windowless room, 49 barefaced women sit quietly as their skin is pinched, poked, and examined by technicians. They’re then photographed with a special skin-evaluating camera. It’s not exactly a glamorous scene.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Was Biden offered choice of two big jobs?
Did Joe Biden have his choice of two jobs for Barack Obama, vice president or secretary of state?
His wife, Jill Biden, suggested on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Monday that her husband had his pick of either job -- prompting an official statement later from the Biden team clarifying her remarks.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Hooping -- from child's play to exercise workout
Hula Hoops, those baby boomer toys that fired a worldwide craze in the1950s, have come back as must-have fitness tools to strengthen the core and battle the love handle.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Study: Women less able to suppress hunger
Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that may help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests.
U. S. researchers trying to understand the brain's mechanisms for controlling food intake were surprised at the difference between the sexes in brain response.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
The Caldwells: A Family's Long Civil Rights Journey
As the great and sometimes heartbreaking flow of events swept around the contours of this city, the Caldwells set themselves into the portrait album of America. Figures pressed between the pages of history.
One black American family: A mother and a father. Four daughters and a son. Forebears who reach back to slavery, and grandchildren who can now grow up with the knowledge that they could be president.
Click here to read the rest of this Good News story.
Monday, January 19, 2009 Good News Posts from Margaret
"Miami Valley (Dayton, Ohio) elementary students reflect on Martin Luther King and his 'Dream'"
Read these letters to Dr. King here...
Knights of Columbus 'Coats for Kids' Program to Aid Needy Children
"The Knights of Columbus will distribute thousands of coats beginning next week to needy children as part of the organization's "Coats for Kids" program.
The Knights of Columbus has purchased 7,800 coats from OshKosh B'gosh and London Fog and will distribute them through local Knights councils in several US cities beginning in Washington, DC on January 19, which has been designated National Day of Service."
Click to read more of this story.
Obama prods nation to service on inauguration eve
"On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama visited wounded troops at a military hospital, helped paint a wall at a shelter for homeless teens and paid tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the civil rights leader's national day. He said there can't be 'idle hands' at a time of national hardship and pledged to make the government do its part."
Read more of this story here...
How Obama can inspire a nation
"An inaugural speech gives an incoming president a rare opportunity to reach out to all the people, to cite our common problems and suggest how he will lead us to conquering them. Often the rhetoric of the address is so dramatic that it produces words that become part of the American language."
Click here to read this commentary from Marshall Loeb.
Mood Foods: Healthy Foods to Brighten Your Day
"Can foods change your mood? According to several studies, it seems that a person’s choice of food is usually dictated by his state of mind. Conversely, food and nutrition are key factors in your brain’s behavior. Judith Wurtman, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), researched how foods alter one’s mood by changing the levels of specific brain chemicals – dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin - called neurotransmitters."
Read more of this story here...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Good News for January 18 from Mary Beth
Save the Children is moving quickly to deliver life-saving aid into Gaza for children and families in need, following the announcement of a cease-fire by all parties today. A truckload of 100 baby kits, 150 hygiene kits and more than 1,400 packages of diapers prepared by Save the Children was transported this morning into Gaza, where staff and local partners began delivering the items to families at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency shelters in Beit Lahia and Jebaliya.
Get the details on the project here.
South African authorities rescue 167 miners trapped underground for 24 hours
Some 167 workers trapped in a gold mine for more than 24 hours were safely brought to the surface late Sunday, the South African Press Association reported.
Read more about this story here.
In the pulpit, looking toward inauguration
All across a snowy Massachusetts this weekend, priests and ministers, rabbis and imams are reflecting on the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
The Boston Globe started a collection of inauguration sermons. Find out more here.
2 teens found safe in Eldorado National Forest
Two 16-year-old Elk Grove boys reported missing in the Eldorado National Forest were found safe today.
For details on the rescue, click here.
A sweet musical match made in the foothills
The stars are especially bright over Scotty and Sasha Prawalsky's Foresthill home on a recent night.
Tune into the song here.
Sunday, January 18, 2009 Good News Posts From Margaret
"What do the demure foamflower of April, the outlandish peony of May and the wild goldenrod of September have in common? They are hardy perennials, plants that bloom in their season and then retreat slowly into the ground, to grow afresh the next year. "
Read more of this story here...
Scientists find way to remove lead from blood
"South Korean scientists may have found a way to remove dangerous heavy metals such as lead from blood by using specially designed magnetic receptors."
Read more of this story here...
Nintendo Wii Leads Record-Breaking Year for Games (NewsFactor)
"The video-game industry has officially defied the economic downturn, although Sony's high-priced PlayStation 3 lags lower-priced consoles. The NPD Group reported a record-breaking year for video games."
Read more of this story here...
The Mission Society celebrates a landmark birthday
"25 years ago, a small group of United Methodists had a passion to take Christ to the world's under-evangelized and unreached people."
Read more of this story here...

