(Photo via Hallmark Movies and Mysteries) This year, I was very behind on my regular TV watching, leaving my DVR bursting at the seams. But yesterday, I finally saw the film “Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas,” which originally aired on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries (as opposed to the regular Hallmark Channel). The story followed the Postables – the characters who work in the Post Office’s Dead Letter Office who we got to know on the regular series “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”... Read more
When I interviewed Jonathan Jackson, Richard Lee Jackson, and Daniel Sweatt of Enation a few weeks ago about their album “Radio Cinematic” (photo above), I also referenced the fact that Jonathan performs the classic song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on the new Christmas album from the cast of “Nashville.” While we were on the topic of Christmas, I was curious how the guys manage to balance the sacred and the secular sides of the holiday for themselves and their... Read more
The poinsettia and note on her front porch were the beginning of a Christmas mystery that Joanne Huist Smith wouldn’t solve for years to come. They were also the catalyst for the healing process that she and her three kids needed during the most devastating time in their lives. Christmas brings with it the expectation to be happy and joyful, but in 1999 Joanne was anything but. Her husband Rick had died a few months earlier after putting off surgery... Read more
UPDATE: Congratulations to our winners Doug H. and Nancy! The contest is now closed. —————————————————————————————————- We’ve got a special opportunity for you this holiday season: you can win a free DVD of “The Good Lie” starring Reese Witherspoon in our blog contest. All you have to do is leave a comment below saying why you’d like to see the film – or what you liked about it if you’ve seen it already. Comments need to be left by 11:59pm on... Read more
When a stranger stopped Father Jonathan Morris while he was walking on a New York City street one cold winter night, he assumed the man would ask him one of the questions he usually gets: 1) Would you pray for me?, 2) Would you hear my confession?, or 3) Hey, I know a priest named Father Jim in North Dakota. Do you know him? Instead, the man said, “I want you to know I don’t believe in God, but I’m... Read more
A few months ago, I posted an interview I did with Patrick Donohue, whose daughter Sarah Jane suffered a traumatic brain injury at the hands of her baby nurse when she was only five days old. Patrick shared the work that he’s done establishing treatment guidelines for kids with PABI (Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury) – and his most recent effort establishing a school for the these children in New York City called the International Academy of Hope (or iHope). NationSwell... Read more
In the classic Bill Murray comedy “Stripes,” there’s a scene in which all the new Army recruits are introducing themselves to each other and to their drill sergeant, Sgt. Hulka. This is one memorable exchange between Hulka and a tightly-wound recruit named Francis: Psycho: [My] name’s Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I’ll kill you. Leon: Ooooooh. Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. And I don’t like nobody touching my... Read more
Everybody’s heard the George Michael hit “Last Christmas,” especially during this time of year. Well, Brooke White and Summer Bellessa (a.k.a. The Girls with Glasses) have recorded a parody version of that song, which begins with the lyrics “Last Christmas, I gave you some socks / But the very next day you gave them away.” If you’ve ever regifted something or scrambled to find anything around the house because someone you didn’t buy a present for has bought one for... Read more
“All is well, all is well / Angels and men rejoice / For tonight darkness fell / Into the dawn of love’s light.” Those are the opening lyrics of three-time Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith’s song “All is Well,” which is featured on his new album “The Spirit of Christmas.” The project consists of duets with popular singers like Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, and Carrie Underwood, who joins Smith on “All is Well.” Though he co-wrote the song many... Read more
The following is the text of the Christopher News Note “Persevering Through Pain and Struggle” (which was written by a freelancer). If you’d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: Every once in a while we come face to face with someone who seems to defy the odds, who has borne the weight of the world on their shoulders without losing hope, without crumbling under the pressure. For many of us, it’s beyond comprehension. How... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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