One of my favorite modern-day religion quotes comes from Mark Hart (aka The Bible Geek) who wrote on Twitter a while back, “An annoyed and joyless Christian is the devil’s greatest billboard.” In a nutshell, it captures why Christians need to be people of joy. That quote came to mind when I read Matthew Warner’s new interview with singer-songwriter Jackie Francois about her new album, “Divine Comedy.” Having followed Jackie on Facebook and Twitter for about two years, I know... Read more
In 2004, Eric Strauss, an ABC News producer for the network’s Primetime series, traveled to Texas to profile Bridget Kelly. Two years earlier, at age 24, Kelly had been the victim of a brutal attack in which she was kidnapped, raped, shot repeatedly, and left for dead. She miraculously survived her ordeal and told her father that she felt like God had lifted her up. Her father was angry and wanted to know where God was while his daughter endured... Read more
One of the most aggravating aspects of the Olympics to me is when reporters treat silver medalists like losers – as if being the second best athlete in your field in THE ENTIRE WORLD is somehow something to hang your head about. In her engaging and enjoyable new memoir “Winning Balance” (co-written with Nancy Anderson French), former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson reveals she had a hard time with that attitude herself. In fact, she was shocked by it. During the... Read more
H/T to Patricia Heaton who posted the link to this story on Twitter, saying, “In the line at the pearly gates, this lady will be ahead of all of us:” From The Daily Mail: A woman has been hailed a hero after details of her astonishing work with abandoned children has emerged. Lou Xiaoying, now 88 and suffering from kidney failure, found and raised more than 30 abandoned Chinese babies from the streets of Jinhua, in the eastern Zhejiang province... Read more
Are you feeling spiritually pooped? Do you need a God-infused jolt of oomph in your life? If you answered yes, look no further than the video below of The Lower Lights performing the classic hymn, “I Saw the Light.” It will get your toes-a-tapping, your heart-a-humming, and your soul-a-singing. Then listen to the podcast featuring Scott Wiley, a founding member of The Lower Lights, underneath that – and read my review of their latest album, “A Hymn Revival: Volume 2.”... Read more
Have you ever been so lonely that you created an imaginary ‘ideal mate’ in your mind that you could could talk to and who would love you just the way you are – and then have that exact person appear in your home out of nowhere? Me neither. But that’s the premise of the new indie romantic-comedy-drama “Ruby Sparks,” about a twenty-something author named Calvin (Paul Dano) who doesn’t have any real friends and who still hasn’t gotten over being... Read more
The other day I posted the story of Petra Anderson, an Aurora shooting survivor who endured a shotgun pellet in her brain without severe damage to her speech and motor functions due to a birth defect that allowed the pellet to bypass important areas in her brain. Petra’s sister, Chloe Anderson, who is an alum of the Act One screenwriting and producing program, appeared on NBC’s Rock Center to discuss Petra’s progress and her family’s ordeal. In light of the... Read more
The 63rd annual Christopher Awards were presented in New York City this past May 24. Though the majority of awards fall into the categories of books, films, and TV programs, we also recognize a few individuals with special Christopher Awards. For instance, the James Keller Award—named after The Christophers’ founder—goes to someone who is making a difference in the lives of children. The recipient this year was former New York Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons who, in 1982, created The... Read more
“The Dark Knight Rises” star Christian Bale today visited those who were wounded in the Aurora, Colorado, shooting rampage. It was a personal trip, not on behalf of the studio. Even more classy was the fact that there was little advance warning so press coverage was limited. Bale wasn’t looking to attract pats on the back for being a good guy. He apparently just wanted to be a good guy. And based on reports, it meant a great deal to... Read more
During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Laura Wilkinson remarkably won the gold medal in platform diving only a few months after she had broken her foot in a training accident. It was a feat many thought was physically impossible. She went on to become the only woman in history to win platform diving gold medals at the Olympics, the World Cup, and the World Championship. Laura credits her success not just to hard work and dedication, but also... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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