Oh, man ain't that good news!  If you say you've never seen a miracle then think about things that happen on a daily basis that we often don't accredit to the miraculous workings of God.  In finding a little boy that was abducted a week ago authorities also found another boy who had been abducted over four years ago in the same general area!  Ain't that good news - yes, yes, that's good news!  Praise God, Ben and Shawn both are returned to their families!

Ben & Shawn both come home!

Now, if that isn't enough to make you think you've heard of a miracle - an amber alert went out in the last couple days for two sisters in the Dallas, TX area; believed to have been taken by their non-custodial mother.  Both girls were found and returned home safely!

Monica & Mercedes both come home!

As has been said a few times on the news... sometimes the good guys do win!  Of course they do!

In the case of all there should be prayers of thanks.  I feel in the case of Shawn Hornbeck particularly prayers for his emotional well-being should continue to be offered fervently.  If anyone remembers Steven Stayner and his and his family's ordeal (including the aftermath and Steven's brother Cary's problems (and crimes) as well) you will understand what I'm meaning.  There is most likely a ton of emotional baggage to be dealt with in the Akers/Shawn Hornbeck househould and they'll need all the prayer and support they can get.  God bless them.

As the 25th of December approaches I find myself rather disgusted.  This season of shopping irks me more and more each year.  This year - like never before.  I feel rather ashamed for the hedonistic ways of the majority of my fellow americans.  As I said, each year the disgust has been building.  This year I know why I have such an unsettled, nauseated feeling about it. 

It's the origins of this "holiday" Christmas.  The day Christians chose to slap Christ's name upon and claim as their celebration of His birth.  I've know for a long time what the origin of Christmas was, and many of the traditions.  Last year at this time (and even a few months ago) I was all caught up in the bruhaha over the "banning" of the word Christmas in advertisements and promotions.  I was just as angry as the next Christian that Christ was being dismissed by businesses in favor of saying "happy holidays".  The way I saw it, businesses make their fourth quarter profits off of Christians for Christmas purchases, how dare they not say "Merry Christmas" in return.  Sure, they make a profit off of Chanukkah gifts too, I suppose, and maybe even some Kwannza items??  But, by and large, it's Christmas purchases that make the quarter.

Praise God, He corrected me!  Just as two wrongs don't make a right, calling a pagan holiday by Christ's name cannot change it's origins and purpose.  Oh, of course we can honor and celebrate Christ - any day of the year, why not every day of the year!  But a pagan holiday it started and it is no less pagan today.  I'll probably offend some but I like to say what I feel led to say:  Christians haven't changed that holiday - that holiday has changed Christians.  And we are worse off for it! 

I'm no longer in agreement that businesses should put Christ in their advertising.  I don't want them to say Merry Christmas.  I don't want them using my savior ever again.  As far as celebrating Christmas, I must admit, I'm very torn.  I love the lights, the decorated tree, "that" feeling.  I know the origin of the tree and I feel guilty for putting it up in my home, tho it's decorated with angels and little things that say "Jesus Lives" and "He is risen", little glass birds, and old fashioned glass ornaments.... I still have that nagging feeling that the tree itself is wrong.  This year I can hardly look at it without the word "groves" coming to mind.

I'm talking to God about it and studying.  I'm awfully glad that I know Jesus as my savior.  I'm eternally grateful for that gift.  I pray that you know Him and love Him too. 

Finally, a most creative and fitting memorial for a man most deserving!  I wish this ceremony had taken place... and the memorial had been built before Mrs. King's passing.

"The memorial will occupy a four-acre plot on the banks of the Tidal Basin, near the Potomac River. The Jefferson Memorial is across the Tidal Basin, while the Lincoln Memorial lies to the northwest, near the river.

The design is based in part on King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Before repeating the "Let freedom ring" refrain, King told the crowd, "We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

"Visitors will pass through an entryway cut through a massive stone symbolizing the mountain of despair and once inside, will come upon the missing section marking the stone of hope, bearing a carved profile of King. It will be ringed with walls chiseled with King's words that may eventually be the base for a waterfall."

Full article here.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a fan of "marketing".  The take-aim,-fire,-and-wring-their-pockets-dry method of solicitation sickens me.  I'll leave that end of it at that for now though.

Fox sees the area of Christian films as being one in which they stand to make a huge amount of money so they're diving in.  "We saw an opportunity to fill a need in an underserved market," said a 20th Century Fox spokesman.

They'll acquire Christian-themed films to be released on DVD and market the theater release of up to twelve films a year, supposedly.  October 6th marks the beginning of this new venture with the theater release of "Love's Abiding Joy", a western directed by Michael Landon, Jr.

I consider this good news not because Fox is eyeing our Christian pockets, certainly, but because at least there will be some measure of quality, family films being released that speak to Christian values.  It also doesn't hurt that once you're considered a "demographic" to these money-grubbing corporations all of them fall over themselves to get a piece of the pie -- meaning if Fox is somewhat successful other companies will want to ride their coat-tails for some of the cash -- meaning more Christian values just may permeate the black hole our society is rapidly becoming.  Bring it on Fox but be very cautious Christians!

(This is reminding me of Song of Solomon 2:15 -- Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines:  for our vines have tender grapes.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5363198.stm

Thank you John Walsh!

The words dedication, determination, conviction all come to mind.  An admirable and generous thing has come out of grief and sorrow.  A most proper way to honor Adam.

America's Most Wanted

The show first aired in 1988.  It was cancelled briefly in 1996 but protests from the public, law enforcement, and even government officials (in addition to low ratings from the sitcom replacements) brought FOX to it's senses.  I can't imagine this show not being aired! 

Thank you John Walsh!  God bless you!

Scientists have identified the bulk of the genes that cause breast and colo-r-e-c-t-a-l cancers.

"For the first time, this tells us that you could identify what in cancer is the Achilles heel," Zerhouni says, noting that researchers should try to confirm these results. "Instead of doing what we do now, which is to give the standard treatment for everybody, we will adjust the treatment for each patient and hopefully dramatically affect their cancer."

That last quote should put typical cancer treatment into perspective.  Very disturbing considering it's been that way for at least the last 4 decades.  I hope this news will change that.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2006-09-07-cancer-genes_x.htm?POE=TECISVA

That's good news.  But let me tell you there is odd, ignorant, peculiar news to be found in this article as well.  I almost thought the "good news" category wasn't right for it.

Some of the odd stuff that almost makes it not necessarily good news:

First, the title of this article.  Ugh, the media!  What they won't do to get a reader/viewer is apparently a very tiny list.   

Horse Slaughtering: The New Terrorism? ... Yep, that's the title.

Second, democrat or republican or no political bent at all... this particular issue is one that needed attention, regardless of what else *also* needs attention.  Politicians are the whiniest bunch! 

Third, uhmm, eewww!  Horsemeat a delicacy?  I remember stories and old movies that indicate from bygone days that having to eat horsemeat was out of necessity - not because anyone favored it.  Ick.

Fourth, grrrrrrrr.  "Here's the issue: about 90,000 horses are sent each year to three plants in this country (two in Texas and one in Illinois, all foreign owned), where they're slaughtered and the meat is shipped to restaurants in Europe and Asia." 

I hate it that two of these places are in my state.  And the fact that it's foreign owned companies burns me up.  Go do this on your own soil.  Oh wait, that would mean increased cost because you'd have to ship the horses further to be slaughtered and profit would go down.  And oh wait again, that would mean some of the "created jobs" we hear so much about annually would disappear.  Too bad.

I digress, but has anyone besides me given any thought to that "created jobs" thing?!  "We created X amount of jobs this year."  Is there really a need to create jobs when there are plenty of jobs to be done?!  Cut the creating and just get busy, I say.

Fifth, sigh... can't common sense just prevail?  Many are in support of this ban for probably obvious reasons but there are just as many who are not in support of it.  Those not in support are people with big bucks to gain and big bucks to lose.  For instance - State cattlemen's associations, pork and poultry producers, and farm bureaus oppose the measure.  Why?  Because it may make it so that it can be said if we shouldn't slaughter horses then we also shouldn't slaughter, say, pigs.  The American Veterinary Medical Association has come out against the ban because they think it will lead to an overabundance in unwanted horses and possibly more abuse to them because they may then be shipped to unregulated slaughterhouses overseas.

The Senate is expected to take up the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act later this Fall.

I say, can't we just prevent 'cruelty for the sake of someone overseas having a hankering for the taste of horsemeat and some foreign-owned company making a profit from providing that from our soil' because it needs preventing?

By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor

Published: 08 September 2006

A 23-year-old woman left in a vegetative state after suffering brain damage in a road accident more than a year ago is capable of understanding and responding to certain commands, scientists claimed yesterday.

-snip-

The 23-year-old woman was asked to imagine herself playing tennis and visiting all the rooms in her house. Her neural responses were found to be indistinguishable from those of healthy volunteers performing the same imaginary tasks.

-snip-

Adrian Owen, who led the study, said: "These are very exciting findings. This technique may allow us to identify which patients have some level of awareness."

-snip-

But Paul Matthews, professor of neurology at the University of Oxford, challenged the claims: "When patients are in a vegetative state they can react to stimuli but not in a truly meaningful way. Contrary to the claim of the authors, the observations do not establish either that the patient made a 'decision to co-operate' or that she had self-awareness. Response to stimuli does not provide evidence of a decision to respond."

Read the full article here:  Woman in vegetative state responds to commands.

http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/08/15/retail-earnings-walmart-cx_sr_0815retail.html

Boohoo, is all I have to say.

I do wonder though - do you suppose a walmart in China is stocked with items bearing the sticker "made in the USA"?  Just thinking.

I post this in the "Good News" category because I believe it is, indeed, good news.  It means American consumers are restraining themselves from unnecessary spending at the conglomerate.  We could all tighten our belts in this country and benefit from it.  We are very spoiled, after all.  I hope the lessons of economy stick.  If they did we may be fortunate enough to see a few "mom & pop's" come back.  I'd rather see their smiling faces in our communities than walmart's smiley face bags filling our landfills.

Many states, not all unfortunately, have state sales tax holidays.  Several state's (including mine, TX) sales tax holidays are happening this weekend (August 4-6).  Here's a page to check if your state has one, and if so, when, and what type of merchandise the tax break applies to:  http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html

Most often the tax break applies to clothing and school supplies (fits right in with the typical timing of the holiday because they know people will likely be shopping for those items at that time - it is a way of generating revenue because they figure if you're spending without paying taxes on some items you are likely to spend more in actuality.... so be a smart consumer not a used one.... plan your shopping!).  Some states include computer purchases in the break, some include other things.  For instance - Florida and Georgia include "energy efficient" products and appliances in their holidays.  Florida has three seperate tax break holidays this year - two have already occurred and one is upcoming.  Connecticut has a year long tax break holiday taking place on residential weatherization and energy efficient products, including heating equipment, insulation, programmable thermostats, weather stripping, caulking, water heaters and heater blankets, gas furnaces, and windows that meet federal Energy Star standards, and oil furnaces that are at least 85% efficient.

Those are some nice specific breaks if you shop wisely.  So take advantage but again, be a smart consumer and plan your spending and shopping!