You could be on the cover of a CD!

Christian Band STARS GO DIM is putting the finishing touches on their new album, "Between Here and Now" and guess what? They want to put your picture on the cover! Your photographs will be used to make a collage of a larger image. Just send a photograph of yourself, a special moment in your life, or somebody/something you love. A snapshot of your life. Upload your photos here: http://upload.starsgodim.com/. They hope to use all or as many of them as possible. The plan is to release "Between Here and Now" this summer. Check out their latest journal entry on http://echo.bandfarm.com/ct/196824:37655012:m:1:4132062:4D5CEBA08F6DA5DAF12CFB9E44473BCC to get a sneak peek into the studio to hear a few clips as they are working on the record.

Marriage; it's not easy, but it also is not complicated

Our pastor was speaking on marriage recently and he used a mathematical equation to show how uncomplicated it is: 1 + 1 = 1. If we remember in Genesis, when God brought Adam and Eve together, His plan for marriage has always been that "the two would become one flesh". So 1 + 1 = 1.

When the goals and desires of our spouse become our goals and desires as well, we can have a relationship that grows stronger and gets better everyday. Let's study our spouse, like we did when we were first getting to know them, and keep loving the life we've been given!

Thinking big

Think back to the scene at the end of Matthew as Jesus is giving some final instructions to His disciples. They were trying to come to grips with the idea that He was alive again and now He tells them He's leaving. What are they going to do? Check out Jesus' response to that unasked question - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Mt.28:19, NIV). I think God's expectations were a little higher than those of these men. He didn't tell them to share the good news with a few people. He commanded them to make disciples. And not just in their neighborhood, but of all nations.
I believe God has high hopes for you and I as well. Impacting the lives of those in our neighborhood should be very high on our list of priorities. But what about the rest of the world? Could God use me to share His love with someone in another part of the world? Of course He can. The question is really one of timing - does He want to use me now? Here's an opportunity to consider. Christian 107.3 is partnering with Mission of Mercy to take the love of Jesus to the people of the Dominican Republic in June. Check it out at www.christian107.com.
Perhaps this is your time. Maybe God wants to stretch you a little, get you out of your comfort zone, and show you what He can do through you. It's pretty big, but God is a god who likes to think BIG.

Back to School

Well, we've enjoyed creating some great memories with our kids this summer and now it's time to start a new school year. As they adjust to new classrooms, new teachers, new friends and maybe even new schools, the one thing that remains a constant for them is us - the love and care of their parents. Look for the many opportunities this year to encourage your child and be available to listen as much as possible. They experience so much every day and we need to be the ones they look forward to sharing those experiences with. Now let's go out there and make this their best year ever!

What a story behind this new song

There's a new song by Michael English you'll be hearing on Christian 107.3. It's called "The Only Thing Good In Me" from the soon-to-be-released project 'The Prodigal Comes Home'.

The story of Michael English is very much like the story in the Bible about that son who goes astray. In 1994 Michael went from being one of Christian music's most popular artists with multiple Dove awards, to experiencing personal failure and public disgrace. All because of a few really bad choices. About his failure Michael said, "I took my eyes off the prize and lost everything." After going from the top to the bottom almost overnight, Michael thought he would never sing Christian music again. But God had other plans.

Over the next few years, Michael started making right choices. He got connected again with the body of Christ through a local church. Michael's pastor for over 4 years is Stan Michell of Grace Point Church in Brentwood, TN. He explains it this way, "...we've been walking with him on a pastoral level, watching him, talking to him weekly...seeing he and Marcie's marriage do really, really well. The guy's gotten it together. And he's doing well. And he has a message. And his life is a message even more than the words."

Mark Hall from Casting Crowns says, "Michael's life is a beautiful picture of God's forgivness and restoration. He is a new creation. The old has passed away and all things are new-Michael has an amazing story to tell." Michael himself puts it plainly when he says, "I can't explain it, other than to say that God has cleaned out the cobwebs of my life."

So when you hear the new song from the new Michael English, know that it comes from the heart of a prodigal who has chosen to come home.

Really fun video

In case you missed this when the song came out, here is a link for the NeedToBreathe video of "Signature of Divine". It's one of my favorite videos. According to the band it took a whole week to make because of the thousands of still shots they had to take. Anyway, enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qxP5yEMk3k

You did it again!

Thank you 100 times! You have once again made our 28 Hours of Mercy a huge success. After we ended the 28 hours on Feb. 6th at 10am we had 88 children who had been sponsored through Mission of Mercy. Then a few more of you decided to sponsor a child through the link on our website. There are now 100 more children who will be receiving food, medical care and most of all - love. Thank you for helping make an enormous difference in the life of a child. And if you are still giving thought to child sponsorship, here is the website where you can find out more www.missionofmercy.org. Every child deserves to be loved.