THE MORNING SHOW

with

JIM & KAREN

jim@spiritfm.org

karen@spiritfm.org

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY

JANUARY 21, 2009

LIFE CHANGING WORD
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. Philippians 4:6-7

Life has many unknowns. We may worry about keeping our job, having enough money, we worry about our children and their security and safety, and we worry and wonder about our nation’s future. There are many things we can worry about these days for sure.

Just turn on any television or newscast and you can get worried in a hurry. The latest terrorist threats, flu outbreaks, health scares, the economy, the list goes on and on.

We don’t know what tomorrow, or the next moment for that matter, will bring. Thankfully, we know who holds each day and moment.. Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything”. He can say this because God has every issue under his control. Our part is to pray and trust; God will give us peace beyond our understanding. Don’t fret …trust God in everything!

TODAY IS….

Today is National Disc Jockey Day, a day to appreciate radio disc jockeys. For real.

Today is National Hugging Day, but be careful. Nowadays, you might want to get a pre-hug release signed before going hug wild.

Today is National Granola Bar Day.

Today is National Hot 'n' Spicy Food Day.

IN THE NEWS….

2 million people streamed into Washington, D.C. for Barack Obama's inauguration...afterwards most of them stuck around to apply for government jobs.
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The crowds were so heavy that NBC's Matt Lauer and ABC's Sam Champion were unable to do reports for their network morning shows. No Matt Lauer or Sam Champion?... hey, this new administration is already providing the American people with some relief!

President Bush said he is leaving Washington with his head held high — because it’s the best way to spot shoes that are coming at you.

Some people are angry that the inauguration festivities are going to cost $170 million. After hearing about it, Oprah said, “Don’t worry — this one’s on me.”

Obama held a dinner in honor of John McCain. You could tell it was for McCain because it was over at 4 p.m

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INAUGURATION HIGHLIGHTS:
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Hat's off!

What better way to kick off the festivities ushering in the first African-American president than being serenaded by the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin. The singer bedazzled with her voice, but she had some competition with what was on her head. The enormously bowed topper spurred fans to search on "Aretha Franklin hat," "Aretha Franklin at inauguration," and "Aretha Franklin inauguration hat."

What's for lunch?

There's nothing like a swearing-in ceremony to work up a powerful appetite. And the luncheon with Congress with presidential and vice presidential guests of honor had some searchers hungering for the menu. As Sen. Dianne Feinstein mentioned, the luncheon recipes were the most popular section of the Presidential Inaugural Committee website The multi-course menu included duck, pheasant, and apple cinnamon sponge cake. Searchers wanted to crash the meal with look-ups on "molasses sweet potatoes," "inaugural luncheon," and "inaugural luncheon menu." You can see the full menu and wine pairings here. Read it and weep.

He has words for you

Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, the civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered the benediction. The speech proved not only popular in the stands, but in search, with look-ups for the entire speech, including "Lowery benediction," "Lowery benediction text," "Reverend Lowery's speech," and "transcript of inaugural benediction." The reverend began his text by quoting a verse from what's known as the "Negro National Anthem," a poem set to music titled "Lift Every Voice and Sing," originally performed in commemoration of Lincoln's birthday at a segregated school in 1900. The text spurred additional look-ups for "negro national anthem" and "negro national anthem lyrics."

Serious speech for serious timesWhile the crowd was joyful, President Barack Obama's inaugural address was not, intoning phrases such as "In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned." Searches on "obama's speech" and "Obamas inaugural speech" immediately spiked. A critical review said the somber words invoked FDR. Newsweek said the speech reflected Obama's "zeal to remake America's image in the eyes of the world." The New York Times called the speech "good, not great." As the Buzz Log reported earlier, the inaugural address touched on themes of sacrifice, change, personal responsibility, and of course, hope.

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL MISTAKE

Just seconds into his term, President Barack Obama made a mistake about the history of his new office.

In the second paragraph of his inaugural address, Obama said, "Forty four Americans have now taken the presidential oath."

Sorry. While Obama IS the 44th. president, he is actually only the 43rd American to take the oath.
Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms. He is counted as the 22nd president, serving from 1885 to 1889. He won back theoffice four years later, and is counted also as the 24th president, serving again from 1893-1897.

Two presidents – but one American.

WHAT DID MICHELLE WEAR???
For the inauguration ceremony……

She's been wearing Cuban American designer Narcisco Rodriguez for several Inaugural festivities, but yesterday morning she stepped out in a shimmery yellow Isabel Toledo ensemble. Sparkly and gorgeous!

The brocade dress, 3/4 coat and matching sweater all in the same hue are tres chic, we must say! And the green gloves?? Fab! The Green shoes and the green gloves came from J Crew. Malia’s and Sasha’s outfits also came from J Crew.

For the inaugural balls……

Michelle Obama celebrated her husband Barack Obama's Inauguration in a dazzling white, one-shouldered Jason Wu gown.

"Michelle Obama once more does something new and fresh [by] working with an emerging fashion star and turning Jason Wu overnight into a household name," Us Weekly fashion director Sasha Charnin Morrison says.

"This type of dress shape/silhouette is something that's completely unexpected. [It's] vibrant and aspirational, full and gorgeous," Charnin Morrison adds. "No one else in the past would have been this striking, this ravishing or been able to pull this look off. She's bringing sexy back."
Look back at famous Inaugural Ball gowns.

Michelle also donned a $3,510 dress made from the 26-year-old Taiwan-born designer for a November interview with Barbara Walters. The Wall Street Journal reports Wu's evening wear sells for $3,000 to $6,000.

What's in a dress?

Michelle's choice is "a balancing act between being a queen and a commoner," Carl Sferrazza Anthony, a historian who's written about first ladies, told The Dallas Morning News. "The inaugural gown is a metaphor for the first lady role."

He added: "They reflect around the world an image of our country."

Earlier today, Michelle stepped out in a gold sheath and matching jacket from Cuban-born designer Isabel Toledo for Barack's swearing-in ceremony. To stay warm in the 30-degree weather, she paired her outfit with olive green gloves from one of her fave shops, J. Crew.
(Her daughters also wore threads from the chain shop to their dad's Inauguration. Malia chose a royal blue jacket, while Sasha bundled-up in a pale pink coat.)

Meanwhile, the president hit the town in a custom tuxedo made by Chicago-based designer Hart Schaffner Marx. (The brand's suits typically retail at Nordstrom for about $895.) Obama hasn't purchased a tux in 15 years, it's been reported.

Barack and Michelle are expected to hop between the 10 official balls scheduled for tonight. They shared a first dance to Beyonce's performance of Etta James' "At Last" at the Neighborhood Ball.
But after tonight's glitz and glamour, it's down to business.

SENATOR KENNEDY SUFFERS SEIZURE AT INAUGURAL LUNCHEON

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, ill with a brain tumor, was hospitalized Tuesday but quickly reported feeling well after suffering a seizure at a post-inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama. "After testing, we believe the incident was brought on by simple fatigue," Dr. Edward Aulisi, chairman of neurosurgery at Washington Hospital Center said in a statement released by the senator's office.

"He will remain ... overnight for observation, and will be released in the morning."

The statement said the 76-year-old senator "is awake, talking with family and friends, and feeling well."

The statement did not disclose the tests that were performed on Kennedy, whose seizure was witnessed by several fellow senators seated with him at lunch.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told reporters he and Kennedy's wife, Vicki, grabbed the senator as he became ill.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., told reporters that Obama noticed when Kennedy became ill, and rushed over to his table.

"There was a call for silence throughout the room," he said. "The president went over immediately. The lights went down, just to reduce the heat, I think."

In his remarks, Obama said his prayers were with the stricken senator, his family and wife.

BUSH TWINS SEND SPECIAL LETTER TO THE OBAMA DAUGHTERS

WASHINGTON – Just in time for move-in day, the Bush twins offered their best advice Tuesday to Sasha and Malia Obama on living in a "magical place" called the White House.
In an open letter to the Obama kids, 27-year-olds Barbara and Jenna Bush advised the girls to relish it all — to "go to anything and everything you possibly can."

"Just go," they wrote in a letter published in the Wall Street Journal. "Four years goes by so fast, so absorb it all, enjoy it all!"

The twins reminisced about their favorite memories of the White House, and gave plenty of specific advice, too, to 7-year-old Sasha and 10-year-old Malia:

_Surround yourselves with loyal friends.
_Trick-or-treat down the plane aisle if you're traveling on Halloween.
_Cherish your pets "because sometimes you'll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide."
_And this: "Slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties, and play Sardines on the White House lawn. Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play."

The twins turned serious at the end, recalling how the public image of their own father got distorted over the years.

"He is our father, not the sketch in the paper or part of a skit on TV," they wrote.

As for the Obama girls' dad, they added, "Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters. So here is our most important piece of advice:

remember who your dad really is."

RICK WARREN’S INAUGURAL PRAYER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ3i9Uu1PJg

OBAMA SIGNS FIRST PROCLAMATION & HE IS LEFT HANDED!

WASHINGTON (CNN) — As his first official action after being sworn in, President Barack Obama signed three documents Tuesday, including a proclamation declaring a day of national renewal and reconciliation.

"I'm a lefty. Get used to it," Obama quipped as he signed his name. "I was told not to swipe the pen."

The past three presidents signed similar reconciliation proclamations upon being sworn in.
Also signed by Obama were Cabinet and sub-Cabinet nominations. Those nominations will be presented to the Senate when it meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday,and are necessary before the full Senate can confirm the nominations, accordingto Senate staff members.

WOMAN HANDS OUT SPECIALLY MADE OBAMA BIBLE COVERS AT INAUGURATION

Fresno, CA, USA (KFSN) -- A Valley woman was in Washington DC yesterday for the presidential inauguration with 200 specially made bibles in hand!

Karen Scott designed Obama bible covers. She handed the bibles out at the inauguration.
Scott said she has made bibles in the past for special occasions, but this one is unique because she got to present one to Obama himself at an inauguration event this past weekend.

“I told how proud I am of him to be our president and I'm just asked him to stay focused on the word and let the word lead him," said Scott.

FINDING A CHURCH HOME NOT EASILY DONE FOR THE OBAMAS

The incoming first family is finding that settling quietly into a new church is easier said than done.

Barack Obama and his family have been on the lookout for a church ever since the president-elect left Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in May, in the wake of the controversy sparked by his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.

Obama said at the time his presence at the church had created a hardship for other members of the congregation. So those considerations are no doubt on the Obamas' minds as they continue their search.

WHITE HOUSE WEBSITE HAS A NEW LOOK

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

PRESIDENT OBAMA MAY REVERSE ABORTION POLICY

President-elect Barack Obama is considering issuing an executive order to reverse a controversial Bush administration abortion policy in his first week in office, three Democratic sources said Monday.

Obama's second full day as president falls on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States.

The sources said Obama may use the occasion to reverse the "Mexico City policy" reinstated in 2001 by Bush that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family planning groups that promote abortion or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion services. It bans any organization receiving family planning funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development from offering abortions or abortion counseling.

The "Mexico City policy," commonly referred to by critics as "the global gag rule," was devised by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 at a population conference in Mexico City.

President Bill Clinton lifted the ban in January 1993 as one of his first acts as president, but President George W. Bush reinstated it in his first executive order on January 22, 2001, the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

At the time, critics -- including Planned Parenthood -- called the move a "legislative ambush."
Bush defended the action, saying then: "It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortion or actively promote abortion

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND LAURA BUSH “GLAD TO BE BACK HOME!”

Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.

"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."

As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.

While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH LEAVES A PRO-LIFE LEGACY

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Americans may have their dispute with President Bush on other political issues and those disputes may have led them to support pro-abortion Barack Obama for president. But top pro-life leaders say Bush will leave behind a very strong and lasting legacy as a champion of the pro-life cause.

During his administration, President Bush saw abortions decline to historic lows and he made history himself by signing the first measure to ever ban a form of abortion.

Every pro-life leader LifeNews.com contacted showered Bush with words of praise.

"President Bush's conviction that innocent human life deserves respect in law and culture runs deep," Concerned Women for America president Wendy Wright said.

"From signing pro-life laws, instituting pro-life regulations, to promoting pro-life international policies, he faced vicious opposition yet did not relent. Bureaucrats worked to undermine and thwart his policies, sometimes working hand-in-hand with pro-abortion groups and hostile media. But he was not deterred," she said.

Bill Donohue, the head of the Catholic League, agreed.

"George W. Bush will be remembered as doing more to build a culture of life than any president," he told LifeNews.com.

"From embryonic stem cell research and cloning to the Born Alive Infants Protection Act and partial-birth abortion, George W. Bush has been the pro-life community’s best friend," he explained.

The president demonstrated his pro-life commitment on his first day in office when he reinstituted the Mexico City Policy that stops taxpayer funding of groups that promote or perform abortions in other nations. Later he extended that policy further to prevent pro-abortion funding within all State Department programs.

He also cut off funding for the UNFPA, a United Nations agency found to have been involved in supporting and working with Chinese family planning officials as the implemented the nation's one-child policy with forced abortions.

Bush followed that up with a policy preventing taxpayers from being forced to pay for new embryonic stem cell research that destroys human life.

The president signed every piece of pro-life legislation that came to his desk, including the partial-birth abortion ban and a bill to make sure babies who survive botched abortions receive appropriate medical care.

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY ATTENDS INAUGURATION IN A WHEELCHAIR

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back while moving boxes and will be in a wheelchair for Tuesday's inauguration ceremony.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Monday that Cheney was helping to move into his new home outside Washington in McLean, Va., when he injured his back.

His doctor recommended that he needed a wheelchair for the next couple of days.

Perino said that Cheney is OK otherwise.

"The vice president is looking forward to being there for tomorrow's historic inaugural activities," Perino said.

HOW TO PRAY FOR A PRESIDENT
Featured yesterday on Dr. Charles Stanley’s Broadcast

How to Pray for a President

2 Timothy 2:1-6

As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for those in authority-fathers, pastors, and all kinds of leaders. However, we must say more than "God, please bless the President" or "Lord, help the pastor preach a good sermon." To pray effectively, we must pray specifically, namely that he will . . . 1. Realize his personal sinfulness and daily need of God's cleansing power. 2. Recognize his personal inadequacy for the task and therefore depend upon God. 3. Reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles and then trust God to validate him. 4. Resist pressure from individuals or special interest groups that would have him act in violation of his conscience. 5. Work at reversing our country's trends of socialism and humanism, both of which dethrone God and deify man. 6. Be ready to forsake his political career and personal ambition for the best interest of the nation. 7. Rely upon the Word of God as his source of strength and key to success. 8. Be used to bring dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness to the office of the presidency. 9. Be a good example to the fathers and sons of the nation. 10. Be reminded daily that he is accountable to Almighty God for his attitudes, actions, and motivations while serving in office.

MORE NEWS…..

FOURTH GRADER OFFERS DOG TO THE OBAMA FAMILY

Two western Pennsylvania county commissioners brought more than best wishes to President Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Fayette County Commissioners Vincent Vicites and Vincent Zapotsky also planned to deliver a letter from fourth-grader Zack Shiley who is offering his puppy to the Obama family.

The Obamas have been searching for a dog to be their White House pet.

Shiley attends Wharton Elementary School in Farmington, Pa. The Labradoodle puppy is the only survivor of a litter born to the family's two dogs on Nov. 26.

Vicites said it's a long shot the Obamas will accept the dog, but he noted the first family has to get their puppy from somebody.

That Kids Inaugural Disney Channel concert is over and MALIA and SASHA OBAMA got a standing ovation as they walked into Washington, DC's Verizon Center Monday night.

From the their front-row seat next to JOE BIDEN's four grand-daughters they got pulled up on-stage to dance with the JONAS BROTHERS — after the Secret Service said it would be OK. MILEY CYRUS also dedicated "See You Again," to the girls at the Kids' Inaugural, and later told the Chicago Tribune she agreed to participate because she knew the Obama girls were fans. "That was exciting for me to know that I put smile on their face," she said.

SPIRIT FM MORNING SHOW

With

JIM & KAREN

www.spiritfm.org

karen@spiritfm.org

jim@spiritfm.org

TODAY IS MONDAY - JANUARY 19th. - 2009

TODAY"S LIFE CHANGING WORD

BY: Karen Dye

Jeremiah 31:15-17 Rachel mourns her children. She refuses to be consoled because her children are no more. Thus says the Lord, Cease your cries of mourning. Wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward. There is hope for your futurer your future.

CNN news.com recently reports that women who have had abortions, scientists, and pro-life advocates are joining forces to refute the findings of an American Psychological Association (APA) task force that claims women who have one abortion do not experience any more mental problems than women who decide to give birth.

Let me tell you this…You can only shove the enemies lies to the back of your psyche for just so long, eventually though it will break on through to the front and it comes back to haunt you! Burying a corpse doesn’t mean it never existed, and this is something that a woman will have to deal with for the rest of their lives- they can shove the pain to the back of their mind, and not think about it for awhile, but eventually, the burden is going to be too heavy as the issue never goes away, and will always be something they will have to work very hard to suppress and ‘ignore’. The sad fact is that abortion is not something that has no impact on a woman’s psyche.
The good news is…there is a place of healing and forgiveness. That place is in the arms of Jesus Christ!

I know there are women listening right now who have had an abortion in the past. I know there are women sitting in churches all over this country, right here in Missouri who have had abortions but they sit and suffer in silence, afraid that they will be judged and ostracized for their actions. We need to create an atmosphere within our churches and our circle of Bible studies that offer grace and forgiveness when it comes to the confession of abortion. There is a vague notion that addressing the issue of abortion recovery openly will somehow condone abortion. However, in discussing the reality that abortion hurts women and their families (and by extension-the church family), a door opens and dialogue begins.

As the hurting are healed, they are empowered and impassioned to take their message of pain and healing to the world around them, perpetuating the truth of the harmfulness of abortion and the incomparable healing found in and through Jesus Christ"

IT IS SANCTITY OF LIFE MONTH

A pre-born life is more than a clump of cells…it is a newly conceived human being with unique DNA that will never again be duplicated.

Did you know?

A baby’s heart begins to beat and fully function 20 days after conception..most likely before the mother even realizes she is pregnant.

The baby begins inhaling and exhaling by the 90th. day

The baby is kicking, grasping, squinting, frowning, grimacing and sucking a thumb by the 105th. day.

Every human life, whatever, the stage or condition, is endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights and dignity. We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life—the unborn—without diminishing the value of ALL human life.

A pre-born life is an impression of God’s own image and likeness. A sign of his presence and reflection of his glory and thus should be entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

THIS SATURDAY IS MISSOURI’S BIGGEST BABY SHOWER AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We're asking you to pick up some baby supplies each time you go to the store this month. Then, on Saturday, Jan 24 from 9am - 3pm, take the stuff to your local crisis pregnancy center or pro-life ministry. See below for a complete list of participating ministries, as well as a list of needed supplies. These supplies will be given to help mothers facing a crisis pregnancy who have chosen life over abortion.

Thanks for giving generously to help these agencies save and change lives in 2008!
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Needed Supplies

Diapers ( all sizes up to 5 )Baby WipesDiaper Rash CreamPowdered Formula ( Infamil Lipid )New ToysBurp & Changing PadsClothes ( including toddler sizes )Maternity Clothes ( inclding nursing bras )Gift Cards

You can also donate money to the pregnancy center. Be sureto tell them it's for MO's Biggest Baby Shower.

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Participating Ministries( listed alphabetically by town )

ColumbiaMyLifeClinic - Life Network of Central MO802 N Providence Rd 573-874-3561

HoustonRelief Share 706 Hwy 17 N (In the Mini Mall)417-967-3340

Jefferson CityMyLifeClinic - Life Network of Central MO1109 SW Blvd, Suite G573-636-9125

KirksvilleLifeline Pregnancy Resource Center902 E Laharpe St, Suite 116(In Preferred Family Health Building)660-665-5688

Lake OzarkLake Area Pregnancy Help CenterDrop off at Vedas Upscale Re-Sale Shop in Monarch Plaza on Bus 54 573-365-2345

LebanonLaclede County Pregnancy Support Center525 Washington417-532-85551-888-303-4231

Mountain GrovePregnancy Resource Center600 E State St Cedar Court Park 417-926-8902

RollaPregnancy Resource Center of Rolla1501 E 10th St, Suite D(Directly across from 1st Christian Church and Fire House)573-368-5700

BirthrightLocated on 5th St573-364-0066

SalemRiverways Pregnancy Resource Center909 S Pershing(Behind Gas Plus on 72)573-739-4673

SedaliaThere is Hope Christian Ministries660 E 16th St660-826-1225660-829-4650

Sedalia Pregnancy Care Center106 W 5th St660-827-2331

WarrensburgNew Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center208 E Gay St660-429-3800

WarsawCrossroads Family Ministries 314 Main St 660-438-9140

WaynesvilleBirthright Emergency Pregnancy Center121 N Benton(Next to the post office, across from Courthouse and gazebo)573-774-2499573-528-5235

West PlainsBirthright1560 Imperial Center417-256-1313

HOW DOES ABORTION IMPACT THE FATHER?

Abortion destroys a man's ability to lead his family morally and spiritually When a man doesn't protect his unborn child, either by passively watching the woman in his life have an abortion, or by forcing her to abort, it can undermine his confidence in his manhood. Why? Because God created men to be protectors, just as women are nurturers. To protect is a deep, God-given desire; and when a man understands he has violated God's principle of protection through abortion, it can erode his confidence to lead his family, both morally and spiritually.

A man needs to own his sin and be willing to go to places of desperationFor many men, admitting they've been wrong can feel threatening. Fortunately, God doesn't ask a man to own (or admit to) his sin to keep him trapped in a place of pain. Rather, men need to own their sin of abortion because it's the only way to move past the pain of abortion.

There is forgiveness and grace available for the man who will own the sin of abortionWhen God prompts a father face the abortion he doesn’t know there is joy on the other side of pain, so he will fight with God. But when he finally admits his wrongdoing, he will be able to receive forgiveness, grace and comfort.

Mother Teresa said:”It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

TODAY IS…..
Today is Whisper I Love You Day.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking Dr. King's birth on January 15th, 1929. The U.S. observance is Third Monday, this year on January 21st.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on this day in 1809. How weird was he? Try to imagine if Stephen King and Michael Jackson had a child.

The first presidential news conference covered by movie and TV cameras occurred on this date in 1955. But it was pretty boring. Because those were the days before Sam Donaldson and shoe throwing. Dwight Eisenhower conducted the first televised presidential news conference.

On this day in 1913 an aircraft landed on a ship’s deck for the first time. If you think about that, suddenly parallel parking doesn’t seem so tough.

ILLINOIS MAN SELLING OBAMA’S CAR ON e-BAY''

A luxury Chrysler sedan that President-elect Barack Obama drove before winning the White House is being auctioned off on eBay. Starting bid: $100,000.

Tim O'Boyle, the general manager of a restaurant in Hillside, Ill., west of Chicago, is selling Obama's steel blue 2005 Chrysler 300C Hemi on the Internet auction site, hoping to cash in on history. The price is a cool $1 million under eBay's "Buy It Now" option.

"In my mind, it's a one-of-a-kind car," O'Boyle said

Obama leased the car in 2004 at Park Plaza Dodge in Forest Park, Ill., and swapped it for a Ford Escape Hybrid in 2007. The vehicle was transferred back to the dealership, where O'Boyle bought it used last February.

Before driving off, "one of the guys over at the car dealership said, 'You better hold onto that thing,"' said O'Boyle, an Obama supporter. "I said, 'Why's that? And he said, 'Because it used to belong to Obama."'

Gary Hall, finance director for Park Plaza Dodge, confirmed that Obama had leased the car from the dealership and O'Boyle later bought the vehicle.

O'Boyle tried to sell it on eBay in December, but stopped the bidding process when his accountant told him to wait until he had owned it for a year for tax reasons. O'Boyle said the top bid on eBay was $125,100, and another person contacted him offering $150,000.

Anything near that amount would be a coup. Kelley's Blue Book values a 2005 Chrysler 300C in excellent condition at $15,750. A 2009 300C has a list price of $27,415, but sales of the car took a nosedive in 2008. Chrysler LLC sold 62,352 300C sedans last year, a 48 percent decline over the previous year.

O'Boyle reasoned that cars used by Pope John Paul II and President John F. Kennedy have sold at auctions for tens of thousands of dollars. He said some of the proceeds will benefit the Italian American Executives of Transportation, a Chicago-area charity.

The restaurateur hopes the bids surpass previous offers, but he's not tipping his hand.
"I've got a number in my head and I'm not going to tell you what it is," O'Boyle said. "If I can't get what I'm after, I'm not really interested in selling it."

The car comes "loaded" with a navigation system, a sunroof and leather interior, according to the eBay listing. Obama and O'Boyle only logged a combined 20,801 miles and the sedan is still under warranty.

"Overall, the car is immaculate. If you were to jump inside the thing and drive it, you'd think you're driving a brand new car," O'Boyle said. "Hopefully he takes as good care of the country as he did the car."

TUESDAY IS INAUGURATION DAY FOR PRES-ELECT OBAMA

HOW MUCH FOR THIS INAUGURATION?

As the recession continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy and inauguration celebrations ramp up, a lot of people are asking: "How much will this shindig cost?"

The short answer? More than $150 million — and yep, that's the most expensive ever. (By comparison, George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration cost $42.3 million. Bill Clinton managed with $33 million in 1993.)

"It will be the most security, as far as I'm aware, that any inauguration's had."

Obama's much-discussed (and very cool-looking) custom Cadillac limo certainly couldn't come cheap, though we'll never really know how much it cost. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell said the car's exact specifications are a big secret, including the safety features and production cost.
But Forbes reports it's not all flak jackets and armored cars:

To manage an event of this scale, the District of Columbia will spend a mammoth $47 million. It is not enough.... Much of the $45 million will go toward creating a dynamic Inauguration experience for the everyday visitor, not just funding exclusive events. "We don't even consider these events to be extravagant," says Linda Douglas, a spokeswoman from the Presidential Inauguration Committee. "With crowds of this size, most of our attention is being devoted to opening up as many events to the public."

The good news for taxpayers: Inaugural celebrations are paid for by the inaugural committee — and Obama has, once again, been a very successful fundraiser — at least $35 million by recent counts. Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, told the New York Daily News:

"We're always very budget conscious. But we're sending a message to the entire world about our peaceful transition of power, and you don't want it to look like a schlock affair. It needs to be appropriate to the magnitude of events that it is."

And if you're eager to whoop it up in the same sassy fashion as our government, Washington hotels have come up with tons of ways for you to spend your money. The Washingtonian has made a list of some of the best ... and worst.

"Most unusual item in a hotel package: Round-trip airfare and hotel for four in St. Petersburg, Russia, part of the Omni Shoreham’s Live Like a President package—the trip is aimed at gaining “foreign-policy experience.” The $440,000 package also includes an in-suite dinner with entertainer Mark Russell.

Most controversial item: A puppy—in honor of Obama’s promise to get his daughters a dog — was originally part of the package deal at the Omni Shoreham but was dropped when the hotel caught heat from animal lovers. Instead, the hotel will make a donation to the Washington Humane Society."

So don't feel bad if you're sitting on the couch watching the historic festivities from home — at least you'll be saving some pennies.

THE BIGGEST TEMPORARY RESTROOM DAY IN HISTORY….INAUGURATION DAY

WASHINGTON -- Next week's presidential inauguration will make history. And not just because Barack Obama will be taking the oath of office as the nation's first black president.
Port-a-potty pro Conrad Harrell said the inauguration will be the largest temporary restroom event in U.S. history.

Harrell is with Don's Johns, which is supplying many of the 5,000 port-a-johns for the inaguration events on and around The Mall.

That may sound like a lot of sanitation, but given the epic crowds expected, will it be enough for up to 2 million people who might have to go? Inauguration committee organizers said yes.
And if it's not? Event planners said that many of Washington's downtown museums will be open for people seeking a restroom or a place to warm up.

TIGER WOODS TO SPEAK AT INAUGURAL EVENT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World number one Tiger Woods has accepted an invitation to speak during U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration event in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
"We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" is the first of several events sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Obama's inauguration on Tuesday.

"I am honored that I was invited to this historic event and look forward to participating in Sunday's festivities," Woods said on his website (www.tigerwoods.com) on Friday.
Arguably the greatest player of all time, Woods became the first African-American to win a major at the 1997 U.S. Masters.

The 33-year-old clinched his 14th major victory at the U.S. Open in June but has been out of action since as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.

Woods is among several celebrities who will take part in Sunday's event at the Lincoln Memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

Others include Hollywood actors Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah and musicians Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.
George Stephens Jr, the event's executive producer, said earlier this week a key theme would be Obama's place in history among other presidents who have led the country in difficult times.
"It's not a celebration of victory; it's about the country coming together for the future we're going to face," Stephens added.

"There's a sense of history about it. Much of the music will be in the context of that history. The Lincoln Memorial is a kind of sacred site."

Sunday's event, which will be open to the public, will be shown on U.S. cable TV channel HBO, allowing viewers across the United States with access to cable or satellite television to view for free.

FUN FACTS FROM INAUGURAL HISTORY

The Constitution contains only two inauguration requirements:

-- That presidents-elect take office at noon on Jan. 20.

-- That they repeat the 35-word oath to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

But presidents have spent 220 years creating their own inaugural customs. Here's a look at some:

-- GEORGE WASHINGTON added "so help me God" to the oath and kissed the Bible. His 1789 swearing-in was on a balcony in New York City, the temporary capital.
-- JOHN ADAMS was the first president sworn in by a chief justice, Oliver Ellsworth, in 1797. (There was no chief justice to swear in Washington because presidents name Supreme Court justices, so New York Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath to Washington.)
-- THOMAS JEFFERSON was the first president inaugurated in Washington, D.C., in 1801. He was the first and only president to walk to and from his inauguration.
-- JAMES MADISON was the first president to have an inaugural parade and ball, hosted in 1809 by his party-loving wife Dolley.
-- MADISON also inadvertently left the country without a president for a day between his two terms: The Constitution initially specified inaugurations be held on March 4, but March 4, 1813, fell on a Sunday, when civil oaths and celebrations were unheard of. The problem was subsequently remedied by letting new presidents take the oath in advance in private with public inaugurations delayed until Monday.
-- JAMES MONROE moved inaugurations outdoors again in 1817 after the British burned the Capitol. His was held on the Capitol's East Front, where inaugurations usually were staged until 1981.
-- MARTIN VAN BUREN was the first U.S.-born citizen-president in 1837. His predecessors predated formation of the United States.
-- WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON was the first to arrive in Washington by rail. His 1841 inauguration also set the record for the longest inaugural address at 10,000 words. He caught pneumonia and died a month later.
-- JOHN TYLER, on April 6, 1841, became the first vice president to become president on a president's death.
-- JAMES K. POLK was the first to have news of his 1845 inauguration telegraphed to the world. Samuel F.B. Morse personally punched the message.
-- FRANKLIN PIERCE broke Washington's tradition when Pierce didn't kiss the Bible in 1853. He wouldn't "swear" to uphold the Constitution but "affirmed" his duty.
-- JAMES BUCHANAN'S 1857 inaugural was the first to be photographed. John Wood, photographer for the architect of the Capitol, did the work.
-- ABRAHAM LINCOLN had the first inaugural parade to include blacks in 1865.
-- RUTHERFORD B. HAYES was the first to take the oath in the White House. The Red Room ceremony was on Saturday, March 3, 1877, because March 4 was a Sunday and because threats were made on his life. A public ceremony was held Monday.
-- JAMES GARFIELD was the first president to review the inaugural parade from White House stands in 1881.
-- WILLIAM McKINLEY'S 1897 inauguration was the first filmed by a motion picture camera.
-- THEODORE ROOSEVELT was the only president not sworn in on a Bible when he took the oath at Ansley Wilcox' house in Buffalo, N.Y., following McKinley's 1901 assassination.
-- WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT'S 1909 inaugural parade marked the first time a first lady rode beside her husband.
-- WOODROW WILSON suspended inaugural balls in 1913. He said they detracted from the dignity of the office. Wilson's 1917 inaugural parade was the first to allow women. (The 19th Amendment giving women the vote was ratified in 1920).
-- WARREN HARDING was the first president to go by car in his inaugural parade. He also revived inaugural balls in 1921, but Congress wouldn't pay. So Harding raised private money to pay for inaugurations and balls -- a tradition that continues today.
-- CALVIN COOLIDGE was sworn in by his father, a justice of the peace, at home in Plymouth, Vt., on Harding's death in 1923. "Silent Cal's" inaugural address following his 1924 election was the first broadcast nationwide by radio.
-- HERBERT HOOVER'S 1929 inauguration was the first for talking newsreels.
-- FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT in 1937 was the first president to take office Jan. 20, the new date specified by the 20th Amendment. In 1941, Roosevelt became the first president inaugurated more than twice -- a practice later prohibited by the 22nd Amendment. FDR's fourth inauguration in 1945 was on the White House South Portico and lasted only six minutes; Roosevelt died the following April 12.
-- HARRY TRUMAN was presiding over the Senate on April 12, 1945, when Eleanor Roosevelt summoned him to the White House to tell him FDR was dead. Truman's 1948 inaugural was the first carried on TV.
-- DWIGHT EISENHOWER broke custom in 1953 by improvising an inaugural prayer. He didn't kiss the Bible and wore a Homburg instead of the traditional top hat.
-- JOHN KENNEDY wore a stovepipe for his inauguration, to the joy of haberdashers. He was the last president to do so. The first Catholic president, he was sworn in on a Catholic Douay Bible.
-- LYNDON JOHNSON was the only president sworn in aboard an airplane. After Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, U.S. District Judge Sarah Hughes administered the oath to Johnson aboard Air Force One in Dallas. Johnson's 1965 inaugural parade was the first to have a president ride in a bulletproof limousine and the first to include the first lady officially: Lady Bird held the Bible.
-- RICHARD NIXON was the first president to require that only people with special invitations be admitted to the Capitol grounds for his 1969 inauguration.
-- GERALD FORD was the first un-elected vice president to assume the presidency on Nixon's 1974 resignation during Watergate.
-- JIMMY CARTER was the first to walk from the Capitol to the White House after being inaugurated.
-- RONALD REAGAN'S 1981 inaugural was the first staged on the Capitol's West Front.
-- BILL CLINTON'S 1997 inauguration was the first carried live in cyberspace.

WILL CINDY McCAIN APPEAR ON DANCING WITH THE STARS?

NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Defeated Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain has quashed his wife Cindy's dreams of competing on "Dancing with the Stars," a source says.

"Just before Thanksgiving, Cindy McCain started talks with producers to appear as a dancer on the show. She wanted to do it very badly," the insider told the New York Post.

However, the source added, the Arizona senator this week "put the kibosh on" the plan.
The Post said representatives for neither the dance competition series nor McCain returned its calls.

WHAT POLITICS LOOKS LIKE IN LEGO LAND….
Check out this video on our webpage today!
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/01/15/hamel.ca.legoland.inauguration.xetv

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?

Don't cheat and look ahead at the answers!

1) Pick your Favorite number between 1-9
2) Multiply by 3 then
3) Add 3, then again Multiply by 3 (I'll wait while you get the calculator....)
4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number....
5) Add the digits together

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? - ANSWERS

Now with that number you arrived at earlier in this newsletter, see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below :

1. Einstein
2. Nelson Mandela
3. Al Pacino
4. Mrs. Butterworth
5. Bill Gates
6. Gandhi
7. Brad Pitt
8. Hitler
9. Jim & Karen
10. Barack Obama

THE MORNING SHOW

with

JIM & KAREN

on

SPIRIT FM

www.spiritfm.org

FRIDAY- JANUARY 16, 2009

TODAY'S LIFE CHANGING WORD

God created human beings in his own image. Genesis 1:27

It is always fun to talk to married people and hear stories about how they met. Some met on blind dates, in college classes, or at work, some were high school sweethearts, and nowadays you may even run into couple who met on-line through a dating service! What is really interesting to me, is that usually coupls discover some funny coincidence after they meet, like growing up in the same church or town, on in my husband and my case, in the same neighborhood, without knowing each other! As a couple gorws together in marriage, couples gain matching hearts.

The same principle applies to us with God. Before we were born, God formed each of us to reflect his image. As we begin to know him, we realize that our hearts are made from the same mold as his. Like him, we were born to love, to delight, to create, and to live fully day by day. We look at many worldly things, trying to find a satisfying match for our hearts, but without God in our lives, we are incomplete, dissatified and still searching.

As humans, we are meant to be in relationship with God. Our souls are made for his. Our lives are only complete and fulfilled as we get to know Jesus. As we grow in spirit our hearts become more like his!

THE SUNRISE BRAIN BUSTER

Q: The average American man, over the age of 24, shaves how many times per week?
A: Six

TODAY IS…..

Today is Civil Service Day. On this date in 1883, the Pendleton Act created the federal civil service system and the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Today is Religious Freedom Day and, for the non-religious, it’s National Fig Newton Day.

Today is National Nothing Day, a day to not celebrate anything. You're not supposed to send cards or flowers or have a sale or call a 900 number or anything. Sounds very un-American to me.

A patent for the refrigerator was granted on this date in 1868 to William Davis. Davis invented the refrigerator because he had seven children and no place to hang their fingerpaintings.

1939: The comic strip Superman made its debut.

1978: Mrs. Grace Patterson died in Joplin, Missouri, leaving her $250,000 estate, including a 3-bedroom home and a 7-acre pet cemetery, to her cat, Charlie Chan.

1973: "Bonanza," a top western TV show, aired its final episode after 14 seasons on NBC. It starred Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, and Victor Sen Yung.
1976: The TV variety series "Donny & Marie" premiered on ABC.

1987: Red M&Ms returned for the first time in 11 years after being banned because the original red dye used in the candy had caused cancer in laboratory rats.

1991: Boxer George Foreman’s wife Joan gave birth to yet another George, George the 5th. The couple already had three sons: George the 2nd, George the 3nd, and George the 4th. Dad is George the 1st.

2007: In Tallahassee, Florida, the duck a hunter's wife said, when she opened her refrigerator, the duck her husband killed two days earlier raised its head and looked at her. The woman said she freaked out and told her daughter to "get that duck to the hospital right now!" At last report the duck, shot in the wing and leg, was doing well at the Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.

IN THE NEWS…..

Banks in Peril AgainU.S. banks are asking for billions more dollars as they continue to fail. Citigroup admits that if it doesn't get another $100 billion, it won't have enough money to print out all the 100,000 pink slips it needs by next week.

Chase ProfitJPMorgan Chase has posted a surprise profit for 2008. Wall Street was shocked by the bank's radical business plan that included not paying $100 million bonuses to failed executives and only lending money to people who could pay it back.

Obama says that one of the first things he’ll do as president is close down Guantanamo Bay. A spokesman for Obama says that the prisoners at Guantanamo will either be returned to their own countries or entered into the New York City cab drivers program.

Obama says that he wants to bring a “sense of accountability” to Washington. I have a better idea — why not bring some accountants with sense to Washington?

President Bush has been giving Barack Obama a lot of advice. He told Obama that his biggest challenge will be “an enemy attack.” Specifically, Bush told Obama, “Keep your eye on Hillary.”
There’s a new study out that says too much caffeine can cause hallucinations. I think it’s true because I was at Starbucks, and I hallucinated that a cup of coffee cost $4.

Then I hallucinated that the counter guy was trying to sell me a jazz CD at 6 o’clock in the damn morning.

US AIRWAYS PLANE "DITCHES" IN HUDSON RIVER AFTER HITTING A FLOCK OF BIRDS

Some 150 people aboard a US Airways plane en route to Charlotte, N.C., from New York City were rescued today in a lightning-fast effort following the jet's crash into the frigid waters of the Hudson River off the West Side of Manhattan.

All passengers and crew aboard were reported safe after New York City firefighters and ferries rushed to the aid of the US Airways jet, which floated in the river near the historic aircraft carrier The Intrepid.

US Airways flight 1549, an A-320 manufactured by Airbus, was carrying as many as 148 passengers and five or six crew members, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Only 30 seconds after takeoff at 3:26 p.m. ET, the pilot reported two bird strikes and said he wanted to return to LaGuardia Airport.

Controllers began giving him directions for return, but the pilot requested to land at the nearby Teterboro airport over New Jersey. The tower reportedly lost contact soon after that last transmission.

Commuter boats in the area were seen fishing people from the river, and rescuing passengers standing on the plane's wings after the crash.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480078,00.html

PRESIDENT BUSH SAID GOODBYE TO THE COUNTRY LAST NIGHT VIA

TELEVISION

President George W. Bush's farewell speech is more than a goodbye to the nation that elected him twice. It is his last chance in office to define his tumultuous presidency in his own, unfiltered terms - a mission that will keep his fire burning even after he fades off to a quieter life.
Bush will said goodbye to the country Thursday night. He will follow the script of Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and many before them: Express thanks to the country and pride in the honor of serving, wish the next president well and outline what he considers to be the biggest challenges ahead.

And there will be looking back.

For presidents, parting thoughts are not about parting shots. This was no different. But Bush is proud of his record and will go out defending it.

In that sense, the goodbye address will underscore the competing accounts of his presidency one last time.

Bush and his loyal backers see his record this way: He kept the country safe from attack after terrorism redefined his presidency, cut taxes, freed the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, reformed education, oversaw 52 straight months of job growth, acted decisively when the economy tanked, stuck to principle no matter what his poll numbers, retooled the military and improved federal crisis management after the worst U.S. natural disaster happened on his watch.

To his critics, Bush wasted the world's good will after the Sept. 11 attacks, got the nation into a catastrophic and avoidable Iraq war, presided over a staggering 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008, ran up debt, reacted slowly to Hurricane Katrina, did more dividing than uniting and refused to listen to the will of the people.

Historians say the fairest assessment will come over time. Bush says accurate short-term history does not even exist.

HILLARY CLINTON CONFIRMED AS US SECRETARY OF STATE

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted overwhelmingly on Thursday for Hillary Rodham Clinton to become the next secretary of state, with lawmakers saying they were hopeful her leadership would mark a turn from warfare toward diplomacy.

The 16-1 approval by the committee paves the way for a full Senate vote after President-elect Barack Obama takes office on Jan. 20. Clinton is not expected to hit any major roadblocks, with Republicans and Democrats alike praising her acumen on the issues.

But concerns about her husband's charitable fundraising overseas remain. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who was among several Republicans who raised the issue at her confirmation hearing earlier this week, cast the lone opposing vote.

In a statement, Vitter called former President Bill Clinton's foundation a "multimillion dollar minefield of conflicts of interest."

REV. RICK WARREN DECLINING ALL INTERVIEWS UNTIL AFTER OBAMA'S INAUAGURATION

Dr. Warren has decided that he will not be available for any interviews leading up to or on the day of inauguration. This includes interviews focused on his historic address as the first white preacher (that we know) to speak at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Martin Luther King Day, January 19 (on what would have been Dr. King's 80th birthday).

A few things worth noting here: There's been some speculation about whether Warren will invoke Jesus's name during the invocation prayer. A sentence from this memo, "Recognizing the stewardship of his role as a Christian leader ministering ... his desire is that his prayer and preaching can be pastoral," suggests that Warren will deliver a Christian prayer.

Secondly, Warren is undeterred by yesterday's announcement that Gene Robinson—fundamentally at odds with Warren over gay rights—will kick off inauguration week. Despite all the controversy his scheduled appearance has sparked among gay groups—and Robinson's appearance has sparked in the Christian right—Warren will go forward with the invocation, a testament to his determination to rise above the culture wars swirling around him.

Finally, Warren's decision to decline interview requests till after Inauguration Day is basically a vow to stay off the news for the next week to let Obama have his moment. Warren knows that anything he says about the invocation could be fodder for headlines, so he's keeping his head down. Pretty classy.

STUDY SHOWS PEOPLE CARE LESS ABOUT PARTICULAR DENOMINATIONS AND CARE MORE AABOUT PARTICULARS CHURCHES

Survey findings released today from Ellison Research (Phoenix, Arizona) show that seven out of ten regular churchgoers would be at least somewhat open to switching denominations, with dramatic differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

The findings are from a study independently designed and conducted by Ellison Research among a representative sample of 1,007 American adults. The sample is balanced by gender, age, income, race, and geography. The sample included 471 respondents who regularly attend worship services at a church broadly considered to be within the Christian tradition: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, and Orthodox.

Respondents who attend worship services once a month or more were first asked the specific denomination of the church they attend most often (for example, not just “Baptist,” but “Southern Baptist,” “Free Will Baptist,” etc.). Then they were asked what role that denomination would play if they could no longer attend their current church (if the church closed or if they moved to another area, for instance).

Three out of ten churchgoers say they would only consider attending one denomination – they would be open to nothing else. Another 44% report having one preferred denomination, but they would also consider others.

Eleven percent have a small number of denominations they would consider, with no particular favorite among them. Six percent don’t have any particular denomination they prefer, but they do have certain ones they would not consider. Finally, 9% say denomination does not factor into their decision of what church to attend.

FREE ON-LINE TAX FILING FOR OVER 70% OF AMERICANS

Want a quick tax refund? File your federal tax returns electronically.

With tax season approaching, the Internal Revenue Service said on Wednesday it is expanding a program that enables taxpayers to file returns online at no charge, promising refunds much faster than for those who mail in paper forms.

Taxpayers who file electronically can receive refunds in as few as 10 days, compared to six to eight weeks for those filing paper returns, according to the IRS. The IRS e-file system becomes available Friday

Taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $56,000 or less, or about 70 percent of all taxpayers, can use a Free File computer program that walks them through the filing process step by step, much like a tax preparer would, Williams said.

Taxpayers with higher incomes can fill out and file their tax forms online, just like they would on paper, he said.

Nearly 90 million taxpayers filed online last year, about 58 percent of all returns. The IRS Oversight Board, which oversees the IRS, has set a goal of having 80 percent of taxpayers file online by 2012.

The IRS e-file system can be found at www.irs.gov.

MEXICAN FOOD MAY HELP FIGHT CANCER

If you love Mexican food but think it's bad for you, think again. A new study shows that the right Mexican food might actually prevent cancer, Dr. Bruce Hensel reported.

"Lots of fried beans and cheese and a lot of meat are still bad for most of us, but this new research says not all Mexican food is bad. What you shop for and how you cook it can make it good for you," Dr. Hensel said.

As a two-year breast cancer survivor, Margie Carrillo closely watches what she eats.

"I go a lot toward the fruits and the vegetables, of course salads and protein. I'm big on protein," Carrillo said.

That good choice that may already be paying dividends among some Hispanic women.

New research shows that the rate of breast cancer among Hispanic women is less than that of non-Hispanic white women.

The rate of breast cancer is lowest among women who eat a native Mexican diet.
But don't mistake native for the high-fat, low-fiber Americanized version of Mexican food.

Dietician Sue Cunningham says the native diets is different: "The native Mexican diet would have an abundance of fruits and vegetables, beans. They would have tomato-based sauces and lower fat Mexican cheese."

Native Mexican food has ingredients you can find at the grocery store, such as cabbage, squash, corn, beans and different spices.

"The American Cancer Society has for years said fruits and vegetables are where the immune-boosting components of food are found. And this is just a study that confirms that," Cunningham said.

Margie's breast cancer is in remission. She's cooking and eating to keep it that way.

"Researchers compared our western diet to a low-fat diet and a Mediterranean diet. The western diet, high in sugar and fat, was associated with the greatest risk of breast cancer. Mediterranean and low fat had lower risks. Mexican can be cooked low fat. The native diet includes fresh fish as well as vegetables," Dr. Hensel said.

FAST FACT:Roughly 182,000 new cases of female breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2008.

WORST FOODS OF 2009

Blimpie

Chili's

Romano's Macaroni Grill

And Baskin Robins all made the list!

http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/20-Worst-Foods-2009/index.php?cm_mmc=Yahoo_Blog-_-ETNT-_-The_20_Worst_Foods_in_America_2009-_-The_20_Worst_Foods

JIM & KAREN IN THE MORNING

ON

SPIRIT FM

6 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Monday - Friday

http://www.spiritfm.org/

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 14, 2009

TODAY'S LIFE CHANGING WORD

God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:17

January can be a very busy time for health clubs and fitness centers. Even myself….I have joined a fitness club in an effort to get myself in better shape this year!

Jesus spent much of his life healing the sick, physically and spiritually. Jesus demonstrates that our physical and spiritual well-being should be a top priority and that the health of body and soul are invariably related. Remember the last time you liked the way you looked, inside and outside?

To change our quality of life, we must make conscious choices and practice them until they become habits. Imagine just taking small steps throughout the year toward a healthier you!
Experts recommend getting at least thirty minutes of exercise a few times per week, eating fresher, less processed foods, and getting a good night’s sleep. In addition, setting aside a few minutes daily to connect with God in silent reflection, prayer and Bible reading will strengthen us from the inside out. By taking just a few small steps we can begin to achieve a healthy balance that helps us to be at our best. God will meet us in our goals, empower us to follow through and fill our lives with love and joy!

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SUNRISE BRAIN BUSTER

Q: It was on this day back in 1784 that the United States finally became a sovereign nation. The Continental Congress ratified what treaty fulfilling the Declaration of Independence?

A: Treaty of Paris that officially ended the American Revolution and established the United States as a sovereign nation. And taxes have been going up ever since.. Today is also known as Ratification Day!

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TODAY IS…..

Today is National Dress Up Your Pet Day.

Today is Today Day. NBC-TV started the morning news show, "Today," on this day in 1952. The first host was Dave Garroway. Later hosts included John Chancellor, Betsy Palmer, Hugh Downs, Florence Henderson, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley, Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, and a chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs. J. Fred was the first co-host.

Actress Francis Bavier was born on this day in 1903. She was Aunt Bee on "The Andy Griffith Show," the aunt we'd all like to have: to take care of us, give us subtle advice, not try to run our lives, and when we don't have time, be nice to all our Goobers.

Andy Rooney is 90 today. Andy is a curmudgeon. That's a cantankerous old guy who can whine on any subject. Sort of like the US Congress when you hide their Metamucil.

On this day in 1794 Dr. Jesse Bennett of Deom, Virginia, performed history's first successful Caesarian section -- on his wife -- using no anesthesia! Something tells me an ordeal like that could cause a wife to get a lot of headaches.

On this day in 1779 the Continental Congress issued the first $55 bill, which amazingly is still in circulation. Only today it's called a one.

1963: The first of 124 different guest hosts filled in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. The first was country singer Jimmy Dean.

1993: Upset because Jay Leno got "The Tonight Show" job, David Letterman left NBC for a $16-million contract at CBS

Jim…can you beat this bicycle ride?

2007: George Hood of Burr Ridge, Illinois, pedaled his way into the Guinness Book of World Records with a bicycle ride of 85 hours, three hours longer than the previous record. Hood pedaled 1,040 miles in place from 4:00 a.m. Wednesday until just before midnight on Saturday. He averaged 12.7 miles an hour for 82 hours, then kicked in gear and hit 13.5 the final three hours. Yep, said he was really tired.

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IN THE NEWS…

The season premiere of American Idol was on last night. Did you like the changes?

Let us know your thoughts at: karen@spiritfm.org

All across the country, unemployment offices are swamped with people waiting to file for unemployment insurance. It’s gotten so bad, the offices are overwhelmed and they can’t even function.

I (Karen) have a crazy idea: Why don’t you hire more people?

Three days before his inauguration, Barack Obama is going to retrace Abraham Lincoln’s route by taking an Amtrak train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.

Obama’s making the trip three days early because it’s Amtrak and even he only has so much hope.

The Detroit Auto Show opened this week. America’s automakers are showing off their latest cars. Unfortunately, they didn’t get as much of the bailout as they thought, so a ticket into the auto show costs $1.3 billion.

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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW....

ANOTHER PEANUT BUTTER RECALL

You may want to stick to ham and cheese sandwiches until health officials get this whole salmonella thing figured out. Officials think there may be a link between a recent salmonella outbreak and peanut butter.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says a jar of peanut butter tested on Friday was contaminated with the same bacteria strain that has sicked at least 399 people. Ohio-based King Nut Companies is recalling King Nut peanut butter and Parnell's Pride peanut butter just to be safe.Since September, almost 400 people have been stricken with salmonella food poisoning. Seventy people have been hospitalized. The peanut butter was distributed to hospitals, schools and restaurants in MN, but it's not known if any was shipped to grocery stores.

NEED TO GET RID OF SOME FACEBOOK FRIENDS?

BURGER KING WILL REWARD YOU WITH A WHOPPER!

The New York Daily News reports Burger King will pay you to have fewer friends. Sort of. Their new "Whopper Sacrifice" promotion encourages you to unfriend 10 of your Facebook friends. Install the application to your Facebook page, ditch 10 people, and you get a free Whopper sandwich. Your loser ex-friends will get a message telling them you valued fast food more than your friendship. Since the launch last month, Burger King has dissolved about 45-thousand friendships.

PUTTING VICK'S ON CHILDREN TWO AND UNDER COULD BE DANGEROUS TO THEIR HEALTH

Putting menthol products such as Vicks VapoRub on children to ease their colds may cause breathing problems, according to a report from Wake Forest University.

Dr. Bruce K. Rubin said rather than clearing congestion or easing a cough, it can stimulate mucus production and inflame airways

"Infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of adults, so any increase in mucus or inflammation can narrow them more severely," he said.

Rubin said that while many people like to use Vicks to treat colds, there is not much data to show that it works. He said it can also cause inflammation in the eyes, mental status changes, lung inflammation, liver damage, constriction of airways and allergic reactions.

A news release on Rubin's work noted that the packaging on Vick's VapoRub already warns against using it on children under the age of 2. And he wants to go further.

"I recommend never putting Vicks in, or under, the nose of anybody -- adult or child," Rubin said. "Some of the ingredients in Vicks, notably the menthol, trick the brain into thinking that it is easier to breathe by triggering a cold sensation, which is processed as indicating more airflow. Vicks may make you feel better, but it can't help you breathe better."

Rubin also said that if a child is struggling to breathe, she should be seen by a doctor as quickly as possible. His study appeared in this month's issue of the journal Chest.

WANT TO SAVE $30,000 THIS YEAR?

With the uncertain economy, families countrywide are looking for more ways to save money, without compromising their lifestyles. Family Finance Expert and author of the new release, “Living Rich for Less,” Ellie Kay offers simple money-saving tips to help families save up to $30,000 in 2009 by starting at home.

Shopping around: Insurance rates can vary greatly from company to company, so shop around to find the best deal. Sites like progressive.com offer people the ability to compare its rates with those of other companies, quickly and easily. 2007 data shows that people who switched to Progressive reported saving over $350 on their annual premium.

Insure Your Home’s Actual Value: Most homes have decreased in value in the last year. Homeowners need to make sure they are not over insuring it. You need to reevaluate your homeowner’s policy every year and not just pay it as part of your monthly mortgage payment without thinking. By insuring your home for its actual value instead of an inflated value, you could save $300 per year.

Going beyond clipping coupons: Given the current economy, clipping coupons is making a comeback. But learn how to go beyond the basic manufacturer’s coupon to layer in even more savings by buying items already on sale and using a coupon. This tip saved Ellie’s family more than $8,000 last year!

Check for available discounts: Check with your carrier to see what discounts you may be eligible for. Many insurance companies offer discounts if you pay in full, are a loyal customer, sign up for paperless billing, etc. For example, some companies offer discounts if customers opt to do business with them electronically. Make sure you get all the “little” discounts available to you—they can add up to big savings.

No more plastic: Paying for everything in cash is an easier way to budget and track expenses without racking up credit card debt and finance charges.

The road less traveled: Do you take mass transit to work or are you a stay-at-home parent who doesn’t drive your vehicle much during the day? If so, you should investigate Pay as You Drive insurance programs like Progressive’s MyRate program that can potentially save you up to 25 percent or more depending on how and how much (or how little) you drive!

Higher deductibles, lower costs: Insurance is for the big stuff, not the little stuff. According to the Insurance Information Institute, raising your deductibles to just $500 could reduce your Collision and Comprehensive costs by 15 to 30 percent. So raise those deductibles on Comprehensive and Collision and see your premiums go down!

OBAMA WANTS GOD IN HIS OATH OF OFFICE

President-elect Barack Obama wants the words "so help me God" to be included when he takes the oath of office on Inauguration Day, according to a document filed in federal court Thursday.
In an affidavit, the counselor to Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said that Obama's staff had informed him that the president-elect specifically wished for Roberts to include the phrase when he administered the oath.

The affidavit figured heavily Friday in the Justice Department's opposition to the suit filed by a group of atheists who want to bar Roberts from using "so help me God" in the oath.

In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs say that Obama could legally tack the words onto the oath himself without violating the First Amendment's establishment clause. They just don't think Roberts should be allowed to prompt him.

The Justice Department's lawyers -- a list of heavy hitters including Assistant Attorney General Gregory Katsas, Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. O'Quinn, Civil Division Assistant Director James Gilligan, and trial attorneys Brad Rosenberg and Eric Beckenhauer -- essentially called that idea ridiculous.

“Plaintiffs' legal theory -- that the President of the United States has a First Amendment right to say the words 'so help me God' after taking the oath of office, but not to have the same affirmation administered to him -- simply makes no sense," they wrote in their opposition.

The Justice Department also noted that because Obama is not named as a defendant in the case, there isn't much the suit can do to stop him from having the oath administered the way he wants it.

"Nothing in the Constitution or the laws of the United States requires the Chief Justice to administer the presidential oath of office," its lawyers wrote. "Thus, if this Court were to issue an injunction against the Chief Justice ... the President-Elect could merely exercise his prerogative to invite someone else to administer an oath that is followed by the phrase 'so help me God.'"

FAITH STILL AT THE CORE OF ARIZONA QB KURT WARNER'S SUCCESS

"If you ever really want to do a story about who I am, God's got to be at the center of it. Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn't have that, they're missing the whole lesson of who I am." - Kurt Warner

It has become part of the sports landscape. Athletes congregate on the field after a game to pray or offer a sound bite thanking a higher power
It rarely makes the news.

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner understands this. The man who led this organization to its first home playoff game since 1947 knows that discussion about resurrections comes only in the context of career revivals and that tape recorders shut off when faith references start up.

During a visit to The Oprah Winfrey Show, Warner "basically had three sentences to say, so, in the middle one, I made sure I mentioned my faith, because how could they cut it out?" he said. "I went to watch the show on replay . . . and they cut it out!"

Warner, 37, is right. There is dishonesty in telling his story if you ignore what drives him, especially if you accept its role in one of the NFL's great success stories. In five years, he went from a 22-year-old stock boy at a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, grocery store to Super Bowl MVP. He has morphed again, from unemployed veteran to record-setting starting quarterback with the Cardinals, who on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C., will try to advance to the NFC Championship Game by beating the Carolina Panthers.

"I wasn't always this way," he said.

During his final season at the University of Northern Iowa in 1993, Warner went to a country-music dance bar called Wild E. Coyotes. He spotted Brenda Carney Meoni and asked her to dance. Her immediate reaction?
"Get away. Get away," she thought.

"Here's this cute guy in a bar with an entourage of females, and I'm the last person that makes sense for him to go to," Brenda said. "I'm a divorced woman with two kids, one with special needs. And Kurt's 21. Twenty-one."

They danced, and the next day, Warner was knocking on her door with a rose.
"Again, I'm screaming in my head, 'Go away!' but I opened the door and said, 'C'mon in,' " she said. "My 2 1/2-year-old grabs him by the hand and shows him every radio we own.

"He fell in love with my kids before he fell in love with me. When we'd have a fight and were going to break up, he'd say, 'Well I get the kids.' I'm like, 'But they're my kids!' "

They stuck together, even when it appeared football wasn't in Warner's future. He signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 1994 but was cut before the season began. He returned to UNI to work as a graduate assistant football coach and spent nights stocking shelves at the local Hy-Vee grocery store. He moved in with Brenda, who was struggling financially and turned to food stamps for a while. They drove a car that died every time it turned left.

He landed with the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers in 1995 and three years later was signed by the St. Louis Rams, who allocated him to the NFL's developmental league in Europe. His backup with the Amsterdam Admirals was Jake Delhomme, now the Panthers' quarterback.

Around this time, Warner began challenging Brenda about her faith. She had become a devout Christian as a 12-year-old after seeing a fundamentalist Christian film called A Distant Thunder (1978). Warner questioned her, suggesting she was picking and choosing her beliefs from the Bible at her convenience. During this exploration, he closely studied the Bible.
"When I did, it was obvious what the truth was," Warner said.

He committed himself to the Bible's message. That's Warner's way, why he has succeeded in football. He studies, commits, believes.

Before they married, he told Brenda they should follow the Bible faithfully, which meant, among other things, no premarital sex.

"I'm like, 'Dude, we've got so many other things to work on. Why that one?' " Brenda, now 41, said, laughing.

They married in 1997. In 1999, he took over as the Rams' quarterback when starter Trent Green was injured. What followed was two Super Bowls, two MVP titles and a legion of Christian followers.

He was both revered and scorned for his outspokenness about faith. Since Warner's arrival in Arizona in 2005, and the revival of his career, people here treat his religion with more curiosity than debate. Many were amused by Warner giving an invocation one year at Celebrity Fight Night, a popular black-tie fundraiser for Muhammad Ali's Parkinson Research Center. Ali is of the Muslim faith.

"I never feel like, 'Should I say this, or do I not,' but I do try now to strategically figure out (during interviews) how I can get somebody to include it because it's so important to who I am," Warner said.

How does Warner express his faith? He always has the Bible in his hand when he does postgame interviews. He joins players in postgame group-prayer sessions on the field. He loves to engage in spiritual discussions with teammates but says he tries not to be in-your-face about it. He wants the words of the Bible to guide his everyday life.

When he and his family dine on the road, they always buy dinner for another table in the restaurant but keep the purchase anonymous. The children choose the family. Brenda Warner said it's their way of teaching their kids one of the Bible's messages: It's not your circumstances that define you but what you do with those circumstances.

Warner shouldn't be categorized only one way, Delhomme said.
"Football doesn't define Kurt Warner, and I think that's the biggest thing to me. It's not who he is. Kurt Warner is a lot bigger."

Added Cardinals defensive tackle Bertrand Berry: "To limit Kurt as a Super Bowl champion would do a disservice to him. I think his legacy will be that he's just a great human being, and I think that's the highest compliment that you can give anybody."

FINGER LENGTH COULD PREDICT YOU FINANCIAL SUCCESS

WASHINGTON – The length of a man's ring finger may predict his success as a financial trader. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report that men with longer ring fingers, compared to their index fingers, tended to be more successful in the frantic high-frequency trading in the London financial district.

Indeed, the impact of biology on success was about equal to years of experience at the job, the team led by physiologist John M. Coates reports in Monday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The same ring-to-index finger ratio has previously been associated with success in competitive sports such as soccer and basketball, the researchers noted.

In the new study, the researchers measured the right hands of 44 male stock traders who were engaged in a type of trade that involved rapid decision-making and quick physical reactions.
Over 20 months those with longer ring fingers compared to their index fingers made 11 times more money than those with the shortest ring fingers. Over the same time the most experienced traders made about 9 times more than the least experienced ones.

Looking only at experienced traders, the long-ring-finger folks earned 5 times more than those with short ring fingers.

One study, which looked at average finger ratios in university departments found that faculty from math, science and engineering exhibited longer index finger ratio, rather than ring finger, they noted.

DELL OFFERING REBATES TO SOME CUSTOMERS

ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

If you own a Dell computer, you could have some money coming your way.Dell Inc. has just agreed to offer $1.5 million in refunds to consumers who file claims postmarked April 13. The company is also required to pay $1.85 million to 34 states that covered the cost of the investigation.

If you think you are eligible for a refund, call 1-800-915-3355 and have your customer or order number ready. The settlement comes after the computer manufacturer was accused of not honoring some warranty services on computers or some who never got promised rebates. Some consumers tried applying for zero-percent financing, but were charged higher interest rates.As part of its agreement, Dell has agreed to be clearer in its promotional offers, improve warranty service and mail all rebates.

Missouri and Kansas residents qualify for this rebate.

THOUSANDS OF BABY GARMENTS BEING RECALLED

WASHINGTON - The government has issued a second recall for thousands of infant clothes.The garments, called Taggies Sleep 'n Play, were sold at specialty stores such as Babies R Us, Dillards, and Nordstrom for about $20. The recall includes the Butterfly Applique and Fun Dog Print Styles.The problem is the snaps can come off and the snaps are so small that if a child gets hold of one, he or she could choke.The importer, Rashti & Rashti of New York is offering a full refund. You can contact them by calling (888) 594-3730 between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A 107 YEAR OLD CHINESE WOMAN IS READY TO FIND HER FIRST HUSBAND

A 107-year-old Chinese woman who was afraid to marry when she was young has decided to look for her first husband and hopes to find a fellow centenarian so they will have something to talk about, a Chinese paper reported.

Wang Guiying is worried she is becoming a burden to her aging nieces and nephews since breaking her leg when she was 102 and had to stop doing chores like washing her clothes.
"I'm already 107 and I still haven't got married," the Chongqing Commercial Times quoted her saying. "What will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband?"

Born in southern Guizhou province the child of a salt merchant, Wang grew up watching her uncles and other men scold and beat their wives and often found her aunt crying in the woodshed after an attack, the paper said.

"All the married people around there lived like that. Getting married was too frightening," she said of an era when Chinese women had few rights and low social standing.
Many also had their feet bound in an excruciating process aimed at making them look more dainty and marriageable.

After Wang's father, mother and older sister died, she still shied away from marriage. Instead she moved to the countryside and survived as a farmer until she was 74 years old and no longer strong enough to work in the fields, the report said.

Her nephew in the booming city of Chongqing then took Wang in, but she is worried he and her other nephews and nieces are too old to take care of her now even the youngest is 60.
"My nephews and nieces are getting older and their children are already tied up with their own families and I am becoming more and more of a burden," she said.

Local officials have said they are happy to help Wang search for a 100-year old groom, and suggested her family get in touch with old people's homes to find candidates, the paper said.