TODAY IS MONDAY - APRIL 6, 2009

The Morning Show
with
Jim & Karen
on
Spirit FM

LIFE CHANGING WORD

Trading Places

Matthew27:15-26

In service yesterday, we looked at Matthew 27:15-26.

It is the story of how Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilot to be judged and Pilot could find no fault with Jesus. When Pilot saw that he was getting nowhere with the angry crowd, he washed his hands of the situation and asked the crowd what they wanted. They responded that the wanted Barabbas released and Jesus crucified.

I remember reading this account many times in the past, but I never looked at it in this way. When the shackles were removed from Barrabas and his prison door was opened and he was freed, the shackles were then placed on Jesus, an innocent man, and he was put into that cell until the time of his crucifixion.

Jesus traded places with Barrabas. Jesus traded places with all sinners that day. You and I included.

We gave him our sins and He gave us His righteousness.
We gave him our sentence and He gave us His freedom.
We gave Him our sorrow and He gave us His joy.
We give Him oour hoplessness and He gives us an invitation.

As this Easter week gets underway, if you are someone who has not truly given your heart and life to the Lord let this be the time you do. The cross is where Jesus traded His life for your eternal life in heaven. We should all remember this week what the cross truly signifies and the importance it carries in our salvation.
Jesus not only traded places with Barabbas…He traded places with ALL sinners who will call on His name and be saved.



TODAY IS…..

Today is Think About Spring Cleaning Day. Don’t actually do it, just think about it.

Today is Drowsy Driver Awareness Day.

Today is National Jump Over Things Day.

Today is Barney Day. "Barney & Friends" Baby Bop, and B.J. premiered on PBS on this date in 1992.

Today is National Caramel Popcorn Day.

1931: A little cream-filled sponge cake called the Hostess Twinkie went on sale in the U.S. They were created in order to use shortcake baking pans when strawberries were not in season.

1954: Swanson & Sons introduced a revolutionary American food product—the TV dinner.

This is National Home Safety Week, so remember:
- You may need to toss in two static-free sheets when drying the cat.
- Never clip your toenails with the hedge-trimmer.
- If you're really klutzy, instead of a shower cap, wear a shower helmet.
- No matter how much he enjoys it, don't let the gerbil ride the ceiling fan.
- Always wear protective goggles when operating a weed-eater, working with a power tool, or teasing your wife.
- Never try to change a light bulb while standing on the dog.
- No matter how tempting it is, never try to vacuum a sleeping grandparent.



In The News…..

The NCAA Championship Game is tonight: North Carolina and Michigan State
North Carolina beat Villanova 90-63
Michigan State upset U-Conn 82-73

Beatles "Reunion"
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited this past weekend at Radio City Music Hall... not for a concert, just to swap prescription medications and tubs on Ben-Gay. Still it was kind of cool to see the two old friends together again.

President and First Lady Obama Gift A Gift to the Queen
Barack and Michelle Obama met the queen of England last week. For a gift they gave her an iPod. Do they think she can use it when she goes jogging? Does that seem like a funny gift for the Queen of England? Maybe they’re saving the big gift — a Nintendo — for the Pope.

Michelle Obama was involved in a bit of a scandal when she met the queen. She gave her a little rub on her back. I guess you’re not supposed to ever touch the Queen. It’s thrown Buckingham Palace into a tizzy. There’s a brouhaha and a tizzy.
A lot of us are hoping President BARACK OBAMA's stimulus plan does good things, but ROY and BELL BROWN bet everything they have on the prez.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Roy and Bell recently opened a store at the North DeKalb Mall called "Obama Zone." All they sell, as you're guessing, is stuff that has connections to the White House.

There are earrings shaped like the First Family, Obama's face on watches, plus plenty of Barack shirts and shoes. Soon, you'll also be able to grab a pair of "Yes We Can!" undies from Roy and Bell's store.

The Obamaniacs are realistic about their potential for profit, nodding their head with the local marketing expert who says "If the country turns things around and his plans work, (the store) will be successful. If his plans don’t work, the store may be in for some hard times."

So, you hate getting a traffic ticket, huh? Well, you ain't toppin' the ticket a trucker got while driving in Pennsylvania.

Police issued a ticket for $37,555.54 to the driver and his company after he was citing driving an overweight truck without the proper "super load" permit.
A police captain told the Lehigh Valley Express-Times it's the highest fine he's ever seen on a traffic ticket.

The truck was hauling a steel cylinder that weight 213-thousand pounds.

So the next time Jim hauls me somewhere we better be careful!



A New Museum Exhibit Is Opening

Here in New York a museum will display over 200 brooches that belonged to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It’ll be part of a new exhibit called, “Why Kids Hate Museums.”



Planning a barbecue? Donald Trump now has his own line of steaks. Trump Meat is a little pricey -- $150 per pound. On a budget? For only 60-bucks you can buy a pound of Trump Gristle.



The new X-Men movie “Wolverine” is coming out this summer. The FBI is investigating how an HD version was leaked online. And as soon as the FBI solves it, they’ll get back to looking for bin Laden.



Crazy but it is working: Officials tired of teenagers gathering outside a Mansfield, England, housing project installed special pink lights that make acne more visible. The chairman of the Layton Burroughs Residents' Association said it works. I guess it is their own version of being Pro-Activ!


Here’s a story with a “hoppy” ending! A frog in South Africa is believed to be the first in the world to be fitted with an artificial leg. The giant bullfrog had his shattered lower leg bone replaced with an inch-long metal pole in a two hour operation in South Africa. The lame amphibian went under the vet's knife after being bitten by a dog. The owner of the frog, Anne Mearns of Johannesburg, said: "People think I'm mad to care so much about a frog but I couldn't bear to see him in so much pain. Frogs are famous for their legs, so the thought of my frog being left lame broke my heart. I knew without surgery he would never move again, so I rushed to the vet and begged him to operate."



Sun has fewest sunspots since 1913, better GPS
"The sun has been unusually quiet lately, with fewer sunspots and weaker magnetic fields than in nearly a century.

A quiet sun is good for Earth: GPS systems are more accurate, satellites stay in orbit longer; even the effects of man made global warming are marginally reduced, though just by three-tenths of a degree at most

It's all a normal part of the strange but regular cycles of the sun's activity."
Speaking of the sun, did you hear about the two guys that came out of a Kansas City restaurant arguing about the sun?

One looked up and said, "That's the moon."

The other one said, "No it's not, that's the sun."

They were arguing back and fourth until a blonde came up to them.

They asked her what it was, and she said, "I don't know. I'm not from around here."



Hollywood Wax Museum set to auction 200 wax celebs:
"Want to permanently share your home with James Dean, Marilyn Monroe or all four Beatles?

The Hollywood Wax Museum is offering wax representations of these and nearly 200 other celebrities at the first auction in its 44-year history, set for May 1.
Fans can bid on political figures, such as George Washington and Bill Clinton, and athletes like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Musicians such as Stevie Wonder and the Fab Four will be available, along with TV and film stars including Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Will Smith and Charlie Chaplin."

Hey, I want Casey Kasem. "This is Casey Kasem. Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."



President Obama Issues Warning to North Korea
"As North Korea fueled a multistage rocket for its threatened satellite launch, President Barack Obama promised a 'stern' response and Japan vowed to press for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council."

They say the new North Korean missiles have enough range to hit Seattle, but residents in Seattle were not worried. However, Bill Gates said Microsoft has enough missiles to destroy North Korea ten times over.



Walgreen’s to Give Free Health Care to the Unemployed

Drugstore chain Walgreens will offer its jobless and uninsured customers basic access to healthcare, providing routine treatments to down-on-their-luck patrons who need medical help.

Patients who lost their job after March 31 can go into any of the chain's in-store Take Care Clinics and receive free treatment for illnesses like respiratory problems, basic colds and flus, allergies and skin conditions, Walgreens said.

Walgreens will offer free care daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until the end of 2009.

The service is designed to increase Walgreens' business and draw in more customers, Walgreens Take Care chair Hal Rosenbluth said.

Visitors must provide proof that they're unemployed in order to take advantage of the Walgreens deal. Spouses and children of unemployed customers are also eligible for the free care if they're uninsured.

There are 341 Take Care centers at 35 major cities throughout the country.



Advice for Shopaholics…Look But Don’t Touch!
Turns out "Don't Squeeze the Charmin" might have been the worst marketing message of all-time. According to a new study to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers who touch products in the aisles will pay more money for them than those who keep their hands off the merchandise. So in the 21 years Procter & Gamble ran the iconic television advertisements for its Charmin toilet paper brand, Mr. Whipple, the uptight grocer with a secret squeezing fetish, should have encouraged his bubbly shoppers to fondle away.

Why does touching an item increase the likelihood of purchase? The motivation traces back to what behavioral economists have labeled the "endowment effect." This phenomenon posits that consumers value a product more once they own it. And simply touching that Charmin may increase a shopper's sense of ownership, and compel the consumer to buy the product. (Read "How to Know When the Economy Is Turning Up.")

"When you touch something, you instantly feel more of a connection to it," says Suzanne Shu, a marketing professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, and co-author of the study. "That connection stirs up an emotional reaction - 'yeah, I like the feel of it, this can be mine.' And that emotion can cause you to buy something you never would have bought if you hadn't touched it."

To prove the power of touch, the researchers placed two products, a Slinky and a coffee mug, in front of 231 undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin. About half were told they could touch the products, while the other half were prohibited from fiddling with them. Students were then asked to express their sense of ownership of the products, and to indicate how much they money they were willing to pay for both the Slinky and coffee mug.

The results were clear: those who touched the items reported statistically significant higher levels of perceived ownership. They were also willing to pay more to purchase the products. "If you don't want to spend more money, be careful what you touch," says Joann Peck, a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin's business school and the study's other co-author. Peck happily describes herself as an expert in haptics, the science of touch; she has published six other papers on the subject. "Touching something gives you that little sense of control," she says, "and that alone can increase your feeling of ownership."





Best TV Jingles of All Time???

http://www.getback.com/gallery/the-greatest-tv-jingles-ever/2986789html

My Bologna Has First Name…Oscar Mayer

You Deserve A Break Today….McDonald’s

Choo Choo Charlie’s Good & Plenty

Applejacks…A is for Apple J is for Jacks!

Chili’s Babyback Ribs…I want My Baby back baby back baby back..ribs!

I’D Like to Buy the World a Coke……Coca-Cola

Sometimes You Feel Like Nut..Sometimes you Don’t…Almond Joy/Mounds

I’m A Pepper You’re A Pepper Wouldn’t You Like to Be A Pepper Too? Dr. Pepper





What’s New At The Movies? C Me Dance
A new Christian Movie Rated PG

If you want to learn more about the movie and read the review:

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004565.cfm


Woman Divorces German Version Of Felix Unger! She says he cleans too much!
BERLIN (Reuters) – A German woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time.


German media reported the wife got through 15 years of marriage putting up with the man's penchant for doing household chores, tidying up and rearranging the furniture.
But she ran out of patience when he knocked down and rebuilt a wall at their home when it got dirty, Christian Kropp, court judge in the central town of Sondershausen, said on Thursday.

"I'd never had anyone seek a divorce for this," he said.



Go Ahead And Put A Chocolate Kiss In Their Lunch Box! It Will Help Them With Their Math!!

Eating chocolate could improve the brain's ability to do maths, a new study suggets.
Mental arithmetic became easier after volunteers had been given large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, called flavanols, in a hot cocoa drink.

They were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, the findings, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton show.
Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, and a co-author of the study, said that chocolate could be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks.

The findings suggest students who binge on chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so.

"For things that are difficult to do, mentally demanding things that maybe crop up in your work it could help," Prof Kennedy said.

The flavanols, part of a group of chemicals called polyphenols, work by increasing the flow of blood into the brain.

For the study 30 volunteers were asked to count backwards in groups of three from a random number between 800 and 999 generated by a computer.
The findings show that they could do the calculations more quickly and more accurately after they had been given the drink.

However, the same was not true when the group was asked to count backwards in groups of seven, which the researchers described as a more complex task, requiring a slightly different part of the brain.

The findings also show that the volunteers did not get as tired doing the calculations if they had been given the cocoa drink, despite being asked to do them over and over for an hour.

The researchers gave the volunteers a total of 500mg of flavanol.

Although the amount was too great to be found naturally in the diet, researchers said that people should ensure that they have lots of flavanols, also found in fruit and vegetables, on a regular basis.

Emma Wightman, one of the study's lead researchers, said: "You can get bars of chocolate that have 100mg of flavanol, and we are also going to look at the effect of lower doses of flavanol on the brain."

Dark chocolate contains higher quantaties of the chemical than plain or milk chocolate.

Prof Kennedy added: "The amount that you are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective against declining function and that kind of thing.

"The more fruit and vegetables and things that are high in polyphenols the better that is for your brain in the long run."