Thursday, January 28, 2010

Authors Corner: "Mission Possible" by Deborah McCarragher

20-20 Faith Sight proudly debuts a New Monthly Feature: AUTHORS CORNER.

Once a month, AUTHORS CORNER here at 20-20 Faith Sight will offer an interview with:
1. New authors of quality self-published or small press books with a Christian message; or
2. Up-and-coming prolific Christian story writers who have been published in multiple professional venues.

First Up: Deborah McCarragher, author of Mission Possible: Spiritual Covering.
Deborah’s book, Mission Possible, addresses an often-overlooked struggle—the quest for women to reach their “non-believing” husbands for Christ. It was nominated for Christian Small Publisher’s Association Book of the Year Award for 2009.

Deborah McCarragher began her journey of creative writing soon after coming to know Jesus as her personal Savior in 1989. She feels her God-given spiritual gifts are encouragement and teaching, which she does in her home church. Her primary goal is to share her personal testimony with others while bringing hope and practical help through her books. Here’s a mini-interview with Deborah:

What inspired you to write this influential book?
I was involved with a local intercessory prayer group at the time. I had found Jesus seven years into my marriage, and felt God prompting me during prayer to write down what He was conveying to me about my husband and his salvation. I just typed on the computer as the Lord led me to Bible verses and topics to talk about. The seven chapter titles came to me during prayer time. It was quite a moving experience.

What primary advice do you have for women married to "non-believing" husbands?
Most important is to have faith in Who God Is and His sovereignty. We can't "pre-package" our spouse's conversion experience. God will always do what will bring Him the "most glory." We also have to remember that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Our spouses (if unsaved) aren't governed by God's Spirit - so we have to release them from that accountability. Our faith must rest in God and not in our own understanding, or by sight.

What's the main message that you'd like readers to take away from Mission Possible?
To discover that God has a plan for each marriage that is in spiritual disunity. It involves us, but it is always done his way! It's a process that evolves over time. We mustn’t put God in a box, but give Him room to move in our spouse's life. Because we are not perfect and continue to sin, Satan will try to influence us (women) into believing that our "mission" is not possible - but with God, all things are possible!

Visit Deborah’s Alabaster Box Publishing website for Mission Possible at: http://www.godmissionpossible.com/. It is available in four forms: trade paperback, audio book on CD, downloadable MP-3 format, and an E-Book. See her blog at http://www.Godmissionpossible.blogspot.com, or e-mail her at deb@alabasterboxpublishing.com. The book is also available at Amazon.com, and other online retailers.

The author of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog, Sheryl Young, has herself written the book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church's Relationship with God's Original Chosen Nation. See information in the right hand column.
read more "Authors Corner: "Mission Possible" by Deborah McCarragher"

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Remembering the Holocaust - Yes, it DID Happen


In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27 as an annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Why January 27? It was on this day in 1945 that the largest World War II concentration camp, Auschwitz, was liberated.

Auschwitz, a network of three camps, was operated in Poland under German occupation from 1940-1945. Other well-known “death camps” were Dachau, Treblinka, Ravensbrück and Bergen-Belsen.

Claims that the Holocaust Didn’t Happen
Currently, there are claims being made that the Holocaust never happened. These claims are frightening and outrageous to Jewish people, and could not be farther from the truth.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington D.C. houses over 85,000 photos of Holocaust photographs, twenty percent of which can be viewed online. There are traveling exhibits and several stationary USHMM branches around the U.S.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem houses over 62 million pages of documents, photos, testimonies of survivors and other articles as proof of the Holocaust.

How/Why did the Holocaust happen?
Adolph Hitler intended to create the perfect Aryan race, eliminating those people who didn’t fit his description of “perfect.” Beside the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, more than two million other people lost their lives for either assisting the Jewish people or being imperfect themselves.

Beyond his takeover of Germany, Hitler wanted to rule at least all of Europe, and perhaps the world. See a detailed history here at USHMM.

Do Christians hate the Jewish People?
NO! Because some churches and Christian organizations either looked the other way or went along with Hitler’s bidding due to their own fear, some Jewish people are convinced to this day that Christians hate them.

However, Yad Vashem has a special “Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations” for Christians and others who lovingly assisted the Jewish people at the risk of their own lives; like Oskar Schindler, Irena Sendler, Miep Gies and the ten Boom sisters, Corrie and Betsie.

There are many organizations of Christians and Jewish people working alongside each other today to improve relationships between Christians and Jews, erase rumors that the Holocaust never happened, and to stand against anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity.

Want to get involved in this effort, or learn more about the Holocaust heroes mentioned above? See details at the original versions of this article on the Underground Online Magazine: Part 1 and Part 2.

(Photo: Auschwitz front entrance. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.)
read more "Remembering the Holocaust - Yes, it DID Happen"

Monday, January 18, 2010

SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY: January 24, 2010

The annual U.S. National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is coming up on January 24, 2010.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was created in 1983, marking the tenth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade (legalization of abortion on January 22, 1973).

With evidence that millions of abortions took place in those ten years, the Christian Action Council Education and Ministries Fund, now known as Care Net, asked President Ronald Reagan to create a special day to focus on the value of Human Life. President Reagan declared it to be the third Sunday in January.

Since that time, many pro-life organizations and churches across the United States have organized activities for this day. Some observe a Sanctity of Human Life Week for the entire next seven days, in reverence for all human life from conception to every stage of aging and illness.

Roe v Wade started one of the biggest political chasms between Americans since the Civil Rights movement. Whether to be “pro-life” or “pro-choice” has ignited political firestorms and election controversy for nearly thirty years.

One of the pro-choice movement’s main arguments is that females should not have to suffer through pregnancies due to rape, incest or any risk to their own survival.

However, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute’s research throughout the history of legalized abortion, rape and incest have accounted for only 1.5-2% of all abortions, and not all of those women choose abortion.

Regarding health of the mother, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that late-term abortion is one of the most dangerous ways to end a life-threatening pregnancy, and Caesarean delivery should be preferred. He was backed up by over 500 physicians in a 1996 letter to the Wall Street Journal (Partial Birth Abortion is Bad Medicine September 19, 1996; presented before U.S. Senate March 7, 2003).

For materials to distribute regarding Sanctity of Human Life Sunday this year or in the future, go here to the SOHLS website.

See an extended version of this article here at the Underground Online Magazine.
read more "SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY: January 24, 2010"

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Family Guy, American Dad TV Cartoons Go Sexually Overboard

Sex, sex and more sex is hitting the TV screen in none other than cartoons…during a time when families are watching together. The Sunday night cartoons American Dad and Family Guy apparently went way overboard with graphic sex scenes on January 3rd.

According to the Parents’ Television Council (PTC) Weekly Wrap for January 8, 2010, the character of Peter on Family Guy, while suffering amnesia, had to be taught how to have sex all over again by his wife. For a more graphic description (if you can stomach it), visit PTC here.

This follows hot on the heels of an episode of American Dad, in which one of the characters is depicted performing masturbation on a horse (see this PTC page).

Now, some of the Family Guy scene is also being shown in the PG-rated Hollywood movie, Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson.

The Fox Broadcasting Network – whose TV news affiliate is a refuge for those who like the conservative take on things – claims American Dad and Family Guy are cartoons meant for adults; but the network is probably aware that children are watching.

South Park on Comedy Central is another cartoon that claims to be for adults, with four-letter worded, sexually infused programming that “humorously” knocks and criticizes every known racial, ethnic and religious group. Not to mention frequent gay themes, like where one teacher even has a sex change operation and discovers being a lesbian – graphic sex scene and all.

But children are obviously watching South Park, with parents not restricting their viewing. Cases in point: Recent episodes where the child cartoon characters portrayed hatred and intolerance toward redheads and Jews have already played themselves out in real life with violence perpetrated by children upon Jewish classmates in Florida and redheaded classmates in Los Angeles (see this Naples, Florida News report on “Kick a Jew Day” and Huffington Post’s “Kick a Ginger Day”).

Outraged yet? Visit the PTC site to see what you can do, or contact the TV stations directly.
read more "Family Guy, American Dad TV Cartoons Go Sexually Overboard"

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Valentine's Day: "Chicken Soup for the Soul" Explores "True Love"

Looking for a Valentine's Day book? The latest Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology, entitled "True Love," explores how couples meet, fall in love, and keep their love going strong through many years of marriage.

What's the secret in most cases? The exceptional bond of putting God at the center of your relationship. Some of these True Love stories will make you laugh, others may invoke tears or precious memories.

The writer of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog, Sheryl Young, has made a contribution to the "True Love" volume entitled "The Value of a Good Husband." It can be found on pages 215-217.

As one of its writers, reading the other entries has been a delight. The Foreword was done by figure skating superstar Kristi Yamaguchi. This Chicken Soup for the Soul "True Love" volume would make a great Valentine's Day gift for people in long term relationships as well as teenagers facing "puppy love" or couples getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Find Chicken Soup for the Soul "True Love"at Amazon.com or all the Chicken Soup volumes here at their home website.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: cmp.ly/0 - Writer is not receiving any remuneration for writing this content or advertising "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and will not receive any payment for volumes sold at the linked sites. However, cmp.ly/3 - Writer has a connection because of receiving a one-time nominal payment for her contribution to "True Love.")
read more "Valentine's Day: "Chicken Soup for the Soul" Explores "True Love""

20-20 Faith Sight © 2009-2011 Sheryl Young. Template by OurBlogTemplates.com, Optimized by DeluxeTemplates.net, Concept and design by April Lorier.