Friday, July 29, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Lecrae - Just Like You
Lecrae - "Just Like You" from TK on Vimeo.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
LRG Founder Dies at 34
Street clothing entrepreneur Jonas Bevacqua dies - BusinessWeek
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-05-31-apple-icloud-cloud-computing_n.htm
The company said CEO Jobs and other executives will discuss a new service for storing and retrieving media online, called iCloud, at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins Monday in San Francisco.
Uncertainty over the appearance of Jobs, who is on medical leave, has been a near-sideshow of speculation leading into Apple events.
Ahead of the cloud launch, Apple has been setting up a huge data center in North Carolina to prepare, says Envisioneering Group analyst Richard Doherty.
"This may be the most powerful data center ever, outside of government," Doherty says. "It will be able to handle millions of streams per minute without any network hiccups."
Apple's move to the cloud follows recent entries by Google and Amazon, with music services that let users upload songs they own to servers that in turn let them pull them down from various devices.
Both Google Music Beta and Amazon Cloud Drive don't work with the iPhone, and iCloud most assuredly will...
Click here for the restThursday, May 26, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Erosion of the Reformed Rapper!
Read the rest here
A man wearing only underwear, with a wound on the side of his torso and nylon strings tied around his neck, arms and stomach, was found crucified Sunday in Mungyong, about 115 miles (190 kilometres) southeast of Seoul, said Chung Ji-chun, chief of the violent crime section at Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency.
Two smaller crosses were erected on each side of the cross he was nailed to, Chung said.
Police also found nails, a hammer, an electric drill, pieces of wood and instructions on how to build crosses inside a tent near the scene, Chung said. An SUV belonging to the dead man was found nearby.
Police are waiting for a forensic report to determine the exact time and cause of the man's death and whether it was a homicide or suicide.
Chung identified the man as a 58-year old surnamed Kim.
Popular representations of the death of Jesus Christ depict him crucified between the crosses of two thieves, wearing a crown of thorns, a white cloth over his loins, with a wound on his side from a Roman soldier's spear.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tracklisting
1. intro
2. smack down
3. so much to dance for (1901)
4. weird fishes feat. Tom York of Radiohead
5. strangely close
6. who's gotcha? feat. Fro Wunda
7. light up feat. Japhia Life
8. want me to be
9. in my head
10. love (fear) feat. Ryan Tedder of One Republic
11. always
12. interlude (love)
13. all of my life
14. outré (time) feat. Selena J and A.I.R.
Download
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pastor Scott Thomas
The Bible specifically speaks about the qualifications for those who will lead a congregation of people. These qualifications have been the same for almost 2,000 years. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of these qualifications as the “senior pastor” of the Church.
Above Reproach (Titus 1:6, 7; 1 Tim 3:2)
This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic. You will find similar (but not identical) lists in First Timothy and Titus. Living a life above reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the list explain what “above reproach” means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First Peter, we find 17 qualifications of an elder who is above reproach.
1. A Pastor must be devoted to his wife; one-woman man (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:2).
The pastor’s marriage illustrates Christ’s love for His church—His bride (Eph. 5:22 ff.). A Pastor must love his wife exclusively with his mind, will and emotions and not just his body.
2. A Pastor’s children must be in submission, though not perfect (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:4-5).
If a man does not know how to manage his own family, he will not know how to take care of God’s church. The first flock for a pastor is his own family as Pastor Dad. A Pastor’s qualification for the church starts in his home management as he leads them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
3. A Pastor is a faithful Steward (Titus 1:7)
Here the term used is overseer (Greek episkopos). It is not another office, but a functional title of the elder. It is what he does. He is a steward, a manager of God’s resources and Jesus’ flock. He takes responsibility, but not ownership.
4. A Pastor must be humble - not arrogant (Titus 1:7)
A pastor must constantly demonstrate the gospel by admitting when he is wrong and assuming responsibility and restoring relationships.
5. A Pastor must be gentle - not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
No man will be of any use in the kingdom that is quick-tempered. The difference between how Jesus demonstrated anger is that He was angry at the abuse of others in the name of religion and the dishonoring of God. We get angry at how it affects us.
6. A Pastor must be sober - not a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
This is not just overindulgence in alcohol but is idiomatic for any behavior that fuels addictive responses.
7. A Pastor must be peaceful - not violent (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
A pastor is prone to inflict violence through his words. He is to be a peacemaker.
8. A Pastor must have financial integrity - not greedy for gain (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3; 1 Peter 5:3)
A pastor is to be upright in his financial dealings and not accused of pursuing money over the kingdom of God.
9. A pastor must be hospitable (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)
A pastor’s home is to be open for others to enjoy. A pastor’s home is not a heaven on earth, but rather a place of ministry.
10. A Pastor must be a lover of good (Titus 1:8)
A pastor genuinely loves what is good. He does not just think he should love it.
11. A Pastor must be self-controlled (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)
Self-control is a characterization of every area of a pastor’s life: diet, time, mouth, exercise, relationships, sex, and money.
12. A Pastor must be upright (Titus 1:8)
He has integrity in his relationships and in how he treats others.
13. A Pastor must be holy (Titus 1:8)
His life is devoted wholeheartedly to Jesus externally and internally.
14. A Pastor must be able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2)
All of the other qualifications are character qualities. This is the only ability-based requirement. He is to be able to teach sound doctrine, not just be able to communicate in an excellent manner. His teaching can be to one or two, to twenty, to a hundred or to a thousand. Most of the churches in Crete were house churches. The elders were to defend the faith once delivered to the saints against the numerous false teachers that arose.
15. A Pastor must be spiritually Mature (1 Tim 3:6)
Positions of authority without spiritual maturity lead to the trap of pride. When pride grows in a man, sin abounds.
16. A Pastor must be respectable (1 Tim 3:7)
That does not mean that everyone must like him or even appreciate him. It means that there is no credible witness to an ongoing sinful behavior.
17. A Pastor must be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3)
Elders are examples of Biblical expressions sexually, time management, marriage, parenting, worship, relationships and any other way. A pastor should be someone your sons could pattern their life after and the kind of man your daughter should marry.
Conclusion
What would you do if an elder violates one of these requirements? 1 Timothy 5:19-20 warns us not to accuse an elder flippantly. Matthew 18:15-18 gives us the steps:
1) Go to the elder alone,
2) If still unsatisfied, go with another person,
3) If still unsatisfied, let the greater eldership know. If accusations are verified and the elder remains unrepentant, rebuking that elder before all is the next biblical step.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
"if what you lack in faith you trying to make up in zeal
you going to end up all over the place, that's for real"
-eshon Burgundy
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Reunion Part 1 by Zerubbabel
It feels like 1994 all over again.... Hip Hop ain't dead... it's born again!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
In The Good Book, Professor Grayling attempts to whisk together in one tome the wisdom of Ancient Greek philosophers, Confucian sages, medieval poets and the discoveries of modern science.
Without any reference to gods, souls or afterlives, it aims to give atheists a book of inspiration and guidance as they make their way in the world.
In place of the more well-known Ten Commandments, his atheist principles are: "Love well, seek the good in all things, harm no others, think for yourself, take responsibility, respect nature, do your utmost, be informed, be kind, be courageous." Read the rest here.
Questions for Atheist:
What is love? Why should I?
What is good? Why should I seek it? How will I know if i've found it?
Why shouldn't I harm others? What if I love to harm others? What if I find it good?
How can I think? Aren't those just random sensations that happen by chance?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
"I got 'Piano for Dummies,'" said Henry, Memphis' first-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. "I'm not great, but I'm getting there."
Getting through his first NBA season has been difficult. Henry was 19 when he entered the league last year after one season at Kansas University. He has played in 38 games, missing more than half the season with injuries.
"I'm having to become more mentally tough," he said. "Because of the injury to my knee, I know I've got to work harder to get back. I know God will heal me."
Faith strikes a chord with Henry and a number of other Grizzlies, including Rudy Gay, Greivis Vasquez and Ishmael Smith. All have been vocal about their relationship with Jesus.
Before every free throw, Gay recites Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Read the rest here
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tim & Flo Interview from The Lamp Lounge on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Anti-Abortion Billboard Controversy: MyFoxNY.com
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tiny church finds original King James Bible
Hilmarton, England (CNN) - A little English village church has just made a remarkable discovery.
The ornate old Bible that had been sitting in plain view on a table near the last row of pews for longer than anyone could remember is an original King James Bible - one of perhaps 200 surviving 400-year-old original editions of arguably the most important book ever printed in English.
In fact, the Bible at St. Laurence Church in Hilmarton, England, was sitting right under a hand-lettered sign saying it was an original.
The sign said it had been found in "the parish chest" in 1857, that the cover had been added, and that it was the second of the two impressions published in 1611 - the year of first publication.
But no one knew whether to believe it, parish council member Geoff Procter said. As the anniversary of publication in 1611 approached, they decided it was worth investigating.
"We had no way of knowing whether it really was a 1611 Bible so we had to get it verified somehow," he said.
He and two other church members took it to a specialist, the Rev. David Smith at the Museum of the Book in London.
Smith knew immediately what he was looking at, Procter said.
"We put it on his table and he opened it and immediately he said, 'Yes, this is a 1611 Bible,'" Procter remembered.
Smith identified it thanks to a printing error - a place in the Gospel of Matthew that should say Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and spoke to his disciples instead says that Judas, who betrayed Jesus to the Romans, entered the garden.
That the St. Laurence Bible had that error, but not another one in the Book of Ruth, enabled Smith to pinpoint exactly when the book had been printed, Procter explained.
"We realized that this is quite an important find," he said, and last month the church quietly announced the discovery in the diocese newsletter.
They hesitated before going public, Procter said.
"It was one of those discoveries that we wondered if we should tell everybody or tell nobody," he said. "And we thought that as it was the 400th anniversary, we should talk about it."
St. Laurence Church is far from the only one talking about the King James Bible this year - the Globe Theatre in London is planning a reading of the whole thing in the days before Easter, and a literary festival has already done one. Cambridge University has an exhibition, and the King James Bible Trust lists dozens of special events planned this year to mark the anniversary.
The reason is simple, said Moira Goff of the British Library.
The King James Bible is "so embedded in us that we can't overstate the significance of it," she said.
It's the source of dozens of phrases and concepts that have become part of the English language - "an eye for an eye," "born again," "eat, drink and be merry," "God forbid."
Experts point out that the King James is based on at least two earlier major English translations, so its creators were editors as much as originators of these phrases, but it is the King James Bible that the great English writers knew, Goff said.
"It's passed entirely into the English language, into the thinking of English speakers around the world," she said.
Its influence has been greater than that of Shakespeare, she argued.
"I think it's permeated the language in ways that we can't count as we can count Shakespeare, influencing people's religious thinking, influencing people's social thinking in a way that Shakespeare probably does now - but that's a more recent development," she said.
"It's the Bible that was read to people in church every week," she explained. "The great literary figures from the early 17th century onwards, this was their daily reading. It passed into their works," she said, citing John Milton and John Bunyan among others.
But the King James Bible shouldn't be reduced to merely its influence on writers, she said.
"I think we have to be very careful in looking at the Bible only as a work of literature. It is also Holy Scripture and I think that makes it a different sort of book than the great works of literature," she said. "It will be read by people who will possibly never read Shakespeare or Milton."
The St. Laurence discovery is very unusual, she said. Perhaps 200 copies of the 1611 printings of King James Bibles are known to exist, she estimated. No one knows how many were printed, she added, but she guessed that the number was probably around 1,000.
Most of the surviving copies are in institutions, such as major libraries at universities, colleges and cathedrals in the United Kingdom and United States, she said.
"Some of them may be in private collections," she added, saying there is no way to know how many such copies there might be.
The St. Laurence discovery is technically a fragment, not a Bible, since it is missing a few pages (including most of the first pages of Genesis, up to chapter 4, verse 17) and has been trimmed at the top to fit the wooden cover added in Victorian times.
But it fits a pattern, she said. As King James Bibles got old and needed to be replaced, many were tucked away as church treasures, as seems to have happened with the St. Laurence Bible.
The people of St. Laurence Church are now trying to raise money to build a special case so they can keep their Bible in use and on regular display.
That would make the church more or less unique so far as Goff knows, although she speculated that there just might be a few village churches still using their 400-year-old Bibles.
"It's possible there are one or two churches that have gone on doing it and they just haven't thought to say," she said.
"People are now beginning to realize the value of this particular edition. This is the 400th anniversary and there is a lot more emphasis on it," she said.
"They value it. They want to keep it and they want to use it."
Source
We Can Be More Weekend
My wife and I will be going on a weekend get away at Golden Bear Cottages in Big Bear. This event was planned by my church so there are at least five couples traveling together. I'm really excited about this trip. More so, because it will be an opportunity to spend time with my wife. We haven't taken a vacation in over ten years. Matter of fact, we haven't taken a vacation since we've been married. At first I was disappointed that we were gonna have six hrs down time with no classes but now I'm kind of looking forward to it. I hope that their is still snow up there when we arrive.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's Christmas in April!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Free Mixtape: KB - Who is KB?
“Who is KB?” is a dynamic compilation of songs that introduces KB to the world. His personal testimony and mission is expressed creatively through vivid lyrics. KB explains how trusting in God for guidence in his life has exposed him to new and unexpected opportuities where his gifts and talents can be used for the glory of the Lord. By the last song, listeners will become familiar with KB’s musical style and recognize just who KB actually is.
Click here to download.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Good Morning
The Law of the Lord Is Perfect To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
Psalm 19:1-4
Do You Ever Find Yourself Reading Your Spouse's Books?
My wife has continued to fellowship with the ladies on a weekly basis. It's just like in Acts. They recently started reading W. Phillip Keller's 'A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23'. So far I've just read the intro and it looks very interesting. It's a pretty easy read (so far) and not a very big book either.
This is definitely encouraging me to hook up with some men of God for fellowship and do life together. Keep me in prayer.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The More Things CHANGE, The More They Remain The Same
Apple could face iPad 2 component shortages
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
What should I look for in a church?
- Expositional preaching. Does the pastor preach God’s Word, or his own ideas? Does he allow Scripture to set his preaching agenda, or does he pick topics by some other criteria?
- Biblical theology. Does the church openly confess key biblical doctrines? Do the leaders consistently teach sound doctrine?
- A biblical understanding of the gospel. Does the church clearly proclaim the good news about what Jesus Christ accomplished for sinners in his death and resurrection? Consistently?
- A biblical understanding of conversion. Does the church teach that people must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8)? Does the church teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must repent of sin and trust in Christ, both of which are ultimately gifts of God?
- A biblical understanding of evangelism. Does the church preach the gospel to non-Christians and encourage its members to do the same? Does it understand that it’s our responsibility to preach the message of salvation yet God is the only one who can do the saving?
- Biblical church membership. Does the church take membership seriously by seeking to ensure that its members faithfully attend? Does it encourage members to fulfill the biblical “one-anothers” with each other?
- Biblical church discipline. Does the church lovingly, patiently practice church discipline?
- Biblical discipleship and growth. Does the church expect and equip its members to grow spiritually? Does the church encourage its members to disciple one another? Growing as a Christian should be normal, not exceptional.
- Biblical church leadership. Is the church led by godly, qualified men? Does the church look to Scripture to determine its leadership structure?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
You found my heart in the tomb
Wrapped up all lifeless and bruised
I was the living dead
Couldn't even lift up my head
To see You enter the room
Oh, Oh, Oh
That's how it is with us all
We weren't just damaged we fell dead at the fall
Only the innocent can breathe the air again
Underground, over my head
I'm almost sure I'm dead
[www.three30.tk]
Unless You breath life into me
I won't ever feel my dead heart beating
But you open these blind eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing
No one can come to the Son
Unless the Father compels him to come
Our hearts are bottomless
If we're autonomous
Why do we choose corruption
Underground, over my head
I'm almost sure I'm dead
Unless You breath life into me
I won't ever feel my dead heart beating
But you open these blind eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing
Who's a cripple encased in his heart of stone
Christ's the name that I'm calling on, calling on
He's the hope for the hopeless, yall
We were saved when He chose and called
Where is life if its not in the King
You're the God, lift Him up to all things
To His One, His Son
Trip Lee:
Look, you might have heard I was dead in the grave
With some shackles on my wrist
I was very enslaved to the lusts and the passions
In various ways
In the band, on the horse, I was dead and depraved
Sight wasn't just blurry and vague
I was blind as a bat, couldn't thoroughly gaze
At the glory of Christ or the story of life
The Father said come to Him, but I hurried away
I was stuck, couldn't choose to be found
Tell me when the last time
You seen a dead man moving around
Couldn't buy my freedom I was truthfully bound
Couldn't get myself saved
I was shooting them down
Only by Gods will does grace heal with great might
Cuz only the words of God can create life
Give joy, remove shackles and replace shame
I was raised by grace and I praise Christ
chorus:
You breath life into me
Now I finally feel my dead heart beating
You open my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing
You breath life into me
Now I finally feel my dead heart beating
You open my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing
You give me grace amazing
Praise God for that grace amazing
You give me grace amazing
Praise God for that grace amazing
Nate Dogg Dead At 41
With his deep, melodic voice and smooth soul rumble, Dogg was one of the key elements in the rise of the West Coast G-Funk sound pioneered by Death Row Records in the early 1990s. Though overshadowed by such peers as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G, Nate was a critical participant in a number of major left-coast gangsta hits, including G's "Regulate" and Dre's iconic solo debut, 1992's The Chronic.
Hale's death was first reported by the Long Beach Press Telegram, which noted that his family announced his death on Tuesday. The cause of death was not announced at press time, but Hale had struggled with serious health issues recently, including suffering a massive stroke in 2007 that left him partially paralyzed and another the following year. A spokesperson for the singer could not be reached for comment at press time for further details on his passing.
Hale was born in Long Beach on August 19, 1969, and dropped out of high school at 16 to join the Marines, where he served for three years. He formed the rap group 213 — a reference to the local area code — in 1991 with then unknown pals Snoop Dogg and Warren G. The group's demo eventually made its way to Dre, who liked Nate's sound and recruited him to participate on The Chronic.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
This Is Still Sound Advice
Monday, March 14, 2011
Multiple Sites: Yea or Nay? Dever, Driscoll, and MacDonald Vote from Ben Peays on Vimeo.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I Love You Ladybug
Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight, her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight
Well, little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care, your skin, your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
Little girl twenty one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but He's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead
Well, little girl twenty one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And He'll treat you like the jewel you are
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you, more beautiful you
So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late, you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear, they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong, can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry, all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light, He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl
That there could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
There could never be a more beautiful you
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
eshon burgundy apologizes to red cloud
Bizzle Feat. Eshon Burgundy & Lavoisier - What We Do
Friday, March 4, 2011
Foggy Day in LA
"yo steppin through the fog And creepin through the smog..."
The Rep & Dos - Wherever You Go
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sprint - Panorama City
To be continued....
G.O.A.T. + Classic Hip Hop
Beckah Shae - Here In This Moment
Monday, February 28, 2011
Will Smith Starring In ‘Joe’ A Modernized Book of Job
It’s strange to think that Will Smith hasn’t headlined a picture since the underperforming Seven Pounds hit theaters back in 2008. He’ll be back in Men in Black 3 next year, and is attached to headline a handful of upcoming movies – one of the more intriguing films being that of Joe, a contemporary take on the Book of Job.
Screenwriting duo Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy may not have landed an Oscar for their efforts on The Fighter, but their Hollywood card is definitely on the rise. The two were responsible for scripting Joe, and are hoping to work again with director David O. Russell on the project.
Johnson and Tamasy were on the Movie B.S. podcast yesterday and mentioned that their Joe screenplay has already been purchased by Sony, with Smith in line to star. Here’s how the pair described their script:
“It’s about a man (Smith) [who is living] the American dream. He’s got the nice house, white picket fence, great kids, great wife, nice cars. God and the Devil get together every thousand years to bet on a man’s life, and the fate of the world is at stake.”The Coen Brothers devised their own, off-kilter version of Job’s tale of woe back in 2009 with A Serious Man, and it’s likely that Joe will take a similarly bleak but comedic approach to the story. Granted, the Will Smith vehicle is unlikely to be as distinctly warped as what the Coens came up with, but dark humor and characters whose lives were full of general discord were both very much big parts of The Fighter - and that should also hold true for Joe.
“What all of us get hit with in a lifetime, this man gets hit with in one week. And it’s about whether or not he can still pick himself up from that and survive it. It’s a dramedy. At its heart, it’s a comedy – but it’s got, obviously, a real dramatic core to it.”
While Joe aims to be the latest Smith vehicle that showcases the megastar’s dramatic chops – with previous attempts including Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Shark Tale (yes, kidding on the last one) – he won’t be hanging up his blockbuster card anytime soon. Smith is also currently attached to the Wachowskis’ Robin Hood re-imagining, Hood, and The Legend of Cain, another biblical tale retold (this time with vampires, believe it or not).
Russell is still deciding on what his followup to The Fighter will be, and he’s attached or connected in some form to numerous upcoming pics, including Uncharted, 2 Guns, and Cocaine Cowboys, among others. Joe could be a nice fit for the director, and the darkly comical subject matter (which will almost certainly include relationship dysfunction, a Russell specialty) seems right up his alley. He’ll have to decide on a new project sooner or later, so stay tuned for a future announcement on the matter.
Smith is currently waiting for the Men in Black threequel to resume from its extended production hiatus, and it’s not all that clear when he’ll make time to star in Joe, regardless of who ends up directing. The story of a decent man who finds that the universe itself is (literally) conspiring against him is one that many people can relate to, and having someone as charismatic as Smith play Joe is a solid idea in its own right.
Source
Christian Divorce Rate: You got it twisted bruh!
Based on the best data available, the divorce rate among Christians is significantly lower than the general population.
Here's the truth....
Many people who seriously practice a traditional religious faith -- be it Christian or other -- have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population.
The factor making the most difference is religious commitment and practice. Couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes -- attend church nearly every week, read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously, living not as perfect disciples, but serious disciples -- enjoy significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers.
Professor Bradley Wright, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut, explains from his analysis of people who identify as Christians but rarely attend church, that 60 percent of these have been divorced. Of those who attend church regularly, 38 percent have been divorced [1].
Other data from additional sociologists of family and religion suggest a significant marital stability divide between those who take their faith seriously and those who do not...
Read the rest here.
Trevor Bayne's Faith-Based Message Draws Christian Media Attention
That attracted two media outlets to NASCAR's Tuesday teleconference who don't typically call in: Christianity Today and Sports Spectrum, which bills itself as the "No. 1 Christian sports magazine."
It's clear that the Christian world has a new star who is devoted to help spreading the word.
Bayne was more than happy to speak on the topic of his faith when asked by the two outlets. Christianity Today asked Bayne if he could "offer some words of encouragement to folks who are low on hope."
"There were times when I was down," Bayne answered. "There was a six-month period when I was out of a race car in what I thought were going to be the most crucial years of my career. And they were – but God had a plan for them all."
Bayne said he prayed before the race for God to "draw him closer to us" through whatever happened on the track that day, saying he would be at peace with the outcome.
Even if he had a bad day, Bayne said, "there's something greater to it if we're just faithful."
Sports Spectrum asked Bayne to expand upon his thoughts that his success was "bigger than just racing."
"The goal is not to be the best race car driver, it's not to be the most marketable, it's not to be the most popular," Bayne said. "It's to build a platform and let God use us on the platform that he's building."
Bayne's father, Rocky, spoke about his son's goals a day earlier, saying Trevor wanted his career to be about "more than just winning."
"The only thing I can say is, the Lord is in control," Rocky said. "He's watching over him and he's taking care of him. That's his platform, and that's what Trevor's using it for. It's his goal, it's his mission, and that's what he's going to do."
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Good Morning
This morning we rocked out to this jawn. 6am in NoHo and the neighbors were serenaded by the musical stylings of Hillsong featuring Jimmy and Quiana. Someone get Puffy on the phone. I see a remix album in the near future.
Car Bomb Thrown at Christian Dr. in Gaza
Dr. Maher Ayyad, a prominent Christian surgeon in the Gaza Strip, said no was hurt by the bomb that was hurled at the car he was in, but the vehicle, belonging to his brother, sustained damage.
Following Friday's incident, Ayyad, 55, began receiving text messages warning him to stop his evangelical work or face the consequences.
Christians in Gaza have faced increasing persecution since Hamas wrested control of the Strip in June 2007.
Since taking control, Hamas has been instituting sharia (Islamic) law throughout the coastal enclave, which, among other things, forbids any non-Muslim from sharing his or her faith.
In January 2010, Majed El Shafie, president of One Free World International, told CBN News Christians are being attacked on an almost daily basis.
"The Christians in the Palestinian Authority [are] facing persecutions. Their homes, their churches -- they get attacked almost everyday," Shafie said.
Christian schools have also been attacked, vehicles torched, equipment stolen and school personnel threatened.
In October 2007, Islamists murdered Rami Ayad, an Arab Christian who worked at the Palestinian Bible Society.
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