The Forgiveness Project

As the holidays approach, a few unwelcome guests will arrive in many homes - stess, depression, and anxiety - all thans to the overwhelming demands of the days between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

Author, researcher and forgiveness expert Dr. Michael Barry has spent years conducting clinical reserach on the link between cancer and stress - namely the stress of negative emotions such as anger, bitterness and unforgiveness - and says that the holidays are an especially difficult time for many.

Through his years of in-depth medical, theological and scoiological research, as well as clinical expericne, Dr. Barry made a significant discovery that the immune system and forgiveness are very much connected. Negative or stressful feelings can actually prevent physical healing within the body. He discovered that the disease of unforgiveness can impact every organ, and it is an emotional disorder that can be prevented, treated and cured if a person is open to forgiveness.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Barry about his research and how unforgiveness can lead to a stressful hoilday season.  We also talked about his new program "Release Now" which teaches and guides people through the steps of forgiveness.  To listen to the interview, click here or scroll down.

Rev. Dr. Michael Barry is Director of Pastoral Care at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia, PA where he specializes in the connection between fatih and health. He has served in ministry for more than 20 years and has appeared on radio and television programs around the country.  His proram, Release! The Healing Power of Forgiveness teaches patients how to explore their feelings of unforgiveness toward others, themselves or even God.  He is the author of A Reason for Hope, A Season for Hope, The Art of Caregiving, and his latest The Forgiveness Project

Random Thoughts with Steve Russo

Steve Russo, author, commentator, radio/TV host, and professional drummer, has been speaking to teens and young adults for a number of years.  He was the co-host for Focus on the Family's Life on the Edge-Live! along with Susie Shellenberger.  He recently released another book targeted to young adults that is not your run-of-the-mill devotional, Random Thoughts.

This brand new devotional takes on a different approach. Instead of the "do this and don't do that" mentality, you'll find an in-your-face honesty and topics that are relevant to young people in our culture. Plus, you will also find that Steve is not the only one speaking you also have an actor, writer, professional skateboarder and many others.

This interview with Steve is probably one of the best you will find here and I hope that you will pick up a copy of his book, Random Thoughts. To listen click here or scroll down

To learn more about Steve and his ministry check out his websites:

• Steve Russo.com
• Real Answers
• U-Talk Radio

Alleged the Movie - A Fresh Look at the Scopes Monkey Trial

Frederick Foote went to Harvard, practiced Law for a short time in New York, and ultimately ended up in banking. His movie career began when he was one of the early investors for The Passion of the Christ and another movie Bella. The Skopes Monkey Trial was a story that he always wanted to see told from the moment he researched it, even going back to college, and it was then that he began working on the script and eventually assembled the team to bring Alleged to film. He considers it one of his great achievements that he has been able to draw more attention to the Scopes trial, and particularly William Jennings Bryan - A Christian man that fought the worst kind of racists bent on sterilizing tens thousands of men and women in the name of improving the human gene pool. Alleged has been an important milestone in Fred’s quest to drive attention to this cause.

I had the opportunity to talk with Fred about his new movie and about the issues of eugenics and evolution. To listen to the interview with Fred Foote, click here or scroll down.


Film SynopsisCharles Anderson (Nathan West) feels trapped writing for his deceased father’s meager newspaper and living in a tiny town (Dayton, TN) in steep decline. Local news is scarce in Dayton but in yonder Nashville the populist statesman and Christian fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan (Fred Thompson) stirs up the Tennessee legislature to pass an anti-evolution statute. At Robinson’s Drugstore a few local entrepreneurs, keen on a way to channel 20,000 or so folks into dying Dayton for a look-see, concoct a friendly scheme for the small town to host the “Trial of the Century” — they just need a teacher at the high school willing to claim that he taught evolution. John Scopes (Jamie Kolacki) obliges despite never having taught evolution to anybody that he can recall.


When the notorious agnostic Clarence Darrow (Brian Dennehy) agrees to defend Scopes and meet the Great Commoner in a battle to see which theory of mankind’s origin is the fittest (the Bible’s or Darwin’s), the entire world shows up and Dayton becomes the enter of the journalistic universe. Once in the midst of this staged event, however, Nathan is torn between his love for the more principled Rose Williams (Ashley Johnson), his fiancée, and the escalating moral compromises that he is asked to make as the eager protégé of H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun (Colm Meaney), America’s most colorful and influential columnist. Complicating matters is Rose’s half-sister of mixed race, Abigail (Khori Faison), who local doctors feel is a candidate for sterilization to prevent her, on Darwinian grounds, from propagating her supposedly inferior genes.


Alleged is a true story of conflicts that boiled over in 1925 but that remain simmering with us to this day — evolution and creation, the role of science in social policy, and media sensationalism motivated by religious and political biases on all sides. When the truth is at stake, Charles discovers, some lies just have to be told.
 

Doing the Right Thing

What do you think would happen to the Church - indeed to America - if 5 million people simply did the right thing? I believe the Church and the country could be changed... perhaps radically! -- Chuck Colson


Introducing Doing the Right Thing, an eight week exploration of ethics.  Each week Chuck Colson and John Stonestreet will cover topics dealing with ethics in everyday life as well as government, business, education, family and much more.  Contributors like Ben Stein and Joni Eareckson Tada will join Chuck and John for these insightful and timely half-hours that will help believers "do the right thing" in every context.


Week 1 - Doing the Right Thing: Why does it matter? What does ethics mean to you? To listen - click here

Week 2 - The Crisis of Ethics: What's Gone Wrong? When is it okay to lie? To listen - click here


Week 3 -Absolute Truth: Can We Both Be Right? How do you know what's right? To listen - click here


Week 4 - Everyday Ethics: Can I Walk the Talk? What should be the church's role in teaching ethics? To listen - click here


Week 5 - The Issue of Life: What is a Human Being? When does human life begin? To listen - click here


Week 6 - Ethics in the Workplace: Is it an Oxymoron? What's the best story you've told to get a day off work? To listen - click here

Week 7 - Ethics in Public Life: Is it possible? On a scale of 1 to 10 - How much do you trust your elected officials? To listen - click here

Week 8 - Doing the Right Thing: Where Does it Start? If you could one thing to change the world, what would you do? To listen - click here


 

Forbidden

I was able to interview two of my favorite authors the other day about a new collaboration that has just been released.  Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee have teamed up to present a new trilogy entitled The Books of Mortals and the first book, Forbidden, has recently released.

Tosca has been a guest of mine before and has written two fantastic works: Havah: The Story of Eve and Demon: A Memoir.  Her latest book, Iscariot, a novel about the infamous betrayer of Christ, will release next year.


Ted has been a favorite of mine for many years.  The book that got me hooked on him was Thr3e, a thriller that has twists and turns that keeps you guessing and wanting more.  His Circle Series (Black, Red, White and Green) is one that I highly recommend.  He is known for this thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.


Forbidden, the first book in the The Books of Mortals trilogy, is set in the distant future, in world ruled by The Order.  The Order controls humanity by genetically removing all emotions but fear.  That is until a young man is given a secret message and a vial of blood that changes everything and everyone involved.  A fast paced story involving emotion and reasoning that will cause discussion and debate.

Connect with Ted on Facebook and Twitter
Connect with Tosca on Facebook and Twitter


Click to listen to the interviews with Ted and Tosca or scroll down.


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