16 Year Old Bags Life Imprisonment For Murder Of Catholic Teacher

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16 Year Old Bags Life Imprisonment For Murder Of Catholic Teacher

The violent killing of Ann Maguire in April shook the nation – it was the murder of a woman described as the ‘rock’ at the centre of her family.

She was a dedicated and committed Catholic who, as well as teaching Spanish, also took religious education classes.

The Pope led the tributes at the time of her death.

Francis asked his British ambassador, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, to send his condolences.

He wrote a letter which said: “Having learnt that sad news of the tragic murder of Mrs Ann Maguire last Monday at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, I should like to convey to you as well as to Mrs Maguire’s family, friends colleagues and the whole community of Corpus Christi College, the spiritual closeness of the Holy Father, Pope Francis as well as my sincere sympathy in these difficult moments.

“I assure you of my prayers for the repose of the soul of Mrs Maguire and for the consolation and strengthening of all those persons close to her and all those who mourn her sudden death.

“May the Lord grant her eternal rest and reward of her life of dedication and of service to young people and to education.”

Mrs Maguire had taught at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds, for more than 40 years and was due to retire in September.

She was regarded as the “mother of the school” and its “heartbeat”.

One colleague said: “If you cut Ann Maguire in half you would see ‘Corpus Christi’ running through her.”

At her memorial service in September, her daughter Kerry told crowds gathered outside: “One of Ann’s life principles as a teacher was ‘you can never put a limit on a child’s potential’.”

Her pupils were asked to pick one word to describe the teacher.

”Perfect”, ”passionate”, ”fantastic”, ”amazing” and ”warm”.

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio News

Iraqi Government To Send Extra Troops To Defend Persecuted Christians

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Iraqi Government To Send Extra Troops To Defend Persecuted Christians

The Iraqi Prime Minister has pledged to put more troops in areas of Baghdad where Christians are being persecuted, and says he feels “personally responsible” for protecting them.

Haider al Abadi met with Christian leaders from churches in Baghdad, led by the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, Primate Raphael Louis I.

During the meeting the Church leaders reminded Prime Minister al Abadi of recent violence towards Christians in some areas of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Primate Raphael told the Catholic news agency Fides: “In the 40-minute talk Prime Minister al Abadi, a Shiite Muslim, repeated several times he personally feels responsible for the protection and defence of Christian citizens also.

“He deplored the phenomenon of the exodus of Christians, defining it as a great loss to the nation.

“With regard to the tragic story of the land fallen under the control of the Islamic Caliphate[I.S.], we urged the Prime Minister to promote in every way the liberation of the occupied lands.

“With much realism he acknowledged that military action will not be enough to solve the problem and that, in the long run, a process that removes the roots of the phenomenon, and brings out the true face of Islam open and respectful of all rights should be encouraged.

“Recently some Christians were kidnapped and some houses of Christian families were attacked by a group of criminals who wanted to occupy them.

“The Prime Minister has promised that he will enhance the presence of military units in the neighbourhoods, and also said he was willing to co-opt another Christian minister in the government.

“I was told me he is a man of word and keeps his promises”.

Islamic State has captured various parts of northern and western Iraq while the United States of America has used dozens of air strike to repel the Muslim extremist group.

In September some militants were less than six miles (10km) from Baghdad although they’ve been pushed back.

Source and Original Content by Premier Radio News

US Church Backs Gun Control Law

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US Church Backs Gun Control Law

Episcopalians in the US state of Michigan have passed a controversial resolution at their annual convention, calling for stiffer gun control laws.

At their 180th convention last week in Lansing, they voted to approve a resolution calling for universal background checks on all gun purchases, a ban on all sales of semi-automatic weapons, high-impact ammunition and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and making gun trafficking a federal crime.

The move has no direct impact on state policy, but it indicates the direction of travel among Episcopalians and other mainline denominations, which have become increasingly critical of America’s liberal gun laws in the wake of recent shootings.

The resolution states: “We…stand for public policies to ban violence and assault weapons. Access to guns with rapid fire ability and high capacity magazines are a common, deadly ingredient in…repeated killings.”

It says that the “Episcopal Church supports the US Constitution’s protections of the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms,” but adds that “wholesale murder is made possible because those without proper moral guide have easy access to these assault weapons… Read More

Story and Original Content by Christian Today

Pope Exhorts Believers To ‘Pray for the forgotten,’

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Pope Exhorts Believers To ‘Pray for the forgotten,’

In his Angelus Address delivered for the Feast of All Souls, Pope Francis called on the faithful to pray for forgotten souls, as well as Christians who have died for their faith and in the service of others over the past year.

“We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they are Christians,” he said, and the many “who have sacrificed their lives to serve others.”

Addressing the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square on Nov. 2 beneath an Autumn sun, the Holy Father also stressed the importance of praying for victims of war and violence, and for the “many ‘little ones’ crushed by hunger and misery.”

Praying for the departed is part of the tradition of the Church, Pope Francis said, especially through the Eucharistic Celebration, which is “the best spiritual help we can give to their souls, especially those who are most abandoned.”

“The foundation of prayer for the intercession of souls is found in the communion of the Mystical Body,” he added, quoting Lumen Gentium: “Fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead.”

The practice of remembering the dead, caring for their graves, and offering intercessory prayers, Pope Francis said, gives testimony of the “certain hope” which has “take root in the certainty that death is not the last word… Read More

Source and Original Content by CNA

November Christian Movie Lineup

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November Christian Movie Lineup

This month, several excellent films will be releasing, but mostly to select theaters. Find out if these movies are playing in your area, and be sure to check back with the websites if your city is not listed. “Select theater” engagements regularly add new venues as they gain momentum. Others like Saving Christmas may be available for download opening night.

I’ll BE ME
In 2011, music legend Glen Campbell set out on a tour they thought would last 5 weeks. Having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Glen and his wife rejected the advice to hang up his guitar and prepare for the inevitable. Instead, they went public with the diagnosis and set out on a “Goodbye Tour” across America. The tour played 151 sold out shows over an amazing year and a half, far longer than anyone expected. The film documents this amazing journey as he and his family navigate the unpredictable nature of Alzheimer’s using love, laughter and music as their medicine of choice.

Look for I’ll Be Me in theaters now! Check out www.glencampbellmovie.com for show times and locations.

THE PRINCIPLE
Everyone knows that the ancient idea of Earth in the center of the universe is a ridiculous holdover from a superstitious age, right? Modern science has proven that we are nothing special! We inhabit, in Carl Sagan’s words, “….an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
Tracing the development of cosmology from its inception (Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid at Giza), through the great revolution of Copernicus, to the astonishing new discoveries of Earth-oriented alignments in the largest structures of our visible universe, “The Principle” leads us face-to-face with the question, and the challenge- what does this mean for the future of mankind?

The Principle opened in Chicago and will continue to release in select cities throughout the month of November. Visit the The Principle Website to find the latest cities and showtimes.

SAVING CHRISTMAS
Put Christ back in Christmas!
This Christmas, have your family join with Kirk Cameron’s family and dive headfirst into all the dancing, celebration, feasting, imagination, and traditions that glorify the true “reason for the season.” Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas provides a Biblical basis for our celebrations, and the inspiration to stand strongly against a culture that wants to trivialize and eliminate the faith elements of this holy season. So take in the splendor; take in the majesty; take in the story. Take it all in … and let’s put Christ back in Christmas!

Look for Saving Christmas in theaters beginning November 14, and pick up the Sound Track for Saving Christmas today.

LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON
January 2010: In the buckle of the Bible Belt, ten churches burn to the ground in just over a month, igniting the largest criminal investigation in East Texas history. No stone is left unturned and even Satan himself is considered a suspect in this gripping investigation of a community terrorized from the inside-out. Families are torn apart and communities of faith struggle with forgiveness and justice in this incredible true story.

Little Hope was Arson opens in theaters November 21. Check out the official website for updates on movie locations at www.littlehopewasarson.com

Source and Original Content by Christian Cinema

Maynard Ends Life With Lethal Prescription

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Maynard Ends Life With Lethal Prescription

Brittany Maynard has decided to end her own life with lethal medication prescribed by a doctor.

Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in April and made headlines for choosing to end her life on her own terms. But for a short time, it appeared as if she had a change of heart.

In a video shown below, 29-year-old Maynard made it clear that she still planned to end her own life — she just didn’t know if Nov. 1 was the date she would choose.

“I still feel good enough, I still have enough joy, I still laugh and smile with my family and friends enough that it doesn’t seem like the right time,” she says in the video.

It’s a heartbreaking story with no simple answers. A terminal brain cancer diagnosis does not come with an easy, painless death.

In her most recent video, Maynard described what she calls her most terrifying seizure so far.

“I had two in a day, which is unusual,” she said. “And I remember looking at my husband’s face at one point and thinking ‘I know this is my husband but I can’t say his name.'”

Maynard and her family moved to Oregon so she could end her own life under the state’s Death with Dignity Act.

She made her case public so she could influence policy and see more right-to-die laws passed in the United States.

It’s sparked a national debate, with both sides weighing in.

“She’s not suicidal. She loves life and precisely because she loves life she wants to die with dignity,” Dr. Ignacio Castuera, a United Methodist Church minister, said.

But in an open letter to Maynard, Joni Eareckson-Tada, founder of Joni and Friends, suggested that assisted suicide was not the answer.

“The love of Jesus has sustained me through 47 years of suffering and quadriplegia, chronic pain and a recent battle against cancer,” Eareckson-Tada wrote.

“And I would tell her that the saddest thing of all would be for her to wake up on the other side of her tomb stone and only to face a grim existence, without joy, without peace, without life, without God,” she said.

Eareckson went on to challenge Maynard and others in her situation to face suffering and embrace her final days with the courage and hope that can only come from Christ.

Source and Original Content by Cbn News

Daredevil Tightrope Walker Completes Skyscraper Challenge

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Daredevil Tightrope Walker Completes Skyscraper Challenge

Nik Wallenda does it again. This time with his most challenging tight-rope walk ever.

The daredevil successfully completed two skyscraper tightrope walks over Chicago as millions watched.

He survived a 50-story high walk between skyscrapers at a 15-degree incline in one of the gustiest cooridors of Chicago and for part of it, he was blind-folded! And There was no safety net and no harness.

On a recent beautiful evening in Sarasota, Florida, a crowd gathered to watch hometown hero Nik Wallenda practice what he does best.

Wallenda comes from seven generations of high-wire artists, including his own mother. The two shared the wire in Puerto Rico in 2011 in honor of his great-grandfater Karl Wallenda, who fell to his death there in 1978 at the age of 73.

Nik Wallenda successfully crossed Niagra Falls in 2012 and the Grand Canyon in 2013.

CBN’s Wendy Griffith asked Wallenda if he ever feels like he’s tempting God with these dangerous acrobatics.

“You know, I don’t,” he said. “Don’t we walk by faith, not by sight?” (Referring to the scripture in 2 Corin. 5:7.)

“This is something that I have trained for my entire life. I’ve trained to walk a wire since I was 2 years old. If I were to not train at all, if I were to tell you, ‘Wendy, you’re gonna walk the city of Chicago blindfolded,’ that would be tempting God, in my opinion,” Wallenda said.

While Wallenda is a great showman and loves to thrill the crowds with his death-defying acts — he said his main mission is to point people to “the One” who holds him while he’s up there on the wire.

“I choose to use what I do as an occupation, to bring glory to God’s name. It is me living my life, and I think that’s why there’s so much respect in the mainstream media,” he said.

“There was very little negativity to me saying the name of Jesus over 60 times in front of 200 countries around the world, millions of people, 20 million people in the United States alone watching that live,” he said.

Wallenda said the testimonies that come from his performances motivate him to keep pushing.

“One woman said, ‘I didn’t walk for four years, and I saw you proclaiming the name of Jesus with a balancing pole in your hand, and I couldn’t walk without a cane. So I grabbed my cane, I put it in my hands, and I started calling out the name of Jesus, and I took the first five steps I’ve taken in three or four years!” Wallenda recalled her saying.

This WAS Wallenda’s first time publicly walking the high-wire blind-folded. He knew it would be challenging but he wasn’t worried.

“I have peace in where I’m gonna end up if I were to lose my life. However, I have a beautiful wife and three beautiful children. I have no desire of losing my life on a wire,” he admitted. “That’s why I train so hard, that’s why I train, knowing that I won’t even step foot on that wire if the winds exceed 50 miles per hour that night.”

And as you might have guessed, many prayed for unusually calm winds over Chicago Sunday night.

Source and Original Content by Cbn news

Mars Hill Cuts Off Multi-Site Churches

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Mars Hill Cuts Off Multi-Site Churches

More changes are coming for megachurch Mars Hill, just two weeks after Pastor Mark Driscoll resigned.

The Seattle-based church has announced it is disbanding its multi-site churches.

Board members at Mars Hill decided it would be best for their existing churches to become “autonomous self-governed entities.”

Multi-site churches have grown in popularity over the years. They are connected to a centralized church through video-led teachings distributed to multiple locations.

Pastor Dave Bruskas posted the decision on the Mars Hill website.

He said, “Mars Hill Church has never been about a building or even an organization. Mars Hill is a people on mission with Jesus and that singular focus continues as these newly independent churches are launched. It’s still all about Jesus!”

Mars Hill will sell its existing church properties unless the newly independent churches get approval to take over the loans.

Bruskas said the goal is to complete this process by January 1, 2015.

He goes on to say the mission of Mars Hill has always been about making disciples and planting churches and that will not change.

Source and Original Content by CBN NEWS

Pointers That Show You’re Succeeding In Life When You Feel Otherwise

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Pointers That Show You’re Succeeding In Life When You Feel Otherwise

We all feel like failures from time to time. While this is a normal feeling, you have to find a way to see yourself and your life from a different perspective. Sometimes we ignore the “little things.” Just because you are not a millionaire, don’t live in a mansion, and you don’t drive a fancy car, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. In fact, it’s quite the contrary.

Here are 20 signs that you are succeeding in life:

1. Your relationships are less dramatic than they used to be.
Drama is not maturity. As we age, we should develop maturity. So maybe your relationships were drama-filled in your past, but if you have moved beyond that, then you are successful.

2. You are not afraid to ask for help and support any more.
Asking for help does not equal weakness. In fact, it is a strength. No person has ever succeeded in isolation. It takes teamwork to accomplish goals. Asking or help is a sign that you have grown as a person.

3. You have raised your standards.
You don’t tolerate bad behavior any more – from other people, or even yourself. You hold people accountable for their actions. You don’t spend time with the “energy vampires” in your life anymore.

4. You let go of things that don’t make you feel good.
No, this is not narcissistic even though it might seem like it. Self-love is success. Love yourself enough to say ‘no’ to anything that doesn’t make you happy, doesn’t serve your purpose, or drags you down.

5. You have moments where you appreciate who you see in the mirror.
Ideally, you should appreciate who you see in the mirror at every moment. But even if that doesn’t happen, if you do it more than you used to, then that is success. Love yourself. You are awesome.

6. You have learned that setbacks and failure are part of self-growth.
Not everyone can have success 100% of the time. That’s just not realistic. Life is about victories and losses. So look at your setbacks as stepping stones to something better. In reality, there really is no such thing as as setback. It’s all just part of a wondrous journey.
You may be interested in reading this too: 20 Common Habits Successful People Consciously Reject

7. You have a support system that includes people who would do anything for you.
If you have figured out the people who “have your back” and recognized the ones who only pretend that they do, then you have succeeded. This is a painful realization, but once you learn to see the signs of betrayal, you can stay away from those people.

8. You don’t complain much.
Because you know there really is nothing to complain about. Unless you really have gone through some horrific life experience and had unimaginable losses, most of what we all experience on a day-to-day basis is just mundane. And successful people know that. And they live in a space of gratitude.

9. You can celebrate others’ successes.
Just because other people succeed, that doesn’t make you a failure. Applaud the people who rise to the top. The more positive energy you give to other people’s victories, the more you will create your own.

10. You have passions that you pursue.
You are not stagnant. You know you have something wonderful to contribute to the world. You have unique talents and gifts. Not only do you know that, you pursue it… Read More

Source and Original Content by Lifehack

Gospel Artistes Collaborate on Christmas Collection CD

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Gospel Artistes Collaborate on Christmas Collection CD

RCA Inspiration recently announced the release of its new holiday compilation album, “Gotta Have Gospel! Christmas… O Holy Night”.

This timeless collection is the latest offering from the ‘Gotta Have Gospel’ series which brings together the biggest artists in gospel as well as superstars from other genres to provide music lovers with a complete listening experience from start to finish.

Featuring perennial favorites including, “The First Noel,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” ‘Gotta Have Gospel! Christmas… O Holy Night’ is certain to bring enjoyment this holiday season and for years to come.

The 15-song collection boasts of some of the most beloved and recognizable voices in both popular and inspirational music performing holiday classics and modern worship songs.
The award-winning artists featured are: Fred Hammond, Mary Mary, James Fortune & FIYA, Marvin Sap, Joe, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Anthony Brown & Group therapy, Ayana George, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, John P. Kee & The New Life Community Choir, Yolanda Adams, Commissioned, Tarralyn Ramsey, Hezekiah Walker and the late Whitney Houston.

The ‘Gotta Have Gospel!’ series is a brand partnership between RCA Inspiration and Integrity Music and became available in stores and via all digital music providers on October 21, 2014…Read More

Source and Original Content by Praiseworld Radio

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