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Monster Burger Dares To Be Eaten (Fox News)

Posted by Ed and Lois

In a direct challenge to American pride, the world’s biggest cheeseburger has been cooked up 5,000 miles away in Glasgow, Scotland.

The massive sandwich weighs 10 pounds, is 18 inches across and contains 12 slices of cheese and a mere 7,000 calories, about 3½ times the recommended daily intake.

It’s yours for free if you can polish it off in three hours, says the Baloo Burger Company . Otherwise, it’ll set you back $125.

Not only does the slab of beef itself weigh 7 pounds, almost as much as a newborn baby, but eating the burger will inject 200 grams of fat into your system.

The previous record-holder had been a 6-pound slider at a pub in Pennsylvania, which Johnson saw as a challenge.

Full Post:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142660,00.html

Smart Money’s On Family by Gary Strauss (USA Today)

Posted by Ed and Lois

Uncle Nino, a little movie about moral values, is finally getting its due.

Principal filming on the movie about a long-lost relative who reunites a troubled family wrapped in 2002. But Uncle Nino, which stars Joe Mantegna and Anne Archer, languished after distributors passed on the $3 million film made outside the studio system, dismissing it as too limited in appeal and marketability.

Nino bounced back onto the industry’s radar after test-market screenings in Grand Rapids, Mich., produced enough word-of-mouth praise to extend an initial two-week run in December 2003 to 56 weeks. Nino has since gained a distributor and is scheduled to roll into major markets in February.

Hollywood, whose concept of family entertainment has evolved from tearjerkers such as National Velvet to costly adventure films such as National Treasure, is taking notice
To some, the timing smacks of knee-jerk Hollywood response to the cultural divide illustrated in red and blue states. To others, the movies are efforts to cash in on the Christian-infused success of The Passion of the Christ. But studios say they’re not pandering to conservatives; they’re simply responding to market forces. And in a nation still squeamish over wardrobe malfunctions and violence, studios are willing to bet that quiet, wholesome entertainment films like Nino will attract multi-generational audiences, especially preteens and the 40-plus crowd, the industry’s fastest-growing demographic.

Full Post:http://www.usatoday.com/life/2004-12-27-pop-main_x.htm

Top Grossing Movies 2004

Posted by Ed and Lois

Mel Gibson’s gamble on “The Passion of the Christ” paid off in a major way, grossing more than $370 million and making the Aussie re-import Forbes’ most powerful celebrity.

1. “Shrek 2” — $436.7 million

2. “Spider-Man 2” — $373.4 million

3. “The Passion of the Christ” — $370.3 million

4. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” — $249.4 million

5. “The Incredibles” — $232.6 million

6. “The Day After Tomorrow” — $186.7 million

7. “The Bourne Supremacy” — $176.1 million

8. “Shark Tale” — $159.3 million

9. “I, Robot” — $144.8 million

10. “Troy” — $133.3 million

Source: EDI FilmSource, 12/12/04

Why did Jesus Come—Part II

Posted by boyd berends

Some time ago I submitted an article entitled “Why did Jesus Come?”

Since that time I have suffered a stroke and will get to examine all over again some of what I asked?

Previously I asked did Jesus have to suffer as He did? It was always my understanding that Jesus’ death was the act that saved us, or made us right with God. Having come very close to death, I now realize that one does not have to suffer to die. When I watched the “Passion” I asked myself why the suffering Jesus’ bore. Was there a reason?

When I read Isaiah 53 I read that He (Jesus) was to suffer for our sickness, griefs and our sorrows.  Then in Luke I read where Jesus the physician came to heal the sick and then He suffered so that we could be healed. I read where He (Jesus) defeated all the works of the devil, and I sure think sickness is a work of the devil.

Twelve years or so ago, I was told that I had cancer. Now when you are told that you have the BIG C, a lot of thoughts run through your mind, like where do I go first? I went to the Lord and I quickly became convinced that I was to do nothing but trust in His Word.

After really being tested, two or three years later I was told that the tumor had died. Then I was told I had heart problems. Before we could deal woth that problem I went on a scheduled mission trip. I had the opprtunity to teach about healing and to ask the natives to pray for my healing. They did, and I thought I was healed. Then later I saw myself in a vision being wheeled into the operating room and knew that I was to go through with the bypass surgery. I returned to the states and had a quadrupple heart surgery. This took place on Thursday afternoon. I went home the following Sunday, climbed 28 steps and then went to work on Monday. The miracle was in the restoration this time.

Now once again I am faced with a choice to make. Do I believe the Book and what it says, or do I throw in the towel?

In Romans four, I read that Abraham did not waver over the promises and it was counted to him as rightousness. I have to ask myself if I am being tested, and if I pass the test, will it be counted as rightousness for me?

This is a good question for me, but I must always keep in mind that even if I am restored, all healing is but temporary. We will all die, the difference is that for me I know it.

Church Pushes To Shed Some Of Season’s Trappings by Cassondra Kirby (Knight Ridder)

Posted by Ed and Lois

LEXINGTON, KY. - A Kentucky church is approaching Christmas a little differently this year: It’s skipping it.

Crossroads Christian Church in Lexington isn’t suggesting bailing out on the celebration altogether, just the bad parts:

We want to encourage people not to get so caught up in the trappings of the season that they miss the heart of what Christmas is about,” said Fred Turner, a minister at the church. “We are not calling for people not to buy presents or put up trees, but we are trying to turn the focus on the things that matter.”
He said the church got the idea from John Grisham’s book Skipping Christmas, which has been made into a movie, Christmas With the Kranks. The story is about Luther Krank (Tim Allen), who is sick of the high costs of Christmas and persuades his wife to skip the holiday and spend the money on a cruise. When his Peace Corps-bound daughter decides to come home for Christmas, he goes into a frenzy of preparations.

The nondenominational church began weekly discussions earlier this month. The sessions focus on helping the community find simplicity, joy, rest, belonging and Jesus, while skipping the loneliness, obligations and rush that come with the holiday. The last session will be on Christmas Eve.

“We really think this is important because the heart of Christmas needs to be getting back to who Jesus is and why he cares,” Turner said.