Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Prayer Key to Boston's Recovery



Running shoes with messages of hope written on the rubber soles dangle from a rod-iron fence that serves as a makeshift memorial site near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. This scene at the intersection of Newbury Street and Dartmouth Street is symbolic of the perseverance many Boston residents feel as they seek to overcome last week’s tragic bombings.
Yet, as horrific images of devastation continue to circulate on the Internet and social media sites, survivors and area residents acknowledge there is a long road of recovery, both physically and emotionally. Two successive explosions left three people dead and injured nearly 200.
Experts maintain the terrorist attack has forever shaped the identity of the marathon as well as the city of Boston. In response to the tragic event, care and comfort is coming from a variety of sources.
K-9 Comfort Dogs
Furry canine helpers were in Massachusetts to bring emotional comfort to Bostonians. Chicago-based Lutheran Church Charities deployed K-9 Comfort Dogs Ruthie, Luther and Isaiah, three dogs who help survivors affected by calamity like the Boston bombings. Addie and Maggie later joined that team after helping survivors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December.
“When people pet the dogs it gives them a chance to relax and process what is going on,” said Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities. “Emotions were all over the place. We were there to share the mercy and compassion of Christ with people through the dogs.”

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Religious Attendance Can Lower Risk of Depression

Depression was the third-most frequent disease in the world in 2004, and will be the most common disease globally by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. Now there's good news: A new study has found that regular attendance at religious services offers "significant protection" against this terrible disease.
The April edition of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry carries the report: Incidence of clinical depression was 22 percent lower among those who attended religious services at least monthly, compared with those who never attended. While researchers did not differentiate between faiths, about 80 percent of worshippers in the study would have been from Christian denominations.

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8th Grader Allegedly Arrested for NRA Shirt at School


'The Bible' Movie: Producer Rob Burnett Eyeing Fall Release For Miniseries Adaptation

Anyone who prefers their Old Testament a little larger, Obama-esque Satan and all, can ready themselves for a big-screen adaptation of the History Channel's runaway hit miniseries "The Bible."
The 10-hour series, which concluded March 31, will be transformed into a three-hour movie, executive producer Mark Burnett told The Hollywood Reporter during NBCUniversal's summer press event on Monday.
"We're cutting a movie version right now, a three-hour version of Jesus, and [we have] many, many offers from theaters globally," Burnett reportedly said, adding that the movie adaptation will largely focus on the resurrection story.

READ MORE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST