Logged On and Tuned Out

Vicki Courtney does it again. This woman is some kind of intercessor for parents! She has taken on the task of delving into the technological world of teenagers and written a book entitled, Logged On and Tuned Out. This book is specifically for us low-tech parents who cherish our children and want to keep them safe physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This book is a must for parents that want to equip their children for the battles they will face in this ever changing world of cell phones and computers. Vicki also has a blog where she provides daily Internet safety tips. I'm including it here in this post along with the addresses for her sites. The site from the publishing group is her Logged On and Tuned Out website and it provides a sample chapter to the book by this title. Our church library will be getting a copy of this book.



http://www.vickicourtney.com/

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/loggedon/

MOTIVE

As a few folks might know, I teach the 5th and 6th grade girls Sunday School class. We try to have a movie night once a month that we call 'Chick Flick'. In efforts to find movies that have a message and are enjoyable while not being offensive to our beliefs, I've run across a couple of things I'd like to share with all of you. First, there is a new movie coming out April 18th that is destined to stir us all. It's called Expelled. I encourage everyone to view the clip provided at oneplace.com. Here it is: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/expelled/. Please take a few minutes to view this clip and read the associated information. This movie is about challenging Darwinism and the struggles that scientists, whether Christian or not, face in regards to their right to freedom of speech with regards to scientific evidence that supports creationism- referred to as 'Intelligent Design'. I had to laugh at that. How humble to admit God is more intelligent that humans. :)

The second thing I wanted to share is information about the company behind this film. It's called Motive Entertainment. They were also associated with the Chronicles of Narnia and the Passion of the Christ and a few other films. Take a second and check out this company. They are doing their best to help produce faith-based and family films. To me, those two genres are synonymous but apparently the entertainment industry sees them as separate. Anyway, there is an article on their site about the demand for media with strong moral and spiritual values. Here is a link to their site: http://moviemarketing.biz/index.html.

The last thing I wanted to share was news from Yahoo! today. Apparently, a recent survey shows that the number one book in America is still the Bible. I'm sorry to say that I was surprised....ecstatically surprised....but surprised nonetheless. Like many of you, I had begun to believe from what I see and hear that it couldn't possibly be so. It made my day!! Hope it encourages you as well. Here is a link to the poll results: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/lf_nm_life/reading_survey_dc.

Ministry Highlight

It's been a while since I've 'blogged'. Thought I'd send a little highlight of a neat ministry for my Sisters. I've mentioned Oneplace.com and the many ministries on that site, but thought I'd highlight a few in the coming months.

Today, I couldn't help being drawn to the Proverbs31 Ministry. As a wife and mother, I've come to dread the mention of Proverbs 31. Is there any portion of scripture that makes a woman feel more like she's not measuring up? I mean, consider a field and buy it?! I don't think that would be happening at the Ferguson household. I doubt Dwayne would find that a very virtuous act on my part, especially when property taxes are assessed and due. :)

Anyway, according to the ministry site, this is what Proverbs 31 Ministry is all about:

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit organization that brings God’s peace, perspective, and purpose to today’s busy woman. Through Jesus Christ, we shed light on God’s distinctive design for women and the great responsibilities they have been given. What began in 1992 as a monthly newsletter has now grown into a multifaceted ministry that touches and transforms lives through daily radio programs, a monthly magazine, inspirational speakers, on-line devotions and communities, and published books and Bible studies. With Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide, Proverbs 31 Ministries seeks to equip and encourage women in seven key areas of her life, which are referred to as the Seven Principles of the Proverbs 31 Woman.

The staff and volunteers of Proverbs 31 Ministries offer real-life solutions to women who are striving to maintain life’s balance, in spite of today’s hectic pace and cultural pull away from Godly principles. Wherever a woman may be on her spiritual journey, Proverbs 31 Ministries exists to be a trusted friend who takes her by the hand and walks by her side, leading her one step closer to the heart of God.

Today's topic is 'Husbands Come First'. The link is http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Proverbs_31/. From this link, you can explore the Ministry's site and archives of previous devotionals.

Teen Girls and Their Moms!

Vicki Courtney, author of many books including "Your Girl: Raising a Godly Girl in an UnGodly World" has a new teen site. You can see it at http://www.virtuousreality.com. Vicki is the founder of Virtuous Reality Ministries in Austin which hosts mother/daughter events nationwide. She is the mother of three and is walking where we walk as Christian moms to teenage girls in an increasingly Un-Christian culture. She truly understands and is taking the cultural assault on our daughters very personally and not very quietly! :) Her new site is specifically for teenage girls and includes lots of question and answers for this age from a Biblical perspective. Hope you enjoy it :)

Radio Ministries

Have you ever been listening to a Christian radio program and had to miss part of it? Maybe you cranked up to head somewhere and caught a show after it had already started and didn't catch the beginning. Sometimes you might even enjoy one and wish a friend had heard it as well. Well, guess what? You can hear it again! If you'll visit http://www.oneplace.com, you can listen to just about any radio ministry imaginable, including Beth Moore's Living Proof messages. Just use the links on the left-hand side of the page and they are listed in alphabetical order. There are also links to the programs' websites and devotionals. There are even many programs that allow free downloads for MP3 players. Happy Listening :)

Media Information

I've found a couple of neat websites I thought others might enjoy. If anyone reading this is familiar with them, we'd love to have your feedback!

I was searching for some movie reviews and discovered that 20th Century Fox has an entire division devoted to family films. (I may have been living under a rock to just be discovering this but what can I say? I live under a rock!) They call it FoxFaith. This site provides information and reviews about Christian films and family films. They also give information about theatres and retailers where these films can be located and there is even a film club you can join for free. I don't know what all it provides but I've signed up and am happily awaiting my information and new member kit! The site is http://www.foxfaith.com.

Another cool site I found is BREATHEcast. This site provides all the information you could ever want about contemporary Christian artists in the music world. I'm so happy to find this site at http://www.breathecast.com because my family members are always sharing about different groups and artists and since I do not live with my iPod permanently attached, I never have a clue who they are talking about. I tend to know the song....may even sing along at the top of my lungs....but I may not necessarily know who sang it. Once again, I'm comfy under my rock! The site also has a news section that provides information outside of the music world which is also interesting and entertaining.

One last bit of good news I'd like to share. According to the news section of BREATHEcast, a recent study of box office sales from 1998-2006 indicated that films with a Christian worldview performed better than those of a more secular and inappropriate nature. You can read the article by clicking this link: http://www.breathecast.com/Christian.Music.News-Study:.Christian.Flicks.Earn.More.than.those.with.Sex,.Obscenities/10_1529.htm. I'm happily surprised and hope you are too :)

Please keep in mind that these sites are not affiliated with First Baptist Church of Carthage, Texas. They are just being suggested as a place to gather useful information that families may find helpful. On occasion, these sites may provide information that is not in agreement with the doctrinal beliefs of our congregation. Please visit these sites with prayerful discernment.

Welcome!

Welcome! This blog is for the members of First Baptist Church of Carthage, Texas. It is intended to keep our church family informed about the resources available to them in their church library. Currently, the library volunteers are attempting to reorganize and automate the items available. It is taking longer than hoped as the workers learn the new software but all of the items in the library are still available for check-out even if it doesn't look like it yet! The hope is that our catalog will be available through the church's web site when the project is complete. Thanks for your patience with us as we take on the challenge.

This blog is interactive and we welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions. Please feel free to post here but keep in mind that this forum is public and reflects on the library ministry of our church, our church family, and most importantly our Lord as we serve for Him. We appreciate everyone's consideration in keeping the posts appropriate.