Sunday, May 14, 2006
Just a Tussey Mussey
A Bloggin Minute It is Mother's Day today and it used to be called Mothering Sunday, when the children were sent home from church with something special they'd made for their mums. It reminds me of my favourite bunch of flowers, the 'Tussey Mussey.' Preferably made up of 'found' flowers from the garden or roadside, the smaller the better, each flower is added to the bunch until a rounded bunch of perfumed colour is formed and tied at the stems with ribbons. Each one is as unique as the maker and giver of the exquisite Tussey Mussey. I hope I am presented with one :)
Friday, May 05, 2006
A Pub Was Never This Good
(I so wanted to go to this crusade!)
Thursday, May 4, 2006
They all came for God: New Zealanders come in droves to Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) -- More than 21,000 New Zealanders filled the Westpac Center Arena in Christchurch, April 28-30 to hear evangelist Greg Laurie. The event was New Zealand's first full-scale evangelistic event, making it one of the largest evangelistic outreaches in the country's history.
Over three nights, some 21,000 adults, teens, and children gathered at the arena to listen to popular music from Christian recording artists Audio Adrenaline, Steven Curtis Chapman, and The Katinas before settling in to listen intently to the message of God's forgiveness and love presented each evening by Southern California pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie.
Speaking conversationally on topics like, "Jesus and the Skeptic," "Everyday Jesus," and "Immortality," Laurie addressed spiritual issues head-on, explaining the need for a Savior and the ultimate price Jesus paid for humanity.
As Laurie described the forgiveness that is available and free to anyone who asks, over the course of the weekend more than 2,000 people made their way to the floor of the Westpac Centre to commit their lives to Christ.
The Press newspaper in Christchurch reported that Laurie gave a "straight-from-the-shoulder message which held the audience spellbound for 40 minutes."
The paper reported: "Some came for the music, some came to hear Greg Laurie, but they all came for God. Thousands of people last night packed the Westpac Centre for the first night of Harvest '06."
Harvest ’06 chairman Pastor Murray Robertson said: "Christchurch has not been visited by this caliber of preaching since Billy Graham was here in 1959. Greg Laurie connected with us as a common man, which is what the Kiwis so appreciate about him." Pastor Robertson himself came to faith in Christ at Mr. Graham's crusade in Christchurch.
Some 120 local churches worked together for two years to bring Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie to the area, and they left no stone unturned to spread word of the event throughout the South Island. Despite a population of nearly 350,000, for weeks Christchurch appeared to be blanketed in Harvest '06 bumper stickers, billboards, and bus ads, and the question everyone seemed to be asking was, "Who is Greg Laurie?"
That question came in handy during the weekend as 50 teens from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, called the SWAT Team (Students with a Testimony) joined with local churches to provide answers about Harvest '06.
The students, who each paid their own way to New Zealand, talked with youth at coffee shops and local hangouts, inviting them to attend the event and sharing their own powerful stories of God’s transformation in their lives. During the weekend, the SWAT Team led 150 people -- primarily youth -- to faith in Christ.
Local media also jumped on the bandwagon as curiosity about the Harvest '06 event grew. In addition to coverage from The Press, hosts from a popular rock station interviewed Greg Laurie about the event, and nationally recognized radio talk show host Simon Barnett served as the emcee for the Sunday evening program.
"The Harvest Team and Greg Laurie have elevated the awareness in our city that we need the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have come as servants and have demonstrated that there is hope for our city. We've never seen anything like this," said David MacGregor, senior pastor, Vineyard Fellowship in Christchurch.
While the first night of Harvest '06 nearly filled the Westpac Center, the Saturday night Amplify youth program was overflowing, with some 8,000 in attendance before the doors were closed, leaving outside hundreds who did not arrive in time to stake out a seat.
The latest and loudest music from alternative band Audio Adrenaline, Grammy Award-winning musician Steven Curtis Chapman, and local band Satellite was a definite draw, but it was the message from Laurie that appeared to really capture the attention of the youth in attendance.
"The youth of Christchurch have shown a great hunger to hear the word of God," said John Collins, executive director of Harvest Ministries. Indeed, by the end of the evening, 863 youth came forward to declare a decision to follow Christ -- more than 10 percent of the crowd.
At the conclusion of the three-day Harvest '06 event, Collins added, "Every pastor I've spoken to locally believes Christchurch has been profoundly impacted by this weekend's events. The sense among Christians here is that God has begun a work that will continue on long after this weekend. It is our hope and prayer that many of the young people who were introduced to Jesus Christ these last three days will grow up to impact their generation for Christ."
Harvest Crusades, known for presenting traditional Christian beliefs in a culturally relevant way that appeals to all ages, employing of-the-moment methods like Internet technology and popular Christian music, has drawn more than 3.3 million people to stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 1990. Each Harvest event features a message from Greg Laurie, founder of the Harvest events and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the 15 largest churches in the U.S.
Archived web casts of Harvest '06 in Christchurch, New Zealand are available for viewing at www.harvest.org
Harvest with Greg Laurie will hold two additional crusade events in 2006, including its 17th annual Southern California Harvest in Anaheim, Aug. 11 – 13, and a first-time visit to San Jose, California, Oct. 13 – 15.
MEDIA NOTE: For more information about the 2006 Harvest with Greg Laurie events, contact Laura Swickard McGowan at (847) 328-8009 or cellular (847) 347-5206. E-mail: laura@lauramcgowan.com; website: www.lauramcgowan.com
Thursday, May 4, 2006
They all came for God: New Zealanders come in droves to Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) -- More than 21,000 New Zealanders filled the Westpac Center Arena in Christchurch, April 28-30 to hear evangelist Greg Laurie. The event was New Zealand's first full-scale evangelistic event, making it one of the largest evangelistic outreaches in the country's history.
Over three nights, some 21,000 adults, teens, and children gathered at the arena to listen to popular music from Christian recording artists Audio Adrenaline, Steven Curtis Chapman, and The Katinas before settling in to listen intently to the message of God's forgiveness and love presented each evening by Southern California pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie.
Speaking conversationally on topics like, "Jesus and the Skeptic," "Everyday Jesus," and "Immortality," Laurie addressed spiritual issues head-on, explaining the need for a Savior and the ultimate price Jesus paid for humanity.
As Laurie described the forgiveness that is available and free to anyone who asks, over the course of the weekend more than 2,000 people made their way to the floor of the Westpac Centre to commit their lives to Christ.
The Press newspaper in Christchurch reported that Laurie gave a "straight-from-the-shoulder message which held the audience spellbound for 40 minutes."
The paper reported: "Some came for the music, some came to hear Greg Laurie, but they all came for God. Thousands of people last night packed the Westpac Centre for the first night of Harvest '06."
Harvest ’06 chairman Pastor Murray Robertson said: "Christchurch has not been visited by this caliber of preaching since Billy Graham was here in 1959. Greg Laurie connected with us as a common man, which is what the Kiwis so appreciate about him." Pastor Robertson himself came to faith in Christ at Mr. Graham's crusade in Christchurch.
Some 120 local churches worked together for two years to bring Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie to the area, and they left no stone unturned to spread word of the event throughout the South Island. Despite a population of nearly 350,000, for weeks Christchurch appeared to be blanketed in Harvest '06 bumper stickers, billboards, and bus ads, and the question everyone seemed to be asking was, "Who is Greg Laurie?"
That question came in handy during the weekend as 50 teens from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, called the SWAT Team (Students with a Testimony) joined with local churches to provide answers about Harvest '06.
The students, who each paid their own way to New Zealand, talked with youth at coffee shops and local hangouts, inviting them to attend the event and sharing their own powerful stories of God’s transformation in their lives. During the weekend, the SWAT Team led 150 people -- primarily youth -- to faith in Christ.
Local media also jumped on the bandwagon as curiosity about the Harvest '06 event grew. In addition to coverage from The Press, hosts from a popular rock station interviewed Greg Laurie about the event, and nationally recognized radio talk show host Simon Barnett served as the emcee for the Sunday evening program.
"The Harvest Team and Greg Laurie have elevated the awareness in our city that we need the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have come as servants and have demonstrated that there is hope for our city. We've never seen anything like this," said David MacGregor, senior pastor, Vineyard Fellowship in Christchurch.
While the first night of Harvest '06 nearly filled the Westpac Center, the Saturday night Amplify youth program was overflowing, with some 8,000 in attendance before the doors were closed, leaving outside hundreds who did not arrive in time to stake out a seat.
The latest and loudest music from alternative band Audio Adrenaline, Grammy Award-winning musician Steven Curtis Chapman, and local band Satellite was a definite draw, but it was the message from Laurie that appeared to really capture the attention of the youth in attendance.
"The youth of Christchurch have shown a great hunger to hear the word of God," said John Collins, executive director of Harvest Ministries. Indeed, by the end of the evening, 863 youth came forward to declare a decision to follow Christ -- more than 10 percent of the crowd.
At the conclusion of the three-day Harvest '06 event, Collins added, "Every pastor I've spoken to locally believes Christchurch has been profoundly impacted by this weekend's events. The sense among Christians here is that God has begun a work that will continue on long after this weekend. It is our hope and prayer that many of the young people who were introduced to Jesus Christ these last three days will grow up to impact their generation for Christ."
Harvest Crusades, known for presenting traditional Christian beliefs in a culturally relevant way that appeals to all ages, employing of-the-moment methods like Internet technology and popular Christian music, has drawn more than 3.3 million people to stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 1990. Each Harvest event features a message from Greg Laurie, founder of the Harvest events and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the 15 largest churches in the U.S.
Archived web casts of Harvest '06 in Christchurch, New Zealand are available for viewing at www.harvest.org
Harvest with Greg Laurie will hold two additional crusade events in 2006, including its 17th annual Southern California Harvest in Anaheim, Aug. 11 – 13, and a first-time visit to San Jose, California, Oct. 13 – 15.
MEDIA NOTE: For more information about the 2006 Harvest with Greg Laurie events, contact Laura Swickard McGowan at (847) 328-8009 or cellular (847) 347-5206. E-mail: laura@lauramcgowan.com; website: www.lauramcgowan.com
"Radar" O'Reilly
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Fighting for family, life after M*A*S*H
By Scott Harrup, an associate editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel
Special to ASSIST News Service
SPRINGFIELD, MO (ANS) -- Gary Burghoff almost never gives interviews anymore. The actor, best known for his role as Cpl. “Radar” O’Reilly in both the movie and television series M*A*S*H, is 62 and long retired to private life.
But in a February interview with Canadian radio talk show host Drew Marshall on Oakville, Ontario’s JOY 1250, Burghoff speaks candidly about a decision he made not long after he left M*A*S*H.
“Family, to me, became the most important thing,” he says of his rationale for exiting the show that defined his career. “I was not available as a father because of my work. That doesn’t stop when the work stops. Whenever you go out as a family, you’re always torn from family to deal with public recognition.”
Burghoff turned down other offers that followed. Unfortunately, leaving M*A*S*H couldn’t save his marriage. In the late 1970s, Burghoff moved back to Connecticut, his boyhood home, and began life as a single parent of his 4-year-old daughter.
While dealing with the divorce, Burghoff lost his father. It was a dark time, but it forced him to ask some critical questions.
“My father had said when I was in New York early on struggling as an actor that if you don’t know the Bible you don’t have a foundation,” Burghoff says. “I had told him from an agnostic point of view that the Bible was a very good book, but it wasn’t the only book. But after M*A*S*H I realized he might have something. I had given my life over to the world instead of to God.”
For the next two years, Burghoff pursued an intense study of the Scriptures. It was life-changing.
“When you become that empty vessel that is ready to be filled,” he says, “the veil is lifted. You suddenly understand those words. That’s what happened. The Bible before was always an enigma to me. But now I could understand it. The Lord says, ‘Ask and you shall receive.’ And I was asking.”
Burghoff’s second marriage blessed him with two sons, but his growing faith created a distance between him and his wife.
“I’d married a wonderful woman,” he says, “but she was not walking the same Christian walk, so there was a great communication gap in the marriage.”
When they separated and she moved to California with their sons, Burghoff again put family before his own dreams. Although he had planned to return to his New England roots, he was determined to be a father to his sons.
“My choice was a very easy one,” he says. “I’m going to be a father to my kids first. Because that, like my walk with the Lord, is who I am. I’m a daddy.”
Burghoff moved across the country and lived down the street from his estranged wife for 12 years so they could raise their kids together.
“Fathers who don’t do that are sacrificing something wonderful,” he says. “A divorce is between two people, never between a parent and children. I know the Lord hates divorce, but He hates abandonment, I think, a lot more.”
Today, Burghoff enjoys traveling and promoting wildlife-related causes. His wildlife paintings reach a growing and appreciative audience. But spiritually, he keeps two points in focus -- Christian fellowship and the Word.
“Without the Word,” he says, “I’m rootless, I have no foundation. Whenever things seem bleak, I go back to that source. If art is a personal reflection of the beauty you see in life, I want to go to the source, so I go to wildlife. I do the same thing with spiritual beauty.”
Scott Harrup is an associate editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel, the weekly magazine of the Assemblies of God. Drew Marshall is a nationally recognized Christian broadcaster in Canada. Visit his Web site at www.drewmarshall.ca.
Fighting for family, life after M*A*S*H
By Scott Harrup, an associate editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel
Special to ASSIST News Service
SPRINGFIELD, MO (ANS) -- Gary Burghoff almost never gives interviews anymore. The actor, best known for his role as Cpl. “Radar” O’Reilly in both the movie and television series M*A*S*H, is 62 and long retired to private life.
But in a February interview with Canadian radio talk show host Drew Marshall on Oakville, Ontario’s JOY 1250, Burghoff speaks candidly about a decision he made not long after he left M*A*S*H.
“Family, to me, became the most important thing,” he says of his rationale for exiting the show that defined his career. “I was not available as a father because of my work. That doesn’t stop when the work stops. Whenever you go out as a family, you’re always torn from family to deal with public recognition.”
Burghoff turned down other offers that followed. Unfortunately, leaving M*A*S*H couldn’t save his marriage. In the late 1970s, Burghoff moved back to Connecticut, his boyhood home, and began life as a single parent of his 4-year-old daughter.
While dealing with the divorce, Burghoff lost his father. It was a dark time, but it forced him to ask some critical questions.
“My father had said when I was in New York early on struggling as an actor that if you don’t know the Bible you don’t have a foundation,” Burghoff says. “I had told him from an agnostic point of view that the Bible was a very good book, but it wasn’t the only book. But after M*A*S*H I realized he might have something. I had given my life over to the world instead of to God.”
For the next two years, Burghoff pursued an intense study of the Scriptures. It was life-changing.
“When you become that empty vessel that is ready to be filled,” he says, “the veil is lifted. You suddenly understand those words. That’s what happened. The Bible before was always an enigma to me. But now I could understand it. The Lord says, ‘Ask and you shall receive.’ And I was asking.”
Burghoff’s second marriage blessed him with two sons, but his growing faith created a distance between him and his wife.
“I’d married a wonderful woman,” he says, “but she was not walking the same Christian walk, so there was a great communication gap in the marriage.”
When they separated and she moved to California with their sons, Burghoff again put family before his own dreams. Although he had planned to return to his New England roots, he was determined to be a father to his sons.
“My choice was a very easy one,” he says. “I’m going to be a father to my kids first. Because that, like my walk with the Lord, is who I am. I’m a daddy.”
Burghoff moved across the country and lived down the street from his estranged wife for 12 years so they could raise their kids together.
“Fathers who don’t do that are sacrificing something wonderful,” he says. “A divorce is between two people, never between a parent and children. I know the Lord hates divorce, but He hates abandonment, I think, a lot more.”
Today, Burghoff enjoys traveling and promoting wildlife-related causes. His wildlife paintings reach a growing and appreciative audience. But spiritually, he keeps two points in focus -- Christian fellowship and the Word.
“Without the Word,” he says, “I’m rootless, I have no foundation. Whenever things seem bleak, I go back to that source. If art is a personal reflection of the beauty you see in life, I want to go to the source, so I go to wildlife. I do the same thing with spiritual beauty.”
Scott Harrup is an associate editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel, the weekly magazine of the Assemblies of God. Drew Marshall is a nationally recognized Christian broadcaster in Canada. Visit his Web site at www.drewmarshall.ca.
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