RISEN Official Trailer - In Theaters Feb 2016

Happy Friday Everyone~

After the Virginia area was the bombarded with snow, it took us a while to dig out. I hope any fellow readers in my area are doing well with the snow and things are getting back to normal. That was quite a storm. 

Anyway, I thought I would share with you a upcoming movie that shows the resurrection of Jesus from a unique perspective- that of a Roman  soldier. In the movie,  Clavius (played by Joseph  Fiennes) and his aide  Lucius (Tom Felton) are given the task of finding out what happened to Jesus'  body in the weeks following his crucifixion in the hopes of preventing an uprising and finally putting to rest the rumors of a risen Messiah. In the process, though, he grapples with his own questions of faith; in the end, this will affect his own spiritual destiny.

For more information on the movie, please visit

http://www.risen-movie.com/

RELATED ARTICLES:
http://www1.cbn.com/joseph-fiennes-risen-converts-bible-movie-critics-refreshed-gospel-story

National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Day

Hello Everyone~

Yesterday was National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Day. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic lung disease that eventually spreads to other organs;it is a genetic disorder which causes a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs and pancreas. Approximately 30,000 people in the US suffer from CF. In fact, two of Matt Roger's own children have it. Matt is a member of the Hallmark cable channel "Home and Family" staff that appears for segments occasionally.

"That [CF] is not the banner of the Rogers household; the banner of the Rogers household is Jesus is Lord. That's my banner every single day and greater is He that is in us than all of that that's in the world.."

He continues saying,"... Because the second I put the label of cystic fibrosis on them, they're going to wear that and that's what they're going to become and I don't believe that. Faith isn't denying a problem's existence but it's denying the influence of that problem in your life. So I have this problem but I have this God that's bigger than the problem and that's where I keep my focus.."

Matt's children, Mason and Sam, require two hour daily breathing treatments. People with CF eventually require lung transplants which can cost $40,000 with insurance ($800,000 without insurance)



Christina Davidson's Foundation aims to provide support for those who cannot financially afford the cost. For more information on the foundation, please visit: TheCDFoundation.org

Pro Surfer Bethany Hamilton Talks About Motherhood

Welcome Back Readers~

Many of you may remember when Bethany Hamilton made headlines after losing an arm as a result of a shark attack back in 2003. From the very beginning, the 13-year-old refused to look at her disability as an obstacle to accomplishing her dream of becoming a professional surfer; now 26 years old, Hamilton continues to inspire millions with her unstoppable personality in the midst of life's challenges. In a recent article on Daily Mail Online, she opens up about becoming a new mother and the lessons Hamilton hopes to pass down to her son, Tobias. Tobias was born on June 1, 2015, weighing 7.9 pounds and measured 21 inches long.

Hamilton experienced no problems during her pregnancy and labor; however, all of that changed when Bethany and husband Adam brought the baby home. Tobias developed colic, a condition that causes infants to become fussy and are inconsolable with bouts of screaming or crying. The cause of colic is unknown but common theories revolve around food allergies, overstimulation, and anxiety. Along with that, the couple had two figures out different ways of accomplishing daily tasks such as putting on a diaper. For more of  the interview, feel free to view the following link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3408579/Midnight-cravings-colicky-newborn-changing-diapers-feet-Pro-surfer-Bethany-Hamilton-reveals-caring-new-baby-one-arm-challenging-surf-board.html?ito=social-facebook

A Fragile Life Worth All Our Love

Dear Readers

This week our church celebrated Sanctity Of Life Sunday; having a disability myself, I am adamant that every life has value and purpose in this world and that they had that right to fulfill God's role for them.. The following blog is a perfect example of this. Please check it out!

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-fragile-life-worth-all-our-love

American Idol 2016 Audition – Mario Bonds – Inseparable

Hey Guys~

Yesterday's auditions of American Idol featured a variety of talents including that of Mario Bonds. Bonds was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease at the age of ten; faced with a lifetime of blindness, he struggled to accept his disability.. Check out this inspirational and see if you agree with the judges sentiment!






http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/01/21/blind-man-american-idol-audtition-ends-in-tears/

High School Athlete of the Month: Hunter Gandee | Sports Illustrated

Welcome Back Readers,

Okay, so I missed writing on this blog last week but now I'm back. Some of you may recognize this brother duo of Hunter and Braden Gandee from a post I wrote last year. Braden has cerebral palsy; In an ongoing effort to raise awareness for the plight of those with disabilities, the two decided to take a 40 mile track from their home in Temperance, Michigan to Ann Arbor. How was this accomplished? Simple. His brother carried him piggyback the entire way.This year, the duo decided to take it one step further walking 57 miles; this time to raise money to get a more accessible playground. Hunter was named High School athlete of the month in Sports Illustrated

Similar news articles:
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/12/15/high-schooler-athlete-cp-work/21684/

Technology Review: Amazon Echo

Dear Readers,

I have decided to review Amazon Echo in the hopes of providing information to those wondering about its usability to those with speech as well is physical disabilities. For those unfamiliar with the technology, Echo (a.k.a. Alexa) is Amazon's own voice recognition service that allows people to listen to music, make lists and control their home simply by using their voice. I received Alexa as one of my Christmas gifts and after just two weeks using it- I LOVE IT!

Here are just some of my favorite functions:

1. Access to the radio- Since I am unable to use the radio in a traditional sense (through the tuning  of a dial, I love that the technology allows me to turn on the radio to  listen to my favorite stations by voice. I  simply say listen to 97.1  FM to hear that channel. This is especially convenient when I want to listen to the radio from from bed at night.
2. Sleep Timer-  This makes listening to the radio even more convenient because I can set a duration of time and it will automatically shut itself off
3. Access to Audible- Up until this point, I have been listening to my  audiobooks using Siri on my iPhone; that has worked, but Amazon Echo is better because of its speaker sound and volume.
4. Ability to change volume setting by voice- Alexa allows  users to adjust speaker volume settings simply by saying "increase" or "decrease". Additionally, you can change the volume setting by saying "volume" followed by a number ranging from 1-10. (1 being the lowest volume setting; 10 being the highest)
5. Connection to Pandora, IHeartRadio, Amazon Prime, podcast libraries, and Bluetooth
    a) Pandora- With a Pandora account, users can select certain music genre to play and use the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" command to improve your personal station.
    b) IHeartRadio-similarly, this channel allows users to personalize music based on different genre, music artists etc.. The station also gives you access to live radio stations such as KLove, Wash 97.1 FM
   c) Amazon Prime-Echo obviously has access to Amazon Prime own music library; unfortunately, this means you have to have a membership.. I believe it's Amazon's way of competing with applications such as iTunes etc.. The membership is $99/year and provides access to videos, Kindle books and selected Amazon music. On the flipside, you can still get access to music you may have bought through Amazon, simply say "play music" or specify the specific album or song you wish to be played.
  d) Podcast libraries- Alexa also has access hundreds of podcast users can listen to, simply saying the podcast name you are looking for.
  e) Bluetooth access- Hooking  Amazon Echo via Bluetooth allows users to access music they have on their phone. The one negative is that you can't simply play music by specifying a title, it will automatically search for music on Amazon Prime. Users must select their music by clicking on their phone. However once this is done, they can change songs on the album or artist simply by saying "next" or "previous".

6. Quick Training- This feature allows users to train Alexa to respond quicker to their voice by going through more training of specific commands that Amazon Echo frequently hears. The more you train, the better it gets..
7. The Amazon Echo website and phone application- This website is especially helpful because it allows me to access and change settings and stations by voice through the computer if the technology is having a particularly hard time understanding me. The Apple application provides remote access when users are not close by to the device

Common Commands

Here is a list of commands I use:

1. "Alexa"- By default, this is command that wakes up the device; it lets Amazon Echo know you want it to do something..
2. "Listen to.." or "Play."- this command starts specified music or applications linked to the technology.
3. "Increase" or "Decrease"- As explained earlier in this post, this command adjusts the volume setting to a specified preference.
4. "Start", "Stop", "Resume"- These voice  functions play or stop stations or apps in use on the device.
5. "Sleep Timer"- this command sets a duration of time to stop the current application or music from playing.

As you see, there's a lot the technology can do, it is continually being updated to include more applications and commands

Encouragement: Girl's Best Friend

Welcome Back Readers~

Two nights ago I came across the inspirational story of Bella and George. 11-year-old Bella has Morquio syndrome, a rare genetic disease that attacks the bones.  Since birth, she has relied on crutches or a wheelchair to get around; but that all that changed when George entered her life.George is a Great Dane trained as a mobility service dog; his 131 pound body acts as a support as his master walks. Check out more on this story and its update below:




UPDATE:
https://www.facebook.com/JOURNALIST.TANYA.CARTER/?fref=nf

A New Year, New Start

Welcome Back Readers~

Happy New Year. I hope you had a wonderful time with your friends and family during Christmas break; I certainly did. Now last year had its share of up and down, but through it all God has remained faithful. I continue to hold on to the truth that no matter what comes my way even in my days of doubt and uncertainty He is there- holding me, strengthening my faith and creating a future better than I could ever imagine imagine.. The future may be unknown to me but I know Jesus is already there and sees what's ahead for me!

I am actively searching for another job since my other one concluded in June. Honestly, it surprised me and that's why I haven't written on this blog since then. I kind of lost sight of my purpose and felt I had nothing new to say. Having said that, I have decided this year would be a great time to start fresh. I am making a promise to you my readers- a promise I want you to hold me accountable to.. I plan on writing on this blog at least twice a week. Granted, that's not the only thing I will be doing; along with continuing the job search, I plan on starting to write on my fiction book again (once I find the most recent version.)

So, feel free to email me when you feel I may have forgotten I put this in writing.

Anyway, this Youtube clip was featured on the news during Christmas break and I thought I would share it with you. 17-year-old Lauren Brocious uploaded the video to cheer up a friend who was encountering bullying in school. She had encountered similar circumstances and decided to do something about it. The audience reaction has been overwhelming, the clip receiving over 98,000 views.

Check it out