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BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. -- Hebrews 13:17

He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. — Proverbs 17:9

HEARTLIGHT DAILY VERSE, PRAYER & THOUGHT (From VerseOfTheDay.com) He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. — Proverbs 14:21

Thought: God has been so gracious to us! Think of all the different ways he has blessed us — some financially, others with great opportunities for service, others with deep personal relationships that are eternal, and for all of us, the promise of life with him. But what will we do with these blessings? Will we hoard them, hide them, and keep them to ourselves? If we do, our blessings will wither, crack, and dry in our parched hearts. But, one of the greatest ways we can thank God for his kindness, mercy, and goodness is by sharing these blessings with those around us, especially those in need who can never repay us for our kindness.

Prayer: O LORD God, my gracious and generous Father, thank you so much for the many rich blessings you have poured into my life. Open my heart, dear Father, and use me as a conduit of your blessings so that others may know of your love through my actions and attitudes. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayers for Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to [email protected].

“ BIRTHDAY VERSE ” OF THE DAY The chapter and verse corresponds to the month and the day! Acts 2:21 NIV = And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'

TODAY IS SUNDAY – FEBRUARY 21, 2016 (NOTE: Some holidays may be duplicated due to various calendars reporting conflicting dates) WEIRD, WACKY, STRANGE, ZANY, ODD, BIZARRE, QUIRKY, UNUSUAL HOLIDAYS! THERE ARE ONLY 307 SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS. Today is SINGLE TASKING DAY, a day to do only one thing at a time without feeling guilty. *** Known to most men as “any day ending in a ‘y’.”

Today is REMEMBER THE FUNNIEST THING YOUR CHILD EVER DID DAY. *** My parents love to tell the story about when I went to the little boy’s room by myself for the first time at Denny’s. I discovered new words on the restroom wall that I’d never seen before, and was so excited that I burst out of the little boy’s room and from all the way across the restaurant I started yelling, “DAD! GUESS WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BATHROOM WALL! IT SAYS ‘YOU’RE A NERD!’” My parents still won’t let me use a public toilet.

Today is INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY. *** I don’t know that there’s an actual separate language just for mothers, but if there is, I’m sure they’re still saying the same things... “Pick up your socks; clean up your room; go take a bath; don’t make me come in there...”

TODAY IS ALSO. . . World Information Architecture Day Daytona 500

COMING UP NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22 87th Academy Awards Ceremony Museum Advocacy Day National Margarita Day Woolworth’s Day World Thinking Day George Washington’s Birthday Tex Avery Day

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Curling is Cool Day Diesel Engine Day Iwo Jima Day (flags should be raised) National Dog Biscuit Day

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 World Bartender Day Inconvenience Yourself Day

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day National Chili Day

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 National Personal Chef Day For Pete’s Sake Day Levi Strauss Day National Bacon Day (***As if you needed an excuse!)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Anosomia Awareness Day International Polar Bear Day International Sword Swallowers Day Open That Bottle Night U.S. Snow Shoe Days

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Floral Design Day National Tooth Fairy Day Rare Disease Day

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29 Bachelor’s Day International Underlings Day Leap Year Day Rare Disease Day

ON THIS DAY 1929: At the Victor Records studio in New York City, Jimmie Rodgers recorded 11 songs, including "Desert Blues" and "Any Old Time." He was already America’s first country music superstar.

1947: Edwin Land demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds.

1964: A company in Britain exported 24-thousand rolls of Beatles wallpaper to the U.S.

1965: The Rolling Stones released their third single, Buddy Holly’s "Not Fade Away." It became the group’s first Top Ten British hit.

1970: The Jackson-5 made its TV debut on "American Bandstand." (audio clip)

1983: Donald Davis set a world record at the University of Hawaii by running a mile backwards in 6 minutes 7.1 seconds.

1984: Meeting in New York, toy manufacturers showed off their top dolls of the year, including Menudo, Michael Jackson, and Mr. T. dolls, and Judy Garland from "The Wizard of Oz."

1988: Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed tearfully to his Baton Rouge congregation that he had sinned. Media reports linked Swaggart to a prostitute.

1993: An 80-year-old Tel Aviv man refused once again to grant his wife a divorce. Under Israeli law both spouses must agree to a divorce, and one who refuses can be imprisoned until he or she consents. Yahiya Avraham had been in prison for 31 years.

1995: Chicago adventurer Steve Fossett landed in Leader, Saskatchewan, after becoming the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon.

1996: Nutritionists at the Centre for Science in the Public Interest reported that a typical American family breakfast of sausage, eggs, bacon and pancakes provided nearly a day's worth of fat and more than 1,100 calories. 2000: A Tehran taxi driver was so upset by tough traffic regulations that he walked around in a hat and full- length dress made from 200 parking tickets. But the protest did no good. The 54-year-old cabby told an Iranian newspaper he was arrested and charged by police with spreading lies. He was freed on bail.

2000: David Letterman returned to his "Late Show" five weeks after emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery

2005: Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush wrapped up their tour of tsunami-ravaged nations with a visit to the Maldives.

TODAY IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY 1109: Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury recognized as the "founder of Scholasticism," dies. One of the most profound thinkers of the Middle Ages, his treatise Why Did God Become Man was the greatest medieval treatise on the atonement. He is also known for his ontological argument for the existence of God.

1142: Medieval French philosopher, teacher, and theologian Peter Abelard dies. Perhaps best known for his (chaste) love affair with nun Heloise, Abelard made his most important contribution in establishing a critical methodology for theology. Irritated with some of the unreasoning pietism of other monks, he wrote Yes and No, compiling the (sometimes conflicting) sayings of the Bible and church fathers on various controversial subjects.

1173: Pope Alexander III canonizes Thomas Becket three years after the Archbishop of Canterbury's martyrdom at the hands of King Henry II's knights.

1431: Pierre Cauchon, bishop of Beauvais, begins his interrogation of young Joan of Arc. She was eventually condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake.

1801: John Henry Newman, Anglican leader of the Oxford Movement, is born in London. The movement sought to reform the Church of England in a "high church" direction, but Newman left the church in 1845 to become a Catholic—a choice he explained in his Apologia pro Vita Sua (1864).

1945: Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympian whose story is told in the film Chariots of Fire, dies of a brain tumor. In 1925, he had joined the staff of the Anglo-Chinese Christian College in Tientsin, China (his birthplace). He was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and died just before his scheduled release.

HOLLYWOOD, SPORTS AND CELEBRITY FIGURE BIRTHDAYS  Actress (“Party of Five,” “Ghost Whisperer”) Jennifer Love Hewitt, 37 (audio clip)  Actor (Backdraft) William Baldwin, 53  Actor (“Cheers,” “Frasier,” “Action News”) Kelsey Grammer, 58 (audio clip)  Actor (“CSI”) William Petersen, 63  Actress (“Judging Amy,” “Cagney and Lacey”) Tyne Daly, 69  Actor (Dr. Frank Poole in 2001: A Space Odyssey) Gary Lockwood, 79

BEE-BOP BIRTHDAYS (Music Artist Birthdays From SongFacts.com) 1891 : Karl Lawrence King 1927 : Guy Mitchell 1933 : Nina Simone 1938 : Bobby Charles 1942 : Bob Day (The Allisons) 1943 : David Geffen 1945 : Paul Newton (Uriah Heep) 1949 : Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) 1951 : Vince Welnick (The Tubes, Grateful Dead) 1956 : Lester Hunt (The Climax Blues Band) 1958 : Mary Chapin Carpenter 1961 : Ranking Roger (General Public) 1970 : Eric Wilson (Sublime) 1986 : Charlotte Church

SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE Why are umbrellas usually black? It would be wonderfully poetic if the color reflected sadness provoked by gray skies, if we were in symbolic mourning for a lost sunny day. It would be more prosaic, but still interesting, if we made umbrellas black to put a certain solidity, gravity, and seriousness in our lives. But the reality of it is that the color is nothing more than a byproduct of the way that umbrellas were originally made in the 18th century. The cotton cloth had to be waterproof. This was accomplished by soaking it in an oil that left the fabric with the characteristically grave color. Custom and tradition being what they are, that color became the "natural" one. Personally, I prefer purple polka dots.

CHRISTIAN ARTIST NEWS Do you like the Christian Artist News you see below? It's just a tiny sample of the 5-6 pages of material you could be receive every weekday… and it’s FREE! Become one of their subscribers at ChristianRadioShowPrepServices.com!

A thought from David Crowder: When you put 'THE' and 'IRS' together, it forms 'THEIRS'. Coincidence? I think not.

Sidewalk Prophets Ben McDonald was trying to work from home recently but says it was a struggle. He posted: Getting work done with a cat in the room does not work for me. My cat is a spazz!

Mercyme's Bart Millard posted recently: Someone asked why I don't tweet as much as I used to. Pulled a thumb muscle.

Advice from the We Are Worship website: Rehearsals go better when someone brings cake. Or is it that fellowship deepens friendship? Whatever. Bring cake.

Colton Dixon is known for his hair but it wasn't always a popular hair style. He shared recently on twitter: I once got detention for my hair being too tall. http://colton.cta.gs/057

A little background about the band We Are Messengers, one of the newest bands on this years Winterjam tour. Front man Darren Mulligan originally left his native Ireland to play in secular rock band in America, chasing money and fame. It wasn't until he returned to Ireland that Darren was introduced to Christ by his newly saved girlfriend. After stepping away from music for several years, Darren began playing again in his local church. That developed into a band called Remission Flow and eventually became We Are Messengers. Jeremy Camp was back home this week in his native Indiana and took the opportunity to invite his father on stage. Jeremy posted: Jamming with my Pops in Indy! Man, can he play harmonica! I love my Dad so much! Always good to be home. http://twitter.com/jeremycamp/status/699097635605581824/photo/1

Chris Tomlin is asking for your help in the fight against human trafficking. He posted this week: February 25 is Shine A Light On Slavery Day. Draw an x on your hand and post it using the hash tag #enditmovement. http://twitter.com/christomlin/status/699662034917404674/photo/1

Jodi and Chris, from Love and the Outcome, celebrated their new son's due date with a baby photo shoot. Milo Wolf was actually born on Valentines day, a couple of days before his official due date. His parents posted before the photo shoot: so glad the 3rd member of our power trio came early! http://twitter.com/loveandoutcome/status/699653984492113920/photo/1

After watching the new music video for Jeremy Camp's song Same Power, one fan posted I think Jeremy Camp is creating a new genre with this "Music Videvotional" And the new title might just catch on. Jeremy replied: Thanks. I like that!

NEWS KICKERS (No news on the weekends.)

NEW NEWS KICKERS…

NEWS KICKER EVERGREENS…

WONDER WOMAN CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TODAY’S EPISODE… “Hungry Clock”

DAILY COMEDY CLIP CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TODAY’S EPISODE... Ron McGehee, “Billy Li”

AS THE JUNGLE TURNS – WEEKDAY VERSION CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MONDAY’S EPISODE

OPEN: And now, FancyMonkey.com, (Show Name), and (Station Call Letters) bring you As the Jungle Turns! When last we left the jungle, Racquet the Skunk had been making notched badminton racquets so they’d break easily and force his friends to keep buying new ones. But it’s about to backfire on him, because his badminton playing niece, Rita, was just given one as a gift… and she’s planning on giving it as a gift as well…

CLOSE: Oh no! Rita is being arrested for sabotaging a badminton racquet – but she was given that racquet as a gift by Gruffy… and he bought that sabotaged racquet from Rita’s uncle, Racquet the Skunk – who made it! So really, Rita is in jail and it’s Racquet’s fault! Find out what happens next time, As the Jungle Turns! AS THE JUNGLE TURNS – SATURDAY/SUNDAY VERSION CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EPISODE FOR THE WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 20/21

OPEN: And now, FancyMonkey.com, (Show Name), and (Station Call Letters) bring you As the Jungle Turns! When last we left the jungle, Louis the lion – currently the king of the jungle – decided he didn’t want to be king. So all of the animals went out to find a new king… and they’ve found a really big throne – and a really big crown! Then the animals asked Louis to try the crown on…

CLOSE: The searching has finally paid off! The animals have finally found a new king! Or have they? This older lion seems to like to nap a lot. What kind of king would he be? Tune in again next time, for As the Jungle Turns!

***You may simulcast “As the Jungle Turns” on the Internet stream of your live broadcast only. Any other Internet use of “As the Jungle Turns” in whole or part including podcasting of your live broadcast is a violation of copyright law. Thank you for your cooperation on this vitally important issue. If you have any questions, please e-mail us and ask about “Jungle Jam & Friends the Radio Show” usage.

MOMENT OF DUH Running away and don’t want to be found? One good idea – don’t act as an extra in a movie! Some time ago, Italy's Martino Garibaldi withdrew $75,000 from his family's bank account and disappeared with his girlfriend. Martino's wife hired a detective to find her 45-year-old husband, but to no avail. However, a friend of his wife was watching a movie and saw Martino and the girlfriend in the background of a scene. They found out that the movie was shot in the Dominican Republic and his wife has tracked him down and begun legal proceedings to get the money back.

TOP TEN TOP TEN REASONS TO CHANGE YOUR HAIR COLOR

10. You already lied about your weight on your driver's license; there's no reason that anything else should be completely accurate.

9. Gunmetal grey just isn't as fetching as it may sound.

8. Last resort! Hopefully the aliens won't recognize you.

7. Last Halloween some kid tried to carve a jack-o-lantern in your head.

6. It clashes with your iPod.

5. You've always wanted to be a twin, but all you've got is a parrot.

4. Bright purple hair still looks dark brown on black and white security cameras in convenience stores.

3. So you can stand out as an individual, just like everyone else.

2. Anything is better than your current shade of "clear."

1. You want to replace the multi-colored wig-wearing, John 3:16 guy, at all the sporting events. THE FILES OF LAW & DISORDER Sometimes criminals WANT to go to prison.

FILE #1: A jobless man was caught trying to break into a prison in Brazil because he believed he would have a better life behind bars than life as a free man. Alexandre Benedito Grossi claimed he had committed a robbery, but that no one had arrested him. A police spokesman said Grossi was extremely happy when the officers found out he really was wanted for robbery. But despite his efforts, Grossi will be released in the next few days and will do the rest of his sentence in the community.

FILE #2: Here's two valuable lessons for aspiring bank robbers. First, don't rob a bank that's located in the same building as a police substation. Second, don't hire a getaway driver who's a music lover. That would have been sound advice for a pair of bumbling Vernon, British Columbia, crooks. While the 53-year-old robber was inside pulling the heist, his 20-year-old accomplice was in the getaway car listening to the radio. Unfortunately, by the time the robber returned with the loot, the car wouldn't start because the radio had drained the battery. The pair was soon captured in a nearby bakery, which was also a popular police hangout.

FILE #3: The very day that a North Carolina man walked out of prison on parole for robbery of a convenience store, he got the itch to go do it again. The store is about a mile from his home, and for some strange reason he was going to rob it again - maybe because he didn’t do it right the first time since he got caught. Before going into the store, he placed a paper bag over his hand pretending to have a gun. He then demanded money from the clerk who knew him personally and called him by name. Plus, the whole scene was caught on tape by the store's surveillance camera He was arrested an hour later, and will most likely never hear "parole" again!

STRANGE LAW: A Massachusetts law prohibits gorillas from riding or even sitting in the back seat of a car. I guess they don't want any monkey business going on back there.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS Sioux Falls Police feel like it ought to be pretty easy to find this suspect. They're searching for a man who attempted to steal a bottle of rum and some soft drinks at Lewis Drug Store. The man was described as being about 20-years-old, over six-feet tall, 300 pounds and wearing a black dress. His escape vehicle was a red four-door Kia. ***MARLAR: Hey- anybody seen a 6-foot tall, 300-pound guy in a black dress with a red Kia?

PHONER PHUN Seeing as today is Remember The Funniest Thing Your Child Ever Did Day, it only makes sense to make that a fun poll topic! So... what about it? What was the funniest thing your child ever did?

BIBLE BRAIN BUSTER! QUESTION: What woman of Jericho was spared when Joshua's men took the city? ANSWER: Rahab (Joshua 6:17)

QUESTION IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION: New Jersey is responsible for growing two-thirds of the world’s supply of what food? ANSWER: Eggplant TRUE OR FALSE Pay attention! If our next player doesn’t answer all ten T/F questions correctly we start all over from question #1! First person to answer question #10 correctly is our winner!

1. The size of a red blood cell is one one-hundred-thousandth of a meter. (False - it's 708 microns. This is equivalent to one millionth of a meter.)

2. The strike note of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is c-flat. (False, it's e-flat... there is no c- flat!)

3. The Earth radiates back into space as much heat as it receives from the sun. (True. If this was not so, the temperature on Earth would steadily rise and life would become impossible.)

4. Orson Welles is buried in an olive orchard. (True, the grave is on a ranch owned by his friend, matador Antonio Ordonez in Sevilla, Spain.)

5. Salvador Dali once arrived to an art exhibition in a limousine filled with turnips. (True)

6. Great White sharks have about 300 teeth. (False, it's 3,000!)

7. The six colors of a Rubik's Cube are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. (False, there is no purple, it's white.)

8. A troglobite is a creature that spends its entire life inside an underground cave. (True)

9. The Titanic was the first ocean liner to have a swimming pool. (True. It was also the first to have a gym.)

10. Bruce Lee was the Hong Kong 'cha cha' dance champion in 1958. (True)

TABLOID MATCH GAME You have to match the blank in the tabloid headline with the word or phrase that has been removed! LOS ANGELES BANS ______(SURFING) The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to institute fines for surfing. Average fine: $5,000. In a 598-page ordinance, the county board specified precisely what is and is not allowed on LA beaches during the summertime — and any object other than a beach ball or volleyball is out. Throwing a football or a Frisbee is considered illegal beach activity, but the board’s move upped the fine for violations to a whopping $2,000. “It is unlawful for any person to cast, toss, throw, kick or roll any ball, tube, or any light object other than a beach ball or beach volleyball upon or over any beach at any time,” the ordinance states. No more of this dangerous act: The biggest shock was the Board banned surfing – the sport most associated with L.A.!! “We’ve had too many injuries and some beaches have begun dangerous because certain Surfer Gangs refuse to allow other non-gang members to surf. For the safety of all Los Angeles citizens, whether near the beach or inland, we hereby ban all surfing, surfboard, wetsuits, surfboard shops and surfing music,” the ordinance reads. There was an uproar from a number of surfing enthusiasts outside City Hall, but it didn’t last long because they forgot why they were there. But, eyewitnesses say they looked upset. THE WAY TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING TO UNDERSTAND THE PUNCHLINE EVEN AFTER TWO CUPS OF COFFEE JOKE OF THE DAY JOKE #1 Janice was going away for a few days and left her husband a list of chores. For fun, she put down Item 5 as: Think about your wife a lot. After she returned, her husband proudly reported that he had completed every job. When Janice saw the list, however, each item except No. 5 had been crossed off. "What's this!" she exclaimed. "Didn't you think about me while I was gone?" Her chagrin vanished when he replied cheerfully, "I started to, but just never finished."

JOKE #2 A circus owner walked into a diner to see everyone crowded around a table watching a little show. On the table was an upside down pot and a duck tap dancing on it. The circus owner was so impressed that he offered to buy the duck from its owner. After some wheeling and dealing they settled for $10,000 for the duck and the pot. Three days later the circus owner runs back to the diner in anger, "Your duck is a rip-off! I put him on the pot before a whole audience and he didn't dance a single step!" "So?" asked the ducks' former owner, "did you remember to light the candle under the pot?"

JOKE #3 Did you hear about the fellow who stayed up all night wondering where the sun went? It finally dawned on him.

USELESS FACTS It would take 29 million years for a car travelling 100 miles per hour to reach the nearest star. ***MARLAR: And, sure enough, Dad will STILL say "You should've gone to the restroom before we left!"

The fur of the binturong, also known as the "Asian Bear Cat," smells like popcorn. The scent is believed to come from a gland located near the tail. ***MARLAR: Which explains why you never see Asian Bear Cats at the movies, for fear they might be mistaken as food.

The ancient Incas measured time in potatoes instead of hours and minutes, they marked the time it took to boil a spud. ***MARLAR: Nowadays they’d have to measure time in micro-spuds.

FEATURED FUNNIES CARRY MY PHOTO Hubby: You always carry my photo in your handbag to the office. Why? Wife: When there is a problem, no matter how impossible, I look at your picture and the problem disappears. Hubby: You see, how miraculous and powerful I am for you? Wife: Yes, I see your picture and say to myself, "What other problem can there be greater than this one?"

IT MUST BE TRUE BECAUSE I HEARD IT ON THE RADIO! WHAT - ARE YOU BLIND? Have you ever been accused of screaming, "Are you blind" to a motorist who perhaps pulls out in front of you? Had you asked that of a driver in Germany recently, he would have screamed, "Why, Yes I Am!" When police in Germany saw a car weaving slowly down a street, they discovered that the driver was indeed blind! He told the police he always wanted to try driving so he borrowed a car and took it for a spin. He insisted he was being extremely careful and assured the police that he was taking it in stages by driving a few feet and then getting out to walk around the car to check for obstacles. He had gone almost 50 feet before callers notified the police. ***MARLAR: Sounds like he's still safer than some (Chicago) drivers.

INSPIRATIONAL INSPIRATION THE SMELL OF RAIN "A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. "That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean section to deliver the couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. 'I don't think she's going to make it'" he said, as kindly as he could. '"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one.' "Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk; she would never talk; she would probably be blind; she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation; and on and on. "'No! No!' was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of drugged sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live - and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. "David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements, Diana remembers 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen. I said, 'No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don't care what the doctors say Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!' "As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. "Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort - so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultra-violet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. "At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later - though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero "Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted. Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, whatsoever, of any mental or physical impairments. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more - but that happy ending is far from the end of her story. "One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, 'Do you smell that?' Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.' Danae closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?' Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain.' Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, 'No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.' Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest - and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well."

DRIVE TIME DEVOTIONAL GROOVES OF GRACE Read:1 Corinthians 9:24-27 I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. —1 Corinthians 9:27 A man was traveling in Canada one springtime when frost and melting snow made it nearly impossible to drive farther. He came to a crossroads and saw a sign that said, "Take care which rut you choose. You will be in it for the next 25 miles." That's a wise warning for all of us—and not just when we're driving in rough road conditions. Whenever we come to a crossroads in life, what choice do we make? In other words, in what direction will we travel and what habits—which ruts of routine—will we establish? A habit is a pattern of behavior that we follow consistently. We need to decide prayerfully what habits we will practice. Will our habits be mere ruts of routine? Or will they become "grooves of grace"? Paul referred to his life's journey as a race. He learned that the only way to stay the course was to "discipline [his] body and bring it into subjection" (1 Corinthians 9:27). That implied establishing a consistent pattern of godly behavior. Good health habits are important, but spiritual disciplines are far more important. Are we choosing to develop consistent habits of prayer, Bible reading, and kindness? A habit is just a rut of routine. But good spiritual discipline can transform our ruts into grooves of grace. — Vernon Grounds

Lord, keep me in Your groove of grace, The chosen path for me; Your will I daily will embrace Until eternity. —Hess

In the beginning we make our habits; in the end our habits make us.

LEFTOVERS ODD COLLEGE COURSES What was the most useless, class you took in college? College students take offbeat courses for a variety of reasons -- hoping for an easy A, to try something fun, or to explore a new interest. Underwater Basket Weaving 101 may be an urban legend, but these unusual courses are for real: 1. You can boldly go where no other philosophy student has gone before in Georgetown University's "Philosophy and Star Trek" course, where students discuss the nature of time travel, the ability of computers to think and feel, and other philosophical dilemmas facing the crew of the Starship Enterprise. 2. Discover how Brick really felt when Opal left him for his neighbor's best friend's sister in the University of Wisconsin's course entitled "Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles." Students analyze the plots, themes, and characters of daytime soaps and discuss their impact on modern life. 3. If you've been longing to research how hot dogs, theme parks, and the five-day workweek have impacted American leisure culture, check out the University of Iowa course "The American Vacation." This course pays particular attention to how American families' varying backgrounds shape their vacation experiences. 4. Bowdoin College students can delve into "The Horror Film in Context" in the school's English Department. Students read Freud and Poe and watch Hitchcock and Craven, all while discussing the horror genre's treatment of gender, class, and family. 5. At Williams College, students can learn more about those in the cement shoe industry by enrolling in "Comparative History of Organized Crime," which compares the work of “goodfellas” from the United States, Italy, Japan, and Russia. 6. If you've got a romantic urge for adventure, check out Barnard College's course on "The Road Movie," which studies Easy Rider and Thelma and Louise, while also discussing the genre's literary precursors, like On the Road and The Odyssey. 7. If hitting the road doesn't satisfy your rebellious streak, sign up for Brown University's course on "American Degenerates," in which students discuss how early British-American writers embraced the grotesque, monstrous, "not our kind" status bestowed on them by the mother country and reflected their zeal for cultural and physical degeneracy in their literature. 8. If talking about death several times a week in class sounds like a good time to you, try Purdue University's "Death and the Nineteenth Century" course. Every poem and novel in the course deals with the 19th-century conception of mortality and the world beyond. 9. At Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, students can take "Art of Walking," in which students not only read literature by noted perambulators like Kant and Nietzsche, but go for neighborhood strolls with their professor and his dog. 10. And the top of the heap for classes at the bottom of the morality pool… "The Art of Sin and the Sin of Art," which contemplates the relationship between sin and the art world. The course catalog invites students at the Rhode Island School of Design to "lust with the saints and burn with the sinners." Do the parents of these students know what classes their kids are taking?

LIFE... LIVE IT THE SECRETS TO A LONGER LIFE Want to live fourteen years longer? All you have to do is make four changes to your lifestyle. That's the word from a 13-year British study. None of the participates had heart disease or cancer at the start of the study in 1993. Every person's blood was tested to measure vitamin C intake, an indicator of how much fruit and vegetables people eat. Each person was assigned a score of between 0 and 4 -- with one point given for each of the healthy behaviors. So what are the four secrets to a longer life? o Don't smoke... period. o Eat five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. o Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all. o Exercise regularly 30 minutes a day ***MARLAR: Oh well, three out of four ain’t bad.

JUST FOR FUN Can you imagine getting beaten up for NOT kissing a girl? A 15-year-old Illinois girl was recently charged with battery because she beat up her boyfriend for not kissing her! The girl gave the young man quite a walloping that left him with two black eyes. The young man told police he never fought back because he was taught not to hit a woman. The girl confessed to the judge that she needs to learn to control her temper. ***MARLAR: Gee, ya think?

FUN LIST EXCUSES FOR MISSING WORK o I set half the clocks in my house ahead an hour and the other half back an hour Saturday and spent 18 hours in some kind of space-time continuum loop, reliving Sunday (right up until the explosion). I was able to exit the loop only by reversing the polarity of the power source exactly e*log(pi) clocks in the house while simultaneously rapping my dog on the snout with a rolled up Times. Accordingly, I will be in late, or early. o My stigmata's acting up. o I can't come in to work today because I'll be stalking my previous boss, who fired me for not showing up for work. OK? o I have a rare case of 48-hour projectile leprosy, but I know we have that deadline to meet... o I am stuck in the blood pressure machine down at the Food Giant. o Yes, I seem to have contracted some attention-deficit disorder and, hey, how about them Bears, huh? So, I won't be able to, yes, could I help you? No, no, I'll be sticking with Sprint, but thank you for calling. o I just found out that I was switched at birth. Legally, I shouldn't come to work knowing my employee records may now contain false information. o The psychiatrist said it was an excellent session. He even gave me this jaw restraint so I won't bite things when I am startled. o The dog ate my car keys. We're going to hitchhike to the vet. o I prefer to remain an enigma. o I can't come to work today because the EPA has determined that my house is completely surrounded by wetlands and I have to arrange for helicopter transportation. o I am converting my calendar from Julian to Gregorian. o I am extremely sensitive to a rise in the interest rates. o I refuse to travel to my job until there is a commuter tax. I insist on paying my fair share. o I've used up all my sick days...so I'm calling in dead!

MORE SHOW PREP STUFF... Good news for husbands – your wife is helping you to live longer! Your wife is helping you live longer. True. Scientists have confirmed what happily married couples have long known that a good marriage can bring you a long, healthy life. Married couples in a good relationship lived up to five years longer than their unmarried cohorts, suffered fewer colds and infections, had lower blood pressure and lower levels of cancer, flu, Alzheimer's and depression. Researchers at Ohio State University recently discovered that even wounds heal as much as 40 percent quicker if you're happily married. There is one downside to domestic bliss. A Department of Health and Human Services survey found that marriage tends to increase your waist size to the tune of around 5 pounds. (Sun)

OTHER STUFF I WANT TO CRAM INTO TODAY’S PREP Looking to navigate life’s twists and turns to find God’s best for your marriage? Focus on the Family’s marriage experts, Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley, are out with a FREE list of Date Night Ideas. http://ow.ly/YtkL1 Chinese students aren't only coming to the U.S. in record numbers to study in America's top universities and graduate schools. They're coming in waves to study in Christian high schools. A successful high school experience helps students find enrollment in and transition to a U.S. university that much easier. Officials say "Just under 28 percent of Chinese high school students obtained visas to attend Catholic schools, while 30 percent were at schools with nondenominational or Protestant Christian affiliations. http://ow.ly/Ya7zW

Last year was a pretty good one in India for Audio Scripture Ministries. The organization distributed 4,000 audio Bibles throughout the country. However, they are setting the bar even higher in 2016. Their goal to distribute another 25,000 audio Bibles this year. While 25,000 may seem like a large number, it’s only a fraction of the number of people who are illiterate in India. Of the world’s total number of illiterate adults, 37% of them live in India. That’s 287 million illiterate adults in the one country alone. https://goo.gl/rgKEoc

MOTIVATION TWC News Austin: High School Blitz Interview with Apollos Hester - YouTube http://ow.ly/Yw0yy

AND I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT It's no longer a question of staying healthy. It's a question of finding a sickness you like. -- Jackie Mason

A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you. -- Bert Leston Taylor

"Even very young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening him with it much more effective." -- P. J. O'Rourke

THE TICKET Movie Reviews with MARIE ASNER Marie Asner has been reviewing films for over 30 years. Her outlets include radio, print and Internet. For more in-depth movie reviews of the following films, visit www.Tollbooth.org. Ratings from 1 (Low) to 5 (High).

FEBRUARY 19, 2016…

Race---It is the 1936 Olympics and Hitler and his Aryan Race think these Olympics are theirs, however, here comes African-American Jesse Owens who proceeds to race like the wind. The title word "race," has a double meaning here. Stephan James stars as Jesse Owens and the rest of the cast are Jason Sudeikis, Carice van Houten and Jeremy Irons. “Race” is rated PG 13. Rating of 3.

Viral---Here it comes again, another epidemic of a killer virus gone astray and amok and a family has to protect themselves. Cast has Analeigh Tipton, Michael Kelley and Paul Lacovora. “Viral” is rated R. No rating.

Risen---An investigation into the supposed rising of Christ from the grave. An this detective work is done at the time of Christ by Clavius, a roman officer (Joseph Fiennes). What does he find? Also in the cast are Tom Felton, Cliff Curtis and Maria Botto. "Risen" is rated PG 13. Rating of 2.

Touched With Fire---Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby both are manic depressive and end up in the same hospital. They fall in love, but can they handle this? Also in the cast is Christine Lahti. "Touched With Fire" is rated R. No rating.

FEBRUARY 26, 2016…

Eddie The Eagle is the true story of England’s first ski jumper. Eddie Edwards. Stars Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.

God’s Of Egypt concerns the gods fighting amongst each other. Sound familiar, as in Greek or Roman mythology? Stars Gerard Butler.

Triple 9 is the code for “Officer Down” and is an action thriller starring Casey Affleck and Kate Winslet.

The Witch is set in Old Salem about unsettling things happening in the woods. Stars Anya Taylor-Jay.

Crouching Tiger: Sword of Destiny (at last) and after changing the opening date time and time again, the film starring Michelle Yeoh will open next week.

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WARNING: Don't believe anything you read on the Internet or email (including stuff you read here) unless you can confirm it with another source, and/or it is consistent with what you already know to be true. The opinions in this publication are not necessarily those of Darren Marlar, Marlar House Entertainment, OnAirPrep.com, or any company or organization affiliated with aforementioned. (Regardless of how stupid you may think those opinions are. So there - nyah!) Darren Marlar credits all non-original material to the author whenever possible. All other material is original, used with permission, or author unknown. We welcome all comments, questions, and suggestions. Darren can be reached via his website at www.DarrenMarlar.com.