Beliefnet Kicks off Most Inspiring of the Month Campaign
April 1st, 2011We’re excited to announce the launch of Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring of the Month Campaign today! Each month Beliefnet will highlight ten inspiring individuals from all walks of life—from environmental activists to faith leaders—who are making a difference in their communities and in the lives of others.
In April we’re saluting inspiring environmental activists. Caring about the environment is important for all of us, but these ten individuals go the extra mile when it comes to going green. From wildlife enthusiasts to adventurous television hosts, these environmentalists are inspiring others to cherish the world we live in through awareness and preservation. Click here to find out who we believe do the most to help preserve, protect and conserve our environment.
Every month we’ll be highlighting inspiring people who are doing their part to make the world a better place. Follow the campaign each month to find out who will be awarded Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring Person of 2011 in December.
If you know of someone doing extraordinary things in your community and you’d like to nominate them for Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring of the Month campaign, we’d love to hear your story. Click here to send us your nominations.
Celebrating National Medal of Honor Day
March 22nd, 2011Friday, March 25, marks National Medal of Honor Day and the 148th anniversary of the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration bestowed by the US government upon members of the armed forces. The first Medals of Honor were awarded March 25, 1863 to members of Andrew’s Raiders for their actions during the “Great Locomotive Chase” of the Civil War and continue to be awarded for “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty.”
We must all do our part to be sure this day doesn’t pass without recognition. Home of Heroes, a premier source of Medal of Honor information on the Internet suggests, “National Medal of Honor day is celebrated in some communities, however for the most part the occasion comes and goes with little notice. “ As patriotic Americans they suggest a few things you can do to commemorate the day including flying your flag with pride and patriotism on this day, remembering living Medal of Honor recipients with a “Thank You” card (you can find a list of living award recipients here), and informing local media of the significance of the day.
In commemoration of National Medal of Honor Day, Cross Bridge and Beliefnet have teamed up with Great Americans to present stories of American heroes, including people in the military, police department, fire department and more—people who do great things and people who do little things that make up the fiber of what this nation was founded on. Watch videos from Great Americans here.
We at Cross Bridge and Beliefnet extend our deepest gratitude to every recipient of this heroic award!
Guardian Angels
March 14th, 2011I was feeding my 22 month old daughter lunch Sunday when she suddenly jerked her head back and blinked her eyes, almost like something had flown too closely to her face and she was attempting to avoid it. Then with a slight and apprehensive half smile she turned her head and appeared to be following some object around the room and then out of the window behind her. This wasn’t the first time my husband and I witness something like this. When she was an infant she would stare for what seemed like hours on end at the bare wall behind the recliner in our living room in what seemed like sheer amazement. My husband would teasingly ask her to stop staring at the ghosts behind the chair because it was rude to stare. I on the other hand have always preferred to think of the objects she sees as her guardian angels, assigned to protect and guide her.
I never gave guardian angels, or angels in general, any thought until she was born. After hearing of the recent devastation in Japan I’ve given more thought to everyone’s guardian angels. As Billy Graham once wrote, “Every believer should be encouraged and strengthened! Angels are watching; they mark your path. They superintend the events of your life and protect the interest of the Lord God, always working to promote his plans and to bring about his highest will for you.” With each inspiring story of survival I hear, or with each heartwarming story of family and friends reunited, or with even with each story of a life lost, I can’t help but to think about the guardian angels who were superintending the events of their lives that day and working to promote God plans to bring about His highest will for them that day.
If you’re interested in learning more about angels, or in watching some great stories of others’ interactions with these divine beings, Cross Bridge has a great section of angel related videos.
- Don Piper: Holding The Hand of an Angel: Best-selling author Don Piper shares the story of his encounter with an angel as he clung to life after a devastating car accident.
- Jane Seymour: Among Angels: Actress Jane Seymour talks about the angels in her life.
- What Is Intuition? Angel expert Sophy Burnham talks about the power of intuition in our lives and how our intuition is related to interventions from angels.
You can also find a wealth of resources on angels at Beliefnet including blogs, angel quotes, and tips for connecting with your guardian angels. They also offer Daily Angel Wisdom, a daily e-newsletter dedicated to all things angel. You can sign up here.
Have you ever had an encounter with an angel? Or like me, have you suspected you were a witness to an angel encounter? Click here to tell us your story.
Celebrating Ash Wednesday
March 8th, 2011Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of Lent. Most Christians, myself included, are quite familiar with Lent, the period of sacrifice and preparation through prayer, penitence, and self-denial for Jesus, but what makes Ash Wednesday significant other than the fact it marks the beginning of Lent? Honestly, until very recently, I was under the assumption that the day was only honored by those of the Catholic faith. On Sunday when the church I attend announced that Ash Wednesday services would be held, I took notice and found myself researching the significance of the day.
In my research I learned that Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance not only celebrated by Catholics but increasingly by Christians of other denominations. The practice most commonly associated with Ash Wednesday is the placing of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting for most who observe the day and its traditions. Most importantly though it is the day that marks the beginning of Lent—a very special and sacred time for Christians around the world that culminates in Easter.
As premier online resources for faith and inspiration, Cross Bridge and Beliefnet, have teamed up to provide you with videos, articles, tools and more on Ash Wednesday.
- Perfect for those like me unfamiliar with standard practices associated with Ash Wednesday, watch this short Howcast video on How to Celebrate Ash Wednesday.
- Also perfect for the beginner, read an Ash Wednesday primer.
- Read through a complete Lenten devotional resource including prayers, readings and even a Lent calendar.
Have you celebrated Ash Wednesday in the past? Do you plan to celebrate this year and if so, how? Click here to tell us.
Cross Bridge Welcomes Parables of Life Films—Our Newest Content Provider!
March 2nd, 2011Cross Bridge is expanding its already robust library of faith and inspirational videos—and I’m excited to share with you news of our latest content partner, Parables of Life Films.
Parables of Life Films is a Christian filmmaking organization based in Louisville, KY. Their film making philosophy—99% great story telling/entertainment and 1% message—is a unique one and plays a large part in what makes their films so engaging. Hope, love and grace are all common faith-based themes of Parables of Life Films and attract Christian and non-Christian audiences alike.
Their latest film, Paid In Full, is getting some impressive reviews and receiving some equally impressive accolades including a nomination from the San Diego Film Festival for thier Faithbuilder Award. The film is a short story of a lonely, bitter man whose devastating past has left him emotionally scarred. He constantly relives the tumultuous events that have led to his current condition and is also threatened with eviction from the house he rents by an uncaring, unfriendly landlady. He lives his life in despair without hope or love, but he suddenly discovers hope, compassion, caring and grace from a most unlikely source. Click here to watch the film and then click here to share your review of the film.
I look forward to updating you all additional exciting additions to our ever expanding video library in the coming weeks and months—more to come soon!
Inspiring Films of the Year
February 22nd, 2011It’s a time of excitement and anticipation for movie lovers everywhere this week—the 83rd annual Academy Awards are scheduled for this Sunday night! There are several great films, actors and actresses nominated for awards this year. From Toy Story 3 to The Kings Speech and 127 Hours to The Fighter, one thing is for certain this year—there’s no lack of inspirational films nominated this year for Best Film of the Year.
Toy Story 3 is the third installment in the Toy Story series. The film follows Andy as he prepares to leave for college and his childhood toys as they face an uncertain future. When Andy’s toys are donated to a local day care center their new life proves to be quite different from what they expected. The story and message behind Toy Story 3 is an inspiring one for anyone dealing with a period of change in their life.
The Kings Speech, an inspiring story of friendship and personal growth, tells the story of the man that becomes King George VI. George (also known as “Bertie”) is plagued with a stammer and is generally believed to be unfit to be King. As such he enlists the help of a speech therapist and in him finds an unexpected friend. Through his friend’s help Bertie finds his voice and is able to lead his country through war
127 Hours tells the story of climber Aaron Ralston, who finds himself without the hope of rescue after a fall leaves him without hope of rescue after a fall leaves him pinned by a boulder. With only limited food and resources he must find a way to survive and to free himself from his deadly trap. The film amazingly details Ralston’s inspiring will to live.
Finally, The Fighter chronicles the story of two brothers as they struggle with personal challenges and the complexity of their relationship as they pursue a shared dream of greatness in the boxing ring. The Fighter is an inspiring film about what it takes to make your dreams a reality.
Which film, whether listed here or not, is your favorite to win Best Film of the Year Sunday night? Click here to tell us. Have you seen a truly inspiring film this year that was nominated for an Academy Award? Click here to tell us about it.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14th, 2011There’s no better day than Valentine’s Day to settle in with your sweetie and watch a romantic movie. If you need some help with your movie selection this Valentine’s Day look no further than Cross Bridge! In Reel Inspiration: Romantic Movies, Guidepost’s Jessica Bloustein shares her reviews of the best romantic movies of all time and interviews New Yorkers about their favorite romantic movies. We’d also love to hear which movies you think are the most romantic of all time—click here to send us your votes.
Don’t miss other romance-inspired short videos and films from GodWinks, Regent University and others. Simply search on the phrase “romance” and enjoy!
Happy Valentine’s Day from everyone here at Cross Bridge.
Farewell to Football … For Now
February 7th, 2011The big game is over and sadly yet another season of NFL football went down in the history books last night. If you’re anything like me, you tuned in last night not only to catch the big game but also to see the commercials. We can’t help it— advertisers certainly pull out all the stops to make it worth our while. In their Idol Chatter blog, Beliefnet lists the top 5 inspirational commercials of the night. Check them out and then click here to let us know if your favorite commercial of the night made the cut.
Football season may be over for now but remember that you can always catch interviews with your favorite NFL coaches and players on Cross Bridge curtsey of Tony Dungy’s Red Zone. In his series the Red Zone, produced by Fresh Air Media, Tony Dungy, the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, sits down with premier NFL players and coaches to discuss how the game shaped their lives and how they’ve applied the valuable lessons learned through the sport to everyday life. Watch these fascinating interviews from Tony Dungy’s Red Zone on Hulu, brought to you by Cross Bridge on the BeliefnetTV showcase page.
The Votes Are In!
January 31st, 2011Earlier this month we shared with you Beliefnet’s nominees for their annual Most Inspiring Person of the Year Award. The award gives recognition to individuals who have demonstrated significant courage, compassion, forgiveness, and/or self-sacrifice in the face of challenging circumstances. The votes are in and we’re excited to share with you Beliefnet’s 2010 Most Inspiring Person of the Year Award winners.
The Reader’s Choice winner, selected by popular vote, is Joshua Williams, a nine year-old boy from Miami Beach, Florida, who is fighting hunger in his own community, having raised over $80,000 and founded a food bank that has distributed over 300,000 pounds of food to date. Joshua, a Sodexo Foundation’s 2010 STOP Hunger Scholarship Recipient, started his humanitarian nonprofit organization called Joshua’s Heart when he was just five years old; inspired to do so after watching a Feed The Children infomercial. Click here to read more about Joshua and his humanitarian efforts to stop hunger.
The Editor’s Choice Award winner, selected by Beliefnet’s editorial staff, is Maddie Babineau, a twelve-year old girl from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, who raised thousands of dollars for African children living in poverty, before losing her own battle with cancer. Maddie, as a terminally-ill child, used funds provided by the Children’s Wish Foundation that were intended for her benefit to instead help others. She asked that her money, $6,500, instead be donated to build a school for children in African. Her generous deed is helping 45 boys and girls in Enelerai, Africa receive a better education along with hope for a better future. Click here to learn more about Maddie and how Maddie’s mother, Sharon Babineau, is continuing her daughter’s legacy through M.A.D. 4 Maddie, which raises money and awareness for humanitarian efforts in Africa.
Click here to read the inspiring stories of all this year’s amazing nominees.
Honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 25th, 2011On January 27, 1945, the last largest Nazi death camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau (Poland) was liberated by Soviet troops. Today, each January 27th the world pauses to honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day as designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.
The genocide of over 11 million Europeans (including Jews, Gypsies, Poles and other Salvs, and many others) during the Holocaust marks a dark chapter in world history. Those witness to the Holocaust and its horrors are now in their sixties, seventies, and eighties. It’s estimated that there are a little over 350,000 survivors of the Holocaust alive today. To keep the history of the Holocaust alive as survivors age as a group, we need to seek out and share the stories of the over 350,000 survivors alive today. Their stories can be found in books, movies and across the internet at sites like HolocaustSurviors.org.
This Thursday please join us as we pause with the international community to honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Cross Bridge has some great videos around World War II and the Nazi Regime but perhaps one of the most popular is a short film by Regent University called Pavel’s Chariot.
An award-winning, impactful student film about the Holocaust, Pavel’s Chariot is a film that explores the spiritual bond that exists between a boy and his father. Pavel is separated from his father in a concentration camp. Sensing his son’s confusion, the father sets out to express his love by finding the necessary materials to make a shared symbol of their once–free life together. This symbol takes the form of a toy, which if finished, will provide comfort and escape to a boy forced to be a man before his time.
We’d be honored to hear your personal stories related to the Holocaust, or the stories that have been passed down generation to generation in your family—please click here to share.
