As part of the local media, I take my job title with WBFJ as News Director seriously.  I love to inform, enlighten and entertain through my daily newscasts.  And yes, I try to look at this world and the events that transpire around me through a very ‘convicting’ view point: a ‘Christian’ world view.  Ultimately asking “how does my understanding of the Bible compare and contrast with ‘the world”?
According to scripture, traditional marriage can only be the union of one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27 + 2:24).  And, as a side note: State law already makes the distinction that a legal marriage in North Carolina is between one man and one woman.

According to latest research from the Family Research Council on “Traditional Marriage” states that “God has ordained three basic institutions: the church, the government and the family. The family is the first and foundational institution of human society.  Every civilization in history is built upon the institution of marriage. The welfare of children, the propagation of the faith, the wellbeing of society, and the orderliness of civilization are all dependent upon the stability of marriage according to the divine pattern.”

Jesus was clear about the definition of marriage…
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”(Matthew 19:4-6).

Vote YES to protect “traditional marriage” in North Carolina on Tuesday, May 8.  spread the word, not in conflict but with gentleness and respect!

Story sources:
“Vote FOR Marriage NC”    www.voteformarriagenc.com/
NC Family Policy Council talk points in support of the Amendment:  http://ncfpc.org/pdffiles/Talkingpoints.pdf
Family Research Council:  http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF11B59.pdf

- Verne Hill

DONATE: Funds are being collected for the Cretzman family through Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown.  Church #  722-9700   

-Their three biggest financial needs: medical expenses, bereavement expenses and a vehicle (their mini van was totaled in Monday’s accident). 

PRAYER: Pray for healing: as Lana (the mom) recovers from a broken leg and a fractured rib and pray for the family as they grieve the loss of their 3 year old.   

BTW: The Cretzman family from Ontario, Canada are Baptist missionaries raising support to serve in Cuba.  

 Cretzman family’s website (check out the video update from John):  http://cretzmanstocuba.com/

Cretzman family on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Cretzmans-to-Cuba/169962909729571

Today is “Ash Wednesday” the beginning of the Lenten season…40 days leading up to Easter.  #1 thing to ‘give up’ during Lent – meat.  #2 – chocolate?

Pray and Donate:  Funds are being collected for the Cretzman family, the missionary family of four from Canada who lost their 3 year old little girl during that single vehicle crash on I-74 in Surry County on Monday morning.  DONATE: Funds are being collected for the Cretzman family through Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown. -Their three biggest financial needs: medical expenses, bereavement expenses and a vehicle (their mini van was totaled in Monday’s accident).  PRAYER: Pray for healing: as Lana (the mom) recovers from a broken leg and pray for the family as they grieve the loss of their 3 year old.   BTW: The Cretzman family from Ontario, Canada are Baptist missionaries raising support to serve in Cuba.   Details?  Phone: 722-9700     Cretzman family’s website:  http://cretzmanstocuba.com/

 The 3^rd annual “Face the Facts / Battle of the Beards”  starts today in Wilkes County.  Men are encouraged to grow their beards over the next 40 days to bring awareness about domestic violence (and raise funds) for “SAFE” (Sheltered Aid to Families in Emergencies). Clean shaven contestants are getting their “before” pictures made today plus they will receive an “Ask Me About My SAFE Face” buttons to wear through out the next 40 days. “Face the Facts” ends Thursday, April 5^th.   www.safewilkes.org/beard 

Still praying in the ‘name of Jesus’.  The Rowan County Board of Commissioners vowing to keep ‘sectarian prayers’ in particular ‘in the name of Jesus’ to continue at the opening of commissioner meetings.   Rowan was among 25 to 30 governing boards across the state to get a letter recently from the ACLU urging them to to stop opening its meetings with sectarian prayers, a month after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that ‘sectarian’ prayers at the opening of Forsyth County commissioners’ meetings are ‘unconstitutional’.  Hundreds of people came out in support of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners Monday night http://www.salisburypost.com/News/022112-Commissioners-prayer-public-comment-qcd

Learn more about your ‘Love Language’ with Dr Gary Chapman on today’s daily broadcast of Focus on the Family.  www.focusonthefamily.com Listen to Focus on the Family tonight at 9pm on WBFJ.  

State representative Larry Womble will not seek re-election.  Womble is recuperating after being seriously injured during a head on car crash back in December. The driver of the second vehicle (54 year old David Carmichael) was killed in the accident. WXII

Health officials are reporting that a 6-year-old is the state’s first flu death of the season.  The child, whose name and city were not disclosed, died February 4.  Officials clarify that the child had underlying medical conditions and was in a ‘high risk’ category before coming down with the flu. http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/654030/state-reports-6-year-old-as-first-flu-death-of-the-season

 The Winston-Salem City Council has given the green light to extended hours for downtown restaurants, updating an older noise ordinance.   The city has extended sidewalk dining hours to 1am during the week and 2am on the weekends.  http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/654069/winston-salem-council-approves-extended-outdoor-hours-for-downtown

Job Fair: The Winston-Salem Dash organization is holding a ‘customer service’ Job Fair from 9 to noon this Saturday (FEB 25) at BB&T Ballpark.  Numerous part-time positions are available including ticket takers, concession workers…even Bat Boys.  You must be 16 years and older to apply. http://winstonsalem.dash.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120207&content_id=26597132&vkey=news_t580&fext=.jsp&sid=t580

 Wanted:  Individuals or groups to sing the National Anthem at the Winston-Salem Dash baseball games this season.   Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 03 at Hanes Mall (lower level near the food court) from noon to 5pm.   The first 150 registrations will get a scheduled time slot to audition.  Sign up online at www.wsdash.com

 ACC Basketball:  The last night:  The Tarheels too much for the Wolfpack 86 – 74.   Thursday night:  Duke at FSU (7pm)

State High Schoolbasketball ‘sectionals’ continue:  Complete schedule and brackets:  www.nchsaa.org

I have such great admiration for parents of small children who are willing to step out in faith and onto the mission field.  I am sure there were people who gave the Cretzmen’s a hard time about their choice to serve as missionaries.  As someone who has taken her own children on short term missions trips, I’ve had a taste of that criticism from well meaning friends and family members who say things like, “But, it’s so dangerous, why would you put yourself and your child at risk?” or, “Aren’t there things you can do right here in the US?  Can’t you help people in our own country where it’s safer?”

But, the truth is that our days are all numbered.  In Psalm 139:16 it says, “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Does that mean we should take unnecessary risks with our lives?  No, of course not.   But, it does mean that we should not allow fear of suffering or death to stop us from following God’s will for our lives, even if that leads us into situations that some would consider unsafe.  And, since we never know which day is our last we should spend them wisely, serving Him.

I think it’s very fitting that the verse that the Cretzman’s have chosen a section of Ephesians 5 as verse to guide their mission.  It says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Wanted:  Individuals or groups to sing the National Anthem at the Winston-Salem Dash baseball games this season.  Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 03 at Hanes Mall (lower level near the food court) from noon to 5pm.   The first 150 registrations will get a scheduled time slot to audition.  Sign up online at www.wsdash.com

Learn more about your ‘Love Language’ with Dr Gary Chapman on today’s daily broadcast of Focus on the Family.  www.focusonthefamily.com   Listen to Focus on the Family (Part one of a two part program) tonight at 9pm on WBFJ. 

Pray and Donate:  Funds are being collected for the Cretzman family, the missionary family of four from Canada who lost their 3 year old little girl  during that single vehicle crash on I-74 in Surry County on Monday morning. Funds are being collected through Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown  **Their three biggest financial needs: medical expenses, bereavement expenses and a vehicle (their mini van was totalled in Monday’s accident).  PRAYER: Pray for healing: as Lana (the mom) recovers from a broken leg and a fractured rib and pray for the family as they grieve the loss of their 3 year old.   BTW: The Cretzman family from Ontario, Canada are Baptist missionaries raising support to serve in Cuba.  

More information: Phone: 722-9700   Cretzman family’s website:  http://cretzmanstocuba.com/

Cretzman family on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Cretzmans-to-Cuba/169962909729571

 Health officials are reporting that a 6-year-old is the state’s first flu death of the season.  The child, whose name and city were not disclosed, died February 4.  Officials clarify that the child had underlying medical conditions and was in a ‘high risk’ category before coming down with the flu. http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/654030/state-reports-6-year-old-as-first-flu-death-of-the-season

 The Winston-Salem City Council has given the green light to extended hours for downtown restaurants, updating an older noise ordinance.  The city has extended sidewalk dining hours to 1am during the week and 2am on the weekends.  http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/654069/winston-salem-council-approves-extended-outdoor-hours-for-downtown

Green’s Supper Club in Greensboro is closing. This Saturday will be Green’s final night.  www.facebook.com/pages/Greens-Supper-Club/85322053797?sk=wall

 ACC Basketball (tonight):   North Carolina at NC State (8pm) in Raleigh

 State High Schoolbasketball play-offs.  Complete schedule and brackets:  www.nchsaa.org

NCISAA State Swimming Championships (Day two for independent and private schools.  (Feb 20-21) at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. 

The number of knee replacement operations has surged in the past decade, especially in baby boomers.   Nearly 1 in 20 Americans over age 50 have artificial knees.  People with knee replacements often require additional care due to infections or scar tissue. Plus, artificial knees wear out, so as the operations are increasingly done on ‘younger’ people, many will live long enough to almost certainly need a second or even third knee replacement.  http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120210/D9SQHU900.html

http://tims.ncdot.gov/TIMS/IncidentDetail.aspx?id=397551

A new Governors Highway Safety Association report shows that the Tar Heel State is ranked behind Texas for the number of teen driver fatalities.  Biggest reason:  Distracted driving…     http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/

Greensboro police will be stopping cars and checking vehicles with tinted windows this week.  Fox 8 reporting that if your car’s window is too dark, you could be ticketed with a $290 dollar fine including court costs. 

Auditions for the “X Factor” will be making a stop in the Triad on May 1 at the Greensboro Coliseum. The winner of Simon Cowell’s X Factor gets a $5 million dollar recording contract with Sony Music. http://www.thexfactorusa.com/

State High School basketball play-offs start today: Complete schedule and brackets:  www.nchsaa.org

NCISAA State Swimming Championships (independent and private schools)  Monday and Tuesday (Feb 20-21)  at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. 

 ACC Basketball action:  Duke over Boston College 

Speed Week at Daytona:  (NASCAR) Carl Edwards capturing the pole position for the start of this Sunday’s Daytona 500.  Edwards will share the front row with teammate Greg Biffle.  The rest of the starting line up will be settled on Thursday with the twin-125 qualifying races.  www.nascar.com/races/cup/

 NASCAR and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command are teaming up.
The historic partnership will improve the safety and the performance of military vehicles for our troops all over the world, while creating new jobs and investment opportunities in North Carolina.  http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/653958/nascar–military-announce-special-partnership

NY Knicks back in the win / ‘Lin-ning’ column.  Jeremy Lin scored 28 points and added a career-high 14 assists with a 104-97 victory over the Mavericks last night.    ESPN fired an employee over the weekend for posting an offensive headline about Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin. The headline was posted on ESPN’s mobile website was used for a story about a New York loss in which Lin had nine turnovers.  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_glicksman/02/19/mavericks.knicks/index.html#ixzz1mvcjRcfo

What’s all the LIN-sation about Jeremy Lin?  Learn more:  www.mercurynews.com/jeremy-lin/ci_19954877

President’s Day forecast: Sunny skies…High 48 this afternoon

Closings and Delays

3-hour delay:  Davie County

 2-hour delay…First Assembly Christian school

Rowan-Salisbury

Redeemer School (9:30am)

 Closed

Guilford County

Thomasville City

Lexington City

The Piedmont School

Surry Co

ElkinCity

Mt Airy City

Yadkin Co

Woodland Baptist

(Virginia) Carroll, Patrick,GraysonCounty

Colleges / Universities

UNC-G      (10am)

Brookstone College

Randolph Community College

ECPI

Greensboro College   (9:30)

Closed:  Surry Community College

Thanks to these sources for closings and delays:

http://www.wxii12.com/index.html

http://triad.news14.com/content/top_stories/

http://myfox8.com/