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My oldest son, Michael (Mick) who just turned 27 last month, has been a Type 1 Diabetic with zero pancreatic function (and all the complications which that implies) since he was 12 years old. About an hour ago, we received a call from the IU Medical Center Transplant Team, where he has been on the recipient list for about a year. They have a possible donor. Mick is now en route to Indianapolis to begin the pre-op at 7AM. Your prayers would be appreciated for both my son and for the salvation of the soul of the potential donor, who...

MILWAUKEE - Oshkosh, Wis., police on Monday confirmed they had positively identified the body of a man believed to be the 21-year-old son of Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Oshkosh police spokesman Joseph Nichols said the identity of the person, whose body was pulled from the Fox River near the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus, was not being released pending official notification and wishes of the family. Members of the Packers, however, were told that the body was that of Michael Philbin. In addition, some players sent condolences out on Twitter. Police said foul play was not suspected, but...

Seeing Jesus in the Gospel of John Seeing Jesus in the Gospel of John | An Excerpt from On The Way to Jesus Christ | Joseph Cardinal RatzingerThe farewell discourses of Jesus, as the Gospel of John presents them to us, hover in a singular way between time and eternity, between the present hour of the Passion and the new presence of Jesus that is already dawning, because the Passion itself is at the same time his "glorification" as well. On the one hand, the darkness of the betrayal, of the denial, of the abandonment of Jesus to the ultimate...

The Purpose for Christmas Birth of Christ Jesus Merry Christmas Some seem to have forgotten why Jesus came, was born of a virgin, and what the purpose was for God to make this birth of His Son possible.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom some pundits had written off as the GOP's nominee, may find a second coming in Iowa, if new poll data holds up. As Mitt Romney's campaign has suffered a startling decline in recent weeks, only to see Newt Gingrich eclipse the former Massachusetts governor's front-runner status, the battle for the Iowa caucuses set for Jan. 3 has become a wide-open race. New survey data prepared for the Perry campaign and shared by a source close within the campaign shows that the Texas governor may be poised to do much better in next month’s Iowa caucuses...

An "Austin Powers" actor convicted of torturing a woman in Orange County is suspected of killing his cellmate in a Central Valley prison, authorities said Tuesday. Joseph Hyungmin Son, 40, allegedly killed his 50-year-old cellmate, who was found dead Monday afternoon at Wasco State Prison Reception Center in Kern County.

Police have arrested a mentally-ill man in connection with the death of his parents, whose bodies were found at their home on Friday. David William Hamilton, 26, from Huntersville, North Carolina, was arrested at a motel on Friday night after his sister reportedly found their parents' bodies. Huntersville Police Captain Michael Kee said Hamilton was living with his parents - James and Stephanie Hamilton - at the home after being released from a mental institution earlier this year.

Saif al-Islam told Kara he would speak in Jerusalem ‘like Sadat’ in exchange for reduced pressure from NATO and Europe on Libya. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi offered to sign a peace treaty with Israel and to negotiate captive soldier Gilad Schalit’s release in exchange for reduced pressure from NATO and Europe on Libya, Deputy Minister for Galilee and Negev Development Ayoub Kara told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. “Saif al-Islam and I have mutual acquaintances in Austria. Long before the whole mess in Libya, I asked them to talk to him about Gilad Schalit, because the Gaddafis are close with [Hamas...

An actor who appeared in the first Austin Powers film is facing a life sentence after being convicted of taking part in a brutal rape. Joseph Son, 40, was found guilty of raping and torturing a 20-year-old woman after she was abducted near her home in Huntington Beach, California. Son, a mixed martial arts fighter, played the role of Dr Evil's handyman 'Random Task' in the 1997 film 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.'

The ICC was negotiating the evasive heir-apparent's transfer to The Haag already- what does this say about the enigmatic rebels we've all but installed in Tripoli? When asked, the only thing the main rebel spokesman had to say -in his best imitation of Baghdad Bob- was "This could be all lies!"... even as the elusive younger Gaddafi spoke on live television. But it is possible he actually was captured (the ICC had confirmed it) yet escaped rebel custody: in fact, the opposition forces appear astonishingly incompetent, as his oldest brother Mohammed Gaddafi -who was not an element of the regime- already bolted...

Saif al-Islam, Moammar Gadhafi's son, has been captured, according to the head of the Rebel National Transitional Council in an interview with Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, a Libyan government spokesman warned of humanitarian disaster and a "massacre" in Tripoli as rebel forces advanced into the capital Sunday, but said forces loyal to longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi were holding off the attacks.

LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. — A Missississippi man let his 8-year-old son drive on Interstate 12 while he slept, Louisiana State Police reported Saturday. State police said they received a call shortly after 6:30 a.m. Saturday about a green Chevrolet pickup truck driving erratically on the interstate in Livingston Parish. The caller told police that a child appeared to be the driver of the pickup. Troopers stopped the vehicle, and they said a boy was driving the truck while his father, Billy Joe Madden, 28, of Hattiesburg, Miss., slept in the passenger seat.

Mom faces prison for jaywalking during drunk hit-and-run that killed son; driver served 6 monthsBY Philip Caulfield DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Monday, July 25th 2011, 3:29 PM The devastated mother of a 4-year-old boy who was killed in a drunken hit-and-run accident is facing more jail time than her son's killer because she was jaywalking during the accident. Raquel Nelson, 30, could get up to three years behind bars after being convicted on July 12 of second-degree vehicular homicide, reckless conduct, and failure to use a crosswalk during the incident in April 2010. Nelson and her three children had gotten...

Mosab, "son of Hamas," has been exposed as a fraud by counter jihad fighter Walid Shoebat. many of us, myself included, blogged about the phenom Mosab. Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of a jailed Hamas terrorist leader and MP, Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the most popular figure in that extremist Islamic organization. Mosab, as a young man, assisted his father for years in his political activities. He converted to Christianity and operated undercover in the service of Israel's intelligence agency for a decade. Yousef reveals this information in an upcoming book, Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal,...

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi survived a NATO missile strike Saturday that killed his youngest son and three grandchildren and wounded friends and relatives, Libya's spokesman said. Gadhafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of son Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane, according to Libyan spokesman Moussa Ibrahim. Libyan officials took journalists to the one-story house in a wealthy residential neighborhood. Some areas of the roof were caved in, leaving strings of reinforcing steel hanging down among chunks of concrete.

Pro-Abortion Blog Attacks Sarah Palin's Son, Calls Him "Retarded" Washington, DC -- The pro-abortion blog "Wonkette" is facing criticism from pro-life advocates for running a satirical post attacking Trig Palin, the Down Syndrome son of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/04/20/pro-abortion-blog-attacks-sarah-palins-son-calls-him-retarded/

Father & Son Reunited After 57 YearsBy Chris Mcintosh Published: March 03, 2011 A family separated by more than five decades reunited today. 11Connects recently brought you the story of Alvin Miller Sr. His children from a second marriage, helped him use facebook to track down his son, Alvin Miller Jr. He left the area with his mother while Miller senior was still in the Navy. Both father and son spent the last 57 years apart, but today they were reunited. Both father and son were in tears as they saw each other for the first time in almost six...

The woman who authorities say killed her teenage daughter and son because she was fed up with them talking back and being mouthy will not appear in court Saturday because she's being treated at a hospital for an unknown condition. Authorities say Julie Powers Schenecker was taken to Tampa General Hospital shortly after midnight Saturday to be treated for a medical condition that existed before she was taken to jail. Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies — who oversee jail inmates — said they could not reveal Schenecker's medical condition, citing health care privacy laws. An arrest affidavit said Schenecker shot her son...

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2011 – Most soldiers who are deployed miss their homes. But for Army Spc. Steven Starkey and Army Pfc. Andrew Starkey, a large part of what the word “home” represents is just a five-minute walk up the hill. Army Pfc. Andrew Starkey and his father, Army Spc. Steve Starkey of the Iowa Army National Guard pose for a photo Jan. 6, 2011, while deployed to Afghanistan’s Paktia province. Courtesy photo (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Steven, a 40-year-old mechanic by trade in Council Bluffs, Iowa, works as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic attached to Company...

The son of Libyan dictator Colonel Gadaffi is to celebrate the first anniversary of the Lockerbie bomber's release by giving a party for him. Saif Gadaffi, whose friends include Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson, will attend the revelry for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi in his two-storey house in Tripoli. He will foot the bill for food and drink, following a day's fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. When Megrahi, 58, was released on August 20 last year, Scottish authorities said he had only three months to live and was 'going home to die'.

TOLEDO, Ohio, July 8, 2010 – The O’Connor family from northwestern Ohio prides itself on spirituality and hard work, while giving back to their community. Army Brig. Gen. John “Jack” O’Connor stands for a photo with his parents after his promotion to brigadier general at MacDill Air Force Base, near his parents’ home in Tampa, Fla. The O’Connors, natives of Toledo, Ohio, taught their children by example the importance of giving back to their community. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Brandon Babbitt  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Brig. Gen. John “Jack” O’Connor, commanding general of Army Materiel Command...

HARARE - A ZIMBEBWEAN woman killed her infant son and sold one of his ears for US$20 (S$27.95) to a traditional healer wanted for ritual murders in neighbouring Mozambique, police said on Thursday. 'We can confirm that the woman Christine Hofisi from Chipinge (near the Mozambican border) strangled her 18-month-old son to death and cut off his left ear,' deputy national police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka told AFP. 'Hofisi sold the ear to a traditional healer notorious for ritual murders in Mozambique. She sold the ear for US$20 but was given US$10 with the balance to be paid later. 'She is...

6/23/2010 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNS) -- A father and son are both deployed here as vehicle mechanics. Senior Master Sgt. CJ Slifko, the vehicle fleet manager for the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, said he had a tough decision to make toward the end of his six month tour: whether to approve a waiver on the deployment of his 3-level son, Airman 1st Class Ryan Slifko, a vehicle mechanic, to Iraq. "For whatever reason, (the primary person couldn't come) I got an e-mail from Whiteman (Air Force Base, Mo.) asking for a waiver on a 3-level," Sergeant Slifko...

6/17/2010 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Perhaps the biggest challenge of any deployment is the separation from family and friends and missing those momentous occasions in life such as a son's first word, a daughter's high school graduation, a 20-year wedding anniversary or a family reunion. While a military member's time downrange can't be cut short so they can attend these milestone events, these special moments can at least be seen and heard from afar, thanks to modern-day conveniences such as wireless Internet and Web cameras. This was the case for one lieutenant colonel deployed here and her 22-year old...

SCHWEINFURT, Germany, June 17, 2010 – A father and his stepson are pursuing military careers – in the U.S. and Danish armies. Army Master Sgt. William Groene, right, poses with his stepson, Lt. Michel Vester, a Danish cadet at the Royal Danish Army Officers Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark. U.S. Army photo by Nathan Van Schaik   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. William Groene is a master sergeant in the U.S. Army. His stepson, Michel Vester, is a Danish cadet enrolled at the Royal Danish Army Officers Academy at the Frederiksborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. "I met his mother back...

Chief of Staff's son marking bar-mitzvah; Ben-Gvir detained for heckling White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel prayed with his son, who is celebrating his bar-mitzvah, at the Western Wall and inserted a note into its stones on Thursday, after police misled the media into believing Emanuel is on his way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and heading there. Following the maneuver, Emanuel's security allowed him to join his son at the Western Wall. Earlier, Emanuel and his family toured Jerusalem's Old City, and met with Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz. A bar-mitzva celebration for Emanuel's son, Zach,...

Like everyone else, I have days when my outlook on life isn't exactly as Christian as it should be. The cloudy days with no sun are days that can sometimes be harder to get through. My zip and zest for life seems to wane. I realize that a day without the son of God is much much worse. The words of Jesus inspire me and make everything tolerable. The days without a sun are one thing, a day with out the son of God would seem to be intolerable to me now.

Sunday, May 09, 2010 08:46 CAMP TAJI – Two U.S. Soldiers here—a mother and her son—were reunited when mom recently made an early Mother's Day visit to the Camp. First Lt. Kenieth Mayweather and his mother, Command Sgt. Maj. Rue Mayweather, greet each other at Camp Taji, Iraq, May 5, 2010. Rue surprised her son with an early Mother's Day visit, when the two toured the Camp together. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Roland Hale Command Sgt. Maj. Rue Mayweather, USF-I, Critical Thinking Cell, traveled here to visit her son, 1st Lt. Kenieth Mayweather, May 5. The two had...

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, April 20, 2010 – An Afghan National Army Air Corps C-27A Spartan cargo aircraft took off from Kabul International Airport to conduct an International Security Assistance Force mission transporting weapons and cargo for Afghan National Police. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Benjamin Boera, left, and his father, Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera, share a laugh aboard an Afghan National Army Air Corps C-27A Spartan aircraft March 28, 2010, at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Benjamin Boera, a 5th...

4/13/2010 - CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- An Afghan National Army Air Corps C-27A Spartan cargo aircraft took off from Kabul International Airport to conduct an International Security Assistance Force mission transporting weapons and cargo for Afghanistan National Police. At Camp Bastion, Marine 1st Lt. Benjamin Boera, a 5th Battalion 11th Marines High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Tango Battery platoon commander here, watched the cargo plane land. He swells up with pride because one of the pilots on the mission is his dad, Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera, a Combined Air Power Transition Force commander and the 438th Air Expeditionary...

JOINT BASE BALAD – Receiving the combat patch is a milestone in any Soldier’s career.  On April 8, a father placed the storied patch on his son's right shoulder here, making the moment even more special for both.Col. Jeff H. Holmes, commander, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), travelled here from Contingency Operating Base Taji to “patch” his son, Spc. Hulon Holmes, a gunner with 3rd Platoon, F Troop, 2-278th ACR. The elder Holmes said it was an honor to put a combat patch on his son and he was glad he was able to make it for...

“The Prodigal Father” (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)Our text today is probably the most familiar and well-loved of all of Jesus’ parables. It is the parable usually called “The Prodigal Son.” But this morning I would like to suggest another name for this story, and that is, “The Prodigal Father.” Yes, “The Prodigal Father”--he really is the hero of this story. Well, first I guess I should explain that word “prodigal” and why we can apply it to both the wayward son and the waiting father. “Prodigal” is an old-timey word, isn’t it? We don’t use it much in our day, other...

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Feb. 26, 2010 – Inspired by his son, a noncommissioned officer here shattered the glass roof of his dream by wrestling his way to the top. Inspired by his son, Marco, left, Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Ignacio Ramirezlazos qualified to wrestle in the world championships. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “It’s pretty hard to be a single dad in the Marine Corps,” said Gunnery Sgt. Ignacio Ramirezlazos, training staff noncommissioned officer for the Installation Personnel Administration Center. “I did it to set the example for my son...

The son of prominent Palestinian peace activist confessed Thursday he participated in an attempted terror attack against Israel Defense Forces last month which was documented with a camera belonging to Human rights organization B'Tselem. On January 21 Israel security forces arrested three West Bank Palestinians suspected of involvement with terrorist activity, one of whom was Mohanned Abu-Awwad, 21, whose father, Khaled Abu-Awwad, serves as the General Manager of the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum. The three residents of Beit Ommar, north of Hebron, were detained in a joint operation led by members of both IDF and Shin Bet units.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ – While many women are busy serving as soccer moms and chauffeurs for their children's busy lives, one 37-year-old Tampa, Fla., resident is more closely focused on keeping her family "Army strong." Spc. Jenniffer Davis joined the Army two years ago. An information technician, she currently works at the S6 Help Desk for the 2nd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division during its deployment to Mosul as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While the military has long been a family tradition for Davis -- both her parents are retired Air Force, her mom after 30 years of service,...

Joel Hill at the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office say 50 year old Michael Varnadore got into an argument with his mother Mary Jean Varnadore Monday night that resulted in a shooting. The report says Varnadore shoved his 70 year old mother onto a bed at her home on Star Circle in Cowpens. Deputies say The mother shot Varnadore in the leg. They say Varnadore was treated and released for Upstate Carolina Medical Center and was arrested and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in Jerusalem on Friday morning to bury Rabbi Meir Hai, a father of seven who was shot dead by Palestinians near his home in the West Bank a day before. In eulogizing his father, Hai's 16-year-old son Eliyahu urged mourners not to consider seeking revenge for the attack. "The difference between us and them is that we are people, Jews, holy," he said.

However, in my prayers I would lift to God the blue blanket. Then I would offer the Lord a simple petition: “Please, Jesus, bring back to us our son. Bring him back to us for we love him.”

A US man has spoken of his anguish after discovering his long-lost father is apparently the notorious serial killer Charles Manson. Matthew Roberts, 41, tracked down his biological mother after she put him up for adoption in 1968. But he sank into depression after the woman revealed his dad is none other than the jailed cult leader, The Sun reported.

An enraged Highland Park, Michigan father is accused of killing his son - as he begged for his life - after learning the teen may have sexually abused a toddler. Jamar Pinkney Sr., 37, irate over hearing his 15-year-old son Jamar Pinkney Jr. had sexual contact with a 3-year-old girl made the teen strip at gunpoint, marched him to a vacant lot and shot him to death despite pleas from the boy and his mother, a relative said. Michigan authorities filed a first-degree murder charge Wednesday against Pinkney Sr. in his son's shooting death Monday. Defense attorney Corbett O'Meara said...

The son of sacked government drugs advisor David Nutt has posted pictures of himself on the internet apparently smoking cannabis. Steve Nutt, 24, is pictured on his Facebook page looking much the worse for wear. In one snap, his face is covered with paint and he is puffing on what could be a joint of cannabis. In a second photograph he is wearing a Santa hat with what appears to be another joint in his right hand. On the right-hand side of the photo, one of Nutt's friends looks to be preparing a second joint.

A 46-year-old Burlington woman accused of teaching her teenage son how to shoot heroin was charged Monday in connection with his death from an overdose. Patricia L. Strosina was charged with intentionally contributing to the delinquency of a child resulting in death in connection with the death of her 16-year-old son Raymond Strosina, according to a criminal complaint. The boy was found by his father in the father's home in the Town of Waterford on Sept. 14, slumped over a desk in a basement computer room, according to the complaint. A syringe, a burned spoon and other drug paraphernalia were...

An 18-year-old ran off with his stepmother after being reunited with his father for the first time since he was a baby, a court has heard. Benjamin Smith met his father Andrew Smith in the summer of last year and moved in to his house to begin the family life both men had never enjoyed. But the emotional reunion went disastrously wrong for the father. His 34-year-old wife Dawn began an affair with her teenage stepson and eventually the marriage collapsed, York Magistrates’ Court was told. The unlikely couple left to begin a new life together 60 miles away in...

Colorado Authorities: 'Balloon Boy' Flight 'Was a Stunt' Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden announced at a press conference on Sunday that Colorado authorities have ruled the "balloon boy's" flight a hoax. "It has been determined that this is a hoax. We believe we have evidence at this point to indicate that this was a publicity stunt," Alderden told reporters. Authorities believe the alleged plot was hatched in an attempt by the Heene family "to better market themselves for a reality show at some point in the future," Alderden said. "They were lying." ... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568420,00.html

"Please Pray for Justice for my baby girl and our angel, Channon" http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=10952439561&ref=nf

Torture-slayings trial, Day 9: Victim's families: Jury 'let us down' with Letalvis Cobbins verdict KNOXVILLE - The families of a young Knox County couple tortured and killed in January 2007 tonight sharply criticized a jury's decision to spare defendant Letalvis Cobbins the death penalty. "I think the jury has let us down," said Mary Newsom, mother of murder victim Chris Newsom. "I think they've let Channon and Chris down. We were hoping for the death penalty." After deliberating a little more than two hours, the jury delivered its verdict about 6:50 p.m. in Judge Richard Baumgartner's courtroom. The judge polled...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The son of a powerful state senator instrumental in this summer's Senate coup was given a newly created $120,000 job in the chamber in the latest political appointment during the governor's hiring freeze. Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada's son, Pedro G. Espada, holds the new job of Senate liaison between governments, Senate Democratic majority spokesman Austin Shafran confirmed Tuesday. The elder Mr. Espada, a Bronx Democrat, was one of the dissidents who created a June coup in the Senate when he joined a Republican-led coalition, taking the slim majority from his Democratic party in exchange for a...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, Aug. 10, 2009 – Deployed soldiers always have kissed their families goodbye and headed off to war with the expectation of learning to handle the constant heartache of missing their loved ones. However, in a rare exception, a mother and her son have found themselves assigned here together. Army Maj. Una Alderman, chief nurse officer for the 452nd Army Reserve, from Wisconsin, tends to a patient at the hospital on Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, Aug. 5, 2009. She is stationed in the same area of operations as her son, Army Staff Sgt. Seth Alderman,...

(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi David Yosef, the son of Shas party spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef, resisted a bribe offered by state's witness Solomon Dwek in the American investigation that resulted in the arrest of 44 people on charges of bribery or money laundering last week, according to a report by News One on Sunday. The report says that Dwek came to the younger Rabbi Yosef and offered to cash a $25,000 for him in exchange for a percentage of the money, claiming he had nothing to eat and that the rabbi was obligated to save him. The rabbi was careful enough to...

Staff Sgt. Glennie Burks, Jr., left, and Maj. Glennie Burks, Sr. enjoy some father-son time before his son re-deploys. Photo by Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Kennedy. BAGHDAD — Burks and Burks—one a major and the other a staff sergeant—are both serving their country on their second combat tour in Iraq. The younger Burks, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Glennie Burks, Jr., has done 15 months this time around. He’s been serving in the Army for seven years and has excelled since basic training in 2002 at Fort Sill, Okla. In 2003, Burks, Jr. did his first deployment to Iraq...